One of the Biblical principles that people in the modernized Western world have trouble dealing with is that of the spirit realm. We readily accept the fictional idea of other dimensions or universes, even that spirit beings can exist; but when it comes to the real world we live in, they fall somewhere between a joke and a story about the bogeyman.
If we get outside of the modern western world, we find that there are cultures existing in the world today, where the spirit realm is quite real. People expect to be influenced by spirits, whether those of their ancestors, good spirits (angels) or evil ones (demons). To us, these people are considered “backwards” and “unsophisticated;” yet they seem to know something that we don’t.
While not a major topic of discussion, the Bible makes it clear that the spirit realm exists. God, after all, is a Spirit and lives in heaven, which is a spiritual place, rather than a physical one. If God and heaven can exist, it’s not much of a jump to think that other spiritual beings and places can exist as well.
God is a Spirit: and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. – John 4:24
This verse is a bit interesting, in that it uses the word “spirit” in two different ways. Yet there is a difference in how they are written, emphasizing the difference in the two words. In the first instance of the word, Spirit is capitalized, identifying it as a name. We find this same thing occurring other places in the Bible, where the word “Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit, the third part of the Trinity of God. In the second instance, the word “spirit” is not capitalized, as it refers to the spirit of man, which is a part of man, not an entity in and of itself. Taking it as that, those who worship God must do so with their spirit taking the lead, rather than their soul of body.
Besides God being a spirit and man having a spirit; the Bbile makes reference to two other categories of spirits: the angels, of which there are several different categories, and demons. There are several different theological viewpoints on just who these demons are, but the most widely accepted are that they are fallen angels, members of the one-third of the angels who followed Lucifer in his rebellion and ended up being cast out of heaven with him.
Lucifer, who is now known as Satan, is the prince of demons, as well as being referred to as the “prince of this world” and the “prince of the power of the air.” There also appears to be an actual hierarchy of the demons in his kingdom:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12
Regardless of what these spirits are called, what their ranks are or how they interrelate with each other, the Bible makes their existence clear. There are a number of verses in the New Testament, giving us instruction in how to deal with evil spirits. While many people are afraid of them, it is clear in the New Testament that we have power over them, when we submit to Jesus and operate in His power and authority.
References to these evil spirits are not as common in the Old Testament, as they are in the New Testament. However, references to angels, including sightings of them are more common, especially in the books of prophecy. This is not to indicate any change in their status or prevalence, but merely that of awareness. Both the Old and New Testaments are part of one ongoing story; God’s story, so what exists in one, exists in some means in the other as well.
More than anything, evil spirits are referred to in the Old Testament as false gods, such as the gods that other nations worshiped. Clear commands are given in the Old Testament Law about not making offerings to these false gods. Such action is considered the first of sins and can bring down the wrath of God onto those who practice it.
Few angels or demons are given names in the Bible. Other than Lucifer, whose name was changed to Satan after he fell, only three archangels are mentioned by name, including the two archangels Gabriel and Michael. The final angle mentioned by name is Abaddon or Apollyon, depending in the translation of the Bible that one is reading. This angel is usually considered to be an archangel and is in charge of the Abyss (the bottomless pit of hell). It is unclear whether this fourth angel is on God’s side or whether he fell with Lucifer. Several other angles are mentioned in books of the apocrypha, but not in the main text of the Bible.
Mazikeen
In recent times, interest has risen in the name Mazikeen, mostly due to the Lucifer TV series, where Mazikeen is a character, also known by the shortened name, Maze. But is this character based upon the Bible or is it merely made up for the TV series?
The name Mazikeen doesn’t exist in either the Old or New Testaments. However, reference can be found to it in Jewish mythology. This is separate from the Jewish religion, in that the Jewish religion is based upon the teachings of the Old Testament, specifically the books of the Law and of the Prophets. On the other hand, Jewish mythology is a body of myths that are merely associated with Judaism, whether created by Jews or merely attributed to them.
In Jewish mythology, the name Mazikeen is usually spelled “Mazzikin,” with Mazikeen being an anglicized version of the name. In other words, the difference is nothing more than the difference that exists with names of places and people, when translated from one language to another. There’s always a tendency to make those changes, so that the name is more easily pronounced in the new language. Even the name “Jesus” is an anglicized name, as the letter “J” does not exist in Hebrew.
So, just who is this demon, Mazikeen?
The name Mazikeen or Mazzikin literally translates as “those who do harm.” The Hebrew spelling of this name is found in the Talmud, an ancient Jewish writing, which is a transcription of several generations of discussions by the top Jewish Rabbis of the time. It is considered to be a collection of the greatest of Jewish wisdom and knowledge, expounding upon the Torah or Law.
In the Talmud, Mazzikin doesn’t refer to one single spirit entity, but rather to all spirits who do harm. It is not a specific character, but rather a characterization of demons in general. Thus, it can be considered to refer to all evil spirits, for that is the work that they do. Generally speaking, the term Mazzikin is applied to spirits which do evil on the nuisance level; but it can also refer to those who create much more serious problems.
This is actually somewhat different from the character in the Lucifer TV series; but then, that’s Hollywood. They aren’t concerned with reality; but with making a good story that people will watch. So we can’t put much weight on anything they say.
Even though there is no real Mazikeen, as a specific entity that we need to worry about; evil spirits, otherwise known as demons, are quite real. Different Christian denominations place different amounts and types of credence on their power and activity. Part of that is due to the lack of information available in the Bible about them. While the Bible does make it clear that they exist, that we must fight against them, and that we have the ability to defeat them, it doesn’t get into detail. We are left to figure that out ourselves, based upon our experiences in life.
It should be noted that in the last 40 or 50 years, there has been a resurgence of the doctrinal areas of “spiritual warfare” and “deliverance” in the church, especially within groups or denominations that consider themselves to be filled with the Holy Spirit. There have been many manifestations of these evil spirits and many people who testify to having been set free of their influence and/or control. I leave it to you, whether you believe those testimonies or not.