Using Tradition as an Excuse

A man once said: 
" I want to remind folks that Y'shua kept man made traditions. "

He used Luke 4:16-17 as proof — "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written....."

This man concluded: "Reading the Torah on the Sabbath is a man made tradition and here we find that not only did Y'shua keep this man made tradition but it was his custom to do so."

Well, as you probably figured out, this didn't set right with me. From my understanding of that verse Y'shua was not keeping a tradition. It was very normal for him to be in an assembly on each 7th Day, which ever town he was in at the time. In Luke we read that Y'shua was in Nazareth, his home town, and it was the Sabbath day. When he stood up, he was handed the scroll of Isaiah. When he 'stood up' means he had been sitting which means he had not been standing previously and reading from Torah scrolls. After Y'shua was handed the scroll he looked for the part he wanted to read to the assembly. Today we know he read from Isaiah 60, a prophecy concerning the Son of YHWH. 

Y'shua made it clear that he came to do the will of the Father and I really don't think there were any traditions handed down by Him. YHWH did give us His original set of rules, laws, regulations and teachings that are for our health and well being - these are not traditions. Anything that man adds, says or does outside Yah's clearly stated Instructions become traditions if people continue to do them time after time, year after year. These are practices that man thought made the Creator's instructions even better. By this type of behavior man places himself above YHWH and this is not a good thing.

Some folks believe Y'shua was teaching from the weekly Torah portion format and the section he was reading was from the Haftarah. It is true that Jewish rabbis had adopted the Haftarah readings as part of Torah teachings, but, again I point out Y'shua read the prophecy about himself being fulfilled that day from the scroll of Isaiah. There's no mention of Y'shua reading from any other scrolls.  Folks 'assume' he was.

I am inspired to take a closer look at what is written in Luke beginning with 4:15:

And he would teach in their assemblies and would be praised by every man. And he came to Nasrath where he had been raised and entered into the assembly as he was accustomed on the day of the Shabbat and stood up to read (from) the scroll of the prophet Isaiah which was given to him. Y'shua opened the scroll and found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of Master YHWH is upon me.... He has anointed me to declare hope to the poor; to heal the brokenhearted and to preach release to the captives and give sight to the blind; to free those who are oppressed by the power of forgiveness; and to preach the acceptable year of YHWH". Verse 20 - And he rolled up the scroll and gave it to the minister and sat down. 

Y'shua told them the Scripture he just read and they just heard was fulfilled that day. He has the Spirit of YHWH and is the Mashiyach - the Anointed One.  He was not teaching a Torah portion. This is the Son of YHWH letting folks know who he is and backing it up with Scriptures! Folks became angry with him to the point they were ready to toss him off a cliff. Does this sound like he was making them happy by following their 'tradition'?  I don't think so.

Quote from Chabad: The custom to complete the weekly public reading of the Torah every year finds its root in Babylon of the Talmudic Era. The Torah was then divided into fifty-four sections to allow for the completion of a yearly cycle with the reading of one Parshah per week. (end quote) 

Now that describes a man-made tradition! I really don't think Y'shua would adopt the practices that came from the Babylonian Talmud which are traditions passed down from the elders to the Pharisees whom Y'shua often called hypocrites. He would not enter a synagogue to join with the Pharisees and their method of teaching, but to teach the difference between their way and Yah's way.

Many think that there is nothing wrong with keeping traditions. The point these folks try to make is if tradition does not break commandments then it is just fine and dandy as long as we don't call them commandments, yet, at the same time, they know it was the traditions of the Pharisees that got them into trouble but think it was because they made their traditions into 'commandments'. This kind of self justification makes my head spin!

Again, we need to take another look into Scriptures for some clarity. It does not appear that the Pharisees made their traditions into commandments, although, they did value their own opinions and commentaries, just as many 'religious leaders' do in this day and age. And they did mix these ideas in with Torah, which is why they loved their Oral Torah. This is how the Mishnah, Talmud and Kabbalah came into existence. In Scriptures Y'shua calls them 'traditions' many times. An example of mixing imagination with Yah's Instructions is Nadab and Abihu, priests who did not follow the Instructions of YHWH exactly, but added their own touch and offered it as if it would be accepted. Things didn't go so well for them after that. Why is it so difficult for folks to simply obey the Instructions given us by our Creator without thinking we can do as we please which only pleases ourselves?  You know, after YHWH finished creation He said it was 'good' but Satan told Eve it could be better. Look where that got us.

Back in the time of Moses there were no 'synagogues'. Yah's people gathered at the Tent of Meeting and there certainly wasn't a 'haftarah' portion back then as the prophets were still a future time. The priests followed the pattern given by Yahweh through Moses, not some tradition they learned in Egypt. There were no 'chapters and verse' back then, either. However, His Instructions do say to be in His Word, reading and teaching them to our children Every Day: reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up, and to write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates to the end that you and your children may endure in the promised land (Deuteronomy 11:18). The command to read Torah during Sukkot is to be done every 7th year when everyone attends Sukkot (not just the males during the other years). It is an extra observance in keeping Sukkot each seventh year, not a separate command. 

Concluding that Y'shua was teaching per the Torah portion format makes no sense and is not backed up in Scriptures.  Besides that, Y'shua is the Word made Flesh, so he would be naturally teaching 'Torah' with clarity and authority by his behavior, by his very being, and not reading from scrolls as if he were second hand news. 

Matthew 23 ~ Y'shua spoke with the crowds and his disciples, saying to them: The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses. Therefore everything that they say to you, you should keep and do (according to written Torah). But (don't do as they 'do') not according to their deeds (according to oral Torah), for they talk but do not do as they teach. They do all their deeds that they might be seen in public. They widen their Tefillin (leather box/straps) and lengthen the Tekhelet (the cord of blue attached to the fringes) of their robes. And they love the chief places at festivals and the best seats at the assembly. They love to be greeted in the streets and to be called Rabbi by men. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites! For they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven before the sons of men.

They honor YHWH with their words, in their form, but their hearts are far from him as they please themselves with their made-up traditions.

The established thoughts and behavior of the elders were handed down to the Pharisees which was the ground work for what became the religion we know of today as Judaism: a cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs and institutions (as are most religions). As we uncover the Hebrew origins of our faith we learn that there are traditions we should not add to our spiritual awakening thinking we are pleasing Elohim.

Mark 7:5 The scribes and the Pharisees ask Y'shua, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the traditions of the elders? His short answer is: "You hypocrites... You have left the Commandment of Elohim and have embraced the tradition of men. And you despise the Word of Elohim because of the tradition that you have handed down..."

Matthew 15:3 records the same... the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem ask Y'shua why his disciples transgress against the traditions of the elders. He asks them, "Why do you transgress the Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions?"

Written Torah was pitted against the oral traditions of the Pharisees who were nullifying the Word of YHWH by their traditions and Y'shua would not instruct his followers to do likewise, let alone adopt those same traditions and teach them to others.

Some people just cannot accept YHWH at His word and simply obey His Instructions. For some reason they feel the need to dress 'em up, because that's what the Jews do and they are His chosen people, aren't they? And we Gentiles have been grafted in to the House of Israel, haven't we? When folks who are trying to be Torah Observant do Kiddush on Friday night and light the candles they are doing so because of tradition which has been 'handed down' and  'added' to the instructions of how to keep the seventh day set apart.  Folks use the excuse that it helps them to see that the Sabbath is special, holy, set apart instead of trusting and doing according to the Word of MarYah.

Definition of "tradition" from the 

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

• an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior
• a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
• the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
• cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
• characteristic manner, method, or style

Y'shua's focus is on the traditions handed down by the 'elders' which were practiced by the Pharisees. The Book of Mark Chapter 7 showcases one of the greatest discussions of 'oral versus written law' predating what would later be recorded in the Talmud some 200 years later. Matthew 15:3 also records that the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem ask Y'shua why his disciples transgress against the traditions of the elders. He asks them, "Why do you transgress the Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions?"

Y'shua is pointing out The Traditions of the Pharisees go against the Instructions of YHWH.  These traditions were woven into the religion of Judaism and are accepted by many Hebrew Roots groups today. Now, can you see what I am getting at? Traditions are not necessary or commanded by our Creator but are additional rituals invented by man, and taught to others who have been doing them for so many years they seem a natural part of YHWH's Instructions. This is the same process by which traditional holidays have taken over the world.

YHWH has told us to remember and observe His Set Apart times for us: 

Passover, which begins the days of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Feast of the Harvest/Weeks (aka: Shavuot/Pentecost), Day of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles (Leviticus 23). He gave us specific instructions to follow, so why add some man made tradition to His clearly stated how-to list? Nadab and Abihu were trained up in their priestly duties, instructions straight from YHWH, but what did they do? They took the fire pans with fire in them and laid incense on it and offered it up in a way that did not follow YHWH's instructions. They used the tools given them by YHWH to please themselves first and then go before Elohim.

Traditions have been 'added' to the clear instructions given by our Creator.  Are folks doing the traditional things because it makes them feel good? Are they impressing their friends and family? Assembly members? Do they think by doing more than He asks they will score more points with Him? The only thing this type of behavior does is represent 'disobedience' to our heavenly Father.

How Long?

In Numbers 14 Yah asks Moses a question that I see is still pertinent to this very day. In Verse 11 we read, “How long will this people despise Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?

He refers to these people a few more times: 

Isaiah 43:8 ~ Bring out a people who have eyes but are blind, and who have ears but are deaf. Jeremiah 4:22 ~ "For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they do not know how to do good."

Here's an example of this type of behavior that Isaiah pointed out in his day being brought up again by Paul in Acts 28:25 after a day of teaching from Torah and the prophets to this group of people, who, after hearing all these words some refused to listen or try to understand. These people left arguing among themselves (just the same as folks in today's world). Paul says "Well did the Ruach haKodesh by the mouth of Isaiah the prophet speak concerning your fathers, saying... Hearing you will hear and will not understand, and you will see and will not comprehend."

We have read that the wheat and the tares grow together until the end, when the harvest of the earth begins. There is nothing new under the sun and we are experiencing the same sort of mindset in our day as in the days of Isaiah the prophet and the days of Paul the Apostle.  How many of us have gathered with 'like minded folks' only to leave the assembly in disagreement? How many times have I heard the excuse, 'we'll just have to agree to disagree'.  It is time to give up those convenient comfort zone excuses!

How can we have eyes and ears but not see or hear?  Our lack of understanding Scriptures is the meaning of the metaphor. We give it a light reading and it makes no sense. We'd rather close the book and go do something else than continue to study it out until it makes sense.  If we do not have a love for the truth we will fall short and be destroyed for lack of knowledge.

How do we continue to 'spurn' YHWH? Who of us are still celebrating various man-made holidays? How many of us celebrate His 'feast days' the way we think they should be celebrated, ignoring His clear Instructions? Maybe many have stopped partaking of holiday parties but still eat pork chops, crab and shrimp.  Others may have adopted His Menu but still think the 7th day rest is on a sat.day. The tangled web which has been woven over hundreds of years is a tough one to separate ourselves from but it can be done and should be done if we want to show our love for our Creator.

Our lives today have become much more complicated in comparison to that mixed multitude that spent 40 years in the wilderness - only two of the original group made it into the promised land.... what do we have to look forward to?

Lovers of Self

I've been talking with people who have had the feeling that we are sampling a small taste of what will be commonplace in the end times scenario, and I have to agree with them.  Some have experienced a spiritual separation from others due to our growing faith in YHWH Elohim; a separation from those people we love but they all continue, one way or another, in the pagan ways our Creator warned us about - many show no interest in coming out of those worldly ways. It appears that the time has come to shake the dust off our sandals and move on. The Seed Parable comes to mind.  We have tossed a lot of seed in their path and it is possible The Light will go on for them somewhere down the road, and I pray it does.

This coming out of Babylon seemed easy at first to my husband and I, and now we're getting a glimpse of what it means in totality. Leaving the big yearly holiday celebrations was easy once the truth of their origins were revealed to us. After that, giving up all man-made traditions made sense. Leaving our little Hebrew Roots group took a while but needed to be done. We had gotten the same feeling that church goers get when they realize they've been short-changed by false teachings: it's time to stop meeting with that congregation and come out of the Babylonian mindset. In doing so we begin to see Yahweh Elohim for who He is. The more in line we get with Him and His Instructions the more heartache we can see on the horizon because of the choices we must make.  It is sad and exciting to have His Truth revealed, a great test to reveal what is in our hearts, whether we really will obey Him. 

Then there are those who become 'lovers of themselves' who have egos built upon pride and arrogance. They place upon themselves a huge heapin' helping of self worth and claim it's 'live and let live' time.  Their excuses are 'that's not what it means to me' and 'God knows what's in my heart' and 'as long as I honor Him, its OK whatever I do, whenever I do it' (sounding quite a bit as if they follow the doctrine of Nicolaitans). That sure puts a heavy glaze over the truth of Scriptures and what our Creator expects from us.  But you know what? It is the Seed Parable once again.

The seed is the Word of Elohim

"The side of the road" are those people who hear the Word, but along comes the enemy and takes the Word from the heart so that they might not believe and gain life eternal. (Satan causes us to doubt the Word of Elohim which removes it from our heart)

"The stony ground" are those that heard it and received the Word with joy, but they have no root; rather for a while their faith is growing, yet in the time of difficulties and trying times they are offended and turn their backs on Elohim. (No root means no foundation in Scriptures, no place for faith to gain a foothold. Everything sounds good and seems right on the surface to these folks, but when bad things happen, they quickly blame God)

A "thorny place" are they who hear the Word but eventually, with the wealth and lusts of the world, are choked, and they do not produce fruit. (TV Evangelicals come to mind, ensnaring and choking off people everywhere and getting rich doing so.)

"Good ground" are they who, with an honest and good heart, hear the Word and retain it and bear fruit with patience.

We are to Love YHWH first and foremost and not put ourselves first and then work Him into our schedule as we see fit. 

Mark 12:29 - Y'shua said the 1st Commandment is 'Shema (hear and obey) O Israel! Master YHWH is one - Love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, all your mind and strength. The 2nd is like it - Love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18)

And while we're at it:

Romans 12:9 - Let not your love be full of deceit, but be haters of evil things and adhere to good things. Love one another, honor one another, be active and not slothful. Be fervent in spirit. Work for Y'shua. Be joyful in your hope in the Good News. Be patient under your afflictions and preserving in prayer. Be communicators to the wants of the Set Apart believers. Be kind to strangers. Bless your persecutors, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with them who rejoice and weep with them who weep. Do not indulge in arrogant thoughts, but unite yourselves with the humble minded. Be not wise in your own estimations. Repay no man evil for evil but let it be to your study to do good before all men.

In Revelation 2:6, and 2:15, it is stated that the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans is a thing to be hated. The Nicolaitans believed in the freedom of the flesh and taught that the deeds of the flesh had no effect upon the health of the soul and had no relation to salvation. They believed that faith alone, and not obedience to the Instructions of Elohim, was necessary for salvation. They could behave anyway they liked as long as they claimed to have 'faith in god'. This is a false teaching.  While Faith is the foundation for our salvation, it is by Faith we obey our Creator and have the testimony of His Son.

The Feast of Dedication = Another Tradition

This historical event has come to be known as Chanukkah and is not one of our Creator's set apart times so it is not necessary to partake of the modern day festivities associated with it.  Many see it today as the 'Jewish Christmas' because of the traditions added to it and it's proximity to Dec. 25th. The Feast of Dedication is only mentioned one time in Scriptures, noting the time of year and what was taking place while Y'shua was walking and teaching on the porch at the Temple in Jerusalem, as he was accustomed to do. Many like to say that Y'shua was celebrating this feast day but in one of my studies I have concluded this was not the case. (See link at the bottom of this page).

Quote from the Jewish Virtual Library:

A successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees. They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Selucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle.

Chanukkah is not a very important religious holiday. The holiday's religious significance is far less than that of Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu'ot. Chanukkah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is related in the book of the Maccabees.

There are those who believe Chanukkah is important in another way. It has been proposed that Antiochus Epiphanes represents the people, you and me, and Judah Maccabee represents Y'shua.  Maybe someone came up with this connection and it seemed to fit their learning curve at the time, but really, take a closer look at Antiochus, who had a statue of Zeus and one of himself placed inside the Temple and commanded sacrifices be made to them. This is more inline with what will happen three and half years into the final seven years of life as we know it on this earth: Satan possesses the final world leader, enters the 'holy of holies' and declares himself 'god'.  The image of the beast is set up and all are commanded to worship it. This is part of what Y'shua tells us according to Daniel's prophecy about the 'abomination of desolation' that enters the set apart place. It is a warning for us to heed concerning the end times scenario. 

Judah Maccabee (the hammer) was behind the actions which purged the temple of Hellenistic cult paraphernalia including the statues of Zeus and Antiochus Ephiphanes; reconstructed the sanctuary according to Torah prescriptions and reconsecrated it to the worship of YHWH [Dec. 164 BC]. The festival of Channukah was later instituted to commemorate this triumph.

Someone is trying to make a good excuse for keeping the tradition of celebrating Chanukkah, ignoring the historical/prophetical events while at the same time thinking they are honoring YHWH. This idea comes from man's imagination and is not supported by Scriptures, which should always be the foundation in any research and study. Personally, I cannot see a connection between me and Antiochus Epiphanes nor would I desire to be grouped in with him. He was an abomination and I am not. I admit I once was a carnal Gentile before I came into covenant with YHWH Elohim, but now I am learning right from wrong as I abide by His Instructions. As for desecrating any temple and thinking I was a god-dess.... nope, not the case.  And I think it is a stretch comparing Judah the Hammer with Y'shua the Messiah who told his Apostles the temple they admired would be torn down and replaced spiritually. 

Many of us have gotten sidelined once or twice while in the study of Scriptures when we let our imaginations take the lead with those 'what if' scenarios, while searching for 'deeper meanings'.  

Click Here for my study on Tradition

Click Here for my study on Pagan Origins

then scroll down past 'Easter' for info about Chanukkah

Click Here for my study on Deeper Meanings

That Old Dragon

I think it is safe to say that in this day and age most people associate the term/name "Satan" with the Devil, the serpent that showed up in the Garden who has played a role throughout Scriptures and is known as our Adversary, that old Dragon.  We also know that if we resist temptation the devil will flee from us.

Genesis 3

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that YHWH made. The serpent speaks to Eve asking, "Did God really say you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?"  With that he causes her to doubt the Word of the Creator.  The serpent reassures her that she won't die if she eats of the tree in the middle of the Garden but that her eyes will be opened and she will be like the 'divine beings' who know good and bad. He tempted her and she took the bait.  Later, when Yah approaches and asks, "What is this that you have done!" she blames the serpent.  Yah curses the serpent, separating it from all the wild beasts and cattle. "On your belly you shawl crawl" seems to indicate it walked either upright or on all fours, but no more. And now there is enmity between it and the woman and their offspring; hers shall strike at its head and its shall strike at their heel. (A deadly head wound comes to mind). Adam and Eve were banned from the Garden where they had been cared for by YHWH and now had to work to provide for themselves.

Definition of enmity:

: positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

This everlasting hatred is between Jacob and Esau and their descendants. Our Creator blessed both sons of Abraham, but He only kept His Covenant through Jacob.

In these writings no one is designated as 'Satan' and it isn't until Genesis 6 that we read about the divine beings who had sex with human women who bore those genetic half breeds; and eventually man's wickedness and his continuous evil ways cause our Creator to become so saddened that He regrets that He had made man. 

Was Satan the boss of those divine beings? We're they part of his plan against YHWH and that perpetual mutual hatred between the children of Cain and the children of Elohim? What about that bright shining morning star that some translations read as 'Lucifer' ... was this referring to the King of Babylon or to the fallen state of Satan?

I found this very interesting, the definition of 'Satan' found in the Merriam Webster Dictionary:

• the angel who in Jewish belief is commanded by God to tempt humans to sin, to accuse the sinners, and to carry out God's punishment
• the rebellious angel who in Christian belief is the adversary of God and lord of evil

Commanded by God? I always thought Satan was acting of his own accord, out of pride and arrogance, defying YHWH Elohim.  Rebellious and disobedient to the Creator; lawless, and able to tempt mere humans to sin.

Who we have come to know as Satan was either appearing as a serpent, possessing the serpent, or deceiving Adam and Eve into believing that it was the serpent who was talking to them. This much we can discern by reading Revelation 12:8 ~ But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. And the great dragon was hurled down — the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Second Thessalonians 2:9

For the coming of that Evil One is the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all the deceptiveness of iniquity in them that perish; because they did not receive the love of the truth by which they might have life. Therefore Elohim will send upon them the strength of a deception that they may believe a lie and that they all may be condemned who do not believe the truth but have pleasure in their inequity.

Inequity defined:

Injustice = Wrong

Unfairness = Marked by deception

Deceptiveness of inequity = it's all wrong, lies accepted in place of the Truth.  Once we win the battle against being brainwashed all these years, it is amazing how His Truth stands out so obvious against the darkness Satan's wields.

Second Corinthians 2:10

And whom you forgive, I also forgive for that which I forgave to any one for your sakes I forgave it in the presence of the Messiah; or else Satan should overtake us, for we know his devices.

Second Corinthians 11:13

For they are false apostles, crafty workers, and pretend apostles of Y'shua, and in this there is nothing strange, for if Satan pretends to be a Messenger of light it makes sense that his ministers also pretend to be ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

First Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves under the powerful hand of Elohim for He cares for you. Be sober and guarded because Satan, like a lion, roars and goes about and seeks whom he may devour. Therefore resist him, being steadfast in the Faith and know that the same sufferings befall your Brothers that are in the world.

Through our own personal battles with temptations, and in our times of joy, we do have Revelation 20:1 to look forward to: And I saw a Messenger that descended from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he seized that dragon, the old serpent, who is the Deceiver and Satan, who seduced the whole habitable world, and he bound him a thousand years.

Satan has been referred to as the dragon, a serpent, a deceiver, the father of lies and the adversary.  It is believed he was once Yah's most favorite of the host of heaven who chose to leave his station out of pride and arrogance wanting to be 'god' himself, no longer satisfied to be part of creation. It has been his mission ever since to keep mankind from knowing the one true Living Elohim.

Recognizing Demons in Today's World

Most of the following is gleaned from a web site I came across while researching 'demons'. Much of it does make sense in light of Scriptures as we know demons are written of more than once throughout Scriptures. This study is to help us better understand our enemy so as not to be destroyed for lack of knowledge; nor shall we fall for the strong delusion coming our way. I provided Chapter and Verse references taken from my copy of the Tanakh and the Aramaic English New Testament. Please read from your own copy of Scriptures as you further your studies.

We learn from reading Ephesians 2 that before we knew right from wrong we were unaware of our sins and offenses.  We behaved according to the the worldliness of this world (religions, customs and materialism...) and lived according to the will of the prince and power of the air, that spirit which is active in those who are rebellious and disobedient (shunning the Creator).  We gave into temptations and desires of the flesh and our thoughts... we were just like the rest of the people we hung out with. 

Satan is "the prince of the power of the air". 

John 12:31 tells us when Judgment Day comes, the ruler of this world will be cast outside. It is reasonable to think that he and his demons have some control over the elements of nature such as wind, rain, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Remember that it was Satan who directed a "great wind" to collapse the home of Job's oldest son, resulting in the deaths of all Job's children:

Job 1:19  ... suddenly a mighty wind came from the wilderness. It struck the four corners of the house so that it collapsed upon the young people and they died..." 

Another thing I'd like to point out is the fact that governments of this world use weather as a weapon by means of control through the HAARP program, chemical spraying of the atmosphere, pinging and things we've yet to hear about which are all behaviors connected to demonic influence.

It is not logical to blame every illness on demonic activity nor is it biblical. Many of our illnesses are the result of poor lifestyle choices: too much fast food; lack of physical exercise; addictions to things such as alcohol, nicotine, drugs, TV, social media; hanging onto guilt and not forgiving others; holding onto a grudge and blaming ourselves for things not our fault. Though not all illnesses are caused by Satan and his demons, some of them are. Reading in Mark we see there is a difference between sicknesses that were caused by demons and those that were not.

Mark 1:32 ~ And in the evening at the setting of the sun, they brought to him all those who were severely diseased and possessed ....he healed many who were severely diseased with diverse weaknesses  ....he cast out many demons, and he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

It seems Mark is making a difference between people who are sick with some sort of disease and those who are possessed. Folks can become physically ill from a weakened immune system and maybe if one is spiritually weak they can become home to a demon.

Just like physical illness, some mental disorders are caused by other factors while some are demonically influenced.  Again I would like to suggest it relates to how spiritually weak a person is. I think it is a mistake to say that all mental illness is directly linked to demons. 

Our thoughts and emotions are directly traceable to a series of electrical and chemical impulses in the brain. When the brain does not function properly, drug therapy can help restore the natural balances. However, our thoughts and emotions are more than a series of electrical and chemical impulses. There's an immeasurable, though very real, spiritual component that influences our thoughts and emotions. Positively, this spiritual component can protect us from anxiety and its attendant consequences:

Philippians 4:4 ~ Rejoice in יהוה always, again I say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Master is near. Do not worry at all, but in every matter, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Elohim; and the peace of Elohim, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Messiah יהושע. For the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is righteous, whatever is clean, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any uprightness and if there is any praise – think on these.

If a positive spiritual exercise like prayer can influence our thought processes by removing anxiety, then it is reasonable to conclude there are also negative spiritual influences that can seize control of our minds and emotions. While not all mental disorders are caused by external spiritual forces such as demons, some of them are.

Consider the man in Luke 8 who was controlled by numerous demons. A refusal to put on clothes, withdrawal from others, strange voices emanating from his mouth, and deep depression were symptoms that today would immediately land him in a mental hospital. Yet as soon as the demons left him, notice the immediate and radical change in his mental state and behavior: "The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Y'shua, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Y'shua, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well" (Luke 8:35-36).

The restoration of this man's mental health did not require years of psychotherapy or drug treatment, because his root problem was not primarily physical or emotional, but spiritual. Please understand that I'm not condemning psychotherapy or chemical treatment. What I am suggesting is that sometimes there is also a spiritual component to mental disorders we should not ignore.

Demons can use other people to discourage, distract, and deceive us. In extreme instances, demons have the ability to use human agents to persecute and murder other Believers. John attributes the slaughter of Elohim's people during the coming Tribulation to demonic activity (see Revelation 18:2,24). We are aware of similar persecution throughout history and in many areas of the world today.

While no true Set Apart believer can be possessed by a demon, we can be influenced by demons - it is an ever present, although spiritual, war. Any area of our lives that is not controlled by the Ruach haKodesh is vulnerable to being controlled by Satan and his forces. You may remember from physics that nature abhors a vacuum. The same truth applies to the spiritual realm. Some spiritual force is going to fill or control your life. Any area of your existence — finances, marriage, work, and morality — that is not being directed by the His Spirit is vulnerable to being controlled by demonic influences.

The key to resisting demonic influences in our lives is to make sure that every area of our lives is filled or controlled by Yahweh Elohim.  Put Him first in all things.

(Adapted from The Divine Defense by Robert Jeffress, Waterbrook Press, 2006)

Flying Scroll and a Tub of Wickedness

If you thought Ezekiel's visions were far-out, read this from Zechariah. He's been talking with an angel while being shown different visions. This is from chapter 5:

I looked up again, and I saw a flying scroll. "What do you see" the angel asked. I replied, "A flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide." The angel explained, "That is the curse which goes out over the whole land. For everyone who has stolen, as is forbidden on one side of the scroll, has gone unpunished; and everyone who has sworn falsely, as is forbidden on the other side of it, has gone unpunished. YHWH declares; I sent it forth and the curse shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My Name, and it shall lodge inside their houses and shall consume them to the last timber and stone. The angel tells Zechariah to look up and see the other object that is approaching. "This tub that is approaching, this is their eye in all the land." A disk of lead was lifted revealing a woman seated inside the tub. "That is Wickedness"; and thrusting her down into the tub, he pressed the leaded weight into the mouth of the tub. Two women came soaring with the wind in their wings- they had wings like those of a stork -and carry off the tub between earth and sky. They took it to build a shrine for it in the land of Shinar, a stand will be erected for it, and it shall be set down there upon the stand.

A Cubit is a measure of approximately 18 inches. That scroll is about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. It is the curse that infests liars, cheaters and thieves who think they've "gotten away with it" - they haven't been caught or punished, yet. It consumes them, timber and stone. That tub being used as 'their eye' in all the land makes me think of a satellite or the famous 'all seeing eye' until we find the wicked woman inside. Is that Ishtar or perhaps alluding to Mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots; the woman who rides the beast, controlling governments. It takes a covering of lead to keep her inside. 

The Land of Shinar was a general geographic term for what is today Iraq, known in ancient times as Mesopotamia. There, two of the greatest of ancient empires, Assyria and Babylon, were centered and this is where a shrine to wickedness is kept.

For an example, in today's world, there is the Shrine of Sayidda Zeinab - (quote) ... an Iranian-style mosque and shrine in southern Damascus, Syria. The mosque dates from the 1990s, but was built on a pre-existing shrine. It attracts Shia Muslim pilgrims from Iran and around the world who care far less about its blue-tiled architecture than about it's the shrine of Sayidda Zeinab, daughter of the Shia martyr Ali and granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad. (end quote) 

Could this be the foreshadowed shrine of wickedness? hmmm... Islam opposes Yah's Instructions in righteous living. Arabs are the descendants of Esau... Mystery Babylon will be remembered and judged. Shinar is the name given, in the earliest Hebrew records, to Babylonia, later called Babel, or the land of Babel. In Genesis 10:10 it is the district wherein lay Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, cities which were the "beginning" of Nimrod's kingdom. In 11:2 Shinar is described as the land of the plain where migrants from the East settled, and founded Babel, the city, and its great tower.

There is also a replica of the Ishtar Gate in Babylon today. The original was taken by archaeologist over a century ago and is in Berlin. I find it interesting that Babylon is being rebuilt and has been submitted to the UN World Heritage Center for consideration.

I don't think we've heard the last of the Tub of Wickedness.