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Satan, the Super Creature |
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Satan, the Super Creature |
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Prostitute of Babylon
Defeat of Satan
Satan rules the world through his Cosmic System. He influences people, who will, in turn, influence others just as the woman in the Garden influenced her husband after she sinned. A king who rules a nation may come under Satan's evil power and influence his subjects to do evil. He is called an Evil King. Similarly, the female counterpart of the king, such as his wife or mistress, may also come under Satan's evil power and have great influence over others. She is called the Prostitute of Babylon.
In the government of Babylon, the Evil King had power over the Military Establishment, and the Prostitute of Babylon had influence over the Civilian Establishment. The Prostitute of Babylon was the High Priestess in the Temple. Both the Evil King and Prostitute of Babylon were under Satan's influence, and they ruled with Satan's power. Satan rules nations and the military establishment through the Evil King (Josh 12:7-24; Rev 16:13-14). And he rules commerce and the civilian sector through the Prostitute of Babylon (Rev 18:2-3) and lures men with the love of money (Acts 5:3; 1 Tim 6:10).
Now technically, there is no difference between the Evil King and Prostitute of Babylon. Both are people under the power of Satan or his demons. Demons do not have gender. They are neither male, nor female, and the same demon can influence either males or females. Therefore, a man can be a Prostitute of Babylon or an Evil King, and a woman can also be either. The terms Evil King and Prostitute of Babylon refer to the functions they control, such as the Military Establishment and the Civilian Establishment.
The terms, Evil King and Prostitute of Babylon, may also refer to Satan's demons as well as to their human counterparts. The Antichrist is the Evil King of the Revived Roman Empire, who is symbolized by a beast (Rev 17:3, 8). The Prostitute of Babylon who rides the beast, however, is not a human but the symbol of Satan's Cosmic System (Rev 17:4, 5, 18).
The Prostitute of Babylon is a human under demon power. The relationship does not have to include sex. There are many varieties of demon influence. Most of the people under demonic power and influence don't know it. Demons sleep with them and give them dreams, and the people are clueless. It isn't until the demon reveals himself that the person becomes aware of the demon.
Demons of the Prostitute of Babylon often try to lure people into the same relationship with them as those who contact demons through idolatry. The demons disrupt marriages. They support all types of lust, lasciviousness, and illicit sex. They support fornication, adultery, prostitution, and homosexuality. They also disrupt Marriage and the Right Man – Right Woman relationship. Satan opposes both Marriage and the Right Man - Right Woman relationship..
Unbelievers, Reversionists, and carnal believers do not have pure marriage relationships. They are living in the Cosmic System. Without Righteousness, they have no Spiritual integrity and therefore no capacity for love. They are unstable as water and easy prey for demons. The demon attacks can cause all manner of sickness and problems in relationships. The demons ultimately want to take people to the Sin Leading to Death. They apparently consider going to Hell or dying the Sin Leading to Death as a vote in their favor in the Appeal Trial.
The Prostitute of Babylon as Baal attacks children, marriage, and Israel. The problem is pervasive. Children require intercessory prayer. Christians who are not filled with the Holy Spirit are pawns of Satan and his demons. They are wide open for demon influence and have most likely become Prostitutes of Babylon. Apostates are very likely Prostitutes of Babylon. Separation from the world is a necessity for avoiding demon attacks associated with the Prostitute of Babylon.
The first and only perfect marriage was destroyed by a Satanic counterattack that turned the woman into the Prostitute of Babylon. After the woman in the Garden ate the forbidden fruit, she died spiritually and the love relationship with her husband ended. When the man sinned, he died spiritually, and his love for his wife ended. They were at each other's throats. He blamed his wife for the failure because she had destroyed the marriage, and she blamed Satan, who completely deceived her.
After the original sin, it was even more difficult for those with Old Sin Natures to keep Satan out of the marriage. In the Antediluvian Civilization, the demons completely took over the marriages. All the women became Prostitutes of Babylon with the exception of Noah's wife and the wives of his three sons. Satan's demons do not just go after the women. Since demons have no gender, they go for the men also. One of the attractions of idolatry was the insatiable lust created by the demons in men and women. It was like a drug. The same insatiable lust lures people into homosexuality and lesbianism (Rom 1:26, 27).
After Salvation the strategic objective is to get to Spiritual Maturity. That is a tall order that will require a minimum of about 15 years or longer for many. Even after Spiritual Maturity, the attacks from Satan only intensify until reaching Spiritual Rapport, which can take a lifetime. There have been couples who advanced to Spiritual Maturity and Spiritual Rapport while married, but they are rare. Abraham and Sarah did it. Peter did it, but he had to leave his wife behind for a few years along the way.
Because of the distractions of marriage and in light of Satan's attack on the early Church, Paul's advice was not to get married, but that was not a command (1 Cor 7:26, 27). Marriage is a Divine Institution and a legitimate option for one man and one woman in the human race. However, Marriage will bring "tribulation in the flesh" (1 Cor 7:28). Marriage is not for children and not for immature believers. Love is first Spiritual and then temporal. Those who have not reached Spiritual Maturity are incapable of maintaining Love in Marriage or anywhere else. Their Old Sin Natures are capable of making their marriages miserable without Satan's help. Sin destroys the Filling of the Holy Spirit and love. And a marriage without love is a sentence to slavery and hard labor.
The Christian is symbolically married to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Right Man.
2 Corinthians 11:2The purpose of the Christian life is to have Spiritual Rapport with God and harmonious rapport with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the Spiritual analogy of Marriage. Being betrothed to one husband refers to the Lord Jesus Christ as the Right Man. Just as the pure virgin is presented in Marriage, the Christian should be pure from sin to be presented at the Rapture to the Lord Jesus Christ as His Bride.
For I am devoted to you with a devotion from God; for I have betrothed you to one husband, that I might present you as a pure virgin to Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:3Satan's objective is to destroy the relationship with Christ. He completely deceived Eve by his craftiness, and he uses his arsenal of craft, lies, and deception to distract the Christian from the Love relationship with Christ. The noble simplicity of occupation with Christ must be the focus of the Christian life. The Lord Jesus Christ must be first and foremost. He must be all in all.
But I am afraid, lest as the serpent completely deceived Eve by his craftiness, your thoughts should be led astray from noble simplicity and purity toward Christ.
The Love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is only possible through purity. Sin destroys the Filling of the Holy Spirit, unleashes the Old Sin Nature, and torpedoes Love. The Love for Christ is inoperative in sin. The husband or wife who is bitter cannot love anyone. Impersonal love for all mankind is necessary to avoid sin. Those who cannot even love their fellow man whom they do see cannot love God whom they can't see (1 Jn 4:20). And those who do not have Capacity for Life and Love cannot maintain love in their marriage. The Christian who does not have true Love is a failure in or out of marriage.
The Right Man - Right Woman relationship continues in this life until death regardless of whether the two are ever married. The Lord protects the relationship and judges all infractions against it. The relationship is sustained by the Spiritual life. If either individual becomes carnal or goes into reversionism, both of them suffer. Even their biorhythms are synchronized. When one is down, the other feels it. The relationship requires the same sanctification as Marriage.
Ephesians 5:25-26If both Right Man and Right Woman are not filled with the Holy Spirit and executing the Spiritual life, both will suffer. Both of them need to get to Spiritual Maturity as soon as possible. But that is not the end of suffering because the Right Man - Right Woman relationship was designed for Spiritual Rapport. When there is Spiritual Rapport with God, there is harmonious rapport between Right Man and Right Woman.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself as a substitute for her; 26 that having purified her He might sanctify her by the washing of water by the communicated Word (Gospel)
If either Right Man or Right Woman qualifies for Spiritual Rapport, the other is in for a major shock. Cracking the maturity barrier is like breaking the sound barrier. It is like surviving the ultimate test of endurance. But breaking into Spiritual Rapport requires overcoming the Cosmic System and defeating Satan. It is like achieving orbital velocity and going into outer space. The paradigm shift to Spiritual Maturity is a big deal, but the paradigm shift through the Cosmic barrier and into true Spirituality is out of this world.
Job apparently had a good wife until he hit testing for Spiritual Rapport. Then his wife turned into the Prostitute of Babylon and told Job to curse God and die. She left him and went to the Sin Leading to Death. Rachel was forced to give up her household idols when Jacob hit Spiritual Rapport testing. She was not dedicated to the Spiritual life, so she died the Sin Leading to Death. However, Abraham and Sarah as well as Isaac and Rebekah made it to Spiritual Rapport. The sanctification of Spiritual Rapport demands that both Right Man and Right Woman pass the test of being willing to live consecrated to the Lord or die the Sin Leading to Death.
Since the testing for Spiritual Rapport involves overcoming Satan and his Cosmic System, dealing with demons is the order of the day. Those who have never directly experienced Satan and his demons will meet them. They will suffer their harassment and experience their trickery. It will appear that the bottom has fallen out of the Christian life. The curses appear to happen out of the blue, and nobody can be trusted. Spiritual Self-Esteem must be fully operational. Only the Lord can haul a person out of this assault and deliver him from evil.
The Right Man - Right Woman relationship is designed for the glory of the Garden of Eden. However, the path to return is through the barrier of Satan and his Cosmic System. Only the doctrinal believer can navigate this treacherous realm of the demons of Hell. And only the Grace of God with the personal Love of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ can open the way to Spiritual Rapport and the harmonious rapport of the Garden.
Hosea was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during its last 100 years under the reign of Jeroboam II. His Right Woman was a prostitute. She was a Prostitute of Babylon. While Hosea was a Righteous prophet in the time of national degeneracy, his Right Woman was taken by Satan. Thus, the Right Man – Right Woman relationship of Hosea and his Right Woman was analogous to the relationship between the Lord and Israel. Israel was under the power of the Prostitute of Babylon. The name, Hosea, means deliverance. His message of deliverance was rejected by his Right Woman and by Israel.
Hosea 1:2When the Lord first began to speak to the prophet Hosea, He commanded him to marry his Right Woman of prostitution. "Wife" is the Hebrew hV*a! ('ishah), which means wife or Right Woman. "Prostitution" is the Hebrew <n!Wnz= (zenunim), which means the ritual prostitution of idolatry as in 2 Kings 9:22. This is the function of the Prostitute of Babylon. The Lord commanded Hosea to marry his Right Woman, who was a Prostitute of Babylon. Furthermore, he was to have children of prostitution. Now, no marriage counselor would recommend marrying a prostitute, and certainly not having children with a prostitute. However, that is exactly what the Lord commanded Hosea.
At first when the LORD spoke to Hosea, the LORD commanded Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of prostitution and children of prostitution because committing prostitution, the Land commits prostitution away from the LORD.
Because of the unusual command, the Lord explained the reason to Hosea. The reason is very strong in the Hebrew. It is the Qal infinitive absolute plus the Qal imperfect of hn*z* (zanah), to commit prostitution. Along with the word for land, this phrase means "because committing prostitution, the Land commits prostitution." Hosea was to marry a prostitute because the land of Israel was committing spiritual prostitution as the Prostitute of Babylon. The nation of Israel was committing spiritual adultery with Satan as the Prostitute of Babylon. Hosea's Right Man – Right Woman relationship was the mirror image of Israel's rejection of the Lord. Like the woman in the Garden after she sinned, Israel had become the Prostitute of Babylon.
Hosea 1:3So Hosea married Gomer. Gomer, which is the Hebrew rm#G) means to end, come to completion. Her father was Diblaim, which is the Hebrew <y!l*b=D!, meaning two cakes, such as twin towns. When Hosea had a son, the Lord told him what to name him, since names always come true in the Bible.
So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
Hosea 1:4-5The son was to be named Jezreel, which is the Hebrew lau#r=z=y!(Jizere`e'l), meaning God sows. Jezreel is the fruitful plain in northern Israel where the battles of history are fought. It is the location of Armageddon. The "blood of Jezreel" refers to the killing of the royal family of Ahab by Jehu at the command of the Lord. The same fate that occurred to the royal line of Ahab would fall upon the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The Army of Israel would be destroyed in the valley of Jezreel. The bloodshed of the royal family of Ahab, in which the entire royal family was annihilated, represented the future destruction of the Northern Kingdom.
4 And the Lord commanded him, "Call his name, Jezreel; for yet a little while and I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the Kingdom of the House of Israel. 5 And it will come about on that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."
Hosea 1:6Hosea's wife then gave birth to a daughter, whom the LORD said to name, "Lo-Ruchamah." "Lo" is the strong, strategic negative in the Hebrew, which means definitely not. "Ruchamah" is a variation of the Hebrew <j#r# (rechem), for the womb or an open womb. Thus, "Lo-Ruchamah" means not having an open womb, or unfavored, no mercy. The name meant that the LORD would no longer "have mercy on the nation of Israel." "Have mercy" is the verb form of rechem, which is the Hebrew <j^r* (racham).
Then she became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And He (the LORD) said to him, "Call her name Lo-Ruchamah, for I will no longer have mercy on the nation of Israel, that I should ever forgive them.
After Hosea's wife had weaned Lo-Ruchamah, she gave birth to a son.
Hosea 1:9The Lord commanded Hosea to name the son, "Lo-`Ammi," which means "not my people." The relationship between the Lord and Israel, which was previously symbolized by a marriage, had now ended. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had chosen to serve Satan through the Prostitute of Babylon. It had left the Lord to serve Baal, and thus, effectively ended the marriage with Him. The Lord did not reject them. They rejected the Lord. Therefore, the Lord would deliver them into the hands of the Assyrians to be destroyed. The symbolic marriage would end with the death of the Northern Kingdom. However, the Lord would continue his relationship with the Southern Kingdom until it followed the same course.
And He (the LORD) said, "Call his name Lo-`Ammi, for you are not My people and I will not be yours."
Gomer Falls Back into Prostitution
Sometime later, but before the children left home, Gomer left Hosea and the children and went back into prostitution. Prostitution in the Northern Kingdom included the worship of Baal and Asherah just as in the days of Jezebel (1 Kings 18:19). The prostitutes of Baal and Asherah were the equivalent of the Prostitute of Babylon.
After Gomer left home, the LORD told the children to try to reason with her to give up her prostitution.
Hosea 2:2"Prostitution" is the Hebrew <n!Wnz= (zenunim), which means the ritual prostitution of idolatry as in 2 Kings 9:22. This is the function of the Prostitute of Babylon. The women of the Northern Kingdom were like Gomer. They were practicing prostitution and adultery. When a wife practices prostitution, it is also adultery. The adulteress can be empowered by the Old Sin Nature or the same demons as the Prostitute of Babylon.
Contend with your mother, contend!
For she is not my wife, and I am not her husband;
And let her put away her prostitution from her face,
And her adultery from between her breasts,
Israel was described as a nation of prostitutes and children who were conceived in prostitution.
Hosea 2:4The nation of prostitutes and children of prostitutes would be Judged by the destruction of the nation.
Therefore, I will have no mercy on her children
Because they are children of prostitution.
Hosea 2:5The mothers have "committed prostitution," which is the Hebrew verb hn^z* (zanah), meaning to commit prostitution, play the harlot, fornicate. The mothers acted as the Prostitute of Babylon in the worship of Baal and Asherah. The women chased after their lovers with whom they committed prostitution. They attributed their prosperity to their lifestyle of prostitution. They rejected Logistical Grace and gave their lovers under the power of Baal credit for their food ("bread and water"), their clothing ("wool and flax"), and expensive possessions (oil and good wine). On the contrary, the LORD gave these things to the women, who were oblivious to the Grace of God (Hosea 2:8-9).
For their mother has committed prostitution;
She who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, 'I will go after my lovers,
Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.'
Hosea 2:12The women prostitutes have forgotten that wine comes from vines and figs from trees. In the approaching Judgment, the LORD will destroy the vineyards and orchards along with the prostitutes. The values of these women reveal the materialistic side of prostitution. The men are after the honey, but the women are after the money. The wealth of the prostitutes is attained in violation of true authority. The women have rejected God's authority and the authority of their husbands. And they are making a living outside the business establishment through evil. Thus, the prostitution in Israel was a rejection of God's Word, Marriage Culture, and the Laws of Establishment. Prostitution destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
And I will devastate her vine and her fig tree of which she said, 'They are wages of prostitution to me, which my lovers gave me.' And I will make them a forest and the animal of the country devour them.
Hosea Reunites with Gomer
Gomer was eventually bought as a prostitute, since many prostitutes were owned. Men bought them and then sold them when they were tired of them. Such appears to have been the case with Gomer. The LORD commanded Hosea to buy her back.
Hosea 3:1Gomer is now called an adulteress, which is her status in relation to her husband. The reunion illustrated the regathering of the Diaspora of the Southern Kingdom after the captivity in Babylon. In the analogy, the LORD is the faithful husband, but the wife (Israel) is unfaithful. She is an adulteress who worships other gods in ritual prostitution and loves "raisin-cakes." Raisin-cakes were delicacies, which represented enjoying the sensuality of idolatrous worship.
Then the LORD commanded me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by her companion, yet committing adultery, as the LORD loves the children of Israel, and they turn to other gods and love raisin-cakes."
Hosea 3:2Hosea purchased Gomer for 15 shekels of silver, and a homer and a half of barley. A homer and half is equivalent to 15 ephahs, or 12 bushels. Here, the number, 15, stands for a covering, and silver symbolizes judgment.
So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half (lethek) of barley.
Hosea's marriage, separation, and reunion with Gomer represented the LORD's relationship with Client Nation Israel. They were married when Israel obeyed Bible Doctrine. They were separated when the nation was destroyed and the people went into captivity. They were reunited when the people returned from captivity. Israel was destroyed in 70 AD. It will continue to be in captivity and trodden down until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (until the end of the Church Age) (Lk 21:24). Then the Lord will return at the Second Advent, and the Diaspora will return to Israel to populate the Millennial Kingdom.
Jezebel had Naboth falsely accused and executed (1 Kings 21:1-15) along with his sons (2 Kings 9:26) because he refused to sell her husband a plot of land for a vegetable garden. Consequently, she was cursed.
1 Kings 21:23 Curse of JezebelThe curse was fulfilled when Jehu had her thrown over a wall, and she was trampled under his horse (2 Ki 9:30-34). When they went to bury her, the dogs had eaten all except her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands (2 Ki 9:35, 36, 37).
And of Jezebel also has the Lord spoken, saying, "The dogs shall eat Jezebel in the town-land (district) of Jezreel."2 Ki 9:36
36 Therefore they returned and told him. And he said, "This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 'In the property of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel;
37 and the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung on the face of the field in the property of Jezreel, so they cannot say, "This is Jezebel." ' "
Jezebel's children would also die under the Curse of Jeroboam that was placed on her husband Ahab (1 Ki 21:21-24; 22:37-38; 2 Ki 9:7-9). In the Church Age, the Curse of Jezebel is expanded to include the death of Jezebel's children (followers) and Jezebel being thrown into a sick bed (Rev 2:20-23).
Revelation 2:20A woman in the Church at Thyatira was called Jezebel. She was a false teacher under demon power. She taught doctrinal believers to practice prostitution and idolatry. She was probably teaching Christians to join trade guilds, which would require them to attend annual feasts to worship the patron deity. This woman was a Prostitute of Babylon.
But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they practice prostitution and eat things sacrificed to idols.
Jezebel refused to Rebound (Rev 2:21). Therefore, the Lord decided to throw her in a sickbed and those committing adultery with her into severe suffering, unless they Rebounded (Rev 2:22). Furthermore, the Lord determined that He would execute her children, meaning her followers (Rev 2:23). Thus, the followers of the Prostitute of Babylon received the sentence of the Sin Leading to Death.
When the Lord refused to let Balaam curse Israel, Balaam came up with a ploy to earn his reward. He taught Balak to use prostitutes of Baal to lure the men of Israel. Moabite and Midianite women who were Prostitutes of Babylon were sent into the camp of Israel to lure the men into prostitution and the worship of Baal-peor. Satan was really the one behind this. Unlike a military attack, this was an attack of lawlessness, which was designed to weaken Israel to prevent it from conquering the Promised Land. The Camp at Shittim was the staging area for entering the Land. Through the Moabite and Midianite women, thousands of the soldiers of Israel were lured into idolatry, and consequently the Lord executed 24,000 with a plague (Num 25:1-3, 9).
Just as Israel was enticed with the prostitutes who worshipped Baal-peor, Christians in the Church of Pergamum practiced idolatry as the Prostitute of Babylon.
Revelation 2:14Just as the men of Israel ate meat sacrificed to idols and engaged in prostitution with the Moabite and Midianite women, Christians at Pergamum did the same thing. Fornication with temple prostitutes brings a person into fellowship with the demons of the Prostitute of Babylon. "Practice prostitution" is the Greek porneuvw (porneuo), which means to practice sexual promiscuity or prostitution. Satan attacks the Church the same way he attacked Israel to keep it from the Promised Land.
But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a baited trap before the sons of Israel, to eat meat sacrificed to idols, and to practice prostitution.
The women who worshipped idols became Prostitutes of Babylon. Through idolatry the women came under the power of demons. They worshipped Baal and Asherah (2 Ki 17:16), which included sexual orgies whereby the women and the men were under demon power (Jer 2:20; 3:6). Even Solomon married foreign women, who were Prostitutes of Babylon, and he was pulled under the power of the demons of idols (1 Ki 11:5, 33; 2 Ki 23:13). He built temples for Ashtoreth and other idols of his wives. Solomon came under the spell of the Prostitute of Babylon after he had built the Temple of the Lord.
The Prostitute of Babylon is Satan's attack on Marriage. Even though Solomon had a harem of a thousand women, he never had his Right Woman. Polygamy was never the will of God. It did not satisfy Solomon but dragged him into idolatry under the power of the Prostitute of Babylon.
Temple prostitutes were prohibited by the Mosaic Law.
Deuteronomy 23:17-18The female "temple prostitute" is the Hebrew hv*d@q+ (qedeshah), and the male is the Hebrew vd@q+ (qedesh). The Hebrew root vdq (qdsh) means sacred, set apart, consecrated. Temple prostitutes were not sacred, but they were set apart, or dedicated, to serve Satan. The temple prostitutes claimed to practice sacred sex, but that was a lie. Prostitution is not sacred. Israelites were prohibited from being temple prostitutes. The words, "daughters" and "sons", prohibited the use of children for prostitution.
17 None of the daughters of Israel shall be a temple prostitute, nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a temple prostitute. 18 You shall not bring the wages of a prostitute or the money of a dog into the house of the LORD your God because of any vow, for even both are an abomination to the LORD your God.
Temple prostitutes donated their earnings from prostitution to the temples of the gods, but Israelites were prohibited from donating the "wages of a prostitute or the money of a dog" to the Tabernacle, or Temple, of God. The word "prostitute" in verse 18 is the Hebrew hn*oz (zonah), which is the normal word for prostitute, or harlot. "Dog" was slang for a male homosexual prostitute. They were called dogs because homosexuals copulate from the rear like animals. Thus, the Prostitute of Babylon could also be a male.
During the reign of Solomon's son, Rehoboam, male and female temple prostitutes were widespread in Judah (1 Kings 14:21-23, 24). In verse 24, the Hebrew vd@q+ (qedesh) is singular but likely refers to both male and female temple prostitutes. Another reference to the temple prostitutes is plural and can include male and female (1 Kings 15:12). The male temple prostitutes during this time were very likely men who had emasculated themselves in honor of Astarte, the Canaanite nature goddess and counterpart of the Babylonian Ishtar.
Temple prostitutes also existed in Corinth in the Church Age. There was a problem among Corinthian Christians of eating food sacrificed to idols and being lured into idolatry through the Prostitute of Babylon. Illicit sex in idolatry connects a person to the demons of the Prostitute of Babylon.
1 Corinthians 6:15The prostitutes of the idol temples in Corinth cohabited with demons like the Prostitute of Babylon. Therefore, Christians who continued to go to the idol temples as they did before Salvation, would come into contact with these demons. Christians are members of the Body of Christ (Col 1:18). Therefore, they should not try to remove themselves from the Body of Christ to join themselves with a prostitute by fornication. In so doing, the Christian connects to Satan through demons (Eph 2:1-3). This amounts to idolatry.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I, therefore, take away the members of Christ? Shall I make them members of a prostitute? May it not be!
1 Corinthians 6:16This is a quote from Genesis 2:24. "Has sex" is the Greek kollavw (kollao), which means to copulate; join together intimately. And "prostitute" is the Greek povrnh (porne), meaning whore or prostitute (Matt 21:31). Sex with a Prostitute of Babylon not only joins two Old Sin Natures but connects to the demons associated with the prostitute.
Do you not know that he who has sex with a prostitute is one body with her? For He (God) says, "The two shall become one flesh."
One of the seven Elect Angels who will administer the
Bowl Judgments in the Tribulation described the final Judgment of the Prostitute
of Babylon.
Revelation 17:1-2The "great prostitute" is the Prostitute of Babylon, who was shown in a vision. "Great" means large and implies powerful. She "sits on many waters," where "many waters" symbolize the people and nations of the world, or Political Babylon (Rev 17:15). She practiced prostitution with the Evil Kings of the Earth. This is the relationship of the Evil King and Prostitute of Babylon in Satan's rule of the world. "Practiced prostitution" is the Greek porneuvw (porneuo), meaning to practice prostitution or sexual promiscuity. The people on the Earth "were made drunk with the wine of her prostitution." This is a metaphor for her seductive power over people (Rev 14:8). They are intoxicated with lust as a man is intoxicated with desire for a woman as described in Proverbs.
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 prostitute who sits on many waters,
2 with whom the kings of the Earth practiced prostitution, and those who dwell on the Earth were made drunk from the wine of her prostitution."
Proverbs 5:19-20Then the angel carried John away in Spirit travel to the next scene.
19 As a loving hind and a graceful ibex (chamois, mountain antelope), let her breasts satisfy (intoxicate, hw*r* (ravah) = make drunk sexually) you at all times; be exhilarated (drunk, high hn*v* (shanah), to reel, swerve) always with her love. 20 And why should you, my son, be exhilarated with a stranger, and embrace the bosom of a foreign prostitute?
Revelation 17:3The woman riding the scarlet Beast is the Prostitute of Babylon. The objects have symbolic meaning.
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.
"Scarlet" was a brilliant crimson dye obtained from an insect (Coccus ilicis) called qirmiz in Arabic, from which is derived the English word "crimson." The color comes from the female insect only, which feeds upon the leaves of the holm oak and lays eggs which contain the red substance. In the Tabernacle the color symbolized the blood of Christ and was used in the hangings and the vestments of the high priest; it was used in the ceremony of the cleansing of lepers (Lev. 14:4); the offering of the red heifer (Num. 19:6); and the sprinkling of the people and the book of the Law by Moses (Heb 9:19).1
"Precious stones" from the land, "pearls" from the sea, and the "gold cup" symbolized extravagance. The "gold cup" was "filled with abominations and impurities of her prostitution." "Abominations" refer to what is abhorrent to God. "Impurities" refer to impure things like vice and sin. Impurities include the following:
Revelation 17:5The Prostitute of Babylon wore a diadem with her title written upon it. "Mystery" is the Greek musthvrion (musterion), meaning secret, secret teaching. It refers to the secret teaching of cults which is only available to the initiates. This has allegorical significance.
and upon her forehead the name had been written, "MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
"Babylon the Great" does not refer to a single person or city, but to the entire world system - Cosmic, Political, and Ecumenical Babylon. This is a symbolic reference to the domain of Satan.
"Mother of Prostitutes" corresponds to the madam who runs a house of prostitution, like Inanna, the High Priestess of the Temple in Babylon. It also indicates that prostitutes are the children, or followers, of the Prostitute of Babylon. Her children are the offspring of the devil's world system (the dupes). They are those in the world (Cosmic System), including kings, political leaders, and religious leaders.
"And Abominations of the Earth" refer to what is abhorrent to God; also repugnance for the will of God (Prov 29:27). Abominations include:
Revelation 17:6The woman is a murderer (Rev 16:6). When John saw this, he was astonished and greatly amazed. Therefore, the angels explained the meaning of it (Rev 17:7).
And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And seeing her, I was astonished with great amazement.
Revelation 17:8 The BeastThe Beast refers to the Revived Roman Empire of the Tribulation (Dan 7:7; Rev 13:1; 17:11).
The Beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out from the Abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the Earth whose name has not been permanently written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the Beast that was and is not and will come.
Those "whose name has not been permanently written in the Book of Life" refer to unbelievers. The names of unbelievers are not permanently inscribed because they are blotted out upon death.5 "Permanently written" is the Greek gevgraptai (gegraptai) in the perfect tense, meaning to permanently write or inscribe.
Revelation 7:9 Seven HeadsThe "thinking which has wisdom" refers to Bible Doctrine. The seven heads of the Beast refer to the seven world empires that oppose Israel. The first two are Egypt and Assyria, and the others are symbolized by Daniel's image (Dan 2:32-33, 37-43):
Here is the thinking which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits,
Revelation 17:10The "seven kings" are Egypt, Assyria, the Chaldean Empire, Media-Persia, Graeco-Macedonia, Rome, and the Revived Roman Empire. Five fell before the Roman Empire. "One is" refers to Rome, which lasted until 476 AD. The Revived Roman Empire will arise in the Tribulation.
and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; nevertheless, when he comes, he must remain a little while.
Revelation 17:11 World RulerThe Beast who is the "eighth" is the Dictator of the Revived Roman Empire in the first half of the Tribulation. He will conquer three states in the ten nation confederation and rule the other seven (Dan 7:7, 8). Then he will become the world ruler in the second half of the Tribulation.
The Beast which was and is not, is himself also an eighth and is from the seventh, and he goes to destruction.
The ten horns refer to the ten nation confederacy of the European Union, or Revived Roman Empire (Rev 17:12). These nations under Beast Dictator will wage war against the Lord Jesus Christ at the Second Advent (Rev 17:14).
Revelation 17:15 The WatersThe waters on which the Prostitute sat are the people and nations of the world. The counterattack of the Prostitute of Babylon began in Babylon at the Tower of Babel where the Lord instituted nationalism and languages (Gen 11:9). In the second half of the Tribulation Satan will succeed in establishing a one-world government.
And he said to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute is sitting, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages."
Revelation 17:16 Beast Destroys the ProstituteDuring the intensified suffering of the last half of the Tribulation, the Evil Kings of the Revived Roman Empire will destroy the Prostitute of Babylon. The Evil Kings rule the military establishment, and the Prostitute of Babylon rules the civilian establishment (including Ecumenical Babylon). The Evil Kings hate the Prostitute. They "make her desolate" – destruction of property. "Stripped bare" (Isa 3:16-26; Ezek 16:37, 39; 23:26; Hos 2:3; shame, Rev 3:18, 16:15) refers to taking all of one's possessions and stripping that one of all power and dignity. It is the rape analogy. The attack of the Evil Kings on the Prostitute will be symbolized by the Abomination of Desolation in which the Beast turns on the False Prophet and sets up an image of himself in the Jewish Temple and demands to be worshipped as god (Matt 24:15; 2 Thess 2:4).
And the ten horns which you saw and the Beast, these will hate the prostitute and make her desolate and stripped bare and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire.
Eating her flesh is the analogy of an animal killing and devouring its prey (Jer 7:33; 34:20; Ezek 29:5; Rev 19:18). Burning with fire refers to final consummation. It refers to external condemnation of the Lake of Fire. It refers to the punishment for the fornication of the daughter of a priest under the Levitical Law (Lev. 21:9). Fornication was a sin under the power of the Prostitute of Babylon.
Revelation 17:18 Prostitute of BabylonThe woman is the Prostitute of Babylon. She is called the "Great City," which symbolizes Babylon and the Cosmic System. Other great cities are sometimes called Babylon or Sodom as derogatory terms. These terms are sometimes used for Rome and Jerusalem. But here the "Great City" is Babylon, which symbolizes the Cosmic System.
And the woman whom you saw is the Great City who possesses imperial power over the kings of the Earth.
Babylon has "imperial power over the kings of the Earth." Thus, the Prostitute of Babylon refers to the Cosmic System, and therefore, to Satan and his demons. This refers to Satan's kingdom of Cosmos Diabolicus, the devil's world system, which controls kings, heads of state, and nations (Matt 4:8-9). The dominion of Satan extends into every area of life: the job, local government, the market place, business, marriage, family, and educational system.
Fall of Babylon
A very powerful angel, a King of Arms, came down from Heaven, illuminating the Earth, and proclaimed the fall of Babylon (Rev 18:1).
Revelation 18:2 Fall of BabylonThe angelic herald announced the fall of "Babylon the Great," which was the name given to the ancient city of Babylon (Dan 4:30), but here it refers to Satan's Cosmic System. These are the same words used to prophesy the fall of ancient Babylon (Is 21:9; Jer 51:8). The scene of destruction after the fall corresponds to the fall of ancient Babylon (Jer 50:39-40) and Edom (Isa 34:6-15).
He (the angel) cried out with a mighty voice, saying, "Fallen! Fallen! Babylon the Great! It has become a habitation of demons, a prison for every unclean spirit, and a haunt of every kind of unclean bird and detestable thing."
After the city was destroyed and the people gone, the only thing left were its demons. After the cities and people are destroyed at the Second Advent, only the demons will be left. It will be a prison for unclean spirits and a haunt for unclean birds. This refers to birds that are unclean for religious reasons, e. g. the vulture, owl, heron, pelican, great horned owl (Deut. 14:11-19; Lev. 11:13-19). The birds symbolize demons.
Revelation 18:3The Prostitute of Babylon metaphorically gives her wine to the nations. Wine intoxicates, which produces an emotional high followed by depression. Wine is a symbol for the intoxicant that produces the passion of prostitution. The nations of people are under the power of Political Babylon.
"For all the nations have drunk from the wine of the passion of her prostitution; and the kings of the Earth have committed prostitution with her, and the merchants of the Earth have become rich from the power of her extravagance."
"The kings of the Earth have committed prostitution with her." This is a metaphor for spiritual adultery with Prostitute of Babylon in the Cosmic System. The Prostitute of Babylon influences the Evil Kings of the Earth spiritually. The kings are in Cosmic Babylon.
"The merchants of the Earth have become rich from the power of her extravagance." "Extravagance" is the Greek strh'no" (strenos), meaning sensuality; luxury; extravagance. The verb form (Greek strhniavw, streniao) is used in verses 7 and 9 for living extravagantly, luxuriously, sumptuously. Her extravagance made the merchants rich. This is the power of the Prostitute of Babylon over commerce. The merchants of the land are in Ecumenical Babylon.
Revelation 18:7The Prostitute of Babylon lived extravagantly, which is the Greek strhniavw (streniao), meaning to live extravagantly, luxuriously, sumptuously; to live sensuously. This describes the lifestyle of the rich and famous. It is the life of a reversionist, which is symbolized by a flourishing green tree.
"To the degree that she glorified herself and lived extravagantly, to the same degree give her."
Psalm 37:35Demons influence this lifestyle.
I saw a ruthless, wicked man spreading himself out like a flourishing tree in its native soil.
Revelation 18:9When the cities are destroyed in the Tribulation, the Evil Kings who committed prostitution with the Prostitute of Babylon and lived extravagantly with her, will weep and mourn. When the cities are destroyed their lifestyle in the Cosmic System will also end.
"And the kings of the Earth who committed prostitution with her and lived extravagantly with her, will weep and mourn over her when they see the smoke of her burning."
Revelation 18:10 Lament Over BabylonThe Evil Kings of the Earth will lament the fall of the great city of Babylon. The great city of Babylon is a metaphor for an Earthly city that symbolizes the Cosmic System. The end of Satan's world domination of the cities by the Cosmic System will come suddenly, "in one hour." Babylon will fall at the Second Advent when the Lord Jesus Christ destroys the followers of Satan.
"Standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' "
Satan is the most powerful and brilliant creature that God ever created. He is a super creature with inordinate ambition. He not only wants to rule all Creation, including man and angels, but he also wants to be worshipped as God. He is beautiful beyond description. He has great mental capacity, like a photographic memory with the ability to think at probably gigahertz rates. He knows the Bible in all languages backward and forward, and he knows secrets about God that no one knows.
In order to maintain his separation from God, Satan is also very bitter. His hatred for the Elect Angels and mankind is extremely caustic. He is worse than any psychopath. Christians are no match for the devil; yet, by the Grace of God they have the power to defeat him. Just as a person who has been wronged can go before a judge and defeat a rich and powerful person, the Christian who is Righteous can defeat Satan in the Supreme Court of Heaven. The Christian soldier in the Army of the Lord can be part of a victorious army that has defeated Satan. And the believer who advances to Spiritual Rapport can defeat Satan and his Cosmic System by the power of God.
Satan is big and powerful, but, like any created being, he has limitations. He is only allowed to sow his seeds of rebellion and incite demon armies to fight the angels of God because God is willing to permit it. He is only allowed to rule the world and deceive mankind because God has a purpose for it. He only received an Appeal Trial after being sentenced to the Lake of Fire because the Lord had a purpose for it. Mankind exists to be witnesses in the Appeal Trial.
God still controls Creation. Without Him nothing exists (Jn 1:3). Nothing catches Him by surprise. He knows all things. He knows the end from the beginning (Isa 46:10). He is God (Psa 100:3). With God all things are possible (Matt 19:26). Satan is no problem for God, who has never been unhappy over anything. If God is for us, who can be against us (Rom 8:31). God has chosen the weak things to shame the strong (1 Cor 1:27). Therefore, God uses believers to defeat Satan (1 Jn 2:13, 14).
The Christian with God's power is able to engage in warfare with Satan, the super creature, and win by the Grace of God. The first victory is believing in Jesus Christ for Salvation. Salvation includes Spiritual freedom from Satan and his Cosmic System (Jn 6:17; 8:32, 36; Gal 5:1). That is a major defeat for Satan, who can only lead his followers to death in the Lake of Fire. Satan's argument is that man sinned and You saved him, but You did not save me. Therefore, that is unfair. On the contrary, Satan already had Eternal Life, which he could never lose. And Satan chose to spend eternity separated from God. God does not reject his creatures, but they have free will to reject Him.
The second victory over Satan is the Filling of the Holy Spirit. When a believer Rebounds, he is separated from Satan's Cosmic System and filled with the Holy Spirit. That is a defeat for Satan. Through the filling of the Holy Spirit, the Christian is in fellowship with God (Rom 8:2; Gal 5:16; 1 Jn 1:7, 9). God watches over the believer. Satan and his demons are not allowed access to the believer without God's permission. This is a defeat for Satan, who argued that the Lord had placed a hedge around Job (Job 1:10). The Lord decided to remove the hedge in order to test Job for Spiritual Rapport.
The believer who advances to the first strategic objective of Spiritual Maturity defeats Satan each step of the way. Every time he receives more grace, that is a defeat for Satan. Each level of the advance to maturity is a defeat for Satan. These levels are:
The ultimate defeat of Satan is accomplished by those who advance to Spiritual Rapport. During testing for Spiritual Rapport, the believer is able to defeat Satan and his Cosmic System personally. Whereas previous Spiritual Warfare on the way to Spiritual Maturity was like fighting with a combat team, the testing for Spiritual Rapport is like being behind enemy lines. Testing for Spiritual Rapport involves direct contact with Satan and his demons. They are allowed access to the believer, just they were allowed access to Job, Elijah, and Paul. But the battle is the Lord's (1 Sam 17:47), and the Lord wins the victory over Satan and his demons through Divine power. The promotion to Spiritual Rapport demonstrates that the Lord is the winner, and Satan is the loser.
After Elijah's great victory over the Prophets of Baal and Asherah on Mt. Carmel, Jezebel tried to kill him (1 Kings 19:1-2). Elijah, the Spiritual giant, ran in fear from Jezebel after the great Grace victory. Granted, fear is a sin, but what was Elijah to do? He had the power to deal with the prophets of Baal but not the Prostitute of Babylon. He went south to Beersheba, where he left his servant and continued another day into the wilderness. He lay down under a tree exhausted and went to sleep. An angel baked bread over hot coals for him and gave him a jug of water. Elijah ate and drank and went back to sleep. The angel baked more bread and awoke him to eat and drink. That was the last time Elijah ate for the next 40 days and 40 nights (1 Kings 19:3-8).
Elijah
journeyed 1 day plus 40 days and 40 nights (a total of 81 days plus nights)
in the wilderness to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God (1 Kings 19:4, 8).
The number, 81, represents the grace counterattack upon Elijah from Jezebel,
who was the greatest example of the Prostitute of Babylon. It was
Satan who empowered Jezebel. Thus, Elijah was attacked by Satan through
Jezebel. Satan counterattacked Elijah's Grace victory at Mt. Carmel.
Satan recognized that Elijah was the recipient of grace and attacked that
grace. Satan incited Jezebel to try to kill Elijah.
Elijah was at a severe disadvantage with Satan supporting Jezebel as the Prostitute of Babylon. He could handle Baal, but he couldn't handle Satan. He needed a promotion. He fled to the wilderness to get his marching orders and then traveled to Mt. Horeb.
To deal with the Jezebel crisis, Elijah followed his standard methodology. He humbled himself before God in order to receive God's Grace. However, prayer is not a Problem Solving Device for a Satanic counterattack. It was time to fight Satan in Spiritual Warfare. It was not the time to be humble and turn the other cheek. Jezebel ruled her wimp husband, and now she was trying to conquer Elijah.
Elijah Meets the Lord on Mt. Horeb
Elijah traveled to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God. The Lord revealed Himself to Elijah on Mt. Horeb, the same mountain where Moses received the Law.
1 Ki 19:9-10Elijah was lodging in a cave on Mt. Horeb, which may have been the same place called "the cleft of the rock" where Moses saw the Lord's form pass by (Ex 33:22). The Lord asked Elijah what he was doing there, and Elijah explained that he was running for his life.
9 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10 He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of the Armies; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."
1 Kings 19:11-12The Lord told Elijah to go out of the cave. Then the Lord passed by. There was a strong storm that split the mountain and broke in pieces the rocks. But the Lord was not in the wind because the storm was caused by a weather angel, who was a herald of the Lord. Then there was an earthquake. The Lord was not in the earthquake because it was also caused by an angelic herald. Then there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire because it was caused by another angelic herald.
11 So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by. And a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle calm.
The three signs symbolized three severe Judgments. The storm was Judgment from the air. The earthquake was Judgment of the land. And the fire consumed what was left. It was the holocaust. The three Judgments were designed to sanctify or purify the sins of the world before the Holiness of the Lord. They symbolized the Judgments upon Elijah and Israel. Elijah had killed the prophets of Baal, corresponding to Ecumenical Babylon and the earthquake Judgment. There was a great thunderstorm that ended 3.5 years of drought, corresponding to the storm Judgment. And fire had come down from Heaven to consume Elijah's sacrifice, corresponding to the fire Judgment. Israel was also on the way to the holocaust.
The three Judgments symbolized the barrier that Elijah must break through to reach Spiritual Rapport. Moses encountered the same conditions on the volcanic mountain (Ex 19:16). After the fire there was "a sound of a gentle calm." This is the quiet after the storm. There had been a cacophony from the storm, the earthquake, and the crackling fire, and suddenly it became calm and quiet. The calm would not have been noticeable if it had not come after the storm. The calm signifies the God of Love and peace after the storm. It signifies Spiritual Rapport. This is the same message as the Lord announced to Moses on the mountain when He confirmed the Law.
Exodus 34:6After the storm comes the calm, and after Judgment comes the Love and peace of God.
Then the LORD passed by in front of him (Moses) and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in Gracious Love and doctrine;
1 Kings 19:13-14When Elijah heard the calm, he went out to the entrance of the cave and the Lord asked the second time what he was doing there. Elijah had come face-to-face with the Lord, and the Lord was speaking to him.
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
14 Then he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of the Armies; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."
1 Kings 19:15-16The Lord then gave Elijah a new strategic direction in life in keeping with the paradigm shift into Spiritual Rapport. Elijah was to continue to have historical impact and anoint the kings that would come. The Lord commanded Elijah to go back and return to the Desert of Damascus southeast of Damascus. This would mean traveling back up the King's Highway. He was to anoint Hazael king over Aram (Syria). As the man who stood in the gap for Israel, Elijah would anoint the kings. Elijah was the Spiritual leader, and the king was the temporal leader. This is the way the Lord chooses heads of state. They are anointed by his servant in Spiritual Rapport.
15 The LORD said to him, "Go, return by your way to the Desert of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram;
16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place."
And Elijah was to anoint Jehu as king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. And Elijah was to anoint Elisha to be the prophet to follow himself. It didn't mean the end of Elijah yet, but it named his successor, who would be in training.
1 King 19:17-18This will set the stage for the Lord's Judgment of Israel for its idolatry. King Hazael of Syria will attack Israel (the fire). Those who escape his sword will face the sword of King Jehu, who will destroy the royal family of Ahab and Jezebel (the earthquake). Those who escape the sword of Jehu, Elisha will slay. He will not actually slay them. He will deliver them to the Sin Leading to Death or curse them (2 Ki 2:24). With a double portion of the Spirit, Elisha corresponds to the wind storm.
17 "It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall slay, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall slay.
18 Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him."
The Lord will preserve a remnant of 7,000 in Israel who have not worshipped Baal. Those who have not kissed him refer to those who did not kiss his sacred pillar or image (Hos 13:2). The Lord will preserve the remnant through the destruction of the nation (Romans 11:4-5), and it will be the seed for rebuilding the nation. When the number dropped to 7,000, the nation was destroyed.
The Plan for Israel that the Lord announced to Elijah shows the second thing that he proclaimed to Moses on Mt. Horeb.
Exodus 34:7The Lord does not leave the guilty unpunished. Elijah, who had faithfully served the Lord, was under sentence of death from Jezebel. The Lord's appointment of Jehu would spell the doom of Jezebel and her entire family. And Israel had rejected the message of Elijah, which came from the Lord. Therefore, Israel would be invaded and delivered into the cycles of national punishment.
"who (the LORD) keeps unfailing Love for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."
Elijah's promotion to Spiritual Rapport did not come with an award ceremony, but the Lord was there and the Elect Angels. Elijah did not receive a reward, a wife, and a large estate. He received God's Plan for Israel in keeping with Gracious Love and Divine Justice. Elijah was vindicated, but his enemies would be destroyed. Promotion to Spiritual Rapport includes vindication for serving the Lord. Israel did not become a good place, but Elijah did have a home in the nation until he went to Heaven. And Elijah had peace and rapport with God rather than the trials and tribulations of worldly attacks incited by Satan. Satan was forced to back off, and Elijah was allowed to live in peace.
Elijah's Road to Spiritual Rapport
Elijah was living in Spiritual Maturity during the worst time in Israel's history under the Evil King Ahab and Jezebel, the Prostitute of Babylon. Ahab was a weak believer, and Satan operated through Jezebel to instigate his evil policy. Elijah opposed the Evil King and Prostitute of Babylon. He prayed for it not to rain, and it didn't rain for 3.5 years. As the nation suffered in the drought, Elijah had to stay in hiding because Ahab sought to kill him. This was really Satan attacking Elijah, who was under testing for Spiritual Rapport.
After 3.5 years Elijah met Ahab and called for a contest with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Elijah won a great victory by the Grace of God, and he killed all of Jezebel's prophets of Baal. Then he prayed for it to rain, and it rained. Ahab was no longer trying to kill Elijah, but when he told Jezebel, she became very angry and swore to kill Elijah.
Elijah ran away from fear. The Lord had given Satan the opportunity to cross examine through Jezebel. This was the last phase of Elijah's testing for Spiritual Rapport. Satan was out to kill him, but the Lord preserved his life. Elijah went to Beersheba and into the Desert of Paran. He crossed the southern wilderness to Mt. Horeb, the Mountain of God, in 81 days and nights, where 81 is for a grace counterattack. He needed Grace to overcome the Prostitute of Babylon, but he didn't have it.
Crossing the desert under a grace counterattack symbolizes Evidence Testing. This is testing from the barrier of Satan and his Cosmic System, which keeps a believer from Spiritual Rapport with God. It wasn't Elijah's idea to go to Spiritual Rapport. It was God's. Elijah was led to Mt. Horeb, which is over 200 miles from Beersheba. Elijah traveled the distance on one meal of high energy bread and water provided by an Elect Angel.
When Elijah arrived at Mt. Horeb, he witnessed the signs of the Lord's angelic heralds. On the volcanic mountain he met the Lord, who revealed Himself in Gracious Love and peace. Elijah had obeyed the Lord, but Satan was out to kill him. The Lord quietly and simply handled that problem by protecting Elijah from Satan and appointing Jehu king of Israel. Jehu would kill Jezebel. Satan had been defeated, and Elijah had overcome the Cosmic System. Elijah was promoted into Spiritual Rapport with God and harmonious rapport with the Lord.
Ephesians 4:12 Purpose of Pastor-TeachersMetabolization of Bible Doctrine equips the saints for Christian service and edifies them. Edification means erecting the Edification Complex of the Soul.
for the equipping of the saints for the work of Christian service, for the edification of the Body of Christ;
Ephesians 4:13Every Christian is supposed to advance to Spiritual Maturity and to Spiritual Rapport. Spiritual Rapport is "the measure of the standard of the fulness of Christ" or "the fullness of blessing from Christ (Rom 15:29). The Lord Jesus Christ lived the prototype Spiritual life in a human body. He had the same Spiritual life in His humanity as the Church Age Believer. He was indwelt by the Father and the Holy Spirit and had the Filling of the Holy Spirit. The CAB is indwelt by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and has the Filling of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ was the standard for the Spiritual life that the CAB is supposed to attain in Spiritual Rapport.
until we all attain to harmony with the Faith (Bible Doctrine), and of the epignosis-knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man (Spiritual Maturity), to the measure of the standard of the fulness of Christ (Spiritual Rapport).
After Spiritual Maturity the believer's objective is to be in rapport with God and harmony with the Lord Jesus Christ. This corresponds to the analogy of the Lord as the symbol of the Right Man of the believer, who is expected to be a pure virgin (2 Cor 11:2). The mature believer is supposed to have a reciprocal love relationship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 5:14; Eph 3:17; Rom. 5:5; 1 Pet 1:8; 1 Jn 2:5; 4:19).
However, Satan begins to interfere with the love relationship with God. This corresponds to what happened to Job, when the Lord suggested that Satan test him. That testing may be called Evidence Testing because the believer is given an opportunity to pass the test and become a witness for God in the Appeal Trial. The Lord permits Evidence Testing to qualify the believer for promotion to Spiritual Rapport. During this testing, Satan unleashes his demons on the believer and also proceeds to test him personally. Prayer will not work against the demon attacks. Just as the thorn in the flesh demon that attacked Paul, they must be handled by Grace (2 Cor 12:9).8
During Evidence Testing, Satan's Cosmic System becomes a barrier that prevents close fellowship with God, i. e. Spiritual Rapport. Spiritual Rapport is the objective, and when it is achieved Satan is powerless. Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they might reach the objective.
Ephesians 3:16The believer has fellowship with God through the Filling of the Holy Spirit. God can strengthen the power of the Holy Spirit in the soul of the believer. The strengthening process comes through the daily metabolization of Bible Doctrine, which strengthens the Edification Complex of the Soul.
that He (the Father) may give you on the basis of the riches of His glory to become strong with power by His Spirit in the inner person (the soul).
Ephesians 3:17A room for Christ in the Edification Complex is constructed through learning Bible Doctrine. The mature believer knows Jesus Christ personally through faith by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. He does not see Christ or hear Him, but he knows Him through Bible Doctrine and the revelation of the Holy Spirit. This occurs when the believer has become firmly rooted and established in reciprocal Love. "Firmly rooted" refers to the Separation from the World phase of the Spiritual life. The roots of a tree are the foundation associated with separation from the world, per the Tree of Life analogy.7 "Established" refers to the tree trunk supported by strong roots, corresponding to the Spiritual Growth phase of Spiritual Life. All of this occurs in the sphere of reciprocal Love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
so that Christ may be at home in your hearts through doctrine, when you have become firmly rooted and established in the sphere of reciprocal Love,
Ephesians 3:19"Get to know" is the ingressive aorist of the Greek ginwvskw (ginosko), to know. The ingressive aorist stresses the beginning of the action. "Get to know the Love of Christ" is reciprocal Love, which the believer has for Christ in response to the Love of Christ for the believer. This Love relationship is beyond human knowledge or academic knowledge. The Love is on a higher plane than human love. It is out of this world. It is over and beyond experiences known to man.
and get to know the Love of Christ which goes beyond human knowledge, that you may be filled resulting in all the fulness from God.
Getting to know the Love of Christ requires the ECS, the home for Christ in the soul. The ECS has a foundation (like roots of separation from world) and superstructure (like a tree established through Spiritual Growth). Love for Christ requires the Filling of the Holy Spirit and Grace Orientation, which includes waiting on the Lord, after which the Holy Spirit will pour out the Love for Christ in the heart (Rom 5:5).
When the Love for Christ is poured out in the heart, the believer is filled "resulting in all the fulness from God." "All the fulness from God" is Spiritual Rapport.
Spiritual Rapport with God leaves out Satan. The believer in Spiritual Rapport is in intimate fellowship with God where he is protected by the power of God. If God be for us, who can be against us. Satan, with all his power, is helpless to intervene in God's personal Love relationships. This has nothing to do with the power of the believer. It is the power of God that protects the believer from Satan, his demons, and the Cosmic System.
So, the secret of defeating Satan is to have Spiritual Rapport with God. That is exactly what Elijah was trying to do when he ran off into the wilderness to escape from Jezebel. He was looking for a quiet place to get in fellowship with God. He was going to pray and use Faith-Rest and leave the problem in the Lord's hands. However, that was not the issue. God was drawing Elijah to the promotion to Spiritual Rapport. The believer can't decide to be in Spiritual Rapport. That is God's decision. God's promotion to Spiritual Rapport overcomes Satan.
Satan is much more active than most people would ever guess. He is highly efficient and well organized. In spite of his power and finesse, he can be recognized and defeated by Christians who are the recipients of God's Grace. Doctrinal believers are able to navigate the treacherous traps and hazards of the devil's world. God's Grace protection keeps Satan at bay while His Sovereign Design exposes the truth about Satan's actions. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Advocate to protect us from Satan's false accusations, and the Plan of God is able to bless us exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think in spite of Satan's opposition. Spiritual Freedom in Christ Jesus is an alternative to slavery to the Cosmic System and a life of sin and death. The Filling of the Holy Spirit insulates us from sin and provides fellowship with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The power of God in the life of the believer defeats Satan and spells his doom.
Author: Larry Wood, Released - May 4, 2013 - Revised April 3, 2019
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