I'm still caretaking my mom, going on over 4 years now. But a few weeks ago my brother, Doug, transferred his job to Grand Junction so he could live with us and help care-take our mother.
Meanwhile, I mull over things like this. So I'll share it with you:
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or he calls down the wrath of Heaven (Acts 5).
"Your money perish (apoleia) with you!", cries the apostle (Acts 8:20).
So, yeah. When money and religion combine religion becomes poison. Funny I'd even have to say this, right?
In the Old Testament, the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel show how Lucifer and the serpent of Eden are the master of wealth, excess, national pride, and world commerce (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28). And isn't this the whole theme of the last book of the New Testament, Revelation, which states the Antichrist and his commercial empire will go into apoleia (perdition) (Revelation 17)?
This is the one principle in Christian scriptures that isn't ambiguous. It couldn't be more unmistakably clear.
You would think a Christian would make every effort to avoid Antichrist, Apollyon, root of all evil, right?
Meanwhile, I mull over things like this. So I'll share it with you:
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| Illustration from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress by H. C. Selous and M. Paolo Priolo |
Antichrist is a popular subject in the USA.
So let's go with it. Yeah, I find it fascinating.
(You probably know by now I like studying world mythology, not just the Bible, but all world mythology. Contrary to popular thinking, "myth" does not mean "lie" but means "parable/allegory.")
In the Bible, Apollyon is the Angel of the Abyss, the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:11). Apollyon's Hebrew name is Abaddon, the Destroyer--also the name for Sheol, or Hell, in the Old Testament. Scholars call him Antichrist.
The Greek root of "Apollyon", Apoleia [ἀπώλεια], means excess, waste, loss, perdition, destruction.
Apoleia is almost always, if not always, associated with wealth and money in the Bible. For example, the Bible states how wealth is always lost [apoleia] and those who trust in wealth will be lost [apoleia] with it (Acts 8:20, 1 Timothy 6:9, 2 Peter 2:1-3, Revelation 17:8-11).
The Antichrist is called the Son of Apoleia (Son of Perdition) (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Jesus even calls his betrayer, who sold him for money, the Son of Apoleia (John 17:12).
Bible readers will notice the Christian scriptures show no greater anger than when wealth and religion are mixed.
This is when the normally pacifist Sage gets so pissin' mad he even picks up a whip to overturn money tables and drive out the greed heads (Matthew 21, Mark 11, Luke 19, John 2),
So let's go with it. Yeah, I find it fascinating.
(You probably know by now I like studying world mythology, not just the Bible, but all world mythology. Contrary to popular thinking, "myth" does not mean "lie" but means "parable/allegory.")
In the Bible, Apollyon is the Angel of the Abyss, the bottomless pit (Revelation 9:11). Apollyon's Hebrew name is Abaddon, the Destroyer--also the name for Sheol, or Hell, in the Old Testament. Scholars call him Antichrist.
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| The Son of Perdition |
The Greek root of "Apollyon", Apoleia [ἀπώλεια], means excess, waste, loss, perdition, destruction.
Apoleia is almost always, if not always, associated with wealth and money in the Bible. For example, the Bible states how wealth is always lost [apoleia] and those who trust in wealth will be lost [apoleia] with it (Acts 8:20, 1 Timothy 6:9, 2 Peter 2:1-3, Revelation 17:8-11).
The Antichrist is called the Son of Apoleia (Son of Perdition) (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Jesus even calls his betrayer, who sold him for money, the Son of Apoleia (John 17:12).
Bible readers will notice the Christian scriptures show no greater anger than when wealth and religion are mixed.
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| "Your money perish (apoleia) with you!" The Fall of Simon Magus at Cathédrale Saint Lazare, Autun (Saône-et-Loire) |
or he calls down the wrath of Heaven (Acts 5).
"Your money perish (apoleia) with you!", cries the apostle (Acts 8:20).
So, yeah. When money and religion combine religion becomes poison. Funny I'd even have to say this, right?
In the Old Testament, the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel show how Lucifer and the serpent of Eden are the master of wealth, excess, national pride, and world commerce (Isaiah 14, Ezekiel 28). And isn't this the whole theme of the last book of the New Testament, Revelation, which states the Antichrist and his commercial empire will go into apoleia (perdition) (Revelation 17)?
This is the one principle in Christian scriptures that isn't ambiguous. It couldn't be more unmistakably clear.
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| The Ruins of Babylon in Present-Day Iraq "Babylon is Fallen, is Fallen!" (Isaiah 21:9 & Revelation 14:8) |
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ReplyDeleteDid you know too that 'dition' is actually a word by itself?
ReplyDeleteIt means Rule; power; government; dominion. From Latin ditio. The prefix 'per' meaning through or by.
So 'perdition' means by or through dominion, rule or government.
Connects pretty nicely with your previous blog post too.
Fascinating!
DeleteYeah, I thought so, especially as, like you said in comment on your last post, 'Humans own and control each other'
DeleteAren't we all then the sons of perdition? By and through our claim of dominion over each other? (Per- Dition).
What if we're all waiting for THE son of perdition to be revealed, when in fact, for each of us, it is I "who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God..." acting as if I am God (2 Thessalonians 2: 2-4)?
Yes! The lost son, the prodigal son, is the son of perdition, using the same word "apoleia." We're constantly looking for antichrist in a single political figure or lurking around every corner. But he's easy to find - in the mirror. But so is the other son, the Image of God, who is alive and remains. The only way we can see the Image of God is to also face the Son of Perdition, which is too frightening. So we're barred from seeing either. We know everything but ourselves. But in the end, nothing is lost. The Prodigal must return. That's the mystery.
DeleteAbsolutely. If we'll each face the Son of Perdition in ourselves we'll see a false identity; a persona that we've taken upon our selves.
DeleteIf we'll each ask, 'Am I made in the image of my country, or am I made in the image of God?' we'll either see our natural face in a mirror, or an identity card in our wallet or purse.
One of these identities is founded on something real, the other on a 'fiction of law' and a fictional claim of dominion.
One makes you a 'Son of Man' and ultimately a 'Son of God', the other makes you the son of a country, the Person, the 'Son of Perdition'.
One identity is based on your natural face and the dominion of your maker, the other is based on a legal mask (figuratively speaking) and the dominion of 'We the people' as THE ONE. E Pluribus Unum.
At the risk of writing too much:
לא יהיה־לך אלהים אחרים על־פני
Thou shalt have no other gods on/upon/over/on top of (figuratively) your faces (על־) - Exodus 20:3
The mystery of iniquity (2 Thes 2:7) is Lawlessness.
Man's legal system is not law, or else it would be spelt the same way; l-e-g-a-l can never be l-a-w, it can only appear to be.
Is this to be the end of our conversation Daniel?
DeleteI guess you may just be busy with your Mom, but I'm learning that just the mention of law is usually enough to stop any conversation. It's a pity, because it really is the thing that affects us most, including all the important things you blog about.
I know it's not a 'sexy' subject, and for people who perhaps think of themselves as free spirits, it must be a real downer, but the effects of law are REAL, and so acceptance of this is essential to any search for Truth.
Hi Daniel. The last pic of Babylon seems prophetic!
ReplyDeleteI know, right?
DeleteLove you brother.
Many Christians I know are busy flocking to the brick and stick church (some are quite ostentatious structures) when none of that is necessary. Worship is by spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Scripture is plain about Satan being the god of this world. Love of money being root of all evil, the devil, capitalism and that hungry ghost of ego all inextricably connected.
ReplyDeleteHere is a free book on the topic for more research: History Of Antichrist, Or An Exposition Of Certain And Probable Events Which Concern The “Man Of Sin,” His Reign, His Time, And End, According To Holy Scripture And Tradition https://archive.org/details/HuchedeHistoryAntiChristBESTVERSION
ReplyDeleteI hope your family and you are well. Now that world economies have nearly halted die to pandemic, I look forward to your thoughts on the matter.
ReplyDeleteThat should read "due to pandemic".
ReplyDelete