Have you ever seen a magic show where the magician is so
good you really cannot figure out how he did his tricks? Knowing that the
magician is doing something that is an optical illusion, but not seeing how it
is done is part of the fun. But what if you were going about your day and
someone played a trick on you, but you were unaware that it was a trick? The illusion
is not fun or enjoyable because your response is to deal with a situation that
really doesn’t exist. This can be a positive thing or a negative, such as “you
won a million dollars, just give us your bank account number”. The positive is
the money, the negative is the scam that will cost you all your savings. In this
situation one’s actions are a response to an illusion; the actions in response
are real, while the reason for the action is false. Manipulation can be seen
everywhere in our society. Life is a mine field of manipulative illusions, and
we have to learn to navigate to be safe and successful. Think for a moment what
happens when one believes a lie and lives as if that lie is real, making
decisions based on that false idea. That blindness keeps that one under
delusion. Clouding over the truth like a smoke screen causes people to believe
wrongly and to live their lives in divergent directions from the truth.
An exceptionally sad but real example is a recent house
fire in Brooklyn, NY; where seven children died because of the observance of
the Sabbath and not being able to turn on or off electric appliances. Defining
“work” on the Sabbath, Jesus pointed out that people took their animals out to
water on the Sabbath or rescued their animals on the Sabbath, but somehow
someone defined “work” as light switches and electric appliances. Most people
in light of this tragedy would say that this is a ridiculous way to define
“work”. Others would say that the Creator would not be mad at anyone who turns
off electric appliances on the Sabbath and it is a stupid manmade observance.
My Grandfather used to go into his neighbors’ house (a Rabbi) and turn off his
lights and appliances for him on the Sabbath. Does it seem odd that someone who
believes God would be mad about turning off appliances would allow someone else
to turn off appliances since God would be mad at the person doing the Sabbath
observer a favor as well? Wouldn’t the Rabbi want to take the burden of
punishment from God so that others could be found acceptable in God’s sight? Or
is the Creator a brutal taskmaster that expects obedience even if children burn
to death in a fire? Maybe it is not the Creator who instituted this delusion,
maybe the god of this world, the elohim of evil, spins and twists ideas and
influences people in all types of misleading directions and blames the
Creator.
When Judah was close to going into Babylonian captivity,
the prophet Jeremiah told people not to believe the false prophets who say that
they shall not serve the king of Babylon. I’m sure the prophecies sounded so
good that many people based their lives on that lie. Jeremiah uses several
words for these people, we will look at a couple of them closely. Translators
switched the words used, but by looking at the original meanings we can see
what the Holy Spirit was communicating. Notice that the KJV has a broader
application for this word awnan.
Jer 27:9-10 Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor
to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters [6049], nor to
your sorcerers, which speak unto you, saying, Ye shall not serve the king of
Babylon:10 For they prophesy a lie unto you, to remove you far from your land;
and that I should drive you out, and ye should perish. KJV
OT:6049 `anan (aw-nan'); a primitive root; to cover; used
only as a denominative from OT:6051, to cloud over; figuratively, to act
covertly, i.e. practise magic: KJV -
bring, enchanter, Meonemin, observe (-r of) times, soothsayer, sorcerer.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
There were several types of people speaking this false
prophecy, prophets, diviners, dreamers, enchanters and sorcerers. Enchanters
act covertly and cover ideas as with a cloud. This is the same “covering over”
that is used in Genesis 9 when Elohim spoke to Noah. It is used in the
translated phrase “when I bring”. Elohim will covertly cloud over the earth. A
modern day expression that we use to communicate the idea that someone is
trying to hide something is “he’s blowing smoke”.
Gen 9:14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring
[6049] a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: KJV
Genesis 9:14G2532And G1510.8.3it
will be G1722in G3588 G4921.2my
collecting together G1473 G3507the clouds
G1909upon G3588the G1093earth,
G3708[3will
be seen G35881the G51152bow] G1722inG3588the G3507cloud.
http://studybible.info/ABP_Strongs/Genesis%209
The idea is to cover something so that its view is
obscured. In Jeremiah, the enchanters sounded positive. What great news, Judah
would not serve the Babylonian king. Deuteronomy takes a twist in the Hebrew
and uses the idea of an observer of times
as this type of covert magic while the word enchanter
is used as someone who whispers magic spells.
Deut 18:10-14 There shall not be found among you any one
that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth
divination, or an observer of times [6049], or an enchanter [5172], or a
witch,11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a
necromancer.12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord:
and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from
before thee.13 Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.14 For these
nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times [6049],
and unto diviners: but as for thee, the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so
to do. KJV
OT:5172nachash (naw-khash'); a primitive root; properly, to
hiss, i.e. whisper a (magic) spell; generally, to prognosticate: KJV - certainly, divine, enchanter, (use) enchantment, learn by experience, indeed, diligently observe.(Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
This is a list that Yahweh didn’t want His people to participate
in, but as we will see they were doing these things anyway. The “observer of
times” was practicing magic by covering over or using covert practices to lead
people astray. Here in Deuteronomy the enchanter is a prognosticator, one who
predicts with signs and whispers spells.
In Leviticus, one is not to predict things by signs and
cover or obscure things. It is clearer in the Septuagint as it is not about
blood, but the high places one goes to participate in these magic practices.
Lev 19:26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood:
neither shall ye use enchantment [5172], nor observe times [6949]. KJV
Lev 19:26 Eat not on the mountains, nor shall ye
employ auguries, nor divine by inspection of birds. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Leviticus/index.htm
Lev 19:26 G3361Eat
not G2068 G1909upon G3588the G3735mountains!
G2532And G3756you
shall not G3634.3foretell,
G3761nor G3732.2use
augury. http://studybible.info/ABP_Strongs/Leviticus%2019
Someone was trying to promote their religious beliefs here
regarding blood, as that is not the word in the oldest texts. Considering that
the Masoretic texts used the Septuagint to scribe back to Hebrew, and as we
know the Masorete’s changed a great many words, it is clear that this was
changed. While the Bible does say not to eat blood, the context here is
different and it does not say that in this verse. Men always feel like they
have to somehow help Yahweh, but it is a distortion to do so.
Manasseh openly practiced magic in the temple and the high
places (mountains). Why do some people tend to fall into evil practices? One
would think a king wouldn’t need these practices as he is already in power over
others.
2 Kings 21:1-6 Manasseh was twelve years old when he began
to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name
was Hephzi-bah.2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, after
the abominations of the heathen, whom the Lord cast out before the children of
Israel.3 For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had
destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king
of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.4 And he
built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord said, In Jerusalem
will I put my name.5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two
courts of the house of the Lord.6 And he made his son pass through the fire,
and observed times [6949], and used enchantments[5172], and dealt with familiar
spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to
provoke him to anger. KJV
Now we understand that by the time of Jeremiah that the
enchanters we falsely declaring that they would not go into captivity in Babylon.
As we have studied previously the temple was defiled with unholy practices
since the time that the kingdom split, such as male and female prostitution,
human sacrifice, worship of the cherubim, worship of the stars, and worship of
idols. What a surprise it must have been to have been taken captive and led
into Babylon. What makes people so blind that they don’t recognize the voice of
the Holy Spirit or the leading of the Creator? What makes people want to listen
to other humans rather than Yahweh? Sometimes it is the god of this world.
2 Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded [5186]
the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. KJV
NT:5186 tuphloo (toof-lo'-o); from NT:5185; to make blind,
i.e. (figuratively) to obscure:KJV - blind. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive
Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary.
Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators,
Inc.)
Paul is clear regarding who is blinding people that do not
believe Jesus is the Messiah, but sometimes we are misled by things people did
long ago. This next look at blindness has a few textual errors as it is a quote
in John from Isaiah. On the surface it seems that John and Isaiah are saying
Yahweh made people blind, but after a deeper look we see it is the people
themselves who made themselves blind, yet someone has put the blame on Yahweh.
Who would want to do that?
John 12:38-40 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might
be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom
hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?39 Therefore they could not believe,
because that Esaias said again,40 He hath blinded [5186] their eyes, and
hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand
with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. KJV
The Message translates this correctly.
John 12:39-40 First they wouldn't believe, then they
couldn't — again, just as Isaiah said: 40 Their eyes are blinded, their hearts
are hardened, So that they wouldn't see with their eyes and perceive with their
hearts, And turn to me, God, so I could heal them. (from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary
Language © 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
Here is the section in Isaiah in the King James.
Isa 6:8-10 Also I heard {Aleph Tav} the voice of the Lord
{Yahweh}, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here
am I; send me.9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but
understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.10 Make the heart of
this people {became} fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their
eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert, and be healed. KJV
Now here is this section in the Septuagint.
Isaiah 6:8 And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,
Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And I said, behold, I
am here, send me. And he said, Go, and say to this
people, 9 Ye shall hear indeed, but ye shall not understand; and ye
shall see indeed, but ye shall not perceive. 10 For the heart of this
people has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes
have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their
ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal
them. http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/Esaias/index.htm
From a casual look at John and Isaiah we might think that Yahweh
is blinding people just so he can heal them, but in truth the god of this world
has distorted these people’s minds. Again the god of this world has distorted
the scripture as well to put blame on Yahweh which is the covering, enchanting,
magic whispers that he uses to blind and delude people. Think this through;
after the temple was destroyed, people may have thought it would be better to
claim Yahweh blinded the Israelites so that they didn’t have to take
responsibility for their own actions. Certainly if Yahweh did it then they
cannot be blamed for the loss of the temple and the loss of control over
Jerusalem and Israel. While in some instances Yahweh may not show the entire
picture to people, Yahweh does not hide Himself, the Messiah, from anyone who
wants to know him. Let’s read this in context from the Message which smooth’s
this section in Romans out.
Rom 11:1-10 Does this mean, then, that God is so fed up
with Israel that he'll have nothing more to do with them? Hardly. Remember that
I, the one writing these things, am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham out
of the tribe of Benjamin. You can't get much more Semitic than that! 2 So we're
not talking about repudiation. God has been too long involved with Israel, has
too much invested, to simply wash his hands of them.
Do you remember the time that Elijah was agonizing over
this same Israel and cried out in prayer?
3 God, they murdered your prophets,
They trashed your altars;
I'm the only one left and now they're after me!
4 And do you remember God's answer?
I still have seven thousand who haven't quit,
Seven thousand who are loyal to the finish.
5 It's the same today. There's a fiercely loyal minority
still — not many, perhaps, but probably more than you think. 6 They're holding
on, not because of what they think they're going to get out of it, but because
they're convinced of God's grace and purpose in choosing them. If they were
only thinking of their own immediate self-interest, they would have left long
ago.
7 And then what happened? Well, when Israel tried to be
right with God on her own, pursuing her own self-interest, she didn't succeed.
The chosen ones of God were those who let God pursue his interest in them, and
as a result received his stamp of legitimacy. The "self-interest
Israel" became thick-skinned [4456] toward God. 8 Moses and Isaiah both
commented on this:
Fed up with their quarrelsome, self-centered ways,
God blurred their eyes and dulled their ears,
Shut them in on themselves in a hall of mirrors,
and they're there to this day.
9 David was upset about the same thing:
I hope they get sick eating self-serving meals,
break a leg walking their self-serving ways.
10 I hope they go blind staring in their mirrors,
(from THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language ©
2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved.)
NT:4456 poroo (po-ro'-o); apparently from poros (a kind of
stone); to petrify, i.e. (figuratively) to indurate (render stupid or callous):
KJV - blind, harden. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and
Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
The self-interested Israeli’s became thick skinned and
petrified. David hoped they would get sick, break their leg, go blind, and get
ulcers, but by the time of Jesus they had become so stupid or indurate (physically
or morally hardened) that they believed their laws were superior to the
Messiah. Their minds became blinded just as when Moses came down from the
mountain, their minds are still stony today.
2 Cor 3:14 But their minds were blinded [4456]: for until
this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old
testament; which vail is done away in Christ. KJV
What we see is that everything regarding Yahweh, Jesus, and
the Holy Spirit is twisted and that people have become blind and hard. The
Jewish leaders thought Jesus was a deceiver. The devil’s twist was that Jesus
was misleading people and what the people believed was a delusion. The Jewish
leaders went to Pilate to discuss precautions to take regarding Jesus’ body.
Matt 27:63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver
[4108] said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his
disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is
risen from the dead: so the last error [4106] shall be worse than the first.
KJV
NT:4108 planos (plan'-os); of uncertain affinity; roving
(as a tramp), i.e. (by implication) an impostor or misleader; KJV - deceiver,
seducing. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:4106 plane (plan'-ay); feminine of NT:4108 (as
abstractly); objectively, fraudulence; subjectively, a straying from orthodoxy
or piety: KJV - deceit, to deceive, delusion, error. (Biblesoft's New
Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
Isn’t it interesting that the religious leaders had
attributed their own actions to Jesus? The religious leaders were misleading
people, causing people to be in error, and adding to blinded minds and hearts,
yet they accuse Jesus of doing that very thing. Paul tells us not to be
deceived.
Eph 4:14-15 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed
to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight
[2940] of men, and cunning craftiness [3834], whereby they lie in wait to
deceive [4106];15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all
things, which is the head, even Christ:KJV
NT:2940 kubeia (koo-bi'-ah); from kubos (a
"cube", i.e. die for playing); gambling, i.e. (figuratively) artifice
or fraud: KJV - sleight.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and
Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:3834 panourgia (pan-oorg-ee'-ah); from NT:3835;
adroitness, i.e. (in a bad sense) trickery or sophistry: KJV - (cunning)
craftiness, subtilty.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and
Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
The idea that men are behaving in a misleading way to
intentionally keep people from Jesus Christ is something we have to be aware of.
Who is clouding over the information that Jesus is the Messiah? Who has an
interest in misleading others and keeping people from this knowledge? Using
this same word planos for Jesus
seducing people, Paul tells us spirits seduce people.
1 Tim 4:1-3 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing [4108]
spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their
conscience seared with a hot iron;3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to
abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of
them which believe and know the truth. KJV
Not only do spirits seduce, but they also have doctrines.
These doctrines are hypocritical. Isn’t that what we are seeing? Who listens to
seducing spirits? People whose minds are blinded because they believe not as
Paul told us in 2Corinthians4:4. The problem in not believing is that one is susceptible to magic clouds, smoke and
mirrors, and whispered spells. People harden their hearts and fill themselves
with other things and then it seems they truly are blind.
There is something we have to consider, if a religious
group denies Jesus as Messiah, should we ask them to teach us the Bible? Should
we peruse learning from latter texts that were not scribed under the authority
of a High Priest and have been altered repeatedly? What kind of doctrines will
we learn from this type of group? Will we learn that it is sinful to turn off
electric appliances on the Sabbath? Will we put our trust in people who believe
Jesus seduced us? The magic clouds that hide the truth are always swirling
around us. While the Israeli’s were told not to partake in enchantments and the
like, they did them anyway, without remorse. That caused the hardened hearts, the
blinded minds, and the stony attitude towards the Messiah.
Taking this idea of covering or clouding over the truth a
step further, so that we are not tossed around, we have a great example of
seducing and manipulative behaviors in the stories of Sodom. What we have been
taught is not quite correct. If we look at the historical records, we will see
the reason for the cover up. There are people who have a vested interest in the
masses not knowing the truth regarding these types of manipulations, so it is
important to look closely at what was going on in Sodom and the surrounding
cities to understand why they were destroyed. We will look at those stories
next week.
