As we watch the rise of violent rebellion and civil disobedience in western—formerly Christian—nations (and elsewhere), it would behoove us to determine what is at the root and core of this movement, so that we can determine its source and what our response should be.

Human nature has never changed from the beginning of human history to the present. What is happening today has happened before. Only the actors, costumes and theater venues have changed, but the story’s plot is the same from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden until now. 

This ever-repeating and sad never-ending story goes like this: Elohim the Creator laid down certain rules and guidelines for humans to follow for their own blessing and well-being. Along came a snake in a tree to dissuade humans to rebel against Elohim’s rule of law, and rebellious and malcontented humans egged on by the same God-hating snake (that is, Satan the arch-rebel) have been marching to the same drum beat ever since.

We see the modern manifestations of this same satanic rebellion in the various current leftist movements that, like the many-headed Hydra of ancient Greek mythology, have many faces: leftism, atheism, secular humanism, moral relativism, socialism, the rise of the nanny-state, the rise in democratic mob rule, race wars, the attack on Judea-Christians values, the rise of false and Antichrist religious systems, evolution, rebellion against western culture and history and so on.

This is not to say that western culture is perfect and that there aren’t systemic problems that need fixing, and that some of the issues of the leftist malcontents aren’t legitimate. Indeed, there are problems that need fixing, but left’s solution of destroying the biblical foundations of the west is not the answer to the problem. It is like destroying the entire garden for the weeds growing therein. The problem is that the left generally wants to kill, steal and destroy in its effort to supposedly correct the problems in western societies that despite their weaknesses have generally done more good than harm in improving the human condition when held up against the backdrop of human history. And the left has no solutions to the problems in western culture. Their only solutions is societal upheaval and destruction—again to kill, steal and destroy. They cannot point to a single example past or present where their ideologies have worked. No. In the wake of leftist ideals, there has always been mass bloodshed, anarchy, mayhem, repression, loss of freedom, enslavement and loss of civil liberties. Always! Think Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Castro, North Korea, Pol Pot and the sorry list goes on and on—just in the twentieth century alone!

To understand the evil spirit that is behind modern leftism, let’s go way back in time to the dusty pages of biblical history to one of the earliest leftists—Korah the malcontent. When we study his character, life and methods of operation, we will see many parallels between him and the modern rabble rousers who are trying to turn society on its head and usurp authority for themselves no matter the means or the cost.

The Spirit of Korah

The biblical story of Korah occurs in Numbers chapter 16. There we read, 

“And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, ‘You take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are set apart/kadosh, every one of them, and YHVH is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of YHVH?’” (Num 16:2–3)

The righteous must discern, identify and then oppose this evil spirit. Everywhere in every way, this demonic spirit of rebellion is attempting to destroy the work of YHVH Elohim on earth. 

The spirit of Korah is currently alive and well on planet earth. The righteous must discern, identify and then oppose this evil spirit. Everywhere in every way, this demonic spirit of rebellion is attempting to destroy the work of YHVH Elohim on earth. 

The spirit of Korah is the spirit of rebellion against YHVH and his divine authority and biblical truth. In our society, it is manifested in the philosophies of secular humanism, atheism, the New Age Movement, radical environmentalism, earth worship, so-called “progressivism,” socialism, Marxism and evolution, which are all aspects of the Babylon the Great, New World Order political-religious system that will oppose the saints of Yeshua and Yeshua himself at this second coming. We also see this spirit at work, supported and encouraged in international politics, in our own government, in our mainstream educational systems, in the major media, in the false religions of the world where foundational Judeo-Christian biblical values are being rejected and even demonized.

The spirit Korah the rebel has even worked its way into the modern mainstream church system where the subversion or perversion of Elohim’s Truth, as divinely revealed in the Bible, has been or is being systematically annulled. This is rebellion against YHVH’s authority. In the church system where there are countless denominations, every man essentially becomes his own spiritual leader, refuses the accountability afforded by authentic godly, spiritual leadership, and basically chooses to do what is right in his own eyes. This occurs as people choose to be part of a church or religious system that suits them—that fits their­ view of what they think and want the Word of Elohim to say. They reject the hard truths of the Bible that do not suit them and pick and choose what they want to follow. This is the spirit of rebellion against divine authority. Instead of conforming their lives to YHVH’s immutable Truth, they are conforming the Truth to their capricious and carnally motivated mental vicissitudes.

Moreover, many modern churches are going so far as to water down or reject core biblical truths and values and instead are emphasizing ecumenism, New Age thought, one-world or universal spirituality and a social activist paradigm. Ultimately, this is a rejection of the divine Truth of YHVH Elohim as revealed in the Scriptures. 

The spirit of Korah continues to manifest itself in uprisings against godly authority both within the church, and globally as the New World Order, which the Book of Revelation calls Babylon the Great, takes a more strident and virulent stand against Elohim, the Bible and the saints.

The rebellion of Korah and his comrades against Moses, Aaron and Elohim resulting in divine judgment against them is a prophetic picture of what will happen in the end times against all modern Korah-like rebels. In fact, eventually it is a prophetic picture of the judgment of Elohim that will happen to ALL sinners who choose to rebel against YHVH, his will, his Word and Truth, his plans and purposes and those individuals on this earth who are carrying out his will.

In fact, the fate of Korah and his band of rebellious malcontents is a prophetic picture of YHVH’s end time judgments against all those who dare to stand against him. The second chapter of Psalm speaks about this:

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against YHVH, and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: Adonai shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure.… Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. (Ps 2:1–4, 9)

The Spirit of Korah Under a Microscope

Let us now put this Korah figure on a Petri dish and analyze him and his methods under the microscope of Truth. By studying history, which continually repeats itself under the guise of new actors, we can learn about the present and even, to one degree or another, foretell the future.

Although Korah was a Levite, the grandson of Levi, and therefore a cousin to Moses and Aaron, he was not a priest, but he coveted the priesthood given to Aaron and his sons.

Dathan, Abiram and On were sons Reuben who was the disinherited firstborn son of Jacob and coveted the leadership role over Israel that YHVH had given to Moses and Aaron.

In their minds, this group of men had legitimate and legally based grounds for being discontent. Korah was a Levite and Dathan and his friends were leaders of the firstborn tribe of Israel.

They felt that they had legitimate gripes against Moses and Aaron. On that basis, we read that they

• Numbers 16:1 “took men,”
• Numbers 16:2, “rose up,”
• Numbers 16:3, “gathered themselves together”
• Numbers 16:4, and accused Moses saying, “You take too much upon yourselves.”

These are the steps that a rebellious malcontent takes in coming against YHVH-ordained authority.

There are biblical or godly ways for the righteous to respectfully redress grievances to authority when they feel injustices have been committed. For example, the daughters of Zelophehad were shining examples of how to do this (Num 36:19). Yeshua also addresses this in Matthew 18 (compare with Matt 5:38–42) as does Paul in 1 Timothy 5:19.

The Scriptures reveal that there are five spheres of YHVH-ordained authority against which humans will typically rebel. One can find the spirit of Korah at work in all of these spheres attempting to usurp authority and foment rebellion. These spheres of authority are:

• Divine
• Parental
• Ecclesiastical (church)
• Governmental
• Employers

Lucifer Was the Original Rebel

Satan is the originator of all rebellion against YHVH-ordained authority. He was the original Korah, so to speak, and the spiritual force or entity behind Korah’s rebellion. Scripture tells us that Satan

• Coveted YHVH’s position of authority,
• Gathered together malconent angels to oppose YHVH,
• Rose up in rebellion against YHVH,
• Falsely accused YHVH to Adam and Eve. 

Isaiah records the steps Satan took in rebelling against YHVH’s authority. Notice the progression of Satan’s rebellion in his “I will” statements in the following passage:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of Elohim: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation [i.e., Mount Moriah], in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. (Isa 14:12–17) 

Clearly, Satan is the original rebel against YHVH’s rule and is the originator of humanism, which is the exaltation of man’s will and authority over that of YHVH. All of men’s attempt to thwart, circumvent and overthrow divine authority, divine law and principles stem from the devil.

“Korah” at the Garden of Eden

Satan the serpent was the original Korah. Such rebellion had its roots in the Garden of Eden at the tree of knowledge where the serpent, the archenemy of YHVH, enticed man to rebel against YHVH’s divine law, and purported to exalt man to a position to be able to determine for himself what is right and wrong. The roots of modern secular humanism are to be found in the lies of the serpent at the tree of knowledge. For example, the serpent lied when he told humans that they could chart their own course and determine their own ethics or lack thereof without YHVH’s guidance. This approach has led to all the sin and misery on earth to this day! 

In modern politics, the democracy movement is a manifestation of the spirit of Korah. In this case, the majority of the people determine what is right or wrong and not the Bible. The problem is that the will of the people is constantly changing with the times, and is dictated by the carnal, fallen, rebellious and sinful natures of humans, and not by the unchanging and divinely revealed truth of Elohim. There are no set standards that determine what is right or wrong, no immovable boundaries, and no points on a compass to guide people in the right direction. 

The spirit of Korah ultimately proclaims, “POWER TO THE PEOPLE! GOD IS DEAD or he is at least irrelevant!” In reality, it isn’t power to the people. This is just a smoke and mirrors lie. In reality, it is only power to a small ruling elite who, once in power, lord it over the people, and enslave the people for their own evil and selfish purposes, which invariably involve personal enrichment and the accrual of power to that minority. So, in the end, the people are no better off than they were before—usually worse off. They bought the big lie, and they lost. Satan and his human minions always over-promise and under-deliver. The results are bondage, misery and ultimately death. This is what Satan, the serpent, did to Adam and Eve, and his tactics have never changed.

The Roots of Babylon the Great—Nimrod Was a “Korah”

The Bible reveals in Genesis chapters ten and eleven that Nimrod collectivized people into cities and founded Babylon. This city-state later became a great empire. This was the prophetic forerunner of the end times Babylon the Great of the Book of Revelation. Notice what Scripture reveals about Nimrod, who was a forerunner of Korah the rebel.

• Nimrod was the world’s first dictator (Gen 10:8).
• He put himself in a place where he was before (in front of) YHVH (Gen 10:9).
• Nimrod endeavored to exalt man through human efforts to the level of YHVH by building a tower that would reach to heaven as a feeble attempt to challenge Elohim’s authority (Gen 11:4).
• Nimrod wanted man to make a name (fame, reputation, glory, a memorial) for himself vis-à-vis YHVH. He promoted the self exaltation of man and the diminishing YHVH (Gen 11:4).

As YHVH judged ancient Babylon—it is now an uninhabited desert wasteland in modern Iraq, so YHVH will destroy modern Babylon the Great at Yeshua’s second coming (Rev 19).

YHVH’s Judgment Against the Spirit of Korah—The Pit and Fire

YHVH will render judgment against those who come under the spirit of Korah. Elohim will not tolerate his plans, purposes and will to be subverted by self-appointed, megalomaniacs and egomaniacs who go about fomenting discontent and rebellion against his authority. 

YHVH records in the Bible what he thought of Korah’s rebellion when he caused the earth to open up and swallow Korah and his band of rebels (Num 16:32). Before divine judgment came upon Korah, YHVH commanded those around this power-hungry rebel to separate themselves from him and his malcontented comrades (Num 16:21, 24), so that they wouldn’t come under heaven’s judgment. Likewise, in the end times, YHVH is calling his people to separate themselves from Babylon, so that they don’t come under the plagues of that end time Antichrist system (Rev 18:4).

Those rebels who were part of Korah’s rebellion who didn’t perish in the pit, were destroyed by fire from heaven (Num 16:35). Similarly, at the end of the age, Yeshua will return to the earth to judge the wicked—those who come under the influence of Satan have attempted to take over the earth and subvert righteousness and enforce their evil agendas upon mankind. What will be their fate? Satan will also be thrown into the bottomless pit as were Korah and many of his followers, and the beast and false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire, even as fire destroyed the rest of the Korah’s rebellious malcontents. Moreover, at the end of the Millennium, fire will come down from heaven to destroy those from Gog and Magog who, under Satan’s influence, will attempt to dethrone Yeshua (Rev 19:7–10). After this incident, the white throne judgment occurs where all rebels who have ever lived will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev 19:11–15). 

The Book of Jude: Story of Rebellion and Moral Perversion

Jude in his short epistle equates Cain with humanism (a philosophical system that exalts the idea and ways of man over YHVH’s Truth), Balaam with greed (the love of money) and Korah with rebellion and lust for power.Please review the whole book of Jude in the light of this understanding.

Jude’s epistle chronicles how men rebel against divine authority and turn from the common salvation message of Yeshua and the gospel, which is the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 1:3), and embark on a downward path of moral and spiritual decay. The result is that the “grace of Elohim is turned into lasciviousness”(unrestrained moral looseness; verses 7–8). The spirit of Korah uniting with the spirits of Cain (humanism) and Balaam (greed and lust) is about discarding spiritual and moral restraint and turning to moral and spiritual perversion. The modern liberal Christian churches have already given in to this spirit by accepting pedophile and homosexual priests, ordaining of homosexuals, performing “gay” marriages and accepting adultery, divorce, fornication and abortion. The next step on the downward spiral is “denying the Master Elohim and the Master Yeshua the Messiah” (verse 4). These moral and spiritual perverts and apostates neither want Yeshua to be their Lord or Master nor him tell them what to do or what is right or wrong. They defy his laws and make up their own humanistic laws. They are so full of lust and perversion that they will deny Elohim before they will reign in their lustful perversions and repent of their evil sin. This is attitude is not only the state of our society spiritually and culturally, but much of the modern church reflects this attitude as well to their shame! 

The message of Jude is a prophetic warning to the end-times saints not to buy into the lies of the serpent, and to not rebel against the laws of Elohim, the Creator. In Jude 11, YHVH says, “Woe” to those who go in this direction in following the examples of the evil and rebellious malcontents: Cain, Balaam and Korah.

A Call To Action

What should be the end-time saints’ response to this epic battle that is occurring between the followers of Satan the serpent and those who choose to obey YHVH Torah-Truth and this entire Word as revealed in the pages of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation? To be sure, a worldwide remnant of righteous believers who love YHVH’s Torah-instructions and have faith in Yeshua (Rev 12:17 and 14:12) are currently taking a stand against the spirit of Korah et al, when they are returning to the ancient right paths of Torah-Truth (Jer 6:16 cp. Mal 4:4–6). Those who have chosen to walk this path of righteousness must earnestly rededicate themselves to work tirelessly to be spiritual lights shining in the darkness by obeying YHVH and helping to come to this same blessed understanding. Moreover, we must all resolve to “earnestly contend for the faith once delivered” (Jude 1:2) and to “keep yourselves in the love of Elohim, looking for the mercy of our Master Yeshua Messiah unto eternal life” Jude 1:22). We must determine to be instruments in YHVH’s hands to save others who are sliding downward spiritually as we read, “And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 1:23). 

Never forget this: The best defence is a strong offence.