Just when you think the conspiracy theorists and “secret info” news reporters could get no worse, we are now plagued with rumors that both Obama and Hillary are demon possessed. Don’t get me wrong here, I am not endorsing either of them. I am not telling you how to cast your vote. However, I am telling you that biblically speaking, the presence of flies and the smell of sulphur have nothing to do with demonic activities. But before we get too far into this rabbit hole, let’s look at what has been floating around the internet lately.
The idea that flies are linked to demonic presence comes from Hollywood, not the Bible.
Flies in the Bible
Think of all the Bible verses about flies. Not a whole lot of stuff to work with there. Nearly all of the references are about the plagues sent upon the Egyptians. If anything flies would be tied with God’s judgement. Yet, God never sent a single fly or even a small swarm of them. He sent billions upon billions and desolated crops and cities.
If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them. (Exodus 8:21)
Moreover, God does not seem to have a habit of sending plague warning signs. He sends a messenger if anything. He did not send a few flies out prematurely to indicate a plague was soon to come.
But if flies are not linked with demons then why do so many people think they are?
Flies in Hollywood
There have been a number of movies that link flies with either paranormal activity or with demonic activity. Some of the most classic examples are the Amityville Horror story or perhaps the Green Mile.
However, the movie that really set off the idea of flies linked to demonic presence is Lord of the Flies (previously a book). The name Lord of the Flies is an allusion to the figure known as Beelzebub. While many believe Beelzebub to be one of the names of Satan, it has beeb used to name all kinds of evil spirits or false gods throughout history.
What does Beelzebub have to do with flies? Modern theorists and story tellers say that since Beelzebub brings death and decay it is natural to assume that such decay (usually bodily) attacks maggots and flies. However, the better explanation is that is was the name given to Satan, found in the New Testament (Matthew 10:25; 12:24, 27; Mark 3:22, and 2 Kings 1:2-3). While the original title in Ekron would have translated into “prince of the gods” or “prince god”, it was eventually turned into a pun by the Israelites because it’s name in Hebrew would mean, the lord of flies,” or, as others think, “the lord of dung,” or “the dung-god.” Thus, as an insult to Satan he was sometimes called Beelzebul. Anyone accused of being under the power of Beelzebul would have known that they were not just being accused of something terrible but that they were being insulted at the same time.
If you are nor familiar with the book/movie Lord of the Flies, here are the cliff notes.
But what about the sulphur smell?
Before I get into the nuts and bolts here about sulphur I want to quickly point out that if both Hillary and Obama smelled like sulphur it would not be a secret. We could not have had 30 years of Hillary in the public life and 12 of Obama without someone saying, “hey they really smell bad.” The fact that these rumors are being reported by unnamed people close to them just indicates that it’s a completely fabricated story. Obama gets harassed about everything from his gym workouts to his big ears. If he really smelled of sulphur one of the thousands upon thousands of people who got to meet him would have actually said something. Now onto the substance.
Sulphur in the Bible
Let us first note the Bible does mention sulphur and brimstone in Hell. However, no demon was ever said to have smelled like sulphur. I think the physics behind this is rather simplistic to understand. Since demons are made of Spirit (no flesh or physical material) then how exactly would they smell like anything they came into contact with? It’s not exactly like they are wearing clothes or like their skin is going to pick it up….. they have neither. Rather, the ideal that demons smell like sulphur is just a silly notion that someone who came from Hell must smell like Hell. While the logic in that seems simple enough, it fails under any amount of scrutiny. Moreover, if Obama and Hillary were demons, they are sure taking their sweet time in destroying the world. Time is running out for both of them.
That being said, here are some verses in the Bible that mention sulphur. For those who are unfamiliar with biblical terminology, brimstone and sulphur are the same thing.
“But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19:24-25)
So sulphur has a pretty solid connection with hell and destruction. But have demons in the bible been described as smelling like anything? No, of course not.
Conclusion
It seems silly that I even have to write this post but I can say unequivocally that Obama and Hillary are not demons or possessed by demons. And if they were we would not see flies landing on them nor would they smell like sulphur. Moreover, a flies has recently landed on Trump too; are we to assume the he also is possessed by a demon? You see it’s just silly because a fly can land on literally anyone. Moreover, a single fly landed on Hillary and the internet lost their minds. That is right, a single fly.
C’mon internet; you’re getting ridiculous.
1 thought on “Hey Conspiracy Theorists, Flies and Sulphur are Not Signs of Demonic Presence”