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62 Jesus Christ encountered many demons during the years of His ministry, and cast them out of people, repeatedly. These, remember, are spirit beings -- and are involved in all sorts of occult phenomena, including ghost appearances, water witching and “dousing,” Ouji boards, seances, often masquerading as the “spirits” of departed loved ones. They hate human beings and are intensely jealous of the plan God is working out with human beings. On one occasion two demon-possessed individuals met Jesus “coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way. And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” The demons begged Him to cast them into a herd of swine, unclean animals, and Jesus allowed them to enter the herd and drive it over the cliff and into the Sea of Galilee (Matt.8:28-32). Jesus gave His disciples power to cast demons out of possessed individuals (Matt.10:1; Mark 16:15-18; Matt.12:28-30). Jesus warned against taking demons lightly, as the modern world is wont to do. He declared: “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits, more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also We, also, live in a very wicked and deceitful generation. This period of time, about 6,000 years after the Creation of Adam and Eve, is known in the Bible as “the time of the end,” and “the crisis at the close” (Dan.12:9, 4). A new irruption or avalanche of demonic activity and infestation and deception is prophesied for our day, in the Scriptures. Jesus Christ Himself, in the Mount Olivet prophecy, foretold that in the days immediately prior to His second coming, “Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (Matt.24:11). He added, “For there shall arise false Christs [Messiahs or “Deliverers”], and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before” (verses 24-25). Paul warned that in the last days of this age, just before Christ’s coming, that a GREAT APOSTASY and falling away from the truth would occur (II Thess.2:1-5). He went on, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work . . . And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and LYING wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish: because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (II Thess.2:7-10). The Existence of "Demons" unto this wicked generation” (Matt.12:43-45). Increased Demonic Activity Prophesied