Beelzebul is the name the Pharisees pinned on Jesus when they would not say Son of David.
It is only by Beelzebul,
the prince of demons,
that this man casts out demons.
He has Beelzebul,
and by the prince of demons He casts out the demons.
If Satan casts out Satan,
he is divided against himself.
How then will his kingdom stand?
The slander is old Baal-talk dressed as discernment.
It is how you blaspheme the Spirit while standing in front of a man who can suddenly see and speak.
Ahaziah of Israel sent to Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron—Lord of the Flies—to ask if he would recover. Elijah met the messengers: Is it because there is no God in Israel? The name in the Gospels is Beelzebul, often taken as Lord of the House or a scornful twist on that old idol. By Jesus’ day it is a title for the prince of demons, another mask for Satan. The charge is not that Jesus failed. It is that His success is hell’s inside job. Mark says they were saying He has an unclean spirit. That is the line Jesus answers with the unforgivable warning. A kingdom divided cannot stand. The strong man is not hiring Jesus. The strong man is being bound. By the Spirit of God—by the finger of God—demons leave. Then the kingdom has come upon you. Calling that work Beelzebul is not a weak opinion. It is a settled refusal to credit the Holy One. Paul will later say the god of this world blinds minds. Beelzebul is what blinded scribes said when the Light was opening eyes in the room.
- The name is borrowed from idol-scorn and aimed at the Messiah.
- Prince of demons is their theology. House divided is His demolition of it.
- He has an unclean spirit is the form of the slander Mark wants you to hear.
- Success is what they cannot deny, so they relabel the source.
- Finger of God once made Egyptian magicians blink. It still does.
- Blasphemy of the Spirit attaches to this verdict, not to a nervous doubt.
- Lord of the house is irony: the Stronger is plundering the house.
- Ekron’s Baal – Ahaziah’s question; no God in Israel?
- Prince of Demons – The Gospel-era use.
- The Charge – Jesus casts out by Satan; He has an unclean spirit.
- The Answer – Divided kingdom; strong man bound.
- The Spirit – If by the Spirit, the kingdom has come.
- The Warning – Word against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
- The Irony – They name a fly-lord; He is Lord of the house.
- Matthew 12:24-28 – “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”… “If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself… But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
- Mark 3:22-30 – “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.”… “Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness… for they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’”
- Luke 11:15, 17-20 – “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.”… “If it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
- 2 Kings 1:2-3 – Ahaziah sent messengers, saying, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.”… “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron?”
- Matthew 10:25 – If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
- Matthew 12:29 – How can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?
- John 8:48-49 – “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon.”
- John 10:20-21 – “He has a demon, and is insane.”… “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
- 2 Corinthians 4:4 – The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.
- Revelation 12:9 – The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan.
It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.
He has Beelzebul. They were saying, He has an unclean spirit.
If Satan casts out Satan, how will his kingdom stand? If it is by the Spirit of God, the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Is it because there is no God in Israel that you inquire of Baal-zebub?
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of His household.
Do not baptize unbelief as discernment. When the mute speak and the blind see, the Spirit has moved. Call that Beelzebul and you have named the Holy One a fly-god. The strong man is bound. The house is being plundered. Say Son of David.
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