Bernard Muller wrote: ↑Thu Jan 11, 2018 10:02 amFurthermore, I think it is rather strange that people in antiquity would think that demons are rulers. Satan may have been considered a ruler, but I doubt it is the case for the many demons thought by some to have existed.
What about...?
Leviticus 20.5: 5 then I Myself will set My face against that man and against his family; and I will cut off from among their people both him and all those who play the harlot after him, by playing the harlot after Molech [LXX: εἰς τοὺς ἄρχοντας, "after the rulers"].
Daniel 10.13: 13 "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the principal rulers [LXX: εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν πρώτων], came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia."
1 Enoch 6.3: 3 And Semjaza, who was their ruler [ὃς ἦν ἄρχων αὐτῶν], said unto them, "I fear ye will not indeed agree to do this deed, and I alone shall have to pay the penalty of a great sin."
1 Enoch 6.6-7: 6 And they were in all two hundred who descended ⌈in the days⌉ of Jared on the summit of Mount Hermon, and they called it Mount Hermon because they had sworn and bound themselves by mutual imprecations upon it. 7 And these are the names of their rulers [τῶν ἀρχόντων αὐτῶν]: Samjazaz, their ruler [ἄρχων αὐτῶν], Araklba, Rameel, Kokablel, Tamlel, Ramlel, Danel, Ezeqeel, Baraqijal, Asael, Armaros, Batarel, Ananel, Zaqiel, Samsapeel, Satarel, Turel, Jomjael, Sariel. These are their chiefs of tens.
1 Enoch 8.1: 1 And Azazel [Syncellus' recension adds: ὁ δέκατος τῶν ἀρχόντων, "the tenth of the rulers"] taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all coloring tinctures.
It appears that both good spirits/angels (like Michael) and evil spirits/demons (like Semjaza) could be rulers; and it appears that both sides could have more than one ruler.
It may be strange (to you), but it looks like it happened.