Ideas have consequences. That is somewhat what this post discusses.
I gave my life to Christ in about 1974. I was attending the Baptist church. Not just any Baptist church but one on the conservative side of a conservative denomination. First Baptist Church in Woodland California was part of the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches (GARBC).
Baptists define themselves in terms of “Don’ts.” They don’t smoke, drink, cuss, or chew, and expect us not to go with girls that do. Mixed bathing; not blacks and whites, but males and females was forbidden. They also don’t like infant Baptist, wine for Communion, and Christian rock music.
The church was all-in on Hal Lindsey and Jesus is coming any second to Rapture the Church. Initially, I was enthused that we were living in the last days. The signs were everywhere that Jesus’ immanent return would soon occur. I dutifully watched the news and expected to see the final prophecies fulfilled on the evening news any day.
One night after youth group, I remember my sister coming home in tears. When asked why she was crying, she responded that it was unfair that Jesus was coming back any second and how unfair he was because she would never have the opportunity to become a mother. Wow, didn’t see that one coming. The incident with my sister was one of the most memorable things about that church.
Meanwhile, some siblings of my mother got involved in charismatic churches. Yep, if you don’t have the experience of speaking in tongues then you don’t have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. The guy that wrote the Gospel, oh, I mean the Four Spiritual Laws also wrote a tract about The Spirit Filled Life.
Tongues or no tongues became an issue for me to explore further. My Baptist church said tongues was bogus, but the charismatic folks were much happier and bubblier compared to the Baptist church members. There was something different about them. Eventually, I moved more toward the charismatic side of evangelical Christianity. I was mostly in and around the Assemblies of God denomination.
In high school I had an interest in a girl that went to a different church. (The Church of God of Prophecy.)
At the time, I didn’t know how different. At their evening service, I was asked to read a verse out of Acts. I read the correct verse but literally had the Bible taken away from me mid-sentence because it wasn’t the Authorized King James Version. Literally the only difference between my version (probably NIV) versus the KJV was one word had a “th” on the end of it. I was then directed to read from the correct version of the Bible. Later, I was informed that they were the only true church and all others were false. Needless to say, I stopped dating that gal quicker than Colin Kaepernick could take a knee.
Following my enlistment in the military, I ended up in the Sacramento California area. I began attending Capital Christian Center. This was one of the largest churches in the area. I tried to make Capital my church home, and it was for a while. The service that ended my membership there was preached by then pastor, Glen Cole.
Capital Christian Center — Sacramento, CA
Cole did a fire and brimstone sermon on all of the social evils that we, as American Christians, were confronted with at the start of the 1990’s. He hit many social issues very hard. I was elated that finally someone was kicking the church in the butt, and we were finally going to battle. But toward the end of the sermon, he got to the part about what to do about it and the whole thing imploded. Cole’s solution was that we need to spend more time in church, presumably waiting for the Rapture. Yep. We need to double down on withdrawing from “the world” and spending more time in church. His church literally has some type of service or activity every day of the week. His solution to all the evils of the world was more time in church activities.
Folks, I was devastated. What a cop-out and huge letdown.
Rev Glen Cole — Capital Christian Center Sacramento, CA
You see, what became apparent to me over time was that Premillennial Dispensationalism expects for things to get worse and worse. In fact, it is a theological requirement that things must get worse. Only when the sh*t really hits the fan will it be bad enough for Jesus to return.
They believe this so strongly that they discourage efforts to address social issues and righting wrongs. Essentially, to oppose evil is to keep Christ from returning. This is why large blocks of evangelicals don’t vote or excuse themselves with talk of not voting for the lesser of two evils. They say with their lips that they oppose evil but with their deeds they do nothing to stop it’s progression.
I’m sure someone like Thomas Sowell would state it more eloquently than I just did, but that’s the bottom line. Evangelicals expect things to get worse. Ever hear the phrase about polishing brass on a sinking ship, same idea. This is why Gary North called eschatological pessimism, “pessimillennialism.”
Folks, that was the last straw for me. The idea that we are wasting our time doing good, when such efforts could somehow delay the return of Christ, and somehow we needed to step aside and let everything around us literally go to hell, just did not sit right with me.
Thankfully, I found an alternative to Premillennial Dispensationalism. Christianity prior to 1830, had never heard of Premillennial Dispensationalism. It turns out that for most of the history of Christianity, such a scheme never existed. I found solace in the faith of the Reformers. The Reformers were bold and understood that Christianity has the power to transform not only men but cultures and nations.
The fruit borne of Premillennial Dispensationalism is rotten. Their scholarship is sloppy and they cherry-pick verses based on preexisting presuppositions that are not found in the text. Only by imposing their ideas onto the text can such ideas be seen. Yikes! You’d think after decades of using the New York Times, CNN, and other media outlets to prove their ideas, they might at least try to support their theology from the Bible. Don’t hold your breath. What’s that saying about not ruining a good story with facts?
Premillennial Dispensationalism is like learning how a magic trick is done. Once you understand their sleight-of-hand, the trick loses its hold on you. From that point forward you can no longer be duped by its practitioners. The difference between them and the magician is that the magician knows better while premils really believe they are manipulating unseen forces to reveal truth.
The following is a partial list of false prophecies about the Rapture, battle of Armageddon, or Return of Christ in my lifetime (post 1960).
Hal Lindsey
Date
Person
Group or other info
1964 – October
Seventh Day Adventist
1972
Herbert W. Armstrong
Worldwide Church of God
1975
Herbert W. Armstrong
Worldwide Church of God
1975
Watchtower Bible & Tract Society expected Armageddon
1981
Chuck Smith
1948 plus 40 year generation minus 7 year tribulation
1982
Pat Robertson
televangelist
1982 – June 21
Benjamin Creme
Buddhist related
1988
Hal Lidsey
The Late Great Planet Earth 1948 plus 40 year generation
1988
Edgar C. Whisenant
88 Reasons Why The Rapture Will Be in 1988
1989
Edgar C. Whisenant
The Final Shout: Rapture Report 1989
1991
Louis Farrakhan
Nation of Islam
1993
Edgar C. Whisenant
23 Reasons Why a Pre-Tribulation Rapture Looks Like it will Occur on Rosh-Hashanah 1993
1994 – September 6
Harold Camping
general manager of Family Radio and Bible teacher
1997 – October 23
James Ussher
17th Century Bishop expected the end as it was 6,000 years after creation
1999-2009
Jerry Falwell
predicted in 1999 that the Second Coming would probably be within 10 years
2000
Frank Cherry
Founder of the Black Hebrew Israelite religion
2000
Ed Dobson
The End: Why Jesus Could Return by A.D. 2000
2000
Timothy Dwight IV
President of Yale University foresaw Christ’s Millennium starting by 2000
2000
Edgar Cayce
psychic
2000
Sir Isaac Newton
scientist
2000 – April 6
James Harmston
The leader of the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days
2011 – May 21
Harold Camping
general manager of Family Radio and Bible teacher
2011 – October 21
Harold Camping
general manager of Family Radio and Bible teacher
2011 – September 29
Ronald Weinland
The Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom of God (COG-PKG) is an apocalypticist splinter sect of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG)
2012 – May 27
Ronald Weinland
The Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom of God (COG-PKG) is an apocalypticist splinter sect of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG)
2012
Jack Van Impe
televangelist
2012 – December 21
New Age Nuts
Mesoamerican Long Count calendar ended
2013 – May 18
Ronald Weinland
The Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom of God (COG-PKG) is an apocalypticist splinter sect of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG)
2012
Jack Van Impe
televangelist
2015 – September 28
Mark Blitz & John Hagee
Blood Moon Prophecy
2017
David Meade
Predicted the end on YouTube
2018
Henry Morris
Morris claimed that Worlds War I was the first sign of Christ’s return which would occur before that generation died
2019 – Ronald Weinland
The Church of God, Preparing for the Kingdom of God (COG-PKG) is an apocalypticist splinter sect of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG)
2020
Jean Dixon
psychic
2020 – July 22
Chad and Lori Daybell
Multiple murders
2021
F. Kenton “Doc” Beshore
1948 plus70 to 80 year generation
2025 – September 23-24
Joshua Mhlakela
South African preacher
2025 – October 7-8
Joshua Mhlakela
South African preacher
This was the warning about the Rapture that happened last year. If you’re reading this, sorry but you were left behind.
Harold Camping
The list also does not include the voluminous number of prophecy pimps in modern pulpits claiming all the signs are in place and it could be any minute. In the Old Testament God’s people were to execute false prophets, in the New we just buy their books. WTF?
If you like subversion in the Bible or authors such as Brian Godawa and Michael Heiser, then do I have an interesting book for you. (Subversion is using divine attributes claimed by pagan gods such as Baal that the Bible says are only true of the one living God.)
If you have ever been bothered by the New Testament passage about women being saved through childbirth, again this is the book to explain this verse.
If you want to understand how the Apostle Paul interacts with the goddess Artemis in the New Testament, then this might be a book for you.
If you want to have more background on the Ephesian church mentioned in Revelation 2:1-7 then this book will be helpful.
The full title of the book is “Nobody’s Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament.”
It is written by Sandra L. Glahn. Glahn is a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. Yep, I actually read a book by someone at DTS. It’s probably the only title I have read during the current century by anyone associated with DTS.
The book is six chapters. Chapters 2-5 are solely about Artemis in art, literature, architecture, and artifacts. Another name for Artemis (Greek) is Diana (Roman).
Artemis
Artemis is not the guy from “The Wild, Wild West.” Nope. Not Artemus Gordon. (Baby boomers think Artemus and Artemis are pronounced the same.)
In the original TV series, Ross Martin played Artemus Gordon and Robert Conrad played James West. It ran from 1965-1969. A movie was made in 1999 featuring Will Smith as James West and Kevin Kline as Artemus Gordon.
The Wild, Wild West television show ran 1965-1969.
1999 movie Wild Wild West
Artemis is a female god who is a virgin by choice but also the goddess of midwifery. Yep, a virgin that specializes in delivering babies. She is the sister of Apollo and hunts with a golden bow. It was common to ask her to assist in delivering a baby without harm to the mother. In cases of a difficult delivery, she was called upon to offer women a painless death.
Glahn claims in the book that Wonder Woman was modeled after Artemis.
The temple to Artemis was in Ephesus and was regarded as the greatest of the ancient 7 Wonders of the World. It was four times the size of the Parthenon in Athens. Ephesus was the Roman provincial capital of Asia. It was also a center of Emperor worship. Chapter 1 of the book is an introduction and chapter 6 is mostly an analysis of Paul’s writings; especially to the Ephesians and Timothy.
Artemis
Glahn focuses much of her discussion on 1 Timothy chapter 2; mostly verse 9-15.
9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.
1 Timothy 2:9–15.
Also worth noting are her comments on 1 Timothy 5:13; specifically the words “gossips” or “tattlers” (KJV) and “busybodies.” See page 124.
13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.
1 Timothy 5:13.
As usual, the translators are afraid to give you the true thrust of the meaning of the Greek words. Glahn argues for tattlers=“those who talk nonsense” and busybodies=“those practicing magic” as the more accurate rendering. I the context, I think she is correct.
The book is an easy read. It is well researched and organized effectively. Part of it may be considered controversial in its treatment of a woman’s place in the church. Her comments on this topic are limited to 1 Timothy 2 so don’t base any doctrines off of her conclusions.
Final Thought
I’ve had the book for almost two years but just got around to reading it. Per her book, Artemis was second only to Zeus in popularity in the Greek speaking world. Artemis is currently popular in modern society as the goddess of the transgenderism cult.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled in favor of a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted in elections even if they are received after Election Day.
The court was split 5-4 on the ruling, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett writing the majority opinion. She was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Barrett’s opinion held that Election Day, in the context of federal law, set a deadline for when voters must make a choice regarding their preferred candidate. Relevant laws, however, impose no standard for when ballots must be received to be considered valid.
Please note the part that I highlighted in the above article. “Relevant laws, however, impose no standard for when ballots must be received to be considered valid.”
Translation: to fix this Congress must make a law.
The problem for us is that Congress—especially on the Republican side—doesn’t go to Washington to fix anything. The 535 most worthless individuals in our country serve in the House and Senate. What’s even worse is that these guys probably do represent their districts. They are just as corrupt and unprincipled as most of their constituents.
Too bad most of the Protestant Church is too busy waiting for the fictitious Rapture to do what our Lord commanded them to do which is disciple the nations and subject every square inch of the planet to the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. Sadly, the Church—like the biblical parable—would rather burry their talents in the ground than actually use them to transform our culture and honor our God.
Folks, I despise the idea that Presidents govern via Executive Orders. These are not Constitutional. If our Congress was worth a damn, they would make all of President Trump’s Executive Orders into Law and then blow up the Executive Orders so no future President can ever use them again. Oh, and they should also let Trump up the Supreme Court justices to 13 members—all assigned by Trump. Anything less is just smoke and mirrors.
Ok Kids. First thing. This “Beast” has nothing to do with the Marvel comics character.
The Beast from Marvel Comics
Neither does it have much to do with modern prophecy pimps like Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHay, Jack Hibbs, or C.I. Scofield.
Hal Lindsey’s false prophecy on the end times reportedly sold over 25 million copies
The core of the biblical prophecies about the beast are found in Revelation chapter 13. First, there are two beasts mentioned. Revelation 13:1-10 concerns a sea beast. Revelation 13:11-18 concerns a land beast. Verses 16-18 are the ones people cite when talking about the “mark of the beast.”
Background
Virtually every symbol in Revelation can be found in one way or another in the Old Testament. When you want to learn about a symbol always start there. Then ask how the original readers and hearers of Revelation living in the First Century would understand what it says.
God gave Abraham a geographical area of land back in Genesis. From then on, it is frequently called “the land.” The land is pictured in various ways through the history of the Jewish nation. Those outside the land are the sea of Gentiles. The sea is wild and chaotic. John even describes the sea:
15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest … are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.
Revelation 17:15.
Below are comments from Logos on this subject:
In biblical symbolism, the sea represents gentiles while the land represents Israel.1 This symbolic framework appears consistently throughout Scripture, particularly in how Old Testament literature portrays foreign nations. After humanity’s fall, the separation between land and sea became emblematic of the division between God’s covenant people and the ungodly nations, with the chaotic sea constantly attempting to encroach upon the land just as gentile powers sought to destabilize God’s established order.2
Throughout the Old Testament, gentiles are frequently depicted through aquatic imagery or referenced in connection with crossing waters.1 This symbolic language extends into apocalyptic literature as well. In Revelation, the many waters are explicitly explained as representing peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues3, and Revelation consistently distinguishes Israel through land and earth imagery while depicting gentiles through the sea.2
The shift from Old Testament to New Testament narrative reinforces this symbolism. In the Old Testament, God revealed His ways through His priestly people inhabiting His land, and the text focuses almost exclusively on land animals—prophets and kings functioned as farmers, shepherds, and herdsmen.2 By contrast, none of Jesus’ prominent disciples were farmers or husbandmen; the most prominent were fishermen, and the disciples are characterized as fishers of men rather than shepherds—imagery indicating that Jesus’ kingdom would extend to the entire world, including the gentiles.1 This transition in symbolic language marks the gospel’s expansion beyond Israel to encompass all nations.
1 James B. Jordan, “153 Large Fish,” in Biblical Horizons (Niceville, FL: Biblical Horizons, 2000), 630.
2 James B. Jordan, The Geneva Review (Birmingham, AL: Theopolis Books, 2022), 20.
3 Alfred Ernest Garvie, “SEA,” in A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology, ed. James Hastings et al. (New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark, 1911–1912), 4:424.
The Sea Beast
This is a random sea beast that looked cool so I added it to the post
In Revelation 13:1 it refers to the sea beast as having seven heads and ten horns.
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
Revelation 13:1.
Again, what John is describing in Revelation is symbols from the Old Testament. So where is he getting this description of the Beast?
Jump back to Daniel chapter 7. Daniel sees four beasts come up out of the sea (vs. 3).
1 Beast one was like a lion (vs. 4)
2 Beast two was like a bear (vs. 5)
3 Beast three was like a leopard with four heads (vs. 6)
4 Beast four was like a terrible with ten horns (vs. 7)
Add these up and you get seven heads (1+1+4+1) and ten horns.
The dragon (see below) gave the beast in Revelation 13 it’s power.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
Revelation 12:9
Please note also the corresponding creatures.
2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
Revelation 13:2.
Revelation 13:1 also adds something new which is not found in Daniel, the ten crowns.
“The ten crowned horns (powers) of the Beast are explained in 17:12 in terms of the governors of the ten imperial provinces, while the seven heads are explained as the line of Caesars (17:9-11): Nero is one of the “heads.”
David Chilton “The Days of Vengeance” pg. 327
David Chilton’s commentary on Revelation
The ten imperial provinces are referenced in this passage:
12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.
Revelation 17:12.
The line of Caesar:
9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10 And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11 And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.
Revelation 17:9–11.
Chilton’s comments on Revelation 17:9-10 are also worth noting.
“The “seven mountains” again identify the Beast as Rome, famous for its “seven hills”; but these also correspond to the line of the Caesars, for they are seven kings; five have fallen: They first five Ceasars were Julius, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and Claudius. One is: Nero, the sixth Caesar, was on the throne as St. John was writing Revelation. The other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while: Galba, the seventh Caesar, reigned for less than seven months.”
David Chilton “The Days of Vengeance” pg. 435-6
The Land Beast
Nothing says land beast quite like Godzilla
Concerning Revelation 13:12, Chilton writes, “The Jewish leaders, symbolized by this Beast from the Land, joined forces with the Beast of Rome in an attempt to destroy the Church. Thus the Land Beast exercises all the authority of the First Beast: “As the first beast is the agent of the dragon, so the second beast is the agent of the first beast. “All the authority’ makes the second beast the complete agent of the first.” Apostate Judaism became completely subservient to the Roman State.” Pg. 337
Mark of the Beast
This what you get when using pop-culture to interpret the Bible
Ok. So, we have briefly dealt with the Sea and Land Beasts. What about the balance of the chapter? Buying, selling, and the Mark of the Beast.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive qa mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Revelation 13:16–18.
Folks, there is so much nonsense said about this passage that it makes me laugh on the one hand; but on the other, this is really simple if you confine your analysis to Scripture and don’t seek answers in your daily news feed.
Let’s take verse 18 first and then look at verses 16 & 17.
The first thing you need to remember when reading Revelation is this: what would the first Century audience think when reading or hearing this passage for the first time? Once you start looking at Revelation as someone living in 66 A.D. then a lot of the stuff that is popular today fades away as absurdity. Then it’s clear that the Beast is not Ronald Wilson Reagan (all three of his names have six letters) or Adolf Hitler, or Stalin, or the Prime Minister or any other contemporary person that might be suggested. Why would John suggest that someone in his day could calculate the number of the beast if they were wise? John is indicating that someone in his day might be able to calculate his identity; thus, the Beast was alive in his day.
So why six hundred threescore and six? Please note that it’s not presented as six-six-six or 666. Details matter. Remember also that I previously said that most of the symbolism of Revelation is from the Old Testament.
Let’s jump back to Deuteronomy. Moses knew that in the future that Israel would one day have a King. God planned for it. God even set up three rules for Israel’s king to follow.
14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me; 15 Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. [Rule #1]16 But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. [Rule #2] 17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: [Rule #3] neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
Deuteronomy 17:14–17.
In summary, Israel’s King was not to multiply horses, multiply wives, and multiply gold and silver.
1 A multitude of horses were only for offensive armies. Now that Canaan had been conquered, Israel was only to have defensive military capabilities.
2 A multitude of wives would turn the King’s heart from worshipping the Lord. God was against political alliances bases in marrying daughters of pagan kings.
3 God was against excessive taxation and accumulation of wealth via harsh taxation.
My next question is kind of obvious, who in the Bible broke all three rules for a king and did so in spades? Solomon.
Violations of Rules 1 & 3 are covered in the same passage.
[Rule #1] 26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.[Rule #3] 27 And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. 28 And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price. 29 And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and an horse for an hundred and fifty: and so for all the kings of the Hittites, and for the kings of Syria, did they bring them out by their means.
1 Kings 10:26–29.
Violation of Rule #2 immediately follows the chapter break.
But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; 2 Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. 3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
1 Kings 11:1–6.
Solomon broke all the rules God had set out for a King of Israel. Thus, he became a wicked ruler.
The Apostle John used Solomon as a prototype of a beast. Any ruler that sets himself up as a “god” is a beast. In Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar was called King of kings (Daniel 2:37) but Nebuchadnezzar because proud and in his heart took credit for what God had done for him and God, as punishment, made him a literal beast. Eventually, Nebuchadnezzar repented and became a man again.
30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. 33 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. 34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
Daniel 4:30–35.
Now, back to Solomon. Drawing upon this imagery in the Old Testament of Solomon being an apostate ruler, John went to a verse that referenced Solomon’s sin.
14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,
1 Kings 10:14.
Yep. There it is. The good old six hundred threescore and six. This was the excess amount of gold that Solomon was taking in each year.
When Solomon died, his successor was faced with a choice, reduce taxation so the people would love you or increase taxation and oppress the people even more. Rehoboam decided to oppress the people, and the result was that the kingdom was split with him getting two tribes (known as Judah) and Jeroboam getting the other ten tribes (known as Israel).
More biblically based science fiction
I have said this all to prove that the Mark of the Beast originated in the apostacy of Solomon when he because a tyrant. The Beast in Revelation is tied to Solomon via the six hundred three score and six. If you wrote Nero Caesar in Hebrew, it’s numerical value is 666. In this passage, some textual variations have 616 instead of 666. This is the numerical value of Nero Caesar in Greek. Nero was Emperor when John authored the Apocalypse. Nero’s name was written in code to get the manuscript past any Roman censorship.
Obscuring a direct reference to Nero is much like Mother Goose rhymes and other “children’s stories” written to get around censorship of the times. Political commentary was disguised as children’s stories while poking fun at the English government. John’s writing technique is still used today in various media presentations.
The other thing that somehow gets lost in Revelation is that everyone has a “mark.” The mark is symbolic not literal. God’s people are sealed with the mark of the Holy Spirit; the devil’s people are sealed with the Mark of the Beast.
Due to illiteracy of the book of Revelation, I guess I have to prove my claim so here goes.
“ … till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”
Revelation 7:3b-4
Oh, even better, the next verse after the number of the beast is about believers having God the Father’s name on their foreheads.
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.
Revelation 14:1.
As Bob Dylan said, “It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord, but you gotta serve somebody.”
Buying and Selling
Random Roman coins from the Internet
Now for verses 16 & 17. If you didn’t serve the beast then you couldn’t buy and sell. But buy or sell what. Is this a blanket claim that commerce was forbidden or was something more specific in mind?
I know folks claim that you need a microchip, or bar code, or whatever to be part of the world system but is that what somebody in the First Century would understand? I doubt it.
The idol of First Century Jews was the Herodian Temple in Jerusalem. The Herod family started to refurbish the Temple in 20 B.C. and the project was completed shortly after John wrote Revelation. Refurbishment was completed about 64 A.D.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Jesus told the church of Laodicea, “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see” (Rev. 3:18). There is no market available to make such a purchase. Purchasing a commodity like oil for lamps to greet the bridegroom is not about economics but worship (Matt. 25:6–13).
In the same way, buying gold refined by fire is symbolic and is also related to worship. It is reasonable, therefore, to assume that the reference to buying and selling in Revelation 13:17 is also symbolic and not part of an end-time economic system or even one in the first century. Similar language is found in the Old Testament:
55 “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
Isaiah 55:1-2
Temple leaders controlled buying and selling to regulate access to the temple (John 2:12–22; Matt. 21:12). It’s why Jesus cleanses the temple twice as required by Leviticus 14:33–57. “This is established in [Revelation] 3:18 (and compare 21:6). When those who refuse the mark of the Beast are not allowed to buy and sell, it means that they are expelled from the synagogue and Temple. The merchants of the land in Revelation 18 are those who worshipped at the Temple and synagogue.” ((James B. Jordan, A Brief Reader’s Guide to Revelation (Niceville, FL: Transfiguration Press, 1999), 19. James was the person who suggested this interpretation. I’m indebted to him for it.))
Jesus foretold that this would happen: “They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God” (John 16:2). Keep in mind that the “beast coming up out of the earth” is involved in these events. The land beast is most certainly associated with first-century Israel, especially the priests who controlled access to the temple, which was finished during Nero’s reign in AD 64.
Early in the church’s history the disciples went to the temple to preach the gospel (Acts 5:20–21, 24, 42; 24:12). At first, they were welcomed (2:46). Peter and John frequented the temple during “the hour of prayer” (3:1). Jewish Christians continued to use the temple, even participating in some of its rituals (21:26). After the temple officials learned that those Jews were preaching that Jesus was the Messiah—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world—Paul was “dragged … out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut” (21:26–30).
During Jesus’ ministry, the temple officials were “selling,” and worshipers were “buying” access to the temple (Matt. 21:12), turning God’s house into a “robbers’ den” (Matt. 21:12–13). Only the Jews who aligned themselves with the priests (i.e., had the “mark of the beast”), the sacrificial system, and the temple buildings, could enter the temple for worship.
To take the “mark of the beast” meant a person denied that Jesus was the Messiah, the true temple of God, the only sufficient sacrifice (Heb. 9). Of course, Christian Jews avoided the “mark of the beast” and showed their true allegiance to Jesus, “having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads” (Rev. 14:1). They demonstrated that these (symbolic) names on their foreheads through their public professions of faith and allegiance to Jesus. Those who carried the mark of the beast professed that they had chosen Caesar over Christ (John 19:15).
When commanded not to speak to “any man in this name,” Peter and John responded, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:17–20). The proclamation that “Jesus is Lord” (1 Cor. 12:3) and “that there is another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:7) was a religious and political affront to those in power throughout the Roman Empire. Such proclamations were acts “contrary to Caesar” (17:7) and “against this holy place [i.e., the temple] and this law” (6:13).
These passages fit together nicely since true redemption comes, not from Rome or earthly Jerusalem, but from where “the Lamb was standing,” that is, on Mount Zion. The writer of Hebrews describes Mt. Zion’s location: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels” (Heb. 12:22).
Revelation 13 and 14 contrast two ways of salvation: access to the temple through the mark, name, or number of the Beast (Rev. 13:16–17) or through the name of the Lamb “having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads” (14:1). Those who were circumcised only in their flesh followed the Beast, while those circumcised in the heart followed the Lamb.
Conclusion
So, I think this about wraps up everything you wanted to know about the beasts of Revelation and the mark. God places his mark on the foreheads of his people, and the devil places a mark on the foreheads of his people. This motif goes all the way back to the beginning in Genesis but that is a separate topic.
Yep. True story. Long ago I was a member in good standing of the oldest Christian Church in the West. I was baptized as an infant at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Woodland. A small town just north of Sacramento California. I attended the parish school from kindergarten through sixth grade.
I won’t go into all the weeds but let’s just say that by fifth grade, I had decided God wasn’t real. I purposely wrote God with a lower case “g” and was sour on the idea of his existence. I butted heads with the nuns from the on-campus convent. I drive Sister Ilene up the wall, and my behavior prompted more than one parent-teacher conference.
I came across someone of a different faith that got me to read the Bible. I found stuff in the Bible that was contrary to what the church taught. I brought some of these things to the nuns at the school. They had no response to my Bible based questions except to say that I wasn’t capable of reading the Bible on my own. I needed the priests and bishops to tell me what it said. I was warned that if I continued reading the Bible on my own that I might become a heretic just like Martin Luther. (Oh, FYI it was the first time that I ever heard of Martin Luther.)
I became hungry for some answers to my questions.
Oh, the passage that gave the nuns fits was that Jesus had brothers and sisters. Yep. Jesus was the oldest but clearly, he had siblings. Roman Catholics reject these scriptures or try to weasel out of them, but they are unambiguous.
Here is what Logos found via an A.I. search.
The Gospels identify Jesus with specific family relationships: he is called “the carpenter’s son” with brothers named James, Joses, Simon, and Judas (Matt 13:55–56), and sisters are mentioned but remain unnamed (Matt 13:55–56). Mark’s account similarly refers to him as “the carpenter, the son of Mary” (Mark 6:3), and after the resurrection, his brothers appear with Mary in prayer (Acts 1:14). Paul identifies James as “the Lord’s brother” (Gal 1:19), and James eventually became a pillar of the Jerusalem church.
Source R. Alan Culpepper, Mark, ed. Leslie Andres and R. Alan Culpepper, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary (Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated, 2007), 190.
The Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches claim that said brothers and sisters can’t really be that due to claims of Mary’s perpetual virginity. This doctrine is nonsense. The Bible says so.
23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. [quote from Isaiah 7:14] 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Matthew 1:23–25.
It says Joseph didn’t have sex with Mary until Jesus was born, not that he never had sex with her. Folks, sex is part of being married. In fact, it’s not really a valid marriage if the couple doesn’t have sex. That is why having sex is called “consummating the marriage”.
Oh, for doubters of my claim, here is a portion of an article on consummating a marriage that I grabbed from my friendly Internet search engine.
In canon law and many religious traditions, consummation is considered essential for a marriage to be fully valid, often linked to the potential for procreation. Some doctrines even specify that intercourse with contraception may not count as consummation. Historically, consummation was sometimes verified through rituals or inspections, though such practices have largely disappeared.
Here are some Bible verses concerning, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus’ siblings.
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?
Matthew 13:55–56.
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Mark 6:3.
22 … And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
Luke 4:22b.
42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know?
John 6:42a.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Acts 1:14.
19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.
Galatians 1:19.
By the end of seventh grade, I knew about Jesus, but I was confronted with the fact that I didn’t know him. I was missing a relationship with him. Frankly, I didn’t know there was such a thing. Knowing about someone and knowing them are two different propositions. I learned that this was a spiritual truth as well. Yes, I slowly decided that God was real, but I was missing him in the Roman Catholic Church.
During this time in my life, my mom ended up watching Bill Graham on television. She prayed along with Graham and gave her life to Christ. (More on this shortly.) She started taking us to a Baptist church in town. I liked that they had a youth program and was excited to have adults around me that were open to answering any questions that I could hurl at them. I got answers not deferrals to higher authorities.
As summer approached, mom signed all three of her children up to attend the summer church camp. At camp, I was told that Jesus died for my sins and I could have a personal relationship with him. He would forgive my sins and come into my life. I had only to ask him. As a first step to show my desire to know Christ in an intimate way, I was asked at the end of the chapel service to come forward and pray. I did so.
Folks, the act of walking down the aisle does not save anyone but for me it was a first step in knowing Christ as opposed to knowing about him. That camp experience really changed me. For others it was a flash in the pan that never really took, but it was transformative for me.
My life changed as a result of that encounter with God. My relationship with God has changed over the years because I have gotten deeper into the Bible than many others that I know. I have changed my views of somethings, but God is more real to me now than He was that summer. That was fifty years ago.
If you have a desire to know God more intimately, then ask Jesus to save you from your sin, redeem you, and make you a new person. Then, start reading your Bible. Many folks say to start with the Gospels. On one level, the Gospel of John is an easy read but if you grew up with “a Charlie Brown Christmas” then start with Luke. It will sound familiar.
Over time, God expects you to deepen your walk with Him. Yep, you will mess up. Ask forgiveness and keep going. Perseverance is an important part of living out your faith. Oh, exercising your faith in a community of believers is the biblical norm. This might take some trial and error to figure out. For me, the Roman Catholic Church was not the place where I got fed a lot in a spiritual sense.
Knowing God is possible if you seek after Christ. I may say that I’m really right but I know that only God truly is.
I’ve probably mentioned this before but felt like writing on it again.
Supposedly, Matthew 24 contains a rock-solid proof of the Rapture of the Church. First, here’s the passage in question.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 24:36–42.
Jesus says that something is coming and only the Father knows when. (We are actually given more context and time related information by Matthew but I’m strictly sticking to the quoted passage.) He then gives this analogy. People will be eating and drinking. Whoa. That’s evil? They will be marrying and giving in marriage. Whoa. That’s evil?
Seriously? Hey folks, life goes on, as normal but then Noah entered the Ark. Life still went on for another week.
“And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.”
Genesis 7:10.
Then the flood waters came. Guess what happened next?
21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: Genesis 7:21.
Yep, all the bad guys died. The righteous folks, i.e. Noah’s family were safe in the Ark. The wicked were taken.
Ok, now look at verse 39 in Matthew 24. It actually says the exact opposite of when premillennial dispensationalists claim it does.
“39 And [they] knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
So, the bad guys knew not until the flood came and took them all away. Yep, the people taken are the wicked not the righteous.
Now look at verse 40 & 41 in Matthew 24.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
So, who is taken? The bad guys not the Christians.
FYI zero Christians were killed in the siege of Jerusalem. This was the reason that the church in Jerusalem sold their property and held it in common all the way at the beginning of the Book of Acts. They were told to flee when they see the signs and they did. Obey and live. In fact, you didn’t even need to be a Christian to avoid the coming judgment, just flee when the predicted signs appeared.
Jump back to the Sermon on the Mount; “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5.
So, class, who inherits the world? The righteous. We don’t inherit Heaven, but the earth.
Need more proof?
The righteous shall never be removed:
But the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.
Proverbs 10: 30
For evildoers shall be cut off:
But those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be:
Yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
But the meek shall inherit the earth;
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Psalm 37:9–11.
Jesus is promising that the wicked, those that oppose the Christians of the First Century, will be removed from the earth. This allows the meek to inherit the world.
The problem is not the Bible; it’s the false understanding that we have when we impose our presuppositions on the text instead of letting the text speak for itself.
In Matthew 24, Israel and more specifically, Jerusalem and its Temple, are about to be judged. The wicked Jews of the First Century are about to be judged for “all the righteous blood from Abel through Zechariah.”
29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, 30 And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. 31 Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. 32 Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. 33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
34 Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. 36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.
37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.
Matthew 23:29–38
47 Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
Luke 11:47–51.
The blood of all the righteous prophets ever killed in the history of the Bible would be required of this generation—those that heard the voice of Jesus just days before he was crucified. Folks, this promise is airtight. There is no deferring it or waiting until some future event thousands of years hence, it was going to happen to them, and it did. Jesus said the judgment would be so terrible that unless it was cut short, no flesh would be saved. Over one million people died in the siege of Jerusalem that ended in 70 A.D.
Folks, at the trial of Jesus, the crowd screamed let his blood be upon us and it was.
25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.”
Matthew 27:25.
Within a generation of his crucifixion, the Jewish nation was wiped off the map. The Old Covenant era was ended forever. Jesus said I will take it from you and give it to a nation bearing the fruit thereof and he did. That new nation began with a remnant of Jews on Pentecost. Eventually, this righteous remnant began grafting non-Jews (Gentiles) into its assembly. This nation will encompass the entire world not just a small patch of land in Palestine. The Bible says that the Gospel was spread to all the civilized world before the New Testament’s writing was even completed. The Gospel was preached to every creature under heaven.
In the early church, there was apostacy in the form of Judaizers and gnostic teaching. Many fell away from the true faith. There was also persecution instigated by Jews jealous of the freedom found in Christ. Up until the end of Nero’s reign, Rome protected Christians from the Jews. Under Nero, persecution against the church began. The Apostle Paul and Jesus via Revelation both promised the church relief if they would stay faithful just a little longer. Relief came when Israel was judged for its sin. The apostate whore was burned by her lovers and destroyed just as John had recorded in Revelation 17.
The Olivet Discourse was a prophecy in 33 A.D. but history by 70 A.D. The Apostle John lived to see his prophetic work come to pass during his lifetime just as Jesus had promised on a beach in Galilee many years before.
Sorry kids. No Rapture in your future, just God’s promises … if you’d only believe them.
I don’t know if the passage which I quote below ever made it into print. I have very few books by Doug Wilson, maybe three. However, I think it has application on the Abolitionists movement so I wanted to place it on the record. As usual, I quote more than a sound bite or sentence fragment to insure that readers will understand the context; especially since verifying my transcript will prove difficult for most folks.. The source of my quotation is from a four lecture presentation on Eschatology. This is from Lecture 3 “The Power of the Cross”. I think it was recorded in the early 1990’s. This quotation is not about Abolitionists (since they didn’t exist at the time of the recording) but is applicable to them. Lastly, the transcript was made using voice recognition in Microsoft Word and then edited by me. Thus paragraph breaks and punctuation were created by me.
— Transcript begins now: —
Romans 4:13
“13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. “
Now, a very simple, straight forward thing, what was Abraham promised? Not just lots of descendants, he was promised descendants like the stars in the sky, he was promised descendants like the grains of sand on the seashore. But how does Paul put that promise here? What was Abraham promised? The world. All right? And who is promised the world along with Abraham? “For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed …”, OK, in other words, the promise to Abraham is fulfilled not just in what is given to Abraham, but what is given to Abraham through his seed. So, what was Abraham promised and what was Abraham’s seed promised? The world.
Let’s put another, let’s throw another verse here that you are very familiar with, but nobody believes. “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit heaven when they die.” (laughter) “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5), not heaven, the earth. Abraham and his seed were promised the world.
Now this is a very important distinction, by what instrument were they were they to be given the world? Not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith; not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Now let me, let me, throw a parenthetical comment in here, and I’m going to throw some turns out, you probably had a very similar experience with them. I don’t call myself a Reconstructionist but other people do, and when these other people say that you know Wilson’s a Reconstructionist, what do they mean?
They generally mean that I want to, and others like me, others of my ilk, want to march on Washington, institute biblical law, and impose it on everybody; wrapping it around their neck all the way down. Alright? Some sort of top-down thing. Well, that whole idea appalled me. It just, it just appalls me. There are Christians who do it and they’re called Dispensationalists. They’re the ones with Christian Coalition. They’re the ones with religious lobbying organizations. They’re the ones who are doing their big thing in Washington D.C.
The promise, and everybody thinks that because the politics is such an idol in our in our era, everybody thinks that if you if you believe that that the Christian faith is going to exercise universal dominion, everybody thinks that you’re running for Congress
It’s one of those bizarre things… I do believe that we are going to inherit the world. How? Through the righteousness of faith. Through the proclamation of the Gospel. The most important thing we can do for the recovery of godly order and civil decency is to bring about a reformation in the church. We don’t, we don’t need umm, we don’t need any more godly people going to Washington. H.L. Manchin, the erudite unbeliever said, “Trying to reform Washington by sending good people there is like trying to reform prostitution by staffing brothels with virgins.”
We just don’t fix things that way. Alright. You can send a good man to Washington, and the first thing that happens, is he grows in office. That’s the first thing that happens. He starts compromising. He starts going along to get along. We don’t, that’s not where the action is. The, Abraham, Abraham was promised the world. Abraham and his seed were promised the world; and it says not through law, but through the righteousness of faith. What does the righteousness of faith mean? It’s justification. It’s a response to the gospel. As we hear the gospel proclaimed, we believe the gospel, through that instrumentality; cultures, nations, peoples will be transformed and it will eventually be reflected in the political realm.
All right, but we don’t, we don’t go for the political realm, and try and reform the church. We reform the church, and through the Reformation of the church, will see the Reformation of families, towns, counties, entire nation, That’s, that’s what God calls us to but we don’t minimize the goal. You know, a lot of the people who are in Washington doing their thing, they want, they want our voice to be heard. They want as the saying goes, they want a place at the table. And I don’t, I don’t wanna place at the table. I wanna know who’s the cook. I just don’t want to place at the table, I want the table. I want the whole table and I want the Lord Jesus Christ seated at the head of it and I’m not gonna have anything to do with it until he’s honored and and honored at that position of headship. Now how is that gonna happen? It’s not gonna happen through me writing letter a letter to a congressman. It’s gonna happen through the work of reformation in the Church.
As the church has become sound and biblical that is, that is, what God tells us to do and there’s a promise attached to it. We know that this work of reformation that we’ve undertaken will not be unsuccessful, we know in the long haul, it will necessarily be successful because God’s promised He made a promise to Abraham. He made a promise to Abraham and to his seed. Every time someone’s converted, comes into the kingdom of God, there is God being faithful again, still to Abraham.
— End of Transcription —
My point in quoting Wilson is that he is saying the exact opposite of Abolitionists. Abolitionists want to reform the Church by passing laws in the States that will then enforce biblical law on the citizens with the hope that this will then lead to reformation of our culture. The biblical pattern is just the opposite; namely, start with the church and the revival of the church will lead to cultural and societal transformation. This was the pattern of the Reformation and it worked as long as the faithful were faithful.
The other question that begs asking is why not implement all biblical civil laws, why single out abortion as opposed to adultery, divorce, homosexuality, Sabbath breaking or disobedient children? Abortion, adultery, and divorce are just as common in the church as in world at large.
In the next few days, I plan on posting a transcript from David Chilton that answers my question about whom should we really start with if we want to reform our society and culture.
These last few days have been very irritating for me. I took drastic action; I dumped a Facebook “friend” because his focus on Abolitionism has made my blood boil too many times.
I think Abolitionism is a cult or something approaching it. Logic, dialogue, reason, evidence, and other forms of information exchange have no effect on people that have swallowed that particular red pill.
They disassociate themselves from everyone that has a different opinion than themselves. They claim that only they are right and look for ways to divide others from themselves. They utilize scorched earth tactics on those with whom they disagree and vilify them as morally evil, traitorous to Jesus Christ, and tools of the devil.
Abolitionists claim to oppose “abortion child sacrifice”. Please note that these three words always appear together and in that order in their literature. For many years, prolife people have compared abortion on demand with accounts of the Old Testament which speak of apostate citizens of Israel sacrificing their children to the pagan god Moloch. (Yes, I know that “Moloch” has about five different spelling variations, but it’s all the same dude or demon, as the case may be.) Abolitionists have flipped this analogy into a real thing; they really believe that every woman seeking an abortion is killing her baby to give her unborn child to Moloch as an offering.
On the basis of the Ten Commandments; namely, “Thou shalt not kill,”; they want to criminally prosecute every woman that seeks an abortion for the crime of murder. They want this to be the law of the land in the United States, one state at a time.
Traditionally, prolife groups want to have laws to restrict surgical abortion, medications that can cause abortion, and in some cases, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Prolife groups typically offer counseling and try persuading young women to seek salvation and comfort in Christ. Several groups offer Bible studies geared to healing and offer prenatal care and material support to encourage women not to abort. Stopping abortion or an abortion decision is based on reason and material aid to the expectant mothers. Most prolife people are into real world intervention and as they are able push for legislative reforms to protect the unborn.
Abolitionists view such prolife legislative ideas as traitorous and call supporters of such proposals, “traitors” or worse. Abolitionists will oppose any politician sponsoring such a bill unless it also criminalizes the woman seeking the abortion. Utilizing a tactic employed by Aaron Park, in several smaller states they have purchased URLs in the candidate’s name and billboards proclaiming that Senator Jones (or whoever) supports abortion because his prolife legislation does not penalize mothers.
Below is one example, Oklahoma State Senator Todd Gollihare. Gollihare is up for re-election on June 16, 2026. Abolitionists have targeted this guy for not criminally penalizing women that seek abortion. Please note the URL at the bottom of the billboard ToddForAbortion.com Note the Senator Gollihare says he is 100% prolife.
They have defeated some state legislative candidates by using these tactics and thus will be employing them even more. (I think this was the basis of their election day attack a few weeks ago on Scott Herndon; my new State Senator.) Please note, as I hope to demonstrate shortly, that they only attack Republican prolife candidates.
Abolitionists have effectively declared war on the entire prolife movement and castigate them as traitors to life and sell-outs. In a previous blog post, I included a partial hit list of prolife groups that they have called out for apostacy.
I have attempted to dialogue with these folks and been shot-down every time. They are condescending and dismissive.
Ronald Reagan, who in my opinion was the greatest President of the 20th Century, used to get legislation passed by the Democrats in the House of Representatives by building coalitions with other people that agreed on the wisdom of a particular piece of legislation. When he could find agreement, Reagan would work with someone and when he couldn’t, he would find someone else. Reagan never burned bridges with anyone, he just learned when and how to work with folks when he could. Much of his legislative success was accomplished by his personality and charm.
Abolitionists are “all or nothing” single issue people. It’s them versus the world because everyone not with them, is identified as “of their father, the devil”. Hence, my previous comparisons to Barbara Alby and CRA.
This week, I ran across a few threads or possibly reposts of the same one with different graphics with the old and tired mantra that they would never vote for the lesser of two evils. This is the usual crap that surfaces every so often that not voting or skipping that race is more virtuous than actually picking a side. They will only participate in the political process when somebody they agree with gets on the ballot under their own steam. They reserve the right not to vote at all but are totally willing to bump-off a prolife candidate, even in favor of a proabortion one; if said prolife person manages to piss them off. Purity or punishment seem kind of Marxist to me.
I went into the bowels of my Facebook account and located the gem.
“Trump’s legacy will be that he presided over the largest holocaust of human history while trying to shift attention away at every turn.
I regret my vote for him. I repent. Never again.
I thought that he would move the needle in the right direction.
I thought that his appointments to the court would make all the difference.
I wanted my vote to “count.” I wanted to be a part of the process. I didn’t want to be left out.
I wanted to believe that I had a champion fighting for what I believed in. “My guy” in the ring, who, although we had serious disagreements, at least I could feel like my side was winning the tug-of-war when he was out in office.
I thought that if I didn’t vote, I couldn’t complain. That’s what I was told.
I thought that voting for a pro-legal-abortion pagan and fake Christian would somehow cause things to be better for the preborn.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.
The Biblical answer is to refuse to do evil that good may come.
The Biblical answer is to appoint only “men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain.” (Exodus 18)
Turning in a blank ballot is saying “no” and “woe” to:
Compromise
Partiality
Injustice
Delay
Unequal weights and measures
And ultimately it’s saying “no” and “woe” to a Conservative Party bent on regulating instead of abolishing legal child sacrifice.“
But the liberals will destroy the nation!”
Not any more than God will destroy the nation that tolerates child sacrifice.
May the Republicans lose every election until they repent and fight to establish real justice and protection for those being murdered.
If you have a true abolitionist to vote for, support them regardless of their estimated chances of winning.
If you don’t, don’t be tempted to support the people who, through cowardice or compromise or corruption, will work to maintain the legal status of human sacrifice.”
~ Abolitionist Peter Daniel Webb
This was added by a person reposting the thread above:
The Biblical answer is to vote only for people who will judge without partiality. Meaning those who will never draw lines and say, “these people can be murdered, and these can’t” and “these people can murder, and these can’t.” Re-drawing the lines in a different place is still partiality.
The Biblical answer is to say, “Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, to turn aside the needy from justice… and make the fatherless their prey!” (Isaiah 10) You can’t vote for someone and be a prophetic voice of “woe” at the same time.
⍲//⍱
One Abolitionists supporter wrote:
William who said don’t vote? It’s not that we don’t vote, but choose not to vote for a man who is evil and promotes child sacrifice. The same way we should not vote for someone who promotes and put for bills for the murder of a one year-old child in order to save the two-year-old child. It’s wicked and evil. We should not vote for that individual that promotes evil who oppresses a human being.
I vote, but I did not vote for evil in order that some good may come out of it.
My response was:
… by not voting, you are abdicating a right and tool that God has given you to peaceful transform society; something we are commanded by Scripture to do.
If you don’t like a candidate, then put forth another and persuade folks to support that person. You can’t change the system if you don’t participate in it.
Christ is ruling now. If Obama or Biden or Bush or Trump is President, then He has willed it for His purposes. Our ballot choices are given to us by God, and it is our duty to pick the best person, not throw a tantrum because everyone on the ballot is a flawed image bearer of God.
Lastly, I find the unwillingness of Abolitionist folks to work with other prolife groups very disturbing.
Translation, we want only to be ruled by the most oppressive tyrants that the Democrat Party can give us until such time as Republicans, who we refuse to help in any way, field a holy enough candidate that we might be inclined to vote for him.
Ok, so anyone that agrees with Abolitionists less than 100 percent is the enemy, all women who have had abortions are to be tried for murder and executed (this is the Biblical punishment for murder), prolife people are the problem because they are compromising traitors to the cause, and anyone claiming to be a Christian that has a different opinion on life is to be vilified. Sounds like a winning formula for transforming society.
Oh, can anyone cite for me any Christian society in the last 2,000 years that executed women that aborted their children? Just one.
Why do they claim only one verse, Exodus 20:13, covers abortion. This is untrue. It is lazy exegesis and sloppy theology.
So, what will this utopian society look like once the Abolitionists have executed 30 or so million women in our country? Isn’t this just the rightwing version of the Muslims or Taliban?
Look, biblically speaking, we all deserve death for the sins that we have committed. Jesus died in our place and by faith in Him, we can be saved This is the Gospel. Letting the Abolitionists act as God’s agents to avenge one particular sin which they claim to never have committed seems rather narrow to me. If you want to really punish sin, let’s execute all the adulterers, homosexuals, liars, witches, disobedient children, those that don’t keep the Sabbath, and all the rest in the Bible that are worthy of death. Sooner or later, we all will be on one of those lists deserving of execution. Oh, and just for fun, let’s start this purge with the churches supporting Abolitionists.
Statistically, abortion rates and rates of divorce are the same within the Christian community as in the general population. Wouldn’t you reasonably expect that if the Church was doing its job that divorce, adultery, abortion, homosexuality, and a litany of other sins would be demonstrably less in Churches that are following God? Verses like “Let him who is perfect cast the first stone” and “Let your light shine” set a high standard that we are clearly not achieving now.
Can you see now why I previously accused the SPLC of funding these guys? They make the rest of us look really bad. But wait, doesn’t making the rest of us look bad make them virtuous? Nope.
How does responding to mass killing by advocating more mass killing solve anything and further the Gospel?
So yeah, I got this guy off of my Facebook feed but one of the Abolitionists websites has almost 500,000 followers so you better be worried. These wolves in sheep’s clothing may be in your congregation recruiting for vengeance on God’s behalf.
Folks, I keep thinking that I’m done posting about Abolitionists, but they won’t leave me alone. When it suits them, they pull the “we are more righteous than thou” card. As Clint Eastwood once said in one of his many Dirty Harry films, ‘You are a legend… in our own mind.”
Twice recently, they have run hit pieces on people that are on their side—i.e. prolife.
On election day in Idaho, May 19th, local Abolitionists posted a hit piece on Scott Herndon; my local candidate for State Senate. Scott Herndon is a proven conservative leader and prolife. He was running against sitting Senator Jim Woodward. Woodward is vocal in his support of dismantling Idaho’s profile laws. (Woodward was prolife when his votes were pyrrhic but once Roe v Wade was tossed, he changed his tune and started advocating that Idaho undo its prolife stance.)
Scott Herndon
Woodward and Hendon have been swapping the seat in Senate District 1 since 2020. Oh, note to our California readers, the term for a State Senator in Idaho is two years, not four as in California.
Despite the Abolitionists best efforts, Herndon won decisively in the rematch with Woodward. Recently Herndon has won on “off years” while Woodward has won during Presidential election years. Presidential elections bring out low information voters that frequently screw it up for the rest of us. Having Herndon as the local Senator was a key factor in my wife and I deciding to move to north Idaho several years ago.
FYI: An Abolitionist candidate with zero political experience ran for Senate District 3 and scored 28 percent of the vote.
If you don’t recall, Abolitionists want the death penalty for every woman that seeks an abortion, as well as any “physicians” involved to helping her procure said abortion. Herndon is not willing to go that far and in their minds is thus a traitor to the cause of life.
Next, candidate 28 percent posted a piece about Donald Trump being the most bloodthirsty president in the history of the nation. Under the new statistics on abortion making their rounds on social media, they show an upward trend since the Covid lockdowns. I question these numbers since historically the numbers have been in terms of surgical abortions while the proliferation of abortion pills and IVF have not—to my knowledge—been part of the numbers until Roe was tossed by the Supreme Court. Also, the most reliable numbers on abortion in the United States have always been generated by Planned Parenthood. PP has financial and political reasons to monkey with the numbers, so I don’t fully trust them. Decades ago, prolife groups decided to go with the numbers from PP anyway.
Sign “Donald Trump supports baby Murder! Repent”
Joe Biden opened the floodgates on mail order abortion pills and Trump has been slow to restrict them. This is partially due to government bureaucrats pushing back on Trump’s stated agenda. While wanting to restrict mail order abortions, Trump has pushed for wider availability of IVF which is a reason that prolife groups have been attacking him; however, none come close to the vitriol of the Abolitionists.
This brings me to the core of the problem with Abolitionists; namely, they have nothing to offer but complaints.
After I saw the attack on Trump that they posted of Facebook, I stated that Trump was a far superior choice to the Democrat offering for President in 2024. I point blank asked who was their candidate for 2028? Can their guy win a majority of primaries in the 50 states? Do they have 2 billion dollars in cash to help their guy campaign for the White House? (By my math, that’s 500 million for the primary and 1.5 billion for the general election. FYI my numbers are likely too low for the next campaign cycle.) Do they have a majority of people in the House of Representatives and the Senate ready to pass their idea into Law? Do they have enough judges to successfully litigate their Abolitionists Law?
As expected, they had no response. Sorry, but “Orange Man bad” is not an informed response.
Abolitionists summarily reject any incremental implementation of their ideas. They are scorched earth all the way. They want 100 percent of everything; they want all at one time or nothing at all. Anyone that succeeds in reducing abortion is a traitor because in one fell swoop, they can’t stop all abortions. Abolitionists reject any type of incremental reduction of abortion.
Folks, when you begin with the notion that only thermonuclear weapons can be used to subdue your enemies then you have nowhere to go. This makes Abolitionists a suicide cult not a political movement. What’s worse is that they are doing this in the name of God.
In the 2,000-year history of the Christian Church, I don’t know of a single woman executed by a Christian society for getting an abortion. The Bible has lots more to say about the subject and Exodus 20:13 “Thou shalt not kill (or commit murder)” is not the right passage on the subject. Abortion is mentioned in both the Old and New Testament, but most Christians are too lazy or ill-informed to know where to see it in black and white. (I’ve mentioned it elsewhere on the blog, so I won’t go over it here.)
Abolitionists are not about stopping abortion. They are all about unchurching everyone else and taking pride in the fact that they are not like those other sinners. They are smug hypocrites using pride to put everyone else down. There is no salvation via politics or cramming their values upon the unwashed masses by passing a law and then wrapping it around our necks until we agree.
I have asked them repeatedly about starting with educating and persuading the average church member about things like IVF and abortion pills but that takes work which they are unwilling to do. I think they want to pass a law instead of work through the church because they don’t have the numbers to move the needle within the body of Christ.
They want a quick fix. Abolitionists want a law passed and then hope it will force a change in behavior of the church. This is power religion not biblical religion. Baptizing the Messianic State does not make the State suddenly become Christian, at best the State just adopts a few new vocabulary words and consolidates even more power.
Gary North has written so much against this type of nonsense; especially in terms of Pharoah versus Moses. I know Doug Wilson has spoken against it as have many others. Candidate 28 percent has even reposted quotes from R.J. Rushdoony on his Facebook page but clearly, he has never read a single book by the man. Rushdoony’s Institutes of Biblical Law is about reforming the church and the duty of Christians to subject every area of their life to Christ. Yes, the State has biblical role to play but it is not right for the State to reform the Church. The Church is to reform the State. Biblical government is limited government.
Rushdoony quote from 28%’s Facebook page
Abolitionists are running down a rabbit trail halfcocked and wondering why the rest of the world isn’t following them over the cliff. When you zoom past the roadrunner holding a sign that says, “Gravity” then you know what happens next.
Lastly, the Abolitionists are exactly the type of group the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is accused of funding on the Right to justify painting us all as extremists, as they raise even more funds to promote leftwing causes. Ditto for the FBI under Joe Biden creating domestic terror groups on the right where none existed before. Abolitionists are broken folks tilting at windmills in their own minds.
