The Beast, Its Mark, and Babylon

A recent post, Assuming A Sunday Law, inspired me to write a post explaining some of the symbolism of the book of Revelation and my own stance against statolatry (worship/celebration of the state). It is unfortunate that the book of Revelation has been so frequently misunderstood and abused by religionists. When properly understood, I believe it is the perfect conclusion to the Judeo-Christian canon - proclaiming the ultimate antidote to humanity's ills.

The author of the book, John, assumed that his audience would have a background in the Hebrew Bible - the part we refer to as the Old Testament. For him, this was the key to understanding this masterpiece of apocalyptic literature, because ALL of the symbols and language which he employed in it were drawn directly from Torah and the imagery used by the Hebrew prophets of old. Moreover, the majority of that imagery is found in the prophetic books of Zechariah and Daniel.

We, however, will focus on the main theme of the book of Revelation: That Jesus Christ and his followers would ultimately prevail/triumph over humankind's system of governance! John was told to "Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches." (Revelation 1:11) The glorified Christ also told John that he would see things "that are and those that are to take place after this." (Revelation 1:19) In other words, some of what he would be writing about concerned what was THEN happening, AND what would happen in the future.

After the individual messages for the seven churches (Revelation 2 and 3), John is given a vision of God's throne in heaven (Revelation 4). This is followed by a vision of the triumphant Lamb (Christ), who was found worthy to open the scroll with its seven seals (Revelation 5). These seals revealed a series of events that would befall humankind and Christians (Revelation 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11). Now, we come at last to the real heart of the story of this book, and the basis for what is to follow.

In the twelfth chapter of the book, we read: Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (Revelation 12:7-12) Notice that the imagery harkens all the way back to the book of Genesis and the Serpent in the Garden of Eden! Notice also that Christ and his followers triumph over Satan and the forces under his control!

This is followed by a "beast" which emerges from the sea (Revelation 13:1). Where do we find this symbolism in the Hebrew Bible? In the seventh and eighth chapters of the book of Daniel we find similar beasts described, and we are informed there that they are representative of human kingdoms/nation states. Moreover, while these "beasts" were on the earth, we are informed that there were simultaneous events happening in heaven at God's throne (Daniel 7:9-10). Then, we read: I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13-14)

Moreover, in its interpretation of the fourth "beast," we read: there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it to pieces. As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise, and another shall arise after them; he shall be different from the former ones, and shall put down three kings. He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time. But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end. And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (Daniel 7:23-27) Notice that these "beasts" represent human kingdoms, and that they will ALL ultimately give way to God's Kingdom under Christ and his saints! Indeed, we find the same basic formula of the failure of human kingdoms and the ultimate triumph of the Divine Kingdom repeated over and over again in both Daniel and Revelation.

Now, returning to the book of Revelation, we read: And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. (Revelation 13:2-8) Notice, once again, the "beast" is clearly symbolic of a human kingdom! Notice too, the martial language associated with it, and the question: "Who can fight against it?" Finally, notice the universal nature of this government, and that EVERYONE, except the people of the Lamb, will worship it!

Next, we notice that a second "beast" arises, and we are told that "It exercises all the authority of the first beast." (Revelation 13:12) Continuing, we are informed that "it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666." (Revelation 13:16-18) Now, I'm NOT going to dwell on the interpretation of the number here, because my readers can easily do a little independent research and determine that this is referring to a Roman emperor (Rome was another "beast" in a long line of "beasts). Instead, we will focus on the "Mark of the Beast." Where did John get this imagery?

You will recall that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had experienced a terrifying dream, and that Daniel had been brought before the king to interpret what he had seen in it. Daniel began by recounting the dream itself. He said: You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. The head of this image was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its middle and thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. (Daniel 2:31-35)

This was followed by Daniel's God-given interpretation of the dream. He said: You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. Another kingdom inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever... (Daniel 2:37-44) Once again, the pattern is repeated: one human government followed by another, until God finally intervenes and establishes his own kingdom!

Next, we read the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the King of Babylon's tall golden statue (Daniel 3). We are informed that the great king had his herald to announce: "You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace." (Daniel 3:4-6) Now, remember how we read in the book of Revelation that the human subjects of the "beasts" were commanded to worship the state? We are basically witnessing the same exact thing here! We know, however, that God's servants refused to worship the image and were miraculously saved from being consumed by the flames of the "burning fiery furnace." But what does all of this have to do with the "Mark of the Beast?"

One of the primary premises of Torah was that God's people would owe their COMPLETE allegiance to him. Among the Jews, this principle is often recited in the form of the Shema. Let's take a look at three separate instances of this in Torah. In the book of Exodus, when explaining why the firstborn must be dedicated to God, we read that "It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt."  (Exodus 13:16) Likewise, in the book of Deuteronomy, we read: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." (Deuteronomy 6:4-8) Finally, in that same book, we read: You shall therefore love the Lord your God and keep his charge, his statutes, his rules, and his commandments always...And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul...You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." (Deuteronomy 11:1-18)

In all of these passages, we see that God expected the undivided devotion of his people. In other words, there wasn't any room for worshipping ANY other entity than God! Notice too, in all of these instances the language about a sign or distinguishing mark on the hand, and a frontlet between the eyes or band across the forehead (as indicated by the original Hebrew). Do we begin to see the connection? Remember the language in the thirteenth chapter of the book of Revelation? We are told there that the "Beast" causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead (Revelation 13:16). This is the antithesis of the mark described in Torah! In other words, the "Mark of the Beast" is a kind of Anti-Shema. It is a symbol of one's devotion to the "Beast," or the human government and its political and economic system. It is the opposite of devotion to God's Kingdom!

Finally, in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation, we read of Babylon and the Beast, and their complete defeat in the following chapter (Revelation 18). We read: Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.” And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. (Revelation 17:1-6) Once again, we see John reach back into the Hebrew Bible for a symbol of human governance. In John's day, Rome was Babylon. Many years later, we could say that Madrid, Paris, or London was Babylon. In our own day, we could say that Washington D.C. is Babylon!

The point that John was making should now be very clear to everyone. Human government influenced by Satan and his forces is NOT worthy of the worship/devotion of God's people! Human government has always been subject to human lust for wealth and power. Human government has always been characterized by someone lording it over others. Human government has always been based on conquest and subjugation and has consequently always had blood on its hands! God's Kingdom, however, is based on love and service. It does NOT seek personal aggrandizement or glory. Jesus of Nazareth, the one whom the Romans crucified, is the King of that Kingdom. Instead of conquest and death, he offers salvation and triumph over death - eternal life! How about you? Do you want to wear the "Mark of the Beast" or the mark of devotion to God? What's on your hand and forehead right now?

English Standard Version throughout this post.

The POINT, Pastor Watson, is THIS:

My contribution to the commentary thread generated by my post about Bill Watson on the Banned by HWA blog:

The point is that CHRISTIANS should be pilgrims and strangers on the earth. We are looking for a country of our own - one that is NOT of this earth - the Kingdom of God. We are in the world, but we are NOT part of it.

Scripture has a great deal to say about human governance and its many failures. Human leaders serve their own interests - their own lust for power and wealth - NOT the people whom they claim to serve. Trump is NOT a Christian, and he is NOT an exception to this rule.

The book of Revelation is all about God's judgment of human governance. Babylon is a symbol of that governance. Substitute the United States into some of that language about the Beast and Babylon, and the shoe fits better than the glass slipper fit Cinderella! Notice just a few of these and consider:

Who is as great as the United States of America?” they exclaimed. “Who is able to fight against him?”

Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God remembers her evil deeds. Do to her as she has done to others. Double her penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed a cup of terror for others, so brew twice as much for her. She glorified herself and lived in luxury, so match it now with torment and sorrow.

Paul was a citizen of the Roman Empire. He paid his taxes, obeyed its laws, and submitted to its authority. He did NOT, however, endorse the system, its policies, or its leadership! Likewise, many of us are citizens of the United States, and many of us are thankful for the circumstances which we have enjoyed as such. Even so, we must never mistake gratitude to God for devotion to ANY of this world's governments or leaders. THIS is the lesson which Bill Watson and his followers have missed - completely missed!

Happy 250th Birthday Manasseh! from Pastor General Bill Watson

Pastor Bill Watson, leader of the newly minted Church of God Independent Ministries of Medina, Ohio, just wished America a Happy Birthday! (See Happy 250th Birthday America) Poor old Bill tried to wax eloquent about the "American Experiment," but it fell a little flat.

He said that it was a miracle that America had survived the many challenges it has faced. You know: dispossessing the original inhabitants of all of that land, getting thousands of Africans here across the turbulent Atlantic Ocean and trying to make them work for white folks, leveling vast tracks of virgin forest, making moonscapes of large tracts of land in its pursuit of coal and other resources, finding places to bury all of the refuse we've created, having to get rid of all of those pesky bison and passenger pigeons, building all of those miles of walls to keep people out, figuring out ways to keep undesirables from voting and usurping power from white folks, figuring out new and better ways to wage war and kill people, resisting those nasty folks who would like to mandate public health measures, etc. YES, America has had its challenges, but God has enabled us to survive and thrive! Talk about miracles!

Never one to be at a loss for words, Bill declared that "There is obviously something 'Providential' about the United States that seems to be providing a degree of protection for purposes of clearly, bringing a balance of power to the nations of the world–– and yes, there is: it’s called God’s Covenant Birthright!" You probably didn't know this, but the United States is really an Israelite nation. YES, according to Bill, the people of e pluribus unum are descendants of Joseph's son, Manasseh! Now, aren't we all sorry we slept through U.S. History class in high school?

Although Mr. Watson claims that he is shocked that we haven't seen World War III yet, he appears to be confident that his favorite president has everything in hand. He pointed out how he had completely defeated Iran and "took complete control of the Strait of Hormuz." Indeed, Mr. Watson believes that Trump is so tough that Iran's Russian, Chinese, and North Korean allies didn't dare to even whisper any objections to Trump's actions against Iran. "This is just stunning! Frankly, it’s unbelievably amazing when you think about it. Clearly, God is involved!" Watson crowed. Miracles everywhere we look!

Watson went on to write: "So, it would appear a 'judge' has been raised up in this Birthright Nation to resist and push back at the Globalist. To relieve and slow down some of the oppression and attempted control from the WEF, the UN, and so many of the additional global organizations like the IMF, the WHO, and the World Court, along with so many others, ––a speed bump, if you will––curbing their influence and reducing their momentum from achieving a 'New World Order.' Admittedly, President Trump’s administration has disrupted many of their plans, setting them back on their timeline!" Apparently, we should all be on our knees right now thanking Almighty God that he has raised up such a savior for this great nation of ours!

Mr. Watson sees a great "CHRISTIAN Nation" here. After all, all of those Founding Fathers professed to be Christians didn't they? Oh sure, some of them owned slaves and were personally immoral, but they professed their faith in Christ - Come on, doesn't that mean anything to you people? And, sure, Thomas Jefferson wrote his own version of the Gospels and deleted all of the miracles, BUT he still professed himself to be a follower of Christ's teachings! And, sure, some of our denominations split into Northern and Southern organizations because of their respective stances on slavery, BUT they were all still Christians! And, yes, there were some strong anti-Roman Catholic sentiments within some quarters of the American Christian community, BUT everything is OK now - Protestants and Catholics are united in their condemnation of abortion and homosexuals - SO CHEW ON THAT YOU COMMY ATHEISTIC DEMONCRATS!

Bill is clearly in a happy place. Sure, some will say that he is delusional; but the man is clearly patriotic! Yes, some smart alecks like me will point out that a Christian minister has no business singing the praises of one of this world's nations or becoming a political partisan of one party over another or of serving as a cheerleader for his favorite politician; but there are always killjoys waiting in the wings - aren't there? Maybe we should leave poor Bill alone. After all, he was just trying to wish America a HAPPY Birthday and doesn't America deserve a very happy birthday? What do you think?

The Spirit, NOT the Letter!

Jesus of Nazareth taught that the Jews had failed to fulfill the spirit of Torah - though many of them were careful to obey the written commandments of that legislation. Indeed, he told his followers "unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven!" (Matthew 5:20) In other words, obeying the letter of Torah was NOT enough! (The English Standard Version will be used throughout this post.)

Torah commanded: "You shall not murder," but Christ taught that people shouldn't harbor anger and resentment toward each other (Matthew 5:21-24). Likewise, Torah commanded: "You shall not commit adultery," but Jesus said that husbands shouldn't even harbor lustful thoughts toward women who were not their wives (Matthew 5:27). Torah made provisions for a man to divorce his wife if he was dissatisfied with her, but Jesus said that divorce was NOT what God had intended (Matthew 5:31-32). Torah commanded: "You shall not swear falsely," but Christ said that people shouldn't even be making oaths in the first place (Matthew 5:33-37)! Torah laid down the principle of "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," but our Savior taught that we should love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us (Matthew 5:38-42). He went on to say: "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?" (Matthew 5:46-47)

In fact, according to the four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Jesus taught that strict obedience to the commandments of Torah was ALWAYS insufficient. It simply was NOT enough! He taught that the Sabbath wasn't just about not doing this or that - that it was more about ceasing from our own evil works and doing good things for each other (Matthew 12:1-13, Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:1-11, John 5:1-17, etc.). Indeed, Jesus said that the entire approach of the Jewish religious leaders of his day to obeying the commandments of Torah was wrongheaded! He said: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness...You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-24) Legalists will note that I left out a portion of this passage and will miss the entire point that Christ was making about obedience by doing so! Jesus went on to say: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So, you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28)

When Christ was asked which one of the commandments of Torah was the greatest, he replied: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40) Did you catch that? Christ identified two commandments which dealt with the intent of the heart or "spirit" of the Law as fulfilling the whole thing. According to Christ, this was the kind of obedience that God was looking for from his people - an obedience based on LOVE, NOT in scrupulously following a list of dos and don'ts!

The Apostle Paul compared a Christian's relationship to the commandments of Torah to a wife who had been released from her marriage bonds by the death of her husband. He wrote: "Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code." (Romans 7:4-6) Paul went on to say that he served the Law of God with his mind (Romans 7:25). In this same epistle, Paul wrote: "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,' and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:8-10) In other words, if we keep this commandment, the other commandments become redundant - unnecessary!

Likewise, in his second epistle to the Christians at Corinth, Paul assured them that his message about Jesus of Nazareth was sincere and heartfelt. He went on to write: "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (II Corinthians 3:1-6) Clearly, for Paul, it was what was in the heart that was important. For him, the stuff that was written down was of little importance. Instead, it was what the believer had internalized - what was written on his/her heart!

Human Intelligence vs Spiritual Intelligence

A little over twenty years after Christ's ascension to heaven, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth about their devotion to various leaders within the Church. Some claimed to follow Paul, others followed Peter, and some followed Apollos. Some even claimed that they alone were the real followers of Jesus Christ. (See I Corinthians 1:10-12) In the face of these divisions, Paul went on to point out that there were real/tangible differences between human and spiritual wisdom. He wrote:

 I Corinthians1:18 The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. 19 As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

20 So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. 21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. 23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

24 But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[g] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”

I Corinthians 2:1 When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan. 2 For I decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. 4 And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 5 I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.

6 Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God—his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. 12 And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.14 But people who aren’t spiritual[g] can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For,

“Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?”

But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

The New Living Translation

In this way, Paul underscored that spiritual truth did not originate in ANY human source, and that it also didn't depend on the vocabulary, intellectual prowess, or oratorical skills of ANY individual human. Moreover, Paul underscored the fact that God's message to humankind was not readily received by those considered learned or powerful by this world's standards. These are things that all Christians would do well to remember, even those of us who find ourselves in the year 2026!

Shallow Soil

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus said: "Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away." (Matthew 13:5-6, ESV) The soil was too shallow to nurture the seed which had been planted in it. In other words, the soil must have depth for the seed to thrive. This is true botanically, intellectually, and spiritually.

We will not benefit from a message that is not contemplated and studied. Short attention spans and laziness are lethal to learning. Learning demands a willingness to read, listen, cogitate, and respond. It requires an investment of time and attention. Whether consciously or subconsciously, we are all constantly making value judgments which impact our ability to absorb information. We ask ourselves questions like: Is a book too much? Is a booklet sufficient? Is a post too long? Is a four-hour documentary worth the time? Do we prefer headline news, history, theology? Is this consistent with what I already believe to be true?

Ideas are like seeds. If they lay on top of thin or rocky soil, they tend not to take root and grow. And, without growth, there will be no fruit. Ideas must be allowed to penetrate. Moreover, an honest evaluation requires consideration and time. Anything less, is inadequate, unfair, and gives opportunity and space for ignorance and prejudice to flourish. Is your soil shallow or deep?

Is There Anything for God and Christians to Celebrate on July 4, 2026?

The United States of America is approaching the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of its Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. As that date approaches, I think that it is appropriate to reflect on whether or not U.S. Christians and their God have anything to celebrate on that holiday. For most Christians, such questions will seem almost blasphemous and disloyal. After all, they will point out that the Declaration of Independence gives a nod to the Almighty, and that the United States Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Indeed, many of them proudly declare their devotion to "God and country." Even so, I seem to recall Jesus Christ once saying that it was impossible to serve two masters - to divide one's loyalty.

In 1775, many of the citizens of the various British colonies rebelled against the king and his parliament. Over 1,700 years before those events, the Apostle Paul wrote: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore, whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment." (Romans 13:1-2, ESV) In particular, these people were protesting "taxation without representation." Yet, Jesus once said: "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:21)

Now, in Christ's day, the government was centered in Rome and was carried out in the name of the emperor. We should also note that the emperor did NOT recognize the God of the Hebrews and even regarded himself as an object of worship! Moreover, the emperor's decrees and actions were often cruel, unjust, and self-serving. Nevertheless, the Apostle Peter wrote: "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor." (I Peter 2:13-17) Was the emperor worthy of honor? Was the emperor righteous? Was the emperor the servant of the people's interests? NO! Yet, according to the apostle, the Christian citizens of the Roman Empire were obligated to accept and respect his authority.

When Jesus stood before the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, he remained silent before the spurious charges made against him. The governor asked him: "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" Jesus replied: "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above." (John 19:10-11) Even though everything that was happening was unjust and evil, Christ recognized and submitted to the authority over him.

Some questions for Christians to ask themselves about the United States before the upcoming Independence Day celebrations:

Does the United States government truly trust in God?

Do the people who run that government (president, governors, legislators, judges) serve the interests of the citizens of that country or their own interests?

Does the leadership of the United States exhibit high personal moral standards? (love, mercy, kindness, patience, fidelity, faithfulness, courage, truthfulness, fairness)

Does the United States have a history of righteousness and good works? (If you answered yes, what about how Native Americans have been treated, slavery, wars, poverty, exploitation of natural resources, crime, violence, addiction, etc.)

Is the United States a part of this world or God's Kingdom?

I am old enough to remember celebrating the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976! We had just finished with the Vietnam War and Watergate, but the celebration was a happy one. We were trained to exhibit a high degree of patriotism to our country. Later, I had the opportunity to serve in the United States Army. Looking back on all of that now, as a Christian and a student of history, I recognize that the United States of America has exhibited all of the many failures inherent to HUMAN governance. While I am thankful to have had the physical blessings that I and my family have enjoyed and to be able to practice my faith without government interference, I am still very mindful of the many sins of this nation, and my own status as a pilgrim and stranger on the earth. Moreover, I am reminded of the Lord's Prayer - where we were instructed to pray: "Thy Kingdom come - Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!" (Matthew 6:10) Now, THAT will be something to celebrate!