The Folly of Antisemitism: Israel's Destiny of Salvation

NOTE: This article is partially complete. I'm not sure when I'll finish it, so I decided to publish it as is. The primary message is there and I think it's an important one for our time.

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It has been on my heart for a while to write about antisemitism and the nation of Israel. I have witnessed a growing prejudice against Jews and against Israel's existence, even among those who claim to be Christians. In this article I want to show God's heart toward the house of Israel (i.e. physical descendants of the 12 tribes) and His plan for returning them to the Promised Land and redeeming them in the end times. There are many prophecies about this in the Bible. As Christians, it is important that our hearts and minds line up with God's agenda, lest we find ourselves opposed to His work in the world.

The Bible states that a remnant of the house of Israel will be re-gathered to the land promised to Abraham and to his descendants forever. They will go through tribulation -- even two-thirds will perish. But through it all, Israel will turn to the Lord God, recognize their true Messiah Jesus Christ and be saved as a nation.

God will do this for his glory and because of his covenant with Abraham.

This is not to say Israel is righteous today. It is not. The Israeli government is very involved with the New World Order agenda (as are many governments around the world). Israel's treatment of Palestinians is horrendous and deserves criticism. But none of this negates the fact that God will save them.

It would be unwise for anyone to have hatred toward a people God intends to save, especially when we ourselves are only saved by His grace. Salvation is a gift that no one deserves!

God's Covenant with Abraham

Abraham is the father of our faith. When God called Abraham to leave his home in Haran and go to an unknown land, He promised to make Abraham into a great nation and to bless all the peoples on earth through him.

"Go out from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you." - Genesis 12:1-3, Holman

That nation would become Israel, God's own people in the earth; the land would be the land of Canaan, the promised land; and the blessing was ultimately fulfilled in the Messiah, the Savior of all mankind, coming through Abraham's lineage.

God was very specific that the inheritor of these promises was Abraham's son Isaac, born to his wife Sarah in old age. It was not Ishmael, who was born to Sarah's handmaid Hagar in a moment of doubt, nor was it any of the sons of Keturah, the wife Abraham took after Sarah died. The inheritance was passed to Isaac's son Jacob, and not his firstborn son Esau who traded his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew. Then it passed to Jacob's 12 sons, the progenitors of the 12 tribes of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

God gave the promised land to Abraham's offspring as an eternal (never-ending) inheritance:

"I will keep My covenant between Me and you, and your future offspring throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you. And to you and your future offspring I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession, and I will be their God." - Genesis 17:7-8

The patriarchs lived in the land of Canaan until the great famine, when Jacob and his sons moved to Egypt for refuge. The nation of Israel lived there 430 years and grew numerous. God raised up Moses to lead the people out of Egypt, through the wilderness for 40 years and then to the promised land. By God's hand, Israel defeated and displaced the Canaanite nations and finally inhabited the land. Each tribe finally received their allotted portion.

Israel lived as a nation there for nearly a millennium. They went through the era of the judges and the kings. The first king was Saul, followed by David and his son Solomon. After Solomon, Israel was divided by civil war into the Northern Kingdom and Judah. The people fell into idolatry and rebellion. Eventually God punished unrepentant Israel by driving them out of the land. First, Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom and sent its people into exile. One hundred thirty-seven years later, Babylon destroyed Judah and Jerusalem and exiled its people.

God in his mercy restored Judah after 70 years of exile. However, it was only the remnant from Judah who returned. The tribes of the Northern Kingdom remained dispersed:

"So the family leaders of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone whose spirit God had stirred—prepared to go up and rebuild the Lord’s house in Jerusalem." - Ezra 1:5

By the time of Christ, Israel was subdued again by a foreign power - Rome. Except for a remnant (minority), the people of Israel did not receive their Messiah when He came. This failure would bring judgment on the nation again:

"As He approached and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, 'If you knew this day what would bring peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days will come on you when your enemies will build an embankment against you, surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave one stone on another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.'" - Luke 19:41-44

This was prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Rome sacked and destroyed Jerusalem. According to the historian Josephus, 1.1 million died, mostly Jews, and 97,000 were enslaved. 

But this was not the end of the story for Israel. Israel's rejection of Christ opened the door for the salvation of the Gentile (i.e. others nations of the world):

"By their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous." - Romans 11:11

By faith in Christ, Gentiles become spiritual sons of Abraham and, like a wild olive branch grafted into a domesticated olive tree, share in the promises God made to Abraham:

"Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness, then understand that those who have faith are Abraham’s sons. Now the Scripture saw in advance that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and told the good news ahead of time to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed through you." - Galatians 3:6-8

"And if the root is holy, so are the branches. Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, though a wild olive branch, were grafted in among them and have come to share in the rich root of the cultivated olive tree, do not brag that you are better than those branches." - Romans 11:16-18

Our salvation came through Abraham, the nation of Israel, and ultimately Jesus the Messiah. We are now living in the time of the Gentiles, but that window is rapidly closing. God has not forgotten Israel, whose salvation as a nation will come at the end of this age:

"So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Liberator will come from Zion; He will turn away godlessness from Jacob." - Romans 11:25-26

Let's take a look at the Old Testament prophecies about Israel's salvation. I recommend reading the entire sections listed below. But for sake of brevity, this article will only highlight key verses and interpretations. 

Jeremiah 30-31

"For behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will restore from captivity My people Israel and Judah, declares the LORD. I will restore them to the land I gave to their forefathers, and they will possess it." - Jeremiah 30:3, Berean Study Bible

→ God promised to restore Israel and Judah to the land of their forefathers. He specifically named Israel (Northern Kingdom) and Judah. This means all 12 tribes, not only the remnant of Judah that returned after the Babylonian exile. 

"These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah. Yes, this is what the LORD says: 'We have heard a cry of panic—of terror, not of peace. Ask and see: Can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor and every face turned pale? How awful that day will be! None will be like it! It is the time of Jacob’s distress, but he will be delivered out of it.'" - Jeremiah 30:4-7

→ The salvation of Israel will be birthed through a time of great distress and tribulation. In the King James Version it is called "Jacob's trouble." I believe this time corresponds to the seven seals of Revelation, including the Great Tribulation.

"On that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will break the yoke off their necks and tear off their bonds, and no longer will strangers enslave them. Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them." - Jeremiah 30:8-9


→ Israel will be freed from foreign captivity and enslavement. They will serve the Lord God and "David their king." The latter is a reference to the coming Messiah King. Jeremiah wrote those words nearly 400 years after the actual King David, so it was clearly a prophetic and messianic reference. Jesus came the first time as prophet and savior. When He returns, He will judge the earth, defeat Satan's forces and reign as King. Therefore, the salvation of Israel is associated with the return of Christ and his 1,000-year reign on earth. This is an end-times event.

"For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you; yet I will correct you in measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished." - Jerusalem 30:11

→ God will bring judgment and destruction on all the nations where Israel was scattered. These areas include North America, Europe, Russia and the Middle East - all places where the diaspora of Israel have lived in large numbers. But He will not completely destroy Israel. He will punish them, and through it all the nation of Israel will be saved.

"This is what the LORD says: I'm going to bring the captives back to Jacob's tents and show compassion on their homes. Cities will be built on the ruins, and fortified palaces will be built in their rightful place." - Jeremiah 30:18, God's Word Translation

→ The land of Israel will be rebuilt with cities, home and fortified places. We can look at Israel today and see this has already happened.

"When Israel went to find rest, the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have continued to extend faithful love to you." - Jeremiah 31:2-3

→ Why will the Lord save Israel? Because He loves Israel. 

"For this is what the Lord says: Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the chief of the nations! Proclaim, praise, and say, 'Lord, save Your people, the remnant of Israel!' Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land. I will gather them from remote regions of the earth—the blind and the lame will be with them, along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth. They will return here as a great assembly!" - Jeremiah 30:7-8

→ The return of Israel will be a joyous event! The Lord will draw them from the remote regions where they were scattered and assemble them in the promised land.

   
"'Look, the days are coming'—this is the Lord’s declaration—'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke even though I had married them'—the Lord’s declaration. 'Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days'—the Lord’s declaration. 'I will put My teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, "Know the Lord," for they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them'—this is the Lord’s declaration. 'For I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sin.'" - Jeremiah 31:31-34

→ This passage about the new covenant appears in the same section as the return of Israel. God gave the law of Moses to Israel at Mount Sinai, but Israel did not keep that covenant. That's why they were ejected from the land. So God has made a new covenant through His Son, Jesus Christ. Israel will be forgiven and restored under the new covenant in Christ's blood. This reality also establishes the return of Israel as an end-times event between Jesus first coming and His return.

Ezekiel 36-37

"This is what the Lord God says: Certainly in My burning zeal I speak against the rest of the nations and all of Edom, who took My land as their own possession with wholehearted rejoicing and utter contempt so that its pastureland became plunder." - Ezekiel 36:5, Holman

→ Here God accused Edom of taking and plundering His land. Of all the lands and nations in the world, God said the promised land of Israel belongs to Him. He feels personally about it. Edom was a nation founded by Esau, the son of Isaac who sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of lentil stew. Esau's descendants founded Rome, as explained in Jacob and Esau - Two Brothers, Two Nations in Conflict, Two Destinies. Therefore, this prophecy is really about Rome taking the land of Israel, which it did around the time of Christ. So the restoration of Israel described subsequently in this section occurs after Roman occupation. It is an end-time event.

"Therefore, prophesy concerning the land of Israel and say to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: This is what the Lord God says: Look, I speak in My burning zeal because you have endured the insults of the nations. Therefore this is what the Lord God says: I swear that the nations all around you will endure their own insults." - Ezekiel 36:6-7

→ God was angry that foreign nations desecrated His land. He vowed they would "endure their own insults" and be punished for it. Some of what will happen as described in Revelation is related to this judgment.

"You, mountains of Israel, will produce your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel, since their arrival is near. Look! I am on your side; I will turn toward you, and you will be tilled and sown. I will fill you with people, with the whole house of Israel in its entirety. The cities will be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. I will fill you with people and animals, and they will increase and be fruitful." - Ezekiel 36:8-11 

→ Beautiful and hopeful language about restoring the land of Israel and its people.

"The word of the Lord came to me: 'Son of man, while the house of Israel lived in their land, they defiled it with their conduct and actions. Their behavior before Me was like menstrual impurity. So I poured out My wrath on them because of the blood they had shed on the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols. I dispersed them among the nations, and they were scattered among the countries. I judged them according to their conduct and actions. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said about them, ‘These are the people of Yahweh, yet they had to leave His land in exile.'" - Ezekiel 36:16-20

→ God explained why Israel was exiled in the past and how it tarnished His holy name. Israel's rebellion, idolatry and bloodshed provoked the Lord. Yet when they were punished and scattered among the nations, it made Him look bad because Israel were His own people, God's own "called-out" nation.

"Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord God says: It is not for your sake that I will act, house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you profaned among the nations where you went." - Ezekiel 36:22

→ Israel does not deserve to be restored. That is not why God will do it. He will restore Israel because He loves them, as expressed previously in Jeremiah, and to restore His holy name among the nations.

"For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe My ordinances." - Ezekiel 36:24-27

→ Here again, God declared His intention to gather the house of Israel from exile and bring them back to the promised land. Not only that, but He will cleanse them from sin, put His Spirit in them and cause them to walk in His ways. This is another reference to the new covenant in Christ and pouring out of the Holy Spirit in the end times. Again, this restoration of Israel is clearly an end-times event.

Zechariah 9-14

"Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your King is coming to you; He is righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." - Zechariah 9:9

→ The daughter Zion rejoices because her King is coming! Daughter refers to offspring, and Zion refers to Jerusalem or more broadly Israel. This verse is about the coming of Israel's Messiah King. It was fulfilled when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey.

Spiritual Warfare Is Not Just Attacking Demons in the Spiritual Realm

When I hear Christians talk about "spiritual warfare" or "deliverance," red flags go up and I become suspicious. While these concepts are legitimate and rooted in the Bible, I have  seen false doctrines and even witchcraft infiltrate into Christian circles under the guise of spiritual warfare and deliverance ministries. In some ways they have been hijacked. In an effort to set the record straight, this article will look at what the Bible says about spiritual warfare and contrast it with some unbiblical ideas.

Witchcraft

By witchcraft, I am referring to spiritual activities that God has clearly forbidden in the Bible. I am using King James for this passage because it seems more accurate than the modern translations:

"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, or an enchanter, or a witch. Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 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." - Deuteronomy 18:10-12, KJV

Passing a child through the fire is child sacrifice. Like abortion. The phrase "through the fire" may also be translated "crossing over the fire," implying an interaction across a dimensional barrier or portal with an entity on the other side - a demon or fallen angel masquerading as a god.

Divination is receiving oracles or prophecies from a spirit other than the Holy Spirit. I suspect the majority of "Christian" prophecies one can find online are false, which means they come either from divination or the person's imagination.

An example of an observer of times is consulting horoscopes, which claim there are favorable or unfavorable times for certain activities based on a person's astrological sign. That means there is witchcraft in the newspapers!

Enchanters and witches cast spells and perform rituals to influence people or cause something to happen by supernatural means. This kind of magic is real. In the time of Moses, the Egyptian magicians Jannes and Jambres imitated the transformation of Moses' staff into a serpent as well as the first two plagues of the Lord using occult practices. The power behind it is demonic.

I believe a charmer is someone who influences people's minds through hypnotic or mind control techniques. I'm not an expert in this area, but I can see how corporate news programs use colors like hues of blue and certain graphics and musical tones to put people's minds in a more suggestive state before feeding them propaganda. They're charmers. One of the best ways for people to shatter the matrix and wake up to reality is to stop watching TV.

A consulter of familiar spirits is more commonly known today as a psychic or medium. They commune with evil spirits, typically ones who claim to be angels or spirit guides but are really demons.

A wizard is someone who is knowledgeable and accomplished in occult practices.

A necromancer consults the dead, like the witch of Endor in the story of King Saul. In many cases I believe psychics who claim to consult the dead are actually consulting familiar spirits who pretend to be dead relatives or friends. In this way they can deceive and influence people.

There is a growing amount of overt witchcraft in our culture today and a massive amount hidden like an iceberg beneath the surface. It's practiced at the highest levels of Hollywood, Washington DC and Wall Street. Here's a secret: All power in this world comes from the spiritual realm, whether good or evil.

There is also witchcraft happening in the church.

Spiritual Warfare

Many Christians equate spiritual warfare with attacking, binding and casting out demons and demonic strongholds in the spiritual realm through fantastical prayers. This idea is especially popular in Pentecostal circles. I'm not picking on Pentecostals. In fact, they get things right that others completely miss, such the fact that all spiritual gifts are operational today!

However, this is not what the Bible says spiritual warfare is. The Apostle Paul mentioned spiritual warfare in several places in his letters to the churches. Let's look closely at what he said about it in Ephesians 6 and 2 Corinthians 10.

Ephesians 6:10-18

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." - Ephesians :10-13, NIV

Put on the full armor of God to stand against the devil's wiles. Paul acknowledged that we are in a war and our ultimately enemies are not even human. They are spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms - the same fallen angels and demons that animate the occult powers discussed in the previous section. These entities are influencing people and controlling events here on earth to oppose God's agenda of righteousness, goodness and salvation.

Then Paul wrote about how to fight battle - the methods and means:

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place" - Ephesians 6:14, NIV

First of all we need the truth, the belt of truth wrapped around us. We have to discern what is true and speak and believe the truth. The devil has blanketed the world in a think fog of darkness and deception. Yet Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life." When we connect to the truth, we are connecting to things of God. When we believe a lie, we are following Satan.

We need righteousness, the righteousness that comes from Christ by faith. As we grow in our faith, we learn to walk in His righteousness and fulfill the law of love.

"And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace." - Ephesians 6:15

This verse is tricky to interpret. I think it refers to how the gospel of Christ brings reconciliation and peace with God. This peace quiets our hearts, calms our minds and frees us to be in a state of readiness to do God's will, like a pair of athletic shoes helps us to run and move at will.

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." - Ephesians 6:16-17

Faith shields us from enemy attacks and anchors us to God and His power. Faith is trusting God and the promises of His word. It is really important to study the Scriptures to know what promises to put faith in. As we do, His power and protection are unleashed. We are able to fend off temptations, deceptions and attacks against us as well as make advances for His kingdom.

Salvation gives us hope for eternal life and promises of rewards in heaven. This hope consoles, motivates and directs us. It protects us from despair as we wrestle with troubles and tribulations in this life. In this way, salvation is a protective helmet. 

We also have the word of God, which is anything God speaks, especially as revealed in the Bible. Note that this verse says God's word does not become a weapon until it is animated by the Holy Spirit. In fact, Jesus said it is the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth. So we can't figure out the Bible with only our fleshly minds or seek education at a seminary degree to find all the answers. We need the Holy Spirit to bring understanding and to apply it. Then it becomes a spiritual weapon.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people." - Ephesians 6:18

Finally there is prayer, all manner of prayers to God - praise, thanksgiving, listening,  making requests. When we pray in the Lord's will, we become like gateways for God's power to enter into this world from heaven. Prayer changes things. "May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Daniel 10 gives a great example of prayer and its interaction with spiritual warfare. Daniel prayed for insight and then humbled himself before God with mourning and fasting for three full weeks. Finally an angel appeared and give Daniel his answer. The angel explained how he was dispatched after Daniel initially prayed but was hung up for 21 days by the "prince of Persia," which refers to a spiritual force of evil in heavenly places - a fallen angel who presided over the territory of Persia. Since Daniel persisted in his prayer and fasting, the archangel Michael finally came to assist and the messenger angel was free to break through. Notice Daniel wasn't binding and casting out demons or praying special "warfare prayers." He prayed and fasted to GOD. That's what created the breakthrough in the spiritual realm.

2 Corinthians 10:1-6

Here is another aspect of spiritual warfare:

"By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away! I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete." - 2 Corinthians 10:1-6

While writing to the Corinthians, Paul acknowledged his reputation for being soft-spoken in person but bold in his letters. He was confronting problems that arose in his absence and hoped they would be resolved, so he wouldn't have to be confrontational when he returned in person.

Next, Paul discussed the spiritual weapons at his disposal. These weapons even demolish strongholds! What are they? He demolishes arguments and every pretense that contradicts the knowledge of God. In other words, Paul challenged people with the truth - gently yet boldly if needed. His goal was to make every thought obedient to Christ. This is a similar idea to the renewing of our minds mentioned in Romans 12. We mature in our faith by uprooting the lies and replacing them with the truth.

Again, the way to demolish spiritual strongholds is to challenge and confront people with the truth. Truth has a power all its own. It shatters illusions and tears down deceptions. God's words, which are truth, will accomplish what He intends:

"So My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do." - Isaiah 55:11

Spiritual Warfare Is Practicing the Christian Fundamentals:

According to these Scriptures, spiritual warfare is practicing the Christian fundamentals effectively: 

• Truth
• Righteousness
• Gospel of peace
• Faith
• Hope of salvation 
• Using God's word by the Holy Spirit
• Prayer, especially intercessory prayer
• Challenging people with the truth to demolish strongholds

Growing in these practices are what enables us to stand against evil in this world and have victories over the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms. In this way, we become effective agents of Christ. 

This biblical teaching contradicts the idea that spiritual warfare is directly engaging demonic beings with special warfare prayers. Yes, there are times to cast out demons. Jesus cast out a legion of demons from the Gerasene demoniac in Mark 5. The poor, afflicted man was wandering around a graveyard and cutting himself. Jesus set him free and he came back to his right mind. Demon possession may come up more frequently when ministering to people who came out of the occult or who are victims of satanic ritual abuse (SRA) and trauma-based mind control. It's a legitimate ministry, but it isn't the main way we engage in spiritual warfare. Practicing the Christian fundamentals is the way.

I do pray that God will protect my family and home from evil. A handful of times in my life I have been harassed by demons at night during sleep and demanded they leave in Jesus' name. The last time it happened the demon was gone before I even spoke the phrase "in Jesus' name." He saw it coming and that was enough! But the primary way we engage God's protection is by drawing near to him through prayer, truth, righteousness, faith. As we abide in Christ, He automatically covers us with his wings:

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, 'You are my refuge and fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' Surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, and from the deadly plague. He will cover you with His feathers; under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and rampart."   Psalm 91:1-4, Berean

It is God who protects us. We don't have to protect ourselves by constantly praying anti-demon warfare prayers. 

Deliverance Ministries

This brings us to deliverance ministries. Some claim that Christians need to "get delivered" as a matter of course. They suggest demons attach to us like leaches and we need deliverance ministers to remove them and set us free. I agree we are influenced by demons in our thoughts and desires, but what is the right remedy? Jesus never said that Christians need to "get delivered." The apostles (Paul, John, Peter, James) in their letters to the churches never mentioned deliverance ministry. If this ministry was essential for Christians, surely it would have been mentioned in the Bible! The apostles wrote at length about the importance of faith, prayer, truth, righteousness, hope, love, the Holy Spirit - all the Christian fundamentals. This is how we are set free.

I have seen and heard of deliverance ministries engaging in witchcraft. I know of someone who visited a deliverance minister and was supposedly set free from demons, but then started mimicking the deliverance minister's false doctrines and messages. Personally I am convinced the reverse took place. It was a demonic impartation.

I admit I'm not an expert in this area. There are godly people who engage in deliverance to help people. However, my knee-jerk reaction toward "deliverance ministry" is skepticism because it's not one of the Christian fundamentals and because it appears to be an area targeted for infiltration by the occult.

Example of Spiritual Warfare Gone Awry

I'll give a recent example of unbiblical spiritual warfare that manifested in a slick and deceptive way. The person involved is Glynda Lomax. She has the gift of prophecy and regularly posts messages on a blog and a podcast. I used to read her messages because they seemed encouraging and relevant to the end times we are now living in.

A couple months ago a word and interpretation appeared that claimed God intended President Trump to be a blessing for America but Christians weren't praying enough for him. This was a red flag for me because over the last three years God has spoken to me clearly that Donald Trump is a deception and an instrument of His judgment. Trump was sent to bring division, conflict and war to our nation and to test the hearts of Christians. Will people put false hope in a man (Trump) or turn to God alone? Here are several previous articles about this topic:

• Trump the Instrument of Judgment
• King Asa of Judah - A Prophetic Metaphor for Placing Hope in Donald Trump
• A Dream of Captivity
• Civil War Foreboding
• President Trump's Fascism Is Starting to Show
• Obamacare, the New World Order and the Mark of the Beast - Part 1

Other prophetic voices have expressed similar conclusions about Trump: Mena-Lee Grebin, Byron Searle, Linda Hasche, Shannon "Boldsojah4Christ" Johnson, Nathan Leal. To say Trump is supposed to be a divine blessing contradicts what the Lord clearly showed me and others. I'm concerned because those who follow Trump and put their hope in him will be judged for it (see the first three articles in the list above). To say we must pray for Trump because God intends him to be a blessing is a backdoor way of getting Christians to put their hope in him - and fall into that trap.

Lomax later delivered a podcast entitled "What the Lord Told Me About Pres Trump and America." She said God spoke at length to her one day about Trump and gave instructions to start a spiritual warfare prayer team to counter Trump's political and spiritual opposition. The underlined quotes are from the podcast. After each quote I'll write my comments.

"For a couple of hours straight, I got one word after another."

"I had been researching and writing a warfare prayer against all the witchcraft that's being sent against Trump. I was researching different things to place in the prayer to make it effective."

When we pray to God, He hears our hearts and answers if we pray according to His will. God knows what must happen in the heavens and on earth to accomplish His purposes. He doesn't need detailed instructions or specially crafted words to be able to answer our prayers. However, I have noticed that witchcraft is very concerned with specific details and verbiage, as if a spell won't be effective unless the recipe is exactly right.

I'm not saying that writing detailed prayers automatically makes it a spell, but this is a red flag.

"God began to speak to me. He said, "I want you to build me an army of prayer warriors... Then he said, "I have appointed you a general after the order of Deborah."

Lomax said God designated her a "general," a high ranking military officer. This reminds me of another person I wrote about in an article about false prophecy who said God referred to him as "Warrior General." Hmm, the same God who addressed Abraham, Moses and Jeremiah by their names in the Scriptures and called the Prophet Ezekiel by the generic "son of man," called that person "Warrior General?" Doubtful. Michael the Archangel might receive a title like that, but a mere mortal in the flesh? I also doubt the Lord would designate a mere mortal this side of heaven a General in the Order of Deborah. The Apostles referred to themselves as servants and slaves of Jesus Christ, not generals.

However, a false spirit who wanted to flatter and puff someone up in order to manipulate them might do such a thing. Keep that in mind. This is another red flag.

"He said, 'Teach them to do what you do - to pray a list every day. Guide them in how to pray over each issue. Start with the witchcraft prayer for your president. I have ordained him to be my man of the hour, but he has many enemies who are also my enemies. I desire that you would intervene in prayer that I would strengthen him and give him victories." 

Again, this message about Trump contradicts what the Lord showed me. Trump is not God's man of the hour, except as an instrument of judgment and a "strong delusion" to lead astray those who do not love the truth - in the spirit of 2 Thess. 2.

Moreover, who are Trump's enemies? Well, there are the Democrats who are in a fake conflict with Trump to keep the nation stirred up, distracted and divided. But no matter who is in Congress and the White House, whether Democrat or Republican, we get more war, debt, chemtrails and abortion because that is the globalist agenda both parties work for. Dismiss the rhetoric and look at they do. They are the left and right wings of the dragon that has seized control of the republic. They are showmen in a phoney contest who work together behind the scenes to deceive the American people. It's truly satanic.

Who then are the real enemies of Trump? It might be those who expose Trump's lies and evil agenda, like the small minority of Christians who are awake to what is really going on. So if that person is praying Trump will have victories, then that person is unwittingly praying for an unrighteousness agenda.

"He said, 'Tell my people that those who take this training, those who will commit to pray these prayers for me for one year, will be fantastically rewarded. I will open doors for them on the earth and give them things they have only dreamed about. I will increase their spiritual power to war in the heavenlies. They will have direct access to me in ways they never had before.'"

Yes, God promises amazing rewards in heaven for the faithful who use their talents to profit His kingdom. But this word says people who participate in this warfare prayer will be "fantastically rewarded" on earth and have things they "only dreamed about." It sounds over-the-top and strangely focused on earth, not heaven. Who else promises fantastic rewards on earth for pledging allegiance?

"Again, the Devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. And he said to Him, 'I will give You all these things if You will fall down and worship me.' Then Jesus told him, 'Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.'" - Matthew 5:8-10

I'm not saying God is ungenerous on earth, but the Scriptures are clearly focused on rewards in heaven. So this message just sounds off. Another red flag.

"I want to pray not only protection over President Trump, but I want to clear a path around him. I want to kick legs out from under those people who are fighting him so hard."

Lomax wants to kick the legs out from under Trump's enemies. But Jesus said to love our enemies:

"You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." - Matthew 4:43-45

So did the Apostle Paul:

"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." - Romans 12:14

"This is warfare. This is not praying blessings on these people. When I said take the legs out from under them, I meant that literally. I'm not playing here. I know what he's showing me to do and I plan to do it. This training is for hardcore soldiers only... If you want to pray for God's enemies to be blessed, knock yourselves out, but that is not what this is about, okay? "

Lomax plainly stated her intent is not to bless people. What is the opposite of blessing? It is to curse. She intends to curse people with their spiritual warfare prayers. This sounds increasingly like witchcraft, like hexing people.

There is not one single case that I can find in the Bible where God sent an army into battle for Israel and he said, "Yeah, go bless 'em." No, he said, "No, go in and don't leave a one of them alive, no matter if they are young or old.' He said, "Go get 'em and destroy them," is what he said in every case that I can find.

She clearly intends to destroy people with their "prayers." This is appalling.

I understand that God commanded the Israelites in ancient Israel to eliminate the Canaanites in the land. It was an exceptional situation where God used Israel to judge the centuries of evil committed by the Canaanites and to eliminate Nephilim bloodlines (i.e. fallen angel - see Genesis 6) among them.

But we are not under the law of Moses anymore. We are under the new covenant in Christ's blood:

“Therefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” – Galatians 3:24-25, King James 2000

This is the age of grace and salvation. I understand that when Jesus returns, his enemies will all be destroyed. But not until then! In the meantime, we love our enemies and bless those who persecute us. God said He will allow the wheat and the weeds grow together until the end, lest a good stalk of wheat accidentally be pulled up.

"We are not going to bless or love the enemies of God and the enemies of the cross in the White House. We are going to strip them of everything that we an strip them of. I plan to show no mercy whatsoever, just like when I am fighting demons. I don't show mercy at all. They have no mercy for us. The people who are fighting President Trump don't have any mercy for you as a Christian. Did you know that? Do you realize it is the antichrist spirit that is operating against President Trump? It is the antichrist spirit that is in these people. Please hear me on this, please hear me because this is something God showed me."

This just gets worse. Lomax is NOT going to bless or love the enemies of God, the opposite of which is to curse and hate. She will not show any mercy. That is ironic because Jesus said only those who show mercy will receive it:

"Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy." - Matthew 5:7

Furthermore, she is clearly targeting human beings, not just spiritual entities, with these "prayers" that are actually curses. She is dehumanizing people by saying they have the "antichrist spirit." But we all had the antichrist spirit until we were born again in Christ:

"You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience." - Ephesians 2:1-2, World English Bible

This is clearly spiritual warfare gone awry. I don't know this person's heart - she may be a Christian who has fallen into deception. Perhaps a root of bitterness or unforgiveness was allowed to take root. One thing led to another, and now Lomax has been deceived into casting curses and hexes and showing no mercy. It was not the Holy Spirit who told her to form a spiritual warfare prayer team to pray for Trump. It was another spirit, a false spirit. This is why I say this is witchcraft - divination, spell casting and consulting familiar spirits. I pray she will get back on track and will not be allowed to pull others down. 

Conclusion

We all need to stay true to the Scriptures. Study the Bible! There are so many deceptions in the world and they are increasing every day.

When it comes to spiritual warfare, stick to the Christian fundamentals and you won't go astray: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, hope of salvation, God's word empowered by the Holy Spirit, challenging lies with the truth.
 

Abortion

The elites view abortion as a tool for population control and a ritual sacrifice to gain power and favor from Lucifer. This nonsense about women's reproductive rights is a political pretext and a smokescreen. They want us to voluntarily kill our babies so there are less of us to control and for them to enjoy greater occult powers to dominate and use us.

That's the truth. So don't murder and don't feed the demons.

Why I Believe Jonathan Kleck Is Now Leading People Astray

NOTE: The article below was originally published a couple years ago. I took it down because I thought maybe Kleck had moved on and I didn't want to be divisive. However, Kleck is still teaching that Satan and the fallen angels created mankind. In fact, I watched a Kleck video the other night and he is now even teaching that Satan & Co. created the heaven and the earth. It literally made me feel sick to my stomach. The guy has fallen BIG TIME.

God has given Kleck an unbelievable amount of revelation about the end times and the inner workings of Satan. Kleck has sacrificed much to put it out there. But he has fallen into some spiritual madness and I need to warn people about it. 

Blessings.

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I told the Lord I don’t want to write this post. It’s unpleasant and potentially divisive and hurtful. But I don’t feel at peace about staying quiet. I feel I must do it.

My concern is that Jonathan Kleck, a prophetic voice and harbinger who has given many inspired insights about the end times, has fallen into deception and is now leading people astray. My wife and I have watched numerous Kleck videos and listened to many of his radio shows. We benefited from this ministry and have supported it financially and with encouraging words. There are even references to Kleck’s videos on this blog.

BUT recently Kleck released several videos in which he claims Satan and the fallen angels created mankind in their image, not God as it states in Genesis chapter 1. To make this claim, Kleck says the Hebrew word Elohim, the second most common word for God in the Old Testament next to Yahweh or Jehovah, really means Satan and the fallen angels. With one linguistic perversion, Kleck is effectively saying that much of what the Old Testament has to say about the Lord God Almighty may instead pertain to Satan and his minions. Elohim is used all over the Old Testament – the Torah, Psalms, Prophets, you name it! This is a mockery of the Bible, the word of God, and gives glory to Satan that belongs to God.
So I privately and respectfully confronted Kleck about this issue and urged him to repent. Please see the email chain appended below. He responded that my studying of the Bible was irrelevant compared to his spiritual gifts and direct “revelations.” In other words, Kleck is claiming to be something like an infallible oracle of God, and who am I to question him, even if his “revelations” contradict the Scriptures. That sounds like the attitude of a cult leader. Looking at the comments on his videos, there also seems to be a large following of people who are receiving his messages without critical examination.
I am sure many others are pushing back on Kleck too, judging by how defensive he has been in some recent videos. 

Look, we are all mortals living in fleshly bodies and capable of falling. I have to repent of things every day. All I am saying is that Kleck has fallen into deception and pride and I pray he repents, because this nonsense is tarnishing the credibility of the genuine revelations God has given him in the past. Until he does, people need to be careful, because if Kleck is willing to say Satan and the fallen angels created us – that humanity is some kind of Frankenstein lab experiment made by devils – what will he say next?


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MY EMAIL:
Hi Jonathan,

I wanted to write you concerning your new doctrine about Satan and the fallen angels creating mankind in their image. My wife ——— and I have learned much from your ministry and supported it financially. However, this new doctrine plainly contradicts God’s word and I feel compelled to warn you.

Elohim is the second most common word for God in the Old Testament and occurs about 2,500 times throughout. It is second only to the word Jehovah. These two words are synonymous as demonstrated by this verse: 

"God [Elohim] spoke further to Moses and said to him, 'I am the Lord [Jehovah].'" – Exodus 6:2

Elohim almost always means God, the Lord God, the Creator God, in the Hebrew Old Testament. Yes, elohim can also refer to pagan gods or magistrates or angels, as in Psalm 82, but that’s the exception, not the rule. Just because the word is plural doesn’t mean it refers to Satan and the fallen angels. The plurality of Elohim may simply be a Hebrew idiosyncrasy or it may refer to the manifold magnificence of God or the fact that the Father and the Son are one.

By stringing together Psalm 82 with the account of creation in Genesis 1 and taking them out of context, you are fabricating an esoteric meaning that plainly contradicts the whole Bible. Satan and the fallen angels did not create anything. The Father God through Jesus Christ the Son created EVERYTHING:

"For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him." – Colossians 1:16

I agree the Bible speaks about “gods” as in angelic rulers or principalities. The Apostle Paul even referred to Satan as a “god”:

"And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving…" – 2 Corinthians 4:3-4

This is a reference to Satan’s worldly influence and authority during this age, at least until Jesus Christ shows up on a white horse with a sword to deal with him. It doesn’t mean Satan created anything. Satan can manipulate creation for his twisted purposes, and even contributed to the corruption of mankind, but he didn’t create anything.
The Apostle Paul also affirmed that men are created in God’s image:

"For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God…" -2 Corinthians 11:7

By saying that Satan and his angelic minions effectively created mankind in their image, you are giving glory to Satan that belongs to God alone. Putting forth this false doctrine also tarnishes the credibility of all the other amazing revelations God has given you.
Brother, you have fallen for a deception and I do hope you repent of it.

Sincerely,

Mike Fisch

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JONATHAN KLECK’S RESPONSE:

I’m sorry you do not understand it…And your (((studying))) over the revelation that comes with all but one of the gifts of the Spirit is superfluous..And now I warn you to the contrary and you are welcome to believe as you please but we will ALL give an account..Amen

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MY REPLY:

Jonathan, thanks for the reply. I think I see what you are saying – that you believe your direct revelation in the spirit supersedes and can even contradict the Scriptures. That’s a dangerous place to be, brother. God is not the author of confusion. His words do not contradict themselves and do not change. They stand forever. 
 
I am seeing MANY people, even those I respect, stumble and fall these days. This end-times prophecy is being fulfilled right now in real time:

"Even some of those with discernment will stumble, so that some of them will be refined, purified and cleansed for an end yet to come at the designated time." – Daniel 11:35

I wrote about it here: 
http://mystic2020.blogspot.com/2017/01/even-some-with-discernment-will-stumble_1.html

http://mystic2020.blogspot.com/2017/01/even-some-with-discernment-will-stumble_2.html
 

Shalom,

Mike

Read "The Gulag Archipelago"

Yesterday the Lord put something unusual on my heart: Read The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. I started. It describes very well the arbitrariness, capriciousness, deceptiveness, systematic cruelty and collective guilt of the political oppression in the Soviet Union. I think the Lord wanted me to read it because the same kind of oppression is coming here. Read it and open your eyes.

You can find a PDF version of the book on this web page:

https://archive.org/details/TheGulagArchipelago-Threevolumes/page/n7