What is a Liberal?
A liberal is defined in many ways but the specific definition for what we are addressing is: “Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism. 3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation. 4 …Obsolete. Morally unrestrained; licentious.n. 1. A person with liberal ideas or opinions” (American Heritage Dictionary)
Liberal or liberalism is often associated with a political party but it has been found in the church and today it has become a strong influence on peoples thinking that crosses denominational distinctions.
Here are some of the explanations that are carried by this word when used in this manner:
3. lacking moral restraint: licentious 4: not literal or strict: loose -a liberal translation 5: broad-minded; esp : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms 6 a: of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism. A political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Applying this to a biblical composition instead of a political one: A liberal is one who is open to new ideas and practices outside biblical orthodoxy that is found in the Bible. They lack biblical parameters- they are not constrained by the boundaries of Bible doctrine. In liberalism the person’s individual choice is always right for them. It does not matter if the Bible instructs them in a different way, they determine what is true for themselves; what is correct is determined by their own feelings and concepts. There have always been liberals in the church that say sin is not that destructive. They tell their congregants that doctrine, truth are not as important as love.
Liberalism makes one open to other teachings outside the Bible for their spiritual life and instead ruins ones relationship with God.
How to recognize Liberalism and liberal teaching inside your church
A liberal will accept other religious practices (practices like yoga, meditation, mantras etc.)
A liberal does not see it necessary to witness to other religions or cults. They don’t believe they can say they are wrong because they think that the Bible is not absolute on these matters).
A liberal will teach that each God in the different cultures and religions is the same, only having different names.
A liberal will accept the idea of evolution and deny the Bibles account of the 6 days of physical creation calling it ages of unknown amounts of time.
A liberal will have some drastic reinterpretation of the main points in Scripture. For example, Liberal scholars often identify the rider of the white horse that is first among the 4 horses in the Book of Revelation as the Lord Jesus, pointing to his crown and the fact that he's a conqueror.
A liberal has a non- biblical theology and is often sides with Biblical criticism. They do not consider the Bible to be literal divine revelation. Many reject the Bibles claim of miracles (including the virgin birth and physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead), and any claims of miracles today. On the other side there are Charismatic Liberals that believe one can have all kinds of experiences outside the Bible parameters and allow for anything to be attributed to God.
A liberal allows services to become disorderly by laughter, shaking, convulsions, screaming (calling it a visitation from God). A liberal is open to teachings that are from revelations that are not in the Bible and go against the clear teaching in the word of God.
A liberal denies Jesus as the only way; he will accept Catholic ritualism; accept Islam as a valid religion, and allow for other ways to worship and be justified with God.
The liberal believes man is good by nature. The Biblical view is that man is sinful by nature but can do good.
Liberals are those who are willing to accept the idea of universal salvation. A liberal church teaches there is no longer sin, and everyone will [probably] be saved by Christ’s death on the cross. Most rejected the concept of an eternal hell.
It is the liberals that protect the false teachers among them (Acts 20:29) by telling others not to judge their teachings and to leave them alone to prosper.
A liberal will work toward ecumenism and inter-faith cooperation instead of upholding the church being separate from other religious influences.
A liberal will place a high value on social justice in the world and see this as equal or even more important then the gospel. There are many so called Jewish outreaches that refuse to give the gospel to the Jews but will help them to come to Israel.
An example of a Liberal group that call itself Christian is the Jesus Seminar. They concluded Jesus did not rise bodily from the dead. The scholars also agreed that there probably was no tomb and that Jesus' body probably was disposed of by his executioners, not his followers. They are featured in the Tabloids every Christmas to bring doubt to those who may consider Jesus at this one time of year.
They will present Jesus without the cross so that sinners won’t be offended (or saved). There are two fronts of which it is especially perilous. The “progressive Christian liberal movement” in the church borrows ideas from other philosophies uses other religious practices, this synthesizing is probably the most dangerous we face today. It may be popular in the world to be liberal and tolerant but it is not how Jesus asks believers to live. Ignoring that Jesus said that the way is narrow (Mt.7:14), that He alone is the way (Jn.14:6).
Second- they avoid judging on issues and would rather use an excuse of letting God be the judge on teaching (that he tells us to judge) than have a Biblical stance and protect the sheep from harm.
These are just a few examples of liberalism in the church and the world. Once we understand what they are about we can identify it as simply a departure from the clear teaching of the word of God and replacing it with mans opinions.
Liberalism has the church in its clutches. Liberals are more concerned with appearances; their image and their reputation than actually caring for people and the truth; they care more about their own feelings than others, feeling good about self.
They are not listening to content but delivery- style over substance. We see this in politics and it is certainly true in the Church. Liberals are impressed with outward images, oratory skills and showmanship. A mature discerning believer is more concerned with content, truth and upholding the integrity of the gospel.
(From Let Us Reason Ministries)
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Can a Child of God Fall from Grace and Be Lost?
One of the major points of Calvinism is "the eternal security of the believer" or the "perseverance of the saints." It is also called "impossibility of apostasy," or simply "once saved, always saved." The doctrine teaches that it is impossible for a child of God to so sin as to fall from grace and be eternally lost. It is based on the belief that salvation is unconditional, so there is nothing a person can do to be saved; and once he is saved there is nothing he can do to be lost. What does the Bible teach about falling from grace?
Introduction:
Many people believe that, when a person becomes a child of God, afterward it is impossible for him to so sin as to fall from grace and be eternally lost.
This doctrine is one of the five major points of Calvinism. It is often called "the eternal security of the believer," "perseverance of the saints," "impossibility of apostasy," or simply "once saved, always saved." Several major denominations officially believe the doctrine, though some do not emphasize it and as a result the members may not be aware of it.
The Westminster Confession adopted by most Presbyterian churches, states:
"They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved … Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan … fall into grievous sins…" (Book of Confessions of the United Presbyterian Church, 1967 Ed., Sec. 6.086-6.088).
The Philadelphia Confession, adopted by many Baptist churches, is almost identical to the above.
Sam Morris, "Pastor" of the First Baptist Church, Stamford, Texas, expressed the doctrine in its most extreme form as follows:
"We take the position that a Christian's sins do not damn his soul! The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul … All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay, all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger … The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul." (Morris, A Discussion Which Involves a Subject Pertinent to All Men, pp. 1,2; via Handbook of Religious Quotations, p. 24)
The purpose of this study is to examine what the Bible says about falling from grace.
It would be very comforting if this doctrine were true. However, if it is not true, then it would be a very dangerous doctrine because it would give people a false sense of security. People would not be on their guard against sin, and may not see any need to repent of sins, if they thought they would still be saved eternally despite their sins. If however they will be lost for sins they do not repent of, then such people are in grave danger. Surely it is important for us to know what the Bible teaches.
We can all agree that there is security for those who serve God faithfully. If we study God's word diligently and honestly, if we strive to overcome sin in our lives, and if we diligently repent and ask forgiveness for our sins, then we definitely have assurance and security regarding our eternal destiny. The question, however, is whether it is possible for a child of God to cease being faithful, to become disobedient, fail to repent, and so be lost.
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Part 1: Evidence that a Child of God
Can Sin and Be Lost
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A. Passages Warning Christians about the Danger of Sin
The Bible teaches that there are conditions a person must meet in order to receive forgiveness and become a child of God. Likewise there are conditions one must meet to continue faithful after becoming a child of God. Many passages warn us to be careful to meet these conditions else we will not receive eternal life. In each case we will note first that the passage is addressed to children of God. Then we will note that we are warned to avoid sin or we will be lost.
John 15:1-6 - We must bear fruit or be cast off.
Disciples are described as branches "in Christ" (v2,5, etc.) who have been cleansed by His word (v3).
But if they don't bear fruit and abide in Christ (v2,4-6), they will be taken away (v2), cast into the fire and burned (v6). (Abiding in Jesus and bearing fruit requires obedience - I John 3:6,24; John 15:10; Gal. 5:19ff; etc.)
Romans 8:12-17 - We must live according to the Spirit, not the flesh.
This is addressed to children of God (v16).
We are warned not to live according to the deeds of the flesh but be led by the Spirit. If we live according to the flesh, we will die (v13). This cannot be physical death since we all die physically regardless of how we live. This death is the opposite of the life we receive if we follow the Spirit.
To be heirs of Christ, we must be led of the Spirit (v14) and suffer with Christ (v17). It is conditional and depends on our life.
Galatians 6:7-9 - We must sow to the Spirit, not the flesh.
This is addressed to members of the church (1:2), sons of God by faith (3:26). [Cf. 4:6]
We will reap as we sow. If we sow to the spirit (i.e., if we produce the fruit of the Spirit - 5:22-25), we will reap eternal life (v8). If we sow to the flesh (do the works of the flesh - 5:19-21), we reap corruption (6:8), which is the opposite of eternal life. In this case, we cannot inherit the kingdom of God (5:21).
We reap eternal life if we don't grow weary in doing good (v9). Note: "Be not deceived." Yet "once saved, always saved" is a doctrine that deceives many into thinking they will still reap eternal life even if they sow to the flesh.
1 Corinthians 9:27 & 10:12 - We must control our bodies and avoid sinning like Israel did.
9:25-27 - Paul, who was an apostle and therefore a child of God, was striving to gain the imperishable crown (v25). He had to discipline his body and bring it into subjection lest he himself be disqualified (NKJV; "a castaway" - KJV; "rejected" - ASV). (KJV elsewhere translates this word "reprobate" - 2 Cor. 13:5; Rom. 1:28; 2 Tim. 3:8; Tit. 1:16).
10:1-12 - Israel is an example showing us the importance of avoiding sin. The people to whom this warning applies ("we," "us") include the church, sanctified saints (1:2; cf. 1:9), and the apostle Paul.
This is an example and admonition to us (v6,11). We should not lust after evil (v6), commit idolatry (v7), commit fornication (v8), etc. One who thinks he stands, must take heed lest he fall (v12). In context, this means he will not receive the crown Paul described (9:25-27). 6:9,10 show that people guilty of these sins won't receive the kingdom of God.
Note that a person who believes in "once saved, always saved" thinks he cannot fall. This passage is addressed to just such people and shows that they are the ones in the very greatest danger that they will fall!
Hebrews 3:6,11-14; 4:9,11 - We must avoid rebelling like Israel.
This is addressed to "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling" (v1).
Israel failed to enter God's rest because they lacked faith and obedience. We too must guard lest we have an evil heart of unbelief, departing from God (v12), and become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (v13).
To partake with Christ, we must hold fast our confidence (faith) firm to the end (3:6,14). If we do so depart, we will not enter the rest God has for us (4:9,11). Note that receiving the eternal reward is conditional on continued faithfulness.
Hebrews 10:26-31,39 - We must avoid willful sin.
This is speaking to those who know the truth (v26) and have been sanctified by the blood (v29). It is discussing the Lord's judgment on "His people" (v30).
We are warned not to sin willfully (v26). As long as we go on sinning willfully (NASB - v26), there is no sacrifice for sin. (This is not discussing what will happen if such people repent and change but what our condition is as long as this conduct continues.)
Such people are trodding underfoot God's Son (v29), doing despite to the Spirit of grace, counting the blood by which we were sanctified unholy (v29). Their only future is fierceness of fire (v27), sorer punishment than physical death under the law (v28f), vengeance from God (v30).
This is why we must not shrink back to perdition (v39).
2 Peter 1:8-11; 2:20-22 - We must grow in Christ instead of returning to the world.
1:8-11 - This is spoken to those who have obtained like precious faith (v1), escaped the corruption of the world (v4), and been purged from old sins (v9).
We must add to our lives the qualities listed (v5-7). If we do, we make our calling and election sure so we don't stumble (v10), but we receive the abundant entrance to the everlasting kingdom (v11). Note there is security for the believer, but it is conditional on growing and adding these qualities.
2:20-22 - This is still talking to people who have escaped the pollution of the world (v20), knowing the way of righteousness (v21). [cf. v1,15]
We are warned not to become entangled again in the world (v20), turning from the holy command (v21). If we do, we are worse off than we were before we knew the truth (v20). We are like a dog returning to vomit or a sow returning to mire (v22). [cf., v1,3]
But if "once saved, always saved," then this dog is much better off after returning to the vomit than he was before.
Romans 6:12-18 - We must not let sin reign in our bodies.
These were baptized into Christ (v3,4), set free from sin, and become servants of righteousness (v18).
They are warned not to let sin reign in their bodies nor present their members as instruments of sin (v12,13). The result of that would be death (v16). This must be spiritual again, since all die physically. The wages of sin, even for those here addressed, is death, in contrast to eternal life (v23).
Hebrews 6:4-8 - We must avoid falling away.
This is addressed to those once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift and the good word of God and were partakers of the Holy Spirit (v4,5).
We are warned not to fall away (v6). If they continue in this pattern of life (implied), they cannot be restored. They are crucifying Jesus afresh and putting Him to an open shame (v6). Their destiny is to be burned like a field of thorns (v8).
Revelation 3:5; Exodus 32:30-33 - We must avoid having our names removed from the Book of Life.
Those whose names are in the book of Life will enter the eternal city, but those not in it are cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 21:27; 20:12-15). But people whose names are in the book, may be removed because of sin (Ex. 32:30-33). Those guilty of sin CANNOT enter the city (Rev. 21:27). But those who overcome will not be blotted out of the book (Rev. 3:5). [Cf. Rev. 22:18,19]
Why would God continually warn of the danger of sin and being lost if it cannot happen? Do human parents warn their children to be careful how they flap their wings lest they fly too high and crash into the moon? God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33). Why waste time warning us about dangers that cannot happen anyway?
B. Bible Examples of Christians Who Sinned & Stood Condemned.
The Bible not only warns us to be on guard lest we fail to meet the conditions for remaining faithful, but it also mentions specific people who did fall. This is not just a theoretical possibility. It is a practical reality. In fact, it has happened to many people, and could happen to us if we are not diligent.
Genesis 3:1-6 - Adam and Eve
God said if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die (2:16,17).
3:4 - Satan said if Eve ate, she would not die. She ate and we know the result. This event is used in 2 Cor. 11:3 as an example to us of the danger of falling into sin.
Satan was the first one to teach the doctrine of "impossibility of apostasy." God stated the consequence of sin, but Satan denied that the consequence would follow. Today God has stated the consequences of sin, and Satan uses preachers to deny the consequences. The doctrine of "once saved, always saved" was originated and first preached by Satan himself.
The nation of Israel
The Old Testament contains countless examples in which God's people sinned and fell from God's favor, both individually and collectively. (Lev. 26; Deut. 28-30; I Sam. 12:10; chaps. 10-16; 28:15,16; I Chron. 28:9; 2 Chron. 15:2; 24:20; Isa. 1:28; Jer. 2:19,32 cf. Psa. 9:17; Jer. 3:6-14; 8:4-13; 9:12-16; Hos. 9:10; cf. Acts 7:37-43; Rev. 21:8)
The fact these are in the Old Testament does not diminish the lesson for us. The New Testament expressly warns us that the same principle applies to us - I Cor. 10:1-12; Heb. chap. 3,4. With regard to the possibility of God's people sinning and being lost, the Old and New Testaments teach the same.
Christians who lost their faith
Hebrews 3:12 warned of the danger of developing an evil heart of unbelief like Israel. Many New Testament examples show people to whom this very thing happened:
2 Timothy 2:16-18 - Hymenaeus & Philetus strayed and overthrew the faith of some. (Faith cannot be overthrown in those who do not first possess it.)
1 Timothy 1:18-20 - Timothy should hold the faith and not be like Hymenaeus and Alexander, who made shipwreck concerning the faith and committed blasphemy.
1 Timothy 5:8 - Anyone (including a child of God) who doesn't care for his family has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
What happens to people who lose their faith? Faith is essential to salvation. Those who lose it are no better off than those who never had it.
Hebrews 11:6 - Without faith it is impossible to please God (the application in the context of this book is to those who had faith but turn from it - 3:12; 10:30).
Revelation 21:8 - Unbelievers will be in the lake of fire.
Acts 8:12-24 - Simon the Sorcerer
Simon believed and was baptized (v13). This is what Jesus said one must do to be saved (Mark 16:16). This is what the other Samaritans did (v12). Simon did "ALSO" the same things the others did. If they were saved, he was saved. If he was not saved, then none of the others were saved.
But Simon later sinned. His heart was not right (v21), he was guilty of wickedness (v22), and was in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity (v23). As a result, he would perish (v20) if he did not repent and pray (v22).
Galatians 5:1-4 - The Judaizers
These people were children of God (3:26; cf. 1:2-4; 4:6), who had been set free by Christ (5:1). They had to be in grace if they fell from it (5:4).
They sinned in that they desired to go back to the Old Testament yoke of bondage (5:1) and bound circumcision. As a result, Christ profited them nothing (v2), they were severed from Christ (v4), fallen from grace (v4). They were not obeying truth (v7).
These were children of God who were in God's grace but then fell from that grace so that Christ profited them nothing and they were severed from Christ. Can one receive eternal life if he is severed from Christ (Eph. 1:3-7) and fallen from the grace that saves (Eph. 2:8)?
"Once saved, always saved" is a tempting doctrine because it is comforting.
It tells people what they would like to hear. We would all like to think that, even if we or our loved ones fall into sin, they will still receive eternal life.
But it is a false doctrine because it clearly contradicts Scriptures in nearly every book of the Bible.
It is also a dangerous doctrine because it leads people to think they are safe even if they don't examine their lives, don't study the Bible, and don't repent of sin. Furthermore, it leads preachers to not warn sinners that they need to repent.
I have personally known people who told me of terrible sins they deliberately and knowingly committed, justifying themselves because they believed it would not affect their salvation. I have known teachers who justified those very people saying that they would not have lost their salvation even when committed those sins.
Suppose a child is about to cross a busy street. Shouldn't the parent warn the child to look carefully for traffic before they cross the street? People who advocate "once saved, always saved" are like a parent who not only does not warn the child, but worse yet tells him there is nothing to worry about because he can't get hit, and if he does get hit, he won't die!
Why should the child be warned? Because there is a very real danger. And the situation is most dangerous if the child is not on guard. The worst thing anyone can do to the child is to tell him there is no danger. Yet that is exactly what preachers do when they teach "once saved, always saved." And this has eternal consequences, because souls are at stake.
Nevertheless, if the child is careful, he can cross the street safely despite the danger. So the best favor anyone can do for the child is to warn him of the danger, so he can avoid it. That is exactly what we do when we preach the Bible passages that warn Christians to avoid sin. It is not that we believe Christians have no security, but we know people are only secure when they are aware of the dangers, so they can be on guard.
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Part 2: Evidence Offered to Show that a Child of God Cannot So Sin as to Be Lost
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Folks are sometimes confused by passages that are used to defend "once saved, always saved." We need to understand the arguments and how to answer them. Some of these passages do offer hope and security to believers, but they are conditional passages, and these conditions are often overlooked. If we study the verses in light of what we have already learned we will see that, while they do give security to those who are faithful, they do not teach unconditional "once saved, always saved."
John 10:28,29 - "They shall never perish … no one shall snatch them out of my hand"
This is a wonderful promise. But is it, as the preacher said, so unconditional that a person's soul cannot be lost no matter how he lives?
The context gives conditions - v27,28.
Note the word "and" repeated. Receiving life and never perishing are tied to hearing Jesus and following him. These are conditions, exactly like we have been teaching.
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus protects His sheep so no one can destroy them, as long as the sheep hear Jesus and follow Him. But what if they cease to hear and follow, as we have learned elsewhere they can do?
"Pluck" refers to an outside force.
"Pluck" (KJV) or "snatch" (NKJV, ASV) means "to seize, carry off by force" (Thayer), like the thief might do (v10,12). Neither Satan nor any outside force can steal you from the Lord, as long as you meet the conditions.
But we must "resist the devil," and then we have assurance he will flee from us (James 4:7). What happens if, through negligence or willful rebellion, we wander away from the protection of Jesus' fold?
Sheep can stray from the shepherd's protection.
Luke 15:3-7 - 100 sheep belonged to the shepherd (v4,6), but one became lost.
Acts 20:28-30 - Wolves may enter among the flock, speak perverse things, and draw away the disciples. They cannot compel us to follow them and be lost. We may still choose to follow the Lord's voice. But false teachers can lure us, attract us, and tempt us.
I Peter 5:8,9 - Satan is a roaring lion seeking to devour us. If we do not withstand him, he can capture and destroy us. But we can withstand him if we have faith and vigilance. This is what Jesus promised in John 10. (John 17; 6:37-40; I Pet. 2:25).
If sheep cannot possibly stray, even of their own free will, then this would deny our free moral power to choose. We could not become lost even if we wanted to!
1 John 3:9 - One begotten of God "does not sin … he cannot sin"
We must take all the Bible says on any subject (Matt. 4:6,7; Acts 3:22,23).
We have already shown many passages showing that it is possible for a child of God to sin. Many more verses, even in 1 John and addressed to these same people, show this is true:
1 John 1:8,10 - If we say we don't sin, we lie and truth is not in us. This is exactly the condition of some folks who argue for "once saved, always saved"!
1 John 2:1,2 - John wrote so we would avoid sin. Jesus is our propitiation if we do sin. If sin is impossible, why write, and why would we need propitiation?
1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world. If we do, we don't love the Father (cf. I Cor. 16:22). Why warn us, if it is impossible to be guilty?
1 John 5:21 - Guard yourself from idols. Why, if it is impossible to be guilty of sin?
2 Peter 2:14 - Some children of God (v1,15) "cannot cease from sin"! If I John 3:9 means children of God cannot possibly commit sin, then this passage means these children of God cannot possibly quit sinning!
Clearly 1 John 3:9 does not mean sin is impossible, else we have contradictions in the Bible. In fact, many people who believe "once saved, always saved," will admit sin is possible (see quotes in introduction).
"Does not sin" refers to persisting in the practice of sin (see NASB).
A true child of God may occasionally commit acts of sin, but he must repent, confess, and be forgiven by Jesus' blood (1:9; 2:2). He must not continue in the practice of sin. Why not?
"God's seed abides" in the child of God.
The seed that begets us, so we become children of God, is the word of God:
1 Peter 1:23-25 - We are begotten again by the incorruptible seed which is the Word of God.
James 1:18 - We are begotten by the word of truth.
1 John 2:14,24 - The word of God, which we heard, abides in us. [Luke 8:11ff; I Cor. 4:15; I John 1:10; 2:5,7]
How does the this seed abide in us? Can it cease abiding in us?
1 John 1:10 - If we say we do not sin, His word is not in us. We may still know what it says, but we have rejected it.
John 5:38 - If we do not believe Jesus, God's word does not abide in us.
Acts 2:41 - Those who gladly received the word were baptized. Receiving the word requires believing and obeying it. Otherwise we are rejecting it. (I Thess. 2:13)
To have the word abiding in us means to have a receptive attitude toward it, believing and obeying it, applying it in our lives. If this is our attitude, 1 John 3:9 says we will not continue in the practice of sin. Of course not, because to do so would be to reject the word so it no longer abides in us!
Note Psalms 119:11 - Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! This is exactly what 1 John 3:9 says.
But can we cease believing the word, studying it, and striving to live by it? We have shown that we can. If we do, the seed no longer abides in us, so we practice sin.
"He cannot sin"
Does this mean it is humanly impossible under any circumstances to transgress?
"Can" (Gk DUNAMAI) means: "to be able, have power, whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law and custom" (Thayer).
Examples elsewhere show it does not necessarily mean physical or human impossibility, but rather that law, state of mind, or circumstances do not allow it:
1 Corinthians 10:21 - You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons (it is not lawful).
Acts 4:20 - We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard (law and state of mind do not permit it).
Mark 2:19 - Sons of the bridechamber cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them (circumstances make it such that no one would do it).
Hence 1 John 3:9 means that, when one has accepted God's word into his heart and so becomes a child of God, his attitude and the principles of the word will not allow him to continue practicing sin. God's word (the seed) has become the guiding principle of his heart, and it would be inconsistent with this to continue practicing sin.
For example, suppose an employer asks a Christian employee to tell a lie. The Christian replies, "I can't do a thing like that." Is it physically impossible? No, but it is completely contrary to his nature as a child of God. As long as his attitude toward God's word is right, he will not do it.
The Body Sins, but the Spirit Does Not
We are told that we may physically do things that violate God's word, but He does not hold our spirit accountable for what the body does.
Those who teach this doctrine are obligated to produce Scripture to prove it.
It is not enough to make the claim. They must give Scripture.
Is the spirit responsible for the good deeds of the body? If so, why not also for the bad deeds?
If they cite Rom. 7:25 & 8:1, note 7:23 and 8:6-17 which show the man is condemned for the sins of the body.
Many Scriptures show that God holds the spirit (inner man) accountable for the sins of the outer man.
1 Corinthians 6:9,10,13,15,18-20 - Fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God. But this is a sin of the body. The body is a member of Christ, a temple of the Spirit, and belongs to God so it should be used for His glory (this shows the people addressed are children of God, bought with a price, etc.). [cf. 3:16,17]
Mark 7:20-23 - Evil (done by the body) proceeds from the heart and defiles a man. [Prov. 23:7; 4:23]
2 Corinthians 5:10 - We will be judged for deeds done in the body. Our spirits will be held accountable for what the body does.
Romans 6:12,16,23 - People who have been baptized into Christ (v3,4) and made free from sin (v18), must not let sin reign in their mortal bodies. If we do, we are servants of sin and must die (v16,23).
1 Corinthians 9:27 - Paul buffeted his body to bring it in subjection, let he be a castaway.
Romans 8:13 - We must put to death the deeds of the body in order to live. Otherwise, we will die.
[2 Cor. 7:1; Rom. 12:1,2; Gal. 5:19-24; Acts 8:20-22]
Passages that Say We Have Eternal Life
Numerous passages are cited which say we have eternal life: John 10:28; 17:3; 5:24; 3:36; 6:47; 3:16; I John 5:12,13. Some argue that, if we have it, and if it is eternal, then we cannot lose it. If we do, it wasn't eternal.
We have eternal life now only as a promise or hope.
1 John 2:25 - This is the promise He has promised us, even life eternal.
James 1:12 - The crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love Him.
Titus 1:2; 3:7 - The hope of eternal life, which God promised.
We receive eternal life, in the sense of a present possession, only after earthly life is over and then only if we endure faithfully till life is over.
Luke 18:30 - We receive eternal life "in the world to come."
Romans 2:5-7 - Eternal life will be given at the judgment IF we continue patiently in well doing. [This is the same time that the wicked will receive eternal punishment - Matt. 25:46. Does this happen in this life?]
Revelation 2:10 - Be faithful until death and receive the crown of life.
In this life, we "have" eternal life in the sense of a promise or a hope based on faith. But we actually enter eternal life at the judgment if and only if we continue living faithfully till life is over. This is a conditional promise. We will be lost if we fail to meet the conditions.
The proof texts, used to defend "present possession" of eternal life, themselves state conditions to be met.
John 5:24 - He who hears and believes. But we have shown that one can cease doing these.
John 6:47; 3:16,36 - He that believes. But one can cease believing.
1 John 5:13 - V11,12 speak of those who believe on the Son, and life is IN the Son. But we can cease believing and fail to abide in Him (John 15:1-8).
John 10:27,28 - Hear Jesus' voice and follow Him.
John 17:3 - Know God. But one can forget God, turn from Him, and cease to know Him (I John 2:3-6; Jer. 3:21,22; Psa. 9:17; 106;12,21,24).
Note also that saving faith requires obedience, and to cease to obey is to cease to have a saving faith - James 2:14-26; Heb. 10:39; chap. 11; Gal. 5:6; etc.
The fact life is "eternal" does not prove we cannot lose it. "Eternal" describes the nature of the life. It has nothing to do with whether it can or cannot be lost.
Example: Suppose someone offers me a watch guaranteed to work for 50 years, but I must do some task in order to receive it. It is still a "50-year watch" regardless of whether or not I do the job and receive it.
These passages discuss the reward believers will receive as a result of their current state. But they are not discussing what would happen if they change their state.
The passages are not intended to discuss everything about what can happen to a child of God. They are written to help us appreciate the blessings we have, or to encourage people to become children of God. But God does not put all His will in a single verse or passage. We are expected to study other Scripture. When we do, we learn that we ultimately receive the reward only if faithful. It is misusing these verses to teach from them something they do not necessarily mean and which contradicts other passages.
Consider the consequences if we used this reasoning on passages that describe the lost. John 3:36 says unbelievers shall not see life. Shall we conclude this too cannot change (like people argue on the first part of the verse)? If a person is lost, does this prove he can never change and be saved? "Once lost, always lost"? [Cf. John 5:24; Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26ff]
If we can see how unsaved people can change their state and become saved, despite such verses as this, then in the same way we can understand how saved people can change their state and become lost.
This same approach works with most other arguments for "once saved always saved." Consistently applied to passages about lost people, the same arguments would prove "once lost, always lost."
Jesus' Blood Sacrifice Is Sufficient.
Some folks say that Jesus' death is all we need to be saved. If we argue that there are things we need to do to be saved, including living a faithful life, they say we are denying the power of Jesus' death.
We agree Jesus' blood has the power to cleanse all sin. But the question is whether it cleanses conditionally or unconditionally. We cannot earn salvation, but are there conditions we must meet to receive the forgiveness?
Jesus died for all people. If His death is all we need, and people need do nothing at all, then all would be saved.
1 Timothy 2:6 - Jesus gave His life a ransom for all.
Hebrews 2:9 - By the grace of God, Jesus tasted death for all men (the extent of this is shown in v15).
John 3:16 - God gave His Son for the world because of His love.
1 John 2:2 - Jesus is propitiation for the sins, not just of Christians, but for the whole world. [cf. I John 4:14]
Romans 5:18,19 - By Jesus' act of righteousness (His death - v8,9), justification came to all men.
If Jesus' death is "sufficient" and "all we need," then why aren't all men saved, since He died for all? But we know that not all will be saved (Matt. 7:13,14; etc.). So there must be something that distinguishes the saved from the unsaved. There are conditions we must meet.
God is no respecter of persons.
Romans 2:6-11 - God distinguishes the saved from the lost "without respect of persons" or partiality. If Jesus' death was all there was to it, then He must save everybody or else be a respecter of person. Instead, there is a distinction on the basis of our conduct - whether we work evil or continue in doing good.
Acts 10:34,35 - God is no respecter of persons, but those who fear Him and work righteousness are accepted. True, we cannot earn salvation. But there is a way God distinguishes between those who will be saved by His son's blood from those who will not - our faith and works.
When people claim that Jesus' death is all there is to it and people do not need to do anything to be saved, they unknowingly make God a respecter of persons.
If Jesus' blood saves by itself with no conditions to be met, then why is faith necessary?
In practice, everyone admits there are some conditions necessary to be saved by Jesus' blood. Most people admit we must believe. Many agree we must repent and confess Christ. (See John 3:16; 8:24; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rom. 10:9,10; 6:3,4; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark. 16:16; etc.) But these are simply conditions we must meet to receive the benefit of Jesus' death. To admit this is to admit Jesus' death alone, without conditions people must meet, will not save.
But if we agree there are conditions people must meet to be saved, then why object when we point out from the Scriptures that these necessary conditions include baptism and a faithful life? These no more deny the power of Jesus' death than do faith, repentance, etc.
If you can recognize faith, etc., as necessary to salvation without denying the importance of Jesus' death, then in the same way we believe baptism and a faithful life are also necessary without denying the importance of Jesus' death.
The Bible expressly shows that there are conditions children of God must meet to be cleansed by Jesus' blood.
1 John 1:7-9 - Children of God do sin (v8,10). To be cleansed by Jesus' blood, we must "walk in the light" and "confess our sins." To deny this is to deny the clear teaching of Scripture.
Acts 8:22 - A child of God (v12,13) who sinned was clearly told that, to be cleansed of his sin, he must repent and pray. It is Jesus' blood that forgives. But just as there are conditions we must meet to be cleansed and become a child of God, so there are conditions we must meet to be cleansed after we are children of God.
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(From http://www.gospelway.com/salvation/eternal_security.php)
One of the major points of Calvinism is "the eternal security of the believer" or the "perseverance of the saints." It is also called "impossibility of apostasy," or simply "once saved, always saved." The doctrine teaches that it is impossible for a child of God to so sin as to fall from grace and be eternally lost. It is based on the belief that salvation is unconditional, so there is nothing a person can do to be saved; and once he is saved there is nothing he can do to be lost. What does the Bible teach about falling from grace?
Introduction:
Many people believe that, when a person becomes a child of God, afterward it is impossible for him to so sin as to fall from grace and be eternally lost.
This doctrine is one of the five major points of Calvinism. It is often called "the eternal security of the believer," "perseverance of the saints," "impossibility of apostasy," or simply "once saved, always saved." Several major denominations officially believe the doctrine, though some do not emphasize it and as a result the members may not be aware of it.
The Westminster Confession adopted by most Presbyterian churches, states:
"They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved … Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan … fall into grievous sins…" (Book of Confessions of the United Presbyterian Church, 1967 Ed., Sec. 6.086-6.088).
The Philadelphia Confession, adopted by many Baptist churches, is almost identical to the above.
Sam Morris, "Pastor" of the First Baptist Church, Stamford, Texas, expressed the doctrine in its most extreme form as follows:
"We take the position that a Christian's sins do not damn his soul! The way a Christian lives, what he says, his character, his conduct, or his attitude toward other people have nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul … All the prayers a man may pray, all the Bibles he may read, all the churches he may belong to, all the services he may attend, all the sermons he may practice, all the debts he may pay, all the ordinances he may observe, all the laws he may keep, all the benevolent acts he may perform will not make his soul one whit safer; and all the sins he may commit from idolatry to murder will not make his soul in any more danger … The way a man lives has nothing whatever to do with the salvation of his soul." (Morris, A Discussion Which Involves a Subject Pertinent to All Men, pp. 1,2; via Handbook of Religious Quotations, p. 24)
The purpose of this study is to examine what the Bible says about falling from grace.
It would be very comforting if this doctrine were true. However, if it is not true, then it would be a very dangerous doctrine because it would give people a false sense of security. People would not be on their guard against sin, and may not see any need to repent of sins, if they thought they would still be saved eternally despite their sins. If however they will be lost for sins they do not repent of, then such people are in grave danger. Surely it is important for us to know what the Bible teaches.
We can all agree that there is security for those who serve God faithfully. If we study God's word diligently and honestly, if we strive to overcome sin in our lives, and if we diligently repent and ask forgiveness for our sins, then we definitely have assurance and security regarding our eternal destiny. The question, however, is whether it is possible for a child of God to cease being faithful, to become disobedient, fail to repent, and so be lost.
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Part 1: Evidence that a Child of God
Can Sin and Be Lost
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A. Passages Warning Christians about the Danger of Sin
The Bible teaches that there are conditions a person must meet in order to receive forgiveness and become a child of God. Likewise there are conditions one must meet to continue faithful after becoming a child of God. Many passages warn us to be careful to meet these conditions else we will not receive eternal life. In each case we will note first that the passage is addressed to children of God. Then we will note that we are warned to avoid sin or we will be lost.
John 15:1-6 - We must bear fruit or be cast off.
Disciples are described as branches "in Christ" (v2,5, etc.) who have been cleansed by His word (v3).
But if they don't bear fruit and abide in Christ (v2,4-6), they will be taken away (v2), cast into the fire and burned (v6). (Abiding in Jesus and bearing fruit requires obedience - I John 3:6,24; John 15:10; Gal. 5:19ff; etc.)
Romans 8:12-17 - We must live according to the Spirit, not the flesh.
This is addressed to children of God (v16).
We are warned not to live according to the deeds of the flesh but be led by the Spirit. If we live according to the flesh, we will die (v13). This cannot be physical death since we all die physically regardless of how we live. This death is the opposite of the life we receive if we follow the Spirit.
To be heirs of Christ, we must be led of the Spirit (v14) and suffer with Christ (v17). It is conditional and depends on our life.
Galatians 6:7-9 - We must sow to the Spirit, not the flesh.
This is addressed to members of the church (1:2), sons of God by faith (3:26). [Cf. 4:6]
We will reap as we sow. If we sow to the spirit (i.e., if we produce the fruit of the Spirit - 5:22-25), we will reap eternal life (v8). If we sow to the flesh (do the works of the flesh - 5:19-21), we reap corruption (6:8), which is the opposite of eternal life. In this case, we cannot inherit the kingdom of God (5:21).
We reap eternal life if we don't grow weary in doing good (v9). Note: "Be not deceived." Yet "once saved, always saved" is a doctrine that deceives many into thinking they will still reap eternal life even if they sow to the flesh.
1 Corinthians 9:27 & 10:12 - We must control our bodies and avoid sinning like Israel did.
9:25-27 - Paul, who was an apostle and therefore a child of God, was striving to gain the imperishable crown (v25). He had to discipline his body and bring it into subjection lest he himself be disqualified (NKJV; "a castaway" - KJV; "rejected" - ASV). (KJV elsewhere translates this word "reprobate" - 2 Cor. 13:5; Rom. 1:28; 2 Tim. 3:8; Tit. 1:16).
10:1-12 - Israel is an example showing us the importance of avoiding sin. The people to whom this warning applies ("we," "us") include the church, sanctified saints (1:2; cf. 1:9), and the apostle Paul.
This is an example and admonition to us (v6,11). We should not lust after evil (v6), commit idolatry (v7), commit fornication (v8), etc. One who thinks he stands, must take heed lest he fall (v12). In context, this means he will not receive the crown Paul described (9:25-27). 6:9,10 show that people guilty of these sins won't receive the kingdom of God.
Note that a person who believes in "once saved, always saved" thinks he cannot fall. This passage is addressed to just such people and shows that they are the ones in the very greatest danger that they will fall!
Hebrews 3:6,11-14; 4:9,11 - We must avoid rebelling like Israel.
This is addressed to "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling" (v1).
Israel failed to enter God's rest because they lacked faith and obedience. We too must guard lest we have an evil heart of unbelief, departing from God (v12), and become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (v13).
To partake with Christ, we must hold fast our confidence (faith) firm to the end (3:6,14). If we do so depart, we will not enter the rest God has for us (4:9,11). Note that receiving the eternal reward is conditional on continued faithfulness.
Hebrews 10:26-31,39 - We must avoid willful sin.
This is speaking to those who know the truth (v26) and have been sanctified by the blood (v29). It is discussing the Lord's judgment on "His people" (v30).
We are warned not to sin willfully (v26). As long as we go on sinning willfully (NASB - v26), there is no sacrifice for sin. (This is not discussing what will happen if such people repent and change but what our condition is as long as this conduct continues.)
Such people are trodding underfoot God's Son (v29), doing despite to the Spirit of grace, counting the blood by which we were sanctified unholy (v29). Their only future is fierceness of fire (v27), sorer punishment than physical death under the law (v28f), vengeance from God (v30).
This is why we must not shrink back to perdition (v39).
2 Peter 1:8-11; 2:20-22 - We must grow in Christ instead of returning to the world.
1:8-11 - This is spoken to those who have obtained like precious faith (v1), escaped the corruption of the world (v4), and been purged from old sins (v9).
We must add to our lives the qualities listed (v5-7). If we do, we make our calling and election sure so we don't stumble (v10), but we receive the abundant entrance to the everlasting kingdom (v11). Note there is security for the believer, but it is conditional on growing and adding these qualities.
2:20-22 - This is still talking to people who have escaped the pollution of the world (v20), knowing the way of righteousness (v21). [cf. v1,15]
We are warned not to become entangled again in the world (v20), turning from the holy command (v21). If we do, we are worse off than we were before we knew the truth (v20). We are like a dog returning to vomit or a sow returning to mire (v22). [cf., v1,3]
But if "once saved, always saved," then this dog is much better off after returning to the vomit than he was before.
Romans 6:12-18 - We must not let sin reign in our bodies.
These were baptized into Christ (v3,4), set free from sin, and become servants of righteousness (v18).
They are warned not to let sin reign in their bodies nor present their members as instruments of sin (v12,13). The result of that would be death (v16). This must be spiritual again, since all die physically. The wages of sin, even for those here addressed, is death, in contrast to eternal life (v23).
Hebrews 6:4-8 - We must avoid falling away.
This is addressed to those once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift and the good word of God and were partakers of the Holy Spirit (v4,5).
We are warned not to fall away (v6). If they continue in this pattern of life (implied), they cannot be restored. They are crucifying Jesus afresh and putting Him to an open shame (v6). Their destiny is to be burned like a field of thorns (v8).
Revelation 3:5; Exodus 32:30-33 - We must avoid having our names removed from the Book of Life.
Those whose names are in the book of Life will enter the eternal city, but those not in it are cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 21:27; 20:12-15). But people whose names are in the book, may be removed because of sin (Ex. 32:30-33). Those guilty of sin CANNOT enter the city (Rev. 21:27). But those who overcome will not be blotted out of the book (Rev. 3:5). [Cf. Rev. 22:18,19]
Why would God continually warn of the danger of sin and being lost if it cannot happen? Do human parents warn their children to be careful how they flap their wings lest they fly too high and crash into the moon? God is not the author of confusion (I Cor. 14:33). Why waste time warning us about dangers that cannot happen anyway?
B. Bible Examples of Christians Who Sinned & Stood Condemned.
The Bible not only warns us to be on guard lest we fail to meet the conditions for remaining faithful, but it also mentions specific people who did fall. This is not just a theoretical possibility. It is a practical reality. In fact, it has happened to many people, and could happen to us if we are not diligent.
Genesis 3:1-6 - Adam and Eve
God said if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die (2:16,17).
3:4 - Satan said if Eve ate, she would not die. She ate and we know the result. This event is used in 2 Cor. 11:3 as an example to us of the danger of falling into sin.
Satan was the first one to teach the doctrine of "impossibility of apostasy." God stated the consequence of sin, but Satan denied that the consequence would follow. Today God has stated the consequences of sin, and Satan uses preachers to deny the consequences. The doctrine of "once saved, always saved" was originated and first preached by Satan himself.
The nation of Israel
The Old Testament contains countless examples in which God's people sinned and fell from God's favor, both individually and collectively. (Lev. 26; Deut. 28-30; I Sam. 12:10; chaps. 10-16; 28:15,16; I Chron. 28:9; 2 Chron. 15:2; 24:20; Isa. 1:28; Jer. 2:19,32 cf. Psa. 9:17; Jer. 3:6-14; 8:4-13; 9:12-16; Hos. 9:10; cf. Acts 7:37-43; Rev. 21:8)
The fact these are in the Old Testament does not diminish the lesson for us. The New Testament expressly warns us that the same principle applies to us - I Cor. 10:1-12; Heb. chap. 3,4. With regard to the possibility of God's people sinning and being lost, the Old and New Testaments teach the same.
Christians who lost their faith
Hebrews 3:12 warned of the danger of developing an evil heart of unbelief like Israel. Many New Testament examples show people to whom this very thing happened:
2 Timothy 2:16-18 - Hymenaeus & Philetus strayed and overthrew the faith of some. (Faith cannot be overthrown in those who do not first possess it.)
1 Timothy 1:18-20 - Timothy should hold the faith and not be like Hymenaeus and Alexander, who made shipwreck concerning the faith and committed blasphemy.
1 Timothy 5:8 - Anyone (including a child of God) who doesn't care for his family has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
What happens to people who lose their faith? Faith is essential to salvation. Those who lose it are no better off than those who never had it.
Hebrews 11:6 - Without faith it is impossible to please God (the application in the context of this book is to those who had faith but turn from it - 3:12; 10:30).
Revelation 21:8 - Unbelievers will be in the lake of fire.
Acts 8:12-24 - Simon the Sorcerer
Simon believed and was baptized (v13). This is what Jesus said one must do to be saved (Mark 16:16). This is what the other Samaritans did (v12). Simon did "ALSO" the same things the others did. If they were saved, he was saved. If he was not saved, then none of the others were saved.
But Simon later sinned. His heart was not right (v21), he was guilty of wickedness (v22), and was in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity (v23). As a result, he would perish (v20) if he did not repent and pray (v22).
Galatians 5:1-4 - The Judaizers
These people were children of God (3:26; cf. 1:2-4; 4:6), who had been set free by Christ (5:1). They had to be in grace if they fell from it (5:4).
They sinned in that they desired to go back to the Old Testament yoke of bondage (5:1) and bound circumcision. As a result, Christ profited them nothing (v2), they were severed from Christ (v4), fallen from grace (v4). They were not obeying truth (v7).
These were children of God who were in God's grace but then fell from that grace so that Christ profited them nothing and they were severed from Christ. Can one receive eternal life if he is severed from Christ (Eph. 1:3-7) and fallen from the grace that saves (Eph. 2:8)?
"Once saved, always saved" is a tempting doctrine because it is comforting.
It tells people what they would like to hear. We would all like to think that, even if we or our loved ones fall into sin, they will still receive eternal life.
But it is a false doctrine because it clearly contradicts Scriptures in nearly every book of the Bible.
It is also a dangerous doctrine because it leads people to think they are safe even if they don't examine their lives, don't study the Bible, and don't repent of sin. Furthermore, it leads preachers to not warn sinners that they need to repent.
I have personally known people who told me of terrible sins they deliberately and knowingly committed, justifying themselves because they believed it would not affect their salvation. I have known teachers who justified those very people saying that they would not have lost their salvation even when committed those sins.
Suppose a child is about to cross a busy street. Shouldn't the parent warn the child to look carefully for traffic before they cross the street? People who advocate "once saved, always saved" are like a parent who not only does not warn the child, but worse yet tells him there is nothing to worry about because he can't get hit, and if he does get hit, he won't die!
Why should the child be warned? Because there is a very real danger. And the situation is most dangerous if the child is not on guard. The worst thing anyone can do to the child is to tell him there is no danger. Yet that is exactly what preachers do when they teach "once saved, always saved." And this has eternal consequences, because souls are at stake.
Nevertheless, if the child is careful, he can cross the street safely despite the danger. So the best favor anyone can do for the child is to warn him of the danger, so he can avoid it. That is exactly what we do when we preach the Bible passages that warn Christians to avoid sin. It is not that we believe Christians have no security, but we know people are only secure when they are aware of the dangers, so they can be on guard.
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Part 2: Evidence Offered to Show that a Child of God Cannot So Sin as to Be Lost
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Folks are sometimes confused by passages that are used to defend "once saved, always saved." We need to understand the arguments and how to answer them. Some of these passages do offer hope and security to believers, but they are conditional passages, and these conditions are often overlooked. If we study the verses in light of what we have already learned we will see that, while they do give security to those who are faithful, they do not teach unconditional "once saved, always saved."
John 10:28,29 - "They shall never perish … no one shall snatch them out of my hand"
This is a wonderful promise. But is it, as the preacher said, so unconditional that a person's soul cannot be lost no matter how he lives?
The context gives conditions - v27,28.
Note the word "and" repeated. Receiving life and never perishing are tied to hearing Jesus and following him. These are conditions, exactly like we have been teaching.
As the Good Shepherd, Jesus protects His sheep so no one can destroy them, as long as the sheep hear Jesus and follow Him. But what if they cease to hear and follow, as we have learned elsewhere they can do?
"Pluck" refers to an outside force.
"Pluck" (KJV) or "snatch" (NKJV, ASV) means "to seize, carry off by force" (Thayer), like the thief might do (v10,12). Neither Satan nor any outside force can steal you from the Lord, as long as you meet the conditions.
But we must "resist the devil," and then we have assurance he will flee from us (James 4:7). What happens if, through negligence or willful rebellion, we wander away from the protection of Jesus' fold?
Sheep can stray from the shepherd's protection.
Luke 15:3-7 - 100 sheep belonged to the shepherd (v4,6), but one became lost.
Acts 20:28-30 - Wolves may enter among the flock, speak perverse things, and draw away the disciples. They cannot compel us to follow them and be lost. We may still choose to follow the Lord's voice. But false teachers can lure us, attract us, and tempt us.
I Peter 5:8,9 - Satan is a roaring lion seeking to devour us. If we do not withstand him, he can capture and destroy us. But we can withstand him if we have faith and vigilance. This is what Jesus promised in John 10. (John 17; 6:37-40; I Pet. 2:25).
If sheep cannot possibly stray, even of their own free will, then this would deny our free moral power to choose. We could not become lost even if we wanted to!
1 John 3:9 - One begotten of God "does not sin … he cannot sin"
We must take all the Bible says on any subject (Matt. 4:6,7; Acts 3:22,23).
We have already shown many passages showing that it is possible for a child of God to sin. Many more verses, even in 1 John and addressed to these same people, show this is true:
1 John 1:8,10 - If we say we don't sin, we lie and truth is not in us. This is exactly the condition of some folks who argue for "once saved, always saved"!
1 John 2:1,2 - John wrote so we would avoid sin. Jesus is our propitiation if we do sin. If sin is impossible, why write, and why would we need propitiation?
1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world. If we do, we don't love the Father (cf. I Cor. 16:22). Why warn us, if it is impossible to be guilty?
1 John 5:21 - Guard yourself from idols. Why, if it is impossible to be guilty of sin?
2 Peter 2:14 - Some children of God (v1,15) "cannot cease from sin"! If I John 3:9 means children of God cannot possibly commit sin, then this passage means these children of God cannot possibly quit sinning!
Clearly 1 John 3:9 does not mean sin is impossible, else we have contradictions in the Bible. In fact, many people who believe "once saved, always saved," will admit sin is possible (see quotes in introduction).
"Does not sin" refers to persisting in the practice of sin (see NASB).
A true child of God may occasionally commit acts of sin, but he must repent, confess, and be forgiven by Jesus' blood (1:9; 2:2). He must not continue in the practice of sin. Why not?
"God's seed abides" in the child of God.
The seed that begets us, so we become children of God, is the word of God:
1 Peter 1:23-25 - We are begotten again by the incorruptible seed which is the Word of God.
James 1:18 - We are begotten by the word of truth.
1 John 2:14,24 - The word of God, which we heard, abides in us. [Luke 8:11ff; I Cor. 4:15; I John 1:10; 2:5,7]
How does the this seed abide in us? Can it cease abiding in us?
1 John 1:10 - If we say we do not sin, His word is not in us. We may still know what it says, but we have rejected it.
John 5:38 - If we do not believe Jesus, God's word does not abide in us.
Acts 2:41 - Those who gladly received the word were baptized. Receiving the word requires believing and obeying it. Otherwise we are rejecting it. (I Thess. 2:13)
To have the word abiding in us means to have a receptive attitude toward it, believing and obeying it, applying it in our lives. If this is our attitude, 1 John 3:9 says we will not continue in the practice of sin. Of course not, because to do so would be to reject the word so it no longer abides in us!
Note Psalms 119:11 - Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! This is exactly what 1 John 3:9 says.
But can we cease believing the word, studying it, and striving to live by it? We have shown that we can. If we do, the seed no longer abides in us, so we practice sin.
"He cannot sin"
Does this mean it is humanly impossible under any circumstances to transgress?
"Can" (Gk DUNAMAI) means: "to be able, have power, whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, or by permission of law and custom" (Thayer).
Examples elsewhere show it does not necessarily mean physical or human impossibility, but rather that law, state of mind, or circumstances do not allow it:
1 Corinthians 10:21 - You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons (it is not lawful).
Acts 4:20 - We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard (law and state of mind do not permit it).
Mark 2:19 - Sons of the bridechamber cannot fast while the bridegroom is with them (circumstances make it such that no one would do it).
Hence 1 John 3:9 means that, when one has accepted God's word into his heart and so becomes a child of God, his attitude and the principles of the word will not allow him to continue practicing sin. God's word (the seed) has become the guiding principle of his heart, and it would be inconsistent with this to continue practicing sin.
For example, suppose an employer asks a Christian employee to tell a lie. The Christian replies, "I can't do a thing like that." Is it physically impossible? No, but it is completely contrary to his nature as a child of God. As long as his attitude toward God's word is right, he will not do it.
The Body Sins, but the Spirit Does Not
We are told that we may physically do things that violate God's word, but He does not hold our spirit accountable for what the body does.
Those who teach this doctrine are obligated to produce Scripture to prove it.
It is not enough to make the claim. They must give Scripture.
Is the spirit responsible for the good deeds of the body? If so, why not also for the bad deeds?
If they cite Rom. 7:25 & 8:1, note 7:23 and 8:6-17 which show the man is condemned for the sins of the body.
Many Scriptures show that God holds the spirit (inner man) accountable for the sins of the outer man.
1 Corinthians 6:9,10,13,15,18-20 - Fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God. But this is a sin of the body. The body is a member of Christ, a temple of the Spirit, and belongs to God so it should be used for His glory (this shows the people addressed are children of God, bought with a price, etc.). [cf. 3:16,17]
Mark 7:20-23 - Evil (done by the body) proceeds from the heart and defiles a man. [Prov. 23:7; 4:23]
2 Corinthians 5:10 - We will be judged for deeds done in the body. Our spirits will be held accountable for what the body does.
Romans 6:12,16,23 - People who have been baptized into Christ (v3,4) and made free from sin (v18), must not let sin reign in their mortal bodies. If we do, we are servants of sin and must die (v16,23).
1 Corinthians 9:27 - Paul buffeted his body to bring it in subjection, let he be a castaway.
Romans 8:13 - We must put to death the deeds of the body in order to live. Otherwise, we will die.
[2 Cor. 7:1; Rom. 12:1,2; Gal. 5:19-24; Acts 8:20-22]
Passages that Say We Have Eternal Life
Numerous passages are cited which say we have eternal life: John 10:28; 17:3; 5:24; 3:36; 6:47; 3:16; I John 5:12,13. Some argue that, if we have it, and if it is eternal, then we cannot lose it. If we do, it wasn't eternal.
We have eternal life now only as a promise or hope.
1 John 2:25 - This is the promise He has promised us, even life eternal.
James 1:12 - The crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love Him.
Titus 1:2; 3:7 - The hope of eternal life, which God promised.
We receive eternal life, in the sense of a present possession, only after earthly life is over and then only if we endure faithfully till life is over.
Luke 18:30 - We receive eternal life "in the world to come."
Romans 2:5-7 - Eternal life will be given at the judgment IF we continue patiently in well doing. [This is the same time that the wicked will receive eternal punishment - Matt. 25:46. Does this happen in this life?]
Revelation 2:10 - Be faithful until death and receive the crown of life.
In this life, we "have" eternal life in the sense of a promise or a hope based on faith. But we actually enter eternal life at the judgment if and only if we continue living faithfully till life is over. This is a conditional promise. We will be lost if we fail to meet the conditions.
The proof texts, used to defend "present possession" of eternal life, themselves state conditions to be met.
John 5:24 - He who hears and believes. But we have shown that one can cease doing these.
John 6:47; 3:16,36 - He that believes. But one can cease believing.
1 John 5:13 - V11,12 speak of those who believe on the Son, and life is IN the Son. But we can cease believing and fail to abide in Him (John 15:1-8).
John 10:27,28 - Hear Jesus' voice and follow Him.
John 17:3 - Know God. But one can forget God, turn from Him, and cease to know Him (I John 2:3-6; Jer. 3:21,22; Psa. 9:17; 106;12,21,24).
Note also that saving faith requires obedience, and to cease to obey is to cease to have a saving faith - James 2:14-26; Heb. 10:39; chap. 11; Gal. 5:6; etc.
The fact life is "eternal" does not prove we cannot lose it. "Eternal" describes the nature of the life. It has nothing to do with whether it can or cannot be lost.
Example: Suppose someone offers me a watch guaranteed to work for 50 years, but I must do some task in order to receive it. It is still a "50-year watch" regardless of whether or not I do the job and receive it.
These passages discuss the reward believers will receive as a result of their current state. But they are not discussing what would happen if they change their state.
The passages are not intended to discuss everything about what can happen to a child of God. They are written to help us appreciate the blessings we have, or to encourage people to become children of God. But God does not put all His will in a single verse or passage. We are expected to study other Scripture. When we do, we learn that we ultimately receive the reward only if faithful. It is misusing these verses to teach from them something they do not necessarily mean and which contradicts other passages.
Consider the consequences if we used this reasoning on passages that describe the lost. John 3:36 says unbelievers shall not see life. Shall we conclude this too cannot change (like people argue on the first part of the verse)? If a person is lost, does this prove he can never change and be saved? "Once lost, always lost"? [Cf. John 5:24; Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26ff]
If we can see how unsaved people can change their state and become saved, despite such verses as this, then in the same way we can understand how saved people can change their state and become lost.
This same approach works with most other arguments for "once saved always saved." Consistently applied to passages about lost people, the same arguments would prove "once lost, always lost."
Jesus' Blood Sacrifice Is Sufficient.
Some folks say that Jesus' death is all we need to be saved. If we argue that there are things we need to do to be saved, including living a faithful life, they say we are denying the power of Jesus' death.
We agree Jesus' blood has the power to cleanse all sin. But the question is whether it cleanses conditionally or unconditionally. We cannot earn salvation, but are there conditions we must meet to receive the forgiveness?
Jesus died for all people. If His death is all we need, and people need do nothing at all, then all would be saved.
1 Timothy 2:6 - Jesus gave His life a ransom for all.
Hebrews 2:9 - By the grace of God, Jesus tasted death for all men (the extent of this is shown in v15).
John 3:16 - God gave His Son for the world because of His love.
1 John 2:2 - Jesus is propitiation for the sins, not just of Christians, but for the whole world. [cf. I John 4:14]
Romans 5:18,19 - By Jesus' act of righteousness (His death - v8,9), justification came to all men.
If Jesus' death is "sufficient" and "all we need," then why aren't all men saved, since He died for all? But we know that not all will be saved (Matt. 7:13,14; etc.). So there must be something that distinguishes the saved from the unsaved. There are conditions we must meet.
God is no respecter of persons.
Romans 2:6-11 - God distinguishes the saved from the lost "without respect of persons" or partiality. If Jesus' death was all there was to it, then He must save everybody or else be a respecter of person. Instead, there is a distinction on the basis of our conduct - whether we work evil or continue in doing good.
Acts 10:34,35 - God is no respecter of persons, but those who fear Him and work righteousness are accepted. True, we cannot earn salvation. But there is a way God distinguishes between those who will be saved by His son's blood from those who will not - our faith and works.
When people claim that Jesus' death is all there is to it and people do not need to do anything to be saved, they unknowingly make God a respecter of persons.
If Jesus' blood saves by itself with no conditions to be met, then why is faith necessary?
In practice, everyone admits there are some conditions necessary to be saved by Jesus' blood. Most people admit we must believe. Many agree we must repent and confess Christ. (See John 3:16; 8:24; 2 Pet. 3:9; Rom. 10:9,10; 6:3,4; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mark. 16:16; etc.) But these are simply conditions we must meet to receive the benefit of Jesus' death. To admit this is to admit Jesus' death alone, without conditions people must meet, will not save.
But if we agree there are conditions people must meet to be saved, then why object when we point out from the Scriptures that these necessary conditions include baptism and a faithful life? These no more deny the power of Jesus' death than do faith, repentance, etc.
If you can recognize faith, etc., as necessary to salvation without denying the importance of Jesus' death, then in the same way we believe baptism and a faithful life are also necessary without denying the importance of Jesus' death.
The Bible expressly shows that there are conditions children of God must meet to be cleansed by Jesus' blood.
1 John 1:7-9 - Children of God do sin (v8,10). To be cleansed by Jesus' blood, we must "walk in the light" and "confess our sins." To deny this is to deny the clear teaching of Scripture.
Acts 8:22 - A child of God (v12,13) who sinned was clearly told that, to be cleansed of his sin, he must repent and pray. It is Jesus' blood that forgives. But just as there are conditions we must meet to be cleansed and become a child of God, so there are conditions we must meet to be cleansed after we are children of God.
...........................................................................................................................................
(From http://www.gospelway.com/salvation/eternal_security.php)
Friday, April 23, 2010
HAARP: Secret Weapon Used For Weather Modification, Electromagnetic Warfare
"It isn't just conspiracy theorists who are concerned about HAARP. The European Union called the project a global concern and passed a resolution calling for more information on its health and environmental risks. Despite those concerns, officials at HAARP insist the project is nothing more sinister than a radio science research facility." -- Quote from a documentary on HAARP by Canada's public broadcasting network CBC.
HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) is a little-known, yet critically important U.S. military defense program which has generated quite a bit of controversy over the years in certain circles. Though denied by HAARP officials, some respected researchers allege that secret electromagnetic warfare capabilities of HAARP are designed to forward the US military's stated goal of achieving full-spectrum dominance by the year 2020. Others go so far as to claim that HAARP can and has been used for weather modification, to cause earthquakes and tsunamis, to disrupt global communications systems, and more.
Major aspects of the program are kept secret for alleged reasons of "national security." Yet there is no doubt that HAARP and electromagnetic weapons capable of being used in warfare do exist. According to the official HAARP website, "HAARP is a scientific endeavor aimed at studying the properties and behavior of the ionosphere, with particular emphasis on being able to understand and use it to enhance communications and surveillance systems for both civilian and defense purposes." The ionosphere is the delicate upper layer of our atmosphere which ranges from about 30 miles (50 km) to 600 miles (1,000 km) above the surface of the Earth.
The HAARP website acknowledges that experiments are conducted which use electromagnetic frequencies to fire pulsed, directed energy beams in order to "temporarily excite a limited area of the ionosphere." Some scientists state that purposefully disturbing this sensitive layer could have major and even disastrous consequences. Concerned HAARP researchers like Dr. Michel Chossudovsky of the University of Ottawa and Alaska's Dr. Nick Begich (son of a US Congressman) present evidence suggesting that these disturbances can even cause tsunamis and earthquakes.
Two key major media documentaries, one by Canada's public broadcasting network CBC and the other by the History Channel, reveal the inner workings of HAARP in a most powerful way. The very well researched CBC documentary includes this key quote:
"It isn't just conspiracy theorists who are concerned about HAARP. In January of 1999, the European Union called the project a global concern and passed a resolution calling for more information on its health and environmental risks. Despite those concerns, officials at HAARP insist the project is nothing more sinister than a radio science research facility."
To view the European Union (EU) document which brings HAARP and similar electromagnetic weapons into question, click here. The actual wording at bullet point 24 in this telling document states that the EU "considers HAARP by virtue of its far-reaching impact on the environment to be a global concern and calls for its legal, ecological and ethical implications to be examined by an international independent body before any further research and testing." This reveling document further states that the EU regrets the repeated refusal of the U.S. government to send anyone to give evidence on HAARP.
Watch the first seven minutes of this engaging 14-minute CBC documentary below.
For the remaining seven minutes, click here. For an even more detailed and revealing 45-minute History Channel documentary on HAARP and other secret weapons used for electromagnetic warfare, click here. Below are two quotes from the History Channel documentary:
"Electromagnetic weapons ... pack an invisible wallop hundreds of times more powerful than the electrical current in a lightning bolt. One can blast enemy missiles out of the sky, another could be used to blind soldiers on the battlefield, still another to control an unruly crowd by burning the surface of their skin. If detonated over a large city, an electromagnetic weapon could destroy all electronics in seconds. They all use directed energy to create a powerful electromagnetic pulse."
"Directed energy is such a powerful technology it could be used to heat the ionosphere to turn weather into a weapon of war. Imagine using a flood to destroy a city or tornadoes to decimate an approaching army in the desert. The military has spent a huge amount of time on weather modification as a concept for battle environments. If an electromagnetic pulse went off over a city, basically all the electronic things in your home would wink and go out, and they would be permanently destroyed."
For those who still doubt that such devastating secret weapons have been developed, here is an intriguing quote from an article in New Zealand's leading newspaper, the New Zealand Herald:
"Top-secret wartime experiments were conducted off the coast of Auckland to perfect a tidal wave bomb, declassified files reveal. United States defence chiefs said that if the project had been completed before the end of the war, it could have played a role as effective as that of the atom bomb. Details of the tsunami bomb, known as Project Seal, are contained in 53-year-old documents released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade."
If the military secretly developed a weapon which could cause a tsunami over half a century ago, what kind of advanced deadly weapons might be available now? And why is it that the general public still doesn't know about secret weapons developed over 50 years ago? To understand why the media isn't covering these highly critical issues, click here. Clearly the military has the capability to cause a tsunami and likely to cause earthquakes and hurricanes, as well. It's time for us to take action to spread the word on this vital topic.
Having interpreted to for top generals in my work as a language interpreter with the US Department of State, I learned that military planners are always interested in developing the most devastating weapons possible. Yet these weapons are kept secret as long as possible, allegedly for reasons of national security. The many layers of intense secrecy both in the military and government result in very few people being aware of the gruesome capabilities for death and destruction that have been developed over the years. There are many examples of major defense projects kept successfully out of the public's eyes for years and even decades.
The massive Manhattan Project (development of the first atomic bomb) is one such example. The building of an entire city to support the project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee was successfully kept secret even from the state's governor. The stealth bomber was kept top secret for many years, and the public still has no way of knowing it's full capabilities. It is through the use of the highly organized military and intelligence services that the power elite of our world, working in cooperation with key allies in government and corporate ownership of the media, are able to carry out major cover-ups and secret operations like those involved with HAARP.
Some researchers have raised questions about the possible involvement of HAARP in major disasters like the earthquake in Haiti, Indonesian tsunami, and hurricane Katrina. Could these have been HAARP experiments gone awry? Might they even have been caused by rogue elements which gained control of this devastating technology. Of course disasters like this happen regularly on a natural basis, yet if you begin to research, there is some high strangeness around some of these disasters. The evidence is inconclusive, yet with the known and unknown major destructive capabilities of this weapon, serious questions remain.
Jesse Ventura, the former Navy Seal who turned pro wrestler only to then become governor of Minnesota, has also done a special on HAARP that is a bit sensationalized, yet contains useful information. You can watch this special on YouTube at this link. For many other ideas and suggestion on how you can further educate yourself and what you can do to help inform others about this secret program and make a difference in our world, see the box below. And to bring this matter home, let us also look at where each of us are keeping secrets in ways that can end up harming those around us. Thanks for caring.
Fred Burks served as personal language interpreter to Clinton, Bush, Cheney, Gore, and other top dignitaries in secret meetings. As part of an international network of researchers and news analysts, Fred obtains and disseminates key, reliable information about powerful, yet little-known forces which shape our world.
"It isn't just conspiracy theorists who are concerned about HAARP. The European Union called the project a global concern and passed a resolution calling for more information on its health and environmental risks. Despite those concerns, officials at HAARP insist the project is nothing more sinister than a radio science research facility." -- Quote from a documentary on HAARP by Canada's public broadcasting network CBC.
"Dedicated with caring and compassion to the many who suffered and died in the Haiti earthquake, the Indonesian tsunami, and Hurricane Katrina."
HAARP (High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program) is a little-known, yet critically important U.S. military defense program which has generated quite a bit of controversy over the years in certain circles. Though denied by HAARP officials, some respected researchers allege that secret electromagnetic warfare capabilities of HAARP are designed to forward the US military's stated goal of achieving full-spectrum dominance by the year 2020. Others go so far as to claim that HAARP can and has been used for weather modification, to cause earthquakes and tsunamis, to disrupt global communications systems, and more.
Major aspects of the program are kept secret for alleged reasons of "national security." Yet there is no doubt that HAARP and electromagnetic weapons capable of being used in warfare do exist. According to the official HAARP website, "HAARP is a scientific endeavor aimed at studying the properties and behavior of the ionosphere, with particular emphasis on being able to understand and use it to enhance communications and surveillance systems for both civilian and defense purposes." The ionosphere is the delicate upper layer of our atmosphere which ranges from about 30 miles (50 km) to 600 miles (1,000 km) above the surface of the Earth.
The HAARP website acknowledges that experiments are conducted which use electromagnetic frequencies to fire pulsed, directed energy beams in order to "temporarily excite a limited area of the ionosphere." Some scientists state that purposefully disturbing this sensitive layer could have major and even disastrous consequences. Concerned HAARP researchers like Dr. Michel Chossudovsky of the University of Ottawa and Alaska's Dr. Nick Begich (son of a US Congressman) present evidence suggesting that these disturbances can even cause tsunamis and earthquakes.
Two key major media documentaries, one by Canada's public broadcasting network CBC and the other by the History Channel, reveal the inner workings of HAARP in a most powerful way. The very well researched CBC documentary includes this key quote:
"It isn't just conspiracy theorists who are concerned about HAARP. In January of 1999, the European Union called the project a global concern and passed a resolution calling for more information on its health and environmental risks. Despite those concerns, officials at HAARP insist the project is nothing more sinister than a radio science research facility."
To view the European Union (EU) document which brings HAARP and similar electromagnetic weapons into question, click here. The actual wording at bullet point 24 in this telling document states that the EU "considers HAARP by virtue of its far-reaching impact on the environment to be a global concern and calls for its legal, ecological and ethical implications to be examined by an international independent body before any further research and testing." This reveling document further states that the EU regrets the repeated refusal of the U.S. government to send anyone to give evidence on HAARP.
Watch the first seven minutes of this engaging 14-minute CBC documentary below.
For the remaining seven minutes, click here. For an even more detailed and revealing 45-minute History Channel documentary on HAARP and other secret weapons used for electromagnetic warfare, click here. Below are two quotes from the History Channel documentary:
"Electromagnetic weapons ... pack an invisible wallop hundreds of times more powerful than the electrical current in a lightning bolt. One can blast enemy missiles out of the sky, another could be used to blind soldiers on the battlefield, still another to control an unruly crowd by burning the surface of their skin. If detonated over a large city, an electromagnetic weapon could destroy all electronics in seconds. They all use directed energy to create a powerful electromagnetic pulse."
"Directed energy is such a powerful technology it could be used to heat the ionosphere to turn weather into a weapon of war. Imagine using a flood to destroy a city or tornadoes to decimate an approaching army in the desert. The military has spent a huge amount of time on weather modification as a concept for battle environments. If an electromagnetic pulse went off over a city, basically all the electronic things in your home would wink and go out, and they would be permanently destroyed."
For those who still doubt that such devastating secret weapons have been developed, here is an intriguing quote from an article in New Zealand's leading newspaper, the New Zealand Herald:
"Top-secret wartime experiments were conducted off the coast of Auckland to perfect a tidal wave bomb, declassified files reveal. United States defence chiefs said that if the project had been completed before the end of the war, it could have played a role as effective as that of the atom bomb. Details of the tsunami bomb, known as Project Seal, are contained in 53-year-old documents released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade."
If the military secretly developed a weapon which could cause a tsunami over half a century ago, what kind of advanced deadly weapons might be available now? And why is it that the general public still doesn't know about secret weapons developed over 50 years ago? To understand why the media isn't covering these highly critical issues, click here. Clearly the military has the capability to cause a tsunami and likely to cause earthquakes and hurricanes, as well. It's time for us to take action to spread the word on this vital topic.
Having interpreted to for top generals in my work as a language interpreter with the US Department of State, I learned that military planners are always interested in developing the most devastating weapons possible. Yet these weapons are kept secret as long as possible, allegedly for reasons of national security. The many layers of intense secrecy both in the military and government result in very few people being aware of the gruesome capabilities for death and destruction that have been developed over the years. There are many examples of major defense projects kept successfully out of the public's eyes for years and even decades.
The massive Manhattan Project (development of the first atomic bomb) is one such example. The building of an entire city to support the project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee was successfully kept secret even from the state's governor. The stealth bomber was kept top secret for many years, and the public still has no way of knowing it's full capabilities. It is through the use of the highly organized military and intelligence services that the power elite of our world, working in cooperation with key allies in government and corporate ownership of the media, are able to carry out major cover-ups and secret operations like those involved with HAARP.
Some researchers have raised questions about the possible involvement of HAARP in major disasters like the earthquake in Haiti, Indonesian tsunami, and hurricane Katrina. Could these have been HAARP experiments gone awry? Might they even have been caused by rogue elements which gained control of this devastating technology. Of course disasters like this happen regularly on a natural basis, yet if you begin to research, there is some high strangeness around some of these disasters. The evidence is inconclusive, yet with the known and unknown major destructive capabilities of this weapon, serious questions remain.
Jesse Ventura, the former Navy Seal who turned pro wrestler only to then become governor of Minnesota, has also done a special on HAARP that is a bit sensationalized, yet contains useful information. You can watch this special on YouTube at this link. For many other ideas and suggestion on how you can further educate yourself and what you can do to help inform others about this secret program and make a difference in our world, see the box below. And to bring this matter home, let us also look at where each of us are keeping secrets in ways that can end up harming those around us. Thanks for caring.
What you can do:
Read other powerful major media articles on nonlethal beam weapons at this link.
Inform your media and political representatives of this critical information on top secret lethal weapons. To contact those close to you, click here. Urge them bring this information to light and allow public dialog on the topic of electromagnetic weapons.
To read excellent, well researched articles by top researchers in the field of HAARP, electromagnetic warfare and secret weapons, click here, here, here, and here.
Learn about the intriguing history and development of controversial behavior modification programs in this excellent two-page summary. Footnotes and links to reliable sources are provided for verification purposes.
Explore inspiring ideas on how we can build a brighter future in this short essay.
Spread this news to your friends and colleagues, and bookmark this article on key news websites using the "Share This" icon on this page, so that we can fill the role at which the major media is sadly failing. Together, we can make a difference.
Fred Burks served as personal language interpreter to Clinton, Bush, Cheney, Gore, and other top dignitaries in secret meetings. As part of an international network of researchers and news analysts, Fred obtains and disseminates key, reliable information about powerful, yet little-known forces which shape our world.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Satanic New World Order
(Pal Telegraph, by Peter Eyre) – I and many other writers have talked about the New World Order (NWO) but who are they and just how far will they go to achieve their goals? The answer to that question is they will go as far as they need to go to reach their objectives….if that entails killing thousands of people then so be it. The NWO are certainly satanic and they will create any amount of “False Flag” operations to justify a military outcome.
The list is endless……USS Liberty, USS Cole, US Embassy and Hotel in Kenya, failed attack in Somalia, Oklahoma bombing, numerous attempted High Jacking’s (including Detroit), current operations in Yemen, the fictitious Al Qaeda and the top of the list 9/11 which was a total conspiracy….one could also add to this the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and more recently the man made Swine Flu!
Maybe you are shocked to read this as you would probably be also shocked to know that our countries are being taken over by these mad men. The term sovereignty has almost totally disappeared from our dictionary and replaced by this relatively small group of evil and greedy warmongers who seek to control the world and its natural resources.
I will leave the 9/11 conspiracy for the final part of this series and just focus on who are the NWO and what are their ambitions. Before moving on however we have to fully understand the historical attempt to bring about the NWO in the 1950’s. Many people today were not aware of this carefully orchestrated failed attempt that existed during the “Cold War” years. They started off with NATO and then added CENTO to cover the Middle Eastern Region and finally SEATO to cover Asia and the Far East To some extent you will see the resurrection of this same plan creeping back into our lives to this day and again that will be another article owing to its complexity.
We can see that these plans keep coming and going and it is only the intelligence of the people who manage to stop it or slow it down. I am sure that this is the case at the moment and that the NWO want to accelerate their programme but unfortunately they are now probably ten years or so behind their master plan. It is their intention to have all the respective populations living in a type of police state and becoming totally subservient to their respective governments. They only want a few selected individuals to become educated to a very high level and the rest to be left by the wayside.
They want us to be totally dependent on the state both in the health and social sense and one day we may find ourselves walking around with a “Chip and Pin” planted under our skin as Aaron Russo once said. They do not believe in the family unit as this creates harmony and therefore they prefer single parents. They encourage the use of drugs and may even one day tax them. Basically the NWO want a population of “Zombies” who will do exactly what they want them to do. In order to better understand the workings of this terrible elite group, one should look at the interview with Aaron Russo before he died of lung cancer:
I would never have imagined that one day I would be talking about conspiracies and the New World Order. My life was full of the beauty of this world…nature…wildlife or just simply finding myself on a mountain, deep within a jungle or forest and listening to nothing but the sounds of nature. Sometimes we all have a purpose in life and that may come late when we are least expecting it. For me it was spending time in a remote part of Southern India, helping poor tribal people, from that moment I started this journey. What happened to me is beyond words but one thing I can say for sure is that once you start this journey you cannot stop.
There is not a day goes by without thinking how terrible it was to read a particle story and say to yourself how evil….but then you read more and more and the horrors just keep flowing out. One has to fully understand that there is no limit to the level of evil and killing people in mass is purely a routine for them. They openly declare the necessity to depopulate on a huge scale. We the public have to remain on guard and fully understand that the world has lost its direction and imagination and only we the people can stop the advancement of the NWO.
As I have already discussed in Part 1 of this series they have already started their mass genocide with a concentrated programme in the Middle East. They have to date directly attacked the genetics of Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza with their extensive use of depleted and enriched uranium weapons and that has now extended on to Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. The use of these weapons is totally indiscriminate and therefore the entire region is being contaminated by these radioactive aerosols. Most of the weapons are from the US and are used by all NATO partners as well as the Israeli IDF (who are also manufacturing their own). I am amazed that the entire Arab League just watch this happen and say nothing, even though they themselves are also at the receiving end and will eventually succumb to its toxicity. Needless to say the people of Israel are now victim to their own weapons.
So who are these people who inflict these terrible crimes against humankind? They are the same group of people that were behind the planned collapse of the world’s financial markets? They are the same group of people who intentionally caused the collapse of major banks and businesses so that when the dust had settled they could walk amongst the carcasses of dead companies and snap up a good deal. They are the same group that took all the tax payers money and within a year were operating again with massive profits. They basically cleared their debt, the governments got their money back but as usual the poor taxpayers never get theirs back but rather end up paying a very big IOU for the next 5 – 10 years……sound familiar?
The New World Order includes many of the world’s wealthiest people, the British Crown, top political leaders, and the corporate elite. They aim to create a fascist type one world government, stripped of nationalistic and regional boundaries, that is obedient to their agenda. Their intention is to completely control every human being and at the same time reduce the world’s population by around 5.5 billion people. Some say the early days of the NWO in the US may have started on Jekyll Island, Georgia, when back in 1910 some of the elite gathered to talk about the formation of the Federal Reserve Bank So who are the principal organizations, institutions, and individuals who make up this evil satanic NWO web?
The Illuminati is at the top of the pyramid which is an ancient bloodline of extremely rich families that make up the core of the “New World Order.” Their purpose to create A One World Government and one-unit monetary system, under permanent control of self elected members from their own numbers in the form of a feudal system as it was in the Middle Ages. In this One World entity, population will be limited by restrictions on the number of children per family, diseases, wars, famines, until 1 billion people who are useful to the ruling class, in areas which will be strictly and clearly defined, remain as the total world population.There will be no middle class, only rulers and the servants. All laws will be uniform under a legal system of world courts practicing the same unified code of laws, backed up by a One World Government police force and a One World unified military to enforce laws in all former countries where no national boundaries shall exist. The system will be on the basis of a welfare state; those who are obedient and subservient to the One World Government will be rewarded with the means to live; those who are rebellious will simple be starved to death or be declared outlaws, thus a target for anyone who wishes to kill them. Privately owned firearms or weapons of any kind will be prohibited.
Behind this vast web of the wealthy elite is a programmed army who basically form part of a huge mind control programmed that has the ability to interact via the mother to an unborn child……I realize that this may sound totally way out to many readers but if you take the time to research yourself then you can draw up your own conclusions. Some of these mind control programmed have a name such as Monarch and MK Ultra. Most governments have a very carefully scripted propaganda designed to obtain a desired behavioral response from the public. Public opinion polls are taken on a regular basis with the intent of finding out the public’s acceptance of these Illuminati’s planned programmed. A strong showing in the polls tells the Illuminati that the program is working or a poor showing tells the NWO manipulators that they have to do more work on the program in order to get the desired response.
A “False Flag” operation such as 9/11 or the so called attempted airline bomb in Detroit is typically a way of not only spreading panic amongst the population but also a way of taking an action that basically needs a justification. Any “False Flag” operation or conflict is drawn out onto the world stage by the controlled media who show use photos and video reports of horrific and bloody atrocities suffered by innocent civilians. This has the desired response when the public cry out that something has to be done.
The governments then step up their next phase into bringing in more controlled security measures that basically and slowly converts the country into a police state. Please understand that the word “Terrorism” or “The Axis of Evil” forms part of their vocabulary but in the real sense does not truly exist. One has to understand that the “Axis of Evil” is the NWO.
The 9/11 conspiracy was a typical case of justification that then allowed the NWO to start implementing its plans to take over the natural resources of a country whilst at the same time spreading radiation aerosols amongst its population to attack the very DNA of its residents. The War in Afghanistan served two purposes it allowed the NWO to take control of the security of the Opium trade and also to facilitate the TAPI pipeline to run through the Southern heart of Afghanistan and onwards to the very lucrative oil/gas markets of Pakistan, India and possibly China.
I was happy to see that despite the extremely strong briefs carried out by the US in Pakistan and India, not to go for the Iranian pipeline (IPI), common sense prevailed and now Pakistan and India will take the pipeline from Iran. This has enraged the US who desperately needed this market for their own imperialistic greed. One can clearly see that the war in Afghanistan is not going completely the way the NWO had wanted and now only leaves them with the opium (which is still extremely lucrative) and is the backbone of the NWO.
International bankers and the big pharmaceutical companies as well as other major multinational corporations are the backbone of the establishment as are the Royal Family of England (House of Windsor) who are high level players in the Illuminati. Geographically the City of London), Basel Switzerland, and Brussels (NATO headquarters) are at its heart.
The United Nations, along with all the agencies working under the UN umbrella, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), are full time players in this scheme. Similarly, NATO is a military tool of the NWO.
The leaders of all major industrial countries like the United States, England, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand (members of the “G7/G8”) are all part of the bigger picture. The Illuminati are responsible for certain hand-picked individuals, who are then groomed and selected as Prime Ministers or Presidents.
To finish off Part 2 we can also add the names of some of those involved in the NWO who control Wall Street and the City of London:
US Federal Reserve, Council of Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House London), Rockefeller and Rothschild families and the Bilderberg Group. One can then look at the very powerful Freemasons movement, AIPAC, the list is endless. We must not forget such evil people as Kissinger, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bremer, Bolton, Rice and Wolfowitz to name a few who all played their part in the NWO.
In Part 3 we will look at the situation in the UK whereby the manipulation by the NWO under the control of Gordon Brown is clearly eating away at the very foundation of the British Constitution. If you think the other parties are any better, be warned, they also have members linked to the above. There are a group of defenders who work tirelessly on the sedition and treason being carried out by the UK government. Indications show that this started back in 1972 with the government of the day signing the EC Act under the control of Prime Minister Edward Heath.
Peter Eyre – Middle East Consultant – 7/4/2010
(Pal Telegraph, by Peter Eyre) – I and many other writers have talked about the New World Order (NWO) but who are they and just how far will they go to achieve their goals? The answer to that question is they will go as far as they need to go to reach their objectives….if that entails killing thousands of people then so be it. The NWO are certainly satanic and they will create any amount of “False Flag” operations to justify a military outcome.
The list is endless……USS Liberty, USS Cole, US Embassy and Hotel in Kenya, failed attack in Somalia, Oklahoma bombing, numerous attempted High Jacking’s (including Detroit), current operations in Yemen, the fictitious Al Qaeda and the top of the list 9/11 which was a total conspiracy….one could also add to this the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and more recently the man made Swine Flu!
Maybe you are shocked to read this as you would probably be also shocked to know that our countries are being taken over by these mad men. The term sovereignty has almost totally disappeared from our dictionary and replaced by this relatively small group of evil and greedy warmongers who seek to control the world and its natural resources.
I will leave the 9/11 conspiracy for the final part of this series and just focus on who are the NWO and what are their ambitions. Before moving on however we have to fully understand the historical attempt to bring about the NWO in the 1950’s. Many people today were not aware of this carefully orchestrated failed attempt that existed during the “Cold War” years. They started off with NATO and then added CENTO to cover the Middle Eastern Region and finally SEATO to cover Asia and the Far East To some extent you will see the resurrection of this same plan creeping back into our lives to this day and again that will be another article owing to its complexity.
We can see that these plans keep coming and going and it is only the intelligence of the people who manage to stop it or slow it down. I am sure that this is the case at the moment and that the NWO want to accelerate their programme but unfortunately they are now probably ten years or so behind their master plan. It is their intention to have all the respective populations living in a type of police state and becoming totally subservient to their respective governments. They only want a few selected individuals to become educated to a very high level and the rest to be left by the wayside.
They want us to be totally dependent on the state both in the health and social sense and one day we may find ourselves walking around with a “Chip and Pin” planted under our skin as Aaron Russo once said. They do not believe in the family unit as this creates harmony and therefore they prefer single parents. They encourage the use of drugs and may even one day tax them. Basically the NWO want a population of “Zombies” who will do exactly what they want them to do. In order to better understand the workings of this terrible elite group, one should look at the interview with Aaron Russo before he died of lung cancer:
I would never have imagined that one day I would be talking about conspiracies and the New World Order. My life was full of the beauty of this world…nature…wildlife or just simply finding myself on a mountain, deep within a jungle or forest and listening to nothing but the sounds of nature. Sometimes we all have a purpose in life and that may come late when we are least expecting it. For me it was spending time in a remote part of Southern India, helping poor tribal people, from that moment I started this journey. What happened to me is beyond words but one thing I can say for sure is that once you start this journey you cannot stop.
There is not a day goes by without thinking how terrible it was to read a particle story and say to yourself how evil….but then you read more and more and the horrors just keep flowing out. One has to fully understand that there is no limit to the level of evil and killing people in mass is purely a routine for them. They openly declare the necessity to depopulate on a huge scale. We the public have to remain on guard and fully understand that the world has lost its direction and imagination and only we the people can stop the advancement of the NWO.
As I have already discussed in Part 1 of this series they have already started their mass genocide with a concentrated programme in the Middle East. They have to date directly attacked the genetics of Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Gaza with their extensive use of depleted and enriched uranium weapons and that has now extended on to Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. The use of these weapons is totally indiscriminate and therefore the entire region is being contaminated by these radioactive aerosols. Most of the weapons are from the US and are used by all NATO partners as well as the Israeli IDF (who are also manufacturing their own). I am amazed that the entire Arab League just watch this happen and say nothing, even though they themselves are also at the receiving end and will eventually succumb to its toxicity. Needless to say the people of Israel are now victim to their own weapons.
So who are these people who inflict these terrible crimes against humankind? They are the same group of people that were behind the planned collapse of the world’s financial markets? They are the same group of people who intentionally caused the collapse of major banks and businesses so that when the dust had settled they could walk amongst the carcasses of dead companies and snap up a good deal. They are the same group that took all the tax payers money and within a year were operating again with massive profits. They basically cleared their debt, the governments got their money back but as usual the poor taxpayers never get theirs back but rather end up paying a very big IOU for the next 5 – 10 years……sound familiar?
The New World Order includes many of the world’s wealthiest people, the British Crown, top political leaders, and the corporate elite. They aim to create a fascist type one world government, stripped of nationalistic and regional boundaries, that is obedient to their agenda. Their intention is to completely control every human being and at the same time reduce the world’s population by around 5.5 billion people. Some say the early days of the NWO in the US may have started on Jekyll Island, Georgia, when back in 1910 some of the elite gathered to talk about the formation of the Federal Reserve Bank So who are the principal organizations, institutions, and individuals who make up this evil satanic NWO web?
The Illuminati is at the top of the pyramid which is an ancient bloodline of extremely rich families that make up the core of the “New World Order.” Their purpose to create A One World Government and one-unit monetary system, under permanent control of self elected members from their own numbers in the form of a feudal system as it was in the Middle Ages. In this One World entity, population will be limited by restrictions on the number of children per family, diseases, wars, famines, until 1 billion people who are useful to the ruling class, in areas which will be strictly and clearly defined, remain as the total world population.There will be no middle class, only rulers and the servants. All laws will be uniform under a legal system of world courts practicing the same unified code of laws, backed up by a One World Government police force and a One World unified military to enforce laws in all former countries where no national boundaries shall exist. The system will be on the basis of a welfare state; those who are obedient and subservient to the One World Government will be rewarded with the means to live; those who are rebellious will simple be starved to death or be declared outlaws, thus a target for anyone who wishes to kill them. Privately owned firearms or weapons of any kind will be prohibited.
Behind this vast web of the wealthy elite is a programmed army who basically form part of a huge mind control programmed that has the ability to interact via the mother to an unborn child……I realize that this may sound totally way out to many readers but if you take the time to research yourself then you can draw up your own conclusions. Some of these mind control programmed have a name such as Monarch and MK Ultra. Most governments have a very carefully scripted propaganda designed to obtain a desired behavioral response from the public. Public opinion polls are taken on a regular basis with the intent of finding out the public’s acceptance of these Illuminati’s planned programmed. A strong showing in the polls tells the Illuminati that the program is working or a poor showing tells the NWO manipulators that they have to do more work on the program in order to get the desired response.
A “False Flag” operation such as 9/11 or the so called attempted airline bomb in Detroit is typically a way of not only spreading panic amongst the population but also a way of taking an action that basically needs a justification. Any “False Flag” operation or conflict is drawn out onto the world stage by the controlled media who show use photos and video reports of horrific and bloody atrocities suffered by innocent civilians. This has the desired response when the public cry out that something has to be done.
The governments then step up their next phase into bringing in more controlled security measures that basically and slowly converts the country into a police state. Please understand that the word “Terrorism” or “The Axis of Evil” forms part of their vocabulary but in the real sense does not truly exist. One has to understand that the “Axis of Evil” is the NWO.
The 9/11 conspiracy was a typical case of justification that then allowed the NWO to start implementing its plans to take over the natural resources of a country whilst at the same time spreading radiation aerosols amongst its population to attack the very DNA of its residents. The War in Afghanistan served two purposes it allowed the NWO to take control of the security of the Opium trade and also to facilitate the TAPI pipeline to run through the Southern heart of Afghanistan and onwards to the very lucrative oil/gas markets of Pakistan, India and possibly China.
I was happy to see that despite the extremely strong briefs carried out by the US in Pakistan and India, not to go for the Iranian pipeline (IPI), common sense prevailed and now Pakistan and India will take the pipeline from Iran. This has enraged the US who desperately needed this market for their own imperialistic greed. One can clearly see that the war in Afghanistan is not going completely the way the NWO had wanted and now only leaves them with the opium (which is still extremely lucrative) and is the backbone of the NWO.
International bankers and the big pharmaceutical companies as well as other major multinational corporations are the backbone of the establishment as are the Royal Family of England (House of Windsor) who are high level players in the Illuminati. Geographically the City of London), Basel Switzerland, and Brussels (NATO headquarters) are at its heart.
The United Nations, along with all the agencies working under the UN umbrella, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), are full time players in this scheme. Similarly, NATO is a military tool of the NWO.
The leaders of all major industrial countries like the United States, England, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand (members of the “G7/G8”) are all part of the bigger picture. The Illuminati are responsible for certain hand-picked individuals, who are then groomed and selected as Prime Ministers or Presidents.
To finish off Part 2 we can also add the names of some of those involved in the NWO who control Wall Street and the City of London:
US Federal Reserve, Council of Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House London), Rockefeller and Rothschild families and the Bilderberg Group. One can then look at the very powerful Freemasons movement, AIPAC, the list is endless. We must not forget such evil people as Kissinger, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Bremer, Bolton, Rice and Wolfowitz to name a few who all played their part in the NWO.
In Part 3 we will look at the situation in the UK whereby the manipulation by the NWO under the control of Gordon Brown is clearly eating away at the very foundation of the British Constitution. If you think the other parties are any better, be warned, they also have members linked to the above. There are a group of defenders who work tirelessly on the sedition and treason being carried out by the UK government. Indications show that this started back in 1972 with the government of the day signing the EC Act under the control of Prime Minister Edward Heath.
Peter Eyre – Middle East Consultant – 7/4/2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
60 Reasons Why Iraq Can Not Be Mystery Babylon
60 Reasons Why Iraq Can Not Be Mystery Babylon
by R.A. Coombes
There are some prophecy "experts" who have proposed the theory that Iraq and the ancient archaeological site of Babylon is the location for the "Mystery Babylon" of Prophecy. That theory considers the ancient prophecies of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 primarily. Some of those experts also refer to other prophecies of Isaiah 13, 14, 18, 47, and Jeremiah 50 and 51. The theoretical lines of reasoning revolve around the central notion that the prophecies must be literal and applicable only to the ancient location site of Babylon with its current nationality being Iraq. That is the main line of proof for such a view.
The site of ancient Babylon can be the only literal rendering of this prophecy according to those theorists. They proudly claim that they are the only, holy LITERAL interpreters of the text. To take the text LITERALLY one must assume then, that ancient Babylon is the LITERAL Babylon of the prophecies written by the Old and New Testament authors. Such a view assumes way too much, particularly in the translation work. Is it possible that there could be a different and more literal view based on a sharper rendering of the original Hebrew and Greek texts? Yes. Why?
This researcher has done 16 years of extensive research into such theories. The results of my research indicate that the "Iraq is Mystery Babylon" theory is incorrect and invalid. Why? It is really very simple. Follow the exact rendering of the original Hebrew and Greek texts for themselves and you will find numerous character traits for the future nation of Mystery Babylon. Yes, I did use the term "nation" because again, what seems to be merely a city being described is not just a city. Most literally, the prophecies not only refer to a city but to cities, PLURAL. Also the prophecies refer to farming and the farmers of Babylon. There are no farms in a city.
There are numerous character traits listed for this city/state/nation that is referred to as either "Babylon" or "Mystery Babylon". These character traits serve as identifying markers that give us the clues as to the identity of such a city/nation. Those traits must all match perfectly to one identity. We cannot ignore some and select others. These traits are numerous and 60 of those traits clearly can not be identified with Iraq. The following list shows what traits do NOT match up with Iraq.
#1. The Jewish Population Issue: Jeremiah 50:8, 25(Jer 50:8 "Flee from the midst of Babylon, and go out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as male goats before the flock. Jer 50:25 The LORD has opened his armory and brought out the weapons of his wrath, for the Lord GOD of hosts has a work to do in the land of the Chaldeans.); Jeremiah 51: 6, 45(Jer 51:6 "Flee from the midst of Babylon; let every one save his life! Be not cut off in her punishment, for this is the time of the LORD's vengeance, the repayment he is rendering her. Jer 51:45 "Go out of the midst of her, my people! Let every one save his life from the fierce anger of the LORD!); Isaiah 48:20 (Isa 48:20 Go out from Babylon, flee from Chaldea, declare this with a shout of joy, proclaim it, send it out to the end of the earth; say, "The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob!") and also Revelation 18:2-5(Rev 18:2 And he called out with a mighty voice, "Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living." Rev 18:4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; Rev 18:5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.). These are all references to Jewish people living in this future "Mystery Babylon" in the ancient Babylon, from the 6th Century BC till well into the early Church Age, the majority of the Jewish population lived in ancient Babylon. It was the home to most of the world’s Jews even in the time of Christ. Today, the largest population of Jewish people is found in the United States. The next two nations combined, Israel (home to the 2nd largest Jewish population) and Russia (home to the 3rd largest Jewish population) do not equal the population of Jewish people living in America. Iraq on the other hand has only a relative handful of Jews living within its borders. Some estimate the Jewish population in Iraq at perhaps 10,000. That is not very many peopl e, particularly in regards to the population of most other nations hosting the Jewish remnant. This character trait of being the lead host for Jewry is not indicative that Iraq today fulfill's the prophecies of "mystery Babylon." Therefore, this trait alone disqualifies the theory of "Iraq = Mystery" Babylon.
But, for those who are hard-headed, let us press on with the other 56 reasons why Iraq can NOT be Mystery Babylon based upon a literal rendering of the texts.
#2. The chief city of Mystery Babylon is a "DEEP WATER PORT CITY"!!! Revelation 18: 16-19.(Rev 18:16 "Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! Rev 18:17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off Rev 18:18 and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?" Rev 18:19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste.)
This passage tells us that merchant ships are standing off the shoreline of Babylon. These ships have either just unloaded in the port city of Mystery Babylon, or are waiting to dock when the fiery judgment hits. These ship captains, crew and passengers are witnesses to the destruction. Question: Why would these folks be standing on deck of merchant ships unless there were port facilities in this city? Answer: The city is a port city. In this day and age, especially by virtue of the list of commodities that are traded in "Mystery Babylon," (see Revelation 18:11-13(Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, Rev 18:12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, Rev 18:13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.) there must be at least one deepwater port in the nation of Mystery Babylon. One thing can be noted regard to modern day port facitilites. In order for Babylon to have the kind of merchandise (described in Revelation 18:11-13) coming by ships then those ships must be going to and from a DEEP WATER SEA- PORT CITY. Why? For today's ships to bring such merchandise requires them to be large commercial freighters with DEEP drawing drafts. These ships require deep-water port facilities to dock and load/unload because their hulls are so deep. They are BIG ships. [Note Reason #2 seems to be like our #57 reason, but there are significant differences between them.]
Now here is the problem for the Iraq=Babylon theorists: Iraq has no deepwater seaport!!! That's right, there is no DEEP Water port facility in all of Iraq. During GulfWar2, there were and still are small freighters coming into the little town harbor of Basra. In a recent United States CIA publication on Iraq, the CIA noted that a significant problem with sea transport was the lack of deepwater shipping facilities. Harbor draft measurements up the mouth of the Euphrates river to Basra are around the eight foot (that's 8 feet) level. That makes it hard to even get big fishing boats into the harbor. At best, draft levels further out only range to less than 20 feet.
There is no way that the typical international commercial freighters could dock in Basra or anywhere else in Iraq's very short shoreline because they would easily run aground and become stuck in the shallow, muddy waters. Only small ships carrying small quantities of goods can dock in Basra. Those large ore-carrying freighters, or big cargo container ships carrying cars or trucks are simply too big to be able to dock at the shallow harbor of Basra or any other little harbor on Iraq's shoreline. Those super-large oil tankers can not get near to the small snippet of coastline that Iraq has because it is so shallow. The oil from Iraq is therefore either piped to Jordan, or is piped out for miles into the Persian Gulf into the deeper waters where these oil tankers won’t run aground.
But that is not all that shoots the Literalists balloon out from underneath them on this issue of deepwater port facilities.
According to the "Literalists," Ancient Babylon, we are told must be the only literal interpretation. However, ancient Babylon is 400+ miles from the Persian Gulf and over 350 miles from Basra. The LITERAL description found in Revelation 18: 17-19 shows these huge ships will be within visual distance of the city skyline and will witness her destruction up close and personal. Being 400 miles away is just a bit too far to be able to see any kind of destruction of a city, even if it were from nuclear bombs. The curvature of the earth is just a bit too much at 400 miles even with flat terrain to be able to see what has transpired that far away. Now although this is in itself a fatal flaw exposed in the "Iraq = Mystery Babylon" theory it is just one of many theoretical flaws. One thing it really points to though is how NOT Literal is the concept that Iraq is Mystery Babylon.
#3. It is the KEY Commercial Nation and Engine of Wealth for the World’s Economy: Isaiah 47:15. Revelation 17:2; Revelation 18: 3,( Rev 18:3 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.") v.9(Rev 18:9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.),
11-13(Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, Rev 18:12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, Rev 18:13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.), 15, 16, 17-19, 22, 23(Rev 18:22 and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters, will be heard in you no more, and a craftsman of any craft will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill will be heard in you no more, Rev 18:23 and the light of a lamp will shine in you no more, and the voice of bridegroom and bride will be heard in you no more, for your merchants were the great ones of the earth, and all nations were deceived by your sorcery. ), & 19:2(Rev 19:2 for his judgments are true and just; for he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality, and has avenged on her the blood of his servants." ). In these passages we see just what relationship Babylon enjoys with the rest of the world. Here she is clearly the critical factor in the world economy. When she goes down in flames…what is the lament? "What was like unto this mega city? Who will buy our goods now that she is gone"? The answer is that no one will be able to buy the products of the world’s merchants. What does this tell us??? It should be a clear warning indicator that whoever this nation is… the rest of the world depends on her for buying their merchandise. With her destruction, there is no one left to buy these goods. That tells us just how vital this nation is and it means this nation is the engine of wealth for the world. Now, Iraq does NOT now nor can it fit that role…at least in the next 30 years, unless the rest of the world is wiped out first. Once again, we see a character trait that Iraq does not exemplify in anyway, shape or form.
#4-#21. It is the principal Commodities Trading Center: These are all commodities in a list that are the chief trading products as cited in Rev 18:11-13, for which the merchants and sailors later lament that no one will buy these products anymore. This includes Gold, Silver and Copper. Now on these items alone… there is more Gold traded in New York City on the COMEX in one day than in all the rest of the world combined !!! The same is true for Silver and Copper and Crude Oil. In fact, the volume of trade is so heavy that in one day alone there is more gold traded than had been traded in all of human history up until 1974 when gold trading was allowed on a futures contractual basis. That is how massive and dominant the USA and NYC are in the commodities trading markets. Revelation 18: 12 & 13, lists many other commodities as well, including grains and livestock. Now, Chicago is the Host City for such record trading in that arena. It too is a port city on as it sits on Lake Michigan. The fact of the matter: Iraq has no economic power… it has no ability to be the economic engine of wealth for the whole world. If Iraq vanished from the face of the earth today it would not even cause a ripple in the world’s economy.
However, if the USA vanished today it would decimate the world’s economy and bankrupt every nation on earth, instantly. In essence, there would be no one left to buy the foreigner’s goods. That’s because no one else wants to import goods. They only want to export not import. The USA is the big promoter of international trade and promotes imports plus free trade. Iraq plays no such role in the world economy. As a nation, Iraq is simply too poor.
#22. A Leading center of imports and consumption: Revelation 18: 11, 17-19. These passages tell us the economic picture of this nation. Note that this nation is not only involved in the trade of these products, but that she is also the leading importer… because when she is destroyed…"no one buys"… their merchandise anymore. The folks doing the lamenting are the international merchants who export goods to this mystery Babylon. Therefore, she is the leading import nation. She is therefore, by virtue of her importer status, the chief consuming nation. This also is not a description of Iraq. Iraq has no such status in the world today, tomorrow or the foreseeable future! It is this aspect which negates the Iraq theory…because the contention is that we are living in the "last days" and the fulfillment of the end-times prophecies are at hand. IF this is true, and I assert that it indeed is true, then how can Iraq match these character traits in so short a span of time??? Answer: she can’t. Iraq is not the nation being described. There is only one nation that fits these traits, and more. That nation is the United States of America.
#23. She is also a manufacturing nation: Revelation 18: 22. This passage tells us manufacturing is no longer found in her after the judgment. This tells us that she was a manufacturing nation prior to her destruction. Iraq is not a nation noted for manufacturing.
#24. Center for Merchandising and Marketing. Revelation 18: 3, 23; 19:2. Her merchants were the mega-merchants of the earth. This again does not fit the character traits of Iraq. It does, however, fit the picture of America.
#25. Known as the World’s "policeman": Jeremiah 50:23-24(Jer 50:23 How the hammer of the whole earth is cut down and broken! How Babylon has become a horror among the nations! Jer 50:24 I set a snare for you and you were taken, O Babylon, and you did not know it; you were found and caught, because you opposed the LORD.) gives us a Hebrew idiom, "hammer of the whole earth." It had been used at one time to describe the way the empires of Persia, Greece and Rome had applied their power to keep the world at peace. Today, after the decline and fall of the Iron Curtain, major news media refer to America as the world’s policeman, in the same kind of role that the Hebrew idiom references. Iraq does not fit this role.
#26. Known for "showing the flag" or "gunboat diplomacy". Isaiah 18:1-2(Isa 18:1 Ah, land of whirring wings that is beyond the rivers of Cush, Isa 18:2 which sends ambassadors by the sea, in vessels of papyrus on the waters! Go, you swift messengers, to a nation, tall and smooth, to a people feared near and far, a nation mighty and conquering, whose land the rivers divide.) Here we have two Hebrew idioms for the idea of a nation’s navy showing its power. The phrase in verse 1 relates to the idea of "air travel." The first phrase of verse 2…"that sends ambassadors by the sea," another Hebrew idiom for when ancient naval powers would send warships to "show the flag" of friendship or threaten war to unfriendly nations or cities. Today, one nation engages in such actions: The USA sends out naval units usually as aircraft carrier battle groups. The notion of verse 1 with air travel, combined with verse 2 and the naval aspect, thus combines to send a notion of naval and air power… or suggesting aircraft carriers!!!
#27. Noted for its elegant, luxurious, refined and rich lifestyles: Isaiah 47: 1-8; Revelation 17: 4-5; 18: 2 –24. This does not match up with Iraq, as it is not capable of reaching such levels of wealthy living standards in our lifetime.
#28. Extremely Wealthy: Jeremiah 51:13… Revelation 18: 2-19
#29. Sensual, Materialistic lifestyle: Isaiah 47: 8; Revelation 18:14
#30. The Highest Living Standards: Isaiah 47:1 Revelation 18: 14
#31. Intoxicating high-society lifestyle as a world example to emulate: Revelation 17:2; Revelation 18: 3, 14, 23.
#32. Elegant, Sumptuous lifestyle. Revelation 18: 14, 23.
#33. Noted for its bright gaudy-colored lights and nightlife with round the-clock partying. Revelation 18:14. Note the words "dainty" and "goodly." Dainty is a word in Greek that connotes to 24-hour parties, and is connoted with orgies and debauchery. The word for "goodly" is the Greek word "lampra" from which we get the English word for lamp. In this case it carries the idea of bright, gaudy-colored lights, with idea of "glitzy" lights. Could it be the bright lights of Broadway, Times Square or perhaps even Las Vegas???
#34. Noted for its Drugs and Drug use: Isaiah 47: 9, 12. Revelation 18:23 Do we even need to comment on this one??? I think not…the text clearly speaks for itself on this one.
#35. Noted for exporting its culture abroad: Revelation 18:14, 22
#36. Noted for being Wasteful and Extravagant: Rev 18: 3, 7, 9, 14, 15; implied in Rev 17: 2.
#37. Massive Population: Rev. 18:15. And Revelation 17: 1, 15.
#38. A land of immigrants: Jeremiah 50:16; 51:13; Rev. 17:1, 15.
#39. Unique and awe-inspiring from its birth right up to its demise: Isa. 18: 2
#40. A remarkably different heritage. Isaiah 18:2
#41. Respected-envied and yet HATED by the whole world also. Isa. 18:2
#43. Powerful and Oppressive. Isaiah 18:2
#44. Land of Rebels in its birth. Jeremiah 51: 1; Isaiah 47: 9.
#45. Cosmopolitan and Urban. Jeremiah 50:32
#46. A Land of Agriculture. Jeremiah 50: 16
#47. An International City. Revelation 17: 18; 18:15
#48. Architecture, Buildings and Skyline. Isaiah 13:22
#49. Land of Many Waters (fresh waters)> Jeremiah 51:13, 36, 42; Isa 18:1,2
#50. Where the world’s leaders "stream" to meet. Jer. 51:44; Rev. 17:18(Rev 17:18 And the woman that you saw is the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.")
#51. Last of the Super Powers. Jeremiah 50:12; Rev 17:18, 19; and in the Revelation 18:18 passage "what city is like the ‘mega’ city"…
#52. No Fear of Invasion. Isaiah 47:5, 8; Revelation 18: 7
#53. Defenses reach up to Outer Space Jeremiah 51:53(Jer 51:53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify her strong height, yet destroyers would come from me against her, declares the LORD.)
#54. Occult aspects, especially within the governmental leadership. Isaiah 47: 9(Isa 47:9 These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments. ), 12,13(Isa 47:12 Stand fast in your enchantments and your many sorceries, with which you have labored from your youth; perhaps you may be able to succeed; perhaps you may inspire terror. Isa 47:13 You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.).
#55. Alliances/Treaties allowing physical military bases of operation for the Satanic forces. Revelation 18: 2.
#56. Its national symbol: Rev 17. Robed woman with a cup-like container in one hand that smells like natural gas odors inside the container…and the woman is connected to water and immigration…and is considered to be a mother-figure of spiritual prostitution…a.k.a. Ishtar, the mother of ‘literal’ and ‘physical’ prostitutes within religious worship centers. [That is what the Babylonian goddess Ishtar was--the promoter of physical prostitution… salvation by sex… have sex with a temple priest or priestess and you are purified from sin. And of course you pay a ‘gift offering’ for this salvation activity. Ishtar was never a physical ‘mother’… but rather a ‘madam’ over the priestesses. Ishtar was never married and never had a child but she was called "mother" of the temple priestesses. Now having said all of this… I am referring to the Statue of Liberty.
In my book, "America, The Babylon" Vol. 1, I explain the meticulous research involved that shows that the Statue of Liberty is in fact the brainchild of the sculptor Bartholdi. Later in Volume 2, you will find even more data on this subject. I would like to note at this point that it was Bartholdi's idea to create the image of the goddess Liberty of Rome. You will see later on in Volume 2 just how the Romans had in fact borrowed the Babylonian goddess.
Babylonians first worshipped Ishtar the goddess of Babylon and the Romans also adopted her but they changed the name to Libertas in Latin, (Liberty, in English). So that, the Statue of Liberty is actually a pagan idol image of Ishtar--the woman pictured in Revelation 17. If you don’t believe it…look at Revelation 17: 4 & 5. Note the word for abomination. The word used here is "bdelugma" and its root word is "bdeoh." Strong’s Code # 946 … " A foul thing, detestable, usually of idols … the root word means to "break wind", or to "pass gas"… indicating the odor smells like natural gas.
Speaking of natural gas …did you know that the torch-cup of the Statue of Liberty burns an eternal flame…fueled by smelly natural gas? Also of course, the Statue is referred to as the Mother of Exiles … an immigrant connection…just as the woman of Rev. 17: 1, 15 is also connected to immigrants. So too was Ishtar. She was the goddess of personal freedom … and an encouragement to immigrants.
#57 Iraq is radioactive
Iraq is now extremely "radioactive" because of America's use of ammunition that uses depleted uranium, the same basic component used for nuclear weapons, only in lesser strength in and of itself. Rifle bullets and artillery shells were packed with small amounts of radioactive, depleted uranium. Once fired, the shells and bullets spread small doses of radio-activity throughout much of Iraq and especially in hot spots like ancient Babylon. Each bullet or shell, was thought to be seemingly harmless in terms of radioactivity. What was not anticipated was the voluminous use of such radioactive materials scattered across the battlefields of Iraq. Such voluminous use has created large quantities of low-level radioactivity that in volume has created a dangerous atmosphere and environment for virtually all of Iraq.
The radioactive dust has found its way into the soil and water supplies, contaminating every-thing it comes into contact with. The radioactivity levels are high enough that Iraq is experiencing contamination levels much like that of a "nuclear dirty-bomb" in terms of the after-effects. Not only are Iraqi's dying from exposure but so are US and allied soldiers.
Uranium is a very reactive metal, easily oxidising to U3O8 and UO2.
A single 120mm Abrams tank DU shell contains 3kg of U-238 (111MBq of activity) and there is 275g (10.1MBq) in a 30mm GAU-8A A-10 Thunderbolt cannon shell. These ‘penetrators’ explode on impact, with up to 80% conversion to tiny long-lived glassy beads of Uranium Oxide from <1 micron to 5 microns diameter.
These ‘hot particles’ can travel for very large distances, even hundreds of miles, under the influence of wind, fire and are easily resuspended. The smaller particles can easily pass through the lung into the blood and lymphatic system.
Depleted Uranium has a half-life of 4.5 BILLION YEARS! Radiation levels in Iraq are between 1,000 and 1,900 times above normal. That's 1,000x to 1,900x more than normal.
Would you want to build the world's capital city on top of that kind of radiation rating with a half life of 4.5 Billion years of radioactivity??? We think not. So does the Illuminati. Here's further technical information on depleted uranium.
"On impact, uranium penetrators burn fiercely to give an aerosol of sub micron diameter oxide particles which are largely insoluble and remain in the environment for many years. There is considerable public and scientific concern that these radioactive particles may remain suspended for long periods, or may become resuspended and are therefore available for inhalation by non combatants at some distance from the point of impact. Little research seems to have been carried out on the distance travelled by the uranium aerosols. The military maintain that the uranium remains near the point of impact, and the Royal Society report (2002) also states that the material does not travel more than some tens of metres. On the other hand, measurements of uranium in local populations in Kosovo some nine months after the use of uranium weapons all tested positive for depleted uranium in urine (Priest 2004) and The United Nations (UNEP) found uranium particles in air filters in Bosnia some years after its use. The question of the dispersion of uranium aerosols from the battlefield is of significant legal interest, since if a radioactive weapon resulted in the general contamination of the public in the country of deployment or elsewhere, the weapon would be classifiable as one of indiscriminate effect. There is now conceded to be no safe level of exposure to radiation. Further, there are major scientific questions over the risk models used to assess the health effects of uranium particle exposure from weapons use. In addition there is evidence of ill health in many of those exposed to uranium particles from Gulf veterans to the population of Iraq."
"Terry Jemison at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stated in August 2004 that over 518,000 Gulf-era veterans (14-year period) are now on medical disability, and that 7,039 were wounded on the battlefield in that same period. Over 500,000 U.S. veterans are homeless."
* In some studies of soldiers who had normal babies before the war, 67 percent of the post-war babies are born with severe birth defects - missing brains, eyes, organs, legs and arms, and blood diseases.
* In southern Iraq, scientists are reporting five times higher levels of gamma radiation in the air, which increases the radioactive body burden daily of inhabitants. In fact, Iraq, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan are uninhabitable.
* Cancer starts with one alpha particle under the right conditions. One gram of DU is the size of a period in this sentence and releases 12,000 alpha particles per second.
The above depleted uranium information can be found at the links below.
http://www.llrc.org/du/duframes.htm
http://pages.zdnet.com/trimb/id321.html
From Gulf War 1 usage of depleted uranium, the Babylon region had one of the highest ratings of radioactivity levels as late as 1997.
Here's a link to a film on DU in Iraq.
http://www.ericblumrich.com/pl_lo.html
http://rense.com/general70/deathmde.htm
#58 The Messianic Covenant To Abraham Included Babylonia and Babylon
The promises made to Abraham regarding a Promised Land were for Abraham and his descendants and the lands were far more extensive than ever used by Israel up until this point in time.
Often overlooked by many Bible Prophecy “experts” are the prophecies concerning the future borders of Israel when Jesus Christ returns and establishes new borders for Israel’s Millennial Kingdom that will finally fulfill the promises made to Abraham and his descendants.
Israel’s future borders will be extended eastward to encompass much of what today is called Iraq. The area will include all of the old Hittite and Chaldean Empire. Joshua 1:4 notes that it will include “ALL” of the land, which means the ancient site of Babylon and all of Babylonia are to be part of the new Messianic Israel. Scholars now believe that the Chaldeans originally were the Hittites. Not only is the promise made to Abraham in Genesis 15:18-20 [and the Hittite empire is mentioned (which included Babylon) ] but again in Deuteronomy 1:7 to Moses and again to Joshua in Deuteronomy 11:24.
Above: Map showing Hittite Empire. Green is the main empire - Pink shading along Euphrates shows conquest of Babylonian and Babylon itself by the Hittite (a.k.a Khaldee or Chaldean) Empire.
These Messianic prophecies come into direct conflict with the identity theory, which proposes that Iraq or ancient Babylon is the Mystery Babylon of Bible Prophecy. The conflict arises because the Babylon prophecies indicate that the land of Babylon and all of her cities and the land will remain uninhabited forever.
It should also be noted that there are some anthropologists who have strong linguistic and archaeological evidence to support their claims that the Hittites were in fact the Chaldeans with Hititites begin just a different linguistic name for the same people. Such information again, only underscores the assertion that Babylon and Babylonia of Mesopotamia are to be a part of Jesus Christ's Messianic Kingdom and not buried underwater forever as the Mystery Babylon prophecies of Jeremiah and Revelation 18 indicate because those prophecies refer to a different, end-time super-power that exists outside of the Middle East.
We simply can't have the Millennial Kingdom of Christ and the Israeli boundaries including the lands of Mystery Babylon which are to remain uninhabited forever and under water. Keep in mind that all of the millennial kingdom will be inhabited and prosperous. Clearly, we can not have a destroyed Mystery Babylon being part of Christ's Millennial Kingdom.
If Mystery Babylon is Iraq and ancient Babylon then it cannot be part of the Messianic Kingdom of Jesus Christ because it cannot be both occupied and unoccupied at the same time. The prophecies dealing with Babylon's judgment tell us that this future Babylon will never be inhabited again and will be under water. If, Babylon of Iraq is the "Mystery Babylon" then we have a clear-cut contradiction for which the Bible never contradicts itself. The contradiction is a result of misunderstandings, misapplications, and misinterpretations of the scriptural passages to Iraq as Mystery Babylon when clearly, there are 60 reasons - why Iraq can NOT be Mystery Babylon. Thus, we have no contradiction once we rule out Iraq and ancient Babylon as the future Babylon of prophecy.
#59 America Conquered Iraq and Babylon in 2003 and retains strategic control of that land and will retain that control most likely until America, the Babylon is destroyed in Divine Judgment as the Mystery Babylon.
In March of 2003, The United States of America launched an invasion and military conquest of Iraq. America captured the ancient archaeological site of Babylon. America retains strategic control of that region as well as the actual nation of Iraq which was the originally Babylonia of Nebuchadnezzar's day. Iraq and the ancient ruins of Babylon are under the strategic control of American military forces with a puppet government that appears to be splitting Iraq into three separate regions. There is now talk of being forced to realize three separate regional entities that will no doubt become "protectorates" of the United States, much like Guam became a protectorate after World War 2 or Puerto Rico after the Spanish American War. During the war, America trashed the ancient archaeological site when it established "Camp Babylon." There have been reports that the United States military spirited away from Babylon and Iraq's Museum of Antiquities, key occult artifacts that may well be the fulfillment of the Isaiah 47: 12-13:
12. - Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.
13. - Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.
Let's not forget also Zechariah 5: 5-11, as we hear of stories in which the US Military and Black Operations Intelligence Groups such as the CIA, DIA and other covert intelligence units may have spirited away certain occult artifacts and put them aboard giant cargo planes and air-shipped them to the United States to join other occult symbols such as The Statue of Liberty and the Goddess of Freedom atop the US Capitol Dome. Do you recall that just after the US took Baghdad, the Iraqi Museum of ancient artifacts was vandalized by thieves shortly after US soldiers on guard were pulled out? Reports indicated that before the general public began looting the museum, special ops forces dressed in black with ski masks entered the building and raided the locked vaults containing secret occult artifacts of ancient Babylon. These have never been returned but most of the remaining looted items have been located and either returned or in the process of return.
We also understand that on Easter Sunday of 2006, an occult ceremony was conducted in secret by US intelligence agents in conjunction with a US military guard and waiting nearby giant air cargo transport planes. This secret operation reportedly involved occult ceremonialism and the removal of key on-site artifacts. Let's see if the Zechariah passage might just fit with such stories.
Zechariah 5: 5-11:
5 - Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth.
6 - And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth.
7 - And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah.
8 - And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof.
9 - Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven.
10 - Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah?
11 - And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base.
Regardless of such stories, the fact that America retains strategic control of the land means that from a prophetic standpoint, America IS Babylon. But if you don't wish to believe even this, consider ...
… THE MOST LITERAL OF ALL
#60. A Populated city named Babylon on a Deepwater Port entryway to New York City
Revelation 17:18; & 18: 11-19… Did you know that when ships coming in to the harbor facilities of New York City make their final approach to the Harbor channel shipping lanes…they have to come in from the south… heading due North straight for a spot on Long Island called … BABYLON !!! That is right. The city of Babylon, New York features a tall water tower that ship captains use to navigate directly into the harbor channel. They come within view of Babylon before turning west to head into the ports of New York City. It is from this vantage point that I believe Revelation 18: 17-19 takes place.
From this vantage point…on the deck of a ship…one could quite easily read the letters of the name Babylon on the city water tower!!! Talk about literal?? Now that is indeed literal. This is something that theorists who promote the Iraq = Babylon idea can’t match, because ancient Babylon is not a deepwater seaport. It's so far away from the ocean that it can not possibly fit the description of Revelation 18: 17-19… in no way. But the USA can… and especially its chief city… a seaport named NYC/Babylon. Also, Babylon on Long Island derived its name because immigrant Jews founded it in 1872. The group’s rabbis chose the name almost prophetically, because they believed it would be home to a new diaspora.
Why would they think this? Because rabbinical opinions had held that ancient Babylon’s power would be moved… Zechariah 5: 5-11… and Isaiah 18:1 tells us what direction it would be moving. Isaiah 18:1 says that the spirit of Babylon would move west of the most outermost boundaries of ancient Babylon’s western-most border, beyond the rivers of Ethiopia and Egypt. [That is what is meant by the KJV term "Ethiopia"] By virtue of Isaiah’s point of observation being from Jerusalem…then the direction of movement was westward from Jerusalem…beyond the most outer of Babylon’s oldest boundaries… meaning… the occultic power that fueled Babylon would move and take up residence elsewhere in the end times.
Thus, scripture itself negates the "Iraq = Babylon" theory. Why will our "expert" scholars not accept the scriptural passages on this? Is it due to Pride? Is it due to ignorance? However, it seems to me that their hypocrisy shows. Clearly, the only logical interpretation from scripture is that it literally cannot be Iraq because the text tells us it moved. Isaiah 18:1-7 and Zechariah 5:5-11.
Early rabbinical writers commented on this well before the time of Christ. They made note that the "mystical woman of Babylon" had moved out of the Babylonian Empire and had been taken westward beyond the ancient boundaries of Babylonia. Those most westward boundaries were considered to be Egypt and Ethiopia. The woman was taken west of those two countries. They noted that the woman would not be found in its old location of Mesopotamia for the fulfillment of the final prophecies, which would be fulfilled at the coming of Messiah.
These rabbinical commentators believed that a future Babylon that was prophesied by Isaiah and Jeremiah would be located west of Egypt and Ethiopia. They believed the woman of Zechariah 5 was headed west of those boundaries and hence out of uttermost regions of Babylonia/Shinar/Chaldea. Yes, they believed she was being taken west of Egypt and Ethiopia in that basket. Why? Note that the observer's vantage point was already in the land of Shinar.
Shinar is yet another term for the ancient nation of Babylonia or Chaldea. Therefore we must pay attention to that scriptural direction and realize that it must be a new nation that carries the old Babylonian character traits. You'll note that the verse is indicating it is a different Shinar than the Chaldean or Babylonian land called Shinar. How do we know that? Isaiah 18:1-2 tells us from the observer's vantage point of Jerusalem that the phrase beyond the rivers of Ethiopia is an ancient idiomatic reference to the farthest borders of Babylon at the time of Cush, father of Nimrod. Nimrod inherited that land from his father and so that Egypt and Ethiopia were the extreme western border of Babylonia or Shinar or Chaldea.
Now, Isaiah is telling us that a future Babylon would exist at the time of the coming of Messiah and it would be located beyond the old Babylonian Empirical boundaries of Egypt and Ethiopia, which was the Cush empire that Nimrod inherited. It too was Shinar. Zechariah is then referencing that the woman is being flown out of Babylonia/Chaldea/Shinar to a new land of Shinar. This confirms what the prophet Isaiah had written earlier concerning a future Babylon being located west of the old Babylon.
There is reportedly a team of archaeological experts preparing to publish the results of many years of work in which they claim to have documentation that the Babylonians occupied North America and Mexico as colonies as early as around 3,000 BC. If this were true then it may further highlight and underscore the reason for these statements made by the prophets and the rabbinical commentaries.
We do know this…that the nation being referred to is none other than … …
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