Revelation Re-visit - A New Study

The following paper presents an analysis of two key chapters (13 and 17) in the Bible's Book of Revelation.

The Book of Revelation is the last book of the Bible, and perhaps the most abused sacred literature due to its vivid but confusing mosaic of imagery that can be so easily misinterpreted to suit a variety of ends. My approach starts with a reading of the text, with informative comments juxtaposed, and then proceeds to a unique attempt at ‘unforced deduction,’ where the text explains itself... using interpretive keys supplied within the text, in the light of recent historical events. Whether you are a ‘Christian’ of some stripe, an adherent of another faith, or a non-believer, I invite you to see how the Bible explains and validates itself... if only we allow it.
Important notes to keep in mind: 1) Revelation is a symbolic book, the record of John's visions; all numbers and images must be considered as symbolic, not literal. 2) the major images (see 1st comment) are defined within the text-- we don't have to impose supposed meanings.

Revelation 13 Text (from NASB)	Comments
1 And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names.	Beast = ‘nation,’ country, empire Dragon = Satan (the Devil) Sea = populous area; the ‘old world’ Horns = rulers Heads = kingdoms, nations Diadems = sign of authority, rulership Blasphemous - indicates un-Godly
2 And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.	Leopard = Greece Bear = Medo-Persia Lion = Babylon Throne = dominance This beast is a composite of several empires, & operates with satanic power.
3 I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast;	1 of the 7 nations is apparently destroyed but later is restored, to the amazement of the world.
4 they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?"	‘Everyone’ worships Satan, perhaps not even aware, since it is done as patriotism. The ‘empire’ has absolute military power.
5 There was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him.	The empire’s rulers/spokespersons speak with worldly arrogance; This entity is virtually unopposed for ’42’ symbolic months = 1260 days = 3 ½ years. Pos. 1260 years; or an indeterminately long, symbolic period.
6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.	Blasphemy=disrespect for God, sacred things. Tabernacle=the ‘church’, ‘saints’, who are, spiritually, residents of heaven.
7 It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.	The empire oppresses the believers; some give up their faith. It has global power in a secular sense.
8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.	Everyone on earth will give homage to the empire except for the steadfast believers in Jesus, who refuse.
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.	Listen up-- even ‘one ear’ will suffice!
10 If anyone is destined for captivity, to captivity he goes; if anyone kills with the sword, with the sword he must be killed. Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.	‘Looks like there’s no escaping destiny... and fate. The faithful must hold on thru all this persecution.
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon.	Another prominent nation arises; this time from a less populous region. It looks innocent, but ‘carries a big stick.’
12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed.	This nation has similar satanic power to the 1st one, and is contemporary with the restored nation. It forces every one to pay homage to the 1st nation that was revived.
13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.	This nation can bring down fire-power with ‘shock & awe’, and on the ‘world stage’ .
14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life.	This nation deceives everyone with its impressive ‘magic.’ It prevails on the world to make an ‘image’ (?) in honor of the 1st nation.
15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.	Somehow, the 2nd nation injects ‘life’ into the image; this image has ‘speech’ and can impose death on those who refuse to worship it (follow its dictates).
16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead	‘He’ (the nation, presumably) forces everyone to accept a symbolic ‘mark’ on the hand or forehead, indicative of slavery to the system. Hand or forehead may imply either implicit/ practical, or else conscious assent.
17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.	Only those having the ‘mark’ are allowed to ‘buy or sell.’ [Unclear if literal or not.] The mark relates to the name of this nation, or to the ‘number of its name.’ Commerce may imply expression of ideas,especially of truth.
18 Here is wisdom: Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred & sixty-six.	With divine enlightenment, one can determine this nation… its ‘no.’ is ‘that of a man,’ and = 666. Could it be a nation named after a man? A nation with divine aspirations but doomed never to attain them?
Revelation 17
1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, "Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters,	bowl = symbolic container of penalties harlot = apostate church judgment = fate, punishment waters = people, populations ‘Seems to be a church that includes many people.
2 with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality."	Earthly rulers are ‘in bed’ with this church, and many people are caught up in her scandalous values and behavior.
3 And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns.	Wilderness = unpopulated area Woman = church Scarlet beast = bloody/infamous nation 7 heads & 10 horns - recalls the beast of Rev. 13 (& Daniel 7).
4 The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality,	Purple & scarlet - priestly garb (‘Papal’) gold etc = valuables; great wealth gold cup - looks good on outside, but full of filthy realities… religious hypocrisy!
5 and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, "BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."	Mystery = occultism Babylon = Sumer; birthplace of false religion and abhorrent, occult practices. Mother of harlots = origin of all false religions with ungodly practices.
6 And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly.	A church steeped in the deaths of many true believers in Christ. The Roman (Catholic) Church’s history fits this image, but likely is not the only one.
7 And the angel said to me, "Why do you wonder? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns.	(We hope to get some heaven-sent illumination here!) If the beast is the ‘old world,’ then the woman seems to be the Roman church (later, RC church).
8 "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.	The nation existed before the time of this vision; but at that time did not exist. It will rise up once again, and is destined for destruction. It rises from the ‘abyss of time’ or of history… or of dispersion. Those living when this nation is restored will be amazed to see this restoration.
9 "Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,	Mountains = thrones; governments(?) 7 = completeness A church that presides over ‘7’ symbolic mounts; a universal church (RC).
10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.	Kings = kingdoms, ‘countries’ 5 were gone at the time of the vision; 1 was in existence in ~ 90 AD; (Rome); 1 hadn’t appeared yet, at that time. (5 + 1 + 1 = 7)
11 "The beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is one of the seven, and he goes to destruction.	The kingdom that had gone in 90AD but will return was one of the 7 kingdoms, and will become an ‘8th’ nation when it is restored. Ie. it is the one that hadn’t yet appeared (above) but is somehow ‘new.
12 "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour.	Horns = ‘kings’ or rulers. These kingdoms didn’t exist in John’s day, but will be in power when the ‘scarlet beast’ makes its final moves in the last moments of history.
13 "These have one purpose, and they give their power and authority to the beast.	These end-times rulers give their allegiance to the nation being ridden by the apostate church.
14 "These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful."	The end-times rulers make war on Jesus (his church?) but will be defeated.
15 And he said to me, "The waters which you saw where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues.	Waters = crowds of people (as above) in a multicultural setting-- likely Europe.
16 "And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the harlot and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.	The rulers and the restored nation will turn on the false religion and destroy it.
17 "For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled.	Despite their plots, the rulers are being directed by God to do His will. They give their authority to the restored nation, but only until God’s will is done.
18 "The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth."	Woman = ‘city’; human construction Great city = (probably) a nation, country Seems to be one nation that has hegemony over all earthly rulers.

Analysis

After going thru this dissection of the text, letting scripture define its own terms as much as possible, and always bearing in mind that Revelation is a symbolic book, there are a number of reasonable inferences that emerge. Re-capping:

1. The text refers to a nation that had disappeared at the time of John’s writing, yet would reappear later in history;
2. when this nation reappears it will cause many to be amazed;
3. this nation is associated with the name of a man; and perhaps aspires to attain godly heights… their way.
4. this nation was among a group of 7 that existed in a then-populous region-- i.e. the Middle East-- before it was extinguished;
5. when it reappears, it will be in some ‘new’ form (different from the 1st appearance);
6. this nation is associated with a false religion somehow;
7. there is another nation that appears later, that will be closely allied with the restored nation-- it wasn’t one of the original 7; but when it arises in an unpopulated area, it will enforce homage to the old/restored nation;
8. this ‘new nation’ will first appear benign (lamb-like), but will issue draconian edicts that will cause all other nations to ‘fall into line’ with it;
9. the new nation is being directed by a false, apostate religion;
10. there seems to be a blurring between the woman as a church and as a ‘city,’ but in any case, there is a highly urbanized nation that exercises hegemony over all other nations;
11. a set of ‘ten’ symbolic kingdoms arise in the end-times and they give their ‘power and authority’ to the restored kingdom for a short time (17:12-13).

When you look at the facts laid out like this, while there may still be some fuzzy details, nonetheless, some conclusions jump out as inescapable!

As soon as you mention ‘restored nation’ the obvious candidate that leaps out is ‘Israel’. Its name comes directly from ‘a man,’ their patriarch Jacob who was renamed Israel. Ancient Israel was one of a group of seven prominent nations in the Middle East that includes Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Greece, Babylonia, and Rome. With their rejection of the Messiah, Israel’s treasured, cultural religion, Judaism, is become an antichristian blasphemy. In any case, as a nation, Israel has always aspired to ‘help’ God do things their way. From the taking of the Promised Land, to the Pharisaical plot to eliminate Jesus, the children of Israel preferred their deeds to acceptance of God’s grace. The dramatic restoration of the Jewish homeland of Israel in the land of Palestine in 1948 was indeed seen as amazing, if not miraculous, by the on-looking world. While many assumed that it must be due to God’s intervention, there are others who have investigated the creation of the modern state of Israel, and find that it was rather due to conniving plans dating back to the late 19th century and revamped following the First World War. It was not God’s hand that was involved, but that of the Dragon, motivating Zionist agents behind the scenes of diplomacy. The Bible had this insight long before any modern pundit could possibly discern the covert machinations that culminated in a restored Jewish state. However, this resuscitated nation is a pretender! Altho populated by Jews (encompassing Benjamites and Levites), they call themselves Israel, in pretense of representing the original, full 12 tribes of Jacob. And whereas ancient Israel, the state, occasionally worshipped the true God, the new nation follows a worldly, ultra-nationalist, anti-religion that could be simply labeled as Zionism. Thus, ‘Israel’ has reappeared, in a new, ersatz format.

Now, the second prominent nation, the later one which is not of the original seven, and which originates in a less populous region, seems to reach its zenith near the culmination of apocalyptic events. Again, on the evidence, there’s one nation that immediately springs to mind-- the USA. Obviously, it didn’t exist at the time of John. And when it did appear, it arose in the ‘new world’, far from the populations of the old world. With its declaration of the rights and freedoms of individuals, particularly in regard to religious worship, the USA indeed looked lamb-like, and the two horns could symbolize the separation of church and state. Lately, there is no doubt about the dragon-like voice with which the US government has been throwing its weight around the world over the last 60 years or more. All nations of the world are compelled to heed the voice of the US government, whether they like it or not. In the vivid imagery of Revelation, this beast calls down fire from heaven, and deceives the Earth with the ‘signs’ he has the power to perform in front of the world. This made little sense-- until September 11, 2001, that is; now it reads as prescient indeed!

The lobbying of the ‘religious right’ has become increasingly influential since the Reagan presidency of the 1980s-- some call it a profane, false religion ‘directing’ affairs in D.C. At least, that is the cursory analysis of ‘the harlot riding the beast.’ However, one could argue that the religious right is still, nominally, Christian, and not necessarily what the prophecy points to. Geo-political events since ‘9-11-2001’ have uncovered a more covert connection between an abominable religion and the US administration. Summarizing a vast amount of evidence, let me state simply that there are undeniable indications that the cabinet in Washington is dominated by Zionist interests. One can think of Zionism as Judaism gone mad, or more properly, as a geo-political conspiracy (for the ‘New World Order’) whose luminaries seem to come largely from the ranks of Jews. In any case, there is a groundswell of evidence that the individuals who populate the US administration are linked to a panoply of occult practices and symbolism that can be traced back to ancient Babylon. These politicians congregate at the ‘Bohemian Grove’ (California) annually to indulge in bizarre, satanic rituals. That is their abominable, antichristian religion. It is well known that G.W. Bush is also a member of the Yale U. secret society called the ‘Skull and Bones.’ Many high-placed officials in Washington are associated with various occult/demonic societies, as a little Internet research will attest. One could argue that this ‘mystery cult’ of the elite could also represent the prostitute of the prophecy.

You can see that the other implication of this Zionist link to Washington is political. With increasing boldness, the Israeli government in Jerusalem exerts influence over the USA to do its dirty work in the Middle East. For decades the US delegation has used its veto in the Security Council of the United Nations to prevent censure of Israel. Lately, US foreign policy seems to be dictated by Israel. The First and Second Gulf Wars make little sense except when analyzed in the light of Israel using US military power to subdue its enemies in the Middle East theatre. When Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006, deliberately destroying civilian infrastructure and killing non-combatants, the US waited until it was too late before expressing some measure of reservation over the Israeli depredations. While Israel and the USA make an uproar about supposed nuclear ambitions by Iran, they simply ignore the open secret that Israel already possesses nuclear weapons, and has the means to deploy them. Any nation fingered by Washington must jump and salute; however, Israel gets a free pass. In other words, the ‘second beast’-- the USA-- causes the rest of the world to worship the first beast-- Israel. The trend is so marked that we can see that it’s an emergent reality of the ‘New World Order.’

As many commentators have speculated, the 10 horns of 17:12 probably refer to the leaders of the European Union, who have had reservations about Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians, yet in the end, support the US-British backing of Israel. Once EU membership exceeded ten nations, some pundits abandoned this view; but they fail to note that ‘ten’ is simply a symbolic count for an inclusive set. And in any case, only ten or less countries have significant influence on EU foreign affairs. This view also is in accord with Daniel’s vision of the statue in chapter 2, where the feet and toes (of iron mixed with clay) have long been identified as the ‘revived Roman Empire’ embodied in the modern EU, with its strained mix of strong and feeble economies.

The one piece of the puzzle that escapes me at present is the question of the ‘image of the beast.’ While the other pieces fall into place fairly neatly, this one is far from obvious, at least at this time. I expect that it will become apparent as events unfold, but for the time being, the image is an open question. The NIV translates the passage as: “an image in honor of the beast.” The NASB and the KJV translation is: “an image to the beast.” In the Amplified Bible, the passage reads: “a statue (an image) in the likeness of the beast.” So, we have the later nation commanding the inhabitants of the earth to ‘make an image’ that represents the first (restored) nation in some manner.

One thing is certain, tho; and that is that by means of so-called ‘anti-hate’ laws, it is becoming almost impossible for anyone to question Israeli policies and actions. Many commentators have taken the picture of ‘buying and selling’ quite literally, and have weaved some rather bizarre scenarios based on that view (e.g. micro-chips, bar-codes in people’s flesh). On the contrary, I expect that the figure is meant to be symbolic… but, of what? Perhaps Proverbs 23:23 gives a clue: “Buy truth, and do not sell it, Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.” Increasingly, no one in Western societies can dare openly criticize Israel without unleashing severe censure. It doesn’t take much imagination to foresee a time when any expression of reservation about Israel will result in prison or even death. And yet, how can we ‘get understanding’ if any criticism of Israel is crushed by so-called ‘anti-hate laws?’ Zechariah 11:4-6 is another passage that puts buying and selling in the context of duplicitous and predatory exploitation of one class by another, and God’s judgement on them. So, Rev 13:17 may be alluding to the fact that no one can speak truth about Israel and religion, but only mouth what the state permits.

My guess is that the construction of the image hasn’t yet happened, and when it does, we will be close to the end of the game. I predict that when the USA proposes some kind of ‘solution’ to the Middle East crisis that involves enforced homage to something that stands for (symbolizes, represents) the state of Israel, then we will recognize the fulfillment of this graphic prophecy. I expect that whatever it is, it will be a surprise to all, yet clear to those who remember scripture. The other factor is the ultimate uncovering of the false, apostate, mystic religion that masquerades as Christianity (or Judeo-Christianity) and that exercises covert control over the nations. It has long been realized that the Vatican, seat of RC authority, is full of mystic symbolism, derived from Egyptian and Babylonian sources. And since ‘Mystery Babylon’ is the ‘mother of ALL harlots,’ then all the Christian denominations are implicated, not just Roman Catholicism. Similarly, modern Judaism is seen as being heavily influenced by Kabbalah, a mystic school whose Jewish adepts say dates back to the time of ancient Babylon. (Some investigators claim various connections between the Vatican and Zionists, but those theories are rather speculative at this time.)

Finally, I should anticipate one observation that some readers who are versed in history may raise. The predictive imagery of widespread, bloody persecution of true believers by an apostate church prevailing upon government to do its bidding, may ring familiar. Yes, it happened during the Dark Ages, when the official, Rome-based Church persecuted ‘heretics’ of all kinds, especially those who revered the Bible. However, it is possible for prophecy to have a primary fulfillment, and a later reprise, according to some scholars. Thus, the persecution of the first millennium could be repeated in its characteristics in this third millennium, with different actors but the same plot... and a much shorter time frame.

What I hope this analysis demonstrates is that without imposing a lot of exogenous, novel, dogmatic interpretations on the text, and allowing the scriptures to illuminate themselves, a sensible picture readily emerges… and, without the need of a Ph.D. in something or other to do so. And another important thing is that the Bible is not a book of science-fiction or technological predictions. The abstract scenes in Revelation are sketches of geo-political and geo-religious currents, not of helicopters, atomic weapons, and so on (as sensationally claimed by some American Evangelicals). And note that the whole panorama would not be comprehensible until the time when it is needed.

Conclusions

We have to note that the text had to be written in such a way that an accurate prophecy can be presented without being so obvious that unscrupulous forces could suppress or alter it. And yet, the clues are skillfully encoded so that someone who has a reasonable understanding of history, and allows the scripture to explain itself, can gain a fairly clear grasp of who the actors are, and what they are doing. Still, the picture only clarifies after the fact; i.e. after the forecast events actually begin or unfold. In this process, it is astonishing to see how a book written millennia ago in a far-off land contains a description of the geo-political and religious situation that has unfolded over the last, mere half-century or so... within the lifetime of many who read this article. Friends, you can’t make this stuff up-- no human mind could produce the bizarre vision-clips of Revelation, and use them to accurately predict world political events 2,000 years in the future!

Clearly, the prophecies are designed to demonstrate and reveal that God is real and supreme, and that we can’t determine what will happen next-- it is entirely in His hands. Our job is just to trust and believe. I pray that sincere atheists will read this essay and have their eyes opened to the beauty of God’s scriptures. Remember, the Bible has been in a more or less final, ‘canonical’ state for many centuries. The prophecies survived intact to this day for the very purpose of demonstrating the genius behind them. No human could have achieved such a feat-- that’s why this book is truly a Revelation!

Bible Under Attack-- from both Sides!

"...more than 60% of the nation's 60 million evangelicals believe that the Bible is literally true, every last word of it, and more than a third believe the end of the world will occur in their lifetime."

The above quote from a recent web article encapsulates the crux of a dilemma affecting both Christians and non-Christians in today's world. While 36 million evangelical church-goers in America reportedly believe that the Bible is literally true, the huge problem-- one that is largely unknown-- is that their understanding of the scriptures is almost completely wrong! It would be one thing (and even beneficial) if they believed the Bible was true, and correctly understood what it contained. It becomes a horror-show when they believe in biblical truth, but pervert the words into grotesque distortions to justify the evil lusts of their souls. That's the dilemma I refer to.

Hence, the attacks are coming from two sides: 1) the 'outside'-- those who do not recognize the authority of scripture as the revelation of God, and 2) the 'inside'-- those who pay lip service to the authenticity of the Bible, but warp its meaning in service to their preconceived, earthly desires.

The antipathy of non-religious people towards the Bible is understandable. Like extremists in the other, scripture-based faiths (Judaism and Islam), Christian fanatics have all too often extracted selected phrases from their book and weaved them into a weapon for attacking this or that group they happen to hate at the time. In this way, the fanatics have provided the skeptics and atheists with exactly the ammunition they need to denounce belief in the Bible. Not only do the zealots bring disrepute onto the whole of Christendom, but by proclaiming their false beliefs, they create quite false impressions in the minds of the non-religious about what the scriptures actually teach (since the majority of scoffers are not likely to read it for themselves to verify). Even for those non-believers who have taken the time to read the Bible (or portions), it is very easy for them to obtain a faulty understanding of just what this book really teaches us, due to the torrent of nonsense billowing from the false prophets.

As I have explained elsewhere, the deep significance of the Bible cannot be found by a cursory reading. This is because, in my analysis, the scriptures have been inspired by God in both details and structure, to be purposely opaque to the profane reader, especially as regards prophecy. As Jesus himself told his disciples, 'I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe.' In other words-- and this is important-- prophecy is often given in a way that cannot be discerned until the event has come to pass. Instead, today's fast-talking religious salesmen tell their flocks that the Bible predicts this event and that one, when, in truth, they have no real idea what the words really mean. Many Bible teachings are divinely dispersed in the skein of scriptures precisely to prevent their conscious distortion by evil-minded men for self-seeking purposes. Does that mean that no-one can interpret the Bible? No! Any prayerful or sincere seeker of biblical truth can discover it, with the help of the Holy Spirit. The trouble is, so few people are willing to put in the time to let the scriptures enlighten our mind.

Of course, when one refers to evangelicals or fundamentalists, it is clear that they did not all arrive at a distorted view of Bible teachings by applying themselves to diligent study of the scriptures they claim to esteem. Far from it. The vast majority of bench-warmers in any Christian church simply sit there and listen to the snake-oil salesmen up on the platform, with a microphone in one hand and a Bible waved in the other. These preachers, too often, employ every technique of persuasive demagoguery and psychological manipulation to instill church doctrine in their innocent listeners. It is quite astounding, seen in the light of history. For long centuries during the Dark Ages, the Christian Church (which was the Roman Church) jealously restricted access to the Bible, keeping it away from the laity, and directing the clergy in what must be taught from it. Many true believers were persecuted or executed because they read 'underground' copies of scripture. Once the invention of the printing press came along, playing the role of the Internet in today's society, and 'vernacular' translations of the Bible became widely available, the religious controllers had to adopt a new plan. Taking advantage of the Bible's very expansiveness, its span of time, thought, and themes, they convinced the laity, the ordinary church member, that they couldn't fully understand the scriptures without the guidance only they could provide. This is why exclusivity became so important to all the splinter churches spawned in the wake of the Reformation. They each want their members to be convinced that only they have the truth, and everyone else is a heretic. To the unchurched mind, this kind of indoctrination sounds ludicrous in the modern, Western world, yet it is a reality that is becoming all too threatening, as (for example) the candidates for president of the USA must now demonstrate their fealty to a so-called Christian assembly in order to appeal to the burgeoning 'Christian Right.'

What is the agenda for these fundamentalist churches, anyhow? It appears to be bound in a curious, theological word, 'eschatology,' meaning the study of 'end times.' That's right, the churches are jockeying for position to be in the forefront when Jesus returns. Maybe some proponents honestly believe that they are somehow 'helping God' by forcefully creating the conditions they think are specified in the Bible as if they were prerequisites for divine action. This kind of thinking in itself is bizarre and non-scriptural, yet it doesn't stop the promoters from raising their shrill and dire warnings. Why? Because it brings in lots of money from their terrified sheep, that's why. Using current events, which their lobbying helps create, they paint frightful pictures of events to come for which only they are capable of warning their followers about, and how to deal with. That emphasis on eschatology is the main reason for the unholy and uneasy alliance between the evangelicals and the Zionists, and the constant lobbying these church spokesmen conduct inside the offices of the White House for support for Israel and its ambitions in the Middle East. Each side is using the other for its own ends, but that doesn't stop them from wreaking havoc.

How, you may be asking, am I so sure that the fundamentalists are wrong in their Bible interpretations? Well, for some of you, it doesn't matter what they believe about that book, because it is a hoary, fairy tale in any case. But bear with me a while, because it's possible it may be more than myth; the skeptics are merely surmising out of disbelief, mainly. Let us assume that the Bible does contain truths, but is being abused by extremist factions for ulterior motives. In fact, even if the Bible proves to be 'wrong,' (which I don't believe), the point is that the fundamentalists are still not correctly understanding what it contains!

There are several reasons why I am convinced that the self-proclaimed fundamentalists are promoting doctrines that are seriously in error. Consider the following:

• 1) When presenting their arguments, they begin with flawed 'hermeneutics;' that is, their analytical paradigms are unsound to begin with, therefore their conclusions are necessarily highly suspect. E.g. they observe current events in, particularly, the Middle East, and starting with a pre-conceived notion of what's 'supposed' to happen, they then impose an interpretation on ancient prophecies.
• 2) The purpose (spirit) behind their arguments is not in keeping with Godly principles in the first place. That is, they are trying to achieve worldly, political, secular, tainted objectives, and using scripture as a justification. Scripture was never intended to be used as a rationale for human actions, especially to justify questionable ends.
• 3) Their arguments are founded on modern, non-traditional understandings that are not in harmony with time-tested interpretations of scripture. E.g. the foundation of the Rapture theory lies in the Scofield Reference Bible (of 1909), that reflects one unorthodox view of eschatology, called dispensational premillennialism. (I won't get into that theory here.)
• 4) Their exegesis (scriptural analysis) is clearly wrong when they abandon the explanations supplied within the pages of the Bible in order to allow another interpretation that better suits their desired agenda. E.g. Hal Lindsey's famous book of the 1970s, The Late, Great Planet Earth, made all kinds of unequivocal predictions that were supposed to take place within a few years. Even allowing him 25 years of history, none of his scenarios transpired the way he described. Another clear example: the evangelical zealots are always talking about 'the Antichrist,' as if it's a specific, unique individual to appear in only these end times... when the Bible speaks of many antichrists, and moreover, indicates that the 'beasts' of eschatology are not individuals, but rather 'kingdoms,' or as we call them today, nations.
• 5) Their exegesis depends on collecting a few, isolated texts and juxtaposing them into a mŽlange that allows them to reach (stretch for) certain desired conclusions. E.g. the doctrine of the 'secret rapture' appears nowhere in the Bible, but it is 'proved' on the basis of a couple of unrelated verses taken out of context and forced to agreement.
• 6) Some of the more egregious misunderstandings of the Bible (such as the nature of the true Israel) can be deconstructed in a few minutes of honest, disinterested Bible study, where the words of Jesus himself often contradict today's populist teachings. E.g. Jesus stated he is the 'way, the truth, and the life;' yet Hagee and others present a new 'truth' that, while Christians need Christ, the Jews will be saved in another manner!
• 7) Their most basic understanding of the essential mission and accomplishments of Jesus is, itself, flawed. This error needs a lengthy explanation, but in order to be brief here, I can state that most organized churches do not understand the difference between the 'Old Testament' and the New, and how the covenant instituted by Jesus supercedes the covenant mediated by Moses. If they can't get the fundamentals right, how can they claim to be fundamentalist?

Each of the above points could be elaborated on in separate essays, but the salient point for the reader to obtain is that the rabid, war-mongering religionists who label themselves Christians (or more often as hyphenated Christians) bear little resemblance to true followers of the Prince of Peace. And, they certainly are not basing their doctrines and actions on sound Biblical understanding. So, my message to both non-religious and religious readers is this: don't react to the evangelical/fundamentalist adherents of 'churchianity,' who follow politically-motivated masters, as if they were representative of genuine believers in Christ and the Bible. The phonies have hijacked the name of Christ, but have gutted the principles he stands for, and invented a new message that replaces the gospel with a legalistic, bellicose, convoluted recipe for global, social chaos. If there were a core of authentic believers still alive and active in the USA today, the country would not find itself in the mess it is in. Because so many Christians prefer to sit in a pew and allow themselves to be mesmerized by their clergy, they are willingly ignorant pawns of unscrupulous men who will eventually lead them to destruction.

As in Noah's Day

"As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the day when the Son of Man returns." Matt 24:37

Jesus gives that warning sign in his famous prophecy of the end of the age (Matt 24 and parallel passages), where he also spoke about famines, plagues, earthquakes, and 'wars and rumors of wars,' all happening in diverse places (world-wide). Since most of those indicators have manifested throughout history, are Jesus' apocalyptic words of any help in identifying the approach of the end of the present age?

Jesus concludes his end times discourse by comparing the final days and events with the period preceding the Deluge that catastrophically marked the end of the previous age or aion. He points out that those coming days will resemble the time leading up to the great Flood, giving as examples that people then were 'eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage,' until the very day Noah boarded the ark. One suspects that those routines of life got interrupted by people pausing to regard the spectacle of old Noah getting his entourage aboard a strange vessel parked in the middle of high ground. Typical of human nature, there must have some boisterous jeering going on all the while. The 'for instances' recorded in the gospels seem intended to illustrate that life was going on as it always had; it was another, regular day in the antediluvian world. Apparently, then, there were no warning signs of impending doom. Or, there must have been some, but, typically, most people preferred to ignore them, clinging to the illusion that ignorance is bliss. Verse 39 (first part) states "and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away." They did not understand. How about that? The end of their world came apparently out of nowhere, as far as the majority were concerned.

While numerous commentators, both professional and amateur, have pointed to the descriptions in Matt 24 as 'proof' that we are presently living in the 'end times,' many others have summarily debunked them with the obvious observation that there have been earthquakes, plagues, famines, and wars almost continuously, somewhere or other on the planet ever since the days of Jesus. Hence, they argue, 'Why worry?' Repeatedly, since the days of Jesus, people have recalled his 'Olivet discourse,' and warned of impending doom... yet we are still here, waiting for Messiah.

A few astute students have noticed that there were other characteristics about the 'days' (meaning probably a few years) before the Flood that could find parallels in today's world scene. Clearly, we're not talking about eating, drinking, or marrying. No, it seems things were so bad that God regretted ever putting mankind on Earth (vs 6). Genesis 6:5 states: "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Verse 11 goes on to state "... the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence." Now there's some data we can see reflected in today's news! Again, the skeptics could argue that this is just business as usual on planet Earth, so not to worry. This argument looks valid superficially, but fails to see the full, implicit sweep of those sparse verses. Other esoteric writings, such as, particularly, the Book of Enoch, elaborate on the deplorable state of human affairs on the earth at that time. In fact, they go on to make the remarkable report that there were non-human races present on the earth, who were engaged in equally (if not more) deplorable activities. Even the Bible refers, fleetingly, to these interlopers as 'Nephilim' and giants (vs. 4) as many scholars have noted. And it seems quite apparent that these unsavory activities were, indeed, taking place world-wide; hence, God determined to destroy the entire planet, not just a region... as in actual fact, folkloric myths around the world can attest.

How does that jibe with today? Since about the start of the 20th century, the world has become a global community; people in one place are almost immediately aware of what goes on in another place. Culture (such as it is) can be instantly dispersed around the globe via modern technologies. By means of satellites and telecommunications, we are instantly aware of earthquakes, famines, wars, etc. wherever they erupt. So, while these disasters may have always existed somewhere, it is only recently that we can account for them as global events. Modern air transportation makes it almost inevitable that a disease outbreak in one place can quickly spread to far-off places, as happened dramatically with the case of 'SARS' a few years ago. That ease of dispersion is the main reason behind the paranoia behind the possibility of 'bird flu' (H5N1 strain) spreading among humans. So, we have the pandemics ('plagues' in Bible terms) such as HIV/AIDS, and regional famines. But there's much more.

Once again, evil forces are afoot to subvert a natural, productive world for all mankind, and to destroy the planet. If anyone thinks this is an extreme allegation, I respond that they need to consider the inevitable outcome of the various policies (both of intent, and of default) currently pursued by governments world-wide in the face of environmental crises. If you believe that global warming is indeed caused by human sources, then it is reasonable to expect that altering human activities could reverse the greenhouse effect. Yet the main culprits behind atmospheric pollution show no serious signs of any desire to change behavior-- nor do the governments with the authority to demand change. Regardless of whether climate change is due to human action or not, it is clear that continued, unabated pollution of the environment has already caused extinction of some species, and can only lead to further disasters and ultimately, environmental collapse.

As my other essays have argued, there is a covert cabal of uber-wealthy, self-centered controllers who are propelling the whole world with all possible dispatch towards a New World Order, wherein they hold absolute rule over the masses of humanity. To achieve this self-serving end, they are prepared to resort to whatever plan is expedient, regardless of the deaths, destruction, and suffering that may result. A perfect example right before us is Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians have been killed and injured; millions have been displaced; the infrastructure is in ruins; the Iraqi gene-pool is corrupted by the reckless use of depleted uranium weapons... all for what? To please the lust for blood, oil, and mayhem of G.W. Bush and his insane henchmen, is about the only answer that makes 'sense,' if one can label it as such. It is clear that the game is not really just an American predilection. Cohorts like Tony Blair, John Howard, Nicholas Sarkozy, Israeli Knesset members, and so on, demonstrate that the coordination of the conspiracy is handled at a global level.

Sure, we've always had wars somewhere on Earth, but never before have we had such strong 'rumors of war.' For a time, the US administration was threatening North Korea with all kinds of force, including war, it was rumored, unless they suspended their nuclear ambitions. Hardly had that crisis been defused when the US decided that, despite a completely botched entanglement in Iraq and Afghanistan, it was time to invade Iran. This time, they denied the rumors; but the denials simply fueled more speculation. The rumors, in fact, are part of the arsenal of global, governmental terror used by the conspiracy to coerce nations and move events towards their desired goals. Truly, we live in a world of 'wars and rumors of war' as never before.

While crime ('evil'), too, has always existed in our midst, in the last century it has gone global, often by design. Drug cartels traffic their deadly commodities internationally, raising billions of dollars of criminal gains. To the incredulity of some innocent onlookers, the slave trade has revived in a big way, with trafficking of children and women as sexual slaves, and even men as indentured laborers. In defiance of UN accords, weapons are traded indiscriminately; land mines and cluster bombs are broadcast by the millions; children are forced to become killer-soldiers; and on it goes. In the 'developed countries,' unscrupulous people claw their way to the top of corporations and governments. Contrary to popular, Western belief, corruption of public officials is not something that mainly happens in third-world 'banana republics;' it has become part of everyday business in the Western world, too. Multinational corporations have tried to legitimize their tactics by embedding lobbying in the halls of power, but this just proves that the difference between criminals and businessmen is a pin-striped suit. Behind all the petty crime, and the organized crime, and the crime that pretends to be legitimate national and international business, there are always the nefarious, deceitful, mysterious agents of the NWO/Illuminati/Zionism, profiting from both sides of every struggle.

It is becoming pretty well known that the Illuminati draw their leadership from the members of 12 (some say 13) families or dynasties, who control virtually all banks and many transnational, mega-corporations, from behind the scenes. Interestingly, there are some investigators who believe that the present generation of these secretive controllers trace their ancestry back to the inter-married descendents of the Nephilim. This sounds like an incredible theory, and I have serious doubts about it; but there is no doubt that these families can be very selective in whom they are allowed to marry, as if intent on preserving some special blood-line. I mention it only to indicate that there may be additional, hidden parallels to the time of Noah than we can see on the surface.

Using their power over the mass media and entertainment industry, the dark forces have been steadily ratcheting up the level and explicitness of violence in our leisure distractions. On the one hand, they vigorously deny any link between their theatrical violence and the enacted aggression that manifests in real life... and yet they pour billions of dollars into highly contrived advertising because they know full well that the audio-visual imagery does, indeed, affect human behavior! Meanwhile, the masses sit mesmerized daily, for hours of voluntary mind-conditioning. As long as violence is happening to someone else, somewhere distant, we just turn off the TV and leave it at that. When we or someone in our family becomes involved in the horror of war or violence, then we learn its true, evil dimensions.

We have to understand that there are only two ways to live: either we sincerely embrace moral values, basic equality and inherent rights for all persons, and equitable sharing of resources... or else we continue on the present, insane path of denial, deception, hypocrisy, Darwinian corporatism, and see where it leads. The so-called Powers that Be have long-ago decided to pursue the latter, self-centered avenue with vigor, and it appears that nothing (short of miracles) can stop them now. They attained their rank and power by exercising every dirty tactic they believe in, and they are determined to drive this planet full speed into a collision with destiny. Every government is corrupt, beholden to the international, corporate, banking elite; pretending to uphold laws while simultaneously profiting from illegal activities now vital to the economy. The media are corrupt collaborators, pretending to report news while shaping it to advance the corporate agenda. Our religious leaders, for the most part, are also part of the problem, focusing the attention of their flocks on relative nonsense while lobbying the governments to persist in their worst policies. If you were God, looking at the state of affairs on this pathetic planet, what hope would you have that decent people could wake up, admit the situation, and somehow restore godly order, on their own power?

In summation, I would say with little hesitation that the world is essentially in the same state today as it was in the days of Noah, prior to the Deluge. And (as I've described in other essays) numerous traditions indicate that, once again, the solution to the mess we're in will appear as another global catastrophe, the 'hand of God,' if you will, that will bring the present age to an abrupt conclusion. Some readers will consider that to be bad news. All things considered, I'd say, on the contrary, it is not just good news, but inevitable news. A true Christian should be happy to foresee the destruction of an evil and perverse generation. A non-believer should take some comfort at the prospect that the universe operates according to rational laws, so that unbridled self-serving greed and immorality are not forever rewarded, but there are consequences for every action. We look forward to the next few years with mixed emotions.

[To clarify for atheists: I am not saying that Christians should either sit back and drift with the current, or else (as some US Evangelicals) promote and lobby for the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem in foolish, deluded hopes of hastening the hand of God. The point is that we can trust the words of Jesus. If he compared our time with the run-up to the Flood, then we would be wise to take it as a solid prediction. It is time to prepare our souls, not bow down to Zionist ambitions for renewed temple worship.]

Hostile towards Freedom-- What Gives?

A recent radio program had an interview with a Jewish writer whose latest book details his lifetime of neurotic fears of a vengeful, capricious Ogre in the sky, the God of his childhood, based on common perceptions of the Old Testament. This view, of course, is perhaps the one most popular among both religious people and, curiously, atheists too. In this essay, I don't intend to explore that warped outlook, except to look at one unfortunate consequence of its inherent legalism. I will illustrate what sounds like an abstract concept with a recent, true-life anecdote.

In mid-winter, a friend asked for my help in moving to another city. She wanted me to drive a truck with her furnishings across the mountains to her new abode. I was available, and so agreed. Besides, I thought it would give me an opportunity to re-establish contact with a former friend that I hadn't seen for several years. I telephoned said friend-- let's call him Tom-- and he seemed happy to hear from me, even letting me stay in his home for the few days I'd be there. Things really fell into place, and a drive that can be a horror in winter snow squalls turned out to be a cake-walk. The move went smoothly, and the visit with Tom seemed to go well, too... despite a few awkward moments that we quickly passed over. Obeying an inner voice, I waited till the morning I departed before telling him that I'd left a set of books that I thought he'd find very interesting to read.

Once home, I sent an e-mail message to thank my hosts for their hospitality. Tom's wife-- the official e-mail communicator-- replied very quickly, asking for my mailing address. Hmmm... okay, I sent her my address... with a slight apprehension mixed with curiosity. Was he sending me a book for my perusal? Several days later, I got a notice in the mail that a package was waiting for me at the post office. I walked down and picked up the package. It was a large envelope that had torn and was re-packaged by the postal service; but I could feel several books inside, and then noticed that they were, in fact, the same ones I had left him. He's a speed-reader, you may be thinking. Not! He was giving those books the bum's rush back to me; but as I intimated, I wasn't completely surprised at this. Tom is a man of stubbornly-held beliefs, and doesn't brook dissent lightly.

Something did surprise me, though. It was a hand-scribbled note he had included with the books, and it was probably the rudest letter I'd ever received, even from enemies. In it, he called me a deluded fool, and biblically illiterate; and had even worse descriptions for the author of the books-- who happens to be a friend of mine. I was, frankly, rather stunned. Especially so, since earlier the same day, I had received another e-mail from his wife in which she stated that 'Tom hopes you will not take offense at our religious differences,' or words to that effect! 'Sure,' I thought to myself, 'why would anyone take offense at being called a deluded fool?' The whole episode had a surreal feel to it.

After sitting on it for a day, I sent an e-mail to Stan, the friend who wrote the offending books. Later, he telephoned me, and sounded quite up-beat. 'Don't worry,' he said; 'it's not you; your friend is not even aware of why he reacted so violently to the books.' In view of that last e-mail from Tom's wife, I thought Stan may be on to something. He explained further that Tom was unconsciously under the influence of a controlling spirit of legalism. It sounds far-fetched to the non-religious mind, but could be re-cast in contemporary terminology. You see, the whole tone of Tom's note was of indignation. He was highly indignant that I had had the temerity to even suppose that he would lower himself to entertain the premise of Stan's books. His note avowed that he had taken all of 'ten minutes' to ascertain that these tomes were full of nonsense not worthy of a Bible student like him. Like the Pharisees condemned by Jesus, Tom was deeply offended, and spared no language in conveying his disgust to me, an erstwhile 'friend.'

Thinking back to a previous incident, years before, I realized that Stan had a valid observation. On that occasion, I attended a small conference with Stan where speakers presented papers on matters relating to Bible study. One of the presenters was another friend of mine, at the time; let's call him Ken. I was familiar with Ken's favorite Biblical hobby-horses, most of which I tended to share, and had just become enthused with Stan's new insights. Innocently, I thought they should meet each other, and we'd all have a grand time sharing our views. Wrong, again! As soon as Ken met Stan, he immediately got on the defensive and we ended up having a very unpleasant lunch together. I was somewhat flummoxed; but Stan was surprisingly sanguine about it. Later, he told me the same thing-- when a person is under the spell of legalism, they simply will not listen to any other viewpoint. In fact, they seem to detect the spirit of freedom at once, and react viscerally and bluntly, often acting completely out of character with rudeness never before witnessed. Frankly, I wouldn't have believed such things until I had first-hand experience, seeing it happen before my amazed eyes.

Today, I am passing on this experience to other lone warriors of truth, who may wonder why many of their listeners are not just indifferent to their message, but outright hostile... even before they get to discuss it. The unbelievers you encounter will almost always gracefully decline your attempts to enlighten them; their attitude is usually 'Nice try... but I'm really not interested.' And that's fine; it's their choice entirely, as God wants. It's the so-called Christians who get riled up and indignant; 'How dare you attempt to expose them to your heretical garbage!' is their typical manner of response. So, as Jesus said, don't waste your pearls of wisdom on those of hardened hearts; where you are not welcome, shake the dust of that place from your shoes, and just carry on to the next destination (Matt 7:6; Mark 6:11).

As Paul wrote to the Corinthian congregation: "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" (2 Cor 2:15-16, NIV) Paul recognized the same phenomenon: that some hearers of his message find it deathly intolerable, while those who are open find it refreshing. We bearers of the message are equal to the task by the grace and power of God within us. There's no point trying to argue with the former group; their spiritual ears are blocked by hardening of the attitudes. Paul provided a penetrating analysis of the response of his Israelite countrymen to the gospel, in 2 Corinthians 3 (NIV; italics added): "[14] But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. [15] Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. [16] But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. [17] Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. [18] And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

Although Paul was writing about the Jews of his day, there's no reason to suppose that his analysis doesn't apply equally 'even to this day' to anyone who focuses religious attention on the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant. As he states metaphorically, a veil covers their 'heart,' meaning their ability to see spiritual reality. That veil, that blinder, is only removed, Paul affirms, whenever one turns to the Lord, Jesus. And as he states in several other epistles, the Spirit of the Lord equates to freedom and life... while the letter of the Law is slavery and death. It seems simple enough: look to Jesus and enjoy the freedom that he purchased on our behalf, or look to the Law and remain in bondage to its stony demands. The legalistic Christians (the 'Judeo-Christians') don't want to admit to legalism, however; they think they can have one eye on Jesus and the other eye on the Law, and somehow get the 'best of both covenants!' They attempt this ploy, despite the clear words of scripture that you can't have it both ways-- either you are under Law or under Christ. Choose today which god you will serve (Gal 3:2-5; & 11-13; Rom 10:3-5); choose between life and death, as even the Old Testament challenged (Deut 30:19).

Only the Holy Spirit can soften the hard heart of the covert legalist... and then, only if the soul is willing. Those with 'unveiled faces' who are open to the message of liberty, are being transformed by the renewing of their thinking into closer relationship with Christ, as Paul again notes in more than one letter. Remember, Jesus himself inaugurated his mission by quoting Isaiah: "He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19). Those goals he accomplished, not merely in the physical sense, but spiritually as well. So yes, you can always pray for those 'blind guides of the blind' to listen to the still, small voice that beckons them to freedom. Some of them will eventually crack, and let the light shine in.

Covenant Confusion, Old and New

It is a source of constant amazement to me how certain ideas get so entrenched in our collective psyches that it doesn't matter how erroneous they are, they are just accepted as given. A half-century ago, it was the case that anyone could smoke a cigarette anywhere they pleased, and everyone just assumed that it was a harmless indulgence. It took several generations of disease-induced deaths and a battle with the tobacco industry to finally put an end to that dangerous mass delusion. In the realm of religion, there are numerous examples of assumptions that are blithely accepted by millions of believers, but may be deadly to their spiritual well-being.

One area of Bible study that has experienced extreme misunderstanding is the covenant of Moses, also known as the Sinai Covenant, or the 'Covenant of Works' by scholars. Everyone who discourses on this premier covenant of the Old Testament of the Bible presumes the belief that it was, in fact, a covenant of works. In other words, it was a deal between God and the Israelites whereby if one faithfully observes the Law (understood as the 'Ten Commandments' by Christian pundits, but as a full 613 laws by Jews) then that person will merit salvation in the afterlife. At least, that is the way that generations of both Jews and Christians seem to comprehend the Old Covenant. It seems perfectly straightforward: you mind your 'Ps and Qs' like a good boy or girl, and when you die, you get your eternal reward. Isn't that what a covenant of works is all about? Many people of all belief systems around the world have believed this 'OT gospel' over the centuries of human history. Today, it remains the story that Judaism relies on as its hope for the afterlife; and, sadly, it persists in the minds of many Christians as a hazy description of the 'obscure half of the gospel' proclaimed in their churches. But, is this notion correct; is it a biblically valid doctrine?

My clear conclusion from a plain reading of the scriptures is that this notion-- that the OC promised salvation for obedience to the Law-- is completely wrong! However, the error began right within the pages of the Pentateuch itself (the first five books of the Bible). Deuteronomy, chapter 6, verse 25, states: "It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us." It was understood that without righteousness no-one could stand before God, so by attaining righteousness through law-keeping, the people of Israel expected to deserve salvation. This seems to be the beginning of their assumption that obeying the Law would give individuals a ticket into heaven. Yet, amazingly, verse 24, just before, states: "So the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today." In other words, they indicated that it was a group covenant for 'our' (national) survival. (See also Exodus 19:5-6). So what gives?

If you read the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, what you find is copious language that makes it clear that God was addressing the entire tribe of Israel through their representative Moses (and later, Joshua). In His words, God promised to give the rootless people of Israel a homeland, and to give them prosperity and dominance as a nation. Now, let's back up a moment and remember what happened in the book of Exodus. This book (the next after Genesis) is the story of the descendents of the grandson of Abraham, who started with the name Jacob and earned the name (or title) Israel, meaning 'overcomer.' Recall that Jacob went to Egypt with his extended family of 11 sons (the 12th son, Joseph, was already there) at the time of a great, widespread famine in the land where he was living, Canaan. They came as honored guests of the Egyptian government, and apparently life was so cushy there that they decided to stay. In fact, they stayed for 430 years, long enough to out-last their welcome and to fall into slavery. By then, the original family had followed the laws of exponential growth, and numbered roughly 600,000 adult males-- which seems to be how they conducted a census in those days (Ex 12:37). Obviously, the children of Israel must have totaled something in the region of 1.5 million souls, which would have constituted a virtual nation within a nation. At the time of the Exodus, picture this great assembly of people suddenly uprooted and sent off into the barren wilderness. All they had ever known was Egyptian rule of law and socio-economic system. Apparently, they had preserved their original culture, language, and religious beliefs as an identifiable social community, over those centuries.

Now, God leads them out of the confines of Egypt and into the great wilderness of 'Sin' (or Sinai) where they are following this 80-year old prophet to some 'promised land.' Allow yourself to imagine the situation, if you can. Then it becomes clearer why God, together with Moses, had to supply this group of refugees with a complete 'constitutional package'-- a moral code (the Ten Commandments), a legal code (elaborated in Deuteronomy), a health and nutrition code, and a comprehensive worship system (the Levitical, sacrificial system). Clearly, this assembly was not left to drift, but God provided all they needed to exist as a new nation in the midst of other established nations. In this optic, the true nature of the Old Covenant at Sinai starts to take shape. Going back now to the fine print of the covenant, it must be noticed that God prefaced His promises of national ascendancy with a big 'IF!' Without taking another, side excursion to consider the structure of OT covenants, suffice it to say (and readers are urged to verify for themselves) that these agreements were entered into by spokesmen for two parties, and spelled out benefits and penalties for observance or abrogation of the stipulations. Both the book of Leviticus (ch. 26) and Deuteronomy (ch. 28) spell out in starkly worded verses, first, the blessings Israel could expect from adherence to the terms (essentially, the Law) and next, the curses that would befall them if they should fail to live up to those conditions. Notice the nature of the blessings and curses: they are all 'group benefits' and 'group penalties.' It is all about national success or national disaster; there is nothing at all about personal salvation!

Well then, one wants to know, how did the people come to think of the covenant as a personal covenant of works? That's a good question, especially when you read the NT book of Hebrews and see that the writer acknowledges this same erroneous interpretation. (He merely reflects back to his readers what they assume to be true of the Mosaic covenant, then goes on to substantiate how the new covenant is superior in all respects.) I think the reason the Israelites got it confused so badly is wrapped up in three main problems. And once the false notion got entrenched in their thinking, it got handed on to the later Christians in the same, garbled form.

First, they did not understand the covenant God had made with their ancestor, Abraham, although they were mighty proud to be his descendents. Since God had made unequivocal promises to Abraham (unlike the Sinai contract) the Israelites presumed that they were automatically covered by right of birth. You can see that attitude even in the arrogant words of the Jews of Jesus' day (Jn 8:33). They just didn't clue in to the clear words of their scriptures that 'Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness' (Gen 15:6). In other words, the basis of their patriarch's righteousness was his belief, his faith in God; not anything he did. Yet his descendents didn't appreciate the value of faith; they found it more to their liking to assume that good works were just as acceptable, if not more so, than 'mere faith.'

And that leads to the second reason, which is that they were predisposed to think in terms of works, as are all humans operating in the flesh. We are raised in a system of reward and punishment from our earliest days of consciousness, and our societies function in the same manner. Remember that at least the last generation of Israelite adults had been raised as slaves of the Egyptians. Slaves cannot operate as free agents; they either follow the rules, or else they are punished. It's a simple system. To free ourselves from such cultural, genetic blinders can only be done with spiritual insight. It is far easier to just ask for a set of rules to follow, a simple and familiar formula. "All the people answered together and said, 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do!' And Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord." (Exodus 19:8). Apparently, they thought this was going to be 'a piece of cake!' It is this 'servant mentality' that seems to be the hardest habit to break for humans. The plight of Israel is illustrative of the dilemma facing every individual who hears God's gospel of freedom: are you going to believe that you are really free... or are you just unable to accept such an absurd offer that comes with no strings (other than you must believe it, of course)? Sadly, most individuals, and societies, just cannot fully grasp this incredible offer. Read for yourself Paul's stern and scriptural attempts to liberate his Galatian congregation, especially in chapter 4, verses 21-31.

Third, they failed to understand the significance of the sacrificial system of worship spelled out in their covenant package. Again, this failure really harks back to not appreciating the Abrahamic covenant of faith, combined with the desire for simplistic, works-based solutions. Had they understood that the burnt offerings ('holocausts') offered twice daily for the nation, and the other specific sacrifices for individual sins, and the annual Day of Atonement, were all intended to point them forward in faith to the coming promised one, the Messiah, then the whole history of Israel would have been hugely different! It is true that this foreshadowing is not explicitly stated in the texts, yet we can see that King David, for example, expressed an understanding of the Abrahamic covenant in the verses of his psalms (e.g. 51, 85). The book of Job, considered a very early scripture, also expresses the NT gospel (e.g. 19:25). Some 1,200 years after the Exodus, the writer of Hebrews clearly saw 'the big picture' of the covenants, and understood exactly what differentiated the Mosaic/Sinai Covenant from the 'New Covenant.' Obviously well versed in covenant law, this writer had no problem 'seeing' how the OT presaged or foreshadowed the New, and how the Mosaic provisions were mere 'types' or images of the later, genuine, heavenly realities. Notice ch 8, vs 6: "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises." He can confidently affirm that this new agreement is founded on better promises than the Old because he realizes that the covenant sealed by Jesus promises eternal life to the believer-- not merely national greatness in this present world. (See also ch 7, vs 18).

In all fairness, we should not be too harsh in judging the OT people of Israel; most of us would not have done any better in their situation. They had just emerged from slave status; then they were handed a big rule-book with dozens of regulations designed to help them live an orderly, communal life. It is natural that they would assume that if they just followed the rules, they must be doing what God wants; ergo, they must be righteous. The other pitfall lies in the very rituals themselves (the Levitical rites). It is characteristic of human nature that anything done on a repetitive basis eventually becomes 'routine,' mundane, and loses much of its meaning. How many Christians sit through weekly services over the years until it's like a sleep-walk? So too, the Israelites had their burnt offerings and sacrifices for their 'sins.' But how long was it before the rituals became purely 'cultural?' Today, believers in every faith go through their prescribed routines, recite their prayers, make their pilgrimages... and then go about life as always. This innate tendency to regress all ritual to the mean of habit and custom is one of the biggest dangers of all works-based systems! It's only when we internalize faith, base it on the constant attunement to the promptings of the Spirit of God, that we can avoid the subliminal, dulling influence of routine.

That's what the scriptural record shows: a few, spirit-led individuals understood the everlasting gospel-- that God provides for all our spiritual needs through His anointed one, the Messiah-- while the vast majority remained stuck in their preferred interpretation that they could earn righteousness, hence salvation, by following the 'works formula.' That's why Paul wrote in 2 Cor 3: "[14] But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. [15] Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts." In other words, they suffer from spiritual blindness, just as today, do the majority of Christians who simply sit and listen to a pastor preach to them, without studying scripture for themselves. So then, how does one get cured of this miserable condition? Paul continues, [16] "But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." Turning to the Lord requires a teachable heart, a willingness to seek for truth, to ask for guidance, and to respond to the Spirit of God. (Matt 7:8).

As I intimated above, this condition of spiritual blindness is not just something that affected Israel of the OT, or even that affects the modern Jewish faith. No; it is a pernicious condition that afflicts the contemporary organizations that claim allegiance to Jesus Christ. 'How are the churches blind?' you wonder; don't they proclaim the gospel? That's the problem-- they do not! Sure, they think they do, when they tell people that Jesus has won the victory over Satan and by believing in Jesus we can be saved. But-- they almost always add a 'but' to the effect that after accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior, we must then 'keep the Ten Commandments' for the rest of our lives to ensure our salvation. This is not what 'righteousness by faith' means! We are falling into the same trap as the Israelites in the wilderness when we let the pastors sell us that bogus, two-step gospel. By now, the casual reader may be confused, because isn't that what the NT teaches? Again, no! Check for yourself; when Paul was asked by the Philippian jailor 'What must I do to be saved?,' he replied very directly: 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 16:30-31). Jesus had already stated the same idea during his ministry (see Jn 3:16, Jn 6:28-29). You see, we've been mind-conditioned, programmed, to expect that there's got to be a 'performance clause' in the agreement somewhere-- but it just isn't there! When God gives a free gift, it is truly free. We fleshly humans just can't seem to 'get it,' because it's so contrary to the way we do things. What the nominal 'Christian' churches have been peddling all these centuries is really 'Judeo-Christianity,' a doomed attempt to live the New Covenant life using an Old Covenant, Israelite mind-set. The fact is, it just doesn't work! See Matthew 9:16-17, and now you will understand those condensed parables!

It's not just my opinion that the churches are off-track and spiritually blind. Jesus himself states it bluntly in Revelation 3 (:14-19) in his address to the church of Laodicea, which many scholars accept as representative of the Christian church in the latter days. The Lord acknowledges that they perform 'deeds,' but he states that they have become mere observances ('lukewarm') conducted by 'blind' followers. Going further, the false gospel of traditional teaching also explains why it is necessary for 'another angel' (Rev 14:6) to proclaim the everlasting gospel in apocalyptic times, to correct the erroneous message. What makes the gospel the 'good news' is precisely the fact that it is a free gift and there's nothing for the believer to prove. Does that mean I advocate anarchy? By no means! A full explanation requires another essay, but if a true believer accepts Jesus, then he becomes open to the promptings of the Spirit of God, and that Spirit leads us to right choices and putting the law of love into action in our lives. It is a matter of following the 'still, small voice' within-- not of running down a check-list of 'don'ts!' (E.g. Rom 12:2, Heb 5:14, etc.). Only when we take our eyes off the Law, and unto Jesus, can a believer be empowered and ready to begin the process of transformation into his image. That's what 'lukewarmness' is pointing at-- this attempt to mix the fervent heat of Jesus' gospel with the old, stony coldness of law-keeping! That's why Jesus wants to vomit it from his mouth! Did he win freedom for us at the cross, or not? If you believe he did, then it's time to grow up in the Spirit, escape the schoolmaster, and actualize that belief in your Christian life. (Gal 3:2-5, 22-26; Heb 5:13-14, 10:29). Face it-- there is NO hybrid gospel in either the Old or the New Covenants! Either put your faith in Christ... or keep trying to add works to the gospel, and fail.

My hope is that the reader will now have a firm understanding of the two major covenants of the Bible, how literal Israel and then figurative Israel (the 'Church') got the story confused, and why the 'eternal gospel' is almost too good to be true. These are all crucial turning points of doctrine, and the heart-converted Christian must understand them in order to resist the strong wine of delusion being poured out by Satan and his agents to intoxicate believers and render them prey to all manner of deceptive doctrines. And perhaps the worst of those lies is that we are under obligation to the same Commandments as the Israelites were during the Old Testament era. Surely the obvious question for all believers should be: What makes the New Covenant 'new'? Once you discover the answer to this conundrum, you are on the road to spiritual freedom and insight. May the Spirit of God enlighten every reader who diligently searches the scriptures to see if this message is true, and to find the everlasting gospel of Jesus.