43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. 44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. 45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:43-45 KJV)
Return of an Unclean Spirit
The Pharisees had asked Jesus to show them a sign to prove that he was the Messiah. In reply, Jesus spoke generally about the whole unbelieving generation of Jews. Our Lord describes the danger of the unbelieving Jews using a parable about a possessed man. He said that when an evil spirit is cast out of someone and it does not find anyone else to possess, it wanders through barren places, seeking rest but finds none. Eventually, it attempts to return to the person it left. Seeing that the place empty, swept, and put in order, it gathers seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter and dwell there, worsening the person’s condition.
That generation of Jews was in the same situation. The forces of darkness, unsettled by the teachings and miracles of Christ and his apostles, as well as John the Baptist’s ministry, would temporarily withdraw from the Jews and seek refuge among the Gentiles, where the water of life had not yet flowed. But pursued by the faithful preaching of the gospel and finding no rest, they would return to the unbelieving generation. Meeting no resistance, more wicked spirits would take possession, making them even more hardened than before the preaching of the kingdom of Heaven. This is a prophecy of the Jews’ rejection and their ongoing hostility toward the gospel.
Though Jesus used the parable of the return of an unclean spirit to describe the spiritual state of that generation of Jews, the parable also applies to individuals. When an unclean spirit is cast out of a person, the person becomes empty, swept, and garnished; that is, while the evil spirit is away, the person is restored to his right mind and set free. Finding no rest elsewhere, the evil spirit tries to return to repossess the person. On his second entry, he comes with seven more wicked spirits to worsen the person’s state. Therefore, anyone delivered from demonic possession must be led to Christ so that the Holy Spirit will come and dwell in him, ending the cycle of demonic possession.