CHRIS RUSH continues his look at the Demons and possession with the Lord of the Flies, Beelzebub demon.
A demonic name you may hear from time to time is Baalzebub, Beelzebub or Beelzebul. This Canaanite God was worshipped in the ancient Philistine city of Ekron and is also referenced to in the Gospels. The demon Beelzebub is named as one of the seven princes of hell and is also known as the prince of demons.
Beelzebub demon and The Bible
The sources of the name “Beelzebub” can be found in Philistines – 2 Kings 1:2-3, 6, 16 where Moab revolted against Israel, during which King Ahaziah injured himself after a fall. Ahaziah sent messengers to Ekron to find out when he would recover, stating “Go and inquire of Baalzebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this injury.”
In the Gospels, Beelzebub appears in Mark, Mathew and Luke:
- “The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘By the prince of demons he drives out demons.’ – Mk 3:22
- “This man drives out demons only by the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” – Mt 12:24
- “Some of them said ‘By the power of Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he drives out demons.” – Lk 11:1
What is Beelzebub’s standing in hell?
Beelzebub demon is thought to be a very senior figure in Hell’s chain of command, and as stated by Johann Weyer, a 16th century occultist, it is believed that Beelzebub led and won a revolt against Satan himself. Also known as Lord of the Flies from the translation of his Hebrew name, this upper level demon is the chief lieutenant of Lucifer and the emperor of Hell.
Throughout history Beelzebub has been commonly associated with the unholy trinity, the other two members being Lucifer and Astaroth. Furthermore Beelzebub is associated with the seven deadly sins and he is seen as the sin gluttony, ruling over all excessive eating and drinking. When the damned get to Hell the gluttons will be forced to eat toads and drink stagnant water.
Demonic possession by Beelzebub
Over the years Beelzebub has been also associated with numerous possessions, the most famous of which is possibly the case of Anneliese Michel, a German woman who underwent an exorcism in 1975 and died in 1976.
Another case occurred in 1611 in the South of France, the Aix-en-Provence to be exact. Father Louis Gaufridi was convicted of allegedly making a deal with the devil, causing possession amongst numerous people. He was executed and burned at the stake.
This set the standard for the execution of Urbain Grandier in Loudun over 20 years later. During both sentences, witnesses said that they saw flies coming from the bodies as they burned.
Beelzebub is said to have also been associated with the Salem Witch Trials, after which Rev. Cotton Mather produced a piece called – Beelzebub and his Plot.
With Beelzebub’s name appearing so often in various cultures and popular art forms (Queen’s – Bohemian Rhapsody, to name one), you may believe he really exists and wonder when we may hear from this demonic entity again.
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