The Myth that Satan and Evil Do Not Exist

By Lisa Grace

All historians, whether Christian or atheist, agree that Yeshua (Jesus) existed. Not only does the Roman arrest record still exist where it mentions He was executed for the crime of witchcraft (source: mentioned in From Jesus to Christ by Paula Fredrickson), but numerous ancient historians like Titus Flavius Josephus, mention Him. http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/45841

Many scientific minds believe in string theory, and different dimensions which would lead to life. Many espouse that there might be an alternate version of themselves somewhere in one of these universes/dimensions. So why do these same people find it so hard to believe that evil angels/demons exist? Beings made of light?

Evil angels' sole purpose is to lead people away from the gift of salvation. That's it. What better way to lead modern man away from the truth than to allow him to think he is at the top of the brain chain? Let him believe there is nothing smarter or more intuitive out there?

That's exactly the method they use for unbelievers.

For those that seek them out, they use two different forms of deception:

1) Lying about the nature of the afterlife

a. People returning as ghosts (myth)

b. Everyone is happy and consciously aware, on a better more knowledgeable plain of existence after death (lie)

c. That what they are experiencing is the truth, to be trusted, and consulted. That they are friendly and here to "help" and "guide." (lie)

d. That you can help others to "cross over" into the "light" (lie)

2) Attaching themselves as tormenting demons or even possessing their host and inviting other demons to do so also.

a. Beyonce admits in a Katie Couric interview that she allows Sasha Fierce to inhabit her body http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9w9K2AiMTI

b. There are cases in the news every day of people committing heinous crimes, then awake to being horrified at what they have done. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/horror-movie-suspected-machete-killer-hacks-men-death-article-1.1385276

c. There are cases (on several paranormal shows) where real people in distress contact "paranormal investigators" hoping for help in getting rid of these tormentors but instead they have invited in people who just want some fun documenting anything out of the ordinary. Of course, beings smarter than humans simply out-wait their would-be outers or in some cases, follow the investigators home and torment them.

d. Many people turn to drugs and alcohol to silence "their inner demons."

e. Women who have had abortions turn to drugs and alcohol at a much higher rate http://www.lifeissues.net/writers/shu/shu_01abuseafterabor.htmlcould it be they are turning to the drugs and alcohol to silence demons tormenting them, not just their conscience bothering them? If it's okay, why so much guilt? If they have no guilt, then what is driving them to such self-destructive behavior?

You can see it is much better for the evil angels to remain hidden by allowing the modern myth that they "don't exist" flourish. It's always easier to get away with heinous acts if people look the other way, and boy, do the evil angels know it.

Lisa Grace is the author of the popular teen fiction Angel Series, which is in movie development. The first book can be downloaded for #free as an ebook at Smashwords Angel in the Shadows, Book 1 or from any major ebook retailer.

The Book of Revelations

Hello my para beauties! I trust everyone has had a wonderful weekend and a blessed Sunday. I pray everyone special to you and who you love is healthy. I've been receiving so many prayer requests from all over as many are struggling with sickness or struggling dealing with the loss of a loved one. May God bring you peace in these terrible times. When I lost my father I felt like part of me died too. In these times we must seek God's face for peace of mind. It's part of life and they are now with Jesus Christ in Heaven. It takes time but mourning a death does become more tolerable.

Now let's discuss the book of Revelations in general.

This is a summary in the best format I can offer. Or rather bits and pieces so it's not so overwhelming or puts the brain on overload. From my point of view. I am certainly not stating this is it, no o other views are correct. This is just my humble opinion. The name of the book, Revelation, is a translation of the title in the original New Testament Greek, Apocalypsis the origin of the other name by which the book is now known, the Apocalypse. The Greek term denotes an unveiling or uncovering—thus, a revelation. A very interesting title with very interesting events to come as we are warned.

Many ask why was this book written? Well, as I mentioned above, the book's very name means to reveal —to unveil, to open to understanding what otherwise could not be comprehended. Yet most people believe that this final book of the Bible cannot be understood at all, that its language and symbols are too confusing to make sense. I can understand why. It's very intimidating.

The author of the Book of Revelation is John, who is an exile living on the island of Patmos. Many of the early church fathers believe that he was the same person as the apostle John. However, some believe the writing style of Revelation suggests that the two are not in fact the same, according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, although it is possible that the author of Revelation was an apostle of John.

The Book of Revelation's apocalyptic and symbolic language has resulted in a vast array of interpretations. The events depicted are often considered to be an illustration of the early Christian persecutions, but the symbolism is also interpreted quite literally, suggesting that the Book is really about the end of the world, and that the events it describes will occur. Some Christians do not accept the Book of Revelation as canonical, and the decision to accept it in the final list of canonical books was highly controversial, according to the article "Meander Travel: Book of Revelation."

The Vision Of The Worlds End

Revelation is a book written to reveal the future, and Jesus Christ is the One who does the revealing: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place … Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him” (Revelation 1:1,7).

Here is the theme of Revelation—the time of the end of the age and the return of Jesus Christ to establish God’s Kingdom on earth.

John explains where he was when he received this vision of the end time: “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet” (Revelation 1:9-10).

The Lord’s day (also known as “the day of the Lord” or “the day of Christ” throughout Scripture) is the time of God’s intervention in human affairs when He establishes His Kingdom. (Plainly in this context it does not refer to a particular day of the week for worshipping God. To better understand which day God has set aside for rest and worship, please download or request our free booklet Sunset to Sunset: God’s Sabbath Rest.)

The apostle Paul, referring to this same time, says: “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3).
In another epistle Paul calls it “the day of Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:2). The reason is that Jesus Christ, the Lord, intervenes in a powerful way at this time to take over the world. This is why this end-time period is called the Lord’s day.

John’s vision of the Lord’s day begins in Revelation 4: “Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne” (verse 2). After describing the scene in heaven, John focuses on a scroll God holds that lists end-time events. “And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals” (Revelation 5:1).

Only Jesus Christ, called the Lamb, is worthy to open the seals and unleash these end-time events. When God the Father determines the time is ready, He authorizes Jesus to initiate the events written on the scroll. They include the terrifying end-time occurrences prophesied throughout the Scriptures to take place during the 3 1⁄2 year period.

The seven seals describe the events before and during Christ’s return to rule the earth. “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels …saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!’” (Revelation 5:11-12). Here Jesus Christ is being authorized to unleash the final events and then establish His Kingdom.

The first seal (Revelation 6:1-2) represents widespread deception by a false Christianity that began in the days of the apostles (Matthew 24:4 – 5). The second seal (Revelation 6:3-4) refers to the increasing devastation caused by war as the end approaches (Matthew 24:6-7). The third seal (Revelation 6:5-6) represents increasing hunger and famines (Matthew 24:7). Other consequences of war and famine are represented by the fourth seal (Revelation 6:7-8)—such things as disease, plagues and civil unrest that kill many people (Matthew 24:7).

All of the events in the first four seals have been occurring, with varying frequency and intensity, from Christ’s time to our day. But they have greatly intensified over the last century and will grow even worse in the suffering mankind will have to endure nearer the end.

The fifth seal (Revelation 6:9-11) brings us directly to the time of the end. It acknowledges the past persecution and martyrdom of God’s servants and announces they will have to wait “a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed,” before God avenges their deaths.

In The book of Matthew 24:9 Jesus tells His followers this will be a time when “they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.” He also describes it as a time of “great tribulation

THE SIXTH SEAL

The next seal describes how “powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29) after the end-time tribulation and martyrdom of the saints has begun but before God’s wrath is unleashed in “the day of the Lord” (Joel 2:31). These heavenly signs announce the beginning of the Day of the Lord.

Terrifying heavenly signs announce Jesus Christ’s direct intervention in world events to save mankind from itself. This shows that, while God has permitted the previous end-time disasters, Satan has been their driving force. Now God begins to demolish Satan’s kingdom, pouring out His wrath on a rebellious and insolent world.

“I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.

“And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” (Revelation 6:12-17).

Jesus described this sixth sign in His Olivet Prophecy: “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption [rescue] draws near” (Luke 21:25-28).

Consequently, in the latter part of the 3 1⁄2 years of Satan’s wrath, God will intervene, first with signs and wonders in the heavens, then by orchestrating His final punishments before Jesus Christ’s return.

Finally the seventh seal is opened (Revelation 8). It describes seven other aspects of end-time events, each announced with a trumpet blast. In the first four of these plagues God strikes the earth and mankind’s environmental support systems. The fifth trumpet’s plague inflicts great pain on those refusing to serve God. In the sixth trumpet plague, God permits an unimaginably destructive and all-out worldwide war to begin (Revelation 8-9).

With the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the Bible reveals that “the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets” (Revelation 10:7).

This mystery of the end time was briefly alluded to in the Garden of Eden and its meaning glimpsed by the patriarchs and prophets. John writes: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’” (Revelation 11:15).

God is in control. Every prophetic detail will be carried out according to His time frame.

As Christ concluded His Olivet Prophecy in Luke 21:34-36, He warned His disciples who would live during the end time: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Written By Jennifer L Auld

How Satan Supports Christians

By Lisa Grace

Many Christians hate the idea that they have actions that support and promote Satan, but they do. Satan, who is smarter and has been around the block longer than any living Christian, uses the Bible to twist messages about God's love and judgment.

His greatest tools within the church are:

• Denominationalism
• Judgment
• Misunderstandings caused by man-made added words,concordances, and incorrect translations
• Not understanding Hebrew traditions, customs, mores, and early Hebrew language (even the Greeks misunderstood and made up words to describe some Hebraic Torah concepts.)
• The devil is always working and succeeding by tempting us into judgment
• Getting us to think "actions" will make us more righteous: "If I do this or get others to do this, then I'm a better Christian" Our righteousness is as filthy rags and we can not "earn" our way into salvation.

How can we guard against allowing the devil to use the very word of God against us?

It's simple:

• Remember we are all sinners saved by His (God's) grace (Eph 2:8-9)
• Remembering the basic saving message: We are all sinners, Jesus' blood is what covers our sin, repent( means turn away) from our sin, ask Jesus (Yeshua) into our hearts, claim him as our personal Savior.

Everything else we do to honor Him is a fruit of our faith, and those practices should not be used to condemn others if they do not practice them themselves.

Let God be the judge at the time of judgment. All Christians have a hard enough time just keeping the Ten Commandments, which again God knew we couldn't keep, but they are to act as a mirror to show us our sinful selves, and remind us as to why we each need the gift of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ. He paid it all.

I pray we can all work together, to bring others into a personal relationship with God, through Jesus. If we work at this basic truth, there will not be the interest in the paranormal that exists today, as a personal relationship with our Creator trumps seeking after a relationship with perverted fallen angels, demons, witchcraft, i.e. all other forms of the supernatural.

The Ransom Was Paid

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son,that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Mark 19:45)

"...you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Only God knows exactly the full price of the ransom that was paid....

On the one hand, Christ paying the ransom price to liberate us from enslavement to sin, Satan, and death (which is the heart of the gospel) is the ugliest, most obscene act ever committed. The infinitely pure, precious, and morally beautiful Lord of glory was brutally beaten and shamefully murdered--and that is just the tip if the iceberg, as we shall see.On the other hand, the self-humiliation involved in this Ransom was the most beautiful act of love ever committed.

Some folks have this notion that Jesus was the one who persuaded the reluctant Father to "let" Him come and  save us.You know, the "mean/vengeful" God the Father of the Old Testament..... No! Who sent the Son? According to John 3:16 the Father did! "God (the Father) so loved the world  that He SENT..."

In John 17,  from eternity past, God the Father and God the Son joyfully agreed between them that the Father would give the Son a gift......a gift the Lord Jesus eagerly anticipated--A Bride!

But "curious" gift....His Son would have to pay for it...and what a price indeed.( Please see vvs 2,6,9,12 for wonderful truth of the Father giving the Son a gift!)

They agreed that Jesus would pay the ransom for those who hated them. This is holy ground upon which we now stand, and I pray for the words to express such indescribability.

Ransom, as defined in my dictionary, "something paid or demanded for the freedom of a captured person...to free from captivity or punishment by paying a price." The Exodus from enslavement in Egypt is a picture of the Greater Exodus--where the ransom is paid to liberate us from bondage to sin, Satan, and death.

Scripture repeatedly speaks of us being sold into slavery to sin, Satan, and death. Starting in Genesis 3 (where all 3 are introduced) to Revelation, we see God dealing with that triad of captors, and overcoming all three.

Before we talk about WHAT was paid, let us look for a moment to WHOM the ransom was paid. A number of early church fathers, and up through the medieval times, many thought that the ransom was paid by God to Satan.  The so-called "Ransom to Satan theory of the atonement", was based on the notion that the death of Christ constituted a ransom paid to Satan, in order to cancel the just claims Satan had on man.

How awful!! Thankfully, Anselm and others saw how incongruous this notion was with the bible and the nature of God. The clarity of thinking and teaching of Luther and Calvin rediscovered the pure gospel after the gospel itself was in chains for 1,000 years. Satan was to be pummeled, not paid, in this grandest of ransoms.God is the Creator of the entire cosmos and its owner and sustainer. God, not the Evil One, is the aggrieved party, who owns all...and God is the One that we have committed cosmic treason against.

That God did not provide a ransom for fallen angels, as He has for fallen humans, surely indicates that His redemption of us was/is entirely of grace and mercy (grace--receiving what we do not deserve,  mercy--NOT receiving what we do deserve, eternal damnation) Both God's love and justice are at the heart of His ransom of us. In .Deuteronomy 9 Yahweh reminds us that His choosing of Israel was entirely gracious. And He loves us, not because of any good He saw in us (we were  His enemies Rom. 5:8)) but because He chose to love us. Why? Because He loves us. Why? Because He freely chose to love us....we cannot go back any further! We can only bow before the Lord in worship.

However, once the Holy Lord freely chose to redeem and save us,He faced a divine dilemma  His nature NECESSITATED the shedding of His infinitely precious blood. That is, I say with respect, God was faced with a dilemma--He is all-powerful but that does not mean He can do everything. He cannot just wink at sin. His perfectly holy nature  made the atonement absolutely necessary...there was no other way. Don't you think He would have done so if it were possible, given the horror and dread Jesus felt in the garden, in anticipation of the unspeakable horror of the cross?.

Perhaps you have heard the phrase, "a kings ransom."  Simply a colorful way of referring to a whole lot of money! But suppose a king had been taken hostage. The more power, authority, and dignity the person has, then the higher will be the ransom price for his release. Thus, a kings ransom is required to pay the ransom of a king. Jesus is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords...the God/man.We sinned against the King of Kings, and the blood of goats and bulls would not suffice.

THE RANSOM WAS PAID FOR US, and it WAS PAID BY GOD, AND IT WAS PAID TO GOD.  He wrote the check to Himself, as it were. What does that mean? In order to free us from bondage, He had to pay the penalty FOR US....TO GOD.  .Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension paid the ransom, which He did not owe, and which we could not pay.

What kind of "currency" did God use to ransom us?

1. Jesus lived a perfect life FOR US...He paid the ransom by earning heaven for us.
2. He paid the ransom by taking our sins upon Himself
3. The most costly aspect of the cross/ransom is what is often misunderstood the most....the primary ransom that had to be paid was the punishment for all the sins committed by all of God's people. While on the cross bearing our sin, the unmitigated wrath of the Father was poured out upon His dearly beloved Son. Human language is inadequate to adequately covey the cursed, hellish misery Jesus experienced FOR US, as our substitute. He paid in currency we shall never fully understand.

The Father punishing the Son to satisfy the demands of His holy character and holy law, is known as "propitiation"...a word every Christian should know. hilasterion--in the Greek, conveys this pacifying of God's wrath by pouring it out upon His Son. Remember it is TO GOD that our ransom must be paid--He was the party offended against, and we became slaves. We could put the propitiation, and how it relates to our ransom, this way...

God Himself, punishing Himself, in order to save us from Himself. (That is the heart of the ransom paid for us)

The cross saved us from many things--GOD'S WRATH BEING THE WORSE.

God Almighty could not have given anything more precious or costly to Himself, than what He did give, in the propitiatory death of the Lord of Glory. He gave His Son to be a "burnt offering"..He gave EVERYTHING....paid the ultimate king's ransom.

The ransom was exceedingly high...infinitely higher than any ransom ever paid by man. Captivity to sin, Satan, and death was paid for by the infinitely precious blood of the Lamb of God. The true price that was paid is known only to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

That is crux of why we must confront and oppose this notion of ghosts.The captors were specifically targeted.(sin, Satan, and death)...then the full ransom price was paid.--FOR EACH OF GOD'S CHILDREN. Is it not unthinkable that after the Lord paid such a high ransom to defeat death, we turn around and act as if nothing had happened? Death is supposed to usher us into the  immediate presence of God--that was the intention in  paying the ransom...that we would be reconciled with God.
"...through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver those who fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery." (Heb. 2:14-15)

"Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:14)
"The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. 15:26)

Physical death is the common lot for believers too, but it is transformed from being the "king of terrors" into being the gateway into the presence and rest of God. Physical death is abnormal, as it is the result of the fall. Like sin and Satan, believers still have to struggle with it, but as we breathe our last breath, we are done with the presence of sin, Satan and death. What God intended to be anticipated as the hope of certain reunion with Him, has been corrupted into an ongoing monster...as if the ransom had never been paid. What a wretched idea this notion of ghosts is. It belittles and denies the blood soaked Ransomer and His infinitely precious Ransom.

You've heard the truism, "You get what you pay for." The blood of Jesus is infinitely precious. Thus, we have throughout the bible, the centrality and certainty of hope.However, the notion of ghosts is a hope-killer.It belittles the heart of the gospel itself. It is a negation of the perfection of the Atoner and the atonement.

What will it take for us to take notice and make a stand? It was the realization of how "trapped spirits" threw into doubt the perfection of the atonement (the ransom did not accomplish our liberation from death) that, more than anything else, opened my eyes to how seriously dangerous this notion is...and how grievous it must be to the Holy Spirit--and why we must confront it. Thank you Lord for paying the ransom to free us from bondage to sin, Satan, and the grave.

Bad Bad Thing Award Goes to the Constantinos / Satanic Monument in Oklahoma

By Kirby Robinson

Mark & Debby Constantino
Satanic Statue in Oklahoma

On this bad bad thing Saturday, an idiot pays triple digits to fake para-celebs and the devil wants his due in Oklahoma.

The Constantinos must be hard up for cash and day labor seems to be out of the question. What do they do to earn some money? Post a listing on eBay for some quick cash and advertise this "deal":

1 Hour Live Skype Chat with EVP Specialists Mark & Debby Constantino As Seen On Ghost Adventures!!

See the listing here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/281237222848?ssPageName=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

The first issue is that EVP's have never been proven to be real. There are no credible EVP people to train you, because anyone can call themselves an EVP expert. Secondly, the Constantinos have appeared on such fake reality shows as Paranormal State and Ghost Adventures.

The "winner" of this bid proves the old saying about a fool and his/her money are parted is true. In this case, some "winner" paid $305.00 to experience an hour's worth of fakery. Should we expect many of the other fake EVP "experts" along with the fake demon chasers to fleece people on eBay?

The Devil Goes to Oklahoma

Don't teach values or have prayers in our public schools…but the devil can take his place right night next to the Ten Commandments.

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2014/01/07/react-satanic-group-plans-build-demonic-statue-near-10-commandments-monument

Guess this is zero commandments versus a Ten Commandments thing…and yet another sign that there is a war going on against our Christian values.   

Do you know of a para-celeb, psychic, ghost hunter, demon chaser, or false teacher who’s eligible for the award? You can take part by sending us a name and why you think they should receive the BAD BAD THING award. Contact freeallspirits@live.comfor more information.

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How the Devil uses Legalism at Christmas

By Lisa Grace

I attend services with a congregation that observes the seven festivals mandated by God. Even the prophet Isaiah mentions these will be observed in heaven.

Unfortunately, there are several festivals (and many more if you include such commonly observed days as the Lent season or Epiphany) or holidays we celebrate: Purim, Hanukkah, Resurrection day (commonly called easter the English translation of the pagan goddess ishtar.), Christmas, weddings, dedication days, baptisms, etc., that some say we shouldn't celebrate.

Many legalistic Christians like to fall back on the prophet Jeremiah 10:1 - 6 where Jeremiah is talking about following the custom of worship of false gods. ( Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.)

So the tree is neither good nor evil, and cutting it down is a waste of time. I think this is why many have migrated to plastic ones.

Since the Jewish religion sacrificed animals, he couldn't use that as an example of how not to worship heathen gods, so he picked one the Jewish people did not do at the time, which was the cutting down and decorating of trees to the false gods. He goes on in further verses making it clear these trees can do neither good nor evil, and that these false gods will be forgotten, Jer 10:10 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. which they have been forgotten.

For the last four hundred years or so though, Christmas trees have not been associated with false gods, but have almost exclusively come to signify the promise in Christ of life everlasting. Instead of taking these verses out of context, read the whole of Jeremiah starting at the first chapter, and it becomes clear it was about the Jews turning away from God, and you can see time and time again how Jeremiah laments the Jewish people chasing after pagan gods.

Taking Jeremiah out of context is a perfect example of how legalism can be used by Satan.

Let's look at what Jesus did. Did Yeshua (Jesus) celebrate other traditions not ordained (like the seven) by God in the Torah? Yes.

We know He celebrated at weddings, the festival of lights: Hannakuh, and Purim. We know He attended dedications, and was all for baptism (He even had one Himself when He was thirty, and was dedicated Himself at the temple eight days after His birth as was the custom.) Therefore we can conclude Yeshua (Jesus) was all for observing traditions that included and honored God.

What about His birthday and resurrection?

I run across legalistic Christians who seem to think celebrating these momentous occasions is wrong, or even a sin. They go as far as to say the celebrations of these events are pagan, but are they?

Let's look at Biblical proof. First from the word of Yeshua Himself. The Lord's Prayer offers the first proof. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV).

So was Yeshua's birth celebrated in Heaven? Yes.

Luke 2:9-17: And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

Then in Luke 2:20: And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

We are to celebrate, share and make known to all people OUR SAVIOUR is Born! The angels even describe how He will be dressed, in swaddling clothes lying in a feed trough! Certainly the angels were commended by God to release that tidbit of information because He wanted the Saviour found, worshiped, and praised. What kind of witness are we if we ignore His birth, the one the angels were commanded to come down and reveal to us through lowly shepherds? Is this news we keep to ourselves?

1) The angels rejoiced at his birth.

2) The angels were commanded to give the message and then told the shepherds to make the birth of the Savoir known to all people.

3) Christmas is the celebration and time to make known to all people the birth of our Saviour.

How does Satan (the adversary) use legalistic Christians to pervert the news of the Saviour's birth and the celebration of the news we are to spread?

The timing we celebrate

Many legalistic Christians say we shouldn't celebrate on December 25th because it falls so close to the winter solstice (December 21st in 2013, 2014, and 2015), which was commonly used to worship pagan Gods.

The truth is—any day is just as good as any other because we do not know what date it was. And if we followed God's calendar, the lunar cycle, the date would change from year to year anyway. It's legalistic to get caught up on a date since it wasn't revealed by God, it is not the "date" that is important to Him. There are plenty of times dates are revealed in the Bible.

The fact is, we do not know exactly what day Yeshua was born on. We can trace back what day he died on. However, the Jewish calendar, (God's calendar) is a lunar one, which means it does not follow closely the Roman one which is in common use today.

Yes, Yeshua was not born in the winter. The fact is we do not know what day or month He was born in. We can narrow it to a season. Roman tax season, which would be April, May or June.

So yes, the middle church picked a date close to the winter solstice to celebrate the Lord's birth. The winter solstice is not on a set date, it changes according to the movement of the sun. It fell on December 21st, 2013 and will fall on December 21st again in 2014. Sooo if you're going to be *legalistic* be aware that Christians are not celebrating it on the pagan celebration day, but four days later.

If Satan can get legalistic Christian to forsake celebrating our Lord's birth, and spreading the joy and peace they were commanded to, then Satan wins. Silencing the church is a work of Satan.

Pagan Elements are Integrated into Christmas

This is the most common argument used against celebrating our Lord's birth.

Who made creation? God.

Who said it was good? God.

What perverted it? Satan, sin.

Romans Chapter 1 is a powerful treaty against those who know God and see the works of His hand, then pervert it, and become "the inventors of evil things" Romans 1:30. Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things

That is what pagans do.

They take the creation and make it into the creator, or assign God's creations unholy meanings and attributes they have never had or were not intended to have.

By saying, "Well, trees were used for pagan purposes so we can't use them now to honor God" is ludicrous. The earthly Ark of the Covenant was made from a tree, so was the cross! A Christmas tree should do the same thing, be a reminder of our Awesome God. Satan stole it for a time with the use of pagan gods who are now forgotten BUT God takes back His creation to be a reminder of His ultimate sacrifice. If God did it by using trees for the ARK and the cross, we should take back His creation and use it for the purposes it was intended for: to scream there is one true God, He is magnificent, and worthy to be praised, and remembered for His humbling Himself to be born of an unwed mother, born in a lowly borrowed barn, and lain in a feeding trough among cow and sheep food.

As Christians we can stand firm and boldly profess that the creation is God's handiwork. If we don't he will replace us with stones! (Keep reading to see what I'm referring to.)

Pharisees were the equivalent of the legalistic Christians we find today.

In the book of Luke we come across an impromptu gathering of Yeshua's followers. They were so happy their Saviour and King was here they threw an impromptu parade and celebration for Him. Waving fronds, lining the road with their cloaks. They were showing their love, joy, praise, and respect for their King. (Just like we do at Christmas!)

And what did the Pharisees say to Jesus about this impromptu celebration?

Luke 19: 39: And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

Interesting point here, the Pharisees admitted (by calling them disciples) that they were doing His will.

What was Jesus' answer to the legalistic Pharisees?

Luke 19:40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Praising the one true God is never wrong. This can not be stated enough. If you are rebuking someone from worshiping the one true God, you just might be legalistic.

What should Christians do?

1) Use every opportunity to turn people back to God.

2) Remove pagan elements from your celebrations. There's no need for a Santa Claus or an Ishtar bunny. Bring the celebrations back to what God intended. Celebrating Jesus' birth, resurrection, baptism, sacrifice.

3) If you are legalistic, think about Jesus' admonishments. If someone is using an opportunity to praise God, do not be a stumbling block. Praise God even louder, instead.

Satan will use legalism as a tool to turn baby Christians away, and fool weak believers into thinking their righteousness is anything more than filthy rags. Remember, Eph 2:8-9 It is by grace and faith alone, salvation is a gift of God. Law is a mirror to condemn, and you can bet that's what legalistic Christians are using the law for, to condemn others. But when they do, the mirror of the law is condemning them.

What Is Spiritual Warfare?

Hello para beauties! I hope everyone is well and everyone you love is healthy. I know many are also preparing for the holiday and have family in and out of town and have hardly a moment to sleep. Some of us have no one. Let's pray for anyone that might be suffering with depression and feelings of loneliness. This time of year especially, brings about a lot of human emotions. A lot of us hide this and I ask that you turn to God. Please open your heart to his and ask him to give you peace again and no more torment. It is a spiritual battle to be faced everyday however, we already know who wins. Fear is not of God. Perfect Love casts out fear.

Spiritual warfare is an activity by Christians whereby satan and demons are fought, using a variety of methods and prayers depending on the group, mostly a lot of prayer and fasting. From a biblical point of view, spiritual warfare is the cosmic war of good versus evil: its battles are fought daily between God and Satan; between the Christian Church and the world fueled by our spiritual enemy; and within every child of God, between the Holy Spirit and the lusts of the carnal flesh. The clear meanings of good and evil, as defined by God rather than man, are revealed within the verses of the Holy Bible and the life of Jesus Christ. The Book of Daniel, chapter ten, provides one of the most striking examples of spiritual warfare found in Scripture. Remember when Daniel was held in captivity in a foreign land due to a great spiritual conflict, which led to the conquest of Israel and Judah. He resorts to intense prayer, which includes fasting, to seek guidance from God, verses 2,3. He receives a miraculous vision and word, verses 5–9 (which introduce. 10–12), from one having the appearance of a man (cf. verses 16,18), who may have been an angel, but whose description in verses 5,6, seems to match that of Christ in Revelation 1:13–16. Daniel’s earthly conflict extends to the heavenly realm, as the spiritual messenger was delayed by a demon, until being assisted by an archangel, verses 12–14. Strong resistance was met due to the importance of the answer to Daniels’s prayer, as it is a prophecy on Satanic activity in the end time.

Do we have a say in the matter?

When a person becomes converted and receives God's spirit they immediately enter into a war-like struggle against two large opponents and a lot of it consists in the mind. They will have to fight these two powerful enemies every day of their life until they die. The first major opponent Christians face is themselves. They must battle their own human nature with its self-defeating, sinful and destructive tendencies. The apostle Paul referred to this constant battle of the mind Christians face in his book to the Romans. The second lifelong opponent true believers must face is the devil and the world he has deceived into thinking and acting like he does (Ephesians 2:2, 1 John 5:19, Revelation 12:9, etc.). Jesus, in his prayer to the Father before his crucifixion, reveals the ultimate attitude of those who do not believe God against those who do. I have given them (the disciples and all Christians by extension) Your words, and the world has hated them. . . (John 17)

Paul tells us, in no uncertain terms, that believers do not fight a carnal war that is so familiar to the world but rather one that is on a spiritual plane. Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual power of wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6)

Now that we know how to create armor to protect ourselves, what other ways can we stop the enemy from influencing us? We have to avoid all evil influences in our life. We can find these influences through music that we listen to, the TV shows and movies that we watch, and activities that are tied to the occult that we can find ourselves silently drawn towards or introduced to via our acquaintances and friends. We don't realize how the little things we do can open up doors and allow legal rights for demonic influence in our life. I'm so guilty of this myself. None of us are perfect nor are we expected to be. Remember Jesus Christ died for our sins.

While the fallen angels have no control over your Free Will, they do have some preternatural abilities to influence your thoughts. They will silently tempt you, often to impure thoughts, or into dissuading you from some good effort. Construct a mental picture of Our Lord Jesus Christ during His Passion. Focus on His pierced hands or feet, or maybe His carrying of the Cross, or concentrate on His crowning with thorns or scourging at the pillar. You will be amazed at how fast the evil thoughts will flee.

The dark forces pull out all the stops to trick us out of our good intentions, and it is only by our soul's determination to succeed and by the grace of God's assistance that we can get back on track.

Without your spiritual armor on tight (the light of God sealed around you), it's easy to fall prey to a spiritual attack.

These so-called attacks don't have to be very in-your-face. In fact they work better when they aren't obvious, because you're less likely to do anything about it. Cunning and subtle methods cause us to accept an intrusion into our world as 'the way things are' or 'just part of our personality'.

It's important to recognize when we need to call to God to take care of that negative energy. Praying for discernment is key, as well as just simply practicing.

Spiritual warfare is really one of the greatest blessings we have. We don't have to wallow in the darkness, we can call for spiritual protection from the forces of light and they will fight back and raise us out of whatever negative state of mind or being we are in.

Written By Jennifer L Auld

Babylon the Harlot, Part 5

Continued from:

Babylon the Harlot, Part 1

Babylon the Harlot, Part 2

Babylon the Harlot, Part 3

Babylon the Harlot, Part 4

This clears the way for Antichrist to fulfill the lifetime dream of Satan to get people to worship him. She is destroyed in the middle of the Tribulation. Then Babylon the governmental system will be destroyed at the end of Tribulation, when commercial Babylon is destroyed (Rev. 18).

With "Mystery Babylon the Mother of Prostitutes" out of the way, "all inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast, all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world". (Rev. 13 v. 8).

Religious Babylon Destroyed - Archaeologists tell us that Babylon is the cradle of civilization. Located on the shores of the Euphrates River, the ruins of this city have revealed some of the most ancient documents of past generations. This city begun by Nimrod, who was a rebel before the Lord, authored some of the greatest evils ever to fall on humankind. Two of these evils will be destroyed during the Tribulation period, according to Rev. 17, 18.

In ancient days Satan seemed to make Babylon the capital of this evil operation. From this headquarters was started false religion, humanity's attempt for self government in defiance of God's will and city dwellings for commercial and social purposes contrary to God's command to "be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." (Gen. 1 v.28) These great evils, which have damned the souls of millions by substituting counterfeit solutions to natural human problems that would ordinarily lead a person to God, will all be destroyed at the end of the Tribulation period.

Chapter 17 describes the judgment of God on the religious system that has enslaved the human race in superstitious darkness for centuries.

You see, all are subject to God whether they are following the beast or God. Even the devil has to do exactly what God tells him to do. Some of this has happened to fulfill God's word. The devil is not only subject to God, but he is subject to us, as well, through the mighty name of Jesus. We may dismiss the devil, just as Jesus did. The only difference was that Jesus used His own power, and we have no power of our own. We do it in the name of Jesus. It is Jesus' power.

17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Many have taken this to mean that the woman represents the capital city of Antichrist's kingdom, but his cannot be, for Antichrist himself rules over the kings of the earth.

If then, the woman is not the Antichrist, what other possible explanation can we have for such unanimous world dominance? The only answer is the one system before which all kings, dictators, and nations have been forced to bow down throughout history, that is, the Babylonian religion of idolatry. One cannot go anywhere in the world without being confronted with some semblance of the idolatry.

No system in the world's history has enslaved more people than this awful religion. It should not take us by surprise that this prostitute woman, the religious system, is referred to as a city. When used symbolically, a woman is always intended throughout the Scripture to signify a spiritual or religious movement. If a good woman, it is "Jehovah's wife" or "the bride of Christ". If an evil woman, such as "a prostitute," it represents the evil religious system of idolatry.

Here we see again, Rome. In its heyday Rome was thought of as the capital of the world. They truly did reign over all of Europe.

We conclude, then, that chapter 17 describes the destruction of the religious system, whereas chapter 18 denotes the destruction of "Satan's seat," the commercial and governmental city of Babylon, marking the prelude to the consummation of the Tribulation.

No longer does the seer John have the ecclesiastical religious system in view but now turns the spotlight of God's judgment on the commercial and governmental systems that originated there. Babylon has had the most harmful effect on mankind of all the cities of the world. For all idolatrous religion, greed-based commerce, and secular government were begun there. At the end of the Tribulation, God will destroy them all in the seventh or last vial judgment in fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 47:1 - 9 (Isaiah 21:9).

This is the best I can do using my words, the bible and my opinion which will vary to many. This is the best verses on this subject matter in my opinion tht can explain what Babylon is and I will go into more detail of what the "Whore Of Babylon Means" I have provided the best verses I could find and refresh my memory to touch on this topic. These events will happen and THEY WILL come to pass. Please be ready. Study what I have provided yourself. See what the Lord shows you.

Written By Jennifer L Auld

Kids, Cartoons & the Occult

By Reverend Mark Hunnemann

Thirteen years ago, my kids and I moved into a rental house after my ex-wife and I separated. The landlord informed me that my children (8, 10, 12 at the time) could paint their walls any way they wished--just so it was covered when we moved. One day I came home and my eldest had some friends over who were signing their names on the wall. It looked pretty cool to me...especially with all the flourishes here and there connected with some of the signatures.Perhaps you may be questioning the wisdom of my actions--all I can say is that they were hurting (as was I) and at the moment it seemed okay

Fast forward a few months, and the deputy with the Sheriff's Dept.exiting my house looked at me as if I was some moron for allowing "gang graffiti" to be plastered on my daughter's wall. It turns out that some of her friends were into the "blood" and "crip" mega-gangs, but I was totally in the dark as to the significance of the "creative expression" I had allowed. It was a horribly difficult time for my family, and I had not been discerning enough. If only I had recognized the significance of these symbols, I could have protected my daughter from the thuggish peer pressure she came under, which caused her (and the whole family) much anguish.

Similarly, many kids' TV  programs or cartoons, have the signature of Satan written all over them--but like me, most parents are blissfully unaware of the danger. Many even approve of the shows because of their intelligence and creativity. They have not been trained by their pastors to know what to look for. I dearly want to save parents from the anguish...to equip you to know what to look for, without being legalistic or reactionary to everything that expresses imagination.

With Christmas coming, If you were to tour the aisle of any toy store, the occult is ubiquitous....and the same holds true in children's TV programming. In the past, I have not addressed children's issues much, but I need to.

Let me state at the outset that imagination is one of God's most wonderful gifts to us as His image bearers. So, I do not wince at every funny looking creature on animated cartoons. However,what I saw, and heard, on the Legend of Korra on Nickelodeon the other day was truly expressive of a hellish, demonic, and New Age-ish worldview, being thrust upon our unsuspecting and non-discerning kids/parents. I hope that by analyzing it, then it will give you the tools to analyze/discern other kids shows.

The Legend of Korra has been hailed as a critical and commercial success. In 2012 it had the highest number of viewers, and  Scott Thill stated that it "is the smartest cartoon on TV."  It has been praised for how it deals with difficult sociopolitical issues--like social unrest and terrorism.The reason I chose "Legend.." is because it's intelligence and impressive animation (Japanese), expands its appeal to a large age span. From 7--17 (at least) young folks are drawn to this show like bees to honey.

Remember, worldviews are formed by watching such shows.

Set in a fictional universe, some people can manipulate/bend either fire, earth, water, or air.Only the Avatar can bend all four elements, as well as maintain peace and balance in the world. There are four kingdoms which express one of these four elements, and the Avatar cyclically reincarnates  in each of the four kingdoms. Korra, the current Avatar, is a 17-year-old young woman from the Southern Water Tribe. She has the spunk and all the issues that come with being 17 that enhance her appeal and make her "totally awesome."

Without going into the whole plot--there are 52 episodes planned for this year--let me mention some occultic principles that I picked up on in watching just one episode.

1. Avatars --rooted in Hindu mythology, the meaning of the word avatar is "the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape...the incarnation of a god or wise person who possess psychic powers to defeat their enemies. In New Age thinking, Jesus is usually thought of being just one of many avatars that have visited us.
2. Portal--Korra decides to keep the portal between the human and spirit realm open so that they (we) can co-exist and learn from each other. Being able to open and close this other dimensional door--and encouraging contact between respective residents-- was particularly disturbing to me.
3. Spirit guides-- are seen as benevolent spirit creatures who guide humans when they enter the spirit realm. Looked like flying puppy dogs....
4. Earth, air, fire, and water are the 4 elements which comprise reality and are subject to human and spirit manipulation. In the paranormal community there is much discussion of "elementals"...an alleged form of spirit force/entity, usually connected with nature.Wicca, witchcraft, and other occult systems often appeal to these four elements in their incantations or rituals, which are nature focused.
5. Cosmic consciousness or collective unconsciousness-- was mentioned in the show as the Ultimate Reality which all things participate in (do you see the intelligence level?!) This notion was popularized by Freud's successor, Carl Jung, who espoused occultic beliefs. Tapping into this source will empower avatar and us....usually via mind-emptying meditation.
6. Dualism or yin/yang --in this episode, mention was made that neither light nor dark, good or bad, could be banished forever...both are equally ultimate.
7. Reincarnation--Korra is yet another reincarnation of the avatar.
8. Spirit communication--spirit realm is populated by a multiplicity of good and bad, positive and negative beings....which humans can communicate with.
9. Harmonic convergence-- (again, see what I mean re intelligence level?)...explicitly mentioned in show, where the animation "showed" the earth reaching this new evolutionary advance in which energies are set in balance, "so that a New Age is evolved."

Gone is the majestic, holy Creator.....gone is a definitive defeat of evil, sin, and Satan on the cross......gone is the distinction between Creator and His creation.....gone are all seven aspects of a biblical worldview. This is a thoroughgoing, comprehensive pagan worldview served up in animated wonderment  for our children to feast on the beast....all in the comfort of home.

The Legend of Korra is an intelligent and visually stimulating TV cartoon that is destroying our young people. It has become an integral part of the spiritual pandemic of fascination with the paranormal. In a sense, it is worse than the ghost-hunting shows because it is: specifically targeting the most defenseless (our children); and it presents a "total pagan package", as every aspect of a biblical worldview is blatantly denied and it's pagan antithesis is affirmed. And all of this in a very appealing presentation/medium.

Let me remind you that there is no such thing as an "innocent interest in the occult", even if it is not acted out in behavior. From my observation, our country has become so overrun with demonized darkness, that mere fascination MAY cause one to become demonically oppressed. You no longer have to trek into the jungles of Africa to experience wholesale spiritual darkness. Just in my lifetime, we have cast off the common grace spiritual restraints (which made overt demonic activity rare),  and are rushing headlong into the abyss--which has caused overt demonic activity to explode.

Please do not allow the tyranny of the urgent to crowd out the massively important...the protection of our children and grandchildren. God knows the "me generation" has done enough damage already. That you are reading this, is a sign that you care. Please let us all lovingly communicate this danger in the spheres in which God has placed us.

ps...as a voluntary "homework assignment", please take a pad of paper and write vertically the seven components of a biblical worldview. Then pray and get comfy, and watch one of these cartoons. Be on the lookout for comments or images that indicate what their reply would be to all 7 questions of a worldview, and compare it with the biblical worldview.
(ultimate reality?, nature of reality?, what makes us human?, nature of history, source/nature of ethics? purpose of life?, afterlife?)

Babylon the Harlot, Part 3

Continued from Babylon the Harlot, Part 1

Babylon the Harlot, Part 2

The Vision of the Beast - Five details describing the beast are given:

Blasphemous names (v.3) Had seven heads (v.3) And ten horns (v.3) The prostitute rides it (v.7) The beast was, and is not, and will come up out of the bottomless pit (Abyss) and go to his destruction (v.11).

The careful Bible student will immediately recognize this beast even before examining the angel's interpretation. In the first place, it is similar to the beast of Rev. 13 and doubtless represents what all beasts used symbolically represent: either a king or a kingdom that opposes God's will.

When John sees the great prostitute, he is "greatly astonished?" Actually, some parts of this vision should have been familiar to John, for it is obviously the same beast as that described in chapter 13.

The angel introduces his explanation with the words, "This calls for a mind with wisdom" (v.9), which indicate that only someone with the wisdom of God (found in the Word of God) can understand this vision.

17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Go to chapter 13 and re-read the first 2 verses and the descriptive comments of those two verses for an accurate description of what the beginning of verse eight's meaning is. Revelation Chapter 13 Verse 1 - 2

This word "perdition" means ruin, loss, or damnable.

"The beast that thou sawest" - Beast

"Whose names were not written in the book of life". The false religious system of the end times will be very convincing and popular among the unsaved, but those who have committed themselves to Christ will understand that anything idolatrous is not of God.

17:9 And here [is] the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

We will see in this scripture that the city of seven hills is where this evil system has its headquarters. This is a marvel to the world who are not fully aware of the implications of the Bible it shows. Of course the bride of Christ, the Christians who have their names written in the Lamb's book of life since the world began, are aware of all of this and why it happened.

The seven heads of the Beast represent, seven mountains, on which the woman "sitteth". Seven Heads - Seven Mountains The city of Rome was known throughout the ancient world as a city built on seven hills or mountains. John notes that the wise mind will make the proper identification. The woman apparently represents idolatrous, anti-God civilization, centered at Rome but with worldwide influence (v.15).

The identification of the seven heads as Rome shows that the Beast will initially have his major base of operations at Rome. It is thought by many studying the end times that after the Harlot has been killed, the beast will move his headquarters to the actual city of Babylon during the last three and one half years.

17:10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, [and] the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

The seven heads of this beast mentioned, according to Tim LaHaye, are kings of the Roman Empire. The best definition is that they represent five kings up to the time of John; the sixth, Domitian, was the Roman king at the time of John, who then skips forward to the end time for the seventh head, which will bring the king of the revived Roman Empire. This Roman Empire was in great power; it fell, and will be revived again. Then see verse 11 as this is describing the antichrist who will be the eighth and final king who will rule the entire world (kingdom).

A rather interesting scripture regarding the Holy Spirit's description of the beasts that represent kingdoms appears in the book of Daniel. When one thinks of world governments, they take on a beautiful shape, as did king Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel. In his dream, the beast contained 4 different types of metals. Each section of that image represented one of the four coming world kingdoms which at that time were coming (Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon was already there and was the first of the four).

Two governments had already come and gone at that time which were Assyria and Egypt.

Those 4 beasts found in Daniel 2 verse 35 are explained as Daniel interprets Nebuchadnezzar's dream for him. The four beasts in his dream is Babylon represented by head of gold. The two arms of silver represented the kingdoms of Media and Persia. The belly and thighs of brass (or bronze) represented Greece. And the fourth kingdom described the Roman Empire as the legs or iron. When God describes the coming world kingdoms, He uses beasts to symbolize them. Human beings look favorably on government as a great help to them, whereas God looks on government as a great hindrance to them, as does anyone who has studied history and observed government's bestial treatment of humanity.

Whether this scripture is describing kings or kings doesn't matter as they still mean the same which makes up the beast described here. The seven kingdoms or empires throughout history that have ruled over Israel and much of the known world are:

Egypt Assyria Babylonia Medo-Persia Greece Rome - The Roman Empire existing at the time of John which ceased to exist And then the seventh, the revived Rome which has not yet come Then the eighth and final will be the Antichrist (see verse This revived Roman Empire is represented in the book of Daniel by the 10 toes in the image of Daniel 2:41 - 44 and by the 10 horns on the fourth beast of Daniel 7:7, 20, 24, and in Revelation by the 10 horns on the first Beast (13:1; 17:3, 12, 13). It will exist as a major power only a short while, since it will then give its authority to the Beast (11-13).

17:11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

The beast, the final world kingdom ruled by the Antichrist, is the eighth king or kingdom. He is of the seven in that he is the culmination of all the previous, pagan, idolatrous empires and the reason many think the Antichrist will arise up out of the revised Roman Empire. But then he will go into perdition, the lake of fire.

Put another way, the beast that John saw is the Antichrist, the satanic ruler of the last and most powerful empire in human history, who will serve as Satan's instrument to attack Israel, persecute believers, conquer the world for Satan and oppose Christ. The Beast - Eight King

Scripture portraits him as an intellectual genius Dan. 7 v.8; an outstanding orator Dan. 7 v.20; a military leader without parallel in human history Dan. 7 v.23; a shrewd calculating and manipulating politician Dan 8 v.25; 11 v.21; and the ultimate religious charlatan 2 Thess. 2 v.4; The angel briefly reviews the detailed description of him given in Rev. 13 verses 1 -10.

17:12-13 "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast." "These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast."

Reading in Daniel 2 v.45 the ten toes of the fourth beast (Roman Empire) were made of iron and miry clay making a brittle substance. This is speaking of the 10 kingdoms or kings which will emanate from the Roman Empire and be in existence at the time of Christ's return. Ten Horns - Ten Kings Their worldwide power will come in association with the beast. One hour indicates a relatively short time (18:10, 17, 19).

Next week - Part 4

Written by Jennifer Auld