A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


March 25, 2016

Coming Soon To NYC: The Temple of Baal!

   
Ancient god, Baal
     In July of last year, I wrote a blog post about an ISIS video showing the horrific executions taking place in the ancient city of Palmyra in the Syrian desert.  I wrote that the choice of this site by the barbarians was no accident.  Palmyra was an ancient Roman city cited as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and noted for its prolific Baal worship throughout ancient history.
    The website GotQuestions.org has done a terrific job of telling us who Baal was... Baal was the name of the supreme god worshipped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. The word baal means “lord”; the plural is baalim. In general, Baal was a fertility god who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce children. Different regions worshiped Baal in different ways, and Baal proved to be a highly adaptable god.
     According to Canaan mythology, Baal was the son of El, the chief god, and Asherah (also known as Astarte and Ashtaroth), the goddess of the sea, and Baal was considered the most powerful of all gods.  We Christians are familiar with the land of Canaan as being "the promised land"; where YHWH had promised the Israelites under Moses that they would live in peace in a “land flowing with milk and honey.”  Today, the land of Canaan corresponds roughly to present-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Israel.
     But, if you are familiar with the Bible, you will recall that even before the Hebrews entered the Promised Land, the Lord God warned against worshiping Canaan’s gods, but Israel turned to idolatry anyway.  The Books of Kings, Chronicles and Judges are full of stories of Baal worship in Israel; at the Temples of Baal and around Asherah poles; involving child sacrifice, rooted in sensuality, and involving ritualistic prostitution in the temples.
     About now, you might be thinking that this is all ancient history.  What does it have to do with today, and why should we be concerned about the worship of false gods in ancient temples?  Well, next month has been deemed World Heritage Month by The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  And because of the bombings of the ancient temple ruins by ISIS in Palmyra, reproductions of the nearly 50-foot arch that stood at the Temple of Baal in Palmyra, Syria will be erected in New York City and London next month.  And they are just the first of many to be erected around the world!  
     You will hear the deceptive rationale that these monuments are intended “as a gesture of defiance“ towards ISIS (rebuilding what has been destroyed), but ultimately the plan is to share this “cultural treasure” with as many cities around the planet as possible.  In fact, the Institute for Digital Archaeology ultimately hopes to put 1,000 of these arches in cities all over the globe.
      Why is this so disturbing to me?  I'll let Scott Brown of the National Center for Family-Integrated Churches (NCFIC -- an organization that proclaims the sufficiency of scripture for church and family life) explain it:
We know that there were usually lots of people gathered, often on a high hill (like a theatre or stadium) to observe public sex, just like we see in movies and television and on the internet. We think that our watching these things is different than the idolatry of old, but this is not so.
The whole community came out and all of the best pagan ideas for success in crops and fertility were promoted, just like a business seminar that promotes unbiblical ideas that justify the worldliness of its origin.
The wicked personalities (promoters and performers) were respected and given the platform (like rock stars and Hollywood’s “People’.) Some of them were great dancers (like Brittany Spears and Madonna) while others were great musicians (like Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney). In our day, people who go to our churches celebrate celebrities when they should be doing the opposite. Psalm 101:1, 3 says “I will walk in my house… I will set no wicked thing before my eyes…”
People danced around the Asherah pole, which was nothing more than a phallic symbol. It is quite possible that these poles functioned somewhat like the poles in what are called, “gentlemen’s clubs.” The people also acted out lustful, licentious, bawdy scenes for the enjoyment of all who came.  They had all the different kinds of sexual experiences on display including men with women, men with men and all of the combinations that are popular today in sit-coms, movies and news reports. On top of that, they invited the crowd to participate.
     And sadly, we are no different than the ancient Baal worshippers.  We have become a society that is addicted to watching other people have sex.  In fact, it has been estimated that 68 percent of all Christian men watch pornography on a regular basis.  How are we any different than the ancient kings of Israel and Judah who forsake God to follow after the flesh in Baal worship?  And now we want to bring a giant production of Baal's Temple into Times Square.
     I'm sure you have heard America called the modern day Babylon.  I have to admit that it is difficult to deny that charge when we are putting up a monument of worship to the false god Baal.  Soon, in the heart of one of our most important cities, there will sit a temple, that in ancient times, gave witness to child sacrifices and bisexual orgies at the altar of Baal.
     We can deny that's what we're doing all we want.  But our modern day practices of child sacrifice  (abortion) and sexual immorality (everything from pornography to transgenderism, and everything in-between) give testimony to the fact that our core actions and social philosophies remain eerily similar to ancient Babylon and the worship of Baal. The question now becomes this ... are we able to be restored to a righteous nation, and reject this idol worship, and destroy all the altars we've erected to selfishness and sexuality?  Ancient Israel had moments of clarity and humbleness, but most of the time they only partially destroyed their idols; preferring to think they could appease God with a half-hearted act of humility and submissiveness.   But make no mistake --- just as He warned over 33 centuries ago, when the Israelites were tempted by Baal worship, He will not accept our feeble and cursory offers of obedience.  He wants us all in ... or we will pay the consequences.
     So, when you see the life-size model of the original 2,000-year-old structure, known as the Arch of the Temple of Bel, which will stand approximately 48 feet high and 23 feet wide, know that this nation may very well have committed our greatest offense to the Sovereign Lord.  And if you want to know what to expect from this profane act, just read a few chapters in 2 Kings ... you'll get the idea of what's in our future.

Judges 2:13-15     "They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth.  So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies.  Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress."
   

4 comments:

  1. BR, If you would have told the church of the early 1900s that the U.S. would have a temple to Baal they would have laughed you out of this country. Oh how the mighty have fallen!(far and fast). The NWO is having its way until Christ returns;he's the one who will clean out the rats and then burn them. The time to move under the fathers wing for supernatural protection is now. Im sorry to say that I believe most believers will be of no effect on the unsaved and will find themselves in the martyr line. As much as I used to believe we could make a good prepper stand against the dark forces that are coming I now believe we are in for a personal spiritual battle that will leave most of the church balled up in the corner in the fetal position wondering why Jesus has not saved them from this earthly torment and confused about their salvation. The Word of the Lord clarifies what is necessary to maintain presence in this fight.It would appear as if it will be done with a remnant (again) that has taken the time and learned a knowledge base to take this fight to Satan and his little minions! Keep a ringing that bell, its fixing to get a little wild on planet earth - PLW

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    1. Totally, 100% in agreement! The existence of a replica of the Temple of Baal should make it plain to every Christian in this country that we have been ineffective in fighting the spiritual battle to glorify God. But, as you say, the remnant is awake and putting on their full armor of God... we're ready to stand for our Lord and trust in Him to deliver us!

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    2. I stand with you, PLW. The spiritual battle, soon to be right in front of us, will be fierce. Three nights ago, I had a dream that shook me. When I took it to the Lord I was reminded of this, "The battle is coming soon and you must have on full armor. If you are missing just one component, you will be weakened and the fight will be that much harder."

      Praying Psalm 91, for the time has come to seek protection, while standing ready when called. God bless you and keep you safe.

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  2. The Baal worshipers have banned the Scriptures and specifically the Ten Commandments from every court room in the United States, as well as all places public.
    It's time we returned the favor and oppose this pagan temple in the United States.
    http://americandictators.blogspot.com/2016/03/to-provoke-yhvhs-anger.html

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