Understanding the Occult

As it continues to grow in our culture because churches abandon the scriptures.

Rev. 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

Rom. 1:23-5 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. V28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

It would appear by the association of these words that sorcerers labour in enchantments, to generate bewitchment of people (people naturally lust after supernatural power and the powerful- Gal.5:19-20 therefore they are easily charmed/hypnotized/mesmerized and thus suggestible by powerful people). They are associated with wise men and called magicians. Through the use of enchantments which appear to be various forms of vocalization (chants, incantations, vibrations, see also didgeridoo meditative states) the magician or sorcerer can manifest miraculous power. There are ’forces’ and ‘powers of the air’ (Dan.11:38; Eph.2:2) that are forbidden but the unlearned and unstable who after their own lusts seek to open what is closed to him; a door (within himself- opening the 'third eye' or pineal gland- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD1Qwm6a5Lk for there he flatters himself interconnected with all the universe) between matter and spirit, between the visible and the invisible, between dream and awake (trance or hypnotic state or as they say ‘astral plane’ or ‘shadow land’ or ‘lucid dreaming’ the ‘collective unconsciousness’ (or the middle plateau for remote viewing )- various drugs- notably those containing DMT -the ‘spirit molecule’)- Dimethyltryptamine (Terrence McKenna describes the experience https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VavdCpewQbA ) are used to assist acquiring this altered conscious state or enhanced interaction with another dimension- video games and virtual reality seem to have similar effects upon the mind; gaming induced psychosis [note Computer graphics founded upon psychedelics- Ralph Abraham http://www.ralph-abraham.org/articles/MS%23124.Maps/maps2.pdf]). And were he to intrude into those things vainly puffed up in his fleshly mind he shall find familiar spirits waiting to inflame his soul into a path of subjective experiences that have no end and satisfy no longing. Till he cannot tell what is dream and what is real; what is mind or what is matter; what is science and what is superstition. All that he craves is what pleasures the desires of his flesh and of his mind; the lusts of his eyes; the pride of life. Indeed rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness as iniquity and idolatry (1 Sam.15:23); their end is to diminish dependence upon the mind and to harden the will to irrecoverable recalcitrance.

 These enchantments can take the forms of blessing and cursing, the invocation of the gods (which would seem to have some effect to be practiced globally and historically)- “O Baal, hear us” (and whose response is only as God permits). This leads us into the fellowship with devils and worship of devils and the use of idols and its roots of pantheism or panentheism and the destruction of the mind (logic is the enemy of experience they say) in the pursuit of experiential knowledge (enlightenment); the searing of conscience (to find their true will, their true self- and to manifest their baser lusts) and doctrines of devils. Through this pantheistic matrix anything of the imagination is possible (Gen.11:6 –they believe the imagination is a most powerful creative force) in the deluded minds of those intoxicated with this wine of fornication (Crowley- ‘Every force in the Universe is capable of being transformed into any other kind of force by using suitable means’ and again ‘Now he, as a man, cannot pray to God to cause them, for the Gods are but names for the forces of Nature themselves. But, "as a Mystic", he knows that all things are phantoms of One Thing, and that they may be withdrawn therein to reissue in other attire. He knows that all things are in himself, and that he is All-One with the All.’). And it is through this matrix of the reprobate mind, the idolater can subsume all creation (eventually all religions), all patterns and design from the Creator are turned into superstitions and omens; signs in the heavens become ‘communication’ with the heavenly hosts (Ac.14:11-13, 19:35) and they be “driven to worship them and serve them” (Dt.4:19). They interpret the creation and the wisdom wherewith God hath formed it, with their wicked doctrines, trying to be like the Most High. Job knew of the tendency in men to worship the creature- “If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand” (31:26-7). They might be driven to see themselves as the same substance (energy or vibrations) of the universe- as a microcosm of the macrocosm- ‘as above so below’; or ‘as within so without’. If the hosts of heaven are served with “days, and months, and times, and years” (corresponding to harvests) perhaps they (through their hearts and minds and bodies) will become conduits or channels through which their energies or ‘graces’ might be bestowed; the earth might yield its increase unto them. If they align themselves on earth with the celestial entities a key unlocks a door permitting the celestial energies to fill the initiate bringing him to the next ‘plane of consciousness’ (as they think- ‘He may attract to himself any force of the Universe by making himself a fit receptacle for it, and arranging conditions so that its nature compels it to flow toward him’ or that he ‘should cause a strain in the Astral Light such that the vibrations would compel some alien consciousness to restore equilibrium by bringing his desire’). That the light energy from the sun and moon and stars which differ in glory might be received by them as they observe their respective days (satur-n-day, sun-day, moon-day, etc…). The idolatrous priests propitiate these gods and interpret the ‘communications’of these celestial bodies in their solstices, cycles and seasons in the form of rituals and ceremony, thus leading men to ‘join’ themselves to devils (whoring after Lv.17:7) seeking after euphoric experiences (weeping for Tammuz Ezk.8:14) until their God is their very own ‘belly’ through which a door to the realm of spiritual wickedness is opened and these ‘energies’, these entities lustfully indulge in inhabiting these men (Mk.5:12,Mt.12:43). Driving them into abominations to which in the very end they no longer can control nor from which they can recover themselves. They are charmed by the rituals and rites; by robed priests and high places; by mighty temples and by dark secrets; by someone lording over them lest they feel responsible for their own thoughts and actions. “Make us a king to judge us like all the nations”. They are bewitched by the idols and masks of ceremony, the images they craft allowing entrance into the very chambers of their imagery (Ezk.8:12). These wicked and slothful defiled by their own lusts in heart and mind are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, and prefer a lying divination now to faith which will afterward reveal. They covet an experience now to waiting upon the God of their salvation. They would rather any angel of light now than the Lord of glory in his day. They substitute rigorous logical analysis for simple childish induction by enumeration and superstition. Deciding morality for all based upon their doltish and irrationally fractured thoughts and defiled minds e.g. easily justifying the murder of millions of unborn children, or denouncing particular sexual perversions while honoring others with complete foolish and sottish reasoning. These fools and blind as natural beasts without reason made to be taken and destroyed shall utterly perish in their own corruption.

 As children given to excess they are led by their priests into feasts of indulgences where they become accustom to casting off restraint and wholly inflaming themselves for a given time. This helps them feel justified as though they are in control for ‘it is just for this moment’ they suppose. Sometimes they wear masks to help them release their inner cravings and shame and transform themselves into what they imagine in their depravity. But since they are celebrating the gods of these excesses they are justified for this is how the gods are invited into their midst to dwell. Their mysteries are encoded into their reveling with the chance that some adept might be inclined to explore the meaning and become enmeshed in the path or ‘enlightenment’ ‘exploring consciousness’.
They walk after their own imaginations; notice images in the heart- the chambers of their imagery. This is where the unclean spirit desires to dwell, to inhabit with others more wicked than himself. And so they manifest visions and dreams- images in the mind and heart. Through this divination they communicate or inspire ideas and images (to help in the exploration of other conscious dimensions); images which guide them in the work of the hands of the craftsman to erect graven idols (Act.19:35). And this picture- this image is transferred into other hearts and once in the heart they also can communicate with these gods and divine unto themselves a lie. They can pour out their offerings of emotion unto these images (Ezk.8:14) and “as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them”. The images and pictures are set up and sanctified in the hearts of these idolaters and they are consulted for divinations. These idols help the foolish remain mindful of the presence of their deity (they believe-‘a certain power enters and inhabits it by virtue of the ceremonies’- Rev.13:15). They are disguised as gods, great teachers or guardian angels, guides or familiars and their doctrines are received as divine. If one were to challenge their madness with sound reasoning they will declare their experience is more real than the reasoning of seven men (they will declare at this point the failure of logic by rationalistic and empiricist philosophers). Some devote themselves wholly to their ‘guides’ in marriage; but affection and trust in some degree is bestowed upon these unclean entities. Even subjugating their consciences to ordinances (touch not, taste not, handle not) imposed upon them by these spirits. Some try to employ the services of these spirits through the force of will by covenants with them. They seek wisdom and knowledge and understanding and powers. But they must align themselves in their minds believing the doctrines of these devils, following their abominable rituals and services to defile their conscience which in their mind are remnants of “organized religion” (Christianity predominantly) and free themselves from all guilt (imposed upon them by tradition) about what they truly desire (do what thou wilt). For what they truly desire is because of what they truly are even as the chemicals in nature seek union with other chemicals (love). Thereby they believe they will change their vile baser nature below into a heavenly nature of gold which is above, but by following that which is within (developing his ‘astral body’ or his ‘guardian angel’ manifesting his true will over the material- as with Crowley’s coprophagy [use discretion]- http://www.academia.edu/14401282/Aleister_Crowley_and_Coprophagy_The_Limits_of_Transgression ) to change that which is without; to infuse that which is seen with that which is not seen. Only following what they truly desire through rebellion to authorities (free themselves from laws- find and be true to their ‘true nature’) will they unite with the other parts or forces of the universe to which they are bound (alchemy). (As they say- “Anyone who is forced from his own course, either through not understanding himself, or through external opposition, comes into conflict with the order of the Universe, and suffers accordingly”) They are as a star in their true will, which follows its course unhindered with the powers of the universe assisting. And since all is one, they can divine direction for themselves from any number of methods- ‘looking in the liver’, ‘making arrows bright’ (Ezk.21:21), reading tea leaves, luck, black mirrors, numerology, planet alignments, skrying. Ouija boards, cards, dice, divining bones or any other omens and superstitions they can imagine- and believing a lie is how place is given to the devil (or as they claim ‘the natural eyes, ceasing to give any message to the brain, the attention is withdrawn from them, and the man begins to see through the ‘Astral eyes’, the ‘third eye’; sometimes staring at mandalas will assist in arriving at the abode of the gods). The universe is as their heart- out of it springs innumerable creations; as within so without. They create their own reality- they can do ‘whatever they put their mind to’ they can ascend above the stars and be like the Most High. In the end these devils drive men backward into every vile and abominable filth at every stage giving them hope of some ‘light and understanding’, but only to entice them into the next pit of execration.

These devils seek to steal the glory of God and magnify themselves against him and interpret numbers and geometry and beauty (Isa.44:13) as universal manifestations of an impersonal pantheistic eternally changing universe; and as their numbers. They use ‘charm’ or ‘magic’ to manipulate and control people through their soul- the feminine (2 Cor.11:3). The soul’s fascination with beauty becomes a trigger of such charm. They beautify the graven images of their gods with silver and gold (Dt.7:25-6, Jer.10:4) to entice the souls of ignorant; as an angel of light so Leviathan cometh; and he cometh to Eve in his subtilty. He that hath ears let him hear.

 So the lust of the eyes controls these men while the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life control others. These devils desire the affection of men; affection belonging to God only. These spirits inspire affection and emotion in man to drive him into doctrines and lies. There is a mystery of iniquity working whereby the wicked one seeks to manifest himself in temples of flesh mimicking the Holy Spirit of God, in highest form seducing the saints of the most High into receiving a spirit of the air as the Spirit of God. This is that spirit of antichrist expressly spoken of in the latter times- that they might go out from us with their last state worst than the first. Believing the doctrines or doting upon these seducing spirits allow them to change you into an image made like unto themselves; unto all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air, filling your heart with their wickedness. They are as greedy dogs devouring unclean flesh licking up the blood; as swift as the hateful birds of prey sucking up the blood and dwelling with the slain; or as the filthy swine without discretion, all perpetual inhabitants of fallen Babylon.

 The mystery of iniquity involves mimicking and exalting above the Lord Jesus Christ who is God manifested in the flesh. And so the peak of this course (Eph.2:2) or this movement towards opening a door into the natural world is manifesting in flesh in a body prepared so that Wicked shall be revealed in his time. These devils are desirous of flesh through which they can manifest themselves. This godless uniting of the spiritual (e.g. doctrines) with the natural, their ‘Great Work’, will be the final goal and in their inflamed minds (in the soul, the Platonic mediator between the heavenly ideal realm and the sensual physical realm; or how the ideal philosophers god is learning of himself and the universe, the other part of himself- the yin & yang, through our learning of him by evolution of the whole- the universal mind being manifested in men through dreams and [drug induced] visions) the final salvation of man by his own efforts; uniting himself with the whole being directed by the astral or higher self, or other higher consciousnesses. So these unclean spirits seek a doorway (perhaps through the bones Ecc.11:5, Prv.17:22, Heb.4:12) at the base of the spine (33 degree/spinal column bones) where they believe the primal coiled serpent is invoked to awaken the initiate to his chakras or energy points in his astral body (soul) to his head.

 The person given to wickedness becomes a mediator or channel for these spirits to entice others; a whore riding a beast making men drunk with the wine of her fornication, Jezebel that prophetess. Everything of the beauty of a man becomes an instrument to snare other men. The raw emotion of music and drama stirred by these ‘gods’ sink hooks into the hearts of the simple pulling them into the very abandonment of the guard of their heart until it becomes the habitation of devils and the hold of every foul spirit. The channeller may take the form of a musician weaving melodies and rhythms from the gods to excite the bodies and souls of the charmed into whoredoms of flesh and of spirit. The medium may take the form of a performer or actor using a mask to assist him or her into taking on the nature and person they are used into manifesting unto the longing hearts of the deluded. Their rituals and ceremonies (drama) are inspired by these same gods as the best invocation to union of god and worshipper. The actor or medium is disciplined in freeing himself of all inhibitions to become a purer channel of these ‘magical energies’ masking himself (‘getting into character’) so only the ‘divine entity’ (the ‘alternate you’) can be experienced by the inflamed worshippers of their own bellies- drinking in and filling themselves therewith. They will fawn and dote over the medium because they are able to fill them with emotions and forces which change the fawning devotee into the image of these gods they have channeled. Till they speak their words and think their thoughts and feel their emotions and wear their garments and believe their doctrines. For when you are fond of someone you begin to mimic and match them and try to gain their approval- for we are becoming like (aligning with, adhering to traits of) what we love. Finally their unstable hearts are driven according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in these children of disobedience.

 Man has a spirit (Job 32:8) which is united to or dependent upon a 4th dimension (Eph.3:18) higher than the 3 material ones we subsist in bodily. This can easily be demonstrated by recognizing that logic and math exist apart from us immaterially or intangibly but can be apprehended and intercommunicated by us. After death details recorded in scripture indicate that the 5 physical senses we experience in this body are functional in the soul outside the body (Lk.16:19-31). It is through the spirit and heart in the spirit that God primarily communicates with man (Rom.8:16, 2Cor.1:22, Gal.4:6). But as we also see other spirits desiring the same honor as God want to be worshiped and adored (Lv.17:7, Rv.9:20) and to inhabit men’s bodies and hearts (Lk.8:30, Mt.12:43-4, Jn.13:2,27) to become one with man as a god inhabiting his temple (2 Cor.6:14-16). They want to change the body and appearance of man as a permanent union through cuttings in his flesh and printing marks upon him (Lv.19:28) and cutting his hair (Dt.14:1, Lv.21:5) and putting on of apparel (Zeph.1:8, Dt.24:5,1 Tim.2:9) as what you wear and how you dress is a product of what the heart is manifesting (Prv.7:10, Jer.2:32, 2Sam.13:18, 14:2). Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him but he is the enemy of God (1 Jn.2:15, Jam.4:4).

 But within the heart and mind of man is a barrier or door or gate to this other dimension and these other entities (Job 4:13-6, Dt.13:1, Dan.2:28,4:5,13). These doctrines of devils seek to lure one to breach (Ecc.10:8) this mandalic veil and intrude into this domain unlawfully, knowing that man cannot understand (Gen.40:5, Dan.1:17, 2:1-11) what he will be experiencing (as a 2-dimensional being cannot comprehend a 3rd dimension). They will seek to induce visions and dreams or hallucinations misinterpreted as ‘out of body experiences’ (Jer.14:14, 23:16, 29:8, Ezk.13:7,Num.24:4,16) which are so vivid they cannot be distinguished from real life (Ac.12:8-10,Dan.10:5-9, Ezk.8:3,12, Lk.4:5-7) and that generate feelings and emotions within man to control his life. (Many times people who have painful experiences and longings through the death of a loved one will be easily deluded into thinking they are communicating with this person through signs and dreams.)

 To induce these visions they must feel comfortable in expressing their feelings without inhibitions to maximize this manifestation (drugs and alcohol assist). When choosing a place of worship and spiritual union with these devils it is recommended to “be symbolically represented by that room or spot which he loves best. And the dearest spot therein shall be the shrine of his temple. It is most convenient if this shrine and altar should be sequestered in woods, or in a private grove, or garden. But let it be protected from the profane.” (For the profane will cause him to conceal his inner desires through shame.) Images and idols are the channel for these manifestations in their hearts or the ‘chambers of their imagery’ and so “Let there be an image of the Deity; first because in meditation there is mindfulness induced thereby; and second because a certain power enters and inhabits it by virtue of the ceremonies; or so it is said, and We deny it not. Let this image be the most beautiful and perfect which the devotee is able to procure; or if he be able to paint or to carve the same, it is all the better.” (Dt.27:15) These locations appear to have some link with the evil angels that manifest themselves by way of man’s sin (Mt.8:28, Mk.5:10, Rv.18:2, 2:13, Eph.4:27, Dan.10:13,20) as if the greater the transgression the greater the spiritually wicked influence (Lv.18:25-8,Psa.78:49, 106:35-8, Mic.2:10, Isa.24:4-6).

 And in these places and moments of spiritual adultery these gods names and symbols (runes, words, languages- 1 Cor.13:1) are revealed (Hos.2:16-7, Ex.23:13, Am.5:26) to occupy and control more of their minds and hearts (2 Cor.10:5) until they possess the whole person (Mt.4:24,8:16,12:22,Mk.1:32, Act.8:7). The whole end is for devils to manifest themselves in and through man until the beast can dominate in his time; as Christ is God manifested in the flesh (1 Tim.3:16, Jn.1:1), the devil seeks for antichrist to come (1Jn.2:18, Lk.4:5-6) until all the world wonders after him (Rv.13:3-4) and he presents himself as God (2 Thes.2:3-10).

Counting to Pentecost

 “on the morrow after the sabbath” Lev.23:11,15

It is contested now and in the past (like most everything found in scripture) on whether the ‘first of the firstfruits’ (Lv.23:10-11, 17, Ex.23:19, 34:26) were waved by the priest (beginning the countdown to Pentecost) on the 16^th, the day after the first of the two sabbaths or holy convocations of the feast of unleavened bread, or the 22nd, after the last holy convocation (Lv.23:6-8). Or was “the morrow after the sabbath” a reference to the weekly sabbath which would always fall on one of the days of unleavened bread. For example, if the 1^st day of unleavened bread fell on the 16^th then the 17^th would begin the countdown to Pentecost:

Or if the weekly sabbath could fall on the 2^nd holy convocation of unleavened bread then the 24^th would start the fifty day count:

As usual God has concealed the truth in such a place that we need to search it out and network it with other passages of scripture. The question is what sabbath is referenced as “the morrow after the sabbath”- the first or the last sabbath in the feast of unleavened bread or the weekly sabbath? The context becomes critical to pay close attention to. Consider the passage:

 

Lev.23:1 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

4 These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover.

6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the Lord: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

9 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. (This was the first of the firstfruits brought to the house of God- Ex.23:19, 34:26)

 Although a sabbath is a holy convocation in which no servile work was to be done, God reminds us of the weekly sabbath first here in v3. He calls it “the sabbath” stating clearly “the seventh day is the sabbath of rest”. He proceeds to refrain for the moment from identifying the first and last days of unleavened bread as sabbaths by name calling them instead ‘holy convocations’ (compare 23:24,32,39). This subtle distinction leaves you in context with the sabbath of v11 being the weekly sabbath. It is further made distinct in v15 “ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete”. The only sabbaths in the count to Pentecost were weekly sabbaths.

 We see this subtle connection between the weekly sabbath and Pentecost here as well:

“Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest. And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest…” Ex.34:21-2

 The weekly sabbath was still to be kept during harvest; to begin counting after the weekly sabbath was a reminder Israel to observe it even during harvest.

 As it occurred with the offering of the body of Jesus on the 14^th that is the day the Passover was killed (exactly the day God showed to Israel Ex.12:6, Lv.23:5,Lk.22:7), the weekly sabbath (the 16th also when the manna ceased- Josh.5:11) followed the 1^st holy convocation of the 7 days feast of unleavened bread (Friday the 15th). Christ was the firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Cor.15:20,23) on “the morrow after the sabbath” or Sunday the 17^th as the day declared it. He was the first of the firstfruits on the first day of the week, declaring the omnipotence of God in history having given these days to the Jews some 1500 years prior.

Thus Christ’s resurrection on the first day of the week started the countdown to Pentecost which itself was the first day of the week.

Crucifixion Timeline versus 'Good Friday'

 If you ever noticed the ‘Good Friday’ account of the crucifixion and resurrection pre-dawn Sunday morning doesn’t give us 3 days and 3 nights (Mt.12:40). When you try to consider this matter, you will run into a whole host of explanations from the crucifixion being on Friday and 3 days and nights was not literal, to how days are counted in the bible either from sunrise to sunrise or midnight to midnight or evening to evening. Then you add the timing of the feast of Passover and unleavened bread, there is debate on whether this is an 8 day feast or a 7 day feast and along with it’s sabbaths on the first and last day running into the weekly sabbath on Saturday, there are a lot of ideas on when Jesus actually died; Wednesday, Thursday or Friday? Perhaps this is just a technicality, but if it is in scripture it is significant at some level. It is important however to believe “Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Cor.15:1-4, Ac.13:37) Perhaps God demonstrated a series of prophecies being fulfilled on the same days he encoded then into feasts during their calendar some 1500 years earlier; making these three days sort of significant.  

We see days seemingly counted sometimes from sunrise to sunrise- Gen.19:33-5, 1 Sam.19:11, Jon.4:7, Lv.6:20, 7:15, Ac.20:7, 2 Ki.7:9, Ps.110:3, Isa.28:19, Num.11:32

We also see counting a prophetic or ceremonial day from ‘even to even’ (2 evenings, sunset to sunset)- Lv.23:32 -Lv.22:6-7, 11:24-8 etc.,Ex.12:18, Dt.16:6, 23:11, 24:15, Num.19:7-22, Josh. 5:10, 8:29, Neh.13:19, Mk.1:32, Jn.20:1, 19, Jdg.19:14,16. From the gospel accounts a day began before sunrise- Mk.16:2,9, Mt.28:1, Lk.24:1,22, Jn.20:1.

Sunset in April in Jerusalem is around seven pm.

Jesus declared he would be in the “heart of the earth” 3 days and 3 nights (Mt.12:40); this was to be understood as his spirit leaving his body (Lk.23:43,46, Act.2:27, Eph.4:9, 1 Pt.3:19) and not his body in the tomb. If we start with 3 days and 3 nights (Mt.12:40, Jon.1:17) from the resurrection early before sunrise Sunday morning or the 1^st day of the week (Mt.28:1, Mk.16:2,9, Lk.24:1,22, Jn.20:1) and count backwards we see this roughly below. Now adding to this is the fact that this was the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread. Looking at Leviticus 23:5-8 we can see something like this:

Additional refining shows us that the 14^th would be the Day of Preparation then the Passover lamb would be slain the 2^nd evening of the 14^th (Ex.12:6) and the 15^th, the High Sabbath (not the weekly Sabbath) would immediately follow that night (holy convocation of the 15^th day Lv.23:6-8, Num.28:17-8). See these passages- Mt.26:17-19,27:62, Mk.14:12-6,15:42 Lk.22:1,7-15, 23:54 Jn.18:28,39, 19:14,31,42,13:1, Ex.12:6-11, 15. These verses also indicate that Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples after the 1^st evening of the 14^th at night (Jn.13:2,28-30) when the rest of Israel ate it the 2nd evening towards the 15th. Jesus was crucified the same day the passover lamb was killed, without a bone of his being broken (Ex.12:46, Num.19:12, Ps.34:20, Jn.19:36).

We see from accounts in Ex.12 (v6-8, 15-19 and also chapter 13:6-7, 34:18, Num.9:3-5, 28:16-18, Dt.16:1-8) that the feasting was 7 days while there were 8 days listed from the 14^th through the 21^st (Lv.23:4-8). This makes sense if they killed and cooked and prepared the Passover on the 14^th in the evening towards the night of the 15^th, and ate the meal the night of the 15^th; the 15^th being a high Sabbath as is the 21^st (Ex.12:16, Lv.23:7-8). This matched the Passover night in Exodus 12 where God told them to kill it the evening of the 14^th and eat it that night immediately following and be ready to leave in haste the next day (departing on the 15^th- Num.33:3). Their loins were to be girded and their feet shod (Ex.12:11) for when the LORD executed his punishment upon the Egyptians at midnight (12:29-30) they were compelled to leave immediately; which they did, going in the strength of that meat for their journey. The “Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night” (Dt.16:1) on the 15^th (Num.33:3).

 Since Friday or the 6^th day fell on the 15^th and was a holy convocation, and Saturday or the 7^th day was the weekly sabbath we see two consecutive sabbaths; the first day of unleavened bread on the 15^th and the weekly sabbath on the 16^th. We also know that Christ was crucified about the 3^rd hour of the day or 9 am (Mk.15:25- a little while after 6 hours of Passover preparation- Jn.19:14; for hours counted see Mt.20:1-8) until he gave up the ghost about the 9^th hour or 3 pm (Mt.27:46, Mk.15:33-7, Lk.23:44-46) and went into the heart of the earth (Mt.12:40, Lk.23:43). Now it’s starting to look like this:

 Someone may object that this would not be three twelve-hour days and three twelve-hour nights. And this is true although Christ did not stipulate that detail; but so far this would be the only objection; yet Christ was in the heart of the earth on the 14^th, 15^th and 16^th days and nights (not on 4 days and 3 nights).
 Interestingly three days and nights would land Christ as the first of the firstfruits on the first day of the week.

Christians Watching Fox News and Epistemology

Ok, I admit, I was thinking the title would grab your attention; but I do want to explore a little regarding our duty as Christians and not being controlled and manipulated by our 24/7 news cycle networks who spend their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or hear some new thing. (Ac.17:21) Many times they are reporting things without 2 or 3 sources of evidence (Dt.19:15-21, Mt.18:15, 2 Cor.13:1) or making diligent inquiry (Dt.19:18,13:14, Jn.7:51). In our era accusations of ‘fake news’ are flying all around alongside a well-established record of politicians and news outlets lying, exaggerating and slandering their political opponents (i.e. ‘spinning’), so we need to remember to be careful not to anxiously believe a lie even if it assists our cause. Those willfully embracing slander and propaganda usually think that the end justifies the means. But as Christians we need to bring every thought captive (2 Cor.10:5) and think on things that are true, honest, just, and of good report (Phil.4:8). We need to be mindful of God’s view of these things:

Prv.6:16-19- These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue… A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Lev. 19:16- Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people…

Prv.10:18- He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. (a fool is willingly ignorant of fact-Prv.1:7, 22, 12:15, 14:7)

Psa.50:19-21- Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Ex.23:1-Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Prv.25:18- A man that beareth false witness against his neighbour is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.

 Remove from me vanity and lies (Prv.30:8). Our duty as Christians is to ‘prove all things’ (1 Thes.2:21) and ‘judge all things’ (1 Cor.2:15) by ‘exercising our senses to discern good and evil’ (Heb.5:14). We should not be snared enmeshing ourselves in exaggerations and distortions generated to captivate an audience and top the ratings. We need to ‘walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil’ (Eph.5:15-6); but not be manipulated by drinking in swill propaganda whether we agree with the cause or not, or whether it supports our guy. The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. (Prv.14:15) So we want to explore the nature of knowledge in general- how is knowledge possible? So we will examine very briefly epistemology- which just means the study of knowledge- what justifies believing something. We have covered the presuppositions necessary to make all and any knowledge even possible here- being the teaching about Jesus Christ contained in the bible- and nowhere else (Col.2:3). This would be a revelational form of knowledge.

 Usually on news channels if they are trying to be objective they will present 2 sides to a situation. Of course, there might be 3 or more sides and the truth might not even be considered. But the pundits are talking over each other shortly after beginning, and they are trying just to have their talking point (emotively worded pre-crafted statement) repeated as often as possible. It is evident that debating truth is not the purpose, but stating the talking point (according to some focus group study results). You notice that statistics are quoted regarding whatever topic, which are meant to garnish the talking point with some ‘scientific’ trimming. I would encourage you to read Thomas Sowell’s materials to see how statistical studies are manipulated to support any number of things (based on their presuppositions)- this is a good summary of what to expect- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chph_EPNNAs.

  But there is a permeating presumption that scientific or empirical knowledge is the only way to arrive at truth. Now in theories of knowledge there are generally 2 ways to acquire true knowledge for someone besides the solipsist; that is acquiring knowledge of the world by experience and data/research or acquiring knowledge of the world by logical and mathematical deduction. Now in practice we try to do both, but let’s consider ‘why’ to help us clarify our thinking and make sure we are being consistently rational.



  Now, traditionally in philosophy ‘how we know’ or how we justify believing something would fall into 2 categories (no, not whether CNN or FOX reported it). They would be along a priori or along a posteriori lines of reasoning. Those are just Latin phrases meaning ‘from what is prior’ (a priori); indicating that it follows from self-evident propositions or axioms (e.g. 2+2=4) accepted prior to a proposition and independent of experience. And ‘from what is posterior’ or ‘from what is after’ (a posteriori); indicating that it follows from observations (e.g. those 4 rocks are heavy) and is dependent upon experience.

 Ok, so it seems any proposition or statement anyone makes about anything can be demonstrated to be true and can justify our believing it from either logical necessity (a priori) or from empirical probability (a posteriori) as the methods of reasoning. For example, if someone told you ‘my mother in law said that all bachelors are happy’ you would know this person is married because they said, ‘my mother in law’. This is proved deductively- (a priori) by definition- mother in law MEANS the mother of one's husband or wife. But the latter part of the statement ‘all bachelors are happy’ would not be proven that way at all, you would have to examine (inductively) bachelors and determine if they are all happy. And so this would be proved from what follows from the evidence of a bunch of happy bachelors.

 If someone told you ‘all roses are flowers that are red’, you could know deductively (a priori) that roses are indeed flowers by definition and independent of experience but whether or not they are all red would only be true if you went and looked at or experienced them all (thus a posteriori). What if someone said ‘you can only know that the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line if you go out into nature and conduct tedious measurements’. This will cause us to ask whether the statement ‘the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line’ is the sort of thing that is deductive in essence or is it inductive in essence? If we think about the nature of the statement itself it would be true by definition- because by definition the shortest distance between 2 points is the straightest line possible. I don’t need to go out into the world and conduct numerous experiments measuring this to see whether it is true or false. The nature of the statement is how we know what sort of evidence is required to prove it. Likewise, if someone told me they saw a red car that was also a black truck at the same time, I could disregard this as nonsense without conducting experiments to see whether it is possible. If something is red then it isn’t black and if it is a car then it is not a truck by definition. I can know this apart from experience or statistics. The nature of the statement determines what evidence is relevant. Statements that are related in essence can only possibly be contradictory where things that are not essentially related cannot possibly contradict. For example, ‘He can’t own a car because he is the quarterback’. Owning a car is not contradictory to playing football; they are in essence 2 unrelated ideas. Neither does ‘the number 7 tastes like strawberries’ make sense because a number is an idea and ideas are not experienced physically; only instances of the ideas are.

 This wouldn’t mean that you prove things by defining them as true, rather the nature of the statement in question would determine what method would be necessary to prove it. If I said ‘the earth is a sphere and thus not flat- because the earth means the spherical planet 3^rd from the sun’. This isn’t evidence that the earth is not flat because the shape of the earth is not a self-evident truth (axiomatic). The shape of the earth is known by experience (apart from God telling us- i.e. revelation knowledge). This would be the nature of the evidence that it would demand- empirical. Where ‘a sphere is round in 3 dimensions’ would be known by definition and apart from experiments in a lab, it doesn’t call for that sort of proof.

 Now, you find yourself watching a news anchor report that ‘the president signed into law an increase in the minimum wage rate’. We tend to believe these sorts of reports because multiple independent news sources tell us this (2 or 3 witnesses- thus probability) and this would be something easy to disprove for reporters- for example, they might acquire the bill and read it (unlike Congress which sometimes pass bills to see what’s in them)! This report would be a posteriori in nature and the evidence for it would carry a varying degree of probable certainty. Then the ‘objective’ host will bring in different guests with conflicting points of view on whether this is moral and helpful or immoral and intrusive. They will usually cite various statistics to prove their points. The proponent will explain the moral imperative to force a business to pay a living wage, which at first hearing sounds like the right thing to do. If it helps the poor worker (Ex.23:3, Lv.19:15) then it must be right. We will not debate the morality of this here, but ask yourself- ‘If the minimum wage rate was $1000 an hour what would happen to businesses?’ It doesn’t seem necessary to conduct experiments along these lines for it appears rather self-evident that this would generate unemployment and bankruptcy (besides appearing tyrannical of a government to enforce this). Likewise the idea ‘Socialism cannot work because prices are determined through free market exchanges’ (Ludwig von Mises). You could determine deductively that if prices cannot be determined then economic calculations cannot be conducted and businesses will be inefficient and wasteful and there will be shortages. This is what we actually see in the real world as well, but you could know that apart from the experience.

 Here are some helpful videos to clarify these distinctions on our forms of reasoning-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NECNCL5aQTI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZtQXteAE-w

 Notice also about a priori vs a posteriori knowledge, is that the former is deductively certain where the latter generates greater or lesser degrees of probability. We know ‘2+2=4’ to be a necessary truth because it cannot be otherwise; it is deductively certain. 2+2 doesn’t happen to equal 4 in the way that my cat happened to be in the chair. Whereas ‘those 4 rocks are heavy’ is only probably true, we’ll have to go try and pick them up to see. It might happen that they are pumice rocks or fake. We realize that we are speaking in terms of what is necessarily true and deductively certain in distinction to what is a contingent truth that could be otherwise and is known with probability or inductive certainty. We wouldn’t say ‘it is very likely that 2+2 will =4 the next time I add them together, because they always seemed to in the past’. Nor would we say ‘2 rocks and 2 rocks are 4 rocks and therefore those 4 rocks are too heavy to lift’; it doesn’t follow. We would be mixing unrelated evidences, namely for necessary truths or contingent truths. Also being a necessary truth means that it is universally true in all time and space, where a contingent truth could be otherwise. My cat might be laying on the porch and not the chair, but 2+2=4 is necessarily true on my porch or on the moon.  

  So when listening to people telling you what to believe in the news, ask ‘Is this truth self evident’? ‘Is this a necessary truth?’ If not, then what sorts of empirical evidences are supporting this claim? And foremost how does what you are being asked to believe comport with what the bible teaches? Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? (Prv.22:20-1) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prv.1:7) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Prv.9:10) We should renew our minds by the word of God and not just ‘the news’. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. (Hos.8:12) Don’t consider the bible as teaching strange things, consider the ideas and opinions of a wicked generation as strange.

 Prayerfully this will be an encouragement to believe the word of God, and bring our thoughts into captivity by a disciplined heart and mind being rational and biblical, not emotionally controlled and irrational. Let us love God with our minds and reason together.