Rebellion: the sin of witchcraft

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For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. (I Samuel 15:23)

Rebellion.

It’s an ugly word with an even uglier meaning. This is how Merriam-Websterdefines it.

Rebellion - opposition to one in authority or dominance; open, armed, and usually unsuccessful defiance of or resistance to an established government; an instance of such defiance or resistance.

Merriam-Webster defines this as a militant term. Interesting… Now let’s go back to what the Prophet Samuel said.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. (I Samuel 15:23)

Here, rebellion is equated to witchcraft. And its twin--stubbornness--is idolatry. So now, we see that rebellion has a two-fold definition that most people don’t consider: militant and religious. And these beg the questions:

1. If “rebellion” is a military term, then what kingdom is being rebelled against by which kingdom? 

2. If “rebellion” is a religious term, then what religion is rebellion against which?

I’ll answer the second question in order to answer the first.

As the Prophet Samuel alluded to, rebellion is demonic in nature because it involves witchcraft. And if witchcraft is demonic, then it must be from the Kingdom of Darkness. And who does the Kingdom of Darkness oppose? The Kingdom of Light (God’s).

Rebellion and stubbornness then, born in the heart of Satan and now residing in the pits of Hell, is a militant, satanic opposition to the Kingdom of God. Ladies and gentlemen: we are at war.

And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion]. (Matthew 11:12 AMP)

But now that we’ve established the understanding that we are at war, let’s go back and see who actually started it.

The Archangel Michael battling the Serpent of Old in the heavens.

The Birth of Rebellion on the Earth

Now we know that Satan, the Lord of the Underworld, was the original rebel against God’s Kingdom. We know that Adam and Eve rebelled against God’s Law by eating the forbidden fruit. And we also know that from Cain to the Flood, there was severe wickedness in the earth. However, I propose that the full “religion” or “kingdom” of rebellion wasn’t instituted until Genesis 11. And it starts with Cush.

Cush was the son of Ham, the son of Noah. He married a woman named Semiramis and the son of his old age was Nimrod.

Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore it is said, “Like Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.” And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went to Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah (that is the principal city). (Genesis 10:8-12)

The Book of Jasher expounds uponNimrod’s path to greatness, sharing that he became  a king of kings, defeated his enemies, and also became the first slave owner--possibly in Post-Flood history. He made Shinar his citadel and somewhere around this time, Nimrod and Cush declared themselves gods. Apparently, success had gone to his head.

It was in this arrogance that Nimrod built the Tower of Babel and he built it for two reasons:

1. To interact with the gods.*

2. To provide an escape should God send another flood.

All ancient civilisations from the Sumerians to the Egyptians to the Native Americans have stories about how the “gods” (fallen angels) came down to walk among men. Nimrod would have heard the stories from his great-grandfather, Ham, and great-great-uncles, Shem and Japheth, about the sons of god impregnating the daughters of men and producing men of renown and heroes of old. The Book of Enoch tells us that these angels came down to actually teach men and became corrupted in the process. Satan is the Prince of the Power of the Air and it is “his” heaven that Nimrod would have attempted to reach.

Also, men at this time were still afraid to dwell in the plains because the effects of the Flood were still fresh. Yet instead of, I don’t know, LIVING RIGHT, or even building an ark/multiple arks to save people “just in case,” this crazed man decided to build a Tower “too high” for God to flood. Arrogance at its finest.

And all the earth was of one tongue and words of union, but Nimrod did not go in the ways of the Lord, and he was more wicked than all the men that were before him, from the days of the flood until those days. (Book of Jasher 7:46)

Now, we’ve already established that the arrogance of Nimrod led him to build a Tower to heaven (and a MAJOR phallic symbol), yet he had no intention of meeting with the God of his forefathers. Why? Because Nimrod and his family were already steeped idolatry.

Nimrod declared himself to be Baal. The Akkadian version of this name is “Bel” as in BaBEL. Pastor John Benefiel teaches in his book Binding the Strongman over America that the father of Baal was El. There are others who say that both Nimrod and Cush claimed to be Baal. Either way, both of them had issues. And Semiramis is not excluded. She declared herself the Queen of Heaven. And while most of us are not familiar with this title (it’s only mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah five times), you are more than likely familiar with Ashtaroth and any variation of names for the Whore of Babylon. And boy did she live up to her name!

Cush became disgraced and Semiramis decided that it would be better to be queen instead of queen-mother, so she did the unthinkable; she married her son. Let the Church say EWW.

Eventually, Nimrod’s great-uncle, Shem, got fet up with his son’s idolatry and claims of immortality, so he slew him. But he didn’t stop there. He chopped up Nimrod’s body and sent the pieces throughout the earth so the world have have proof that Nimrod was not, in fact, a god.

A great wickedness was ended when Nimrod died. Unfortunately, his wickedness was a legacy. Because Semiramis conveniently wound up pregnant after Nimrod’s death and since she’d already convinced the masses that she was the Queen of Heaven, it was no stretch for her to claim that she’d given birth to “Nimrod Reborn.” Yet what makes the idolatrous lie all the more blasphemous is that millennia before the Virgin and the Christ Child were memorialized in artwork and statues, archaeologists excavated several statues of mother and child complete with rays shining from behind her head at the location of Babel. THE DEVIL IS A LIAR.

Now does any of this--bar the true immaculate conception--sound familiar to you? It should because it’s a pillar of Egyptian mythology.

Ham’s son, Mizraim, was the father of the Egyptians who believed that Isis was married to Osiris who was killed and cut up into pieces by Set. (Does “Set” seem similar to “Shem” to you?) Yet Isis was able to find all the pieces of Osiris accept his phallus which she replaced with a golden one, causing him to be temporarily reborn through magic and impregnating her with their son, Horus. Coincidence? I think not.

“Isis” is linguistically similar to “Ishtar.” “Ishtar” is Akkadian version of “Astarte” which is the Phoenician version of “Ashtoreth.” Any questions?

The King of Demons

Baal and the worship thereof is coming back to light, yet I believe the reason we never really hear about Baal and Ashtoreth is because they have taken on soooo very many names over the ages. When saints thinking of rebellion and witchcraft, they usually think of Jezebel; they think “Jezzy” is running this thang. But Jezebel is really just the offspring of perversion. Yet next to Satan, it’s Baal and Ashtoreth with the real power.

Now I LOVE me some Bishop Tudor Bismark. And in his sermon, “Deliverance from Evil,” he lists the three “top” demonic princes in this hierarchy:

• Satan

  • Jezebel

  • Death

  • Anti-Christ

Yet I disagree. *gasp* Yes, after my own research, doing the research, I believe that there is a more accurate hierarchy. Below is my adapted version of Apostle Kimberly Daniels’ demonic hierarchy listed in Give It Back!

I. Satan: The Prince of the Power of the Air; Emperor of the Kingdom of Darkness.

II. Baal & Ashtoreth*: The King and Queen (Rulers) of devils**, answers directly and only to Satan.

III. Principalities: The princes of the four corners of the earth (continents, countries, states, cities, counties), arch magistrates or principal demons; first in rank.

IV. Powers: Organizations (exousia--special ability, highly competent; liberty in jurisdiction.

V. Ruler Spirits: Neighborhoods, families, individuals (kosmokrator-world ruler, spirits with direct contact with their targets).

VI. Spiritual Wickedness in High Places: Idolatry (Hezekiah tore down the high places) (poneria--iniquity and malice, sin and idolatrous activity.

*Apostle Daniels actually listed “Beelzebub” on this level and then stated, “Princes of devils are assigned by era. During Jesus’ life, Beelzebub was the prince of the devils. During Elijah’s life, Baal was the prince of the ruling force of devils. It also has been noted that Dagon was the prince of devils during another era.” (Give It Back! pg. 32)

I agree and disagree with this statement. I agree with the spirit of it, but not the wording. I would say it like this:

The Spirit of the Age (principality) is assigned by era. Yet Baal and Ashtoreth retain their position; only their name changes. During Jesus’ life Baal went by “Beelzebub.” During Elijah’s life, he went by his original name “Baal.” To the Druids in the British Isles, he was the great horned one. (See also “Moloch” a.k.a. “Molech” and “Chemosh.”) Similarly, the Queen of Heaven assumed her original title, “Ashtoreth” during Elijah’s life, to the Druids, she was the Triple Goddess, to the Catholics, the Virgin Mary a.k.a. “Our Lady of  [insert city name here].”

**Every single pantheon of gods and goddesses from various (ancient) civilisations reflects a similar framework (i.e. Zeus/Jupiter and Hera/Juno and children, etc.).

Every principality whether Jezebel or Diana/Artemis, Mars or Death, all answer to Baal and the Queen of (the second) Heaven respectively who answer only to Satan.

The Queen of Heaven a.k.a. Ashtoreth, Baal, and their son. Druid priestesses bore a blue crescent on their foreheads and primarily worshiped the "Mother Goddess" and moon, while the Druid priests primarily worshiped the sun and the "Great Horned One." Nothing new under the sun.

So now that we’ve defined who Baal and Ashtoreth are and where they came from, let’s define what exactly is the worship thereof. Juanita Bynum defines it like this:

Baal and Ashtoreth Worship - the worship of self-will and self-want (“The Spirit of Jezebel”).

The worship of this demonic couple is the elevation of your will and your wants over that of God’s.

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. (I Samuel 15:23)

The name “Baal” in Hebrew actually means “Lord.” So in your rebellion, you make your will lord and thus dethrone or block the Christ from being Lord of your life. There are many “Christians” caught up in Baal worship--attending church, praying (probably ineffectively), tithing, the whole nine--because they have refused to allow God’s will to become theirs.

This is the cult that birthed Babylon. This was the great Whorish Mystery born in Genesis and slain in Revelation.

And the term “bull-headed” is derived from Baal worship.

Bull-Headed - not willing to change an opinion, plan, etc.; very stubborn in a foolish or annoying way; stupidly stubborn; headstrong (Merriam-Webster).

The bull is the symbol of Baal/Ashtoreth worship. 

Semiramis’ son, Tammuz, was said to be a minotaur (half-man, half-bull). 

When Moses was on the holy mount receiving the Commandments from God, the Children of Israel commissioned Aaron to build a golden calf for them. 

Making your children pass through Baal's fire was the predecessor of abortion.

The god Molech/Chemosh was half-bull, half-man. 

Many ancient religions worshiped some type of bull. 

Even the term Indian (South Asian) phrase “sacred cow” indicates the infiltration of this worship. 

Why do you think Elijah commanded the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashtoreth to gather two bulls--one for their altar and one for his--in order to see who the real God of Fire was. (Baal also claims to be the fire god.)

Pasiphae, King Minos' wife, with her Minotaur son.

Greek mythology tells the story that the god Poseidon cherished bulls and when denied bulls in worship by King Minos of Crete and Knossos, Poseidon cursed Minos’ wife to fall in lust with a white bull which led to her actually mating with it and nine months later, giving birth to the minotaur (half-bull, half-man) who terrorized those thrown into the infamous Labyrinth. 

The "Rape of Europa," a goddess raped by Jupiter masquerading as a bull. A woman riding a beast into the sea.

The Whore of Babylon, another, more familiar, woman riding a beast into the sea. 

In his sermon “666: The Mark of the Beast,” Perry Stone draws the link between Greek mythology’s “Rape of Europa” myth as the actual image of the woman (Europa a.k.a. the Queen of Heaven) riding the beast (bull, Baal). Whore of Babylon indeed! Stone also adds that the bull’s crescent horns were the symbol for Baal worship. Need anymore convincing?

Baal (or Moloch/Molech or Chemosh) worship in action.

Bringing It Home

ReBELlion.

JezeBEL.

EthBAAL.

BALaam.

Get the picture??

The very name of Baal a.k.a. Bel is built into our English word “rebellion.” “Re” means to “go back to” or “return to.” So everytime you elevate your will above God’s, you literally return to Baal. How many of us worship Baal? How many of us worship Baal on a daily basis? Could this be why we don’t see the breakthroughs we so desire? Could this be why witchcraft (i.e. traditional witchcraft, word curses, control, manipulation, domination, seduction, drug addiction) won’t leave our family after we’ve prayed and fasted? Could this be why all of those (false) prophecies and (false) confirmations haven’t come to past? (Likely sent by the false prophetess Jezebel herself!) Jesus told us that we cannot serve two masters. He cannot bless mess. And as my spiritual padre preaches, when God see rebellion, He is reminded of Lucifer. If you’re trying to walk under the favour of God, reminding God of the ultimate rebellion is NOT the way to go!

You may think that the worship of Baal is something from ages long past. You may think there’s no real power behind false gods. But I submit to you that whenever you place your will before God’s you are in full-fledge Baal worship. You don’t need a human sacrifice (abortion) although that helps. You don’t need to worship the sun (Baal) or moon (Ashtoreth) although that helps. All you need to do is make your will lord and you’re guilty of Baal worship.

That is a sobering realisation. Mostly because each and every one of us is guilty of having worshiped Baal at one point or another. And while we may not have known it was Baal worship, we did know that rebellion is sin. Jesus instructed us to pray:

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done. (Luke 22:42)

The Bible also says:

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12, 13)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)

Even witchcraft is listed as a work of the flesh.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

There are a plethora of other verses, but you get the idea. If you’ve ever been guilty of Baal worship and not repented, confess your sins and ask God for forgiveness. And then say this with me:

Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.

Baal and Ashtoreth

The chief Canaanite fertility gods, however, were Baal and Ashtoreth. 

• Baal (the son of El) was revered as the god with power over rain, wind, clouds, and therefore over fertility. 
• Ashtoreth was a Semite goddess derived from the Babylonian god Ishtar. As worshipped locally in Canaan, she was the consort of Baal, and supposedly brought fertility to the people who worshipped her. 

While temples are occasionally mentioned, Canaanite worship often took place in open-air sites at the tops of hills, referred to in the Bible as "high places." Usually, there was a massebaor stone pillar erected as a symbol of the male deity and an asherahrepresenting the female counterpart, some sort of wooden pole or image of the goddess. In front of these was a sacrificial altar. 

Cult Prostitution

Craigie and Wilson describe some of the worship:

"Characteristic of Canaanite fertility ritual is the association of male and female 'holy ones' (cult prostitutes) with temples and shrines of the fertility deities. By joining in the activities of cultic sexuality, common people could participate in 'stockpiling' fertility energy, which ensured the continuing stability of agricultural as well as human and animal productivity. 

Archeological excavations in Canaanite locations have uncovered temples with chambers where sexual activity took place. Also, many iconographic representations of the fertility goddess with exaggerated sexual features have been discovered. The influence of the fertility cult was widespread; it was combated fiercely in Israel as alien to the covenant faith (e.g. Hosea 1-3)."[72]

But an even greater danger than the detestable practices of Canaanite religion were the assumptions that underlay them, which were diametrically opposed to the worship of Yahweh. We need to consider carefully how the worship of the true God differed.

Monotheism

We take monotheism, the worship of one God, for granted. But the Israelites lived in a culture, both in Egypt and now in Canaan, where many gods were worshipped. The First Commandment was clear: "You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3). The great saying of Israel, the Shema, became its hallmark and identifying feature down through the centuries, even quoted by Jesus (Mark 12:29):

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

The Christian understanding of the Trinity is also monotheistic. We believe in a tri-unity, "God in three persons, blessed Trinity."[73]

But Canaanite religion challenged this monotheism, and Israel was constantly tempted to worship additional gods for added "insurance" against bad crops or infertility of herds. 

Idolatry

Another earmark of the worship of Yahweh was that He was invisible. Paul's doxology in 1 Timothy summarizes this unique understanding of the true God: 

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17, KJV)

Even though various prophets have had visions of God, the Apostle John explains,

"No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." (John 1:18)

He, Jesus, lives in glory -- glory so unapproachable that Moses could not see God's face but only his backside (Exodus 33:20-23), and speaking to him left a glow on Moses' face (Exodus 34:29).

Though God is spoken of in various places in Scripture as having human attributes -- the hand of God, the arm of the Lord -- these are figurative, anthropomorphisms, just as is the reference to him sheltering his people under his wings (Psalm 91:4). According to Jesus, God is spirit, not flesh (John 4:24) and must be worshipped that way. The miracle of the Incarnation is that "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Failure to understand the invisibility and immortality of God is serious. In our day, Mormons misunderstand this. They teach that God the Father had a body just like us. Their God is intensely physical.

What does this have to do with idolatry? Idolatry stems from a basic misunderstanding of the immortal and invisible spirit-nature of God. It tries to depict God in a physical way so he can be visualized and worshipped concretely. In the Ten Commandments, God gave very specific commands against this:

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." (Exodus 20:4; KJV)

The Tabernacle in the Wilderness had no physical God in its "Holy of Holies," only an ark, which represented his throne. The absence of an image on this throne was a telling reminder that the true God transcended a desert tent. Even Solomon, when dedicating the glorious temple in Jerusalem, prayed, 

"The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this temple I have built!" (1 Kings 8:27)

In their reforming zeal, the Radical Protestants stripped sanctuaries of any kind of decoration. They feared that the Catholic images of the saints had become idols to be worshipped in and of themselves. Catholic theologians counter that the Church has always taught that these images are not to be worshipped, but to serve as reminders.

Nevertheless, there is always the danger that we will try to concretize God into an image or icon or statuette that we can venerate. That is what Israel's neighbors were doing with their household idols and the statues of their gods at their high places. And this danger of idolatry is always a threat to a true understanding of God. 

"Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17, KJV)

Detestable

While we may be magnanimous and tolerant, the very survival of the people of Israel depended upon them being intolerant of the religions around them. Most of us in the Western world live in pluralistic societies that are governed as a democracy, where the majority rules. 

We cannot understand ancient Israel unless we understand it as a completely different kind of nation, a theocracy ruled by a king -- God himself (and through human kings who are to rule on God's behalf). A theocracy cannot tolerate other religions any more than a democracy can tolerate organizations whose aim is the violent overthrow of the constituted government. If we tolerate subversives and traitors to our government, we sow the seeds of the destruction of our way of life. Treason against the king in a theocracy is worship of another king or god, and cannot be tolerated.

The Bible refers to these false gods as detestable. God, through Moses, commanded them, 

"Completely destroy them -- the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites -- as the LORD your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God." (Deuteronomy. 20:17-18)[74]

The beliefs and practices of the Canaanites were not only detestable, but they also defiled and degraded the people who practiced them. After a list of sexual sins, God commands the Israelites in Leviticus: 

"Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled. Even the land was defiled; so I punished it for its sin, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But you must keep my decrees and my laws. The native-born and the aliens living among you must not do any of these detestable things, for all these things were done by the people who lived in the land before you, and the land became defiled. And if you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you." (Leviticus 18:24-28)

Summary

If these religions were allowed to continue side by side with the worship of Yahweh, they would corrupt the true faith through syncretism, which is "the combination of different forms of belief or practice." Unfortunately, the Israelites did tolerate the religion of the Canaanites, allowed it to continue, and it did prove deadly to the true faith of Israel.

As his final declaration to the Israelites before his death, Joshua gathered them together at Shechem and called them back to the true faith:

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." (Joshua 24:14-15)[75]

Endnotes

[72] P.C. Craigie and G.H. Wilson, ISBE 4:100.

[74] See also Genesis 15:16; 2 Kings 21:11; Ezra 9:1; 1 Kings 11:5-7; 1 Kings 14:24; 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Kings 23:13; 2 Chronicles 36:14; Ezra 9:11; Judges 10:6.

[75] References: D.M. Pratt, "Baal," in ISBE 1:377-379. P.C. Craigie and G.H. Wilson, "Religions: Canaanite," in ISBE 4:95-101. A.H. Sayce and K.G. Jung, "Ashtoreth," in ISBE 1:319-320.

Reubenite, whose son or descendent Beerah was carried off by the invading army of Assyria under Tiglath‐Pileser (1 Chronicles 5:5).

(2.) The son of Jehiel, father or founder of Gibeon, by his wife Maachah; brother of Kish, and grandfather of Saul (1 Chronicles 8:30; 9:36).

(3.) The supreme male divinity of the Phoenician and Canaanitish nations, as ASHTORETH was their female divinity. Both names have the peculiarly of being used in the plural, and it seems certain that these plurals designate not statues or the divinities, but different modifications of the divinities themselves. The plural BAALIM is found frequently alone (Judges 2:11; 10:10; 1 Kings 18:18; Jeremiah 9:14; Hosea 2:17), as well as in connection with Ashtoreth (Judges 10:6; 1 Samuel 7:4) and with Asherah, or, as our version renders it, "the groves" (Judges 3:7; 2 Chronicles 33:3). The word is in Hebrew a common noun of frequent occurrence, having the meaning Lord, not so much, however, in the sense of Ruler as of Master, Owner, Possessor. There can be no doubt of the very high antiquity of the worship of Baal. We find it established amongst the Moabites and their allies the Midianites in the time of Moses (Numbers 22:41), and through these nations the Israelites were seduced to the worship of this god under the particular form of Baal‐Peor (Numbers 25:3-18; Deuteronomy 4:3). Notwithstanding the fearful punishment which their idolatry brought upon them in this instance, the succeeding generation returned to the worship of Baal (Judges 2:10-13), and, with the exception of the period during which Gideon was judge (Judges 6:25, etc., Judges 8:33), this form of idolatry seems to have prevailed amongst them up to the time of Samuel (Judges 10:10; 1 Samuel 6:4), at whose rebuke the people renounced the worship of Baalim. In the times of the kings the worship of Baal spread greatly, and together with that of Asherah became the religion of the court and people of the ten tribes (1 Kings 26:31-33, 18:19, 22). And though this idolatry was occasionally put down (2 Kings 3:2; 10:28) it appears never to have been permanently abolished among them (2 Kings 17:16). In the kingdom of Judah also Baal‐worship extensively prevailed. During the short reign of Ahaziah and the subsequent usurpation of his mother Athaliah, the sister of Ahab, it appears to have been the religion of the court (2 Kings 8:27; compare 2 Kings 11:18), as it was subsequently under Ahaz (2 Kings 16:3; 2 Chronicles 28:2), and Manasseh (2 Kings 21:3). The worship of Baal amongst the Jews seems to have been appointed with much pomp and ceremonial. Temples were erected to him (1 Kings 26:32; 2 Kings 11:18); his images were set up (2 Kings 10:26); his altars were very numerous (Jeremiah 11:13), were erected particularly on lofty eminences (1 Kings 28:20), and on the roofs of houses (Jeremiah 32:29); there were priests in great numbers (1 Kings 28:19), and of various classes (2 Kings 10:19); the worshippers appear to have been arrayed in appropriate robes (2 Kings 10:22); the worship was performed by burning incense (Jeremiah 7:9), and offering burnt‐sacrifices, which occasionally consisted of human victims (Jeremiah 19:5). The officiating priests danced with frantic shouts around the altar, and cut themselves with knives to excite the attention and compassion of the god (1 Kings 18:26-28). Throughout all the Phoenician colonies we continually find traces of the worship of this god; nor need we hesitate to regard the Babylonian Bel (Isaiah 46:1) or Belus, as essentially identical with Baal, though perhaps under some modified form. The same perplexity occurs respecting the connection of this god with the heavenly bodies, as we have already noticed in regard to Ashtoreth. Breuzer and Movers declare Baal to be the Sun&$8208;god; on the other hand, the Babylonian god is identified with Zeus, by Herodotus, and there seems to be no doubt that Bel‐Merodach is the planet Jupiter. It is quite likely that in the case of Baal, as well as of Ashtoreth, the symbol of the god varied at different times and in different localities. Among the compounds of Baal which appear in the Old Testament are:

(1). BAALBERITH. This form of Baal was worshipped at Schechem by the Israelites after the death of Gideon (Judges 8:33; 9:4). The name signifies Covenant‐Baal, the god who comes into covenant with the worshippers.

(2). BAALZEBUB, worshipped at Ekron (2 Kings 1:2-3, 16). The meaning of the name is Baal or Lord of the fly. Similarly the Greeks gave the epithet Apomyios (from myia "a fly") to Zeus, and Pliny speaks of a Fly‐god Myiodes. The name occurs in the New Testament in the well‐known form BEELZEBUB.

(3). BAALHANAN.

(a.) The name of one of the early kings of Edom (Genesis 36:38-39; 1 Chronicles 1:49-50).

(b.) The name of one of David's officers, who had the superintendence of his olive and sycamore plantations (1 Chronicles 27:28). He was of the town of Gederah (Joshua 15:36) or Beth‐Gader (1 Chronicles 2:51), and from his name we may conjecture that he was of Canaanitish origin.

(4). BAALPEOR. We have already referred to the worship of this god. The narrative (Numbers 25) seems clearly to show that this form of Baal‐worship was connected with licentious rites. Baal‐Peor was identified by the Rabbins and early fathers with Priapus.

Geographical. This word occurs as the prefix or suffix to the names of several places in Palestine, some of which are as follows:

(1.) BAAL a town of Simeon, named only in 1 Chronicles 4:33 which from the parallel list in Joshua 19:8 seems to have been identical with BAALATH‐BEER.

(2.) BAALAH (mistress).

a. Another name for Kirjath or Kirjathbaal, the well‐known town now Kuriet el Enab (Joshua 15:9, 10; 1 Chronicles 13:6). SEE [KIRJATHJEARIM], [KIRJATHBAAL].

b. A town in the south of Judah (Joshua 15:29) which in Josh 19:3 is called BALAH, and in the parallel list in 1 Chronicles 4:29. SEE [BILHAH].

(3.) BAALATH (mistress) a town of Dan named with Gibbethon, Gath‐rim‐mon and other Philistine places (Joshua 19:44).

(4.) BAALATH (BAALATH‐BEER) (lord of the well). See No. 1. A town among those in the south part of Judah, given to Simeon, which also bore the name of RAMATHNEGEB, or "the height of the south." (Joshua 19:8).

(5.) BAALGAD (lord of fortune) used to denote the most northern (Joshua 11:17; 12:7) or perhaps northwestern (Joshua 13:5) point to which Joshua's victories extended. It was in all probability a Phoenician or Canaanite sanctuary of Baal under the aspect of Gad or Fortune.

(6.) BAALHAMON (lord of a multitude) a place at which Solomon had a vineyard, evidently of great extent (Solomon 8:11).

(7.) BAALHAZOR (village of Baal) a place where Absalom appears to have had a sheep‐farm, and where Amnon was murdered (2 Samuel 13:23).

(8.) BAALHERMON (Lord of Hermon) (Judges 3:3) and simply Baal‐hermon (1 Chronicles 5:23). SEE [MOUNT, MOUNTAIN]. This is usually considered as a distinct place from Mount Hermon; but we know that this mountain had at least three names (Deuteronomy 3:9) and Baal‐hermon may have been a fourth in use among the Phoenician worshippers.

(9.) BAALMEON (lord of the house) one of the towns which were built by the Reubenites (Numbers 32:38). It also occurs in 1 Chronicles 5:8 and on each occasion with Nebo. In the time of Ezekiel it was Moabite, one of the cities which were the "glory of the country." (Ezekiel 25:9).

(10.) BAALPERAZIM (lord of divisions) the scene of a victory of David over the Philistines, and of a great destruction of their images (2 Samuel 5:20; 1 Chronicles 14:11). See Isaiah 28:21where it is called Mount Perazim. SEE [PERAZIM].

(11.) BAALSHALISHA (lord of Shalisha) a place named only in 2 Kings 4:42, apparently not far from Gilgal (compare 2 Kings 4:38).

(12.) BAALTAMAR (lord of the palm tree) a place named only in Judges 20:33 as near Gibeah of Benjamin. The palm tree (tamar) of Deborah (Judges 4:5) was situated somewhere in the locality, and is possibly alluded to.

(13.) BAALZEPHON (lord of the north) a place in Egypt near where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea (Numbers 33:7; Ezekiel 14:2; 14:9). We place Baal‐zephon on the western shore of the Gulf of Suez, a little below its head, which at that time was about 30 or 40 miles northward of the present head.

Two key figures in the origin of Christmas are Nimrod, a great grandson of Noah, and his mother and wife, Semiramis, also known as Ishtar and Isis. Nimrod, known in Egypt as Osiris, was the founder of the first world empire at Babel, later known as Babylon (Genesis 10:8-12; 11:1-9). From ancient sources such as the "Epic of Gilgamesh" and records unearthed by archeologists from long-ruined Mesopotamian and Egyptian cities, we can reconstruct subsequent events.

After Nimrod's death (c. 2167 BC), Semiramis promoted the belief that he was a god. She claimed that she saw a full-grown evergreen tree spring out of the roots of a dead tree stump, symbolizing the springing forth of new life for Nimrod. On the anniversary of his birth, she said, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts under it. His birthday fell on the winter solstice at the end of December.

A few years later, Semiramis bore a son, Horus or Gilgamesh. She declared that she had been visited by the spirit of Nimrod, who left her pregnant with the boy. Horus, she maintained, was Nimrod reincarnated. With a father, mother, and son deified, a deceptive, perverted trinity was formed.

Semiramis and Horus were worshipped as "Madonna and child." As the generations passed, they were worshipped under other names in different countries and languages. Many of these are recognizable: Fortuna and Jupiter in Rome; Aphrodite and Adonis in Greece; and Ashtoreth/Astarte and Molech/Baal in Canaan.

During the time between Babel and Christ, pagans developed the belief that the days grew shorter in early winter because their sun-god was leaving them. When they saw the length of the day increasing, they celebrated by riotous, unrestrained feasting and orgies. This celebration, known as Saturnalia, was named after Saturn, another name for Nimrod.

Who is Asherah?

The goddess Asherah and Asherah poles are in the Bible from Exodus to Micah, which shows that this form of idolatry was a constant thorn in Israel’s side.

Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.

Exodus 34:13none

The goddess appears to be the divine consort of the principal male deity in a number of Mesopotamian and Syro-Palestinian pantheons: the Babylonian storm god Amurru; the Ugartic god El; and perhaps even the Canaanite god Baal. Asherah was clearly a popular goddess (2 Kings 18:19). Her prominent appearance in the biblical narrative also indicates her cult was a major rival to Yahweh worship (Ex 34:13; Deut 16:21). As a result, this explains the number of examples in which Asherah poles are erected and venerated, the strong condemnations of this practice and the depictions of these poles being cut down and burned (Judg 6:25-30; 2 Kings 23:4-7).

She was often represented in the Bible by sacred poles erected near an altar. Her popularity among Israelites still tainted by a polytheistic worldview may be suggested by the inscription found in the northwest part of Sinai, “Yahweh and his Asherah”. Asherah can either be the name of the fertility goddess or the name of a cult object. The goddess was popular in pagan deviations in Israel and was also sometimes considered a mediator of Yahweh’s blessings.

Asherah worship

One common feature of Canaanite worship and of syncretized Israelite worship on “high places” and in city shrines is the erection of Asherah poles (Judg 3:7; 1 Kings 14:15; 15:13; 2 Kings 13:6). However, we have little information on the function of these poles in ritual practice.

The writer of Kings points to the veneration of Asherah poles as one of the several reasons for Assyria’s conquest of Israel. The reforms of Hezekiah and Josiah both attempted to outlaw these images sacred to the Canaanite goddess. Therefore, the order to cut down these cultic poles signified the need to purify the nation of foreign influence and return to compete loyalty of Yahweh.

What did Asherah Poles look like?

Scholars are not completely sure about whether these were simply wooden poles that symbolized trees, perhaps containing the carved image of the fertility goddess, or part of a sacred grove. Pictures on seals excavated in Palestine, for instance, show Asherah as a stylized tree in the Iron Age. The reference in 2 Kings 17:10, which refers to Asherah poles beside “every spreading tree” seems to indicate that these were for cultic purposes rather than planted trees.

Apparently the women wove types of coverings or vestments to adorn the Asherah statue. Fashioning woven and embroidered garments for the statues of gods in Mesopotamia was a well-known practice.

What does this mean for us today?

The Israelite’s Asherah poles were one of the many ways they violated God’s command to have no other gods or worship a created image (Ex 20:3-6). Throughout humanity’s history, God has been calling us back to Him. Worshipping anything else just doesn’t make sense when we could be giving glory to the Creator of the universe.

A couple conclusions I made from of the above information:

• Sometimes, it takes a while to learn your lesson. Even if you keep sinning against God, all He wants is for you to turn back to Him.
• The Israelites often fell back into idolatry due to the influences of the neighboring/invading cultures. Set your mind on Him and do not let yourself be drawn away from God by today’s culture.
• Asherah was sometimes erected right next to the altar of Yahweh. Don’t let yourself be tricked into believing that you can prioritize other things as much as God. As Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters” (Matt 6:24).