I need help with a phrase (translation and history)

  • Thread starter Thread starter glenaitken
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
G

glenaitken

Guest
I keep seeing the phrase “Spirits of the Air” in different works and i’m pretty sure the phrase is in the bible as well. What does the phrase mean? What language? is this an accurate translation? what is the referance?
 
I cannot recall having seen “Spirits in the air” in the Bible. I have heard of the “Great cloud of witnesses.” in Hebrews 12.

Maybe you are thinking of 1 Thessalonians?

For the Lord himself, with a word of command, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

The Old Testament is full of people “Going out to meet” other people, usually in the context of “Going out” to battle.

There was also the custom of going out to meet visiting kings, military leaders and other dignitaries. The people of a city would “Go out to meet” an approaching king or dignitary, leaving the safety of the walled city and bringing no weapons, as a gesture of humility and subserviance. They would then escort the king or general back to the city as an honored guest. Paul was referencing this custom when he said that we would all go meet Jesus in the air.

Many Evangelicals have used this passage to prove rapture theology, suggesting that Jesus will come back to earth, stopping a short distance above the surface, call all the faithful to him and then make a U-turn and head back to heaven for 1000 years (or 1003 or 1007 years depending on who you listen to) This can’t be the case because then there would be two -econd comings of Christ - one at the rapture where he would hang a U-turn and head back to heaven with all the faithful and one at the end of time.

Let us know if this is not what you were thinking of.

-Tim-
 
the only thing that comes to mind is Ariel in Shakespeare’s the Tempest.
 
No, the things that i have read are clearly refering to some sort of fallen angels, but i can’t get the context right. augustine mentions them, along with other fathers, and they pop in and out of literature. it seems like whoever or whatever culture invented he phrase had a certain thing in mind, but i can;t figue out what that particular meaning would be. just thought someone out there may have a historical or literary context that went far enough back in history to make sense of it for me.
 
No, it’s in Ephesians 2:2, depending on the translation.

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

The original phrase for “prince of the power of the air” is “archonta tus exousias tou aeros”, or something Greek like that. It probably refers to demons of the wind or sky, and it might have some special reference to whatever pagan gods were popular in Ephesus. Jewish legend believed that demons often lived in the air, and the Sumerians believed in wind and storm demons called lilitu. So did the Assyrians, who also believed in the storm demon Pazuzu. All over the Middle East, there are a lot of similar pagan myths (probably because they had some humdingers of storms and winds).

But anyway… the important thing is that the “prince of the power of the air” has always been taken to be Satan, just as he is sometimes called the “prince of darkness” or the “prince of this world”. He’s annoying and tends to show up lots of places.
 
Mintaka said:
No, it’s in Ephesians 2:2, depending on the translation.

“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

The original phrase for “prince of the power of the air” is “archonta tus exousias tou aeros”, or something Greek like that. It probably refers to demons of the wind or sky, and it might have some special reference to whatever pagan gods were popular in Ephesus. Jewish legend believed that demons often lived in the air, and the Sumerians believed in wind and storm demons called lilitu. So did the Assyrians, who also believed in the storm demon Pazuzu. All over the Middle East, there are a lot of similar pagan myths (probably because they had some humdingers of storms and winds).

But anyway… the important thing is that the “prince of the power of the air” has always been taken to be Satan, just as he is sometimes called the “prince of darkness” or the “prince of this world”. He’s annoying and tends to show up lots of places.
Click to expand...
Paul is writing to a Greek congregation. Those Greeks would have been steeped in Platonic thought. Plato taught that there were three heavens the first being that around us which was inhabited by daemons with whom men could commune the second being between the physical world and the Heaven of heavens that being inhabited by daemons who could go between earth and heaven and the last being the domain of the gods/ god/ creator.

What Paul is saying that those spirit which inhabit the air around us are in fact the minions of hell and should never ever under any circumstance be communed with but rather Christ by the Holy Spirit through the sacraments was the only one with whom we should commune.

You find this sort of language also in 2 Corinthians when Paul speaks of being caught up to the third heaven I think using the same sort of language.

St Augustine gives a long treatment of this belief among the Greeks in City of God and his argument is very persuasive.

God Bless
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top