The following information is taken from the e-book series:
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This e-book series is designed to explore many of the themes, concepts and ideas that will be in our forthcoming sci-fi series SEED. Thus, you might think of it as the non-fiction behind the fiction. To navagate this series, use the slide-out BLOG MENU to the left. Keep in mind that this is a work in progress. As such, each blog (chapter) is subject to change, modification and in some cases a complete re-write as I receive feedback, criticism and new revelation in my research. When I am fairly satisfied with what I have written, I will record myself reading the blog for your benefit. Whenever audio is available, you can listen as you read by clicking on the embedded audio player below each blog's title or by clicking here to bring up the all in one audio player. If I have not recorded a particular blog in audio format, it probably means I am not finished writing and/or editing it. When I feel it is ready, I will record it on my supplemental radio show, The Revolutionary Radio Project on BlogTalkRadio.com.
You can also check out our SEED promotional page to have another resource for posting on Facebook and other social networking sites. Your support is greatly appreciated! A note from the author: This work represents some of my research, thoughts and ideas regarding history and the End Times. Do not take anything I write as the "Gospel Truth." I encourage you to be a “good Berean” and study these things out for yourself to come to your own conclusions. DISCLAIMER: While I do believe that the books contained in The Holy Bible were Divinely inspired and written by men, I do not necessarily hold to the idea that only the 66 books we now have in our (Protestant) Bibles are the sole Divinely inspired books of antiquity. For instance, the King James Version (on which I was raised) used to have 80 books in it. Today, we only have 66. Many editions of the Bible throughout the centuries contained or left out different books. God will not contradict Himself. Therefore, the fact that there have been so many different "canons" of Scripture over the centuries proves to me that the acquisition and accumulation of Scripture has not always been Divinely inspired. I also do not believe that any one version of our English Bible is 100% correct and accurate in its TRANSLATION. Granted, some are better than others. But Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic are all very complex languages and it is often hard for English as a language to do the text justice. Thus, I find that comparing different English translations can help show us a variety of ways of looking at what was originally written. I am mentioning this because throughout this series of blogs I will be referencing different versions of English Bibles as well as taking a look at some of the books not currently considered "canon" in our (Protestant) Bibles. Having grown up in a "KJV only" environment, I felt the need to say this up front. I pray that does not hinder you in any way and that this series of blogs is interesting, enlightening and encouraging to you. |
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Of gods and Apostles |
Yeshua knew that in order to compete, His message needed to be accompanied by signs and wonders. So, He told His Disciples to pray, watch and wait. Then on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell on them. Three thousand people got saved and the message spread like wild fire. Something else that I find interesting is the fact that because Paul and the early Apostles walked in so much power and authority, the people they ministered to actually thought they were the gods. Check this out:
While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!” They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker. Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting, “Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.
Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
- Acts 14:8-20 (NLT) [emphasis mine]
So, we see here Paul walking in the complete power and authority given to him by the Holy Spirit. When the people saw this power manifested in their presence, they immediately assumed that their gods had come to visit them. This shows how strong their beliefs were. To them it wasn't "mythology." Their beliefs were as strong and as real to them as ours are today. It would be like us seeing a man with the markings of crucifixion performing signs and wonders in downtown Dallas. People would freak out, proclaiming that Christ had returned!
Barnabas was considered to be Zeus, probably because he may have been older, possibly larger and with the stereotypical white "Zeus beard" appearance going on. And Paul was considered Hermes because he was doing all the talking. In the mythology, Hermes (Mercury to the Romans) was the messenger of the gods. Because of the power and authority that Paul and Barnabas had as well as other attributes, the people made a connection to their gods and began to worship them. Note also the mention of a temple of Zeus nearby. Again, this is proof of active worship of that deity
When Paul and Barnabas realized what was going on they rent their clothes in horror! "No! No! No! You got it all wrong!" I imagine being associated with Greek gods was a terrible feeling for them. They were trying to turn people away from those gods. Now they were thought to actually be them. They begged and pleaded with the people to understand that they were just men. Nothing worked until some Jews showed up and stoned them. To the horror of the crowd, they realized that they really were just men. After all, the gods don't bleed. I believe God allowed Paul to actually be killed to show that he wasn't the immortal known as Hermes. They dragged his dead body out of the town. Then, Paul got up and headed for Galatia (where Derbe was).
Interesting side note: Because Paul arrived in Derbe, Galatia the next day (or two after), he probably still looked like chopped beef - his appearance was so repulsive. This is why he later makes note that the Galatians would have given their own eyes if only they could help him:
In this case, "bodily illness" is an injury or ailment - Strongs #769 /asthéneia refers to an ailment that deprives someone of enjoying or accomplishing what they would like to do. 769 (asthéneia) focuses on the handicaps that go with the weakness. The New Living Translation renders verse 14a as:
And the Amplified as:
When Paul mentions the Galatians "plucking out their eyes" to give to him, that was a figure of speech to show how much they loved him. Like we might say, "That car cost me an arm and a leg." to show how expensive it was. This really had nothing to do with Paul supposedly having eye problems as some love to suggest. It was because a day or two before Paul arrived in Derbe, Galatia he had been stoned to death to prove that he wasn't a Greek god! He looked pretty rough and felt just as bad I'm sure. The people loved him and would have done anything to help him. That was the point Paul was making here. This is one of many proofs that Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was persecution and not some sort of eye trouble, sickness or disease. Paul was a healthy, powerful man of God!! So much so that he was mistaken for Hermes! |
Here we see that the Apostles had to contend with some very strong beliefs in the First Century. Imagine Paul in Athens. As I said earlier, I've been there. The remains of the ancient temples are spectacular, even today. Just imagine what they looked like in their prime!! Imagine Paul walking in the market place in the shadows of the massive temples and statues. He sees one to the "UNKNOWN GOD." He decides to take advantage of this. He speaks to a crowd of Greek philosophers on Mars Hill, which was just off to the side of the magnificent Acropolis and above the marketplace, over looking other temples. He preaches this message about a God who gave His only Son, to be crucified on a cross and who later resurrected to give us all eternal life. Imagine what they were thinking. "Who ever heard of such a thing? A god doesn't do that! You can't kill a god! A man who rose from the dead? Nonsense." They thought Paul was crazy! "Silly Jew." And they went their separate ways.
Nevertheless, the Apostle continued to spread the message by word and deed with signs and wonders following. In so doing, one man literally took the Gospel from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum (modern day, Albania), Rome and beyond!
Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.
- Romans 15:18,19 [emphasis mine]
Paul overturned the ancient beliefs by demonstrating God's power, which validated his message and deeds. Today, the old gods are looked at as myth. But have we heard the last of them? I think not.
I just gave you a snap shot of the middle of the story. Now, I'll try and show you the big picture of what I think has been happening in this epic battle of God vs the gods. How do the big three pantheons of gods work together and how has God positioned Himself to constantly be the victor - by working in and through His people? In the last blog of this section, I will go back and tie all of this together to see how it may all play out in these Last Days.
To be continued.... in God vs god, Part 8: The Coming Great Deception >> (coming soon)
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