407Observations
Perspective
9
God Damn Religion
Do Not Believe…
Religions comprise humanity’s most deadly and debilitating plagues. They are contagious, spreading like a virus from one person’s lips to another individual’s ears, festering in their heart. Religion is a seductive pathogen because it masquerades as a vaccine against death – when it actually hastens human mortality.
A person’s faith cripples them, precluding the infected from fighting off the disease. Religion renders them incapable of diagnosing their fatal malignancy, preventing them from even considering the cure.
The epidemic spread of religion has sickened tens of billions of souls, resulting in their demise. Regardless of whether it is inherited from one’s parents, chosen of one’s own accord, or imposed under penalty of sanction or death, nine out of every ten people worldwide are infected and will die as a result of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Socialism’s Secular Humanism, and Hinduism. Infected souls will cease to exist as a result of the degrading nature of the disease.
A modern analogy for the world’s most endemic faith, Christianity, might be AIDS because, like the religion, the disease attacks an individual’s immune system. In the case of Christianity, the cure is found in the Towrah, the very book Paul told believers to toss aside, claiming that it was incapable of curing anyone.
Followers of Judaism claim to be Torah-observant while preferring their Talmud. They claim to observe the 408Feasts when they make a mockery of them. They even claim to serve the God whose name they do not know. They have exchanged the most enriching relationship in the universe for a stifling religion.
In the case of Islam, it is a lose-lose scenario. Muslims are damned if they ingest Allah’s poison, and they will die at the hands of jihadist Muslims if they reject it.
In the case of Socialist Secular Humanism, advancement in society is predicated upon accepting the mantra of man. Those in academia, politics, or the media who refuse to submit, and who advance a contrarian position, are publicly crucified before being fired.
Against a plague this menacing and widespread, you would expect the Creator of our world and the Architect of the lifeforms religion destroys, to speak out bluntly and boldly against the consequence of faith. And so, He does, specifically denouncing the two most prolific strains of this virus, Christianity and Islam, while also condemning the source of all religions: Babel | Babylon.
The entire book of Howsha’ / He Saves / Hosea is devoted to religion’s cause, consequence, and cure. Yahowah asks His prophet to marry a religious prostitute to understand why Yisra’el’s breach of the Covenant necessitated a divorce. The same admonition is provided throughout Yirma’yah / Yahowah Uplifts / Jeremiah, albeit for a different audience, this time Gentiles. It was written to prove that the Christian New Testament was not divinely inspired and is not credible. Also, throughout His prophetic accounts, especially in Yasha’yah / Salvation is from Yahowah / Isaiah, God lambasts Islam, denouncing the jihadist monopoly on terrorism.
What’s interesting about all of this, is that while there are countless condemnations of Judaism in the Towrah, Prophets, and Psalms, there are nearly as many specific censures of Christianity, ostensibly because Babylonian-409based religions similar to Christianity were practiced in Israel during the time Yahowah spoke through His prophets.
The foundations for Rabbinic Judaism were laid in the 2nd century BCE with emerging justification to replace the Lowy kohen with sages and exalted ones. It did not become the majority religion of the Jews until Rabbi Akiba forced it upon his people preceding the second Roman assault in the 2nd century CE. He must have surmised that since a false Messiah launched Christianity, it might do the same for Judaism. Today, however, two-thirds of Jews are secular.
Yahowah’s assault on the practice and consequence of religion begins in the Towrah. He tells us that a deity by any other name is a false god. That alone is sufficient to impugn every religion. He then tells His people not to emulate the ways of the Gentile nations, the very places where religion was born, where it was bred, and where it thrived. In fact, as we consider the legacy of these nations, all that can be seen of them today are their religious monuments. The shrines of Babylon, the pyramids of Egypt, the temples of Greece, and the majestic tributes to the gods of Rome still stand as proof that their cultures were dominated by religion, and that it was used to give credence to their governments and to justify their military conquests.
God’s aversion to religion continues in the books which follow the Towrah as we discovered during our review of Shamuw’el at the beginning of Observations. But it is an ongoing assault, with God’s overt animosity toward religion reaching a crescendo in Yasha’yah / Isaiah, a rebuke we’ll consider in the next chapter. This theme was further advanced in the Mashal / Memorable Advice / Proverbs, which are open letters from our Heavenly Father to His children.
410The Mashal are filled with God pleading His case against religion to protect His family from this deadly disease. In the opening chapter, Fatherly Advice, we discovered that the compilation of hated abominations found in Proverb 6 served as the opening salvo against Pauline Christianity. We should not be surprised that the 7th Mashal warns us about the same foe, even naming Sha’uwl at its conclusion.
As we approach this material, at the suggestion of a good friend who was appropriately generous with his constructive criticism, I am going to deploy a slightly different technique. Rather than provide a summation of Yahowah’s testimony at the conclusion of my statement-by-statement analysis, I am going to introduce each discussion with an uninterrupted presentation of God’s teaching. Then, we’ll proceed as we have done in the past, examining, explaining, and expanding upon His every word, sharing relevant connections and germane insights along the way.
We begin…
“My son, literally and continually observe, closely examining and carefully considering My words, My answers, and My promises, especially My instructions regarding the conditions for participating in the relationship, electing to continually store them up within you as a genuine treasure. (Mashal / Proverb 7:1)
And you shall continuously live by closely examining and carefully considering My directions regarding the conditions of the binding relationship agreement and with My Towrah teaching in accord with the focus of your eye. (Mashal / Proverb 7:2)
Choose to fasten them onto your fingers to influence your actions, and of your own volition, engrave them on the tablets of your heart so that you 411can process information rationally and make reasonable decisions. (Mashal / Proverb 7:3)
Acknowledge and state that the skill required to be perceptive and discerning, ‘You are my sister and my wise friend whom I know, acknowledge, and recognize.’ You should choose to call upon and summon her for understanding. (Mashal / Proverb 7:4)
By being observant, you will be protected from the illegitimate and estranged, unauthorized and repugnant woman, away from the Whore’s seductive words and deceitful promises. (Mashal / Proverb 7:5)
Because by the window of My house, through My framework denoting the proper order and timing of things, from a higher elevation, I looked down, (7:6) and I saw the simple-minded and naïve, the gullible, simply enticed, and readily misled, and I made the connection, understanding and recognizing that among these children, there was a young man of deficient character, lacking judgment.” (Mashal / Proverb 7:1-7)
Yahowah not only reveals that religion is a whore disseminating a deadly toxin, He reveals that there is an antidote. He even begins with the good news…
“My son (ben – My child), literally and continually observe (shamar – closely examine and carefully consider, thoughtfully evaluating by actually focusing diligently upon, genuinely paying attention to, always gaining information and learning from, becoming secure by caring about (qal imperfect)) My words, My answers, and My promises (‘emer – the declarations I have made and the proclamations I have avowed, My intent, My call, and My responses, My thinking and thoughts, the things I have spoken, the answers I have provided, and the promises I have made), especially (wa – and also) My instructions and conditions for participating in the relationship (mitswah – directions and terms of My mutually binding 412contract agreement, codicils of My covenant, My appointed and ordained prescriptions for living), electing to continually store them up within you as a genuine treasure (tsaphan ‘eth ‘atah – of your own freewill, literally gathering them, genuinely cherishing them, and consistently depositing them in you expecting ongoing benefits, choosing to create an ongoing personal repository for that which is greatly desired and always valued (qal imperfect jussive)).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:1)
The more willing we are to observe Yahowah’s testimony, to closely examine and carefully consider His answers and His promises, especially His conditions for participating in the Covenant, the better equipped we will be to live a long and productive life.
The world is filled with the fleeting and meaningless things humans have come to treasure. These include the heads of animals hunted and killed for fun, sports trophies for beating those on opposing teams by moving faster or hitting harder, and closets filled with fancy shoes, all of which are uncomfortable to walk in.
Diamonds are promoted as being “forever” and gold as having “intrinsic” value. We devote most of our time to the pursuit of money. We praise our troops, pledge our allegiance to our nation and flag, and rely on debt to buy our homes and automobiles. But how many of us elect to treasure the most valuable and enduring thing in the universe: God’s Word?
This is God’s advice, His will for our lives, His gift to us. He wants us to observe His Word and to value the terms and conditions of His Covenant. Should we agree, this will be the result…
“And you shall genuinely and continuously live (chayah – literally restoring and forever preserving your life, actually being revived, and staying alive, being 413consistently nurtured and flourishing (qal imperative)) by closely examining and carefully considering (shamar – literally and continuously observing, thoughtfully evaluating by actually focusing diligently upon, genuinely paying attention to, always gaining information and learning from, becoming secure by caring about (qal imperfect)) My directions regarding the conditions of the binding relationship agreement (mitswah – My terms and instructions of the contract, the codicils of My covenant, My authorized and written teaching regarding the guidelines for participation in the pledged association concerning the prescriptions for living) and (wa) My Towrah | Teaching (towrah – with My Towrah guidance, instructions, and directions) in accord with (ka – akin to and identifying with, approximating, associating, and identifying with) the focus (‘iyshown – pupil, indicative of the individual enlightenment of freewill as a compound of ‘iysh – individual and ‘arown – enlightened freewill) of your eye (‘ayn – eyesight and perspective).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:2)
There is only one place where the “mitswah – instructions regarding the terms and conditions of the mutually binding contract and relationship agreement known as the Covenant” can be found, can be read, can be known, and can be understood: Yahowah’s “towrah – Torah Teaching, Guidance, Instructions, and Directions.” This relationship was established between ‘Adam, Noach, ‘Abraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’aqob with Yahowah, and it is spelled out, lived out, celebrated, and explained from the beginning in the opening book of the Towrah: Bare’syth. And yet, it is the Towrah that Paul told Christians to discard. So, since the Towrah leads to life, is there any wonder why Yahowah calls Sha’uwl the plague of death?
In spite of what virtually every religious translation has published, ‘iyshown is not “the apple” of one’s eye. It is not associated with fruit in any way. It means “pupil,” 414and is thus the portion of the eye used to see and thus be observant. It is the darkest part of the eye that is the most receptive to light.
Speaking of religious deceptions, it’s telling that when towrah is used in the Proverbs, which are known to be providing fatherly advice in a family setting, it is almost always translated as “teaching.” But when the same word is found in the series of books that bear its name, towrah is rendered as “law.” So I ask, if the religious translators know towrah means “teaching,” why do they misrepresent it as “law,” especially when there is no correlation between law and teaching?
Incidentally, towrah was written in the construct form, and was thus possessive, necessitating either “of My Towrah teaching” or “with My Towrah guidance.” The Towrah is Yahowah’s. It is the Word of God.
Upon His return to reestablish His Covenant relationship with Yahuwdah and Yisra’el, Yahowah declares through His prophet Yirma’yah that the only difference between the Covenant as it currently exists and its renewal is that He will actually place His Towrah in our hearts, engraving it there for our benefit. That’s important to know because it is what He is asking us to do right now, and for our own wellbeing.
“Choose to fasten them (qashar – elect to bind them, associating and coordinating them with and joining them (qal – literally, imperative – volitionally, and actively)) onto (‘al) your fingers (‘etsba’ – the operative part of your hand; from tseba’ – that in which a hand is dipped, coloring and flavoring the signposts along the way), and of your own volition, engrave them (kathab – inscribe them, writing them, recording them (qal imperative active)) on the tablets (‘al luwah – upon the hard file where the permanent memory is kept and stored; luw is the place where important things are revealed, considered, and 415emphasized) of your heart (leb – the seat of judgment where you process information and make decisions regarding your life, the core of your individual nature and persona).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:3)
This is obviously symbolic. By fastening Yahowah’s Towrah and its Mitswah to our fingers, our actions will be properly guided. We might even pick up a copy and read it. Similarly, our hearts don’t have “tablets,” but we can incorporate Yahowah’s Towrah Guidance into our thinking so that it frames our perspective on life. If our thoughts and actions are guided by God’s instructions, we will find ourselves in good company. Having come to know Yahowah and understand what He is offering and asking in return, we will accept the conditions of the Covenant and become part of His Family.
Knowledge and understanding provide the lone path to God. He cannot be known through faith. What follows is reinforced throughout Yahowah’s Word.
“Elect to acknowledge and state (‘amar – of your own freewill, choose to express (qal imperative active)) regarding (la – to approach and to move toward) the skill required to be perceptive and discerning (ha chakmah – the ability and capacity to correctly associate and ascribe evidence to the proper standard, the talent to exercise good judgment and become wise, the aptitude to learn from instruction and teaching so as to know and then make connections to understand, and to wisdom), ‘You are my sister (‘at ‘any ‘achowth – you and I share the same Mother and Father, you are my beloved and we have an intimate and affectionate family connection; from ‘ach – a kinship and reciprocal relationship) and (wa) my wise friend whom I know, acknowledge, and recognize (mowda’ – my familiar acquaintance and intimate associate; from yada’ – the one I know and understand, accept and 416acknowledge, perceive and discern, recognize and experience, am acquainted with and profess).’
You should choose to call upon and summon her (qara’ – elect to approach and meet with her, invite and welcome her, read and recite from her (qal imperfect jussive)) for (la – to approach and concerning) understanding (binah – making the connections between things which reveal the accurate and appropriate meaning so as to respond reasonably and rationally, to discriminate and be discerning, properly recognizing the appropriate relationships between things; from byn – to discern, consider, perceive and understand, to be observant and prudent).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:4)
This should dissuade people from faith, from religion, from accepting what they are told to believe. Yahowah can be known, trusted, and relied upon. God’s instructions can be understood. When it comes to Yahowah, man’s best friend is the skill to be perceptive and discerning.
There are additional benefits to being observant. Those who closely examine and carefully consider Yahowah’s testimony are insulated from illegitimate claims and illicit relations...
“By being observant, you will be protected (la shamar – through close examination and careful consideration you will be kept safe) from (min) the illegitimate and estranged, unauthorized and repugnant (zar – wrongful and foreign, illicit and alien, strange and lowly, overly ornamental and excessively binding; from zara’ – nauseating and sickening, repulsive and loathsome, disgusting and despicable, even diseased) woman (‘ishah – female individual, wife or mother; ‘ishah is also the feminine depiction of fire), away from (min) the foreign feminine influence (nakryah – the allure of the adulteress from another culture, and estranged harlot, the 417outsider without ties to the family who seeks to break the marriage vow; from nakar / neker – the observant nature of religious rituals of foreign lands) of seductive words and deceitful promises (chalaq ‘emer – her flattering speech and misleading answers which divide, errant declarations and avowed proclamations which are easy to swallow, the slippery slope to being divided, apportioned to another by way of their intended allotment and provisions).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:5)
These foreign feminine influences are being equated to “seductive words and deceitful promises” which are refuted by and thus are in opposition to Yahowah’s Towrah. As such, the “Whore” is Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – religions comprised of the former to do the latter. It is Judaism’s fascination with Kabbalah – the Satanically inspired spiritual mysticism of Babylon. It is Christianity’s preoccupation with Mary as the Mother of God, making it the religion of Babel which morphed into Roman Catholicism. It is Islam’s fascination with moon goddesses in consort with Allah: al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat. (Quran 53, 19-20)
The “Whore” who is “unauthorized and illegitimate,” could also represent the Christian Church. Based upon Paul’s letters, and he, by his own admission, was demon-possessed, making him a direct conduit for the Adversary’s seductive words and deceitful promises. Sha’uwl | Paul would go on to anoint himself as God’s lone messenger to the world – something neither Moseh, Dowd, nor Yasha’yah would do.
Since most readers do not know Sha’uwl as well as does God, or even as well as do I, should you believe that we are being unfairly critical of this demonic Benjamite and jumping to conclusions regarding his association with the Whore of Babylon, Yahowah will leave no doubt in this regard. Sha’uwl is specifically named at the conclusion of this Proverb. God reveals that the “way of Sha’uwl” leads 418to “death” and the “Whore’s lightless chambers in She’owl.”
Paul did not, however, invent this Harlot. The “Whore” is Astarte / Ishtar, the Queen of Heaven, Mother of God, and the Virgin with Child, pagan myths which, born in Babylon, have been incorporated wholesale into Christianity, along with every other aspect of her religion, including Sunday worship, the Easter and Christmas holidays, cross, steeples, the Eucharist, the Rosary, and the Trinity.
The seductive enticement of a foreign woman is an apt metaphor because Yahowah’s “beryth – Family Covenant” is a “marriage vow.” And in this regard, through His prophet Howsha’ | Hosea, Yahowah pronounced that He was divorcing Yisra’el for infidelity.
Therefore, the “Whore” is the “other woman,” the one in competition with the “ruwach qodesh – Set-Apart Spirit,” the feminine manifestation of Yahowah’s light and nature. And that makes this “Whore,” the Adversary, more commonly known by the transliteration of the descriptive Hebrew title: ha satan.
As a prostitute, she adorns herself to appear desirable and attractive, promising to satisfy the deepest longings of her clients. But all she delivers is a false skein of love, taking away her suitor’s self-respect and money, ruining their relationship with their family, and denuding trust, while exposing the lost and lonely to disease and recrimination.
There are even hints of this in rabbinical marriage ceremonies. The bride’s hands are bound, and men tie a rope to her, then dance around her, reminiscent of a temple prostitute being tied to the religious order and priests. Her hair is shaved, everywhere, making her appear as a prepubescent sexual concubine.
419But more than this, the appearance, costumes, rituals, and celebrations of Orthodox Jews, especially among the Haredi, are emasculating – particularly those derived from the occultic spiritualism of Kabbalah (feminine in Hebrew). In fact, Zohar, the book of Medieval mysticism comprising Kabbalah, means “splendor.” It is focused on the idea of the Shekhinah – the divine feminine responsible for Jewish redemption and renewal. Kabbalah is, indeed, the seductive whore of Rabbinic Judaism.
Religion lurks estranged from the Covenant and thus outside of God’s heavenly Home. That is where she seduces those who are easily deceived into believing her.
“For (ky – because) in and by (ba – through and near) the window (chalown – the opening designed for the passage of light) of My house (beyth – of My home, household, and family), through My framework denoting the proper order and timing of things (ba’ad ‘eshnab – behind and anterior to My rightful order of events, My pattern designating a marker positioned on a path leading, My casement and viewpoint; related to shana’ – a verb which affirms that man changes while God remains consistent), from a higher elevation, I looked down (shaqaph – I overlooked and peered out upon), and I saw (wa ra’ah – and then I viewed and perceived) her with (ba – the Whore beside and among) the simple-minded and naïve (ha pety – the easily deceived, malleable, and readily persuaded, the ignorant and irrational with deficient judgment, the foolish; from pathah – airheads who are gullible, simply enticed and readily misled and betrayed).
And (wa) I made the connection, understanding and recognizing (byn – discerning and deducing, determining the relationship by noticing and realizing), that among (ba – with) the children (beny – the young men and sons), there was a young man (na’ar – a youthful attendant) of deficient character, lacking judgment 420(chaser leb – without the ability to process information and exercise good judgment, bereaved of his ability to reason, senseless with a weak heart).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:6-7)
The first of five points God is making is subtle, and therefore easily missed. Having encouraged us to observe His Towrah, which means to closely examine it, He now speaks of a window, an opening designed for the passage of light. If you recall, in Proverb 6, the Towrah was called “light.” And windows work both ways. God can see us and we can see Him. As a result, for the most enlightening perspective, observe His Towrah as it shines through the window of His Home. By doing so, you will see the very face of God as He exists in heaven.
Second, the Towrah presents “ba’ad ‘eshnab – the rightful order of things and their proper timing.” By reading Yahowah’s testimony in the order He presented it, from beginning to end, starting with “Bare’syth – In the Beginning” in the Towrah, Yahowah becomes known, His purpose and plan understood, and the reader is empowered to make an informed and rational decision regarding Him. Even better, everything falls into place, and it all makes sense.
The timing and purpose of ‘Eden, the Flood, the Covenant, the Exodus, and the Towrah’s Invitations are known, as is the purpose of Yaruwshalaim and Yisra’el. We can also come to appreciate the menace of Babel and the Rabbis, of the cure provided by the Messiah Dowd through the Miqra’ey, of the deadly alternative presented by Sha’uwl, Rome, and Roman Catholicism, and by the likes of Akiba and Orthodox Judaism, all leading to the Towrahless One and the ultimate fall of the Whore of Babylon. Human religious corruptions give way to the truth upon Yahowah’s return with Dowd to restore His Covenant with His people. Every step forward and 421backward along the way, including those still in our future, can be known, understood, and dated.
Third, Yahowah affirmed that knowledge and understanding represent the means to life in the Proverb’s first five statements. Now by contrast, in the sixth and seventh, He is acknowledging that ignorance and gullibility are the elixirs of religion.
Since knowing is a product of observation, and understanding is the result of evidence and reason, Yahowah can be known because He proves His existence by way of prophecies. By correctly predicting future events, God demonstrates that He exists outside of the ordinary flow of time, while simultaneously demonstrating that His testimony is reliable.
When there is no proof, when the evidence is overwhelmingly contrary to a belief, and when the edicts of religion are irrational, faith is required to accept the unsupportable. There is a reason faith and religion have become interchangeable and inseparable concepts. Belief is the only way to dull the faithful’s senses sufficiently so that they are no longer bothered by the decaying smell of death emanating from their religion’s rotten rubbish.
Simply stated: there are no informed and rational religious Jews, Christians, Muslims, or Hindus. Evidence and reason destroy almost every precept of every religion. And that is why Yahowah has presented the Whore of Religion engaging in seducing “ha pety – the simpletons who are naïve, the foolish who are easily deceived, the malleable who are readily persuaded, and especially the ignorant and irrational who demonstrate deficient judgment.”
Religious faith resides among those who are “pathah – gullible airheads, easily enticed, readily misled, and thereby, simply betrayed.” Sadly, this describes most people. And thanks in part to the attack on reason promoted 422under the banner of Political Correctness, the condition is being expounded upon and exacerbated almost everywhere.
This problem is so severe, and the consequences are so catastrophic, we have reached a point where no amount of evidence or reason, no matter the credentials of the source or the veracity of the argument, resonates with people of faith, even if their faith is in Socialist Secular Humanism. Not even the validated testimony of God, Himself, or science, or irrefutable reason prevails. If I may be so blunt, if it were not for the foolish, there would be no religion. And worse, religious faith serves to keep all believers foolish. This is one of many reasons that God requires us to walk away from religious and political “babel – corruption and confusion” before coming to know Him or engaging in a relationship with Him. Even God, Himself, cannot reason with the religious.
The fourth of five essential insights which can be gleaned from this declarative statement is that, according to God, and He ought to know, the Whore of Religion stalks her prey along the path leading to the Covenant and in proximity to His heavenly Home. This perspective is profoundly important and seldom understood. Consider Judaism, Christianity, and Islam which claim that the Towrah and Prophets are true and that they were inspired by their god – and yet, their supplemental scriptures convolute and contradict everything therein.
Rather than being created as independently viable alternatives to Yahowah’s Towrah offering, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam corrupt God’s testimony to confuse the unwary through counterfeit. Rather than offer their religious rubbish in a garbage heap where it belongs, they pile their putrid corruptions directly on top of the truth. In this way, the Whore of Religion usurps Yahowah’s credibility, claiming the proofs God has provided as her own, thereby causing the most absurd lies to appear 423plausible, even believable. And the more authentic the Whore can make her counterfeit appear, the more people she can fool with her bogus bill. This is the appeal of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Let’s drive this point home. In the Garden when the Karuwb we know as ha Satan climbed off of the wall one morning, bright and beautiful, he seduced Chawah into believing him by removing something Yahowah had said from its context, misquoting Him, and then twisting the result to make it appear that his proposition was consistent with God’s when it was, in fact, in conflict with it. He did not present himself as an alternative to God, or as God’s Adversary, but instead, as someone who could be believed because he (mis)quoted God. He did not offer a different path to knowledge, a different plan of salvation, a different relationship, a different place to live, or a different approach to God, but simply perverted Yahowah’s testimony to confuse someone already predisposed to an alternate reality. Chawah like the Karuwb wanted to play god.
This made Satan’s appeal appear credible. And it is exactly what Paul did, right down to the smallest nuance. The ploy prevailed for Satan and for Sha’uwl. This realization is so enormously important, at the conclusion of the eleventh chapter, we’ll consider God’s advice to ‘Adam, compare Satan’s statement to God’s, and then reflect upon how Paul deployed the same strategy.
This brings us to the fifth and final insight, one which is directly related to the previous four, and in fact, is derived from them. To appreciate it, let’s review the passage again to ascertain the identity of the character in question. Yah said:
“For within the window of My home, through My framework denoting the proper order and timing of things, from a higher elevation, I looked down and I saw 424her with the simple-minded and naïve, those who are easily deceived, the malleable who are readily persuaded, and the ignorant and irrational with deficient judgment.
Then I made the connection, understanding and recognizing the relationship by noticing among the children that there was a young man of deficient character, lacking judgment, bereaved of his ability to reason, senseless with a weak heart.” (Mashal / Proverb 7:6-7)
May I ask: What man is most identified with the Whore of Religion – especially the Whore of Babylon? What man authored the world’s most popular religion? What man claimed to have seen God, when in fact he encountered Satan? What man claimed to speak for God while also admitting to being demon-possessed? What man openly acknowledged that his character was deficient and then proved through his writing that he lacked judgment? What man claimed as his exclusive audience those who were completely ignorant of the Towrah? What man predicated his entire religious message on faith rather than reason, on belief rather than knowledge, to deceive the malleable? What man walked throughout the known world amassing a growing group of followers along the way? What man spent his youth in Yaruwshalaim when Dowd was there without any record of them actually meeting? What man claimed that his new covenant replaced the old covenant? What man spoke of ‘Abraham as the first to believe and then denounced the book that made ‘Abraham known to us? What man denounced Dowd by transferring everything Yahowah said about him to the incarnation of his god? Not surprisingly, the name of the man who is the answer to each of these questions is presented at the conclusion of this Proverb: Sha’uwl | the man Christians know as Paul. More than just Fatherly advice, this Mashal is prophetic.
425If you recall, Yahowah began His message by reinforcing the merit of His Towrah and its Covenant. Now our Heavenly Father is exposing the alternative and its advocates. This has become: Yahowah-Towrah-Covenant-Dowd versus Satan-New Covenant-Church-Paul. Whose side are you on?
This is not to suggest that there weren’t other Jews scampering about while pretending to speak for God. There is a long list of them, none of whom you want to be anywhere near during Judgment Day.
Hillel, 1st century, was the leader of the Sanhedrin whose rulings became the basis of Jewish Law. (He did not hold the title of “Rabbi” because it was first used by Paul and then popularized after the destruction of the Second Temple by Rome in 70 CE.) He was born in Babylon according to the Talmud and was from the tribe of Benjamin.
Rabbi Akiba (known as Rabbi Akiva), 2nd century, was a Gentile convert to Judaism who became influential after marrying the daughter of the wealthiest man in Jerusalem (whose sheep he tended). He was responsible for inviting the destruction of Yahuwdah by Rome after declaring that Simon bar Kokhba was the Messiah. He is not only responsible for the Diaspora, he arranged the Mishnah (Oral Law (also feminine)) and Midrash Halakhah (the codification of the 613 Rabbinic Laws) into the format observed within Judaism today. He was among the first to redact the story of ‘Abraham, such that his version in the Sefer Yetzirah became the basis of Jewish mysticism.
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, 2nd century, a devoted disciple of Akiba (under whom he studied for 13 years). He is the fourth-most mentioned sage in the Mishnah. He is falsely credited with “compiling the esoteric knowledge of Judaism (actually Babylonian occultism) into the Zohar 426while living in a cave for thirteen years.” (In reality, the Zohar was written in Spain by Moses de Leon in the 13th century, but let’s not let facts get in the way of a good story.)
Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, the Rashi, 11th century, the most prodigious commentator on the Talmud. He like Rabbi Yochai before him, claimed to have been visited and inspired by the prophet ‘Elyah.
Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, the Rambam known as Maimonides, 12th century, was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and Islamic philosopher in Morocco and then Egypt. His fourteen-volume Mishnah Torah is considered canonical in Talmudic Law, as it serves as the first comprehensive summarization of the Oral Law and its application. As a man pulled between cultures, he wrote in classical Arabic using the Hebrew alphabet. He and his writings underpin far more of Judaism’s laws, rituals, edicts, and beliefs than can be derived from their misappropriations of the Towrah.
Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, known as the Rambam and as Nachmanides, 13th century, a prolific commentator on the Mishnah, Talmud, and Zohar. His Kabbalah commentaries served to integrate Babylonian mysticism into the mainstream of Orthodox Judaism.
The aforementioned Rabbi Moses de Leon, 13th century, is the redactor and composer of the Zohar. The book is the ultimate babel | commingling of religion and philosophy, synchronizing the most occultic elements of the Babylonian religion with Greek Gnosticism, the Talmud, Towrah, and Jewish campfire stories. Having been wholly incorporated into Rabbinic Judaism, it serves as an adroit personification of the Whore of Babylon.
Rabbi Yaakov Ben Asher, known as Baal haTurim, 13th century, whose Arba’ah HaTurim provides the basis for interpreting Jewish Law.
427This infamous eight, nine if we include Paul, have done more harm to the Jewish people than the rest of the world combined. They are all whores.
While we have every reason to conclude that everything Yahowah says is related, providing a continuous and consistent train of thought, we mere mortals are only able to process so much at one time. With this in mind, here is the next installment of Yahowah’s insights into the nature of religion.
“By crossing over so as to be alienated and leading to intoxication in the street beside her corner, he strides, walking as part of a growing group along the path to her house [known today as the Jewish synagogue, the Christian church, and the Islamic mosque]. (Mashal / Proverb 7:8)
Just before the dark of night, depicting the twilight of one’s conscience and the fading of their soul, as the light diminishes after sundown at the end of the day, at the darkest center and focus of night, there is total darkness and doom, the complete elimination of light. (Mashal / Proverb 7:9)
Then behold, a woman approaches to issue an invitation to meet with him. She moves toward him to summon him, calling out his name, outfitted in the garments of a prostitute, a harlot, and a whore.
She is crafty and concealed, underhanded and duplicitous, in her shimmering and flashy appearance – in her heart and character. (Mashal / Proverb 7:10)
She is disturbingly loud, creating a confusing commotion, flashy and flamboyant, gaudy and garish. She is openly defiant and rebellious, a thorn of sorts.
428There is no continuation of life in her household, in keeping with her slanderous stance and covert manner, her malicious teachings regarding the insulting path to walk. (Mashal / Proverb 7:11)
Now she is influencing the way one conducts one’s life along the streets in the most prominent places, establishing a base to compel offering one’s life by constructing a foundation and raising an edifice to endow misfortune.
In the public squares where people meet and where civic activity occurs, beside every corner, she deceptively lurks, ready to deceitfully ambush, clandestinely and covertly preparing to perpetrate her ploy using a false pretense, tricking her prey. (Mashal / Proverb 7:12)
And she establishes her influence over him, harshly overpowering and binding him, controlling him, as flashing lights from the heavens.
Then she makes him submit to her, brazenly and shamelessly possessing him with her presence and her improper and aggrandizing sayings which are directed toward him.” (Mashal / Proverb 7:13)
Digging deeper, we find Yahowah continuing to speak of this man of ill repute who is lurking outside of God’s home. He is surrounded by an ever-growing group of dupes who seem oblivious to his association with the Whore…
“Passing (‘abar – crossing over so as to be alienated and leading to intoxication, to repeal and get rid of something required to remove guilt, to being banished; related to: ‘abat – to swerve and turn away, ‘abtyt – to be induced into a pledge under penalty of law, to be molded, and ‘abydah – by engaging in ritualistic worship) in the street (ba ha shuwq – along the wide and popular, overflowing thoroughfare) beside (‘etsel – near and in 429conjunction with, being withdrawn, withheld, and earmarked for) her corner (pinah – beware of where her ways converge, of the cornerstone which is essential to constructing her edifice, of where she leads and exerts her authority, lest she turn you away to rule over you; from paneh – her presence and appearance), (wa) he strides, walking as part of a growing group (tsa’ad – he travels in her direction while pursuing her mission and goals, marching off after adorning himself with her ornamental apparel, including veils, shawls, and chains; from tsa’ah – deliberately bowing down as a prisoner (qal imperfect active)) along the path (ba ha derek – in the way and manner, the journey and conduct) to her house (beyth – of her home and household, a.k.a., the Whore’s Christian Church).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:8)
Yahowah is using a metaphor, that of the Adversary posing as a whore to lure the weak of mind and heart away from His Covenant, to describe the seductive and relationally destructive nature of religion. So, while prostitutes trade in sexuality, it is interesting to note that God isn’t obsessed with sex, and only recommends against engaging in a very finite list of perversions, with incest and bestiality being among them. Further, these are all forgivable offenses.
It is not the immoral aspect of prostitution that God is addressing but instead the deadly nature of religious infidelity. For example, Judaism and Christianity’s proclivity to negate the value of Yahowah’s name and message, by either deleting it, changing it, annulling it, or replacing it – all of which are unforgivable acts.
This has nothing to do with sexuality but instead with relational infidelity. Dowd | David was promiscuous and yet Yah considers him righteous. Therefore, the religious preoccupation with fornication is an obsession with the trivial to distract readers from recognizing that the religious 430are committing the single most egregious crime that can be perpetrated against God: annulling His Name and Word.
With this in mind, and while considering the individual striding along the way as part of a growing group along the path of the Whore’s house, to the church on the corner, consider what Paul wrote to his “church” in Corinth. Speaking of “hardly believing a report,” because like his own message, it lacked any evidence or proof, of a man who was allegedly “living in sin with his stepmother, something that even pagans don’t do,” Paul wrote: “as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man…so then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed, and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.” (1st Corinthians 5:1-5)
Beyond the historical inaccuracy of pagans never living in sin with their stepmothers, beyond the fact that the Lord is Satan, beyond the realization that Yahowah will be reconciling Yisra’el and condemning Gentiles upon His return, not saving them, the notion that God wants His children to “hand someone over to Satan” when He is trying to keep us away from this Whore, is preposterous. But Sha’uwl’s demented proposition that “Satan can destroy a person’s sinful nature so as to save that individual” affirms for all to see that Satan is both Lord and Savior in Pauline Christianity.
In another of Paul’s letters, we find that to his credit and shame, Sha’uwl not only met directly with Satan, he had a productive relationship with the Adversary: “Timothy, my son [he was Paul’s young lover, not his son], here are my instructions [not Yahowah’s] for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier [there were none]. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles [recognizing that the Lord is Satan]. Cling to your faith [not knowledge or understanding, not even relationship] in Christ [this inappropriate and inaccurate Greek title which 431means “Drugged” and is contrary to the fact that “Jesus” was not the Messiah], and keep your conscience clear [in other words, continue to believe and don’t start thinking]. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences [they have become observant, closely examining and carefully considering the evidence]; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked [evidence and reason are always lethal to faith]. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples [although, in keeping with Paul’s proclivity to avoid facts, nothing whatsoever is known of these men]. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God.” (1st Timothy 1:18-20 NLT) Not only did Paul claim to know where to find Satan, he was so in sync with the Devil, they actually worked together. This is so overwhelmingly wrong, so utterly moronic, it’s a wonder there are two Christians on the planet, much less two billion.
While it may not seem related, I am convinced that it is, especially in the context of the Whore wanting to be worshiped through religious faith and of Sha’uwl leading the way to hell on her behalf. Just seven statements removed from what we just read, and after telling believers “to pray for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives,” because this “pleased God” (when the opposite is accurate), and after associating his message with a perverse caricature of “the man Christ Jesus,” Paul wrote: “And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith. I am not exaggerating – just telling the truth.” (1st Timothy 2:7 NLT) He got something right. He had been chosen by his Lord to create and communicate his faith to the Gentiles. Unfortunately, his whorish religion was and remains the plague of death. But why is it that no Christian seems capable of comparing what God said about governments to what Paul wrote Timothy and recognize that one message was the antithesis of the other? To believe Paul, God would have to be schizophrenic.
432“In every place of worship [Satan wants to be worshiped as if he were God while Yahowah detests worship, as would any sane individual], I want men to pray [Yahowah never once asks men or women to pray to Him. He wants us to listen to Him because that will do us some good] with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.” (1st Timothy 2:8 NLT) In actuality, God is angry at Paul, and in fact hates him, as should we, for the controversy he was perpetrating. Further, Yahowah encourages us to grasp hold of His Towrah, not wave our hands in the air. One is a deliberate sign of acceptance; the other is an act of faith.
Now this brings us to Paul’s campaign against women. And while its similarity to Muhammad’s Quran (where Allah is Satan) is indicting, I suspect that there is a reason behind the young man’s madness. Paul hated women, as did Muhammad, but there was one female in particular they both loved and another they specifically loathed. Paul’s letters, as is the case with the Quran, are odes to the Whore of Babylon – the beautiful spirit they called Lord. No other woman was to rival her beauty, and most especially not the Set-Apart Spirit of Yahowah – the Maternal manifestation of His Light.
“And I want women to be modest in their appearance [as did Muhammad]. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes.” (1st Timothy 2:9 NLT) This reads like Muhammad and Allah’s requirement that women not show themselves, covering their heads, faces, and bodies in veils and burkas. “For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.” (1st Timothy 2:10 NLT) Being seen doing good things is the essence of religious devotion while being right is all that matters in the Covenant relationship. “Women should learn quietly and submissively.” (1st 433Timothy 2:11 NLT) Not only does “Islam” mean “submission,” Paul orders Christians to submit to him, wives to submit to their husbands, and everyone to submit to their government, each of which is an abomination to Yahowah. “I do not let women teach men or have authority over them. Let them listen quietly.” (1st Timothy 2:12 NLT) In this same way, Allah discounts the value of a woman’s testimony to half that of a man. But more than this, the primary role of the Set-Apart Spirit is to teach us as we observe Yahowah’s Word. Our Spiritual Mother is thereby being negated.
A moment ago, we considered the story of how Satan told Chawah what she was hoping to hear by corrupting Yahowah’s testimony. We did so in order to explain the method Satan deploys to fool people into believing him. The Adversary not only tries to usurp Yahowah’s credibility but also twists and perverts what God has said, changing His testimony to confuse the unsuspecting. That is the moral of the story. But not for Paul. He wants to present men as being more important and more reasonable than women. “For God made Adam first, and afterward he made Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived by Satan. The woman was deceived, and sin was the result. But women will be saved through childbearing, assuming they continue to live in faith, love, holiness, and modesty.” (1st Timothy 2:13-15 NLT)
Au contraire, Eve is the name of a pagan mother-earth goddess. ‘Adam was deceived by the same specious argument, and he was, as a result, held accountable for his own failures. ‘Sin,’ to use the Old English term (sinne migrated to syn), was the result of doing what Paul is now doing, ignoring some of what God said, augmenting His instructions with one’s own personal diatribe, and then rejecting God’s actual guidance. Moreover, Paul missed the entire reason Chawah was created, and why her creation coincided with Yahowah’s instructions on the 434Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Bad. Chawah and the purpose of the tree are directly related, revealing something about God’s nature that is amazingly insightful and considerate (another topic we’ll discuss in a future chapter).
Women are not saved through “childbearing.” Bearing children in pain was the consequence of Chawah’s mistake. And no one has been or ever will be saved by faith, by love, by holiness, or by modesty. We are saved by walking to Yahowah along the seven-step path He has articulated and facilitated and by accepting the Covenant’s five terms and conditions. And lest I forget, Muhammad also blamed Eve, “making all women stupid as a result,” as did his wannabe god, Allah.
While we are on the subject, and now that Sha’uwl has admitted to working with Satan and to leading people to the Adversary, even to the Devil being the Pauline Christian Savior, let’s consider what the self-proclaimed apostle wrote about his relationship with Satan in his second letter to the Corinthians.
“This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about the visions and revelations from the Lord. I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know, – only God knows.
Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.
That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth.
435But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God.
So, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.” (2nd Corinthians 12:1-7 NLT)
Yahowah’s messengers don’t boast, but Paul went on and on about himself. Yes, his visions and revelations were from the Lord, but as we know, the Lord is Satan’s title. There is no such thing as a “third heaven.” There are no physical bodies in heaven, so the whole “only God knows” diatribe was ridiculous. Everything Yahowah says can be expressed in words. In fact, God does a rather marvelous job of it throughout His Word. And Yahowah expressly enabled His prophets to share what they had witnessed in heaven.
Satan’s messengers are demons. The worst of which possessed Paul. And since they were both Satanic emissaries, it should be no surprise that Muhammad would make exactly the same claim, right down to the grandeur of his moronic revelations, the in- or out-of-body experience to multiple heavens, and to being demon-possessed. It all serves to prove that Satan lacks creativity. He would have Muhammad play reruns of Paul’s mantra to an even more ignorant audience, this time turning the latter religion against the previous one.
Now that Paul has admitted that he is the leader of the Whore’s band, let’s return to the Proverb and consider what else Yahowah has to say about him. And wouldn’t you know it, after Paul’s harangue on having one’s faith shipwrecked as a result of violating one’s conscience, we find…
436“Just before the dark of night, depicting the twilight of one’s conscience and the fading of their soul (ba nesheph – at dusk, in the twilight, in the evening, during the time of fading light; from nashaph – blowing out one’s breath, related to nashamah – conscience and nepesh – soul), as the light diminishes after sundown at the end (ba ‘ereb – beginning of night as light gives way to darkness, a time of gloom, a period of making and exchanging pledges, of mingling and joining, of bargaining and bartering, of mortgaging one’s future for assurances of security, a foreign pattern that is woven which is not logically sustainable in context; from ‘ar – adversary) of the day (yowm), at the center of night (ba ‘ishown laylah – in the pupil of darkness and in connection to the individual in opposition to the light, eliminating the ability to see and thus to be observant), (wa) there is total darkness and doom (‘aphelah – of the complete elimination of all light, a time of all-encompassing depression, despair, terror, and calamity, when no one can properly see or function and wickedness prevails).
Then behold (wa hineh – so then look now and pay attention), a woman (‘ishah – a female individual) approaches to issue an invitation to meet him (la qara’ – moves toward him to summon him, calling out to him to create an encounter with him, with the intent of appointing him to recite something aloud, welcoming him into her presence to announce her proclamations, her meeting times, and her designation and title for him (qal infinitive – creating a verbal noun and expressing the action without respect to place or time)), outfitted in the garments (shyth – dressed in the clothing, coordinated fashion, and appearance, the style; identical to shyth – to place before someone to establish something, ordaining, imposing and demanding devotion which cannot be denied) of a prostitute, harlot, and whore (zonah – one who provides immoral favors and fleeting pleasures for money, causing a person to be unfaithful and despised, disliked and 437loathed, losing status, becoming wanton and lowly; from a root meaning overly indulged).
And (wa) she is crafty and concealed, underhanded and evil (natsar – secretive and damaging, albeit with a shimmering and flashy, gleaming appearance) of character and motives (leb – of inner nature, of purpose, of reasoning, of attitude and approach).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:9-10)
There are four successive references to darkness, to doom and gloom. And that is because the Adversary is the antithesis of Yahowah who is Light. His Towrah and Spirit are also Light while Satan is equated with darkness. The Whore of Religion therefore blinds souls, causing them to fade away, by misdirecting and concealing God’s light. Without light, the Towrah cannot be observed. Yahowah cannot be known. The Covenant cannot be enjoyed. Religion cannot be rejected. Without light, we die. And so, the Whore of Religion invites man into the darkness that forever separates souls from God. For the Whore to prevail, she must first dim the lights, obscure man’s vision, and then shimmer as the lone light flickering in the remaining darkness.
I have said this a thousand times and I will say it a thousand times more before I’m through. Satan does not want to be seen, known, or worshiped as the Adversary. He hates that name and title. He wants to be known as the Lord. Therefore, Satan disguises his appearance so that he appears worthy, so that he is what men perceive as god, and so that he is worshiped as the Lord God. The very first time Satan is introduced to us, we are told that the serpent is “crafty, underhanded, and clever, concealing his true identity in order to deceive.” So, if you are looking for Satan, don’t attend a séance or a meeting of the occult, go to a church or a mosque. You’ll find him there, worshiped as god.
438And let’s not forget Akiba and Paul, as Satan’s accomplices, are every bit as cunning and crafty, cleverly concealing their actual intent by claiming to be the opposite of what each actually was. In this way, Akiba and Paul, like Muhammad after them, became indistinguishable from their god. They all reflect Satan’s character flaws, his insecurities and braggadocio, his grandiose ambitions and presumptuousness, and his malevolent style.
As a result, what follows was equally true of Akiba, Paul, and Satan, and I think that this is the point God is making. In fact, every statement Yahowah has made, beginning with Proverb 7:6, and will continue to make through 7:27 at the end of the Mashal, is specific to Paul and Akiba, as well as their religions – Judaism and Christianity. Even more than this, a convincing, and indeed rationally irrefutable, argument can be made that the entirety of Mashals 6 and 7 serve not only to expose and condemn Paul and Akiba, and their religions but also to present the sole cure: observe, by closely examining and carefully considering, Yahowah’s Word and His Towrah.
One thousand years before Paul or Akiba put pen to papyrus, God provided a critical review of the result. And as is His custom, He was right, right down to the most intimate and insightful details.
“She is disturbingly loud, creating a confusing commotion (hy’ hamah – she is uproariously raging with a riotous snarl, a flashy and flamboyant, a gaudy and garish, a vulgar and angry drunkard, greatly desiring and yearning for stormy turmoil and furious hullabaloo while soliciting great wealth; associated with huwm – to easily confuse, to distract, dislocate, and destroy) and (wa) she is openly defiant and rebellious (sarar – obstinate and unable to change, averse to authority and yet craving authority, needing to be in charge, withdrawn as a result of a revolt; akin to sirpad – a thorn).
439In her household (ba beyth hy’ – in her home and with her family), in keeping with her slanderous stance and covert manner (regel or ragal – her sly footing and her defamatory footsteps, her malicious teachings regarding the insulting path to walk), this is no way to live (lo’ shakan – is not established as the proper way to dwell and reside, should not be submitted to, and settles nothing (qal imperfect)).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:11)
The Whore of Religion loudly proclaims her confusing mandates within flashy and flamboyant, gaudy and garish churches, shrines, and mosques. Claiming to be god, she is a fraud, openly defiant and rebellious. And you’ll notice, the Whore not only “craves to be seen as in charge,” and thus as God, she is also a “thorn.”
This is yet another affirmation of the fact that Satan does not want to be known or worshiped as the Adversary. The Devil conceals his true identity to fool the foolish into believing that he is God. If you want to meet this Whore, go to church and read Paul’s letters, go to a mosque and read Muhammad’s Quran, or enter a synagogue and read from the Zohar, Mishnah, or Talmud.
If you should be wondering how Satan and his accomplices can be both concealed and open, the answer was actually revealed in the text. Satan conceals his identity as the Adversary to openly present himself as god through religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It was while studying the Quran that I came to appreciate how Satan is concealed by counterfeit, masquerading as god.
At first, I was confused because, while Allah was clearly Muhammad’s alter ego, and obviously modeled after Satan, the Quran condemns Satan. But then I came to understand the tactic. Allah had to condemn his Satan / Adversary identity to appear godly. Through subterfuge, he was able to shirk his true identity and adorn a new façade 440all in one act. In fact, he is so brazen about it, Satan’s messengers, Paul and Muhammad, admit to being demon-possessed. And in Islam, Allah uses his actual name as revealed in Yasha’yah 14, Halal, as the equivalent of the Towrah’s Qodesh, making bad appear good in the eyes of hoodwinked Muslims.
This theme also runs through Judaism, where in Kabbalah, the Adversary is raised in stature to become the Lord’s equal while battling for supremacy. The Zohar, like the Quran and New Testament, are odes to Satan – as is the Book of Ezekiel.
“Now, influencing the way one conducts one’s life (pa’am – at this time establishing a base, constructing a foundation, and raising an edifice to endow trouble while compelling a disturbing mental state) along the streets in the most prominent places (ba ha chuwts – in public buildings along well-traveled roadways; from an unused root meaning to sever), establishing a base to compel participation (pa’am – now influencing the conduct of life by constructing a foundation and raising an edifice to endow misfortune and suffering by way of an unsettled mental condition) in the most spacious public squares (ba ha rachob – in the largest and most attractive marketplaces and city centers, along the widest, most popular, and fastest-growing byways where people meet and civic activity occurs), and (wa) beside (‘etsel – near and in conjunction with, being withdrawn, withheld, and earmarked for) every (kol) corner (pinah – place of converging paths to be aware, cornerstone which is essential to constructing an edifice, place where leadership exerts its authority to turn you away and rule, exercising dominion), she deceptively lurks, ready to deceitfully ambush (‘arab – she hides her ruse and waits to perpetrate her ploy, clandestinely and covertly preparing a treacherous attack, using a false pretense and artifice, stalking, surprising, tricking, maiming, and killing her 441prey).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:12)
What institution exists to influence the conduct of one’s life? What institution do you find establishing prominent buildings along the most well-traveled roadways? What institution has raised an edifice to compel the masses? What institution do you find in city centers and beside the most spacious public squares? What institution exists on almost every street corner, creating converging paths, all of which are called essential, whereby leaders exercise dominion? Since the best answer to each of these questions is “religion,” the Whore is religion.
Equally revealing, religion is “a ruse, a clandestine and covert trap operating under false pretenses.” It is “an artifice, deceptively lurking and ready to deceitfully ambush” the unwary, “tricking her prey and killing them.”
Once again, harlots serve as a perfect metaphor for religion. Prostitutes attract suitors with their flashy appearance and seductive words. The most alluring are beautiful on the outside and yet, as a result of their numerous and lurid encounters, are diseased at the point of contact. They are especially good liars, telling those who engage them exactly what they want to hear in spite of what they know to be true. Their job is to make as many people as possible feel good, albeit momentarily and superficially – leaving them feeling unfulfilled, dirty, and guilty thereafter.
Whores are in business to take an immoral and inadequate person’s money. They will fake and corrupt the most loving part of a marriage. In so doing, they undermine the trust and malign the devotion required to nurture a mutually supportive and caring family environment. Everything a whore offers is for show. There is no substance. There is no satisfaction. It is all an act. Such is the case with religion.
442I suspect that much of what follows could be directed at almost any religious zealot. It is certainly accurate with regard to an Islamic jihadist. And yet, it is equally true of Bishops, Cardinals, and Popes. But that is where the broad brush runs dry. Very few people are actually demon-possessed. I am only aware of two who not only admitted to having been demon-possessed but who also were about the Whore’s business of establishing a religion.
“And (wa) she establishes her influence over him, harshly overpowering and binding him (chazaq ba huw’ – she becomes stronger than him, with greater resolve, and conquers and controls him, becoming a powerful ruler with high status, oppressive wealth, and military might; akin to chazyz – as flashing lightning bolts from storm clouds accompanied by severe winds, and chazyr – a swine or wild boar (hifil perfect active)).
Then (wa) she makes him submit to her (nashaq la – she directs him to comply with her directives, turning him into an instrument for fighting for her cause, providing him with weapons and engaging him in battle (qal perfect active)), brazenly and shamelessly possesses and oppresses him (‘azaz – she forcefully and confidently gains absolute control over him through bold and presumptuous expressions, impudently prevailing over him) with her presence (paneh hy’ – with her appearance and superficial nature) and (wa) her improper and aggrandizing sayings which are directed toward him (‘amar la huw’ – her boastful declarations and erroneous promises, her incredulous claims regarding him (qal imperfect)).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:13)
While nashaq, which means “to submit, to comply, and to fight, obeying orders,” can also be translated as “kiss,” that rendering makes no sense in this context. The Whore represents religion, not promiscuous sexuality. But since we know that Islam means “submission,” and that the 443Quran demands that all Muslims arm themselves to fight in Allah’s cause, there is yet another connection to the Satanic religion. In actuality, there is no god or book as incredulous or improper, as self-aggrandizing or erroneous as Allah and the Quran.
However, Paul was also keen on submission, requiring women to submit to their husbands, believers to submit to his authority, and everyone to submit to their government. And since this Mashal is only addressing one of the two self-proclaimed messengers, and since the one it is addressing is named at the conclusion of the Proverb, it’s safe to say that Yahowah is exposing and condemning Sha’uwl, a.k.a., the want-to-be apostle Paul.
Keep in mind, the enraged and murderous Sha’uwl was overpowered by his own admission during his initial demonic encounter. On the road to Damascus, he was struck down and blinded. It was so bad, the Rabbinic / Christian “Terminator” had to be nurtured back to health.
Not to be outplayed, rabbis also demand submission and respect. They control the lives of religious Jews.
In what follows, we encounter the Whore “establishing her influence by harshly overpowering him.” We witness Satan demonstrating that a spiritual being is “stronger than” a man and can “conquer and control” those who are susceptible. We see a “flashing light from the heavens” accompanied by a “demand” that the man “obey, submitting to” the spirit’s influence, as the Devil “directs him to comply with her commands, turning him into an instrument fighting for” the Adversary’s “cause, engaging him in” the spiritual “battle” for men’s souls.
We witness the Whore “brazenly and shamelessly possess and oppress this man, forcefully and confidently gaining absolute control over him through bold and presumptuous expressions, impudently prevailing over him with her presence.” We experience the spiritual 444being’s “appearance as superficial in nature,” with the Whore deploying “improper and aggrandizing sayings which are directed toward him.” We will encounter “boastful declarations and erroneous promises, even incredulous claims regarding,” all in his own words.
We all know that there were other demonically duplicitous Jews beyond Sha’uwl | Paul, but as bad as they were, they did not take credit for conceiving the most popular anti-Semitic cult in human history. As such, Yahowah’s Messiah, Dowd | David would expose and excoriate him – denouncing him by name.
So that we might better appreciate what Yahowah inspired His beloved Son to condemn, let’s turn to the Adversary’s Acts, where we read:
“And as they (addressing Yahuwdym who recognized the Lamb through the Towrah) were being put to death (something that did not occur anywhere at this time), I cast my vote against them (there was no authority given to the Sanhedrin or vote taken by the Rabbis to kill anyone). (Acts (of the Adversary) 26:10)
And as I punished them often in all the synagogues (which affirms that they were Torah-observant Yahuwdym, not Christians), I tried to force them to blaspheme (which from the High Priest’s perspective would be to actually say “Yahowah”), and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them, even to foreign cities (Rome would not have permitted this to occur). (Acts (of the Adversary) 26:11)
While thus engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priest (the High Priest didn’t have authority over Yaruwshalaim, Yahuwdah, much less Damascus, Syria, making this a lie), (12) at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun (had that occurred, it would have been recorded by the Romans, Syrians, Greeks, 445Persians, and Israelites, and it would have killed everyone and everything within hundreds of miles), flashing all around me and those who were journeying with me (neither of whom were ever named). (Acts (of the Adversary) 26:13)
And when we had all fallen to the ground (Satan cripples the ambulatory while Dowd healed the lame) I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Sha’uwl, Sha’uwl, why are you persecuting me? It is difficult for you to kick against the goads.” (Acts (of the Adversary) 26:14)
It was an interesting confession that the voice spoke “Hebrew” since the New Testament was written in Greek and disseminated in the language of Imperial Rome: Latin. It was especially telling that Luke admitted that “Paul’s” name was actually Sha’uwl, because that is the name under which Yahowah exposes and condemns him.
And as a fatal blow to the credibility of this viciously anti-Semitic religion, the first words Sha’uwl’s Lord spoke to him were cited verbatim from Euripides’ tragedy, the Bacchae, and were spoken by Dionysus – upon whose myths the Christian Jesus was modeled.
Since this was the third attempt at explaining his conversion from a reprehensible thug to the proprietor of the plague of death, let’s consider his first attempt before we comment further. As is the case with liars, Sha’uwl | Paul embellished the story each time he retold it. In his first variation, his attaché and failed exorcist, Luke, reported: “suddenly a light from heaven flashed all around him and he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, Sha’uwl, Sha’uwl, why are you persecuting me?’” (Acts (of the Adversary) 9:3-4)
In that it was both impossible and easily refutable, the absurd boast of the light being “brighter than the sun” wasn’t stated. However, with the passage of time, the risk 446must have seemed worth the reward. You see, the Roman god in the 1st century CE was Mithras, the Unconquerable Sun. Therefore, with Sha’uwl’s Lord being hailed as brighter than the Roman god, visions of pagan grandeur were now dancing in their heads.
Also interesting, Sha’uwl | Paul not only admitted that he did not recognize the flashing light, but worse... “And he said, ‘Who art Thou, Lord (addressing Satan by his preferred name)?’ (Acts (of the Adversary) 9:5)
And he said, ‘I am Iesous whom you are persecuting (remember, Yahowah just told us that Satan deceives through false appearances, and since this was spoken in Hebrew, and Sha’uwl’s Hebrew name was spelled out, the speaker, if ha Mashyach, would have used his Hebrew name, Dowd, if this had actually been him and it would have been spelled out in the text) (Acts (of the Adversary) 9:6), but rise, and enter the city, and it shall be told you what you must (not should of your own freewill) do.’ (Acts (of the Adversary) 9:7) As a fallen mal’ak, ha Satan knows nothing of freewill.
And the men who traveled with him stood speechless (mute instead of crippled), hearing the voice, but seeing no one (which infers that the nameless, wordless, witnesses didn’t see the light, either). And Sha’uwl got up from the ground and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing (Satan blinds the sighted while Dowd enlightens those with open eyes);
And leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus (which is improbable since they were so blind they could not even see the light). (Acts (of the Adversary) 9:8) And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.” (Acts (of the Adversary) 9: 9:5-9)
Beyond the discrepancies, why would the Christian misnomer, “Jesus,” dispense with his alleged “Disciples” that he had supposedly recruited and trained over several 447years and pick a murderous thug to represent him? Or how is it possible that a “Christ” could have appeared to him at this time and in this way when, in the Olivet Discourse, the Christian Christ allegedly told his supposed Disciples not to believe anyone who made such a claim? He told them that those who did would be liars.
As we discovered in Psalm / Mizmowr 91, Yahowah uses His mal’ak – spiritual envoys to protect His children. Sha’uwl, therefore, could not have harmed them. But the reason that I shared these variants with you is because they convey a self-aggrandizing attitude, and they show Satan overpowering Sha’uwl | Paul.
Worse, in his third, more embellished variation, Paul quoted a line from Dionysus, one that conveys the very approach Yahowah is condemning in the Mashal. The famed Dionysus line, “It is difficult for you to kick against the goads,” was the mythmaker’s way of saying that once religion is established to herd the masses as if they were dumb animals, it is hard for any individual to go up against the goad and rebel. Such has been the case with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
There may be a change in voice, and perhaps perspective, beginning with Mashal / Proverb 7:14. Yahowah inspired His Son, Dowd, to address His children in first person initially, and He continued to do so through the seventh verse. But then throughout the intervening six statements, God’s viewpoint changed to reflect the alluring and adversarial ways of the Whore of Religion. And now as we approach the 14th statement, we have returned to Dowd speaking for himself about something quite profound.
448If the following is in God’s voice, it shows Yahowah acknowledging that a price has been paid to reconcile our relationship with Him, and that by doing so through His Son, He honored, satisfied, and fulfilled the sworn promises He made to ‘Abraham. This would, therefore, be in contrast to the Whore of Religion, who is offering nothing of value.
However, this next statement is precisely accurate and tremendously revealing when it is read to reflect Dowd’s voice as our Zarowa’ and Savior – as the one fulfilling the Mow’edym. And in this regard, it is important that we recognize that translations are products of perspective. Those with a religion to promote will render the words in the most religious way. Those who know Yahowah, however, and those who are seeking to share the nature of His Covenant, will naturally compose translations that are consistent with His nature and purpose. Considering how dramatically this variation in perspective changes the result should be educational.
Also, being open and honest with readers is an appropriate way to engender trust. We are all better served when we convey that multiple possibilities exist, and then share them, presenting the reasons one or more interpretations may be better than the others. And along these lines, we would be wise to recognize that Yahowah often uses the mundane to explain His perspective on more complex issues. In such cases, a superficial rendering and interpretation of the words, while correct, is likely to miss the point.
Acknowledging that this reads differently if it is in God’s voice than it does in Dowd’s, since both are possible, I’m going to translate it in the most sensible manner, which has the Messiah saying…
“A sacrificial offering of fellowship and reconciliation was made (zebach shalem – a sacrifice 449signifying a harmonious alliance and relationship was offered) for my God (‘al ‘ay – by me for God [note: the first-person singular pronoun, ‘any, meaning I, my, or me, was written in the common form, thereby deliberately not specifying if it is masculine (Dowd’s body) or feminine (Dowd’s soul)]) the day (ha yowm) I fulfilled and completed (shalem – I satisfied my consent agreement and alliance, providing recompense for restoration, demonstrating that I concurred, and I have paid (piel – the object suffers the effect and is put into action by the subject, perfect – indicating that this occurred during a finite period of time, first-person singular [leaving open the possibility of a masculine or feminine fulfillment])) my vows (neder ‘ay – my binding and sworn promises [continuing in the common form and thus undisclosed gender]).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:14)
With Dowd serving as the author of these Mashal | Word Pictures, it is only natural for God’s Son to acknowledge what he would do for his people to resolve the consequence of religion. On Chag Matsah, our Messiah fulfilled his promise to his Father to burden his soul with our guilt and carry it into She’owl to free us of it. It was the greatest moment of his lives – and of ours.
The reason that I made such a big deal over the genderless pronouns is that throughout the Mizmowr | Psalms, when Dowd is addressing his fulfillment of the Miqra’ey, he uses this approach. He does so because, while he is a man and his basar | corporeal body is masculine, his nepesh | soul is feminine. Both were required to address the demands of Pesach and Matsah.
These things recognized, this translation, when perceived in the author’s voice, is the most accurate rendering of the words and the most consistent with what we have come to know as true. And it is profound.
450“For this reason (‘al ken – therefore), I will have come forth (yatsa’ – I will appear to withdraw (qal perfect first-person singular)) to invite and summon you, calling out to meet with you, to welcome you, and to read to you (la qara’ ‘atah – to recite and proclaim this to you regarding the Miqra’ey in a highly descriptive and active manner with ongoing implications (qal infinitive)), earnestly seeking and desiring your presence (la shachar paneh ‘atah – searching first thing for your face and longing for you to be present, wanting to be near you (piel infinitive)).
And so now (wa), I have located you and obtained contact with you (masa’ ‘atah – I have found where you are situated and attained you, having gained the opportunity to meet with and continually experience you with ongoing implications over time (qal imperfect)).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:15)
Time is such a marvelous concept when viewed from the perspective of a prophet like Dowd. In these two declarative statements, both written during his first life, he is speaking of what he will do to fulfill his promise to reconcile God’s relationship with His people in his second life. And then he moves to the third, delighted that he came forth to invite them to meet with him during the Miqra’ey. He not only sought the presence of Yisra’el, he is announcing that his most earnest desire will bear fruit. There will be a happily-ever-after following the family reunion on Kipurym because of Pesach and Matsah.
Over the course of the past two decades, I have enjoyed many wonderful surprises. And since I never expected to find such a marvelous affirmation of Dowd’s contribution to our lives within the Mashal, this is a joy to behold.
451Our Savior is beckoning us to come Home since he has made all of the arrangements…
“I have spread out (rabad – I have covered (qal perfect first-person singular)) fabrics (marbad – attractive coverings) on my couch (‘eres ‘ay – my sofa, comfortable reclining furniture), the most elaborate textiles (chatubowth – elegant embroidery) of linen from flax (‘etuwn – of fine threads from flax) of Mitsraym (mitsraym – from the oppression and subjugation of religion, politics, and militarism in Egypt). (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:16)
I have made a wave offering over (nuwph – I have moved to and fro, from my place and back again, applied a small amount, sprinkling (qal perfect first-person singular)) the place I reside (mishkap ‘ay – the locale of my recovery and rest) with myrrh (mor – a fragrant extract from bark used in anointing), aloes (‘ahalym – an aromatic wood specifically used in anointing Dowd’s apparel and a cognate of ‘Aharown), and cinnamon (wa qinamon – used in the anointing oil to prepare the Tabernacle).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:17)
As a result of what Dowd would do and now has done on Pesach and Bikuwrym, the children of the Covenant are adorned in a garment of light – perfecting and enlightening us. And here, this radiant attire is associated with linen for two reasons. First, the timing of Pesach and Matsah leading to Bikuwrym follows the blooming of the flax from which linen is derived. And second, come Kipurym | Reconciliations, Dowd will be attired in linen robes and prepared to enter Yahowah’s Home and anoint the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Doing so will resolve Yisra’el’s lingering attachment to Mitsraym – setting his people free.
The nowph | wave offering is part of Bikuwrym | Firstborn Children and is presented in Qara’ / Leviticus 45223:20. This is important because as a result of Yahowah’s Firstborn fulfilling Passover and UnYeasted Bread, the Children of the Covenant are admitted into Yahowah’s Family, rising up to our Father on this day. Further, Dowd would nuwph | go from his place and return again, when fulfilling Chag Matsah and Yowm Kipurym.
As for the ingredients, in Shemowth / Exodus 30:23, we find Yahowah instructing Moseh to blend anointing oil from myrrh and cinnamon to prepare His Tabernacle for entry and service. This is what our Anointed Messiah has done to prepare us for entry into the Home of God.
Then as we consider ‘ahalym | aloes, we find that Yahowah not only planted them, but that in the 45th Mizmowr, Dowd attests that God, Himself, anointed his garments with myrrh and aloes. Our Savior was prepared for service.
Also, recognizing that Dowd will be stepping into the role of ‘Aharown during Yowm Kipurym to anoint the Kaporeth | Mercy Seat in accord with the Towrah’s | Instructions, ‘Aharown and ‘ahal are cognates and are often defined together.
What once appeared awkward to read, comes to life when we investigate the history of the words our Messiah has chosen. Whether speaking boldly or poetically, his lyrics resonate throughout the long passage of time.
“I want you to choose to travel this way, electing to walk and journey through life like this (halak – of your own freewill, it is my desire for you to follow along, consistently moving this way (qal imperative cohortative paragogic he energic second-person masculine singular)) for us to fully experience (rawah – for us to be lavished and refreshed in an abundance (qal imperfect first-person plural)) Dowd’s love and passions (dowdym – the Beloved’s fervent devotion).
453Until the approach of the morning, and for an eternity thereafter as a result of the restoring testimony (‘ad ha boqer – until dawn, and after close inspection and careful consideration of the eternal witness enjoying the first light of sunrise), unencumbered and unrestrained by outside influences, let us choose to enjoy one another’s company (‘alas – let’s of our own freewill come to appreciate and delight in our celebration (hitpael imperfect cohortative first-person plural)), reveling in love, adoration, and affection (ba ‘ahab – desiring the choice to love).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:18)
My favorite Dowdisms include the imperative and cohortative because they convey volition in first and second person. Here Dowd is expressing his preference, which is that we choose to walk alongside, traveling through life together of our own freewill. He has invited us to capitalize upon his fulfillment of Pesach and Matsah and is hoping that we will choose to join him during Bikuwrym and Kipurym, thereby benefiting from all he has accomplished and is offering.
Those who do will get an eye and ear full of Dowd, experiencing his love for Yahowah and passion for his people. Since there have been three Dowds, the Messiah and King, the Firstborn and Savior, and the returning Shepherd and King, we will witness Dowdym – plural.
By writing his name into the script, we are provided with further affirmation that the Messiah is speaking to us and for our benefit. This makes the 7th Mashal a genuine treasure.
Just as Yahowah loves His Son, and just as His Son loves us sufficiently to lay down his life for us, we, as the Covenant’s Children, are the beloved of Yah – making us all Yahuwdym.
454As for the morning, the beloved prophet’s restoring testimony affirms that he would rise early in the morning, making the transition from Matsah to Bikuwrym. This is when and how Dowd became Yahowah’s Firstborn. And now, the Beloved is inviting us to follow him into his Father’s Home.
Woven into the text of instruction between Father and Son are some of the most revealing prophecies we have yet encountered. And to think, we did not fully appreciate what our Savior was sharing until this edit, one long removed from the original review of the Proverb.
“A sacrificial offering of fellowship and reconciliation was made (zebach shalem) by me for my God (‘al ‘ay) the day (ha yowm) I fulfilled and completed (shalem) my vows (neder ‘ay). (Mashal / Proverb 7:14)
For this reason (‘al ken), I will have come forth (yatsa’) to invite and summon you, calling out to meet with you, to welcome you, and to read to you in conjunction with the Miqra’ey (la qara’ ‘atah), earnestly seeking and desiring your presence (la shachar paneh ‘atah).
And so now (wa), I have located you and obtained contact with you (masa’ ‘atah). (Mashal / Proverb 7:15)
I have spread out (rabad) fabrics (marbad) on my couch (‘eres ‘ay), the most elaborate textiles (chatubowth) of linen from flax (‘etuwn) of Mitsraym (mitsraym). (Mashal / Proverb 7:16)
I have made a wave offering over (nuwph) the place I reside (mishkap ‘ay) with myrrh (mor), aloes (‘ahalym), and cinnamon (wa qinamon). (Mashal / Proverb 7:17)
I want you to choose to travel this way, electing to walk and journey through life like this (halak) for us to fully experience (rawah) Dowd’s love and passions (dowdym). Until the approach of the morning, and for 455an eternity thereafter as a result of the restoring testimony (‘ad ha boqer), unencumbered and unrestrained by outside influences, let us choose to enjoy one another’s company (‘alas), reveling in love, adoration, and affection (ba ‘ahab).” (Mashal / Proverb 7:18)
With this next statement, Dowd as our narrator is no longer speaking in first person. We know this not only due to the return of more normalized use of masculine pronouns but also because the message is no longer hopeful. What follows is the consequence of succumbing to the allure of religion. It is all for naught. The Devil’s Advocate was not trustworthy.
But before we delve deeply into the nuances Yahowah has provided for our intellectual stimulation, here is a word’s-eye-view of how He completed the Mashal / Proverb…
“However, it is for naught because the man isn’t in his home. He has walked on a path that is far away and is now estranged. (Mashal / Proverb 7:19)
He grasped hold of the pouch filled with money, and he took it with him in his hand during the approach of the day of the full moon, when he will enter his home. (Mashal / Proverb 7:20)
She guides him and persuades him to reach out, to turn aside, to stoop down, to twist and bend, but also to plot and pervert with the magnitude of her persuasive words, her fetching doctrine, and plagiarized beliefs.
With her smooth and seductive verbiage, she compels him, causing him to be estranged. (Mashal / Proverb 7:21)
456And he follows after her right away like a dumb cow, a castrated steer who is not paying attention and does not understand, ignoring the fact it’s going to the slaughter, or like a tinkling bangle clasped to a woman’s ankle which serves as a fetter to control or discipline a foolish citizen. (Mashal / Proverb 7:22)
Until a projectile pierces that which is essential to life, he is like an early bird, impetuously rushing directly toward a plot which ensnares. He does not realize that the plot is against his soul, persona, and consciousness. (Mashal / Proverb 7:23)
So now My children, choose to actually listen to and approach Me, and elect to pay attention, accept what you hear as true, and of your own volition, actively and appropriately respond to the statements and promises of My mouth. (Mashal / Proverb 7:24)
Do not go astray, continuing to have the illicit affair she desires, actually turning to her ways.
Your heart, your disposition, inclinations, and reasoning should not be continually deceived, wrongly staggering as a result of wayward beliefs or errant perceptions, into her popular lifestyle, her broad and accommodating, widespread and prevalent, well-trodden path which defines one’s sojourn through life. (Mashal / Proverb 7:25)
For many of the defiled and deceased, she has victimized and brought down, causing them to fall, to bow down, prostrating themselves in religious worship, their life aborted, and there are vast multitudes of apathetic individuals in addition to the powerful, all of whom have been deliberately devastated or purposefully killed by her. (Mashal / Proverb 7:26)
It is the way of Sha’uwl and to She’owl, of Paul and to Hell, descending to the impending doom surrounding 457the lightless inner rooms of her house, the home of the plague of death.” (Mashal / Proverb 7:19-27)
Now that we have our bearings, let’s engage our neshamah, exploring each of the words God chose to convey this message. Returning to Mashal 7:19, we discover that when men and women opt for religion over the relationship God envisioned, when mankind cavorts within the Church instead of enjoying the company of those in the Covenant, such souls end up a long way from home. All paths do not lead to God. Most lead away from Him.
“However, it is for naught (ky ‘ayn – nothing will come of this because the negation applies to one’s existence, leading to emptiness and nothingness). This man (ha ‘iysh – the person) with his household (ba beyth huw’ – in his home) has gone about, journeying (halak – he has traveled and walked (qal perfect third-person masculine singular)) on (ba) a path (derek – a way or journey) that is far away, unreachable and estranged (min rachowq – which is profoundly distant, separated, very remote, and alienated).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:19)
As glorious as the opportunity our Messiah provided is, very few would capitalize, and even then, God’s Son would have to wait a very long time to celebrate.
No one did more good than Dowd nor more harm than Paul. While the Messiah invited his people home, even opening the door and preparing them for their arrival, Sha’uwl would lure them away and to their demise. Those drawn away by the Devil’s Advocate would become unreachable, forever estranged from God. And along the way, they would bludgeon Yahuwdym, which is why Yahowah is conveying this message to His people.
While Father and Son have invited us to live in their Home, if we don’t open their invitations, if we don’t read 458their instructions, if we don’t act upon their guidance, it is all for naught. And sadly, rather than engaging in the Covenant Family and living with our Heavenly Father in His Home, as a result of the Whore of Religion, most have walked away, embarking on a path that has left them separated and remote.
Paul walked away from his home in Tarsus, away from his people in Judea, away from Corinth and Ephesus, and died in Rome a lonely man estranged from everyone he had met along the way. And as we approach the next indictment, it is interesting to note that Paul not only made a living preaching, but he also encouraged Christian clerics to enrich themselves by robbing the faithful. He made a deal with the Devil, selling his soul for fame.
“He grasped hold of and he took (laqah – he collected, accepted, and obtained (qal perfect)) the pouch (tsarowr – the bag, bundle, and satchel used to carry valuables; from tsarar – to bind, to emaciate, and to suffer distress as a result of harassment and vexation) of money (ha keseph – silver coins, shekels and talents) with him in his hand (ba yad huw’) during the approach of (la – concerning) the day of (yowm) the full moon (ha kese’ – a fully illuminated moon; from kasah – to cover), when he will enter (bow’ – he will arrive at) his home (beyth – his house).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:20)
While Paul admits that he robbed churches that he had founded and that Christians should be paying him for his work on their behalf, this statement is so indicative of Islam, I’d be remiss if I didn’t explain the connection. The first official act of the Islamic Era occurred at Badr, the Battle of the Full Moon, when Muhammad and his fellow Islamic jihadists attacked and robbed a civilian caravan. The story is retold in the 8th Surah, which begins by saying “Stealing is lawful and good.” It is why those who 459understand the means Muhammad used to establish Islam recognize that the religion began as a criminal enterprise.
In the long history of covetous religious schemes, none have been as adroit at fleecing the flock as Rabbinic Judaism. There is a fee for everything, from blessing one’s food to make it kosher to removing curses from one’s kitchen, from circumcision at birth to the fees for a funeral at the end of life, from baby naming to the bar Mitzvah, from the marriage ceremony to granting a divorce, even for “Storahtelling” – of which they ought to be experts.
We are invited into Yahowah’s Home during Pesach, Matsah, and Bikuwrym, an absolutely free three-day celebration of life that begins at sundown at the end of the thirteenth day of the first month because Dowd has already paid the tab. Since each new month commences with a new moon, these feasts always occur during a full moon.
The same is true with Sukah, which occurs on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. So, I suspect that Yahowah is providing a contrast. This man who was interested in worldly wealth, went to his home, which was the abode of the Whore, instead of Yah’s Home. If you are carrying money, you are not headed to God. And if you have obtained money in the name of God, you are in serious trouble.
But there is another possibility here worth considering. Only one of Yahowah’s seven Miqra’ey coincides with a new moon. Yowm Taruw’ah is celebrated on the first day of the seventh month. It represents the day Yahowah will remove His Covenant children from this troubled planet and bring us to His Home.
In contrast, however, Taruw’ah is also the lone Miqra’ Jews renamed as a result of the time they spent as slaves in Babylon. They relabeled the occasion Rosh Hashanah – Head of the Year, thereby acknowledging their acceptance of the Babylonian calendar.
460When it comes to keeping track of time, Christians have done no better. They begin their year in January, a nod to the Roman god, Janus. And one has to laugh at Muslims. Muhammad called the method of adding a lunar month every two or three years to sync the moon’s phases with a solar year, satanic, so the Islamic calendar wanders aimlessly through the seasons.
“She guides him and persuades him to reach out (natah – she causes him to swerve, to turn aside, to stoop down, to twist and bend, and also to plot and pervert, going forth and extending himself) with the magnitude (ba rab – in the abundance and greatness) of her persuasive words (leqach – her fetching doctrine, possessive and readily accepted teaching, her captivating instruction and her stolen, and thus received and plagiarized, beliefs), with her smooth and seductive (cheleq – suggestive and fateful, flattering, financially rewarding by allotment and reward) lips, and thus with language (saphah – verbiage and speech; from saphah – to sweep and snatch away causing one to perish and be destroyed), she compels him (nadach – she entices and seduces him, causing him to wield and swing a sword and to be a banished exile and outcast).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:21)
Paul’s summation of the Whore’s words can be found in the Christian New Testament. Muhammad’s rendition of Satan’s mantra oozes out of the pages of his Quran. They are surprisingly similar, causing us to compare them, and to appreciate how both fit aspects of this scathing indictment. And let us not forget the spiritual ode to the gods of Babylon in the Zohar.
This is how God views the religious. Speaking specifically of the man who crafted the religion that would demonize Jews for twenty centuries, He says that he chased after the Whore of Babylon…
461“He follows (halak – he walks, conducting his life (qal participle active)) after her (‘achar – deferring to her, with her hindering and delaying his progress) right away, instantly and openly (pith’owm – almost immediately, straight away, and unexpectedly), like (ka) a dumb cow or castrated steer (showr – a domesticated animal who is not paying attention and does not understand, ignoring the fact it’s) going to the slaughter (‘el tebach bow’ – being brought to the butcher to be killed), or like (wa ka) a tinkling bangle clasped to a woman’s ankle which serves as a fetter (‘ekes – a rattling ankle ornament or fetter used to restrict the movement of a prisoner) to control or discipline (muwsar – to instruct or warn, to exhort or admonish, to correct or chastise) a foolish citizen (‘awyl – a stupid and stubborn person, an ignorant and irrational individual).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:22)
Paul instantly and openly capitulated. Upon seeing the flashing lights in the sky, he ignored the fact that he was being castrated and would soon be slaughtered. Without any proof that it was God speaking to him, and in fact, with all evidence to the contrary, Paul was led off to the home of a man, unknown to him and to us, for indoctrination.
It’s also interesting to note that there is no mention of anyone known as “Ananias” in the Towrah, Naby’, or Mizmowr. It is neither a Hebrew nor a Greek name. And apart from Luke’s Acts, where there are three different people Paul alleged were named “Ananias,” the name does not appear anywhere else in the New Testament. The closest Hebrew name is Chananyah, but that’s a long way from Ananias in that it only has two letters in common and three which are dissimilar. And yet, it is typical of Paul to make unverifiable, indeed, highly suspect and unsubstantiated claims, especially regarding his “conversion experience.”
462Faith remains a fool’s folly in that it is both deadly and popular. It manifests like a herd of cattle headed to the slaughterhouse, following one another, nose to tail, down a well-trodden path to their demise.
Beyond this, the English word, “religion,” is from a Latin word, religare, which means “to bind,” not unlike a fetter. But in this case, the constraint is self-imposed. The victims wear their chains as jewelry.
“Until (‘ad – meanwhile, up to the point) an arrow (chets – a projectile shot from a weapon; from chatsats – that which divides, separates, and cuts off) pierces (palah – pokes through, slices, and cuts up) that which is essential to life (kabed – his liver and the seat of psychological motivations), he is like (huw’ ka – similar to) an early bird (tsipowr – fowl in the morning) impetuously rushing (mahar – rashly and hurriedly and yet foolishly, dashing headlong) directly toward a plot which ensnares (‘el pach – into a trap net, toward calamitous danger and the control of another, a plot which is lethal to his soul).
He does not realize (wa lo’ yada’ – he does not know or understand, he does not recognize or perceive, he is unaware (qal perfect active)) that truthfully (ky – that actually) it is against (ba – it is in) his soul (nepesh – his persona and consciousness).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:23)
We are without excuse – as were Akiba and Paul. Yahowah has warned us. Religion is counterproductive. It destroys souls. And yet, nothing is more popular.
But as is suggested in the turn of phrase, the faithful remain hopeful until death, when their mythical balloon is pierced. Lacking what is essential to life, the Towrah and its Covenant, they are ensnared by their religion. Truth is in opposition to them.
463Yahowah didn’t just warn us, He provided us with the means to recognize and avoid these deadly traps. Now that we know the problem, this is the cure…
“And now (wa ‘atah – so then) My children (beny – My sons), choose to actually listen to and approach Me (shama’ la ‘any – elect to genuinely and consistently hear what I have to say to come near Me (qal imperative active)), and elect to pay attention, accepting what you hear as true, and of your own volition, actively and appropriately respond (wa qashab – be alert and attentive, focused and thoughtful, listening carefully and diligently, so that you can be suitably responsive (hifil – subject, God, enables the object, the children, to participate in this process, imperative – second-person expression of volition, active)) to the statements and promises (la ‘emery – to the intent of the words) of My mouth (peh – My speech and verbal communications).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:24)
Why is it then that over four billion of the eight billion people roaming this Earth today prefer either Paul’s or Muhammad’s words to Yahowah’s? God’s answer is simple and direct: Listen to what He has to say. Recite His words. Read His Towrah.
“Do not go astray, continuing to have the illicit affair she desires, actually turning (‘al satah – do not habitually wander away, swerving away in rebellion, literally altering the path to accommodate and thereby degenerate by descending (qal – genuinely and actually in relationship, imperfect – consistent, continual, and ongoing with unfolding consequences, jussive – third-person volition, and thus addressing the will and desire of the Whore)) to her ways (‘el derek – to her paths and conduct of life, to her broad thoroughfare).
Your heart, your disposition, inclinations, and reasoning (leb – your inner nature and character, your 464attitude and judgment, your ability to discern right from wrong, your capacity to incorporate something essential into the very fabric of your life, your ambitions and perspective, in addition to your thought processes and volition) should not be continually deceived, wrongly staggering (‘al ta’ah – should not as a result of wayward beliefs or errant perceptions, foolishly being misled into accepting views which are wrong, and thereby wandering aimlessly (qal imperfect jussive)) into her popular lifestyle (ba hy’ nathybah – into her broad and accommodating, widespread and prevalent, well-trodden path which defines one’s sojourn through life). (Mashal / Proverb 7:25)
For many (ky rabym – indeed a vast multitude) of the defiled and deceased (chalal – of those who have died and are perceived to be dead who are profane and reprehensible, who have been treated with contempt, pierced and wounded, even used and abused while playing alongside), she has victimized and brought down (niphal – she has caused to fall, to bow down, prostrating themselves in religious worship, to unintentionally lose control of their lives and die, descending to a lower place and wasting away, she has perpetrated a deadly miscarriage of a stillborn child, an aborted life, expulsed from the womb and no longer viable (hifil perfect active)), and there are vast multitudes of apathetic individuals in addition to the powerful (wa ‘atsuwm – and so there are great throngs of people, countless individuals who hesitate, delaying action, who are lazy and undisciplined, slow to act, whose eyes are tightly shut, but also the vast preponderance of the strong and mighty), all of whom (kol – every one of whom) having been deliberately devastated or purposefully killed by her (harag hy’ – having been slain, even slaughtered, victimized and dying or damaged, demolished, and destroyed on her account, their life intentionally ruined because of her).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:26)
465Ignorance isn’t bliss. Apathy is deadly and destructive. Satan is playing a game in which there is no reset button. When you are gone, it’s over.
But Satan does not work alone. The most deadly and demonic pandemic in human history was perpetrated by Sha’uwl, the man Yahowah calls the “plague of death.” As promised, God identifies the Whore’s pimp by name.
“It is the way (derek – it is the thoroughfare and route, the conduct and path) of Sha’uwl and to She’owl (Sha’uwl – of Paul and to Hell, Question Him, the given name of the self-proclaimed apostle, Paul, the principal author of the Christian New Testament / She’owl – the realm of death and the abode of the departed, the place of no return, and place of questioning where the guilty are abandoned (written as a proper noun and thus serving as a specific name)) descending (yarad – going down, being brought down and lowered, subdued and forced to bow down and be subjugated, being abandoned and humiliated) to the impending doom surrounding the lightless inner rooms (‘el chadar – to the shrine for religious worship in the innermost and all-encompassing darkness of the enclosure) of her house, the home (beyth – of her household and home) of the Plague of Death (maweth – the pandemic disease that causes an entire population to either perish, ceasing to exist, or to be dispatched to the realm of the departed).” (Mashal / Memorable and Meaningful Sayings / Proverb 7:27)
It is impossible to distinguish the place from the man when it comes to Sha’uwl, the founder of the Christian religion, and She’owl, the abode of those eternally separated from God, more commonly known as “Hell.” Both are proper nouns and thus names. And truthfully, not only does one lead to the other, Sha’uwl is in She’owl.
Both names, one belonging to the worst man who ever lived, and the other depicting the worst place a soul can 466enter, are written identically in the Hebrew text. Without the diacritical marks, first deployed by the Masoretes circa the 11th century CE, Sha’uwl and She’owl are indistinguishable.
It should be noted that not all of those who become infected with the plague Satan and Sha’uwl spread around the globe will go to She’owl. Most will simply die, their souls ceasing to exist. So, while Sha’uwl is the plague of death, She’owl is an eternal prison designed to incarcerate Satan and those who pimped for the Whore.
This distinction is why ‘atsuwm speaks of both vast multitudes of apathetic individuals and of powerful people, and why harag has the former purposefully killed and the latter deliberately devastated. Death and destruction are different fates, as are the impending doom of an eternity in a lightless inner room and the plague of death. As is the case with everything Yahowah conveys, this is precisely accurate because the victims will die while those who victimized them will be eternally incarcerated as a singularity.
Those who believe Sha’uwl | Paul, those who read his letters as if they were Scripture, as if they belonged in their Bible as the inspired words of God, and who promote his resulting religion as if it were true, will follow the Plague of Death to She’owl.
The antidote is Dowd. But to benefit from him, one must acknowledge who he is and accept what he has done.
