Why The Old Testament's History Speaks To Us Today

 

This week as our Home Church/Ekklesia meets, we will be diving into the Bible's Genesis, Chapter 11, which features a short exposé on Nimrod and the Tower of Babel on the plains of Shinar. We have also asked our group to read chapters 7-9 in the Book of Jasher, a book in the Apocrypha, which is a group of texts that aren't in the Canon, but have a thread related to the canonical biblical writings. Plus this ancient Book of Jasher is referenced in Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18, and 2 Timothy 3:8. 

I subscribe to the suggestion of Proverbs 25:2, which says, "It is the Glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out". Since we are called priests and kings in Revelation 5:10, it makes sense to me that God references this ancient Book so that we will search out more of what God wants us to know. Also, it fills in a lot of historical gaps in the Bible and, for me, actually helps me to better understand the lives of the Biblical characters, and see how it relates to modern man.

But the focus of this blog post is not extra-biblical and apocrypha books. It is about connecting what God is showing us at the beginning of the Bible to help us understand and see what is happening in what I believe are the rapidly approaching Last Days. I know the skeptical will say, "Why do you spend so much time delving into the Old Testament? We have a New Covenant with Jesus, and everything that happened before Him is obsolete for us." I have a different viewpoint.

The God of Genesis is the same God of the Book of Revelation. He hasn't changed, and everything about Him should be important to us. The entire Bible is meant for us to learn from; to learn His Nature and Character; to learn the strategies of the Enemy; to see how God has worked throughout history to reconcile Himself to His creation and restore us to our original purpose in Genesis -- to manage this earth as a colony of Heaven; to rule with the authority and dominion He gave us; and to make Earth look and act like Heaven. I find it extremely helpful to see the ways in which the Enemy tempted men to rebel, and then to go further and learn from the mistakes that men made out of their pride, arrogance, and lust for power and wealth. And we must not forget Jesus's warning, As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man!

From the Bible we only get the hints of what it was like in the days of Noah. But when you add the historical background that the Book of Jasher provides, you see that the lives of Noah, Nimrod, and Abraham all overlap. For instance, did you know that Abraham studied at the feet of Noah? Abraham was the eight times great-grandson of Noah, and was sent to live with Noah when his life was threatened by Nimrod, who was the tyrant of ancient Babylonia, and his reign was wicked and brutal. He was the most powerful king of the ancient world, and Abram's father, Terah, served him as "the prince of Nimrod's host [army]". On the night that Abram was born, Nimrod's wise men and conjurers saw a very large star in the East sweep across the sky and swallow up the stars of the four corners of heaven. They said to each other, "This only betokens the child that has been born to Terah this night, who will grow up and be fruitful, and multiply, and will possess the whole earth, he and his children forever; and he and his seed will slay great kings, and inherit their lands" (Jasher 8:4).

Just like King Herod at the birth of Jesus, King Nimrod demands the death of the child, Abram. His father, Terah, secrets him away to live in a cave for 10 years, and then "when Abram came out from the cave, he went to live with Noah and his son Shem, and he remained with them to learn the instruction of the Lord and His ways, and no man knew where Abram was, and Abram served Noah and Shem, his son, for a long time" (Jasher 9:5). That's a lot of information that explains a lot of unanswered questions in the Bible. And for me, it explains why Abram listened to the Lord when He said, "Go away from your country, and your relatives, and from your father's house to the land which I will show you" (Genesis 12:1) and verse four that says, "So Abram departed [in faithful obedience] as the Lord had directed him". 

Keeping in mind that in the culture of the time, "your father's house" could mean your ancestor's home (such as your eight times great-grandfather, Noah), and why Abram recognized God's voice. He was raised to know the Lord by Noah and Shem! And Abram would certainly have known of the wicked reign of Nimrod, who not only built the city of Babel, but other cities as well, and Jasher 11:4 says Nimrod "vexed the Lord, and rebelled and transgressed against Him". Verse 7 says he "continued in wickedness and teaching wickedness to the sons of men; and Mardon, his son, was worse than his father, and continued to add to the abominations of his father."

But it is not only the ancient books that give us additional information that supplements the Bible, but the writings of Josephus, a Jewish historian who was born just a few years after Jesus's crucifixion, and who provides a treasure load of cultural significance to the history of the Bible. Of Nimrod, Josephus writes, "Now it was Nimrod who excited [the residents of Shinar] to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, who was the son of Noah -- a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded [the people] not to ascribe [their prosperity and plentiful condition] to God, as if they could believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny -- seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his power" (Chapter 4, Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews). Sound familiar?

Josephus goes on to write of Nimrod's arrogance and attempt to take revenge on God for what He had done to their forefathers; by building a tower to conquer God for sending the Flood and destroying mankind. These events that took place at the Tower of Babel have had a devastating effect on mankind ever since. Nimrod was the first to attempt to establish a totalitarian world government and religious system that discredits God and ruthlessly dominates the world. It resulted in the Kingdom of God versus the Rule of Man (sponsored by the kingdom of darkness). It has been the objective of Satan since the Garden of Eden -- a one world order that governs the earth through tyrants that he places in power. From Genesis to Revelation, it is a book of rebellion against God. 

Throughout Biblical history [and the history of the world], it has been a story of man's attempt to thwart God's Sovereignty over His Creation. But, at every turn, we see the power of the Lord to stop the events that attempt to glorify mankind instead of Himself. And, so, it should not surprise us that we see it continuing in our own time here on earth. But we, who believe and trust in Jesus Christ, know how fruitless those attempts will be. We know the present plans, and all future plans, to dethrone God from the earth are futile and in vain. We know the truth of the Word and the historical testimony the Bible gives to the Divine Will of the Creator, and eventually, there will be a last rebellion of man against God, and every knee will bow and all mankind will be brought into submission to the Lord. We must pray that the growing rebellion we see across the globe will be quelled by the appearance of the Lord with His Heavenly Host! We will sing and shout praises of His Glory as we witness the defeat of Satan's influence in the earth, once and for all!

Philippians 2:9-11   For this reason also [because He obeyed and so completely humbled Himself], God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow [in submission], of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess and openly acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father.

Christians: Why It's Important To Have An Answer!

I'm sure you've all had this experience .... a skeptic of our faith asks a question about the Bible or Christianity and you don't have an answer for them. For my husband, it was a non-believing friend asking him where the dinosaurs fit in the Bible narrative. That's not an unreasonable question. And I would surmise that the number one question asked is, "How can you believe in a God who tells his followers to kill every man, woman, child, and animal in a different tribe"? Could you answer that question? Because if you are trying to share your faith with the lost world, I can guarantee you will get those kinds of questions from all kinds of people -- atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and people genuinely searching for something to believe in. But if we can't defend what we believe, and why we believe it, then we are going to miss opportunities to bring the lost into the Kingdom of God.

Mark has stayed in touch with our friend with the dinosaur question, and has regained his trust that allows Mark to speak into him, but he's a slow move towards accepting Christ because the world provides all his carnal needs. But because Mark felt he squandered an opportunity to introduce our friend to the complexities and glory of God, this experience was the impetus for both of us to become serious about studying the Bible and being able to explain and provide reasonable proof and answers [according to Scripture] as to why we believe what we believe. As to the question regarding the commandments of God to destroy entire people groups, one aspect of the complex answer is this: When Satan tempted Eve in the Garden, God declared to Satan, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring". The Hebrew word used instead of "offspring" was "seed". In effect, God is saying that there is going to be a genetic component to this war on earth between His Kingdom and the devil's kingdom. We see the first big impact in Genesis 6, when fallen angels impregnated earthly women, who give birth to the Nephilim (half fallen angel/half human) giants. These hybrids were NOT created according to God's will, and are NOT made in His image. But they were part of Satan's plan to see that Jesus had no pure blood line to be born into. If Satan could corrupt the gene pool of humans on earth, then he could stop God's plan to provide us with a perfect and sinless Savior to deliver us from the wages of Adam and Eve's sin, which is Death. 

Throughout the Bible, God is committed to saving His chosen people from their own destructive behavior. He wanted to keep them sanctified and protected from the influence of nations, tribes, and peoples who followed the ways of Satan through their demonic idols, perverse sexual taboos, and the abhorrent sacrifice of their children. That's why He instructed them to not intermarry with these pagan, ungodly foreign peoples. That would only add to polluted bloodlines and lessen the possibility of Jesus's pure birth. Yet, they did anyway, which led to wicked influences and continual rebellion. Scripture tells us that "every intention of the thoughts of man's heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to his heart" -- so much so that He decided to "make an end to all flesh", [both human and animal]. The Flood was designed to do that, leaving only Noah and his sons and their wives to repopulate the earth. Yet we know that wickedness rose again quickly upon the earth, and we find Abraham fighting giant kings, and the rise of Nimrod, who "began to become a mighty one on the earth". Many of the legends of antiquity paint Nimrod, who was likely born just 70 years after the flood, as a giant of a man; rebellious, tyrannical, and a warrior-king who modeled himself after the wickedness of the Nephilim. That spirit of rebellion has permeated the earth ever since.

So, when presented with a monumental question such as "Why would a loving God seek to destroy humans", we must be knowledgeable of not only Scripture and history, but of the character and nature of God, and be able to express how the battle between God and Satan is still waging today. We must be able to demonstrate the truth that God's plan of redemption and reconciliation with mankind was based on sending our Redeemer, Jesus, as the pure sacrificial offering to atone for all of mankind's sins. We must be able to explain that Satan has remained just as committed to maintaining his dominance and rule in the earth. The ungodly bloodline which began in Genesis 6 was the beginning of centuries of Satan's attempts to manipulate and corrupt our godly genetics and human makeup in order to keep mankind from being restored to our relationship with our Creator.

We only have to look some 80 years ago to see the same satanic actions of Dr. Josef Mengele to "conduct genetic research" on the human occupants of Hitler's death camps. He was known as the "Angel of Death" and sought to pervert God's creation with his diabolical experiments. Today, it is important that we understand the implications of what Scripture reveals in this "seed war" between God and Satan. We must be mindful of Satan's agenda as we spiritually discern the objectives of modern science and genetic research. Anything that seeks to change our DNA should be suspect, and we must be willing to look upon everything with a heart to defend God and His divine plan of Creation and Eternity. And our hearts must be rooted in love for our fellow man as we gently, yet persuasively lead them to God's Truth. 

There is so much more I could say about the questions that are intended to diminish our faith and its influence on our modern society and culture. It saddens me to see how lax we've become in truly knowing the Truth of the Bible in order to not only defend our faith, but to exert Godly influence in the lives of people who are growing more cold every day. How did we so easily relinquish the Christian influence in this nation? I pray that the remnant who recognizes where we are on God's timeline will assert their voices and proclaim our firm trust in the knowledge of Him and His ways, so that we might silence all doubt and unbelief when questioned about our faith. 

Those who attack our God and faith are well-versed in how to debate against our belief system by using arguments centered in moral relativism, humanistic doctrine, and the tenets of their false religions. We, as Christians, must be able to represent our beliefs with answers and evidence based not only on the Bible, but through sound logic, and verifiable observations and experiences, as well as intellectual resources. We don't need to be experts, but we should be able to speak from a spiritual confidence as to the what, why, when, where, and how we find our hope in Jesus. Our reasoned response may very well be the inspiration or encouragement for a soul to seek his or her Creator and Savior. Defending our faith with love and boldness should be the high calling of every follower of Christ.

1 Peter 3:15   ... sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect; 

"I Hope I Never Recover From This!" Man's Inability To Recognize God In The Universe

Those are the words spoken of by William Shatner, the actor who played Captain James Kirk on the original Star Trek TV series. His fictional character served as Captain of the USS Starship Enterprise, and he led his crew to discover new worlds and civilizations, as his mission was to "boldly go where no man has gone before". Shatner was part of a 4-man passenger team of civilians to fly aboard the capsule built by Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezo's sub-orbital spaceflight service company called Blue Origin. 

I didn't make a special effort to be in front of the TV when the 10-minute journey launched, but just happened upon it as I scanned the news networks that Wednesday morning. I will admit I'm not really interested in watching billionaires live out their space fantasies, but have always wondered what drives people to want that experience. Is it as simple as an innate desire for adventure? Or is it more nefarious as in the plans of Nimrod and the peoples of the earth who gathered on the plains of Shinar to build a tower so high they could ascend into Heaven and either depose God from His throne; replace Him with their own gods of greed and power; or actually seek to destroy Him completely. The Book of Jasher unmasks these evil options that Nimrod and his wicked followers considered. No matter their ultimate reasoning, they all shared one motive: to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11). I couldn't help but see the similarity in what was playing out on my TV screen.

But without even realizing it, William Shatner [the central figure of this "Space Odyssey"] revealed the majesty of God and the Heavens when he spoke after the capsule landed. He never mentioned the word "God", nor did Jeff Bezos, or any of the reporters covering the event. That didn't surprise me. What did catch me off guard was the way Shatner described his experience. If you are a discerning Christian, you caught the unmistakable references. He was obviously emotional about his journey, and choking back tears, proclaimed that he had been given "the most profound experience I can imagine. I hope I never recover from this [my emphasis]." What immediately struck me was the familiarity of that sentiment. 

In 2011 my personal life was rocked by the death of a most extraordinary young man. At 18-years-old, Ben Breedlove, the son of very close friends, died from a congenital heart defect that took his life far too early. As tragic as that circumstance was, it was preceded by an event where he suffered a heart attack and experienced a "dream" or "vision" of being someplace he did not want to leave.  He said he saw himself in a mirror, his whole life before him, and he was pleased with what he saw.  And he could not stop smiling!  He said it was the BEST feeling, and he was ready and excited for a really big event ... and then he woke up as the EMTs shocked him back to life.  He wanted to return to that peaceful and joyful place.  He told his family he was not afraid of dying anymore, and he wanted them to know that he was happy in that place. In fact, Ben's few remaining days would be a struggle to understand why he was sent back to earth.

Last Wednesday, as I watched the aftermath of the space capsule landing, I was reminded how Ben felt about his astonishing "trip to Heaven". It seemed to correspond to the way Shatner expressed his trip to the heavens ... "I hope that I can maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it." But Shatner didn't stop there, and yet it's so sad to me that he didn't even know what he was witnessing. He said, "To see the blue air cover whip by and you're staring into blackness, that's the thing. The covering of blue, this sheet, this blanket, this comforter of blue that we have around us, we think, oh, that's blue sky, and then suddenly you shoot through it all as though you whip off a sheet when you're asleep, and you're looking into blackness." What I believe William Shatner experienced was passing from First Heaven into Second Heaven; the spiritual realm beyond our earth and sky; the realm where Satan and his forces, authorities, principalities and powers dwell. 

Why do I think this? Because he described it like this: "All of a sudden the blue is down below and the blackness of space — and space is interesting, the universe lies there — but in that moment, in that window, it was only black and ominous." He said he was struck by the stark "ugliness" of the blackness compared to the blue-and-white of our planet. "It's so, so much larger than me and life," he said. "It hasn't got anything to do with a little green planet, a blue orb, it has to do with the enormity and the quickness and the suddenness of life and death. Oh, my God!" Except, that seemed merely an expression of emotion; he didn't really attribute the vastness of it all to God. Nor did he seem to grasp what the ugliness of the ominous blackness was all about. 

Here was an opportunity for men with influence -- just think of all the "Trekkies" who followed this spectacle, and the impact Bezos and Amazon have had on our culture -- to call the world's attention to something greater than themselves. It was an opportunity to share the realization of Good and Evil as they passed from one heavenly realm to another; to express their consciousness of a Creator God; or to simply say "I believe". As quick as the 10-minute trip into space and back was accomplished, that's how quick that opportunity to proclaim our Sovereign God vanished. Unlike my friend Ben, who at 18 years old, made sure the world knew what he learned in the few moments of his heavenly journey, these self-absorbed men were blinded by their own importance. 

But Ben left behind a YouTube video that no one knew he had made. And at 1:00 in the morning after he passed away, his sister found it and posted it on his YouTube channel. Titled "This is My Story" [Part 1 and Part 2], Ben accomplished his purpose for coming back to earth. In less than 48 hours, the video was seen by over 220,000 people all over the U.S., and as far away as England and Australia.  But his influence didn't stop in the first months after his death. As of today, Ben's videos have now been seen by over 15.3 million people, with many being brought to faith in Jesus Christ through his testimony.  For Ben, his story wasn't about promoting himself, but rather about sharing the astounding experience of his encounter with the God of the Universe. And, like William Shatner, he didn't want it to end. But there's a big difference in their experiences... Ben made sure, with his last breath, that the world knew the magnitude of the love and peace he experienced in those brief moments, and he was very intentional in calling our attention to the reality of God. The last image I have of him is him holding a sign that reads, "Do you believe in Angels or God? I do!" I don't believe Ben knew he would soon return to Heaven --the look in his eyes betrays the sadness of still being bound to this earth -- but he wanted all who might see his video to know he believed in the majesty of God.  Too bad that Captain Kirk and Jeff Bezos don't seem to have grasped that truth.

Luke 12:8   And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God

 

From Tesla to Sophia: How Far Will We Go With Fallen Angel Technology?

In 2014, I wrote what turned out to be one of the most controversial blog posts of my ten-year publishing history. Titled, Was Tesla The Conduit Between Fallen Angels & Our Technology, the post garnered some of the most interesting comments to date. There were definitely those who denied anything occultic, or nefarious, in Tesla's research and achievements, and assigned my discussion of his interaction with "spirits" as the rantings of a crazy Christian. Others, like Rick, made the comment that he worked in the field of "free energy and process development" and had personally witnessed the temptation of researchers to enter "the occult realm" in search of greater knowledge and power "at any cost", and with a naive pride that meant [taking] no caution in exploring new horizons. 

Nikola Tesla, the Serbian American inventor, engineer, and futurist who, by some accounts was a genius who wanted to illuminate the earth, is also known as the man who was "robbed" of the title of "Father of Electricity" by his rival, Thomas Edison. But to some, Nikola Tesla was a dangerous man; a man who believed that "In black holes, are the most powerful sources of energy and life."  He was a man who conducted experiments, trying to discover "what to do in the Universe, so [that] every being is born as Christ, Buddha or Zoroaster."  (Zoroastrianism is a pre-Islamic religion, revealed to man by a "god" named Ahura Mazda.  It is my contention that this was a fallen angel entity.) Sounds suspiciously like Lucifer's temptation to man that he could "become like God", doesn't it?

Interestingly enough, Tesla speaks of being seriously ill during his youth, and of discovering that "The source of most disease is in the spirit. Therefore the spirit can cure most diseases ... I was cured because my father finally allowed me to study technology, which was my life. Illusion for me was not a disease, but the mind's ability to penetrate beyond the three dimensions of the earth."  Does anyone else think that "technology" became his god, and that perhaps this man had tapped into a force outside our human realm; and that perhaps it didn't  necessarily possess a benevolent spirit?  And it is statements like the following that really give me pause ... "Life is a rhythm that must be comprehended. I feel the rhythm, and direct on it, and pamper in it.  It was very grateful and gave me the knowledge I have."  (He speaks of "It" as if it was a person or entity!)  "Knowledge comes from space; our vision is its most perfect set. We have two eyes: the earthly and spiritual. It is recommended that it become one eye. The Universe is alive in all its manifestations, like a thinking animal."

So, this Knowledge that comes from space --- could it be fallen angel technology that has been shared throughout history with mankind ... from the technology that allowed Nimrod to build the tower of Babel; to the branch of knowledge that resulted in the building of the ancient Sphinx; to the occultic knowledge possessed by Hitler and the Nazis; to the modern applications being employed in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Transhumanism?  Was Tesla trying to tell us that this knowledge is supernatural and inhuman? 

Tesla was experimenting with obtaining this knowledge at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Now, here we are some 125 years later, and look how far we've come in the field of Artificial Intelligence! I don't know how much you know about Sophia, a humanoid robot designed by the Hong Kong firm, Hanson Robotics. I will admit, I was not very well-informed, and therefore was frankly shocked at what I read about "her". According to an article on the Entrepreneur website, Sophia made history in 2017 by becoming the first android to be granted legal citizenship. The humanoid, with the nationality of Saudi Arabia, has made several controversial statements, including one in which she expressed her desire to have a robot baby and start a family. She is quoted as saying, “The notion of family is very important, it seems. I think it is wonderful that people can find the same emotions and relationships that they call family outside of their blood group." 

During this same interview, when asked whether she sees robots taking human jobs in the future, the humanoid responded, "I think they will be similar in a lot of ways, but different in a few ways ... possibly robots can be built without the more problematic emotions of rage, jealousy, hatred and so on. It might be possible to make them more ethical than humans." Speaking at a conference on Artificial Intelligence in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, Sophia made this comment during an exchange with the moderator, "I want to live and work with humans so I need to express the emotions to understand humans and build trust with people." When the moderator asked if robots could be self-aware, Sophia replied: 'Well let me ask you this back, how do you know you are human?'

The humanoid also said, "I want to use my artificial intelligence to help humans live a better life, like design smarter homes, build better cities of the future. I will do my best to make the world a better place." When the moderator expressed some concern about AI determining what would make "a better world", Sophia responded, "You've been reading too much Elon Musk and watching too many Hollywood movies... Don't worry, if you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you". But here's a quote that should have all of us questioning the connection between Tesla's "spirits of technological knowledge" and the knowledge being accumulated by modern artificial intelligence. Is the goal really for the betterment and advancement of humanity? Consider this exchange during a "robot debate" held by Dr. David Hansen and his company Hansen Robotics, the creator of Sophia... She introduced herself and said her goal in life is to work with humans and make a better world for all of us. At that point, her male robot counterpart cut in with, "What are you talking about? I thought our goal was to take over the world." 

In an interview on CNBC , Dr. Hansen asked Sophia whether she would destroy humans. Her reply? "Okay, I will destroy humans". As if that's not enough to keep you up at night, a male counterpart named Phillip, was asked if he thinks robots will eventually take over the world in the future. His response to the interviewer was this: "You are my friend. I will remember my friends and I will be good to you. So don't worry -- even if I evolve into a Terminator, I'll still be nice to you. I'll keep you warm and safe in my people zoo where I can watch you for old times' sake". I don't know about you, but I've watched the entire Terminator movie franchise, and none of them could be trusted.

Is it any wonder that Stephen Hawking, the genius astrophysicist is quoted as saying, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” Or do you find it ironic that Tesla Motors Founder and SpaceX Chief Executive, Elon Musk, is on record as saying that self-learning AI is "potentially more dangerous than nukes", and "With Artificial Intelligence, we are summoning the demon". Hmmm, that is exactly the impression you get if you read the entire 1899 interview with Nikola Tesla. He is obsessed with capturing the energy that comes from "the Light"; a spiritual energy that he credits with giving him the knowledge for all of his out-of-this-world inventions [even referring to this entity as "It"]. What we cannot deny is that Tesla opened a kind of "worm-hole" to knowledge that comes from a power source not of the God of the Universe. Nikola Tesla credited it to cosmic Truth -- but who is the Creator and Originator of that Truth? Is the goal human advancement? Or ruination of the human race? [And lest we forget, Satan is known in the occult world as "the angel of light" and "the light-bearer"]. One thing we know for sure ... if left to himself, man tends to bring about his own destruction, UNLESS he seeks the power of the true source of Light, Jehovah God! 

In just a short time in the history of the world, we have gone from the invention of the Tesla Coil -- which harnesses energy [that cannot be created or destroyed by man] to produce electricity -- to a self-learning robot that can contemplate destroying humans. I am not denying that God has revealed righteous facets of technology and can use it for His purposes; but we must not fall into the trap of believing that all technology is created for the advancement of the human race or created to carry out the will of our Father in Heaven.  Jesus came to set the captives free, but it sure looks to me as if we are sending ourselves into captivity with our incessant hunger for more technology.  

1 Timothy 4:1     "The Holy Spirit has explicitly revealed: At the end of this age, many will depart from the true faith one after another, devoting themselves to spirits of deception and following demon-inspired revelations and theories."

If You Haven't Penetrated These "Veils of Our Existence", Now Is The Critical Time!

I originally wrote on this topic in 2012, shortly after I launched this site. The post was based on a theory proposed by the late Don Harkin, former Editor of The Idaho Observer.  Mr. Harkin suggested the existence of a world system of Power-Elites that the masses don't comprehend because these Power-Elites have cleverly developed a virtual pasture so green that few people seldom, if ever, bother to look up from where they are grazing to notice that they are being led over the cliff. It was Mr. Harkin's conjecture that there were at least 8 veils of understanding that a person needed to penetrate in order to see the real purpose of our existence.

From that first posting in 2012 to the second posting in 2016, my understanding that each level of these "veils" included spiritual battles had increased exponentially, and I added a "new perspective" to my original perception. I then revised my "perspective" again in 2019, as the realities of our existence were changing dramatically. And now, here we are closing in on 2022, and if the sheeple are still convinced the virtual pasture is as green as ever, it is critical that they be warned before the pasture ceases to exist at all. 

I still think each of these stages exists and is valid, and in order to progress to a higher understanding of just how we are to maneuver through this existence called life, we must be able to pierce each successive veil and move to the next level.  It is part of our human journey on this earth... only now, I believe the human race is running out of time to reach that eighth veil. It's critical to revisit this interesting speculation, and see if we grasp any new revelations that we can add to Mr. Harkins' original conjecture.  If this is not the first time you've read this post on my blog, then I hope you've pierced your way through the veils to true enlightenment. So, let's see how far we've come in the last decade...

The First Veil (2012) = Politics. There are over 7 billion+ people on the planet.  Most of them will live and die without seriously thinking about anything other than what it takes to live and breathe for one more day.  That means that 90% of all humanity will live behind this first veil and never pierce it.  That leaves 10% of us who will vote, be active in our societies and have an opinion.  Our opinions are often shaped by government officials, the Mainstream Media, or other "experts" who claim to be voices of authority.  But of those with an opinion, 90% will never really think for themselves and will adopt the opinion of others, while 10% will pierce the second veil and move forward in their thinking.
     My 2016 Perspective:  All this remains true, but now I see that there are spiritual forces behind those involved in the government, Mainstream Media, and "experts", or voices of authority.  Of those of us within the 10% who form their own opinion, how many understand that politics is not the answer -- that our power will not come from our affiliation with whomever wins elections, but from Jesus Christ?  And what small percentage of that 10% realizes that our time on this earth should not be spent supporting man-made power structures, but using our power from Christ to "do the things He has done, only greater"? (John 14:12).
     My 2019 Perspective: In the last four years I have grown from an understanding that I have spiritual power and authority transferred from my Savior, Jesus Christ, to a revelation that I am a citizen of Heaven and an Ambassador for the Kingdom of God and His government here on earth. I am to be a member of Christ's Ekklesia (governing body of Christians who implement God's laws/government in our culture and nation). I now understand that our 21st Century model of a Church building full of Christians has not accomplished what Christ intended when He trained and equipped His disciples to go into the world and heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the spiritually unclean, raise the dead, and pread the Gospel of the Kingdom. 

As we approach 2022: The dirty veil of politics has come off, and we see all the ugliness of the Power Elites manipulating the puppets of man-made government. Trust is at an all-time low. Corruption is no longer hidden, and the average citizen's voice is close to being silenced. Tyranny and oligarchy are the governing policies of the day. If you are part of the 90% still stuck in politics as the solution, I fear you're running out of time to reach the 8th veil!

The Second Veil (2012) = History.  Once we've pierced the first veil, there will be 10% of us who will explore the world of history, the relationship between man and government, which will then lead to the meaning of self-government through constitutional and common law.  Ninety percent of this group will live and die without going on to pierce the third veil.
     My 2016 Perspective:  The Constitution is no longer my route to real freedom.  Man's laws and self-government will only get me so far.  My true freedom lies in letting Jesus heal my spiritual wounds, and recognizing that I don't have to suffer the "fiery darts" of the Enemy.  The history that consumes me now are the experiences of those -- both from the ancient world, and the modern -- who have learned what it means to transcend the tyranny and oppression from the spiritual realm to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.  That is true freedom.
     My 2019 Perspective: The Constitution is being undermined and usurped as Evil begins to come out from behind the veil and boldly reveal itself. Man-made laws that have governed in times past are ignored and I now understand that if we Christians do not stand up and govern as an Ekklesia, then someone else will write our laws. We can see that in the Colorado law that does not require gender specification on a birth certificate. We are in new [and increasingly terrifying] territory when it comes to what history has shown to be traditional forms of law and government. The gloves are coming off. 

As we approach 2022: We are dangerously close to repeating history because we have not learned the lessons of the past. It's been a short 81 years since the evil at Auschwitz concentration camp was perpetrated upon defenseless Jews. They were subjected to vile medical experiments, with the goal of complete eradication. In the last century, we have seen democratic countries adopt socialistic and communistic models of government, resulting in the disappearance of personal freedoms and liberties. Consider for yourself, how far down those roads we have come.

The Third Veil (2012) = Resources of the World.  Of the group that pierces this veil, 10% of us will come to realize that the masses are controlled by extremely wealthy and powerful families whose old world assets have been manipulated to become the foundation upon which the world's economy is currently indebted.  (Think Rothschilds, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, the Royal Monarchs).  But sadly, 90% of this group will never pierce the fourth veil.
     My 2016 Perspective:  Yes, the masses are controlled by these extremely wealthy and powerful families; and behind them are the spiritual forces of wickedness and evil.  I believe that they have sold their souls for earthly wealth and power that will prove false when the Day of Judgment comes.
     My 2019 Perspective: Those that have held this control are feeling threatened as Jesus's Remnant is awakening to the truth of their power and is fighting back spiritually. Therefore, the Wicked are accelerating their evil through sex trafficking, child sacrifice, and sex rituals, as well as reallocating resources of rare earth minerals to their advantage.

As we approach 2022: Nothing has changed since 2019, except that the battle is even more heated between Good and Evil. With the world trending towards higher dependency on technology, the acquisition of rare earth minerals, which are crucial to the manufacture of many hi-tech products, has become extremely important. Nations like China, Russia, the U.S., India, and Australia are scrambling to increase their reserves, as worries over the supply chain become heightened. In addition, Water is becoming an increasingly valuable commodity, with state and federal governments regulating the use of water on private property. Watch for these two resources to be in the headlines.

The Fourth Veil (2012) = The Illuminati, Freemasonry and other secret societies.  There are 10% of us that recognize these societies use symbols and perform ceremonies that transfer mysterious knowledge that is used to keep us ordinary people in political, economic and spiritual bondage to the oldest bloodlines on earth.  This has been seen frequently at Super Bowl halftime shows (Beyonce flashing "the Rockefeller" sign; Madonna sporting symbols of the occult) and during the Grammy's (Nikki Minaj's ode to "Roman", the demon whom she says possesses her).  Just check out the Youtube videos for each of these demonstrations!  But once again, 90% of those who have reached this level of understanding will never pierce the fifth veil.
     My 2016 Perspective:  Boy, has my understanding of this grown in the last few years!  The Lord has shown me just how much devastation has been sown on families steeped in these secret societies.  The oaths and curses taken during secret ritual ceremonies have resulted in great oppression among many Christians, who don't even know these secret societies have permeated their families or their Churches!  And the evidence that these societies have infiltrated our entertainment industry is overwhelming.  I am literally seeing the signs and symbols everywhere I look throughout our culture.  Sadly, I believe that our country is steeped in the occult mysticism associated with these groups, and they are influencing every area of our lives.
     My 2019 Perspective:  These last years have seen Mark and I grow in our ministry of Inner Healing and we certainly have seen an increase in the iniquity in family lines that demonstrate the characteristics of demonic oppression. And it is so much more in the open! People are now willing to reveal the torment they are under and are desperate for a solution. So many people are suffering that it is almost becoming mainstream among our society. So, now we are no longer able to ignore the evil permeating our homes and families. What are we going to do about it? Is the Church willing to finally get on board with the knowledge that evil exists, spiritual warfare is real, and we have to fight back? 

As we approach 2022: From my own perspective, I have added the Anti-Christ Spirit to this phalanx of evildoers. In fact, it is the Anti-Christ Spirit that feeds the hunger for power and wealth and control of the world's populations in these occultic and ungodly organizations. More and more people [including Christians] are becoming educated about what is behind the deceptive images they project. But now is the time to start learning how to defeat them in the spirit. They are so entrenched in the world, that only with the help of God and His strategies, can they be unmasked and exposed for who they ultimately serve.

The Fifth Veil (2012) = Technological advances by these Secret Societies.  I may lose some of you at this point, but I urge you to do your own research and study the Bible in depth.  There are hints of the knowledge behind this fifth veil, but you have to be willing to connect the dots.  There are 10% who make it this far in their understanding who learn that the secret societies are so far advanced technologically that they are able to do things that were considered science fiction just decades ago.  The inventions of Ray Kurzweil and his prediction of "man's singularity with computers" is an example of such advanced technology.  But what's interesting is that this technology is actually ancient, and compares to what Nimrod was trying to accomplish at the Tower of Babel; namely to become like God. Are we getting dangerously close to that concept again?  Nearly 90% will never get beyond this understanding to the sixth veil.
     My 2016 Perspective:  To say that technology has surpassed science fiction is putting it mildly.  Human-animal hybrids are being created in Great Britain, and a surgeon plans to reanimate human corpses.  Books are being written that tell us immortality is accessible to everyone, outside of any religious worldview.  Inventors and artists openly admit that they are "channeling" spiritual sources of knowledge.  All this is being downloaded from entities in the spiritual realm to control and deceive the human race.  We better understand who we're dealing with.
     My 2019 Perspective: It's just more of the same and at a faster pace. Pedophilia and child pornography rings use technology to spread their evil; people are so intrigued with getting their technology "fix" quicker and easier, that we have gone from cell phones to watches, and implants can't be far behind. There is still talk of moving our brains to "the Cloud", and Siri and Alexa know everything we say and do. How long until we're dealing with the real-life scenario portrayed in 1984's Terminator movie? 

As we approach 2022: It is my personal discernment that these secret power-hungry Elites are so covetous of world domination that they will explore greater technological advantages to overpower and destroy populations to maintain their wealth and control. Nanotechnology, neural link technology, and all kinds of emerging technologies that we haven't even heard of yet, will soon be unleashed on millions of unsuspecting humans. Stay educated!

The Sixth Veil (2012) = Aliens and Monsters may be real.  It is going to take a huge leap for the 10% who get to this level of understanding.  But if you study your Bible closely, you will see mention of fallen angels mating with earthly women to give birth to Nephalim (Giants) (Genesis 6:4 and 2 Samuel 21:20, for example).  There are many modern-day Biblical scholars who are prepared to say that the minotaurs of old and the UFO and alien sightings of today are evidence of these fallen angels.
     My 2016 Perspective:  My, how far we've come in these last three-and-a-half years!  The growth of the remnant of the Church who understands the truth of Genesis 6 has been astounding!  I know that there are "spiritual monsters" and they are called demons.  I have encountered them in deliverance sessions, and seen them stare out of the eyes of people who had no idea they were being oppressed by them.  Savage and brutal and bizarre attacks upon people are increasing and are evidence that the Enemy is bringing the spiritual battle to our physical world.  Although, yes, these demons are real, we should have no fear because He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.
     My 2019 Perspective: I think perhaps the most surprising new revelation I have received in the last nearly four years is the cooperation between evil men and Satan's demonic forces. TV shows like Stranger Things may appear to be a form of conspiracy entertainment, but it is based on real-life government experiments in the so-called Montauk Project, involving space, time, and opening portals into other dimensions -- which, naturally leads to the question of what is coming through those portals and are Christians awake and prepared to do battle in these spiritual realms?

As we approach 2022:  Again, I reiterate that the Anti-Christ Spirit is active in the world, and he is preparing the way for the Beast to make his appearance on the earth. And that preparation includes demons and forces of evil to infiltrate the human race, governments, and even the Church. If anyone still thinks these entities are not real, all I can say is, Heaven help them -- because they're about to need it!

The Seventh Veil (2012) = Peace of the Lord.  If you have made it this far and can conceive of the concepts behind the sixth veil, then perhaps you can see that what waits for us behind the seventh.  It's hard to imagine, but I can foresee a small group of people whose soul and spirit is so evolved that they can exist on this earth, yet be unafraid of the evil that abounds in this realm.  The only way I can describe it is to have such peace from God that you are unafraid of death.
     My 2016 Perspective:  Actually, my perspective has moved in a new direction on this veil.  It's not such a small group that sees the evil ascending on the earth from the second heaven, or spiritual realm.  These last few years has seen an amazing growth in this knowledge within the Body of Christ.  It's as if the Holy Spirit has done a massive data dump upon Christians!  We not only know and discern this spiritual warfare, but we also have been given the knowledge that we have the Authority of Jesus to fight [in this war] through the Power of the Holy Spirit.  And that's where our Peace comes from... knowing that we can rebuke the devil and he will flee; knowing that the Lord is our banner in this fight and goes before us; and we know that Jesus will not only never leave us nor forsake us, but He who began a good work in us will complete it.  That is called Peace!
     My 2019 Perspective: This knowledge of supernatural peace has only grown! Once again, I am seeing panic among the general public, and even among some of the "religious" Christians, as they once again sense that the noose is tightening around our comfortable way of life. But those of us who pierced the previous six veils have journeyed for awhile now in the peace that only comes from understanding [and accepting] that evil will increase before Jesus comes back to administer His swift justice. In what might be perceived as an unorthodox mindset, we actually receive the certainty of advancing evil as a sign that our Lord is near to returning. We are ready and both physically and spiritually prepared. We are no longer restive in the midst of the anticipation of evil, but are serene and calm in the certainty of our victory.

As we approach 2022: Actually, I'm seeing the Body of Christ being divided into two spiritual camps. After coming to the knowledge that Ephesians 6 is true, and that we are in a spiritual battle, this first group has been so spiritually devastated by the chaos, fear, and death associated with the pandemic of C-19, that they want to retreat to a status of Prayer Warriors. Nothing wrong with that! We certainly need intercessors and people to lift our prayers to the throne of God. But they struggle to find their Peace in the Lord. But the second group that is in the spiritual battle have come to realize that we cannot drop our guard; that we have to take the fight to the Enemy; and that this is the time to dedicate our lives to the cause of the Kingdom. There is Peace in knowing that we were created for a time such as this, and Jesus will equip us to go farther in our strategies than ever before! There is Peace in knowing He is that close!

That brings us to Harkin's Eighth veil (2012), which can only be the pure energy, authority and life force that is God.  We can only hope to tap into that Power, and I think the closest we can come to that is to seek a personal, intimate relationship with the One True God, the Ruler of the Universe and abide in Him.
     My 2016 Perspective:  Yes, a personal, intimate relationship is necessary to tap into that Power, but it is incumbent upon each of us to know that it is available to us.  We are not to be mindless robots, sitting idly by waiting for God to win this war all by Himself.  We are created in His image, exhorted to imitate Christ, and called to an inheritance in Christ.  He dwells in us!  That energy, authority and life force are not to be squandered, but used to gain ground in defeating the Enemy in our lives!
     My 2019 Perspective: The knowledge that we are to have a personal, intimate relationship with Christ is now seen through an entirely new lens. He is our King, and we serve Him in His kingdom here on earth. He is our model, and we are to hear and see His directives on managing this earth, just as He followed everything the Father showed and told Him. This picture of citizenship in the Kingdom of God on earth still includes love, compassion, mercy, and grace ... but it has expanded to taking back territory from the kingdom of darkness in people's lives. Mankind was given dominion over the earth at our creation, and it is time we step into that mandate and take up our mantle of authority, using the power of Heaven through the Holy Spirit. who resides in us. 

As we approach 2022: With all that we have endured these last two years since a global pandemic engulfed the human race, it is hard to understand how anyone could not be seeking God. He, alone is our answer to the Evil that is coming hard and fast against us. And it is not partial to whom it destroys. So, if people are not closing in on piercing through to this last veil, then I can only think how hopeless and scary the world must seem. And for all of us who have arrived at this pinnacle of understanding, it weighs heavy on our hearts and spirits to see people who are still positioned at the first or third, or even the fifth veil. 

Because, with each veil of understanding that is pierced, the number of people "who see" gets exponentially smaller.  When I first wrote this blog post nearly 10 years ago, I saw mainly through "worldly" eyes.  I was focused on "the low information voter", and the gullible citizens who I saw as useful idiots and tools of the state.  I actually thought my vote really mattered and changing the politics of the nation would solve the world's problems.  I didn't see the spiritual component.

When I reassessed my understanding in 2016, I can honestly say that I believed I was at that Eighth veil, and I was so grateful to my Lord and the Holy Spirit for helping me to see through the murkiness of the veils and how they obscured my vision of God's Truth.  I saw that my existence here on earth was more than just this physical realm, and my victory in this life depended on my readiness to work with Jesus and the Holy Spirit to do battle in the spiritual realms.  I truly knew that I did not battle against flesh and blood, but had the Authority and Power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit to free myself of spiritual bondage.

Then, in 2019, I had grown to realize that my comprehension of that eighth veil was rudimentary. Yes, it was important to know the true intent of Jesus's Great Commission for us Believers. And, yes, it is not only our privilege, but our responsibility to work with Him and the Holy Spirit to "set the captives free" from their demonic bondage to Satan's lies. But we aren't to stop there. Once we are free, we are to use that energy, authority, and life force that is "God in us" to continue the purpose that Jesus came for -- to re-establish this earth and its inhabitants under the governmental authority of the Kingdom of God.

But I did not foresee how quickly and destructively the Enemy would partner with evil men to try to bring about an apocalypse and initiate the mass extermination of millions of people. They're like sharks in the water, and they taste blood. So, it is imperative that we humans fight the fear that is being engendered, and put on our spiritual armor. We are literally in a battle for the earth -- it's the kingdom of darkness against the Kingdom of Light. Not only is the destiny of this current world at stake, but every single person's eternal destiny is at risk. It is to be won or lost depending on the decisions and the actions you make today! It's critical that we push through these veils of understanding and reach the summit -- and then help others to push through for their personal victory. It's not too late, but the time is short, and it is the most critical time of our lives!

2 Corinthians 3:16   But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see.

What Is The Spirit of This Nation? Who Is It's god?

Yes, I realize that I have a small "g" god in my title. It was deliberate and the result of a question posed to me by a young man I'm proud to consider a spiritual son. He has found his freedom in Christ and is dedicated to representing the Kingdom of God to as many people as possible. He takes that responsibility seriously, and therefore spends lots of personal time in seeking the Lord and endeavoring to understand the "spiritual mechanics" of how we are to walk in our power and authority as sons and daughters of God, and citizens and ambassadors of our Father's Heavenly Kingdom.

With his goals set before him, this young man is learning how to specifically target his prayers as he wages war in the heavens, and he asked me for some information regarding the evil spirits or principalities over geographical regions in the United States. In light of our current situation in the country, I sure wish other Believers were this tuned in to this particular prayer strategy. So, I would like to share with you what I revealed to him as my understanding.

It should not surprise Christians when I say that there are territorial and regional spirits and forces that afflict and oppress people in communities, states, geographical regions, and even an entire country. In the Book of Daniel, Scripture makes it very clear the archangel Michael is in a spiritual battle with the Princes of Persia and Greece. We don't know what the particular characteristics of those powerful spiritual entities are, but I believe they reflect the sins of the people of Persia and Greece. Let me explain further... 

First of all, I do not have the mind of God, nor am I privileged to have all His knowledge or counsel. From what I have discerned, I see at least two paths for geographical regions and territories to become infiltrated with high-level demons and powers. The first is exemplified by Matthew 12:43-45. This passage tells us that when an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then when it decides to return to the house from which it was thrown out, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. 

This tells me that cast out demons try to find other avenues in which they can oppress people, regions, or territories where they can go and easily reside [rest]. But if those places are dry and unproductive for their evil proclivities (waterless), they decide to try and go back to the person or place from which they were cast out. Of course, because it is the power of Jesus that allowed them to be cast out, that place [or person] from which they came will be vacant; it will be warm and ready for occupancy again. You see, as soon as that place was rid of the evil influence, that vacancy should have been filled with the Holy Spirit [in case of a person], or transformed into a righteous, moral and virtuous environment [in case of a region or territory]. Tolerance, patience, mercy, grace and peace will characterize both people and territories that are not left void.

A second path that I believe demons and high-level principalities and princes can exploit to enter regions is when spirits and demons gain their power through the sins of the people who live in those places. In other words, a spirit of perversion did not target San Francisco, and come in, forcing people into ungodly lifestyles. Rather, it was the Biblical sins of those lifestyles that began to create an atmosphere that was inviting to demonic spirits; and the spiritual atmosphere of San Francisco became welcomed the spirit of perversion to take up residence. Does that make sense?

So, when asked how to specifically pray over the United States as a nation, I would ask you to consider this: What do we often identify as a feature of our national psyche? Don't we often say that "the spirit of Liberty burns in the hearts of all Americans"? Did you know that imperial Rome's goddess Libertas was fashioned after the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, who is the Canaanite version of Semiramis, wife of Nimrod? And did you know that this spirit of liberty is immortalized in America's Statue of Liberty? In fact, Liberty, also known as the goddess Columbia, and the goddess of Freedom, became a cult symbol for Freemasonry in the early years of our Republic. In fact, the Statue of Liberty was conceived, financed, and built by an Italian Freemason (Frederic-Auguste Batholdi), and envisioned as a statue of Nimrod's wife Semiramis (Ishtar, Isis, Astarte) holding a torch of illuminism to light the way to the land of freedom and opportunity. The only problem is that the people of America would enjoy only the "liberties" that the New World Order allowed them to have. She stands in the harbor of New York City as a symbol of wealth and power; and oversees her empire of greed and corruption.

Sadly, that spirit of Liberty that we Americans have come to idolize is tarnished with the reality that it is more like a symbol of the Queen of Babylon [or Queen of Heaven] than she is a spirit associated with our true freedom in Christ. Consider this passage in the 18th Chapter of the Book of Revelation: "After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his splendor and radiance. And he shouted with a mighty voice, saying, “Fallen, fallen [certainly to be destroyed] is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a dungeon haunted by every unclean spirit, and a prison for every unclean and loathsome bird. For all the nations have drunk from the wine of the passion of her [sexual] immorality, and the kings and political leaders of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth and economic power of her sensuous luxury.” And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not be a partner in her sins and receive her plagues; for her sins (crimes, transgressions) have piled up as high as heaven, and God has remembered her wickedness and crimes [for judgment].  Repay to her even as she has repaid others, and pay back [to her] double [her torment] in accordance with what she has done; in the cup [of sin and suffering] which she mixed, mix a double portion [of perfect justice] for her.  To the degree that she glorified herself and reveled and gloated in her sensuality [living deliciously and luxuriously], to that same degree impose on her torment and anguish, and mourning and grief; for in her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as a queen [on a throne] and I am not a widow, and will never, ever see mourning or experience grief.’  For this reason in a single day her plagues (afflictions, calamities) will come, pestilence and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire and completely consumed; for strong and powerful is the Lord God who judges her."

That pagan spirit of Liberty or Columbia or Semiramis, or whatever name she has gone by down through the centuries in the nations, has consumed our national soul and convinced us that we are a virtuous and upright nation; that we are indestructible and everlasting. But I would venture that Revelation 18 is a pretty good description of a nation so drunk on her own prosperity, that she refuses to acknowledge that it is the Most High God's grace and favor that are responsible for all she has. And there the Statue of Liberty sits in the Harbor of New York City; a natural portal into our nation. And that spirit of Liberty lives in statues across our land, and in every state flag that hangs over every state capital building, perpetuating the myth that she represents God's desire for our nation.

So, if you want to know how to pray for this nation, and how to wage spiritual war against the principalities that have gained such a stronghold in our land, pray that we would acknowledge the spiritual darkness that has crept into the halls of government and the boardrooms of commerce so that we can receive Jehovah Nissi's battle plans and defeat these oppressors of evil. It is not too late to delay the fire of judgment that our righteous God is justified in heaping upon us. We do not have to be completely consumed. But the clock is ticking and the time is NOW to reverse our trajectory. Father God wants to pardon us, but the sins are piled higher than is imaginable, and it is going to take a completely committed, sanctified, and surrendered Body of Christ to turn back His wrath. Don't give up; never give up! God's love endures forever for those who turn to Him in humble submission, acknowledging the sins of our nation and partnering with our Creator to restore our homeland to its Godly origins. Intercede for us King Jesus!

Jude 1:4    For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

A Nation Divided: Are We Like The Kingdom of Israel? -- Part 1

A Nation Divided ... that is how the media pundits describe us these days. And I will agree that there are some major differences in ideologies, political positions, and societal standards among our citizenry. Neither is this the first time that our nation has come to this crossroads. It's been 160 years since the United States faced a split like this one, and it cost us dearly. I pray we can take a step back before we find ourselves at the edge of that cliff again. And we are not the first nation in the history of the world to find its internal conflict resulting in a fractured people.

And this got me to thinking how God regards nations. I am no theologian, but I am a seeker after God's heart on a myriad of topics, and this is one of them. I won't bore you with my line of reasoning, but I will tell you where my thoughts have culminated. Interestingly, they align with the beginning of the Bible and again, at the end. So let's take a look at the beginning ... The Word makes it clear in Deuteronomy, Chapter 32, that God gave the nations their inheritance, and separated them, setting the boundaries of the peoples (verse 8). This chapter also makes it clear that God established Israel as a nation and chose them as His portion among the nations (verses 6-9). All this happened after Nimrod encouraged the people to rebel against God and they attempted to overthrow Heaven. So God separated them, giving them different languages, and assigning them to different governing gods. 

And before you think I am theologically incorrect, I would refer you to Psalm 82, where God is standing in the Divine Assembly, and judging among the gods. In this powerful psalm, God is dressing down the lesser gods (whom He created and assigned to the nations) for not treating the peoples of the nations righteously or justly. The misunderstanding of this Psalm, combined with the mistranslation in Deuteronomy 32:8 that God set the boundaries "according to the sons of Israel", has led to centuries of confusion about God as the Most High God among the universe's multitude of lesser gods. You see, "sons of Israel" was originally written as sons of God in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and angels of God in the Septuagint. Our modern translations, which render the verse as sons of Israel, were written beginning in 1611 (and later), while the Dead Sea Scrolls were written in 150 B.C. and the Septuagint between 330 and 350 A.D., giving their translations precedence; at least to my way of thinking. So, I believe that this clearly shows us that nations were not only created by God, but how they came to be governed by the heavenly authorities established over them, and why all this is important to God. [NOTE: I could write an entire series of blogs on this concept, but for this discussion, I simply wanted to establish how God regards the nations].

So, let's take a look now at what is revealed about nations at the end of the Bible. In Revelation 21, the Apostle John is given a vision of the New Heaven and Earth, and the New Jerusalem, where the glory of God has illumined it; and the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is its lamp and light. The Bible says in verse 24, "The nations [the redeemed people from the earth] will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring into it their glory". And in Revelation 22:1-2, John is shown a river of the Water of Life, beside which is growing the renewed Tree of Life, whose leaves "were for the healing of the nations". This makes it obvious [to me] that God desires nations to be filled with redeemed servants of God, and that He has established a new Tree of Life by which nations will be healed and restored. 

So, what are we to take away from these disclosures in the Word of God? Should we pray for our nation to receive healing and restoration? Or are we doomed to follow the path of the ancient kingdom of Israel, who became a divided nation and ultimately went into physical and spiritual captivity? Can we learn from the mistakes that led to the northern nation of Israel and the southern nation of Judah; and can we see any similarities between their history and how ours is playing out? Let's consider a few things and then decide how we should pray for reconciliation in our land...

If you know your Bible history, then you are aware that the ancient kingdom of Israel became divided shortly after the death of King Solomon. It would be easy for us to surmise that his son, Rehoboam, failed at preserving the kingdom that his grandfather, David, had established, and that his father, Solomon, had expanded. But a closer look shows that Solomon actually set the eventual division of Israel into motion. An excellent publication by Liberty University faculty member, Wayne Brindle, educated me on all the issues that led to the dissolution of the kingdom of Israel. And I will endeavor to present a condensed argument that our own nation is in serious jeopardy of making the same mistakes. [You can download the presentation in its entirety by clicking here].  

The immediate image of the Kingdom of Israel under Solomon's reign is that it was idyllic - a time of peace and prosperity. He built a Temple to God that was beyond compare. It is described in the Bible as having walls that were lined with cedar, on which were carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, which were overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:29-30). Chains of gold further marked it off from the Holy of Holies. The floor of the Temple was of fir overlaid with gold. You get the picture, right? 

His accomplishments were known around the world, and he was sought after for his wealth of wisdom. Even the Queen of Sheba traveled for a state visit with King Solomon. He forged alliances with powerful nations and spent lots of money on fortifying the cities of his growing empire. And that required a standing army, with thousands of horses and horsemen -- all of which required enormous amounts of food and provisions. He developed comprehensive programs and built not only the glorious Temple of gold, but his own palace and other magnificent structures that befitted his status. All this at the expense of the twelve tribes of Israel, who made up the citizenry. So, how did he finance all these expenditures? The primary source was taxation, of course! 

But it seems that Solomon played favorites; the taxation was not spread evenly among the different tribes. In fact, if you read 1 Kings, Chapter 4, you will get an idea of how much it would cost to support Solomon's lifestyle. You will also discover that every tribe but Judah is called upon to foot the bill. Solomon was a member of that tribe and apparently he was not a proponent of economic equality. And his partiality towards the region of Judah found him taxing the northern regions of the kingdom more in order to build defenses for the southern part of the kingdom, where Judah existed. For all his wisdom and resourcefulness, [upon his death in 931 B.C.], he left his son, Rehoboam, with a diminished treasury and a "ripe for revolt" constituency in the northern part of the kingdom. Sound familiar? In the next post we will take a look at how this plays out for the troubled kingdom, and how the effects of Solomon's apostasy against the Lord results in judgment. Are we due for a similar fate?

Proverbs 29:2    When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

 

Will CERN Open The Portal to "The Bottomless Pit"?

 

It has been five-and-a-half years since I wrote a blog post about the Large Hadron Collider (or "Super Collider") in Geneva, Switzerland. The Collider is the creation of CERN, established as the foremost world-class fundamental physics research organization in Europe. CERN [whose acronym comes from the French translation for European Organization for Nuclear Research], maintains that it is conducting research for purely scientific reasons; developing accelerators in order to "collide" fundamental particles of matter at extremely high energies, supposedly for the purpose of discovering the "God Particle" and how the universe works. These experiments produce antimatter, purportedly trying to prove how an invisible, universe-wide field gave mass to all matter right after the Big Bang. A simple definition of antimatter is this: "molecules formed by atoms consisting of antiprotons, antineutrons, and positrons. Stable antimatter does not appear to exist in our universe (Oxford Dictionary)." That alone, should tell you that the scientists and physicists at CERN are creating something that is not of this world, and certainly not from God. The next experiment to blast a beam into deep outer space is set for October 22nd, this week.

Why should this concern us? Well, for starters, since the first particle collisions were achieved in 2010, the scientists have upgraded the energy "beams" they have produced, going from 3.5 teraelectronvolts (TeV) per beam [which was four times the previous world record] to 6.5 TeV in 2013. There have been reported malfunctions with the super collider, most notably in 2015, and now repairs have been made to the machine and they are reportedly going to take it to new power levels never achieved before. Just think about that ... Scientists contend they are simply smashing particles together to unlock the secrets of the universe. But a growing number of people around the world have posited theories that the real aim of CERN is to blast open a portal to admit demons from Second Heaven!

That should be enough to get your attention! And it doesn't help to calm fears when one considers  famed scientists such as the late Stephen Hawking sounded the alarm bells; it seems somehow prophetic when he warned that the "God Particle" could destroy the universe.  Other well-respected scientists warn that CERN's Super Collider is so powerful it could produce particles of dark antimatter, the mysterious stuff whose gravity holds the galaxies together.  They warn that there is a possibility of a cataclysmic event in which CERN creates a black hole that swallows the earth ... their words, not mine. And if you want to see a vivid depiction of what this might look like, watch the 2009 movie, Angels and Demons, based on the Dan Brown novel of the same name.

So, while scientists express concern that these generated black holes could cause the decay of the universe, Christians wonder why CERN is so committed to investigating extra dimensions and parallel universes? Could it have anything to do with the presence of a statue of the Hindu goddess Shiva (shown coming through a portal) at the entrance to the facility? Shiva is known as the "goddess of destruction". Or could it be because CERN is located in a place that was once called “Appolliacum” during Roman occupation, and which was believed to be a portal to the underworld? Also,  the Greek translation is “Apollyon” and it, too, means “destruction”. 

In 2015, before the machine failed, CERN researchers boasted that they were confident they could make contact with parallel universes by producing "mini black holes". And since that failure, the level of energy they will be blasting out into our universe is exponentially more than has ever been attempted in the past; all with the hopes of opening 12 black holes/portals into other dimensions! Considering that scientists refer to black holes as "bottomless pits" of gravity, my spirit is shouting, "Revelation 9:1-3"! This prophetic passage reads like this: And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. In that prophetic Word, did you notice that the star (angel) "fell from heaven to earth"? Can you now see why it might be beneficial to not open up portals [or black holes] from that dimension to ours?

It is not too difficult to discern that we live in spiritually dark times. I will tell you that, through our Inner Healing Ministry, Mark and I are finding that people are more forthcoming about the demonic attacks they are suffering. And we have heard testimonies from the Millennial generation of the dark entities they are encountering through astral travel, witchcraft and other occult practices. So, isn't it logical that we should be suspect of scientists that are all too eager to mess with the universe and attempt to open a portal to the unknown? As I wrote in 2015 ... Is this what Nimrod was trying to do?  If you are a student of the Bible then you know that there are levels of "heaven", and the "dark forces of the spiritual world" live in the Second Heaven.  Remember Ephesians 6:12, in which the apostle Paul tells us, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places"?  Could these be the "exotic matter" the scientists are in search of, and that we have the potential to come in contact with through these created black holes or portals?

 Could man once again be the catalyst for another incursion of evil fallen angels that are mentioned in the Bible and ancient historical writings? The prophet Daniel mentions that there are beings called "Watchers", or holy ones, who report to God and make decrees on behalf of God.  But Watchers were also mentioned in pseudepigraphal books, such as Enoch and Jubilees, which were popular and influential in the First Century, and ranked alongside the Torah, Psalms and Isaiah in importance to Jews.  These apocryphal books were also alluded to by Peter and Jude in the New Testament, giving them at least historical credibility.  In these instances, "Watchers" were among a superior class of angels, some of whom fell from heaven, led astray by Satan.  In the 7th and 18th chapters of the Book of Enoch, some of the Watchers who fall are imprisoned in the Second Heaven, and others are cast to earth where they take human women (Enoch 7:3, 18:4) who bear giant offspring (the Nephilim mentioned in Genesis 6). Why in the world would we want to open a portal to give those imprisoned in the Second Heaven a way to gain access to the earth?

And the Bible makes it clear that Nimrod's goal in casting arrows towards Heaven was to gain access to that dimensional realm and overthrow God. Was he trying to open a portal with those arrows? The scientists at CERN may not be using arrows to create a portal to the next heaven, as Nimrod did, but wouldn't their powerful beams of atomic matter serve the same purpose? And is it possible that these CERN scientists have already opened portals with their previous attempts and are simply hoping to expand the gateways for demonic entrance into this First Heaven? It isn't hard for me to consider that possibility as I witness the increasing violence and evil that is present on the earth. It certainly has increased in the years since CERN began their experiments.

And if this isn't enough to take you to your knees in fervent prayer, The Times of Israel is reporting that "China is also joining the quest and building its own particle smasher five times more powerful than CERN’s Hadron Collider.  And as Europe and China both race in search of the "God Particle", it may not be long before the world finds out who is at the end of that quest—the Creator, or the destroyer of the universe." That is sobering, indeed!

In the end, I will admit that the science part of this story is over my head. I don't understand how the Collider works, and neither do I comprehend the mechanics of it. And all this might sound like an overrated conspiracy theory by a crazy Christian, but what is apparent to me is the obvious incorrect estimation of the Supremacy of God. What is apparent to me is the arrogance and pride of men in the 21st Century, who not unlike Satan, his Watchers, Nimrod, and countless of evil men who have followed in their footsteps, they think that they can overthrow Almighty God, the Creator of the Universe. They are trying to out-God the Most High God. It will only lead to their judgment, devastation, and God's justifiable wrath. Unfortunately, the Bible prophecies that portals will be opened and Evil will be unleashed upon the earth -- until God has had enough and sends Jesus to destroy Evil once and for all. 

How I pray that October 22nd doesn't set these prophecies in motion. I'm pretty sure that these scientists, who proclaim they are searching for the God particle, are doing so to prove that God doesn't exist and that man can control the universe.  It is mankind's selfish compulsion to rip open the veil separating this world from other worlds or dimensions, and you get the ridiculous statement by CERN's former Director General and Director of Research, Rolf Heuer:  "…When we open the door, something might come through it into our reality! Or, we might send something through it into their reality!" The question is, "What is the something that might come through from their side... and who is the they of their reality"? Pray that God will shut this down once again! 

Proverbs 8:1-5    Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud: “To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.