Another Move In The Cosmic Chess Match!

     If you are like most Americans, you may be a little confused by all the media coverage of "Brexit", and what, if anything, it has to do with us.  In case, you're not quite sure what that is, let me put it in simple terms... Brexit stands for the British exit from the European Union, and this move comes with lots of implications, both from a current worldview and from a Biblical perspective.  Follow my train of thought ...
     You may remember that, in the past, I have referred to a cosmic chess match between God and satan.  If you can, I want you to picture it like this:  On one side is the Most High God and His army of angels, led by the archangel Michael, "the great Prince".  On the other side is Lucifer, or the devil, and his army of rulers, powers, and spiritual forces of wickedness.  And they battle in the spiritual realm, resulting in consequences in this earthly realm.

     Focusing in on this cosmic chess match a little closer, and we see two armies, if you will; one led by Michael, identified as an angel (messenger), and whose name means "who is like God".  I contend that there is a good argument that the title "Michael the archangel" can be translated as "The greatest messenger who is God", or Jesus.  The other army is led by an angel once known as Lucifer, the anointed cherub who was the guardian of God's throne.  But pride, which caused him to seek to overthrow God, resulted in him being cast away from God and out of Heaven, where he is still seeking to dethrone God by working from the spiritual realm through men on earth.
     So what does this have to do with Brexit, and why should we, as Christians, find any meaning in it?  The most recognizable Scripture that embodies the premise of this cosmic chess match is found in Genesis 11, and the story of the Tower of Babel.  You will remember that at the beginning of this story, the Bible tells us that "the whole earth spoke one language and used the same words".  According to the story, a united humanity of all the generations following the Great Flood, speaking a single language and migrating from the east, came to the land of Shinar.  There, in their arrogance and self-glorification, they agreed to build a city and a tower "tall enough to reach heaven"; seeing this, God confounded their speech so that they could no longer understand each other and scattered them around the world.
      In Hebrew and Christian tradition, Nimrod is considered the leader of those who built the Tower of Babel in the land of Shinar, though the Bible never actually states this.  But Nimrod's kingdom included the city of Babel in Shinar, and it was likely under his direction that the building of Babel and its tower began.  But remember the part of Scripture that relates that Nimrod "began to be mighty in the earth"?  It is my belief that after God cleansed the earth with the Flood (a bold move on the cosmic chess board), satan began to plot his strategy.  The name Nimrod, in Hebrew, means "rebel", and I think satan revived his own spirit of rebellion in Nimrod, and used him to build a tower from which satanically influenced men could assault heaven itself.  God's next move was to scatter the people into separate nations, speaking different languages, so they could not form a unified coalition again.
     Throughout history, satan has attempted to infiltrate this earthly realm and influence, or revive, his rebellious spirit in men who would further his cause to defy God.  Every time satan used an Antiochus Epiphanes or a Hitler to spread his evil on the earth and separate men from God's will to reconcile with them, God would counter his move and put an end to the wickedness.
     And now, through the spiritual eyes of men much smarter than me, I am beginning to see another set of moves on the cosmic chess board.  On his website, shoebat.com, Walid Shoebat contends that the European Union was a move by satan to, once again, build a coalition to establish his earthly authority, from which he could institute a global (or one-world) government to control the earth and destroy God's people.  If he can't have Heaven, then he'll take the earth for his throne.
      By moving towards a common currency and governing body for all of Europe, satan saw his chance to thwart God's long-ago move to scatter the people at the Tower of Babel and create independent nations.  With an encroaching one-world government and global currency system, it would set up satan's future plan that no one can buy or sell without complying with his currency system, the mark of the beast.  And his move was a good one!  The nations of Europe were subject to the governing rules of the EU, and were losing their autonomy and ability to self-rule.  And perhaps satan's greatest evil intentions came through the forced acceptance of Muslim refugees among the EU countries, and the influx of jihadist ideology.

     But does the exit of Britain signal God's next chess move?  Could He be setting the stage for a break-up of the European Union, and the re-establishment of His independent and sovereign nations that He began at the Tower of Babel?  Certainly, Britain's exit has stirred similar thoughts among the governments of Scotland, France, and Spain.
     Walid Shoebat, in his article, takes it a step further, stating:  We are beginning to see the signs of a future split in Europe, even states within states, separating between sheep and goat nations where France, parts of Italy, Spain and Portugal will be destined as sheep nations, while Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the Baltic states or major parts of these will remain liberal and anti-God; to be destined as goat nations. Austria could go sheep or goat, we do not know.  
     Interesting concept, isn't it?  Please take the time to read his entire article, it is fascinating and not without Scriptural support.  Is it accurate?  Only God knows.  But I am certain that Brexit is an indication of a major shift in the cosmic war in the spiritual realm.  In the coming days, you will hear the media discuss the worldly implications -- effects on the world economy, global trade, immigration, etc. -- but I am more interested in the spiritual ramifications.  How will it affect the spiritual foundations of the nations, and on whose side will they align themselves?  Will there be a renewed interest in seeking God, or will secularism and jihadism continue their march across the globe?  
     A case can be made for Shoebat's assertion that Brexit is the beginning of a move by God.  Consider his statement: "If a one world government is to take place or a European Union is to control the entire continent, how then will God “divide the nations”? How then will “nation war against nation, kingdom against kingdom” and how will God “divide the nations” “sheep from goats”?  Whether this is just an isolated set of circumstances, or we see the entire dismantlement of the EU, and nations sliding toward the end-times prophecies remains to be seen.  But of this, I am certain:  the cosmic chess match will continue; with God countering every move that satan makes until His complete plan for His reconciliation with man is accomplished.  Then it will be checkmate with the return of Jesus!  For now, all I need to know is that there is a battle plan in the spiritual realm to rule the earth, and I know which side I'm on.

1 John 3:8        "He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.  For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
   

The Truth Behind Those May Day Clashes

   

     This last weekend, we witnessed the annual public homage to anarchy as expressed in May Day riots and protests.  Flares, bricks and Molotov cocktails were thrown at police in Seattle in an effort to communicate hatred for anti-capitalism, and passion for workers and immigrants.  Demonstrations were held across the country, from Los Angeles and San Francisco to New York, and towns and college campuses in between.
     But did you know that May Day protests and rallies were held world-wide?  France, Turkey, Russia, Great Britain, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Brazil all saw groups gather to protest everything from low wages, to the lack of jobs, to immigration problems, to failing government policies.  But the over-riding sentiment was a call for disorder due to the nonrecognition of authority.  I think one of the underlying themes of these current May Day demonstrations could best be summed up by a sign carried by one of the protestors:  "We Are Ungovernable."
     Before I tell you what I think is at the root of that belief, I'd like to share some of the interesting history behind the modern May Day observances.  There are some websites, like Jacobin, (whose theme is "Reason in Revolt") who pay tribute to their namesake.  The Jacobins were the most radical and ruthless of the political groups formed in the wake of the French Revolution.  Although they called themselves "Friends of Freedom and Equality", they colluded with the French politician, Robespierre, in what became known as the Reign of Terror in 1793-94.
     An article in Jacobin will tell you that "the first May Day was celebrated in 1886, with a general strike of 300,000 workers at 13,000 businesses across the United States. It was a tremendous show of force for the American labor movement, which was among the most militant in the world."  Here, we see the foundation of the various protests and clashes with police this past weekend.  But let me continue with some of their other views of May Day.  They urge modern protestors to rally "under the banners of anarchist and socialist organizations" ... and they believe that "when workers act together, they exercise tremendous power over their employers and over society as a whole. Working-class radicals [understand] the unique power of collective action, fighting to ensure that the aggression of employers is often met by a groundswell of workers’ resistance."
     Today, they advocate for May Day to be recognized as a day of solidarity with undocumented immigrants — a fitting reminder of May Day’s origins in the late 19th Century when successive waves of immigration brought millions of immigrants to the United States, and high unemployment and dehumanizing working conditions spawned a movement that saw native-born and immigrant workers standing together to defend their common interests.
     All that is the history behind what we saw this past Sunday.  But did you know that the significance of May 1st is much broader than what it means to the work force?  And that it is much older?  The website InfoPlease tells us that it's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday.
     They go on to give us a white-washed version of some of these celebrations, such as May 1st as Beltane, a pagan Celtic feast full of rituals.  One of these traditions centered around Beltane cakes, which would be broken into several pieces, one of which was blackened. They would be drawn by celebrants at random; the person getting the unlucky blackened piece would face a mock execution.

     Then there is Walpurgisnacht, creatively portrayed in the Walt Disney movie Fantasia, during the "Night on Bald Mountain" segment, and to which I have devoted a post.  InfoPlease wants you to believe that this holiday is just a legend; one in which witches were said to meet with the Devil on the eve of May 1, on the Brocken peak. The night of April 30th became known as "Walpurgisnacht," and the annual meeting was dramatized by Goethe in Faust.  It's just a legend, they say; like a fairy tale .... albeit a terrifying one!
     And how can we forget that idyllic symbol of May Day, the Maypole?  The pretext of modern celebrations of May Day is that it honors ancient festivals of Spring and Fertility, in which a pole would be hung with greenery and ribbons, brightly painted, and decorated.  Dancers would then begin to braid the ribbons by weaving in and out among each other.  All in all, it is presented as an innocent celebration of Spring.
     I don't mean to burst your bubble, but from the picture of pagan festivals, and celebrations of Spring, down to workforce protests, there is a far more sinister element to this first day of May.  To begin with, that innocent vision of the Maypole?  It is actually an ancient symbol of fertility and also the Egyptian God and King Osiris' phallus.  (And don't forget that Osiris is simply another name for the spirit of Nimrod, who was the original man who resisted God's authority and led a rebellion at the Tower of Babel).

     The Maypole is a modern-day portable ancient phallic symbol that is meant to represent the male generative powers in the phallus, which is really just an idol or image of an erect penis. They have been worshiped for thousands of years as a reminder of the sacred act of sex and also represent the phallus of the kings who rule the world.  If you really want to take this piece of information to its full conclusion, then click here.
     What I really want you to see is the spiritual forces that are behind these festivals and movements.  And the modern slogan of "We Are Ungovernable" should tell you exactly who is at the head of these forces, and how he has managed to maintain that spirit of rebellion and anarchy throughout the centuries.  It is my strong belief that "legends" don't persist if there is not some truth to them,  or some force behind them, perpetuating and encouraging an underlying power to continue indefinitely.
     I find it rather interesting that this one day at the beginning of May has become synonymous down through the ages with mock sacrifice; with homage to the power of men; and with resistance and opposition to Authority.  Who does that remind you of?  The spirit of Nimrod might be at work to compel mankind to overthrow any governance over his life, but we must not lose sight of the fact that  Lucifer was the power behind Nimrod -- Lucifer, whom God called "the anointed Cherub"; the one whose position was to guard the very throne of God. His position was that of protecting the holiness of God. Satan had the highest of all positions, a position which he despised and lost.
     So it has been his mission ever since to convince men that we, too, should rebel against God.   He whispered in Nimrod's ear his own vow: "I will take over heaven, I will be God." That is Lucifer/Satan's sin and that was Nimrod's sin in erecting the Tower of Babel.  And now that spirit of rebellion is present in everyone who listens to that lie -- and there is even a day Satan has made one of his holy days --- May 1st. He does not want to be God's servant. He does not want to do what he was created to do. He wants to be served and there are millions who have chosen to do just that; serve him and worship him through the various festivals and protests. They have listened to his lies and chosen to follow him.  They may think they are "ungovernable", but one day soon, the One who will come to rule and reign will show them just how deceptive that lie is.

1 John 3:8    "The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil."

"The All Seeing Eye": Searching For The Light & Immortality -- Part II

   
      On Wednesday, I wrote about the history and symbolism of the Pineal Gland.  In researching this topic, I was amazed at the range of articles on this endocrine gland -- everything from occultic to scientific to the bizarrely spiritual. While I do not endorse all the references I have used, they have provided enough common ground that I think they warrant attention.  Today, I want to show you some rather unsettling theories that surround this mysterious gland, also referred to as the Third Eye, or the All-Seeing Eye, and why both ancient and modern cultures are so fascinated with it.

Eye of Horus (left) looks similar to pineal gland
(which looks similar to a womb)

     In fact, you might have heard "the All-Seeing Eye" also referred to as "the Eye of Horus".  Horus was one of the most significant deities in ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Pre-dynastic period through to Greco-Roman times.  He is most commonly understood as the son of the gods Isis and Osiris, and he plays a key role in the Osiris myth as Osiris's heir and the rival to Set, the murderer of Osiris.  But the one thing you need to understand is that he is just one more personification of the spirit of Nimrod, the original man of rebellion against God.  (Read my post on false gods and Nimrod to get the Biblical perspective).
     Then there was the Greek god, Hermes; the son of Zeus, who was considered a god of transitions and boundaries.  Mythology tells us Hermes wandered in a rocky, desolate place to meditate and pray. Following secret instructions of the Temple, he freed his higher consciousness from bondage to his physical senses. Thus released, his divine nature revealed to him The Mysteries. He beheld a terrible, awe-inspiring figure: the Great Dragon, with wings stretching across the sky and light streaming in all directions from its body.  The Great Dragon called Hermes by name, and asked why he meditated on the World Mystery. Terrified, Hermes prostrated himself before the Dragon, beseeching it to reveal its identity. The great creature replied it was Poimandres, the Mind of the Universe, Creative Intelligence, and Absolute Emperor of all.  Hermes besought Poimandres to disclose the nature of the universe and the constitution of the gods. The Dragon acquiesced, bidding Hermes hold its image in his mind. Immediately Poimandres' form changed. Where it had stood was a glorious, pulsating Radiant Light, the spiritual nature of the Great Dragon itself. Hermes was "raised" into the midst of this Divine Radiance and the material universe faded from his consciousness.
     Can you see how this search to discover a "higher consciousness" pervades all cultures, and has been sought after throughout history?  Can you see that man, in his desire to acquire this "All-Seeing Eye" is, in effect, trying to discover the mystery of God?  To become like God?  One only need to look at men like Nikola Tesla to see the beckoning call towards "higher consciousness".  In a post I wrote on Tesla, I discovered that he was aware, as a child, that there was an Energy in the Universe, and of trying to awake that energy, and figure out how it could influence people.  He told his interviewer,  "My eyesight and hearing are perfect and, I dare to say, stronger than other people. I hear the thunder from a hundred fifty miles away, and I see colors in the sky that others cannot see. This enlargement of vision and hearing, I had as a child. Later I consciously developed [it]."  I believe he was seeking this "enlargement" through the Pineal Gland.
      In an article by Naomi Astral, she writes that "the symbol of the All-Seeing Eye, has always been part of Earth's creation mythologies and mysteries. In Ancient Egypt, it was symbolised by the Eye of Horus, and conveyed protection, royal power, and good health. The symbol was passed down, through the ancient mystery teachings and can be found on the American dollar bill."
    She goes on to report that "the eye is the observer of reality - or the illusion of reality. This gland is activated by Light (her choice to capitalize the word), and it controls the various biorhythms of the body. It works in harmony with the hypothalamus gland, which directs the body's thirst, hunger, sexual desire and the biological clock, that determines our aging process."  You might be interested to know that this gland is larger in children, and as we age, it begins to calcify and harden.  This fact will become more important as I proceed in this article.
     But what I'm about to reveal to you was not only shocking, but frightening because of its implications.  The beneficial effects of the hormone melatonin (secreted by the pineal gland) have been part of the health supplement scene for some time.  In fact, high melatonin production is known to be synonymous with a high immune system, a low cancer risk, long life, energy, stamina, and according to many, enhanced spiritual awareness.  By now, you should be getting the picture ... many see the Pineal Gland as the doorway to longevity (if not immortality) and enhanced spiritual knowledge.  And this is where it gets a little creepy.
     According to the article I read, there is a tradition dating back to at least 1000 A.D. in which Arabs, and later Europeans, engaged in the practice of 'eating mummy'.  Ancient mummies were ground up and eaten for medicinal and occult practices.  The article maintains that certain secret societies still participate in the eating of "live pineal glands" from sacrifices, as part of their rites and ceremonies.  There was a time I would have dismissed such stories as beyond the realm of reality, but our Enemy has become ever bolder in showing us how he operates, so I am not quite ready to disregard these accusations.
     Apparently, this practice was widespread in Egypt and Western Europe and it consisted of countless ancient African mummies being burned, ground up and made into a kind of powder in order to be eaten. This incredible act of cannibalism was considered an effective medical practice and folk remedy. The belief became widely prevalent that cures could be obtained by eating ground-up preserved bodies. 'Eating mummy' was considered effective in treating contusions, coughs, epilepsy, migraines, ulcers, cases of poison and as a general panacea.
     I will admit that some of the information gleaned from these articles was beyond my ability to comprehend or embrace.  Occult and scientific writings are cited that seem so fantastical -- ancient races of people with three eyes; shamans that can see with their minds, rather than their eyes; cave-dwellers in Tibet who meditated while on mushrooms and knew of a galaxy years before scientists discovered it.... all associated in one way or another with the pineal gland.
     But I was truly astonished to run across old newspaper articles that referenced the eating of pineal glands.  One such article in 1914, ran in the Times Dispatch of Richmond, VA, and the headline read as follows:  "A Food That Does Away With Youth:  Remarkable Discoveries About a Gland in the Brain That May Enable Science Rapidly To Change Children Into Men, Chicks into Chickens, Calves into Cows, to Sate War's Appetite for Meat and Men." Another article ran in The Washington Times in 1915, and its headline read, "Backward Children Are Helped By Medicinal Use of Pineal Gland Extract."  It's not hard to see that there has long been an interest in consuming the pineal gland to enhance our health.  These scientists, doctors, and researchers would have made Ray Kurzweil proud!
     But perhaps the primary focus of the 20th and 21st Centuries has been in the area of aging and the quest for immortality.  We even have a medical field devoted to it ... gerontology.  In the study of aging -- or gerontology -- there are two main groups of thought. One group believes that aging is a natural process programmed in the body. Meanwhile, the other group believes aging is unnatural and it’s the result of cellular damage accumulated over time.
     Remember that in Part I of this article, I mentioned that some medical experts tell us that our pineal gland begins to calcify with age.  Actually, the human pineal gland grows in size until about 1–2 years of age, and scientists have actually shown that calcification begins at the age of 2.  But here is a truly amazing fact:  the pineal gland is activated in a fetus at 49 days!  This most powerful gland that controls our hormones and sexuality is active and functional at 49 days after conception! Many scientists have expressed that it is at its most potent state in utero.  And that leads me down a path I did not want to go -- Planned Parenthood.
     Remember the recent undercover Planned Parenthood video scandal?  The Center for Medical Progress began releasing a series of videos about the Planned Parenthood abortion clinics, which featured executives and staffers at Planned Parenthood and affiliated businesses discussing and demonstrating human organ harvesting and the fetal body part trade.  Thanks to a website, called The Federalist, I was able to go to one source to find a summary of all those videos and get a pretty good picture of what the harvesting was all about.
     Time after time, in the videos, PP representatives make mention of their desire to deliver the head of a fetus without crushing it; to procure "tissues like brain, livers, thymus, pancreas, heart, lungs ... and sell the parts to researchers."  In video #7 (which the media claims doesn't exist), Holly McDonnell, an ex-procurement technician, talks about harvesting a late-term abortion:  "… its nose was very pronounced, it had eyelids, and its mouth was pronounced. And then since the fetus was still intact, she said, ‘okay, well, this is a really good fetus, and it looks like we can procure a lot from it. We’re going to procure brains.’ ”  Is this a secret reason that some legislators are seeking to allow late-term abortions?

     I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the picture.  So, is it too far-fetched to think that this harvesting of fetal brains could be tied to the procurement of pineal glands as some kind of magical cure for aging?  I mean, history shows it has been a practice for 1,000 years!  And with all the interest by transhumanists and the scientific community to achieve immortality, could this be an underlying benefit for the abortion industry?  I hate to admit it, but I believe the evil that is in the world will stop at nothing to offend God and His creation.  Just Google "eating pineal gland to prolong life" and see all the results that pop up!
     And, as if mutilating fetuses doesn't disgust God enough, there is always the search for an alternative spiritual experience; one in which man seeks to establish his own connection to the heavenly realms through his own power.  In essence, we are still in rebellion to God, and trying to become our own gods.
     As I have stated numerous times, nothing has changed since the Garden of Eden.  We are still rebelling, and trying to become equals with our Creator.  We are trying to set our own boundaries and lifespan, and seeking a more superior spiritual awakening.  But like Lucifer and Nimrod, and all who have come in a similar spirit, we will find that there is one set of Laws that govern the universe and all the heavenly realms.  In the end, it is His rules by which we must play.  For all the knowledge, and increased health, and "higher consciousness" that we gain, it will never be enough to usurp His Sovereignty.  And woe to those who try.

1 Timothy 6:16   "Who alone has immortality, Who dwells in unapproachable Light, Whom no one has ever seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen."




   
   
   
   

Could ISIS Be Anointed By God?

     Now, before you think I've gone completely off my rocker, give me a chance to explain my train of thought.  I've recently written about the Temple of Baal (or Bel) that will soon be replicated in Times Square, the heart of New York City, and in London.  I spared no words in recounting its significance in regards to idol worship in the ancient world.  I also related that this ancient temple was destroyed by ISIS last summer.  The most recent news in the last few days is that Syrian forces have liberated the ancient city of Palmyra and recaptured it, with plans to rebuild much of the ancient artifacts and archeological sites.

Palmyra prior to ISIS

     I suspect much of the world will hail this as a victory and in the best interests of man's archeological heritage.  But is it?  I want to expand on some thoughts that have occurred to me since July of last year, and just keep pricking my spirit.  I can't help but look at this situation through the lens of my Biblical worldview.  And to do that, I need to take some time to share a specific perspective with you; it's a fascinating story from the Old Testament, and one that I think casts valuable insight on God's purpose in all things.
     Remember the story of Cyrus, King of Persia, who conquered Babylon and allowed the Jews to return from captivity to their homeland and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem?  Well, as fantastic as this sounds, apparently it was not out of the ordinary for Cyrus.  An excellent post on Cyrus, found at a website called ChurchOfTheGreatGod.org, reports that King Cyrus, as was his policy, allowed his vassal states to retain their cultural and religious identities. He advanced funds for the repair or restoration of public buildings, particularly temples and shrines, and he reversed the Babylonian policy of forced relocation of conquered peoples, allowing their descendants to return to their ancestral homelands.
     What you might find utterly amazing is that God used King Cyrus, to move forward his plan in history.  In fact, God calls Cyrus, His "anointed".  Yes, you read that correctly!  He explicitly says in Isaiah 45:1-3:  "Thus says the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held—to subdue nations before him and loose the armor of kings, to open before him the double doors, so that the gates will not be shut: ‘I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places. . . . I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; He shall build My city and let My exiles go free, not for price nor reward,' says the LORD of hosts."
     I can hear shocked Christians right now, exclaiming, "But how can a King of Persia, whose country would become a stronghold for Muslims in future centuries, be God's anointed?  First of all, we need to broaden our understanding of what the word anointed means.  The Hebrew word is mashiah, which has come down to us as "messiah" and translated as christos in Greek. Because we now use this term exclusively for Jesus Christ, the Messiah, many of us Christians fail to see its broader application.  Mashiah simply means "anointed" or "anointed one."  At its most basic, mashiah indicates a person God authorizes and sets apart for His service.... regardless of their faith, ethnicity, or background. And the type of service an anointed one might render can vary. Besides being in the service of God, he might fulfill more than one role in his service; but his primary function is to cause deliverance.  You can see how Jesus fulfilled all three of those facets of an anointed one.
     So the question becomes "Why did God raise up a Messiah, or Anointed One, like Cyrus?  The answer is found in the continuing verses of Isaiah, Chapter 45:  "[God will work through you, Cyrus,] that you may know that I, the LORD, who call you by your name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; there is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the LORD, do all these things" (verses 3-7).  Very simply, God raised Cyrus up to do His bidding to prove to him and all the world who is the true God! God went before Cyrus, paving the way for his victories and policies so that His will and His plan would move forward.

Palmyra, after ISIS

       So, now I return to my original question, posed in the title of this blog post ... Could ISIS be anointed by God? If we use the criteria that the Bible lays forth regarding the prerequisites for an anointed one, I would say, in one sense, YES!
     (OBVIOUS CAVEAT:  The atrocities and barbaric acts of murder against Christians and non-Muslims is obviously not an act of service to God.  But remember, God is Sovereign, and He is capable of using even evil people to carry out one or more of His purposes.  In this instance, I am only looking at ISIS's acts of destroying ancient temples to idols.)
     And here's how I got there .... As I have pointed out in past blog posts, Palmyra was the site of some of the world’s most valuable Roman-style ruins, including 2,000-year-old towers and temples; among them the Temple of Baal (or Bel), which was the name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia, and the Temple of Baalshamin, dedicated to the Canaanite sky deity Baalshamin.
     But last year, in its takeover of the city, ISIS blew up both structures, along with the famed Arch of Triumph, which was constructed under Roman rule during the late second century, calling them monuments to idolatry --- which they were!  In case you need convincing, here is some interesting information about the Temple of Baal:  It was known as the temple to the Sun God.  And if you are a student of Biblical and ancient history, then you know that there were many names for the Sun God throughout the pagan cultures.  Some of them are Ra, the sun god of the ancient Egyptians; Apollo, the sun god of the ancient Romans; Helios, the sun god of the Greeks; Mithras, the Iranian and Persian sun god ... and I contend that they are all names for the same spirit of rebellion that existed in the man Nimrod.
     The great-grandson of Noah, Nimrod is the prototype of a rebellious people, his name being interpreted in Hebrew as "he who made all the people rebellious against God".  As you can see by the various cultures and ethnic groups who worshiped the Sun God in his name, he led many peoples into rebellion against the One True God and into idol worship.
     Now, the modern world is lamenting the destruction of the ancient Temple of Baal, the temple of Sun God worship, in Palmyra, Syria.  And I'd like you to get a picture of what worshipping there must have been like to the pagans, as described by Amr Al Azm, a professor at Shawnee State University who served as the director of the Center of Archeological Research at the University of Damascus from 2003 to 2006:  "You would attempt to go and visit the temple at dawn [before it was damaged]. And on the east face, as the sun rises, it would eventually reach that point where, even though it was dark around you — you were surrounded by stone walls — the sun would touch a particular point on the window, and it was like someone switched on a thousand lights. The whole building would light up instantaneously."  He goes on to say, "Unfortunately, we will never be able to experience that again. That’s how significant the loss is, as far as I’m concerned."
     But might I suggest that ISIS got it right?  That it is actually a "monument to idolatry".  And might I further propose that by destroying it, the Muslim jihadis were actually in service to YHWH, liberating that area of the ancient Middle East from a centuries-long fascination and reverence to a false god?  Remember, as in the case of Cyrus, (whom God makes it very clear, did not know Him), God can use whomever He desires to move along his plan in history.  Perhaps God is tired of our interest and preoccupation in preserving these ancient temples of idolatry, and so He put ISIS, who certainly does not know Him, into service to destroy their very foundations.
     And what does the world plan to do?  To rebuild them, of course!  Or, at least in the instance of the Temple Baal, erect duplicates of them in New York City, London, and another 1,000 cities around the world --- all in the name of defiance to ISIS.  But, can you clearly see that, in reality, it is in defiance to YHWH?

The destruction of pagan statues

     And there is another aspect that I want to briefly touch upon before I end my hypothesis.  I will admit that the connecting dots are still a little fuzzy in my spirit, but I can't help but feel there is something here that we need to pay attention to.  The "recapture" of the ancient city of Palmyra from ISIS was conducted by Syrian forces, assisted by Russian troops and airstrikes.  And now the world is incensed by the destruction of the temples and the looting of the artifacts, and archeologists from around the world are rushing to the site to help reconstruct the ancient city.  Is this part of the multiple roles that ISIS could be playing in their service as God's anointed?  Could they be drawing the nations of the world to this area to preserve the treasures of idolatrous worship?
     The world's elite mourned when ISIS ransacked and burned the Mosul Public Library, destroying more than 8,000 ancient and rare books and manuscripts, calling it "cultural genocide"; an attempt to destroy an ethnic or religious group's customs, including its languages, traditional practices and ways, religious institutions and objects, and clergy members, academics, and intellectuals.  I admit that it is difficult to see God wanting the history of whole peoples wiped out.  But what if those histories, and art, and traditions, and religious practices honor gods and ways that are not of Him?  Could we then see the possibility that God could authorize ISIS to serve Him by destroying what He considers idolatry?  Even if they declare a hatred for Him and those who follow Him?
     I know!  It is hard to wrap your head around it, but throughout the Bible God used unbelievers to execute His plan for the world.  All we have to do is look at how He used Pharaoh to liberate His people from their bondage in Egypt; how He used Nebuchadnezzar to take the Jews into captivity in Babylon because of their continued disobedience, yet placed Daniel in their midst to prophecy of the return of His remnant; and how He used the Persian King Artaxerxes to allow Nehemiah to reintroduce His law to the Jews returning to Jerusalem.  And in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul often worked through unbelievers to carry out God's will and purpose.
     We must remember that He is Sovereign and Immutable ... He never changes and it is often His way to use unbelievers to execute His will.  It is not up to us to question or reason why.  I am not here to suggest that I know God's mind or that my hypothesis is even plausible.  All I'm saying is that I see idolatrous temples being destroyed and the world's desire to rebuild them.  Can we truly say it is all out of a sense of preserving cultural history?  Or is there something more diabolical happening underneath it all?  Keep your spiritual radar turned on and up!

 Isaiah 45:9-10    “Woe to the one who argues with his Maker—
one clay pot among many.  Does clay say to the one forming it, ‘What are you making?’ Or does your work say, ‘He has no hands’? How absurd is the one who says to his father, ‘What are you fathering?’ or to his mother, ‘What are you giving birth to?’ ”

Nothing Ever Really Changes

     As if we need more evidence that man's love of idolatry and false gods has always been present, news comes that a group of of European architects has proposed to build a 21st-century version of the Colossus of Rhodes, the ancient Greek statue erected on the island of Rhodes in the 3rd century B.C. The original ancient statue was of the Greek titan-god of the sun Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name.
     One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was constructed to celebrate Rhodes' victory over the ruler of Cyprus, Antigonus I Monophthalmus, whose son unsuccessfully besieged Rhodes in 305 BC. Before its destruction in the earthquake of 226 BC, the Colossus of Rhodes stood over 30 metres (98 feet) high, making it one of the tallest statues of the ancient world.

The new proposed statue of Helios, sun god

     But the new version would stand 500-feet tall (five times larger than the original) and serve as a cultural center, as a library, an exhibition hall and a lighthouse on Rhodes, the largest of Greece’s Dodecanese islands.  This island is known for its beach resorts, ancient ruins and structural remnants of its crusades-era occupation.  I find the estimated cost of the statue ($283 million) to not only be offensive in light of the decimated Greek economy, but just another monument to man's obsession with pagan gods and his rebellion against the One True God.
     The fact that the statue honors the god Helios is just a perpetuation of sun god worship that has existed since the beginning of civilizations.   The imagery of the sun as the ruler of both the upper and the lower worlds that he majestically visited on his daily round is prominent among all the ancient cultures.  Even The Encyclopedia Britannica gives credence to sun worship:  "The sun is the bestower of light and life to the totality of the cosmos; with his unblinking, all-seeing eye, he is the stern guarantor of justice; with the almost universal connection of light with enlightenment or illumination, the sun is the source of wisdom."  I found it extremely sad and disturbing to read this once venerated source of knowledge equating and venerating all the ancient religions as equal to Christianity.  Here are some of the points they made about sun worship:
•  These qualities—sovereignty, power of beneficence, justice, and wisdom—are central to any elite religious group, and it is within these contexts that a highly developed solar ideology is found. Kings ruled by the power of the sun and claimed descent from the sun. Solar deities, gods personifying the sun, are sovereign and all-seeing. The sun is often a prime attribute of or is identified with the Supreme Deity.
•  In ancient Egypt the sun god Re was the dominant figure among the high gods and retained this position from early in that civilization’s history ...  Surya is glorified in the Vedas of ancient India as an all-seeing god who observes both good and evil actions ... In medieval Iran, sun festivals were celebrated as a heritage from pre-Islamic times ...
•  During the later periods of Roman history, sun worship gained in importance and ultimately led to what has been called a “solar monotheism.” Nearly all the gods of the period were possessed of solar qualities, and both Christ and Mithra acquired the traits of solar deities. The feast of Sol Invictus (Unconquered Sun) on December 25 was celebrated with great joy, and eventually this date was taken over by the Christians as Christmas, the birthday of Christ.  (The obvious attempt to equalize our Savior with other gods, and with sun worship is unmistakable).

Ancient Colossus of Rhodes

     I will grant you that the Greek Mythology gives us a fascinating picture into man's attempts to create his own gods.  The island of Rhodes derives its name from the nymph Rhodos, who bore seven sons to the sun god Helios, the patron of the island. Three grandsons of these offspring were the heroes of the three principal cities on the island: Camirus, Ialysus, and Lindus, which were named after them. In honour of Helios, Panhellenic games, the Halieia, were held on the island every five years, and each year a chariot and four horses (quadriga) were thrown into the sea as an offering to the god (who was believed to ride such a chariot across the sky each day).  It is almost funny to discern that this was all the result of man's attempt to explain God's creation of the sun -- except that we know it is the result of the Enemy's lies; his never-ending attempt to blind us to the true knowledge of our Creator.
     Other mythological associations with the islands include the belief that the Telchines had a workshop on the island. They were believed to be an ancient semi-divine race that invented, and were particularly skilled at, metalwork. Hercules was also worshipped on the island as the founder of the first settlement. Other important cults were dedicated to Apollo, Zeus, Athena, and Dionysos, and during the Hellenistic period the island adopted several Egyptian cults such as those of Sarapis and Isis ... and it all leads back to Nimrod and rebellion towards God.
     But knowing that Helios was not only the Titan god (translate as part god (fallen angel)/part human) of the sun, but he was also the guardian of oaths and the god of gift of sight.  His description shows just how far the devil was trying to go to equate him with Jesus, the Son of God:  "[Helios the Sun] rides his chariot, he shines upon men and deathless gods, and piercingly he gazes with his eyes from his golden helmet. Bright rays beam dazzlingly from him, and his bright locks streaming from the temples of his head gracefully enclose his far-seen face: a rich, fine-spun garment glows upon his body and flutters in the wind, and stallions carry him. Then, when he has stayed his golden-yoked chariot and horses, he rests there upon the highest point of heaven, until he marvellously drives them down again through heaven...".
     So, nothing has really changed.  Man is still trying to bow down to an image of a god he has created.  The new statue of Helios will be bigger and grander and more shiny than the original; just a bigger false idol than the first, and a sign of how obsessed we are to worship anyone or anything other than the True Light of the World.  The Colossus of Rhodes was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC.  I shudder to think of the destruction that is coming upon the newest version of this pagan god.  Will we never learn?

Deuteronomy 12:30    "Be watchful that you are not ensnared into following them after they have been destroyed before you and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? We will do likewise."

1 Corinthians 10:8: Cheaters Beware!

We must not gratify evil desire and indulge in immorality 

as some of them did—

and twenty-three thousand [suddenly] fell dead in a single day!

     Paul is addressing the Church in the important city of Corinth.  This ancient city was known for its commercial success.  For centuries it had dominated the east-west trade route with its flow of merchandise, and it celebrated its ethnic diversity as travelers from the known world inevitably found their way to the thriving metropolis.

     The New King James version of the Bible says that "Corinth's commercial success was rivaled only by its decadence.  The immorality of Corinth was so well known that Aristophanes, a comic playwright of ancient Athens, coined a Greek verb, meaning to act like a Corinthian as a synonym for sexual immorality."  In addition, the Corinthians were famous for calling attention to their lewdness through their worship of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.  (She is also known by the Roman name Venus, and is ultimately the same spirit as Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod, who was known as the "Queen of Heaven".  She is a major deity used by Satan throughout the ages to tempt mankind away from God).

     Although the city of Corinth was famous for its idolatry and sexual immorality, it was also an important and strategic location for dispersing the Word and the transforming power of Jesus Christ.  Paul spent 18 months in Corinth establishing and grounding the Church.  The Jews in the synagogue rejected his message, so he took it to the Gentiles, with some measure of success.  But the Church in Corinth was seriously troubled.  Besides reflecting the multiple nationalities of the city, the Corinthian Church also demonstrated some of Corinth's immorality.  And our Scripture today voices Paul's concern about a repetition of God's judgment against such immoral behavior in the past.  

     This verse, 1 Corinthians 10:8, actually refers to a passage in Numbers 25:1-9.  It recounts that while God is giving the law to Moses, the people are down the hill worshipping a golden calf through idolatry and sexual immorality.  It tells the tale of the people of Israel "playing the harlot" with the women of Moab; and how easily they "ate and bowed down to Moab's gods".  It is the age-old story of being tempted into idol worship of the things of the world, and Satan's seduction through lust.

     I can't help but look upon this Biblical scene and think of the recent revelations concerning Ashley Madison, the website whose slogan is "Life is short.  Have an affair".  The site entices people to cheat on their spouses; to openly commit adultery under the guise that their identities will remain private... sshhh, no one will ever know.  Yet, this week the site was hacked by someone, or group of someones, who threaten to reveal the identities of 33 million subscribers in 46 countries.  If this happens, it may well have the same effects that God's judgment had on the Israelites after their idolatry and immorality was exposed.

     In the Bible, "the Lord said to Moses, Take all the leaders or chiefs of the people, and hang them before the Lord in the sun [after killing them], that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel."  The Israelite judges are then commanded to "slay the men who joined themselves to Baal Peor".  They did so, and 23,000 died that day!

     Now, we need to understand that, yes, Baal Peor was a false god and worship of it was idolatry in God's eyes.  But it is so much more!  The Moabite god, Baal Peor, was depicted either as a beautiful naked woman or a bearded demon with open mouth, horns, and sharply pointed nails (the open mouth being an indicator of the sexual rites used to worship him). St. Jerome reported that statues of Baal-Peor he encountered in Syria depicted the god with a phallus in his mouth.  Furthermore, the name of this false Moabite god means "gaping, wide, and consuming".  I'm sure you can see the implications for sexual immorality with both men and women in this description.

     This is the warning Paul is giving the Church members in Corinth.  He is saying, "Don't be tempted to make the same mistake as the ancient Israelites and succumb to the lustful appetite that comes from worshipping this false goddess in the current Corinthian culture... [the Israelites'] destruction was swift and complete in a plague of death, and so will yours be." 

     I would daresay that the same advice holds true for today's immoral worshippers of the idolatrous company Ashley Madison.  If the hackers follow through on their promise, and millions of credit card transactions, names, and addresses are released, the destruction of marriages, careers and reputations will be swift and complete.  Life as they know it in this world will be destroyed.  But as Paul warns, it is God's ultimate judgment in the next life that they should fear.  

How Close Are We To A Post-Human World?

     That is a question that Sir Martin Rees, the British Astronomer Royal attempts to answer in his astute article in The Telegraph.  Before giving you some of his insightful theories on this subject, I must admit that, as a Christian, I believe some of his prognostications will never materialize, because God will not allow His creation to become so violated.  That being said, I absolutely believe that what Sir Martin predicts will be attempted by those who think they can out-maneuver God.  Therefore, it is important for us to be able to recognize the machinations of such "geniuses".
     Much of what Rees reveals is what we've been hearing for awhile ... due to the overcrowding and over heating of the earth, technology will become an important part of our "survival", and it will have profound ramifications on humankind; most importantly, in the sphere of agriculture, biotech, and robotics.  Because our ecology is threatened, and our "footprint" is too big, scientists and futurists tell us that something must be done to save the planet.  So, it all comes down to this realization: We can now control the weather, the development of viruses, and robotic systems; all of which have the potential to affect how -- and if -- we live.
     Perhaps one of the most chilling statements that Sir Martin made was this:  "And there are downsides to the huge advances in biotech, despite the bright prospects these offer for medicine and agriculture. There were reports last month that Chinese researchers had been gene-editing human embryos using a new technique called CRISPR, raising controversial ethical issues about “designer babies”. But more disquieting are the experiments at the University of Wisconsin and in the Netherlands that show it’s surprisingly easy to make an influenza virus more virulent and transmissible. Last October, the US federal government decided to cease funding these so-called “gain of function” experiments."
     Rees pointed out that such "experiments" are hotly debated among his colleagues, with some wanting to stay one step ahead of natural mutations, while others are concerned about the danger and the risks associated with such scary science.  "What would happen, for instance, if an ebola virus were modified to be transmissible through the air? And they worried that the risk of failure to contain the pathogens within the lab is too high to justify the knowledge gained."  I'm glad someone is being clear-sighted!
     But I found it especially frightening when he discussed the dangers that will come from millions of people having the capability to misuse biotech, and who might have access to biomedical labs, just as millions can misuse cybertech today.  "Not all those with “bio” expertise will be balanced and rational. My worst nightmare is an “eco-fanatic”, empowered by the biohacking expertise that may be routine by 2050 [when 2 billion people will occupy the planet], and who thinks that “Gaia” can only be saved if the human population is reduced. The global village will have its village idiots, and they will have global range."
     Sir Martin also joins the chorus of voices such as physicist Stephen Hawking and Tesla Motors CEO and product architect, Elon Musk, who all warn of the dangers of the rapid ascent of artificial intelligence (AI).  "We’re witnessing a momentous speed-up in artificial intelligence (AI) – in the power of machines to learn, communicate and interact with us. Computers don’t learn like we do: they use “brute force” methods... Experts disagree on how long it will take before machines achieve general-purpose human level intelligence. Some say 25 years. Others say “never”. The median guess in a recent survey was about 50 years... And there is disagreement about the route towards human-level intelligence. Some think we should emulate nature and reverse-engineer the human brain. Others say that’s a misguided approach – like designing a flying machine by copying how birds flap their wings. But it’s clear that once a threshold is crossed, there will be an intelligence explosion."
     All these summations bring the question of ethics and responsibility to the forefront.  But when has that ever stopped mankind's sinful nature?  From the Garden of Eden, to Nimrod's Tower of Babel, to the Third Reich's "experiments", to Ray Kurzweil's plans to transcend biology by merging our brains with computers -- the purpose of all these evil designs is to assume the role of God in our own lives.  Is it in our future "to lose our individuality and evolve into a common consciousness" with computers and robots; in essence, to spiritually "go over to the other side"?
     What I found so compelling about Sir Martin's discourse is that he is the Astronomer Royal, the head of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich (a position in existence since 1675) and the official scientific advisor to the British government -- and, I could go into all the conspiratorial implications that this suggests, but that is a different topic for a different day.  Nevertheless, sometimes it is best to listen to what those in prestigious positions have to say; and he appears to be warning us to pay attention and be on the alert for what is going to be inevitable in our near future.
     As the chief expert on the stars and the heavens, so to speak, Rees has a particular viewpoint that I think we should heed.  In the matter of human/computer integration, listen to what he says:  "Let me briefly deploy an astronomical perspective and speculate about the really far future – the post-human era. There are chemical and metabolic limits to the size and processing power of organic brains. Maybe humans are close to these limits already. But there are no such constraints on silicon-based computers (still less, perhaps, quantum computers): for these, the potential for further development could be as dramatic as the evolution from monocellular organisms to humans. So, by any definition of “thinking”, the amount and intensity that’s done by organic human-type brains will, in the far future, be utterly swamped by the cerebrations of AI. Moreover, the Earth’s biosphere in which organic life has symbiotically evolved is not a constraint for advanced AI. Indeed, it is far from optimal – interplanetary and interstellar space will be the preferred arena where robotic fabricators will have the grandest scope for construction, and where non-biological “brains” may develop insights as far beyond our imaginings as string theory is for a mouse... So, in the far future, it won’t be the minds of humans, but those of machines, that will most fully understand the cosmos – and it will be the actions of autonomous machines that will most drastically change our world, and perhaps what lies beyond."  Does anyone else think that this is simply Satan's 21st century plan to recreate the Tower of Babel and help man gain access to the Heavenly realm and God's throne room?
     Can you see how far our human pride has taken us?  Do you really think God is going to let man -- whom He created -- usurp His creation of the Universe?  And if we are really that close to crossing the line into altering the organic make-up (the God-formed structure) of our brains, how long before God decides we've gone far enough, and it's time to pull the plug?  We know that God allows all things for His Glory.  Because of the speed with which these technological events are happening -- and the determination that their "creators" are exhibiting -- His Glory is soon going to fill the earth!  I can hardly wait!!

Isaiah 44: 9, 20:    All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame... a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”
   

Is CERN Recreating the Tower of Babel?

     Are you ready for a mind-blowing topic?  If you are reading this blog post today, then we can determine that the world has not been sucked into a dark vortex, or atomized into more than a trillion particles.  If you are wondering why I would make that astounding statement, it is because yesterday, March 15, 2015, CERN was set to restart its Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for its second 3-year run.  This event would have seen the world's most powerful particle accelerator double its collisional energy.  (As of this morning, I can find no news reports or evidence that they went through with their plan.  I guess we will have to wait and see if they make some kind of big splashy announcement).  But I plan to show you how, once again, Man is trying to "become like God".  And we know what happens every time we try to break into that barrier that separates us from the throne room of God, right?

A portal, or star gate, or wormhole;
Is this what Nimrod had in mind?

     To begin with, if you are like myself, and you are not really sure what CERN is, or what it does, all we really have to go on is information that they disseminate about themselves on their own website.  In the course of describing their mission, CERN maintains that they are an organization of European physicists and engineers who are "probing the fundamental structure of the universe. They use the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles. The particles are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. The process gives the physicists clues about how the particles interact, and provides insights into the fundamental laws of nature."
     The pursuit of discovering how matter is created began in 1954.  In the past 61 years, the scientists at CERN have developed many accelerators whose purposes include sending a beam through 732 kilometres of solid rock to a project in Italy; boosting negative hydrogen ions to high energies, which will become the source of proton beams for the Large Hadron Collider in 2018;  and conducting all kinds of experiments with "super colliders", which boost beams of particles to high energies before the beams are made to collide with each other or with stationary targets.  Detectors then observe and record the results of these collisions.  One has to ask him or herself, just why do we need this information?  Read on.
     Oh, yeah, one of the scientists involved with CERN -- Dr. Peter Higgs -- is responsible for discovering the "Higgs boson", a particle that gives mass to other particles, and is otherwise known as the "God particle".  And that brings me to the crux of my discussion today.  I readily admit that I am no scientist, and physics was not my favorite subject in school.  But anytime that man determines to explain away the Sovereignty of God in creating the world by dismissing it as a simple matter of "a particle that gives mass to other particles", then I have a problem, and I sense the hair on the back of my neck begin to rise.
     Furthermore, when these same men begin "colliding" these particles at extremely high energies, supposedly for the purpose of discovering how the universe works, then I also smell a rat.  In fact, CERN's own website brushes off the extremely dangerous work of these super colliders by posing these questions:  "What is the universe made of? How did it start?"  They then want us to buy into their seemingly altruistic mission by assuring us that "Physicists at CERN are seeking answers, using some of the world's most powerful particle accelerators."
     In reality, what these scientists are doing is smashing protons which are moving at 99.999999% of the speed of light into each other in order to recreate the conditions a fraction of a second after the Big Bang.  However, there are many far wiser than I who think that what these scientists are really trying to accomplish is far more sinister -- they are trying to open a wormhole.
     In case you are unaware of this term, a wormhole is a theoretical passage through space-time that could create shortcuts for long journeys across the universe. Wormholes are predicted by the theory of general relativity. But be wary: wormholes bring with them the dangers of sudden collapse, high radiation and dangerous contact with "exotic matter".  Our knowledge of the existence of wormholes is a result of the research of physicists Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen, who used the theory of general relativity to propose the existence of "bridges" (which became known as "wormholes") through space-time.

     Still with me? So exactly why would these scientists at CERN want to create a wormhole?  Could they possibly be trying to recreate the mission of a Sumerian king named Nimrod, who ruled over 4300 years ago from Babylon, and thought he could build a tower (actually a gate) to heaven?  And what did God do?  He destroyed the tower and scattered the peoples across the earth, causing them to lose their common language, and reducing them to strange tongues (babble) so they couldn't understand each other and collectively conspire against Him.
     In so doing, Nimrod became known by many different names ... Baal, Gilgamesh, Orion, Adonis, Apollo, and in Egypt as Osiris, the god of resurrection.  In fact, inside the ancient Greek god Sety’s temple at Abydos, in the Osiris Chapel, is the magnificent depiction of Osiris as a pillar or tower.  The Egyptians called this Osiris pillar the Ta-Wer or ‘bond between heaven and earth’.  This sure seems to mimic the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, doesn't it?  Think it is just coincidence or some ancient fable?
     But what does that have to do with CERN and its mysterious. and potentially dangerous, experiments?  Does it make you nervous at all that scientists are messing with the universe, and attempting to open a hole -- or portal -- to the unknown?  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" that we have the potential to come in contact with through wormholes?
     Was Nimrod trying to gain access to that next realm and enlist the spiritual forces of evil in his quest to conquer God?  Did he think that opening a portal, or gate, to this next realm that these forces could "come through", so to speak, and strengthen his position, as well as increase his knowledge of how to overpower and become like God?
     The prophet Daniel mentions such beings as "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 2nd heaven, and others are cast to earth where they take human women (Enoch 7:3, 18:4) who bear giant offspring (the Nephilim of Genesis 6).
     Again, I ask:  Was Nimrod trying to open the gate to this 2nd heaven?  And what was his goal ... to slay God and take over the throne?  If you read the historical text of the Book of Jasher, you will find this about Nimrod and the building of the Tower of Babel:  "And the Lord knew their thoughts, and it came to pass when they were building they cast the arrows toward the heavens, and all the arrows fell upon them filled with blood, and when they saw them they said to each other, Surely we have slain all those that are in heaven."
     Or was Nimrod trying to create these "wormholes" to allow the Watchers to enter our realm, enlisting their aid in order to gain their knowledge of heaven and help him (Nimrod) attain his goal?  And zooming into the 21st Century, is it possible that these CERN Scientists have already opened portals with their discovery of the so-called "God particle"?  I could certainly entertain that concept as I witness the increasing amount of Evil present on the Earth.  They 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?
     In order to fully dissect all the implications of CERN and their experiments, it would take me days of singular posts.  I'm not sure I could ever adequately cover all the connections and significance to our future.  Suffice it to say, that my spirit discerns something more than just scientific advancement for the future of mankind.

     The sculpture of the ancient Hindu goddess Shiva (coming through a portal) at the entrance to the CERN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland does nothing to allay my discomfort.  Shiva is the third god in the Hindu triumvirate. The triumvirate consists of three gods who are responsible for the creation, upkeep and destruction of the world. The other two gods are Brahma and Vishnu. Brahma is the creator of the universe while Vishnu is the preserver of it.  So that leaves Shiva as ... you guessed it ... responsible for the destruction of the world.  Still think CERN is all about scientific experiments?
     And it doesn't help to qualm my fears when I hear famed scientists such as Stephen Hawking sounding the alarm bells; it seems somehow prophetic when he warns 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 matter, 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.
     I certainly am not qualified to make any kind of prophetic statement or even guess as to where this all leads.  I only know that it seems that once again, instead of worshipping the Sovereignty and Supremacy of God, Man thinks he can become equal to God, or ... heaven forbid ... become greater than the Creator of the Universe, Himself.  That only leads to inevitable judgment, devastation and God's justifiable wrath.  Have we become as arrogant and rebellious as Nimrod that we are about to repeat ancient history?  God have mercy on us!

If you are interested in reading more about CERN and its connections to the Tower of Babel, click here and here. 

Hebrews 11:3   "By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible."

History and Idolatry: Where Will It End?

     Officials at the United Nation's are calling it a "war crime" ... the world's archeologists and historians are mourning the loss of world heritage sites.  And it's all because ISIS is set on a path of destruction.  The furor is over the recent demolition of ancient historical sites in the Middle East.

     It began last summer when the radical terrorists destroyed the tomb of the prophet Jonah in the ancient city of Nineveh, near Mosul.  It has continued with the latest attacks in the Assyrian city of Nimrud in northern Iraq, destroying the 3,000 year-old winged statues placed at the gates of the Palace of Ashurnasirpal.  (If you know your Biblical history, this city was named for Nimrod, the king who rebelled against God and was responsible for the building of the tower of Babel).
     Over this last weekend, ISIS began the destruction of the 2,000-year-old city of Hatra, where a temple to the Shamash sun god still stands more than 1,750 years after the Sassanian empire razed the Mesopotamian city.   ISIS were also seen carrying away ancient artifacts.  And in the last few days, they have set their sites on Khorsabad, the ancient capital of Assyria built by King Sargon II shortly after he came to power in 721 B.C., and abandoned after his death in 705 B.C.  It features a 24-meter thick wall with a stone foundation and seven gates.  Shortly after the unexpected death of Sargon in battle, the capital was shifted a short distance south to Nineveh.  The sculptured stone slabs that once lined the palace walls are now displayed in museums in Baghdad, Paris, London and Chicago.

     So what is the significance of these ancient cities to the religious fighters, ISIS?  The official reasoning for all the destruction of these ancient sites is the militant group's plan to rid its territory of symbols they say promote idolatry.  In early 2015, they announced their intention to destroy many ancient artifacts, because they are graven images or are otherwise un-islamic, and they have destroyed thousands of books and manuscripts in Mosul's libraries.
     In February 2015, ISIL destroyed Akkadian monuments in the Mosul Museum, and then came the attack on Nimrud, as they bulldozed its archeological site on the basis that they were blasphemous -- which one attacker filmed declaring, "These ruins that are behind me, they are idols and statues that people in the past used to worship instead of Allah. The Prophet Muhammed took down idols with his bare hands when he went into Mecca. We were ordered by our prophet to take down idols and destroy them, and the companions of the prophet did this after this time, when they conquered countries.”
     The first thing that comes to mind is the similar contempt that Christianity has for idolatry.  YHWH commanded the Israelites to worship only Him, and when they failed (as they did so many times when they turned to idol worship), it was God's wrath that was poured out on men and nations. And this where I see the difference.  Throughout the history of Christianity, it was God who destroyed the idols.  Here are just a few examples:
Ezekiel 30:13:  This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'I will destroy the idols and put an end to the images in Memphis. No longer will there be a prince in Egypt, and I will spread fear throughout the land.
Micah 5:13:  [And in that day, says the Lord]:  I will destroy your idols and your sacred stones from among you; you will no longer bow down to the work of your hands.
Zephaniah 2:11: The Lord will be awesome to them, for He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth;
      What one must recognize is that man builds the idols, but it is the power of God who destroys them.  Just as when the prophet Elijah defeats the prophets of Baal, it is the power of God that gives him the victory.  What I am seeing in Iraq, is ISIS determined to promote a fiercely purist interpretation of Sunni Islam, in defiance of Iraq's majority Shi'ite Muslims.  Is it really about honoring their god, or is it about rejecting the religious shrines of their sectarian rival, and the holy sites shared by Christians and Jews in the area? It appears as if they want to wipe any trace of other religious influences from Iraq in their goal of establishing the Islamic Caliphate.  What better way than to destroy ancient artifacts that bear witness to the diversity of faiths throughout history?
     But here's my question ... if they are trying to establish a fundamentalist identity and erase the historical proof of other religions, what is to stop them from distributing their destruction to other "shrines" in Israel, Europe, and the West?  Haven't they declared that the Caliphate will dominate the world?  Will they be the ones to try and institute a One World Religion?  It's obvious that is what they desire.
     I also find it ironic that our Bible predicts the destruction of Babylon and her idolatrous ways at the end of days.  The connections between radical Islam; the destruction of ancient idols and shrines in Nineveh, Nimrud, Hatra, and Khoursabad; and the mention of Babylon, which was begun by Nimrod cannot be denied.  Is this just the beginning of God's judgment upon the earth for the centuries of idolatrous worship of foreign gods?  Will ISIS clear the way for the Anti-Christ to reveal himself, by using their religion to establish himself --- and then when they have served their usefulness, he destroys them, and declares himself God?
     I don't know what it all means, but it sure seems as if it's all connected.  History is being destroyed before our very eyes, and I have to wonder, when and where will it end?  I feel God's hand in it, and the only thing I know for sure is, that whatever happens, He will be glorified.  All the shrines and false idols and false religions will not hinder Him!

Isaiah 45:20   "Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you survivors of the nations! They have no knowledge who carry about their wooden idols, and keep on praying to a god that cannot save."


   
   

Was Tesla The Conduit Between Fallen Angels & Our Technology?

     I find it extremely ironic that Tesla Motors founder and CEO Elon Musk is escalating his warnings that our obsession with Artificial Intelligence technology (AI) is the biggest threat to our human existence.  "With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon," he is quoted as saying.
     To be honest, he is not the only pioneering whiz to sound the alarm.  Even the genius astrophysicist Stephen Hawking is on record as saying, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”  He warns of the consequences of creating something that could potentially become smarter than its creator.  But hasn't that been the prideful sin of every enemy of God; from Lucifer to Nimrod, to all those throughout history who have followed in their footsteps and embraced their spirit of evil?
      “[AI] would take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate,” Hawking said.  “Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.”

Nikola Tesla

     But it is Musk's comments that I find the most fascinating; especially as chief executive of rocket-maker Space X.  He calls self-learning artificial intelligence “potentially more dangerous than nukes”.  And is it purely coincidental that he is the head of a company named after Nikola Tesla, the Serbian American inventor, engineer, and futurist who, by some accounts was a genius who wanted to illuminate the earth; the man who was "robbed" of the title of "Father of Electricity" by his rival, Thomas Edison.  (I really wish Glenn Beck would do his homework on this man whom he idolizes).
     To others, Nikola Tesla was a dangerous man; a man who believed that "In black holes, (what astronomers talk about), 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.)
     In an 1899 interview, from his Colorado Springs laboratory, Tesla opened up about his "other-world views": that the Light of the Universe filled his six senses; about building a machine, that by vibration, provokes a feeling of bliss; that humans once had real and visible wings.  He speaks of being aware, as a child, that there was an Energy in the Universe, and of trying to awake that energy, and figure out how it could influence people.  He told his interviewer,  "My eyesight and hearing are perfect and, I dare to say, stronger than other people. I hear the thunder from a hundred fifty miles away, and I see colors in the sky that others cannot see. This enlargement of vision and hearing, I had as a child. Later I consciously developed [it]."
     He 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 perhaps this man had tapped into a force outside our human realm; and that perhaps it didn't  necessarily possess a benevolent spirit?
     In case you think I'm over-exaggerating, Tesla recounts this memory from his childhood: "Once, in childhood, I was walking along the river with Uncle and said: 'From the water will appear the trout, I'll throw a stone and it is cut.'  And, that's what happened. Frightened and amazed, his uncle cried: "Bade retro Satan’s!" ("Get back, Satan!") He was an educated man, and he spoke in Latin."  And -- if you need further proof -- later in the interview, Tesla finishes up a segment of his interview by declaring, "There are many fallen angels on Earth."
     At times, as I read his interview, his words seemed the farcical meanderings of an intellectual eccentric. But then there would be a passage that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck, such as this excerpt:  "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."
     Does that creep you out like it does me?  Is he promoting the "all-seeing Eye"?  And does anyone else perceive the Prince of the Air prowling like a lion? And 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 unhuman?  What could he have possibly meant by this statement?  "The Universe has only one substance and one supreme energy with an infinite number of manifestations of life. The best thing is that the discovery of a secret nature reveals the other. One cannot hide, they are around us, but we are blind and deaf to them. If we emotionally tie ourselves to them, they come to us themselves."

"Faust Conjures Up the Spirits"
by Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein (1788-1868)

     And listen to his rendition of how he discovered the rotating magnetic field and induction motor: "One summer evening in Budapest, I watched [the sunset] with my friend Sigetijem. Thousands of fire was turning around in thousands of flaming colors. I remembered Faust and recited his verses and then, as in a fog, I saw a spinning magnetic field, and induction motor. I saw them in the sun!"  And in case you are wondering what the significance of Faust was, and how that could have played a part, contemplate this fact:  Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend. He is a scholar who is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, so he makes a pact with the Devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited universal knowledge and worldly pleasures.
     So how many champions of Nikola Tesla are aware of this aspect of his genius and the influence behind his inventions?  Would Glenn Beck still shamelessly promote his exceptional creativity if he knew to whom Tesla gave credit?  There is no doubt that Tesla possessed great knowledge and produced great results from his experimentations; he is often called the Father of Radio, Television, Power Transmission, and the Induction Motor.  Less publicity is given to his mysterious inventions, including those that caused buildings to sway, earthquakes to materialize from his electro-magnetic oscillator; and a directed-energy weapon, called a death ray.  And would it surprise you to know that conspiracy theories swirl around his death and his legacy?  Some promote the idea that he was murdered by the Nazis for the work he did on electronic devices that would have been of great significance during WWII.  Then there is the rumor that soon after his death, the United States Government (with the help of the FBI) seized all of his research materials and writings, most of which never again reappeared -- (except perhaps as HAARP; the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program.)
     But here's the bottom line:  It is difficult to know the truth about this enigmatic genius; is he a hero or a villain?  One thing is clear:  Throughout his life, Tesla asserted that he had indeed discovered a limitless power supply from a source that no one else had knowledge of, but he never revealed the source.  In fact, I think this following quote, by Tesla himself, establishes that his genius was supernatural:  "Ideas came in an uninterrupted stream and the only difficulty I had was to hold them fast ... In less than two months I evolved virtually all the types of motors and modifications of the systems which are now identified with my name."
     And now, nearly 73 years after his death, Elon Musk, the Founder of a company that bears his name, and one of the foremost entrepreneurs that have benefitted from the genius and experimentations of Nikola Tesla is announcing that we may have gone too far ... that we may be "summoning the demon."
     To make his point perfectly clear, Musk gives us this analogy: "In all those stories where there's the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, it's like, yeah, he's sure he can control the demon. [It] didn't work out."
    But who is able to stuff that genie (uh, I mean, demon) back in the bottle?  History has shown us that once man agrees to accept that Satanic power source, it becomes a race towards human destruction.  The only thing that has ever stopped the total ruination of man has been God.  But has mankind reached its full quota of evil upon the earth?  Is it nearing the time when God will no longer save us from ourselves, and finally pronounce His Judgment?  Maybe He's providing us clues; if we will only pay attention and recognize that all technology is not for our good, perhaps we stand a chance.  Tesla believed that there were certain truths we needed to learn in order to be healed in this human existence. But here's the deal ... Our survival, and our eternity, depends on whose Truth we seek.

You can read the entire 1899 interview with Nikola Tesla here, and make up your own mind.  He's a fascinating character study, and I truly believe his story is part of the spiritual battle in which we find ourselves today.

1 Timothy 4:1   "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,"