A Window of Mercy?

CGI's Mike James shined some Divine light on "Christian Nationalism," and Bill Watson came along behind him with the Satanic Darkness of Anglo-Israelism and Trumpism! In his Sabbath message today, Bill noted that it is very probable that God has given his people a "window of mercy" with the results of the recent U.S. election. According to Mr. Watson, we all need to "wake up and start to smell the roses." In other words, the people of the U.S. need to take advantage of this opportunity which God has given them to get their nation back on track!

You see, Mr. Watson still believes that the people of the United States are the descendants (and heirs) of Joseph's son, Manasseh! Likewise, he still believes that the people of Great Britain are the descendants (and heirs) of Manasseh's brother, Ephraim. Although Mr. Herbert Armstrong borrowed this teaching from a founder of the Church of God Holiness, who was formerly a pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Wesleyan Methodist Church, John H. Allen (see Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright), the teaching of Anglo-Israelism has been thoroughly discredited by biblical scholars, historians, archaeologists, and geneticists.

Like Armstrong before him, Watson makes a distinction between the spiritual and "physical" promises which God made long ago to Abraham. Moreover, Bill believes that no other nation(s) fit the "profile" outlined in Scripture for the fulfillment of those promises. According to him, the people of the United States are the only people who fit the "profile" for Manasseh (to hell with all of the scriptural, scientific, and historical evidence to the contrary!).

Now, of course, when the message is founded on the fairytale of Anglo-Israelism, logic dictates that everything which follows is invalidated. And, what follows, is based on a pattern observed in the book of Judges - whereby, the children of Israel would rebel against God and succumb to their enemies, then God would raise up a judge to deliver them from their oppressors. Watson speculated that maybe God was giving his people today (America) one of those "windows of mercy" which he allowed them during the time of the judges.

Moreover, although he never mentioned Trump or the Republicans by name, the clear implication was that God had raised them up to deliver America from its enemies (e.g. abortionists, transgender folk, homosexuals, immigrants, the mainstream media, the "deep" state, the Federal Reserve, China, and Ukraine). According to Bill, we will soon have "adult leadership" taking control of the "steering wheel." Thus, in the light of this blessed development, Mr. Watson wants to know if we are going to take advantage of this opportunity - "Are we going to do the right thing?"

Finally, although the pastor disavows the use of the term "savior," the clear implication of his message is that Trump and the Republicans are the instruments of God's mercy. In Bill's mind, Trump is the modern-day "judge" or "deliverer" of God's people in these end times. Sorry, Bill, whether you call him savior, redeemer, or judge, I believe that this is the very role that Jesus Christ was designated by Almighty God to fulfill! Hence, you'll forgive me for wondering if this is a window of mercy OR a doorway to hell! As John always reminds us, I guess time will make the outcome of this matter clear. What do you think?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods.

His faithful love endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords.

His faithful love endures forever.

--Psalm136

I give thanks to the Lord for the life he gave to me,

for the grandparents who raised me,

for Darlene, and the daughters we raised together,

for the grandchildren whom they and their young men gave me,

for the rest of my family,

for the mountains, rivers, woodlands, deserts, lakes and oceans I've been allowed to see,

for good music, and good food,

for good teachers,

for good pets, and the companionship they provided me,

for happiness, joy, sadness and pain,

for forgiveness, mercy, and love

for Jesus, the Messiah! Amen!

CGI's Mike James on Christian Nationalism

As longtime readers of this blog know, I have been a vocal critic of politics from the pulpit, and secular partisanship within the ekklesia. Moreover, as a former member of an Armstrong Church of God, I have especially focused on the tendency of some of those groups to get entangled in American politics. Thus, it is a pleasure to be able to report on a positive development in this area. Mike James, of the Church of God International, has contributed an article to the winter edition of The International News that deserves our attention and praise.

The article is titled "Christian Nationalism, Good or Bad for America?" Pastor James began by quoting from a number of different sources attempting to define Christian Nationalism. The most succinct statement in this regard was drawn from a Christianity Today article: "Christian nationalism is the belief that the American nation is defined by Christianity, and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way." Mike went on to observe: "One major problem with Christian Nationalism is who gets to define what is meant by 'Christian.' Would you want to support something that promotes Sunday observance as the Sabbath or Christmas and Easter observance? Obviously not, and it remains to be seen how far some Christian Nationalists would want to go, but I cannot support something that teaches things that are not true." In other words, the pastor clearly understands that this movement has the real potential to actually limit religious freedom in this country.

Mr. James then pointed to two of the most recent actions of the Christian Nationalists in Oklahoma and Louisiana. Oklahoma mandated the Bible in the classroom, and Louisiana has mandated the Ten Commandments in every classroom. Mike went on to observe that "These two initiatives in Oklahoma and Louisiana are influenced by Christian Nationalists, but is this what Christians should be concerning themselves with—politics? Some of these Christian Nationalists are part of dominionist groups that believe Christians should seek to take over positions of power in culture and government." The pastor then went on to point out that this is inconsistent with CGI's theology surrounding the Kingdom of God - that Jesus Christ would return to this earth someday and establish that kingdom, not by Christians working within the parameters of human political systems.

As with many ACOG folks, Mike was honest about his own right of center political leanings. He wrote: "Listen, I probably agree with many Christian Nationalist positions. But one of the problems with Christian Nationalism is they can turn politicians and our nation into an idol. We can’t expect any nation or any leader to be a Messiah figure or an answer to all that ails our country. The Bible is definitive and clear: Christ is the only answer to the problems our nation and the world is experiencing. Be careful that you don’t turn your nation into an idol (Deuteronomy 5:6–7)." A little later in the article, he added: "Galatians 3:28 tells us that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek.” What this means is when you commit to Jesus Christ first and foremost in your life you now belong to Him and His Kingdom. Any other group you are a part of (nation, ethnicity, club, organization, church, town, or family) pales in significance and could become an idol."

In addition to numerous citations of Scripture throughout his article, Mike also listed a substantial list of the other sources of information he used in writing his own well-articulated piece. We can only hope and pray that Pastor James' article will be well-received and implemented by the membership of the Church of God International. After all, God is NOT going to reward his people for making an idol out of one of the secular nations of this present world influenced by Satan, and he has already sent us a Savior!

What About Ephesians 5:22-24?

Whenever I write something against paternalism, I am inevitably confronted with a passage from the fifth chapter of Paul's epistle to the saints at Ephesus. It is a favorite of both conservative Evangelicals and Armstrongists alike. They quote: "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands." (Ephesians 5:22-24, ESV)

"Try that one on for size, Lonnie!" "It plainly says wives SUBMIT to your husbands - case closed!" Of course, the clear implication being that no further investigation or commentary is needed. The thinking goes something like this: "It's in the Bible. You either accept it or reject it." However, as is common with these prooftexts, there is no context offered, and no discussion about other related texts that might contribute to our understanding of the one offered as proof of a particular belief. After all, in isolation, this text does seem to support the traditional paternalistic, male authoritarian model which has been pushed for hundreds and hundreds of years.

However, if we are truly interested in understanding what the Apostle Paul was saying to the Ephesians, we might want to get some of the surrounding context. In this letter to these First Century Gentile Christians, Paul talks about the great gift which had been made available to them through Jesus the Messiah (Ephesians 1-3). Then, in chapter four, he appealed to them to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of such a gift (Ephesians 4:1-7). Next, Paul reminded them that they should all be striving to exhibit the love, harmony, and unity of purpose which Christ expected of them (Ephesians 4:8-16). Finally, he explained that their current behavior must reflect the change which Christ had wrought in them (Ephesians 4:17-30). Paul concluded: "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32, ESV) Once again, this is addressed to Christians, and it is concerned with how they should be treating each other.

Keeping in mind that there weren't any of our chapters and verses dividing the original text, we read at the beginning of the next chapter: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2, ESV) Once again, Paul reminded them about what Christ had done for them and demanded that their lives reflect that fact (Ephesians 5:3-14). Then, just before the relevant passage, we read: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Ephesians 5:15-21, ESV) Hence, we see that the context makes clear that Paul is reminding these Christians about how they should be treating each other in the light of what Christ had done for them!

Thus, we see that Paul is addressing the behavior of wives AND husbands in the ekklesia/Church in the verses which follow. This is the proper context for what follows: "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 'Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." (Ephesians 5:22-33, ESV, emphasis mine)

Notice that this submission and love that Paul is talking about is likened to Christ and the ekklesia/Church. Once again, the context is about what is happening within the body of believers - between believing husbands and wives. Moreover, this is all made even clearer when we remember Christ's instructions to his disciples recorded in the Gospel of John. After washing his disciples' feet (an act of service and humility), we read: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35, ESV, emphasis mine)

Likewise, in response to a request by two of his disciples to have positions of authority directly under him, Christ said: "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28, ESV, emphasis mine) In other words, love and leadership within the ekklesia/Church would look very different from that which was practiced on the outside of that body!

Moreover, so that we don't leave any wiggle room for the more traditional understanding of this passage, we must note that this same stream of thought continues into the next chapter of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:1-20). In short, there is NO mistaking who Paul was addressing, and that his teachings were consistent with Christ's expectations of his disciples. Hence, we have seen that using this passage from Ephesians as a prooftext to defend traditional notions about paternalistic male dominance just doesn't hold any water when we take a closer look!

The Nonbinary God

In the Hebrew Scriptures, God is portrayed most often as a male. This, of course, makes sense in the context of a very paternalistic and primitive society. Indeed, the entire Law (Torah, including the Ten Commandments) are most often addressed to MEN! Nevertheless, even in those ancient writings, we can discern the fact that Almighty God transcends our notions about gender.

Moreover, this suggestion of someone/something which transcends gender is found in the very first chapter of the book of beginnings, Genesis! We read there: "Then God said, 'Let us make man[h] in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." [h=The Hebrew word for man (adam) is the generic term for mankind and becomes the proper name Adam] (Genesis 1:26-27, ESV, emphasis mine) We see here that both God and man contained the elements of BOTH male AND female!

Many years ago, I posted on this blog an article titled Does God have a penis? It pointed out the absurdity of assigning an actual gender to God. After all, the passage that we just read made very clear that both genders (male and female) reflected Almighty God!

Before leaving the Hebrew Scriptures, we should also note that the paternalism evident in most of those writings is more of a reflection of the culture of both the land of Abraham's birth, and the land which had been promised to him and his descendants. In other words, it does NOT follow that this paternalism necessarily reflects God or "his" will for us. For example, while the law portrays a menstruating woman or new mother as being ceremonially unclean, it is self-evident that there is NOTHING inherently unclean about a woman in either one of these circumstances (After all, God designed a woman's body to work that way, and we are told that EVERYTHING that "he" had made was very GOOD! (Genesis 1:31) Likewise, although the Israelites were commanded NOT to covet your neighbor's wife, his servants, his livestock, or any other thing that belongs to him (Exodus 20:17, ESV, emphasis mine), I don't know of anyone who has proposed that the prohibition against coveting only applies to men!

In the New Testament Synoptic Gospels, there is a story about Jesus being asked about the resurrection. We are informed that he answered in part by telling his audience that people who experience the resurrection will not marry thereafter, and that they will be like the angels in this respect (Matthew 22:30, Mark 12:25, Luke 20:35). Apparently, those of us who will have the privilege of being a part of God's Kingdom will no longer have any need of that institution for a relationship or reproductive capacity.

In a similar vein, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians about a Christian's proper relationship with the Law (Torah). Indeed, he equated the status of not being under the law with being freed from supervision. He wrote: "But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:25-29, ESV, emphasis mine) In other words, having believed and accepted what Christ has done for them, things like ethnicity, social status, and gender no longer matter! In Christ, there is no longer any need for one person lording it over another person (Matthew 20:25-28, ESV).

Unfortunately, there have been many folks within the ekklesia down through the centuries (male and female) who have tried to make this paternalism into a universal spiritual truth. It is clear, however, both historically and scripturally, that paternalism is a human invention - and a feature of human societies/cultures! Thus, many people have sought to make Paul's reference to not allowing women to speak in the gathering of the saints together (I Corinthians 14:34-35, I Timothy 2:11-12) into a feature of the Divine will. Of course, we know that such a notion would contradict Paul's own experience in the faith with Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18, Romans 16:3)! Moreover, we know that Paul attributed Timothy's knowledge of Christianity to his mother and grandmother (II Timothy 1:5). So, I ask again: Was Paul reflecting (in these passages) an eternal spiritual principle applicable to all people everywhere in all times? OR Was Paul reflecting the paternalistic values of the society which produced him?

God and Jesus employed the guise of Father and Son, because they knew that the human cultures whom they were addressing would understand that language and imagery. In other words, their use of that imagery/symbolism did NOT mean that they were endorsing human notions of a paternalistic society! God is God. God is NOT bound by the roles and necessities which frame our existence! God is beyond gender. God does not need sexual reproduction. God doesn't have to urinate. Yes, God is a father and a son, but God is also a mother and a daughter. There is no such thing as primogeniture in God's realm. A person's gender has no bearing on his/her ability to inherit what his/her parent has prepared for him/her!

In short, our God is a nonbinary God. My search engine defines the "nonbinary" adjective in this way: "denoting, having, or relating to a gender identity that does not conform to traditional binary beliefs about gender, which indicate that all individuals are exclusively either male or female." Almighty God is NOT bound by our experiences of male and female! Our God cannot be contained!

 

The Prophetic Biblical Symbols of Human Governance: Egypt and Babylon

The flawed eschatology of Herbert Armstrong and his disciples is directly attributable to a number of extrabiblical interpretations of prophecy. On this blog (and many others), we have certainly underscored the problems which have flowed from his identification of the English-speaking peoples of the earth as Israelites (British or Anglo-Israelism). However, it is also very clear that many of his interpretations of other prophetic writings were equally flawed as a consequence of his failure to allow the Bible to interpret itself (the very axiom which he claimed to scrupulously follow)!

One of the most egregious examples of this was his identification of the Babylon of Revelation as the Roman Catholic Church. Laying aside the historical fact that there wasn't any such thing as a "Roman Catholic Church" at the time that John penned his Revelation, we must also conclude that he did not fully appeal to the Hebrew Scriptures in trying to understand what John had written (unfortunately, many Protestants have made the same mistake). As we shall see, his failure to interpret the Biblical symbols for human governance led him into a host of other misinterpretations of prophecy - especially related to the book of Revelation!

According to Blue Letter Bible, the word "Egypt" appears 611 times in 558 verses of the King James Version of the Bible. Likewise, the word "Babylon" appears 286 times in 252 verses in that version of the Bible. In fact, only the nation of Israel is mentioned more that these two nations (2,568 times). Israel, however, is portrayed throughout the Bible as the nation which God was using to introduce himself to the rest of humanity. Egypt and Babylon, on the other hand, are portrayed as typical of the governments which a deceived and alienated mankind had erected apart from God. Now, of course, there are a few other nations which are occasionally employed in this capacity in the pages of the biblical canon (e.g. Assyria, Persia, Sodom and Gomorrah); but Egypt and Babylon are employed in a symbolic and prophetic capacity more than any others!

In Torah, "Egypt" appears prominently as a refuge for the children of Israel (Genesis 41-50), and the principal human oppressor of Israel - the powerful nation which had enslaved them and used them to build its great cities and monuments (Exodus 1). Moreover, pharaoh was portrayed as the ultimate expression of human authority over other people. He is portrayed there as an impersonal, unnamed, and ruthless force who is powerful, prideful, willful, and full of his own self-interest. Moreover, in the Exodus narrative, the king of Egypt is portrayed as repeatedly resisting God and his will for the Israelites. He clearly believes that the Israelites are his personal property, and he does not want to allow them to go into the wilderness and worship their own God (Exodus 5-14). In other words, Egypt and its king appear as the personification of evil and sin - the epitome of man's flawed systems of governance supervised by Satan himself! Later, in the other writings of the Hebrew Bible, Egypt is repeatedly portrayed as both the enemy of Israel, and a potential ally.

In the prophets, Israel is warned against depending on Egypt to rescue her from her enemies (See Isaiah 30, 31, 36, Jeremiah 42). Indeed, Israel's solicitation of Egypt's protection is portrayed as spiritual prostitution and adultery! In other places, Egypt's ultimate destruction is predicted (Isaiah 19, Jeremiah 46, Ezekiel 29-32). Moreover, Egypt's punishment is repeatedly tied to its state religion, dependence on its military might, glorying in its wealth and trade, its reliance on the Nile and Mediterranean Sea, and the king's dependence on mediums as his counselors. Nevertheless, in the histories of the kingdom period, Israel is variously portrayed as being attacked by Egypt and in alliance with them (I Kings 3:1, 9:16, 14:25, II Kings 17:4, II Kings 23:29-34, II Chronicles 12:2-9). Even so, with reference to Egypt, the central message of the entire Hebrew Bible was that God had delivered his people from Egypt - had rescued them from that land and the evil and suffering which the Egyptians had inflicted upon them.

In Bible Study Tools' article on Egypt, we read: "In the Gospel of Matthew, Egypt is both a place of refuge and a place to come out of. One of Matthew's goals in writing his Gospel is to present Jesus as a new Moses. Matthew reports that Joseph was warned in a dream to take Jesus and his mother "and escape to Egypt" (Matthew 2:14). After the death of Herod, an angel tells Joseph to return to the land of Israel. Matthew applies the oracle of Hosea 11 to this situation, further linking Jesus with the historic suffering of the people of God (Matthew 2:15). Like Moses, Jesus comes out from Egypt, escaping the temptation of luxury, ease, and a peaceful life. Instead, he will fulfill the will of God and follow the lifelong road to Jerusalem." In the book of Acts, Egypt figures prominently in Stephen's speech before the Council and High Priest (Acts 7). Also, in that book which is the epitome of symbolism in the New Testament, there is a reference to Jerusalem within the context of a passage related to the Two Witnesses where that city is called "Sodom and Egypt" (Revelation 11:8). Hence, we see that this symbolism surrounding Egypt is even carried over into the New Testament.

In similar fashion, Babylon is portrayed in Scripture as both the instrument of God's wrath, the oppressor of his people, and a refuge for his people (II Kings 20, 24, 25, II Chronicles 36, Jeremiah 29). Interestingly, the symbolic representation of human governance is clearly delineated in these historical narratives as passing from Egypt to Babylon. In the account of Babylon's destruction of the Kingdom of Judah, we read: "And the king of Egypt did not come again out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken all that belonged to the king of Egypt from the Brook of Egypt to the river Euphrates." (II Kings 24:7, ESV) Clearly, from that point forward in Scripture, Babylon became the epitome of human governance both literally and figuratively.

Like Egypt before her, in the writings of the Hebrew prophets, Babylon began to take on an oversized role in relation to other Gentile nations. In the thirteenth chapter of Isaiah, we see again that Babylon is portrayed as the instrument of God's punishment of Judah - even while its own destruction is predicted! Moreover, in the following chapter (Isaiah 14), as the symbol of the state, the king of Babylon is associated with Satan, and the things which are typical of human governance without God are enumerated as the reasons for his fall. More particularly, the king's role as oppressor, authoritarian, conqueror, the source of "unrelenting persecution," and an overly ambitious and prideful foe of God is underscored.

Later in the book (Isaiah 39), the prophet provides some background for Babylon's intervention in the affairs of Judah. We read there an account of how the then king of Babylon used the opportunity of King Hezekiah's illness to ingratiate himself with the king of Judah and gather intelligence on his kingdom. Indeed, we read in the account of this diplomatic mission that Isaiah used this opportunity to predict Babylon's future destruction of Judah. 

Likewise, the prophet Jeremiah predicted that God would use Babylon to punish the Kingdom of Judah (Jeremiah 20-27). Moreover, in repudiating a false prophet who had predicted the end of Judah's captivity, Jeremiah proclaimed: "For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field." (Jeremiah 28:14, ESV) In other words, God was using this powerful king to achieve his own ends, and he makes clear that the extent of Nebuchadnezzar's authority would stretch well beyond Judah.

Indeed, in the following chapter (Jeremiah 29), the Jews were informed to relax and settle down in the land of Babylon, because they were going to be there for seventy years! In much of the rest of the book, the narrative regarding Babylon's conquest of Judah is repeated. Then, in the fiftieth chapter of the book, Jeremiah predicted the eventual fall of Babylon - that she herself would eventually be overwhelmed and conquered. This message is reiterated in the following chapter of the book (Jeremiah 51). Finally, the book of Ezekiel was written in the midst of Judah's captivity in Babylon.

Of course, the genesis of the narrative about Babylon actually began in the writings describing the later history of the Kingdom of Judah. It is here that we find the historian's account of Hezekiah's sickness, and the visit by the King of Babylon's diplomat/spies (II Kings 20). According to this text, Isahiah warned the Jewish king that "the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the Lord. And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon." (II Kings 20:17-18, ESV)

Nevertheless, in this account, the actual fulfillment of Isaiah's prediction happened many years later and in stages. Initially, Nebuchadnezzar made King Jehoiakim his vassal for three years (II Kings 24:1-6). Then, when that king rebelled against him, we are informed that Nebuchadnezzar sent some of his surrogates against the Kingdom of Judah, and Jehoiakim died in the midst of the melee. His son, Jehoiachin, succeeded his father on the throne of Israel, but only managed to hold on to the throne for three months (II Kings 24:8-9)! Nebuchadnezzar then deposed the king and carried him and most of his family away to Babylon (II Kings 24:10-12).

We are informed that he also carried away the valuables in the Lord's Temple, many of the elite citizens of Jerusalem to Babylon, and appointed the deposed king's uncle to reign in his place (II Kings 24:13-17). Finally, after King Zedekiah also rebelled against Babylon, the king again invaded the land, ended the Kingdom of Judah, executed many of the Jewish political and religious leaders, and destroyed both the Temple and the city of Jerusalem (II Kings 24:18-20, II Kings 25:1-21, and II Chronicles 36)!

Now, all of this background has set the stage for the prophetic books of Daniel in the Old Testament, and Revelation in the New Testament. As we shall shortly see, these two books of prophecy are companion pieces in understanding the symbolic significance of Babylon in Scripture. In other words, most of the scholars of the Christian Bible believe that it is impossible to fully comprehend the meaning of the symbolism surrounding the Babylon of Revelation without some comprehension of the Babylon described in Daniel.

In the first chapter of Daniel, the king of Babylon's military conquest of the Kingdom of Judah is underscored. Also, we learn that there was a system in place to recognize talent and aesthetic beauty among the conquered people and educate/train them in the ways of the Babylonian court. Likewise, in the second chapter of the book we see a king that is obstinate and authoritarian in nature - demanding that his servants interpret one of his dreams.

Moreover, when none of his advisors could do that, a young Jew named Daniel stepped forward and offered to give him God's interpretation of the dream. He began by describing the great image that the king had seen in his dream, starting with a head of gold, and descending to the legs and feet of the image with each body part being composed of a material inferior to the one before it. Then, while the king watched, a stone was supernaturally cut out of rock and hurled at the feet of the statue causing it to collapse in pieces. Eventually, Daniel explained, the stone grew into a great mountain that filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:31-35).

Daniel then proceeded to explain the meaning of the statue to the king. 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, ESV)

So, according to Daniel's interpretation of the king's dream, the King of Babylon represents the first of a series of human kingdoms that would rule over the earth until God's Kingdom finally enveloped the whole earth! Moreover, as we can see, Nebuchadnezzar becomes the gold standard - the template for all of the kingdoms which would succeed his over the course of human history (See my post Babylon as a Prophetic Template). In other words, Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon represented the epitome of government devised by humans - the control of a physical territory, the economic and military power to sustain it, the conquest and domination of other nations and peoples, the glory associated with all of that, and the people and resources over which that government ruled. Now, the importance of these characteristics of human governance will become apparent to us when we examine John's Babylon in the book of Revelation.

The third chapter of Daniel underscores some more important characteristics of human governance. In that chapter, we learn that Nebuchadnezzar ordered the construction of a very tall statue made of gold and then commanded all of his subjects to worship it. In this narrative, we see the king's hubris, and his authoritarian nature is on full display. Also, given the dream that he had previously, the text strongly suggests that Nebuchadnezzar expected his subjects to worship the state (and more particularly, him as the head of state)! What follows is the inspirational story about the defiance of the king's edict by three Jews: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The moral of the story? God's people should obey and worship him over and above any human authority on this earth! Likewise, the fourth chapter of Daniel recounts the story of God's humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar to teach him the truth that God is the ultimate authority - that the God of Israel was superior to Nebuchadnezzar and every other human leader on the planet!

Later, in this same book, we learn that the Medes and Persians eventually took over the empire of the Babylonians (Daniel 5 and 6). Then, in the seventh chapter, we find Daniel having a dream of his own about four great beasts who emerged from the sea with the characteristics of various animals (Daniel 7:1-8). In the dream, the "Ancient of Days" (God) appeared and took his place on a throne surrounded by an enumerable multitude (Daniel 7:9-10). Next, the fourth beast is destroyed and the other three are stripped of their power (Daniel 7:11-12). Daniel continued: "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, ESV)

Daniel then asked one of the entities surrounding the throne to interpret the symbols for him (Daniel 7:15-16). The entity replied: "These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth. But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever." (Daniel 7:17-18, ESV) He went on to explain in more detail the meaning of the symbols surrounding the fourth beast and concluded by assuring Daniel that the kingdom would eventually be given to the saints (Daniel 7:19-27, ESV).

Now, it is widely understood by biblical scholars that the four kingdoms portrayed in the dreams/visions of the book of Daniel refer to the empires of the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Nevertheless, as we are about to see in the book of Revelation, John employed both the symbolism of Babylon and the symbolism of the beasts in his own take on the history of humankind, and the eventual supremacy of the Kingdom of God.

The book of Revelation is literally full of symbols and imagery borrowed from the Hebrew Bible. In my opinion, the best and most comprehensive summary of the meaning of that symbolism is found in two short video presentations by the Bible Project. For anyone who is interested in the wider context and message of the book of Revelation, I highly recommend these videos for your consideration (They can also be viewed on Banned by HWA in The Book of Revelation).

Bible Project stated that John "makes it clear in the opening paragraph that this book is a 'revelation.' The Greek word used here is apokalypsis, which refers to a type of literature found in the Hebrew Scriptures and in other popular Jewish texts. Jewish apocalypses recounted a prophet’s symbolic visions that revealed God’s heavenly perspective on history so that the present could be viewed in light of history’s final outcome. These texts use symbolic imagery and numbers not to confuse but to communicate. Almost all the imagery is drawn from the Old Testament, and John expects his readers to interpret by looking up the texts to which he alludes." (Emphasis mine)

As for the imagery borrowed from the book of Daniel, in the thirteenth chapter of the book of Revelation, we find the description of John's vision of two beasts. Like the beasts of Daniel, we are informed that John's first beast emerged from the sea, and that the Dragon (Satan) had given the beast its authority. Moreover, we are informed that the whole earth followed the beast and worshipped him and proclaimed: "Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?" (Revelation 13:1-4) And, as the context and subsequent verses suggest, this first beast is symbolic of the human system's political and military influence over the earth. We are told, however, that the second beast emerged from the earth (Revelation 13:11). This beast is portrayed as reinforcing the worship of the first beast by employing false propaganda and exercising both supernatural and economic control (Revelation 13:11-18). Indeed, this is the passage where the infamous "mark" and "number" of the beast is revealed.

Bible Project has this to say about the "mark" and "number" of the beast: "The meaning of this image is found in the Old Testament. The mark is the 'anti-Shema.' The Shema is an ancient Jewish prayer of allegiance to God found in Deuteronomy 6:4-8 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord is 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. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons 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 up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.' It was to be written on the Israelites’ foreheads and hands as a symbol of devoting all your thoughts and actions to the one true God. But now the rebellious nations demand their own god-like allegiance."

The same source has this to say about the "number" of the beast: "John was fluent in both Hebrew and Greek, and his readers knew that Hebrew letters also function as numbers. If you spell the Greek words 'Nero Caesar' or 'beast' in Hebrew, both amount to 666. John isn’t saying that Nero was the precise fulfillment of this vision; rather, he’s a recent example of the pattern explored in Daniel. Human rulers become beasts when they assign divinity to their power and economic security and demand total allegiance to it. Babylon was the beast of Daniel’s day, followed by Persia, then Greece, and now Rome in John’s day. The pattern stands for any later nation who acts the same." In other words, the fourth beast of Daniel, the Roman Empire, was the latest manifestation of that original template of human governance: BABYLON!

Indeed, in the very next chapter of Revelation, John revealed an even more explicit connection in the messages of the three angels (Revelation 14:6-11). The first angel announces with a loud voice that earth's inhabitants should: "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water." (Revelation 14:7, ESV) John continued: "Another angel, a second, followed, saying, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.' And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God's wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.'" (Revelation 14:8-11, ESV, emphasis mine) John's contrast between allegiance to God and allegiance to any human government is clear.

This connection is made even clearer in the seventeenth chapter of this book. For our purposes, we will skip over the plagues and bowls of wrath in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of Revelation (Again, for those who may be interested in how they relate to all of this, I am happy to refer them to the two video presentations cited above). Our chapter of focus begins with one of the angels who carried the bowls of wrath telling John that he will show him "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." (Revelation 17:1-2, ESV)

Continuing, John then revealed what the angel had shown him. He wrote: "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 17:3-6, ESV, emphasis mine)

Next, we are informed that the angel revealed to John the meaning of the beast and the woman known as "Babylon the Great." First, the angel tells him that the beast refers to a number of political entities or "kings/kingdoms" that will reign on the earth and wage an unsuccessful war against the "Lamb" (Jesus Christ) and his saints (Revelation 17:7-14). He continued: "The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. And the ten horns that you saw, they and the beast will hate the prostitute. They will make her desolate and naked, and devour her flesh and burn her up with fire, for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth." (Rome, of course, was that city in John's day! Revelation 17:15-18, ESV) In other words, this "Babylon" has ruled over and dominated many different peoples and nations, and John is assured that those same people will eventually turn against her and destroy her!

Moreover, in the eighteenth chapter of the book, we find a eulogy for this fallen "Babylon" that is strangely reminiscent of things we have already read in the Old Testament. John saw an angel descend from heaven and proclaimed: "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living." (Revelation 18:1-3, ESV) Notice that this Babylon was GREAT, had many alliances with other kingdoms, exerted great economic power through trade and her own pursuit of "luxurious living." Once again, this was obviously Rome in John's day - in ancient times, it was Egypt and Babylon! One important question: Can you think of any modern nations who might fit this same template in our own time?

Then, John heard another voice from heaven which addressed God's people on this occasion. He said: "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed." (Revelation 18:4-6, ESV) Clearly, God did NOT want his people to be a part of this Babylonian system of human governance!

Finally, the chapter concluded, with the mourning of the woman's former partners in crime - the other peoples and nations who had participated in her political and economic system. First, we learn that the nations who had made alliances with her wept and wailed over her destruction (Revelation 18:9). Next, we are informed that the merchants of the earth mourned her fall (Revelation 18:11-17). Finally, we are informed that the shipmasters and sailors of the world mourned Babylon's fall (Revelation 18:17-20).

The chapter ends with this epitaph to Babylon: "So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence, and will be found no more; and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth." (Revelation 18:21-24, ESV)

All of this, of course, is followed with rejoicing in heaven and the proclamation of God's Kingdom on earth, and the return of Jesus Christ as "King of Kings." (Revelation 19) In other words, God will have then overthrown the human system of governance that was typified by Babylon! Moreover, having studied in some detail all of the characteristics of that system revealed in various passages of Scripture (in both Testaments), it would be incumbent upon all of us to remind ourselves of the features of that system which God wants his people to avoid. Remember, Babylon created a system that was: ruthless, prideful, full of self-interest, exploitative of other nations, peoples, and resources, oppressive, authoritarian, wealthy and economically dominant, commanded allegiance to, and worship of, the state, possessed military might, controlling, and persecuting God's people. Does that sound like any of the nations that you're familiar with? What about you? Do you wear the mark and number of the beast? OR, Are you a citizen of God's Kingdom? 

Divided Loyalties?

Jesus said:

No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. --Matthew 6:24, NLT

The Apostle Paul wrote:

II Timothy 2:1 Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. 5 And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. 6 And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.

8 Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. 9 And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. 10 So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen.

Serpents! O Brood of Vipers! Hypocrites!

There is a large group of folks who condemn homosexuality, transgenderism, "illegal" immigration, abortion, and government spending on social programs - "welfare." They are self-righteous and sure that they are on the side of right, good, and God! They call the folks who are "guilty" of these "sins" names like "perverts, fools, deranged, sinners, criminals, murderers, communists, Marxists, Globalists, and worse! Moreover, they do all of this knowing that they are liars, idolaters, thieves, perverts, adulterers, serial monogamists, and descendants of aliens/immigrants. In short, they are experts at discerning the speck of sawdust in the eyes of their brothers and sisters and dismissing the beams in their own eyes.

In Christ's day, the Pharisees demanded strict adherence to the commandments of Torah, and they reprimanded his disciples for violating the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-6). In that same account, we read that Jesus responded: "But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless." (Matthew 12:7, NKJV) A little later, in that same chapter, we are told that Christ said: "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:33-37)

On another occasion, in the same Gospel account, we read that Jesus confronted the scribes and Pharisees for their incessant hypocrisy. First, he told his audience that these men occupied the office of Moses. Then, he said: "Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men." (Matthew 23:1-5) He continued: "woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." (Matthew 23:13) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." (Matthew 23:15) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-24) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also." (Matthew 23:25-26) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." (Matthew 23:27-28)

From Christ's perspective, the scribes and Pharisees were insincere. They wanted to be admired as holy and righteous, but they didn't walk the walk. They were quick to point out sins and flaws in others while ignoring their own sins and mistakes. Condemnation was easy for them, and they felt no responsibility to practice kindness, mercy, or forgiveness. Clearly, the folks that I mentioned in the first paragraph of this post are the modern-day equivalents of the scribes and Pharisees!

The canonical Gospels also make very clear that Christ didn't want his disciples to follow their example! In his famous Sermon on the Mount, he said: "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5) Indeed, in that same sermon, Christ told them: "whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12) On another occasion, he confronted an indignant mob who was about to stone to death a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery (which was clearly consistent with Torah). (John 8:1-5) Christ told them: "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." (John 8:7) Instead of hostility and condemnation, Christ clearly expected his followers to offer kindness and mercy!

In his letter to the saints at Rome, Paul gave them a principle that was completely consistent with what Christ had said earlier. He wrote: "Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." (Romans 14:4) This is a message that all of the self-righteous, self-important "Christians" of the world desperately need to hear!  

Faith in God, NOT in Politicians

“Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.” -- Psalm 146:3-4

A Blessing in Disguise

The victory of Donald Trump spells the end of the republic which I had formerly held in such high esteem. Sure, it will continue to be called the United States of America, but it will not be the same country that I have served and celebrated for all of my life. Nevertheless, there is a blessing in this outcome for me. It has reminded me that my citizenship is in God's Kingdom, NOT in the very flawed United States. It has demonstrated to me that ALL of the nations of this earth really are hopelessly flawed, and that they are ALL destined to fail. Yes, persecution will come from the winners of this contest against their perceived enemies, but I have been liberated from any attachment to, or obligation to, the system they have created. Now, my only obligation is to what it should have been all of my life anyway. The obligation to love God with all of my heart and soul, and to love my neighbors as myself. At last, my loyalty is where it should have been all along.

I do, however, mourn for the world that my grandchildren will inherit. They will inherit a government that has returned to the spoils system. They will inherit a country where talent, education, and merit will take a backseat to loyalty. They will inherit a country that does not respect the democratic principles on which this nation professed to have been founded upon. They will inherit a country that puts economic prosperity over character, the environment, and the needs of the disadvantaged. They will inherit a country with a gutted public health system that will be more vulnerable to disease and the pandemics which will almost certainly arise from them. They will inherit a country where the rule of law and justice will become even more perverted and unfair than it already is. They will inherit a country that is more insular and xenophobic. They will inherit a country that does not honor its alliances and commitments on the world stage and befriends dictators and corrupt regimes around the world. They will inherit a country in which a religious minority insists on imposing its notion of morality on everyone and will persecute anyone who attempts to thwart them. I, however, will continue to love my grandchildren and encourage them to be good and kind to others and to seek God's Kingdom.

The handwriting is now on the wall. The United States will eventually suffer the same fate which the other beastly Babylons of the past suffered:

Revelation 18:1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”

4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Render to her just as she rendered to you and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her. 7 In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’ 8 Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her.

The World Mourns Babylon’s Fall

9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’

11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! 17 For in one hour such great riches came to nothing.’ Every shipmaster, all who travel by ship, sailors, and as many as trade on the sea, stood at a distance 18 and cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, ‘What is like this great city?’

19 “They threw dust on their heads and cried out, weeping and wailing, and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city, in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! For in one hour she is made desolate.’

20 “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her!”

Finality of Babylon’s Fall

21 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence the great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found anymore. 22 The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall not be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall not be heard in you anymore. 23 The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.” - NKJV

The shining city on the hill is no more! I will no longer stand before the night sky and rejoice in the fireworks exploding above my head. I cannot celebrate with a clear conscience that which was only an illusion. I had formerly entertained a romantic notion of what this country was - "the last, best hope of man on earth." Moreover, I had effectively worshipped that false idol for years - I had worn the mark of the beast in my forehead and on my hand!

As a student of history, a part of me had known that it was all romantic nonsense - that the United States was NOT good - that it had NEVER been good! Our forebearers had ruthlessly stolen this land from its natives and systematically exterminated them and their culture. Our forefathers had enslaved their African brethren and ruthlessly exploited them. They had started on the eastern shore of an Eden and had proceeded westward like a plague of locusts - felling the great forests and ruthlessly exploiting the abundant resources of the wholly defenseless continent that lay before them. Likewise, the lust for wealth and more had always motivated them to push forward - self-interest had always been the motivation of the economy which they had developed, and they had done it all proclaiming themselves to be disciples of Jesus Christ! I was blind, but now I see!

Even so, Lord, May Thy Kingdom come, and Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Bill Watson's Communism Quiz!

In anticipation of next week's election in the United States, CGI Pastor Bill Watson asked his congregation a series of questions to help them decide whether or not they are communists! The pastor obviously thinks that he is being clever - avoiding an outright endorsement of his favorite candidate, but his devious hijinks should be apparent to everyone. His "fun" quiz consisted of the following types of questions requiring a yes or no answer:

Do you support Critical Race Theory?

Do you support media companies controlling and/or censoring information on their platforms?

Do you support open borders?

Do you support sanctuary cities?

Do you support transgender/queer theory?

Should transitioning males be allowed to participate in female sports or use their locker rooms?

Should children under 18 years of age be given transitioning drugs without parental consent?

Are there more than two genders?

Do you support homosexual marriage?

Do you support defunding the police?

Do you support the elimination of private health insurance?

Should illegal immigrants be allowed to receive Medicaid and Social Security?

Should illegal immigrants be allowed to vote?

Are you satisfied with current gas and grocery prices?

Do you support imposing a capital gains tax on unrealized profits?

Do you support mandatory vaccination?

Do you agree with the United States subordinating its public health guidelines to the United Nations?

Should books with sexual content appear in grade school libraries?

Should transvestites be permitted to read to small children?

Do you support parent participation in the education of their children?

Do you support "15-Minute" cities? (daily necessities and services incorporated into urban planning)?

Do you support packing the Supreme Court?

Do you support increased inheritance taxes?

Do you support late-term or partial-birth abortions?

According to Bill, if you answered "no" to ten or more of these questions, you probably aren't a communist - meaning you should be voting for Donald Trump on Tuesday! Of course, to anyone with an open mind, his questions will appear absurdly prejudicial! In other words, personal bias is evident in the way that the questions were formulated. For example, I don't know of very many folks who actually "support" abortions of any kind, but I do no of a good many folks who support a woman's right to decide in consultation with her doctor whether or not to have an abortion.

Moreover, none of these questions offer much insight into whether or not someone is a communist! According to The Communist Manifesto by Marx and Engels, "The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." In modern times, they believed that society had resolved itself into two classes, the capitalists (Bourgeoisie) and the working class (Proletariat). They believed that the Capitalistic society which had developed as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution was inherently unfair to the vast majority of mankind, and this led them to a number of conclusions about what society should look like. Of course, the first priority was the overthrow of the Bourgeoisie. For Marx and Engel, a Communist society would involve: 1) abolish private property, 2) a progressive or graduated income tax, 3) abolition of inheritance rights, 4) confiscation of property of emigrants and rebels, 5) centralization of credit in the hands of the state, 6) centralization of the means of communication and transportation under state control, 7)state control of agriculture and industry, 8) a universal work requirement, 9) the gradual abolition of the distinctions between urban and rural, industry and agriculture, 10) free education for all children in public schools. Under such a system, they envisioned the eventual decline of the need for political power. This is the theory behind communism according to the original communists.

In other words, Bill has effectively redefined communism to make it fit his perception of what Kamala Harris and the Democrats represent. Nevertheless, I am hopeful that my readers are smart enough to discern the difference between increasing inheritance taxes and eliminating inheritance. I hope that my ACOG and Trumpist friends also realize that most of our Democratic brethren support the concept of private property and capitalism. Yes, of course, it is appropriate to point out that they generally support a more robust role for government in the economy, but it is inaccurate to say that they support state ownership and control of the private sector. Likewise, although most Democrats support the notion of separation of church and state, most of them are religious and have no agenda to do away with religion. As for a universal work requirement, excuse me for pointing out that that sounds more like a Republican objective than a Democratic one! Finally, isn't there a commandment about NOT bearing false witness against your neighbor? In fact, isn't that one of the BIG TEN that the ACOGs profess to be so fond of?

In short, voting for Kamala Harris or the Democrats does NOT make you a communist! Likewise, voting for the Great Orange One does NOT make you a fascist! Moreover, a true minister of Jesus Christ should NOT be dispensing his political views from the pulpit, and he definitely should NOT be lying about, exaggerating, or otherwise distorting the truth about anyone or anything. It is a SIN, pure and simple! Now, let's see if the Church of God International posts Bill's political message!

The following link supplies a more objective quiz for determining the degree to which someone is or isn't a communist: IDR Labs Communism Test 

Birds of a Feather!

Dennis Diehl posted The End of Fear yesterday over at Banned by HWA. The post consisted of a documentary style, short video with former members of Herbert Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God. The focus of the program was Armstrong's obsession with the prophesied horrors of the end time. Among the commentary which followed, I thought that one was particularly perceptive. The commentator wrote:

"HWA and Trump have one key manipulative technique in common. In order to sell their philosophy, both worked very hard at destroying trust in the normal practices and institutions upon which we have all grown up trusting and counting upon. I recognized this as a teenager in the WCG, and I certainly recognized it and saw it happening again on a larger scale here in the USA beginning in 2016-2017. Add some fear with readily disprovable conspiracy theories, and get enough people "authenticating" and spreading the lies, and you have a lever and fulcrum to manipulate massive numbers of people into a revolutionary level of insanity.

So many of us worked very hard to free ourselves from the damage done by HWA. We'll know sometime in the coming week whether or not we have a second, larger scale and more damaging scenario to live against as the election processes itself."

In response, I wrote:

Herbie preached that traditional Christianity was deceived and doing the Devil's work. He pointed out that higher education and science hadn't solved all of our problems either. Armstrong presented a world, and a nation headed for disaster and failure. Only God's direct intervention would prevent mankind from destroying himself and the planet he inhabited! Moreover, the state of California and a group of "dissidents" were attacking God's one and only "true" church (not Armstrong's and church leadership's malfeasance).

Likewise, Trump preached that the U.S. had lost its greatness and was headed for disaster and failure. He methodically and deliberately sowed and encouraged mistrust of our government, alliances, media, universities, and other institutions. Only he could save America from itself - from the "enemy within" who was seeking to destroy all that was good - those evil Democrats. Also, like Herbie, his enemies were America's enemies - they weren't really attacking him - they were attacking the U.S. Hence, all of the charges against him were a giant "witch hunt" meant to undermine his efforts to "help" the people of the United States.

It was bullsh-t back in the day, and it's bullsh-t in 2024! Both men cultivated a cult of personality and played on the fears of their followers. Moreover, the results were largely the same - a group of disciples who would excuse their every failure and remain loyal in the face of so much clear evidence of their own corruption and personal failures.

God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So, we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. --I John 4:16-18

Samhain and Halloween

The Armstrong Churches of God and Jehovah's Witnesses claim that Halloween is pagan in origin and should NOT be observed by "true" Christians. Is that true? Does our Halloween have its origins in the pagan Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced "sow-win")? AND Should Christians shun anything to do with the observance of that holiday? This post will attempt to answer those questions.

In support of their stance against "pagan" holidays, the favorite prooftext of the Armstrong Churches of God is found in the book of Deuteronomy. We read there: "These are the statutes and rules that you shall be careful to do in the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you to possess, all the days that you live on the earth. You shall surely destroy all the places where the nations whom you shall dispossess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree. You shall tear down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and burn their Asherim with fire. You shall chop down the carved images of their gods and destroy their name out of that place. You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way." (Deuteronomy 12:1-4, ESV) Moreover, a little later in the same book and chapter, we read: "When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.’ You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." (Deuteronomy 12:29-32, ESV)

So, there you have it - case closed! It is clear. God doesn't want his people adopting pagan practices in their worship of him! The PLAIN TRUTH is that God doesn't want his people adding to or taking away from what he has commanded them! Right? Not so fast!

Let's take a closer look at that passage from Deuteronomy. Question: To whom were these instructions given? Answer: The Children of Israel! Question: What pagan practices did God designate as unacceptable for the Israelites? Answer: Using the places where the former inhabitants of the Promised Land worshipped their gods! Also, in the latter passage, they were instructed NOT to worship God in the way that those nations who had lived there before them worshipped their gods! Moreover, notice that this passage also spells out that God hated the way they sacrificed their children as burnt offerings to their gods! Question: What commandments was God talking about when he instructed the Israelites not to add or subtract from them? Answer: The commandments that he was giving to THEM - Torah! In other words, these instructions were given to the Israelites to outline how God wanted THEM to deal with the religious practices of the former inhabitants of the Promised Land! This was also consistent with the commandments NOT to have any gods besides, before, or in place of THE GOD and NOT to make any idols to worship (images of gods). Moreover, students of Torah will also remember that God had given the Israelites instructions about a Tabernacle and a future central sanctuary for them to use in worshipping HIM (Deuteronomy 12:20-28 and 16:1-17). Likewise, we know that God gave the children of Israel specific commandments about a number of Holy Days which THEY would observe in their worship of HIM! (Leviticus 23 and Deuteronomy 16:1-17)

Question: What do these instructions have to do with the Celtic peoples? Answer: Nothing! What do these instructions have to do with Christians? Answer: Nothing! Question: Who were they for? Answer: The Children of Israel!

Now, with that background in hand. We will turn our attention to the Celtic holiday which the ACOGs and Jehovah's Witnesses characterize as the forerunner of our modern Halloween. On the website Irish Myths, in their article titled A Brief History of Samhain, we read: "Samhain (“summer’s end”) marked the conclusion of one pastoral year and the commencement of the next. As an ancient Celt, you would have been keenly aware that the days were noticeably shorter during the Samhain season, as if the sun itself were in retreat. The world was darker. The harvest, over...So the ancient Celts did what any sensible people would do in the face of encroaching darkness: They shined a light."

Likewise, on the History.com website, in their article titled Samhain, we read: "Ancient Celts marked Samhain as the most significant of the four quarterly fire festivals, taking place at the midpoint between the fall equinox and the winter solstice. During this time of year, hearth fires in family homes were left to burn out while the harvest was gathered. After the harvest work was complete, celebrants joined with Druid priests to light a community fire using a wheel that would cause friction and spark flames. The wheel was considered a representation of the sun and used along with prayers. Cattle were sacrificed, and participants took a flame from the communal bonfire back to their home to relight the hearth. Early texts present Samhain as a mandatory celebration lasting three days and three nights where the community was required to show themselves to local kings or chieftains. Failure to participate was believed to result in punishment from the gods, usually illness or death."

A little further, in the same article, we learn that: "Because the Celts believed that the barrier between worlds was breachable during Samhain, they prepared offerings that were left outside villages and fields for fairies, or Sidhs. It was expected that ancestors might cross over during this time as well, and Celts would dress as animals and monsters so that fairies were not tempted to kidnap them. Some specific monsters were associated with the mythology surrounding Samhain, including a shape-shifting creature called a Pukah that receives harvest offerings from the field. The Lady Gwyn is a headless woman dressed in white who chases night wanderers and was accompanied by a black pig." Hence, we see that the Celtic mythology surrounding this festival associated it with the supernatural, and a time when evil forces might enter their world and work their mischief among them.

Question: Does any of that sound like our celebration of Halloween? Answer: Outside of the supernatural mythology, the festival sounds more like the fall harvest festivals of the ancient Israelites! After all, most Americans don't let the fires go out in their fireplaces during harvest time (the majority of homes don't even have fireplaces anymore), and they aren't in the habit of lighting a communal bonfire for the purpose of relighting their own extinguished home fires. Likewise, outside of young folks, I don't think that many modern Americans believe in fairies or monsters, and they certainly aren't disguising their children to protect them from being kidnapped by fairies!

Question: If we didn't get it from the Celts, where did this "Halloween" originate? Answer: The holiday is derived from the vigil for All Saints' Day. In the online version of the Catholic Encyclopedia, in their entry for "All Saints' Day," we read: "The vigil of this feast is popularly called 'Hallowe'en' or 'Halloween.' Continuing, we are informed that: "In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring <sic> dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast ; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (397) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407). At first only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honoured <sic> by a special day. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established; still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a 'Commemoratio Confessorum' for the Friday after Easter. In the West Boniface IV , 13 May, 609, or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84)."

Now, with all of this history as evidence, we are forced to conclude that Halloween is a development of the Christian Era! Hold on! Jesus didn't say anything about honoring saints or martyrs! Question: Are you sure about that? Actually, the writings of the New Testament have a great deal to say about saints and martyrs being honored (See Revelation 6:9-11, 17:6, 20:4, I Thessalonians 3:13, 4:16, Jude 1:14, Revelation 11:18, 5:10, etc.). Question: Well, what about all of that stuff related to ghosts, witches, demons, and the like? Answer: Are you suggesting that all of those things are NOT mentioned in Scripture? Now, I'm certainly NOT condoning or suggesting that you dress up your children to look like demons and ghosts, but I think that we can all see that the superstitious paranoia of these folks is just a little overboard - a little pharisaical! Bottom line, observe Halloween or don't - it's up to you and your conscience, but don't try to pin your decision to shun it on God's commandment! 

    

Christianity Today on Christian Nationalism

In the September/October edition of Christianity Today, Russell Moore contributed an article titled The Uneasy Conscience of Christian Nationalism (which I am happy to recommend). In the piece, Moore cautions Christian nationalists that the eutopia they seek may not be the reality that they end up with. Indeed, he likens the current climate among Evangelicals of that bent to the moral equivalent of the selling of indulgences which prompted Luther to nail his paper to the door of the castle. He wrote: "In our time, the indulgences are more akin to a hotel’s green initiative than to the construction of St. Peter’s. The new Christian nationalism—like the withered old state churches of Europe and the secularized old social gospels of mainline Protestantism—defines Christianity in terms of reforming external structures rather than of regenerating internal psyches. Unlike the older theological liberalisms, though, Christian nationalists seek solidarity not in the actual mitigating of human suffering but in the mostly symbolic boundary markers of taking the right amount of theatrical umbrage at culture war outrages, at having the right kind of enemies, at 'owning the libs.'"

Moore went on to quote Philip Yancey (a longtime columnist at Christianity Today) about the fate of the Soviet Union: "Humans dream of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good, wrote T. S. Eliot, who saw many of his friends embrace the dream of Marxism. 'But the man that is - will shadow the man that pretends to be.' What we were hearing from Soviet leaders, and the KGB, and now Pravda, was that the Soviet Union ended up with the worst of both: a society far from perfect, and a people who had forgotten how to be good." He went on to conclude: "We should not pretend that we could not see the same thing with a lifeless, politicized dystopian Christian nationalism as we saw with a hollowed-out Soviet empire. What a tragic end it would be to wind up with a society as debauched as ever and a people who have forgotten how to be saved. The way forward is what it’s always been. As Luther said in his Heidelberg Disputation, 'The theologian of glory calls evil good and good evil. The theologian of the cross calls a thing what it is.' Sometimes that means nailing a word or two to the castle door. Sometimes that might mean letting goods and kindred go. The whole of the Christian life is about repentance. That repentance must be about the renewing of our minds and the renovation of our hearts, not just the laundering of consciences that are no longer bound to the Word of God."

From my perspective, that's just about right. We can huff and puff about the culture wars, protest at abortion clinics, and insist on voting for the "right" candidate OR We can focus on repenting of our own shortcomings and sins, trying to live our best lives in the here and now, and helping others to be successful in the same pursuits. Bottom line, religious/spiritual does NOT equal political/civic. If we claim to be Christians, we MUST remember that our primary allegiance is to God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Kingdom of God!    

When Are You Going to Admit that Bill Watson IS RIGHT?

Pastor Bill Watson of the Church of God International is certainly consistent – I’ll give him that! He has never wavered in his conviction that he has the truth, and that it is his job to try to convince everybody else to conform to the dictates of his conscience.

Pastor Watson opened his remarks with a warning about a potential widening of the ongoing wars involving Israel because of that nation’s counterattack on Iran. Turning his attention closer to home, the pastor reminded his audience that the general election was rapidly approaching in the United States. Watson said that he saw some of Trump’s most recent rally, and that “DJT” was “essentially trolling the Marxist group of people, the Marxist party, frankly, that stands for killing children – I’m not going to make any apologies for that, because that’s what that party stands for - open borders, by-the-way, higher taxes, and let the prices continue to rise. If you like it, you can vote for that particular party of Marxists…” Once again, however, Bill insisted that he wasn’t talking politics – that he was talking “policy.”

Then, finally, Mr. Watson waded into the main topic of his message: How important it is for everyone to observe the festivals outlined in Torah. Hewing close to the Armstrongist party line, he insisted that Christians need a yearly reminder about what God is working out here on earth. Ironically, after fifty years of observing these festivals, Bill still hasn’t learned what they symbolize or mean! Indeed, instead of underscoring how they ALL point to CHRIST, Watson parroted Mr. Armstrong’s nonsense about how they portray the “truths” which he alone had deciphered and revealed. For Bill, the Eucharist is only to be performed within the context of the yearly Jewish Passover. Likewise, Christians MUST make a concerted effort to deleaven their houses, cars and toasters. The Day of Atonement is all about Satan, and the Feast of Tabernacles is all about the Millenium. And, of course, Bill means that all of them should be observed according to Armstrongist tradition (don’t worry about all of those instructions in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy).

Talk about a true-believer, Mr. Watson is it. He believes that physical observances (rituals) repeated over and over again are the way to grow in grace and knowledge. Never mind that mushy love stuff! For Bill, true spirituality is found in performing all of the rituals which Mr. Armstrong identified in Torah as being binding on “true” Christians. For him, the New Covenant is built on the foundation of the Old one – an updated version of the same deal which God made with the children of Israel. According to Bill, Christ’s fulfillment of the Law of Moses does NOT mean that we are exempt from obeying it. Forget that stuff about Christians not being justified by the works of the Law. For Bill, Christians would be lost without the Torah!

Come to think of it, Bill may be right to worry about his flock’s observance of those Jewish rituals. Indeed, all of the clips that I looked at of ACOG feast sites showed a lot of empty seats, and most of the ones that were occupied were supporting elderly men and women. In fact, there were quite a few empty pews at Medina this past Sabbath for Bill’s sermon! 

The Major Problems with Armstrongism (which this blog and others have identified)

The following teachings of Herbert Armstrong have been thoroughly refuted here and elsewhere:

1. The nature of God. His teachings about the Trinity, and more particularly those that were related to the Holy Spirit.

2. The nature of the human potential. His teaching that man would one day be equal to God.

3. The biblical origins of the English-speaking nations of the earth. His teaching that the people of the United States and Britain are the descendants of the birthright tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Manasseh).

4. That the return of Jesus Christ to this earth is imminent. He repeatedly engaged in date setting and misleading people about the signs of the times.

5. That Christians are obligated to observe the commandments of Torah (including the weekly Sabbath, Holy Days, tithing, and clean and unclean animals as food.

6. That the symbolism of the Holy Days reflected Armstrong's understanding of God's plan. More particularly, his understanding of the meaning of Atonement, Trumpets, and Tabernacles.

7. The nature, purpose, and fate of the angels. Especially, as it related to Satan and his demons.

8. The nature of the ekklesia. His teachings about government within the Church, the composition of the Church, disfellowshipping, and that traditional Christians were deceived members of a false church, a pseudo-ekklesia.

9. The influence of paganism on Christianity. More particularly, his teachings regarding Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Saint's Days, etc., and his rejection of the cross as a Christian symbol.

10. The interpretation of prophecy. More particularly, his headline theology and insinuating modern nations, institutions, and leaders into biblical prophecies.

11. The nature of the Gospel. More particularly, his de-emphasis on the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth and what all of that meant for humanity.

12. The nature of the Kingdom of God. He ignored the anti-authoritarian message of Christ and dismissed the fundamental change that was being wrought in the nature of humanity. Instead, he emphasized a literal government which would forcibly impose its will on everyone.

13. The nature and purpose of human sexuality. More particularly, his teachings about dating, marriage, homosexuality, divorce and remarriage, child rearing, appropriate clothing, makeup, and what constituted sexual lust.

14. The nature and role of faith and works in the life of a Christian. His understanding of love, mercy, forgiveness, repentance, faith in Christ, and physical works was twisted and inconsistent with what is revealed in Scripture.

15. The way that Scripture was used and interpreted. Mr. Armstrong's insistence on literalism and proof-texting; and his rejection of all textual criticism, along with the way he ignored context, doomed his interpretations of Scripture to failure.

Is Someone Trying to Steal Your Crown?

Over at Banned by HWA, in reaction to Dennis Diehl's post about the dangers inherent to trying to live one's life in accordance with a Divine purpose, a conversation was inaugurated about whether or not Dennis was trying to steal a Christian's metaphorical crown. Now, this is not the first time this charge has been leveled against the various authors of the posts which appear on that blog. Of course, we must first understand that the entire blog is devoted to holding Armstrongist "agents of deception accountable." In other words, everything which appears there is meant to expose the inconsistencies and errors inherent to the theology of the Armstrong Churches of God - to prevent THEM from "stealing your crown."

The concept of crown stealing is drawn from a passage in the book of Revelation. In the messages to the seven ekklesia of Asia, the congregation at Philadelphia was praised for its faithfulness to God's word and their perseverance in the face of opposition to their work (Revelation 3:7-10). Then, in the next verse, we read: "I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown." (Revelation 3:11, ESV) What did they have to hold on to? Wasn't it faithfulness to God's word and perseverance in the face of opposition? Are the Armstrong Churches of God faithful to God's word? OR Are they the agents of deception that we contend they are? In other words, if they aren't being faithful to God's word, then what do they have to hold on to?

In this connection, I have always thought that the message to the ekklesia at Laodicea was more appropriate for the Armstrong Churches of God. We read there: "For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see." (Revelation 3:17-18, ESV) Indeed, they glory in the "truth" which they possess even as they completely misunderstand the nature of the "crown" they seek to protect and the kingdom which it represents!

The Greek word "stephanos" is translated into English as "crown." It is indicative of the wreath, garland, coronet which was worn by the Roman emperor or given as a prize to the victor in the public games of that time - a symbol of the honor due to a particular person. In his letter to the ekklesia at Corinth, Paul wrote: "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." (I Corinthians 9:24-27, ESV) Likewise, he called the saints at Philippi his "joy and crown" in the Lord (Philippians 4:1). Paul also wrote to Timothy that a "crown of righteousness" was waiting for him "which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." (II Timothy 4:8, ESV) For those who endure trials, James said that they would receive a "crown of life" someday (James 1:12, ESV). Moreover, Peter wrote to the leaders of the ekklesia to: "shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory." (I Peter 5:1-4, ESV)

In short, even the use of the "crown" as a metaphor in the writings of the New Testament undermines the teachings of the Armstrong Churches of God about the Kingdom of God and the reward that Christian's are intended to receive from God! Finally, I would also point out that this context makes abundantly clear that YOU are responsible for protecting your crown - NO ONE can steal it from you if you are doing what you're supposed to be doing!