Have you ever considered the cultures described in the Old Testament and wondered why today we don’t see similar practices? How could there be such depravity in those times and not in our current era? What happened to the gods, the idols, the sexual perversions, the abominations with children, even the cannibalism? Did all this wickedness disappear?

Or, could there be such degeneracy happening today, and we’re simply not aware of it?

The way most Christians read the Bible misses the mark as to truly understanding the nature of the world and the evil that pervades it. Everyone knows about Satan. He’s the poster boy for every evil deed. But does he act alone? We say Satan does this or that, and we give him credit for all concurrent reprobate behavior worldwide as though he’s omnipresent in the same manner as God. Is he? Of course not. We know better. He’s a creation of God and, although a spiritual being, doesn’t have God’s characteristics of omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence. How then does Satan get around and do all these terrible things that we attribute to him?

Sadly, he’s got a rather efficient team.

The question then becomes: How does this team work that Satan’s influence can be so comprehensive?  Going back to the first questions in this essay, have Satan and his team abandoned all the iniquity that they encouraged in mankind in the Old Testament period?

I maintain the answer is no; that all of these same perversions continue to this very moment. They’re simply hidden beneath our civilized veneer. In fact, we’re prevented from seeing most of them.

Let’s set the stage for the present by understanding the past. In prior articles I’ve written about the Deuteronomy 32 Worldview. Briefly, God created a spiritual family. He puts them to useful work just as he does with us, His human family. His spiritual sons carry out God’s decrees from heaven and make them manifest on earth. Unfortunately, because the heavenly host has free will like mankind does, its members can choose to rebel against God and act disobediently in their own interests.

We see this in Genesis 6:1-7. The sons of God, the bene elohim, left their heavenly estate (see Jude 6) and had sexual relations with human women. They produced hybrid beings called Nephilim and spread such corruption and abominations throughout the earth that God determined to wipe out everyone and everything that He had made.

After the flood, contrary to God’s command, men gathered at Babel and built its tower with the intent of bringing God down under their control. God directed his then-loyal spiritual sons (“Come, let us go down…”) to scatter mankind throughout the earth and to confuse their language (Genesis 11:7-9). In Deuteronomy 32:8, we see that God placed these heavenly beings over the nations. At this point they were still faithful to Him:

“When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance,when he divided mankind, he fixed the borders of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.”

Be sure you’re reading this in a translation like the ESV that provides the proper Hebrew language wording. The incorrect translation says “the sons of Israel” which is non-sensical. God never placed Israel in a position of authority over other nations. In fact, Israel wasn’t even a nation at this point in time. It was only in Genesis 12, after the Babel incident, that God even began raising up Israel as His own chosen people.

But something happened to every single one of these spiritual entities that God put in place. Their job was to direct the rest of mankind to Yahweh while He raised up Israel (i.e. Jacob) as His special and chosen nation (Deuteronomy 32:9). Instead, the power God imbued in them went to their heads. Just as Satan believed that he was above God, so did every single one of these spiritual sons. All rebelled, perhaps at Satan’s instigation. Regardless of how it happened, all became gods of the nations over which God had placed them.

In Psalm 82 we see how angry God was at their disobedience; so much so that He condemned them all to die like mere men.

But that hasn’t happened yet. Unlike the fallen sons in Genesis 6 that have already been relegated to the depths of Tartarus (2 Peter 2:4), the sons, i.e. the gods, over the nations of the world remain in place to this day. In the Old Testament we see their undue influence on man, whether pagan or Israelite. The worship of these deities caused men to commit abominations in the sight of God, including child sacrifice, divination, extreme sexual deviancy, and even cannibalism. All these practices were committed by the entire spectrum of man in every strata of society, from kings to priests to peasants. We get a sense of this from Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. They were still engaging temple cult prostitutes despite their profession of Christianity (e.g. 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:1-20).

Obviously, some aspect of the Old Testament practices bled through into New Testament times.  Actually, all of it. Why should today be any different if these same gods remain in place over the nations? Jesus has already won the war, but the world continues in rebellion until He returns at the end of the Tribulation and cleans up this mess.

If the gods required blood sacrifices then; if their out-sized influence caused mankind to engage in odious practices then, wouldn’t they continue to do so today with their subjects? Who are their subjects? ANYONE who doesn’t follow Jesus Christ; anyone who has sinned and opened the door to the demonic. Then where are these abominations occurring? Why don’t we see them? I believe because they’re hidden in plain sight.

Their visibility has shifted. Yet if we had eyes to see, we would.

Let’s do a thought experiment. How does someone rise to the greatest heights of prominence in his or her sphere, whether government, entertainment, sports, high tech, and even in the church? There are three primary ways:

1. A person works hard and through his own efforts claws his way to the top.
2. Someone is a follower of Jesus Christ and God blesses him.
3. The hunger and lust for success drive a person to make an unholy alliance that guarantees prominence in this life in exchange for his soul in the next.

True faith in Christ is rare in the world. Jesus told us the road of destruction is very broad, while the path through the straight gate of God’s kingdom is extremely narrow (Matthew 7:13). That being the case, #2 above is probably a rare occurrence. What about #1? How often do you think people overcome all the obstacles in life on their own that prevent extraordinary success? I bet the odds are greatly against this as well.

Trying to calculate percentages is a stab in the dark. One of the major questions is: How many people don’t know God through His Son and also sin?

Under the assumption that very few highly placed individuals in their chosen fields are true Christians, and few of these have likely risen to the top through their own human efforts, I believe that many—MANY—of these leaders in all of these cultural and societal spheres have demonic help. More than that, because the great “unwashed” populace of the world are not Christians, I also believe that a great many of them likewise have submitted to the influence of demons. But let’s just discuss the elites.

If you have your ear to the ground, you’ve probably heard about the extraordinary amount of human trafficking in the world. If you’re paying more attention, you may have also noted that many elite pedophile rings have been discovered in recent years with some taken down. If you’ve followed the scent, you’ve likely heard that these pedophiles are highly placed in government, industry, and even the church. They’re disgusting, yet few participants actually get caught and punished. Why? Because at the nosebleed levels that these elites operate, they take care of their own. Consider why Jeffrey Epstein “committed suicide.”

Perhaps you’ve heard of Pizzagate or Spirit Cooking. If not, do the research. You’ll see that VERY well-known names in our government, from Hollywood, throughout Silicon Valley, and among other areas of wealth and influence in this nation, have deep ties to these abominable practices. In America and throughout the world, wealthy families, royal families, are either deeply involved themselves or give money to those who practice these things. Saudi Arabia was a major contributor until the royal family was significantly changed. Because of their public persona, they will also do ANYTHING necessary to prevent disclosure.

Could this be the reason so many people in the sphere of Bill and Hillary Clinton have mysteriously been killed or committed suicide? Have you ever heard of anyone else with ties to so many deaths of people they know? Could potential exposure of elite pedophile rings be one of the big reasons why Donald Trump has been targeted like he has?

Back to one of the original questions. Does Satan operate alone? Is there any way he possibly could?  Logically, no.

Think about what Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

This tells us how God’s spiritual enemies work. They’re hierarchical. But more than that, they are territorial. Once more, recall Deuteronomy 32:8. Demonic beings, i.e. fallen sons of God, rule geographically over nations. In addition, they have cultural and societal spheres of influence; you name something or someplace where power and control are present, and you’ll encounter these rebellious spiritual beings pulling strings over their human counterparts. Anyone who rejects Jesus as Savior and Lord is subject to these entities. If these humans have sold their souls—which I maintain that a great many of them have—then what kind of practices do you think they’ll do?

We need only refer to the Old Testament for a flavor. They do today exactly what they did then. And they’re all under the power, control, or influence of—yes, Satan—but more importantly for our understanding: the fallen sons of God and their minions.

Is it any wonder that we have such lawlessness all around us? Worse, we cannot even begin to imagine the complete descent into iniquity once we are Raptured and the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit departs with His church, thus removing all restraint from chaos and the works of Satan and his henchmen.

Jesus came to this world to destroy all this anti-God activity and more.

Thank you, Lord, for Your mercy upon those who love and abide in You.

————

Gary W. Ritter is a lay pastor, Bible teacher, and serves as Missions Director at his church.  He is also a prolific author.  His Whirlwind Series is comprised of three books: Sow the Wind, Reap the Whirlwind, and There Is A Time.  These books are contained in the collected volume of the Whirlwind Omnibus.  Gary has been given the Christian Redemptive Fiction award for two novels: The Tattooed Cat and Alien Revelation.  He has recently released a new novel on eco-terrorism called Green Dreams, and Looking Up – Volume 3, a non-fiction work that contains essays and devotions on end-times and prophetic events.  Gary’s intent in all his writings is to bring a strong Christian witness to what people read.  You can reach him at his website: www.GaryRitter.com or his Facebook Author page:  https://www.facebook.com/gritter3390.  You can also see his video Bible teachings on his Gary Ritter YouTube channel – look for the fish symbol.

There’s a term that every gambler will recognize, and that is “All In.” When one is playing poker, or other card games, and they believe they hold a hand that no one else at the table can beat, they push all their chips, money, or whatever to the center of the table, and declare they are “all in.” They are betting everything they have that they hold the winning hand. Personally, I stay away from such activity as I’ve never been a good card player. (any emphasis mine)

For a Christian (true Believer), that phrase means something else altogether. Romans 10:9; “because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” This applies to every soul on this earth as given in Romans 10:12; “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all; bestowing His riches on all who call on Him.” And finally, verse 13; “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” This is the sure-bet winning hand.

For all who will not confess their sins and ask Jesus to forgive them and be their Savior, they are holding a losing hand that will put them in the Lake of Fire forever (Revelation 20:11-15). There are many people today who are trading their future “all in” for the so-called pleasures of this earth. They are gambling that the Bible is not the true word of God, and their god – satan – will somehow rescue them in the end. Satan cares about no one but himself, and his main goal is to steal as many souls as he can from Jesus. He is a master of deception, and sadly, more will follow him than those who will receive and accept Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14).

By not receiving and accepting Jesus as Lord, the deck is stacked against them. A couple of verses from our Father’s “Love Letter” to us: John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], I am the Way, the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” Acts 4:12, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

There are false prophets (pastors, preachers, priests or whatever) that are leaving out details of our sinful nature in their “teachings.” They neglect to tell their parishioners about Romans 3:23; “for all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God.” And the verse that tells of the cost of that is Romans 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Even when a person has Jesus in their heart, as long as we are still on this earth, we will slip and sin. God knows this and has left us a means to stay righteous in His eyes. 1 John 1:8-10, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves [God is not deceived], and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar [not real smart] and His word is not in us.”

The ultimate “All In” was what Jesus did for all of us at Calvary. He came down to this earth as a human and suffered a death He did not deserve in order to prepare a pathway for all of us that we could never ever be worthy of.

As is, we are still not worthy, but through His shed blood, we can be purified in the eyes of God. As stated, Jesus knew more would reject Him than accept Him, but as John 10:14-16 states, “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me; just as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father; and I lay My life down for the sheep. And I have other sheep [all Gentiles] that are not of this fold [Jews]. I must bring them also and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock and one Shepherd.”

God gives us a promise in Romans 8:1-4; “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of Life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh [as a human] and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Consider John 3:17-18; “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world; but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” To continue this thought, we go to 1 John 5:12; “Whoever has the Son [has received and accepted Jesus] has life; whoever does not have the Son of God, does not have life.”

God gives us every chance He can to help us as He does not want anyone to be condemned and separated from Him forever. 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness; but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” The time will come when the Father says “Enough,” and Jesus will come and call all true believers up to meet Him in the air in the Rapture.

Jesus fulfilled His part by willingly giving Himself as our perfect and sinless sacrifice. No one forced Him as given in John 10:18; “No one takes it [His Life] from me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down; and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”

If someone laid their life down for us; died a very cruel death in our place; was in a grave for 3 days; and then rose again to proclaim victory over all sin and death, would we not want to follow that person? Second part to that: if that person were rejected by anyone, would this not require the nonbeliever to be separated from the “Gift Giver”?

That’s the whole plan of being “All In.” Either we receive and accept the gift given to us by our Lord and Savior, and therefore have all eternity to spend with Him in paradise, or we do not accept Him and spend eternity in Hell with Satan and all his demons and followers. There is no other option available.

Before you listen to anyone who talks about the “many ways” to heaven, the truth is there is only one way. Our free-will choice is Jesus or Hell. We are free to decide, each person, for ourselves. God will not force anyone to call on His Son; and Satan will do everything in his power to pull you away.

To gamble with your eternal soul at stake would be the biggest mistake ever. Go for the “Sure Thing.” Remember, “Jesus Paid It All, All To Him I Owe.” He’s waiting for your call, and is ready to receive you as a part of His “flock” right now. We are not guaranteed another day here, and now would be a wonderful time to have your sin debt “paid in full.”

Shalom! Peace in the Name of Jesus!

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