Category Archives: Satan, the Devil, Demons, Evil Spirits, Antichrist

The Facts Revealed Behind the Fiction About Islam

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By J. Nathan Lawrence at HoshanaRabbah.org

The following three articles are based on my research into the religion of Islam as well as its “holy” book called the Koran (or Qur’an). The first article is a review of a book where the author explores the dark and uncertain origins of the world’s second largest religion (after Christianity) and, based on unimpeachable evidence, comes to some surprising conclusions that will shock the reader. The second article is a study on the biblical figure called “the Antichrist” and “the spirit of antichrist”. Based on the Bible’s criteria for this person and the spirit behind the personage, the Islamic religion fits the definition of “the antichrist spirit” better than any other religious system.  My third study is a critique on the Koran itself based on my reading the book from cover to cover. There I expose the most troubling things that the Koran teaches about the religion of Islam, what Muslims practice and their view toward and treatment of non-Muslims or “the infidels.”

Did Muhammad Exist—An Inquiry Into Islam’s the Obscure Origins

By Robert Spencer ISI Books; 2021 Wilimington, Delaware

A Book Review and Commentary on Muhammad and Islam’s Questionable Origins
By J. Nathan Lawrence at HoshanaRabbah.org

This impeccably and meticulously well researched book makes a compelling case for the following:

The religion of Islam fits the biblical definition of the spirit of antichrist and most likely the end times Antichrist figure will arise out of this religious system (see notes below).

The historical evidence presented in this book indicates that Islam was the spawn of an earlier aberrant and apostate form of first or second century Hebraic Christianity that denied the virgin birth of Yeshua, that he was the Son of Elohim, that he was incarnated, and resurrected from the dead. Clearly, the several of these points are defining characteristics of the spirit of antichrist as defined by John the apostle in his first and second epistles. The precursor Arabic religious system that over the period of a couple of hundred years eventually developed into what we now know as Islam may have been influenced by aberrant and heretical Christian influencers such as Marcion of Sinope, or possibly by religious movements known as Manichaeism, Nestorianism, Arienism and the Ebionites. To wit, like Islam, Manichaeism, for example, was an amalgam of several Rabbinic Jewish, Christian, Greek and other religious systems although Islam took on a more Arabic flavor, and then purported to be the final word (or divine revelation) of these religions which influenced it. However, unlike Manichaeism, Islam was decidedly mono-theistic and dogmatically anti-poly theistic. 

In regards to the Christian origins of Islam, read the eyewitness testimony of John of Damascus in Syria (a.d. 675/6-749), a Christian monk who lived in the time and place of the birth of the religious system that later became known as Islam. He gives a detailed first hand account of how this religious system was spawned from aberrant and heretical form of Christianity. (See http://orthodoxinfo.com/general/stjohn_islam.aspx; https://hugoye.bethmardutho.org/article/hv11n2griffith.html; https://almuslih.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Sahas-D-–-John-of-Damascus-.pdf; https://malankaralibrary.com/ImageUpload/e2ff05250ebc2278dd24208a9dbb8ae4.pdf; https://www.catholic365.com/article/30037/saint-john-of-damascus-his-encounter-with-islam.html; https://theologiaorthodoxa.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/john-of-damascus-against-islam/; https://medium.com/@albani/critically-examining-john-of-damascus-claims-about-islam-with-scholarship-7943fa965638). 

Several Koranic scholars have discovered that the text of the Koran contains hidden behind it a ground layer containing a pre-Islamic Christian subtext or substratum (pp. 166ff; 181). The Koran’s defiantly anti-trinitarian viewpoint and dogmatic insistence that Christ is not divine coupled with the hard line assertion that  Allah is one and there is none beside him seems to be a response to the Christian Orthodox position that Christ is the only begotten Son of God and that the biblical Godhead is a tripartite though singular Being (p. 181f). Moreover, the first few decades of the Arab conquest show the conquerors holding not to Islam as we know it, but to a vague creed with ties to some form of aberrant Christianity and Judaism (p. 182).

Spencer suggests that the Islamic belief that Jesus Christ was merely a created and not a divine being originated from either the heretical Christian teachings of Arius, a fourth century Christian priest, or the Jewish Christian Ebionites whose influence spread throughout to Syria and the surrounding areas in the centuries prior to the advent of Islam (p. 179).

This book confirms my previous discernments that Muhammad, if he even existed, was a sex-crazed, demon-possessed pedophile, who was driven by his craven lust for sex, conquest and power. Whether he existed or not or is merely a folkloric personality is immaterial. Millions of people believe that he existed, that he was  “the messenger of God”(what god that may be is open to debate), and is therefore the epitome of what it is to be a Muslim, and, therefore, his life is to emulated including his lust for women and multiple wives and his penchant for the conquest and murder of his enemies. Thusly Islam is a religion that is driven by the desire to kill, steal and destroy (attributes of Satan himself according to Yeshua; see John 10:10), and is further empowered by the craven and rabid testosterone-driven lust for sex with one’s wife, wives, with children, as well as one’s slaves or with conquered infidels coupled with a lust for power, with no prohibition against one’s craven anger-fulled hatred against all non-Muslims or even other Muslims who do not believe as you do.

Spencer shows that Islam, based on numerous Koranic passages, is a totally contrived, confused and mongrelized amalgam of various beliefs and ideologies formed from the religions that were indigenous to the Arabian region of its era including Judaism, Christianity, Greek dualism, and various Arabian pre-Islamic pagan religious beliefs and practices and possibly even Persian Zoroastrian elements tossed into the mix. 

Moreover, the Koran (or Qur’an) is a disjointed book full of out of context and unrelated and often contradictory and non-cohesive ideas manifesting a lack of unity and harmony with itself. The thumbprint or imprimatur of a transcendent Divine Intelligence that is present in the Bible is totally absent in the Koran. Spencer shows that Islam is more a political movement rather than a religious one. It is about empire building, the lust for conquest, power, material possessions and territory under the thin and unifying veneer of religion. 

After reading this book and studying the history of Islam, the historical record confirms that Islam’s rapid spread across the Middle East, Near East, northern Africa and into southern Europe of the seventh and later centuries was driven by the lust for blood, power, sex, and booty and this remains the driving force behind Islam’s spread to this day. 

Islam’s chief enemies are firstly Jews and Christians and then all people who are not Muslim. Why the intense hatred for the first two? My assessment is that this is because Christianity has Hebraic or Jewish roots, and from Christianity came the recognition of man’s Jewish Redeemer (Jesus or Yeshua). Moreover, it is the biblical religions of Christianity to a larger degree and Judaism to a lesser degree which have continuously opposed Satan and his counterfeit religious systems at every turn from the beginning and will continue to do so until Yeshua the Messiah’s return, at which time Satan will be forever deposed and bound in the bottomless pit for a season and then cast into the lake of fire for eternity. This whole idea is anathema to the satanic religion of Islam for obvious reasons. 

Based on the evidence Spencer produces in his book (p. 207ff), he shows how Islam sprung from an amalgamation of several religious strains. This includes several Christian groups (e.g., the Nestorians and Jacobites) that were forced out of the Christian Byzantine Empire because of their denial of the tripartite Godhead after the Christian ecumenical councils which deemed them as heretics. These groups adhered to a strict monotheistic and non-trinitarian view of God. Moreover, Spencer points out that the earliest pre-Islamic Arab rulers appear to have been adherents to Hagarism, a monotheistic religion centered around Abraham and Ishmael where the worship  of the (one) God of Abraham was the main focus as opposed to Christianity’s tripartite view of God. Additionally, Islam’s monotheistic focus seems to have encompassed some of the main elements of the monotheistic movements of its era including Hagarism, Judaism, Christianity and even Persian Zoroastrianism (to a lesser degree). Initially, and this is reflected in numerous passages in the Koran, Islam was more favorable to both Judaism and Christianity than it later came to be (which is also reflected in several Koranic verses pertaining to the murder and dismemberment of “the people of the book” or Jews and Christians). Islam’s former orientation vis-à-vis its religious rival is evidenced by Christian crosses that are to be found on early Muslim coinage and even in some early mosques, which Spencer documents elsewhere in his book. Spencer then goes on to postulate that from the seventh century onward over the next several hundred years, Islam slowly developed into what it is known as today in response to the need to unify politically and culturally the vast empire that the Arabs had conquered in a relatively short time from the second part of the seventh century onward, even as Constantine had effectively done when he embraced Christianity as the Roman Empire’s state religion in the early decades of the fourth century. Spencer postulates that the unification of the Arabic empire was the impetus for the codification of the Koran long after the supposed death of Muhammad and establishment of a distinct and defined Islamic theology and culture.  

Revealing the Identity of the Antichrist

By J. Nathan Lawrence at HoshanaRabbah.org

In his first epistle epistles, John the apostle mentions a term that has become synonymous with the archenemy of Christ or the Messiah and Christians everywhere. It is Antichrist. This word’s meaning is self-evident, but, by John’s own definition, let’s now discover who really fits the strictest definition of Antichrist.

The first place John mentions this term is in the second chapter of his first epistle.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)

John then goes on to make two further references to this arch-villain of the Messiah and his disciples.

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Jacob’s Trouble, Yeshua’s End Times Warrior Bride & the Second Coming

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YHVH’s saints are people who walk in the past, present and the future all at the same time. How is this? The saints of YHVH, who are wise and filled with wisdom, knowledge and understanding, look to history to show them their roots to learn who they are, where they have come from, which in turn guides them forward into the future. YHVH’s wise children, the disciples of Yeshua also learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before them, so that they do not repeat these mistakes of the past and suffer the consequences of past failures. This understanding guides us in the present and helps to lead us forward into our future destiny, which is the anchor of our hope for tomorrow. This is why we are people of the past, present and future. The warrior bride of Yeshua as a  child of the light knows her spiritual ancestry and heritage, who she is along with her divine mission and her future destiny.

One key to unlocking the mysteries of the Bible is understanding the cycles of history. Like a giant wheel that keeps turning relentlessly and irrevocably, the Bible chronicles the endless cycles of YHVH’s people as they encounter the forces of evil and darkness and either overcome it, or succumb to it. To know the past is also to understand the future. In these end times, heaven’s enemies are pulling out the stops to destroy YHVH’s plans and purposes on this earth along with his people who are executing those plans to defeat his enemies and to spread and enlarge his kingdom here below through the spreading of the gospel. Yeshua’s bride will play a pivotal role in the end times in helping to prepare the way for Messiah’s return and will be part of his heavenly army that will defeat the forces of Antichrist. 

As end time warriors for Yeshua our soon coming Warrior King—the Messiah Son of David—YHVH’s saints do not have to be children of darkness who are unprepared and who do not know what lies ahead. If we read the road map of the Bible, it will guide our steps like radar through the darkness and foggy mist of the future. Yeshua’s warrior bride will know who she is and what her role and destiny will be in the end times. She will be like the wise virgins in Yeshua’s Matthew 25 parable prepared and ready for her Bridegroom’s wedding (Matt 25:1–13).

The shofar trumpet is sounding in the distance for those who have the ears to hear announcing the soon coming King of kings, the saints’ Heavenly Bridegroom (Matt 24:31 cp. 25:6). Now is the time to awaken from our spiritual sleep (Rev 3:14–22), then to exit Babylonian religious systems which are mixture of good and evil (Rev 18:4), and to make ourselves ready by repenting of the sins, and donning the white ropes of the works of righteousness to be the bride for which Yeshua is coming from his Father’s house to marry (Rev 19:6–9). Yeshua through his apostolic servants is calling his bride to awaken and be ready for his soon return.

But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overt take you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For Elohim did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. (1 Thess 5:1–11)

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Rom 13:11–14)

In our quest to learn more about the end times role of the bride of Yeshua, let us step back into the annals of biblical history and uncover a mystery that will enlighten us as to what is happening on earth today with regard to the epic struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. We are literally going back into history to learn about the future, for, again, like a giant wheel that goes round and round, history often repeats itself again and again. Through this, we will gain an understanding of how Yeshua’s warrior bride figures into the giant picture of the events of the last days and how she can prepare to meet her Heavenly Bridegroom. Let us begin gathering the puzzle pieces and then begin assembling them to see what the Bible reveals about this rather mysterious figure which we refer to as Yeshua’s warrior bride. So buckle your seat belts as we embark on an epic journey through several thousand years of biblical history. It’s back to the future! 

  Let first start in Jeremiah  30:7 where we find a rather cryptic and arcane passage that has engendered much fanciful speculation among many Christian Bible teachers. Here is the passage:

Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it. (Jer 30:7)

Forget the past speculations you have heard concerning Jacob’s Trouble. Instead let’s read the Bible and it will tell us. Understanding Jacob’s Trouble will unlock a treasure trove of  information that will reward us with understanding concerning where we are presently at regarding the end times world as it relates to Yeshua’s bride as well as her role to play and her ultimate destiny.

Before defining Jacob’s Trouble in detail, we must first step back. Before facing Jacob’s Trouble, YHVH had to prepare his people for the face-off with evil they were about to encounter. YHVH will not leave his people defenseless and unprepared to face their enemy. He is a good and loving Father and Shepherd who goes before his children-sheep and prepares them for what is to come—IF they will follow his instructions! IF is a big word. YHVH’s protection and provision is always based on how his people respond to him. The choice is theirs. Wake up and get prepared or go back to the sleep of spiritual complacency.

The Bride of Messiah

Yeshua views the saints as his bride as do the apostolic writers. Yeshua cryptically alludes to this idea several times in the Gospels (Matt 9:15; 22:1–14; 25:1–13; Mark 2:19–20; Luke 12:25–40). Several apostolic writers openly discuss this theme in some of their writings as well. 

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Messiah. (Col 11:2)

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Messiah; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto Elohim. (Rom 7:4)

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of Elohim. (Rev 19:7–9)

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. (Rev 21:9)

Two Old Testament prophets also predict Yeshua’s marriage to his Israelite bride.

And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know YHVH. (Hos 2:19–20)

For thy Maker is thine husband; YHVH of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the Elohiim of the whole earth shall he be called. (Isa 54:5)

Yeshua’s Warrior Bride—Getting Ready For Battle

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Arise For Battle Warrior Bride & Prepare to Meet Your King!

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The prophetic biblical Book of Revelation is clear: Yeshua the Messiah as the Warrior King of kings is returning to this earth with his warrior bride—the resurrected and immortalized saints. At his return, he will defeat the powers of Antichrist and the satanic Babylon the Great new world order system after which he will set his millennial kingdom. The fall biblical feasts or holy days are a prophetic picture of these end times events that are just around the corner. NOW is the time for each disciple of Yeshua to hear the sound of the shofar-trumpet signaling the approach of our soon coming Bridegroom and, like the wise virgins in the parable, to prepare himself or herself to meet Yeshua, and then to rule and reign with him in his kingdom for one thousand years as the Bible prophesies. This teaching is a warning, wake up call and powerful exhortation to all those who have ears to hear and are serious followers and disciples of Yeshua our Lord and Savior to awake and to prepare.

This and other videos by Nathan are available as podcasts on Spotify and Apple podcast under “Hoshana Rabbah.”

If you are interested in participating in Hoshana Rabbah’s weekly Shabbat online fellowship (Oasis Elim Online), send an email to hoshanarabbah@earthlink.net for more information.

 

Murmuring, Backbiting & Complaining— Satan’s Tool to Destroy YHVH’s Work

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Admittedly this is not a popular topic, but is one that each person must address within their own lives in order to be pleasing to YHVH Elohim. Why is this so important? Because causing division and strife among brethren due to the misuse of our tongues is one the other seven deadly sins that YHVH hates and calls an abomination in Proverbs 6:16–19. If our sowing discord among those around us is so repulsive and onerous to YHVH, then we need to look in the mirror to ensure that we are not guilty of this sin, and if so, repent of it here and now cease this highly offensive activity.

 

How the Warrior Bride Can Overcome the Spirit of Antichrist Here & NOW!

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A spiritual battle is waging all around us and is attempting to separate you from your eternal, heavenly inheritance and your destiny to be the bride of Yeshua the Messiah. Playing church, being a passive Christian, while standing on the street corner waiting for the rapture bus to carry you off, is what weak and lukewarm Christians will be doing in these end times. If God has led you to this channel and to this video, then he is calling you to be Yeshua’s warrior bride and a militant and overcoming Christian, not an effete and feckless one. Watch this video and be challenged to take your commitment to Yeshua your Messiah, who gave his life for you, to the next level as his spiritual warrior bride who will put fear into the heart of our Antichrist enemies!

 

Are YOU in the Battle? Overcoming Satan & His Demons the Biblical Way

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Yeshua gave his disciples power and authority over ALL the powers of Satan (Luke 10:19). Moreover, Yeshua has commissioned his followers to confront demons and to cast them out while preaching the gospel (Mark 16:17). Paul says that Christians are spiritual warriors who are in a spiritual battle against satanic strongholds and are to be wrestling with the powers of Satan (Eph 6:12). Sadly, as demonic forces are increasingly emboldened as they are taking over our culture, too many Christians are AWOL (absent without leave) from Yeshua’s army. It’s time to get back into the battle to be a profitable and obedient servant of our Lord and Master, and to experience the power of the resurrected Yeshua in our lives by helping those around us get set free. This video shows you how.

This and other videos by Nathan are available as podcasts on Spotify and Apple podcast under “Hoshana Rabbah.”

If this message has been a blessing to you, please consider showing your appreciation by making a donation to Hoshana Rabbah at http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/. Thank you!

 

Secular Humanism (Pt 2)—Its Origin, Development, Modern Manifestations and How to Defeat It

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The Development of Humanism in the Bible

Satan Was the First Humanist

Satan was the first one to rebel against YHVH and his laws.His end game was to kick YHVH off his throne and to exalt himself to that place of authority and honor (note the five “I wills” of Isaiah 14:12–14).

How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations! For you have said in your heart, “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of El: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

The rebellious ideas expressed by the devil as recorded in Isaiah are part and parcel with those spouted by modern secular humanists. There is nothing new under the sun. The devil has continued to repeat the same old lies in his efforts to seduce man to his side in rebellious defiance against YHVH Elohim.

Humanism Started in the Garden of Eden and Will End With the New World Order—Babylon the Great

Having seduced man in the Garden of Eden to rebel against the Creator, it was ultimately Satan’s aim for man to worship him instead of Elohim. Scripture recognizes this satanic notion when it calls Satan the “god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4).

As Satan successfully subverted the first Adam to follow him, in essence to worship him, likewise he attempted to seduce Yeshua, the Second Adam, to fall down and worship him (Matt 4:1–10).

Just prior to the second coming, Satan will attempt to rule this world as the Antimessiah with men worshipping him (Rev 13:2, 4, 12–13, 15).

Those who worship the devil will receive his mark on their foreheads and hands signifying that their thoughts and actions are in accord with the Lucifer or Satan (Rev. 13:14–16; 14:9). Similarly yet conversely, those who worship YHVH in Spirit and truth will have his “mark” in, not on their foreheads. They will, as his bond servants, be sealed with his name in their foreheads (Rev 7:3; 9:4 cp. Exod 13:9, 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18). Those who have YHVH’s “mark” or seal will be spared from many of the plagues of the Great Tribulation (Rev 7:34; 9:4 cp. Ezek 9:4, 6). Scripture indicates that this seal is his name (i.e., his character, reputations, power and authority) written in their hearts and minds (Rev 22:4).

What will cause people to take Satan’s mark on their foreheads? Will there be many who will literally run to get this mark since it will be popular to do so? For example, how popular were the recently published Harry Potter books? When a new one came out it was breaking news. Tens of millions were sold instantly with people waiting in line for hours to buy the books. What is the mark that the fictional teenage sorcerer Harry Potter wears on his forehead? It is a lightning bolt. Yeshua said that he saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven (Luke 10:18 cp. Rev 12:9). Is Harry Potter’s lightning bolt preparing people to literally run to take the mark of the beast because it will be the “in thing” to do? 

Satan Founded the First Religion Called Humanism

Satan was the founder of the world’s first anti-Elohim religion. This religion was based on man pulling himself up by his own bootstraps, so to speak, without YHVH’s help (i.e., he was the creator of the first works and legalistic-based religious system). Humanism believes that man can save himself through his own efforts without outside help or intervention from a deity. All the false religious systems of the world have bought into and purvey this anti-biblical notion.

Satan’s religion gives humans what they want—it caters to the base sin nature of men. All the false religions of the world spring from Satan’s religion of humanism; all are works-based and give the flesh what it wants and gratify the mind and ego’s quest for “gnosis” without have to deal with man’s fallen nature and make recompense to Elohim for his sin

All the religions of the world, except that which is founded solely on the undiluted truth of the Bible, are based on rebellion to YHVH’s revealed truth and the need for man to be redeemed for the death penalty of sin by way of the cross of Yeshua the Messiah.

The Time Between the Garden of Eden and Babylon the Great

Satan is attempting to sway, deceive and seduce men to his side in his rebellion against Elohim (including, if possible, the very elect saints) through doctrines of demons. Scripture speaks of this: “Now the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Tim 4:1–2).

Other Manifestations of Humanism In Scripture

Nimrod Was a Humanist

Nimrod was the first collectivist or communist in that he formed cities and founded the first empire. He was a mighty hunter “before” (in front of, in the face of or against) YHVH (Gen 10:9); he was the first savior of the world, the first to collectivize people into cities, the first emperor, the first tyrant. He was the first human to raise his fist in defiance against and in the face of Elohim when he built the Tower of Babel.

The Children of Israel Were Plagued With Humanists and Humanistic Influence

  • The golden calf incident (Exod 32) was an attempt to syncretize the worship of YHVH with a pagan religion of Egypt (Exod 32:5). This was an early interfaith movement on the part of Israelite humanists.
  • Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron the High Priest, offered up strange fire to YHVH and were struck dead for their rebelliousness (Lev 10:1–7). This was a case of man not following YHVH’s clear procedural instructions on how to offer incense and of Nadab and Abihu approaching YHVH by doing it “their way” and not his way. This is a classic humanistic characteristic: each man doing what is right in his own eyes. 
  • The twelve Israelite spies’ evil report of the Promised Land (Num 13) is another example humanism. They had no faith in YHVH’s promises and Word. To them he was a liar. They preferred to stay where they were (in the wilderness of their present world) with the attitude of eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die, rather than having faith in future rewards for present obedience and faith.
  • Korah was a humanist who rebelled against YHVH’s divine order and authority as represented by Moses. He promoted revolution and the overthrow of legitimate government. Had Karl Marx been alive at the time, Korah would have made a good member of the Communist Party as he attempted to overthrow divinely mandated authority. In Numbers 16:1–3, we see that he separated himself from the rest of Israel to form his own opposing political party, and, in the spirit of democracy, community organizing and activism, he gathered like-minded malcontents to his side, rose up against Moses who was YHVH’s authority figure on earth, and accused Moses of wrong-doing. This was Satan’s pattern in the Eden—that is, to divide and conquer, form an opposition party, rebel against authority, and then subversively accuse the other side of what he was guilt of himself.
  • Balaam was a humanist and tried to seduce Israel to untie or syncretizing with the heathens through sexual liaisons (Rev 2:14). 
  • Phineas opposed humanism (immorality and syncretism) when he killed Zimri and Cozbi (Num 25:1ff).
  • The tribes of Reuben and Gad fell under the sway of humanistic ideas when they sought their own well being at the rest of Israel’s expense, sought materialism ahead of obedience to YHVH to go into the Promised Land, and when they stopped short of the Promised Land to enjoy “a humanist heaven” on the wrong side of the Jordan River (Num 32). Humanists do not want to go all the way in obeying YHVH. This is falling under the influence of the “big lie.” You can have it your way with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom of heaven.
  • Every time the Israelites murmured against YHVH, they demonstrated a lack of faith by not believing his Word or promises. This was a spirit of humanism. In essence, they viewed YHVH as a liar and trusted in themselves rather than in his word and promises. Whenever they rebelled against YHVH or Moses they were acting as humanists. Idolatry, lust, ungratefulness, dishonor of parents are all aspects of secular humanism.
  • When the Israelites turned from obedience to Torah to following the religious practices of the nations around them Scripture says that “every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Deut 12:8; Judg 17:6; 21:25). This is the same old humanist mantra of if it feels good, do it, or do what thou wilt.
  • King Saul become a humanist when he refused to obey YHVH’s instructions. The end result of rejection of divine authority was his turning to witchcraft (1 Sam 15:23).

Rabbinic Judaism and Humanism

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