So: The light angel “Lucifer” has achieved the legal title of Adam “Subdue the Earth”.

 

In those days people lived in Paradise.   Animals did not hunt other animals.   They lived from the leaves of the plants.   Men from their fruits.   Nobody had to die.   The death was not suffered.

 

God has prepared His image - Adam – a wonderful realm to live in.   “Subdue the earth” was his mission to understand this realm and to design it.   And so Adam could realize, how his God molds, and God would see, how Adam would install his world.

 

Of course, how could Adam install his world?   He is only still a creation!   And so: Therefore this commission of Adam means: “How ever you want to reorganize the Paradise, here is your equipment”.   This is the legal title: The World Arranger.

 

But then Lucifer shows up:  ”If you really want to know, how your God thinks, if you really want to be like Him, then you still need the “Knowledge of Good and Evil”.

 

Adam:  “God does not want this.   He has this extra forbidden.”

Lucifer:  “Yes, I think so.   But believe me:  Give to me your title and I will show you, what really counts, namely to know, what Good and Evil is.

Eva: “I cannot think of something more marvelous, as to be like Him.”

 

                                                                                * * * * *

So Lucifer acquires the legal title from Adam.   Instantly he spoils the souls of men:  Envy, greed and aggression lead their behavior.   Cain slays Abel.

 

1650 years later mankind will be extinguished.   God cannot recognize His image any more.   Only Noah and his family survives.

 

But also the descendants of Noah let guide themselves by Lucifer and not by the Spirit of God.

Lucifer is now very mighty and he is able to “inspire” mankind to do great things, which contradict the order of God in a way, that they even not in hell would be rectifiable.

And in the Last Judgment nearly all men would die the Second Death and be delivered into the Lake of Fire.

 

And so Lucifer would have gained a huge people, and then he would be their god and he would reign with his princes for eternity.

 

But God does not want to admit this.

Therefore He transmits the power of Lucifer onto his followers.   And so mankind is separated into many nations.

                                                                                  * * * * *

That those gods donate the language and the cultural identity, although with injustice and without knowledge of circumstances of life for the people, is already known to us.

 

But how the lie attacks us and oppresses us with force, is not known to us, because such a behavior we attribute to the human character.

This is not wrong: Because our soul, damaged by envy, greed and aggression, is predisposed for the lie and the force.

 

The lie and the force hide themselves.

We are not able to see the wrong Prophet, but we can see traces of his presence, delimit the scene of the crime, draw up the profile of the offender.

 

Dan 3, 1-8:

1. Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

 

2. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 

3. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

4. Then a herald cried aloud: ”To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,

5. that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kind of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;

6. “and whoever does not fall down and worship, shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

 

7. So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kind of music, all the people, nations and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 

8. Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews.

 

                                                                              * * * * *

To delimit the scene of the crime, we have to discriminate the streams of power, which have an impact on Nebuchadnezzar:

There is the influence of Bel.   He is the national angel of the Chaldeans.   He is responsible for the language and the cultural identity of the nation.

 

If there is the discourse of an image, of administrators, of musical instruments, of death penalty, then this is to attribute to Bel, because he organizes the political system.

 

But the manner, how the things are ordered, is not from Bel.   Bel's character is described as being unjust, but he is not malignant.

 

What here happens, does not belong to the cultural identity of the Chaldeans.

To see here the influence of the wrong Prophet, lets read the verses Rev 13, 11-12:

 

11. Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.

12. And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

 

The “animal from the earth” is the wrong Prophet.   He has two horns.   The horns in these allegories mean human ruler, here rather human leader.

 

The animal from the earth finds always human leaders for the lie and human leaders for the force, because this is the meaning of the two horns.  The animal from the earth is the false Prophet.

 

The lie is always the distortion of the truth of God.

 

Here the false Prophet acts before the 7. Head.   This is the “animal from the sea” with his 7. head.  This animal has been sent to the death realm , but now it is resurrected and the people are astonished about this.

The false Prophet has been engaged by the 7. head to build up a statue, which even can speak.   All people have to adore the statue, otherwise they will be sentenced to death.

 

And they have to accept certain signs, signs, that they have a contract with Lucifer.

 

If we look at this scene, then the statue is the lie, which has to be accepted by force.

The statue means “God”, whom they have to obey without conditions, it is not the animal with its

7. head.

“God”, of course, is Lucifer.

 

At Isaiah 2,8 it says:  ”Their land is also full of idols;   they worship the work ( statues )of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.”

And it means: Lucifer has been adored throughout the country.

 

And so that the lie could be more convincing, the statue could even speak.

 

Now here we talk about the false Prophet.   He acts for the animal, whose death wound has been healed.   It is the animal with its 7th head.   The statue, however, is Lucifer.

So far to the profile of the offender.

                                      

“Bel” is the 1st head of the  "animal from the sea".   Here the false Prophet serves Bel to do something for him, what he in his power is not able to do:   So he gets him great respect of his people.

Also here the false Prophet gives order, to make a statue, which has to be adored, or otherwise the death penalty threatens.

 

Here we can see, that Nebuchadnezzar is not only led by his angel Bel, but also by this Prophet. But Nebuchadnezzar does not know about this.

 

The action of the Prophet is welcomed by Bel, the national angel of Babylon.   Bel could refuse his influence.   Also Nebuchadnezzar could do this.

But for his heart, led by envy, greed and aggression, this demonstration of his power is quite right.

 

The false Prophet for his part finds always men, who want to enforce his program.   He finds always men, who want to enforce the lie with power.

And so Dan 3,8:  “Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews.”

 

But Nebuchadnezzar did not respect the right to hospitality, which the Jews owned.   That means, that they have to respect the laws of the country, but they are allowed to pray to their own God, and they may not be forced, to pray to another deity.

( See the Book of Esther.)

 

So: With the consent of Bel and Nebuchadnezzar the false Prophet starts an evil attack on the Jews, the caretaker of the Word of God.

And:   Nebuchadnezzar becomes guilty.   Then he will be indicted by Satan, of course.

 

                                                                           * * * * *

Very differently the Joseph-history takes place:

Pharaoh has appointed Joseph as an administrator. We remember the dream interpretation of the seven meager cows eating the seven fat cows.

 

Pharaoh is very impressed by this and Joseph receives highest honors.

But something is rather strange:  A foreigner, a prison inmate, comes to highest honors without any protest, without any intrigues.   Nobody lifts his voice against Joseph.

 

This is a sign for us, that the national angel of Egypt agrees with the decision of Pharaoh, yes, he may have guided Pharaoh to do so.

 

We know, that Joseph stands under the guidance of God himself.   The harmony with the angel of Egypt shows us, that this angel of Lucifer has changed the sides, he has become an angel of God.

Especially obvious becomes this, because Pharaoh has been blessed by Israel, by the father of Joseph.

A seldom case.   But then the reign of Egypt changes again:   A new Pharaoh has come to power, and the Israelites will be suppressed from now on.

 

Obviously a new angel over Egypt has been enthroned, who is loyal to Lucifer.

 

                                                                                  * * * * *

The false Prophet: An example from the Old Testament, 2nd Kings, 1.

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We remember:   The fate of Israel depends on their the relationship to God.   Do they leave Him, do they turn to other deities, then they have difficulties with their neighbors.   And reverse:  Do they turn to their God again, then they have peace with their neighbors.

 

Verse 1 tells us, that there will be difficulties.  “Moab takes peace from Israel”.   Moab terminates the peace treaty with Israel.   Something has happened.   Israel disregards its God.   This is the theme here.

 

Ahaziah, the King of Israel, falls and injures himself heavily.   He sends messengers to the god of the Philistine.   They should ask, whether he would recover from his injuries.

 

But this here is not only a question. Because if a deity looks on a misery, then it is expected, that the deity ends the misery.

 

Elijah, the prophet of God, gets the mission, to step against the messengers of Ahaziah, and to ask, whether there is no God in Israel, that they have to send to Ekron, to get help!

“Ahaziah now shall know, that he is not going to have relieve from his injuries.”

 

Ahaziah knows instantly, who this man is, who returned his messengers.   It is his ”enemy”, Elijah.

And so he orders an officer and 50 soldiers, to seize Elijah.

 

But Elijah stands on a hill.

“If I am a man of God then fire shall come to destroy you.”   And so it happens.   Ahaziah sends a second squad.   This, too, will be terminated.

 

Now it is clear, that Elijah has the authority of God, to destroy this police troop of Ahaziah with fire.

Ahaziah sends a third squad to get Elijah from the hill.

 

But the third squad does not want to come with force.   They ask Elijah to accompany them.   The angel says to Elijah, that he might go with them. Nothing will happen to him.

 

                                                                                * * * * *

Now let’s look behind the scene.   This hill is not a hill in the landscape, but this hill is a metaphor with a special meaning:   We have already read in the deFrohna-Text that the “hill” means "domain".

 

Let us think of the trial of Jesus:   The devil led Jesus onto a high mountain, and makes Him an offering:   Jesus could have the reign over all this, if He would accept the devil as His master.   The result would be, that we would have a wonderful life on earth, - but then we all would go into the Lake of Fire as Lucifer’s people.

 

Elijah now stands on the top of the hill.   An image, an icon.   Iconological does this mean:   To stand on a pedestal means to be victorious.   To sit on a throne is expression of having the dominion.   To stand on a pulpit is having a commission.   Having climbed a mountain is expression of great toil, of being successful.

 

Therefore “Elijah on the hill” means iconological, that Elijah has authority over this domain.

But what kind of hill is this here?   This hill is an expression of a foreign dominion in Israel.   Who accepted this dominion?   This was surely Ahaziah, the King of Israel.

 

But now the central question:   Whose dominion is this hill?

Ahaziah has turned himself to the deity of the Philistines.   This is Baal-Sebub.   To him he sent the messengers.   But this national deity has no authority over Israel.   Ahaziah only means, that this is the case.

It is the false Prophet, who has an influence here – however with the agreement of Baal-Sebub.

On his own the false Prophet couln't do anything.

The lie has settled down here.   Ahaziah is lead by a spirit of lie.   ( What ever he might have promised.)

But Ahaziah does not know this.   Ahaziah adores Baal.   He thinks, that the deity of Ekron could heal him.   But this is the influence of the spirit of the lie.

 

With Elijah we can see, what else is hidden in the hill:   This is the force, which supports the lie.

So we can see, that Elijah has the authority over the false Prophet, the angel of the lie and the force. 

( Where lie means always: An attack on the truth of God.)

 

With Elijah God shows Israel:   Ahaziah is not your king anymore.

 

Because now the third squad of the 50 men has recognized, that God is the God of Israel and nobody else.   People can see, that Elijah, the man of God, has authority over Ahaziah, who has accepted the dominion of the false Prophet.

( To attack the dominion of the deity Baal Elijah would have never been enabled.   The dominion of an angel over their nation is a documented right.)

 

Ahaziah does not recover from his injuries.   With the next king it is possible to rearrange the contracts with Moab.

 

Why now?   This did not only happen with Ahaziah.   Already at times of the Judges Israel adored other gods.

But foreign gods have no authority to lead Israel.   It is always the wrong Prophet, whose lies they accept.

But if Israel follows those lies, then they are not strong by the power stream of their God.   Their actions are without authority.

 

Other nations discern this instantly.   Here it is Moab.   Why should Moab fulfill a treaty with a nation of no authority?

 

In the days of Gideon the neighbors have come during harvest time to take away the harvest from their fields.   And this without any difficulties, because there was no resistance in Israel.

God does not defend his people, if they adore other deities.

 

Fortunately God gave Elijah the mission, to end the lie of Ahaziah.   Finally Israel is under the guidance of their God again.

 

Jesus speaks about this, when He says: “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea’, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.” ( Mark 11,23 )

 

The false dominion has to stand the trial:  This is the sea, the tribunal.

 

Luther says: “If the malice will settle down, then throw it out!”

 

The attacks of the false Prophet are nearly invisible.   He and his subdued angels have to stand before the judge.

 

They always want to win people, to spread the lie, and want to win people to enforce this lie.

But those people are the most cheated finally.

 

Those aberrations of Israel lead to the result, that God finally establishes the "Right to Hospitality" for His nation.