Mat 12:44 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord points to a situation in which a person is delivered from an unclean spirit. That unclean spirit seeks another dwelling place, but does not find it. In reality, He is talking about Israel and its future. The situation of Israel at the time of the Lord Jesus is not that the people as a whole turn to idols. There is no idolatry ( ), but there is also no life from God or with God present. Man, the house, has remained empty. This is why the unclean spirit, when it comes back, can take up residence again. It is also a house that is not full of cobwebs, but that is swept and put in order. It’s not a ruin, it’s maintained to a very high standard. Yet it is empty. It speaks of the hollow religion with outward behavior and a beautiful appearance, but without life from and for God. In that house there is no place for the Holy Spirit. Because there are no other inhabitants, the unclean spirit sees its chance to invite other spirits to come and live there. A fullness, “seven”, of wicked spirits of an even more corrupt nature than this unclean spirit comes along. This causes a situation in the house, in that person, which is worse than before. Israel, which was free from idolatry, did not accept the Lord Jesus. This has left the people empty and they can become a place where the most wicked of spirits move in. This will happen when the antichrist reigns over “this evil generation” and determines the service in the temple ( ). He will put there the idolatrous image of the beast out of the sea, so that all who are on earth will worship the image of the beast ( ). Also in every person’s life it is important that there is no vacuum. Otherwise the devil will come to fill the void. From a spiritual point of view, this can also be seen now. People who live without God, but want to be spiritually active, are an easy prey for all kinds of teachings of demons.

‏ Matthew 12:44

The Return of the Unclean Spirit

The Lord points to a situation in which a person is delivered from an unclean spirit. That unclean spirit seeks another dwelling place, but does not find it. In reality, He is talking about Israel and its future. The situation of Israel at the time of the Lord Jesus is not that the people as a whole turn to idols. There is no idolatry (Hos 3:4), but there is also no life from God or with God present. Man, the house, has remained empty. This is why the unclean spirit, when it comes back, can take up residence again.

It is also a house that is not full of cobwebs, but that is swept and put in order. It’s not a ruin, it’s maintained to a very high standard. Yet it is empty. It speaks of the hollow religion with outward behavior and a beautiful appearance, but without life from and for God. In that house there is no place for the Holy Spirit.

Because there are no other inhabitants, the unclean spirit sees its chance to invite other spirits to come and live there. A fullness, “seven”, of wicked spirits of an even more corrupt nature than this unclean spirit comes along. This causes a situation in the house, in that person, which is worse than before.

Israel, which was free from idolatry, did not accept the Lord Jesus. This has left the people empty and they can become a place where the most wicked of spirits move in. This will happen when the antichrist reigns over “this evil generation” and determines the service in the temple (2Thes 2:3-4). He will put there the idolatrous image of the beast out of the sea, so that all who are on earth will worship the image of the beast (Rev 13:14-15).

Also in every person’s life it is important that there is no vacuum. Otherwise the devil will come to fill the void. From a spiritual point of view, this can also be seen now. People who live without God, but want to be spiritually active, are an easy prey for all kinds of teachings of demons.