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We
the People of the United States of America |
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Presidential
Election 2012: Epilogue to "We the People" On Election Day, November 6, 2012, the Principality operating behind the
spirit Victory lost its place to operate through America’s White Male Establishment The Stronghold of the Nicolaitan spirit that has ruled over America since the
days of America's Founding Fathers was
weakened when President Obama was elected in 2008
and was Pulled Down over America when he was
re-elected However, the Principality operating behind “Santiago the Usurper” has not lost its place over America and this spirit will manifest itself through the offspring of the Spanish Knights of Santiago -
See Presidential
Election 2012 for articles: Hurricane
Sandy – the Mighty Flood Waters; General Petraeus – His Triumphal Entry; and The
Spiritual Dimensions of the 2008 Presidential Campaign November 6, 2012: Against all reasoning - President Barack won a second term to serve as President of the United States and his landslide Victory stunned America's White Male Establishment. "We the People" has been redefined: America's "White Male Establishment" was birthed by the "White Males" who wrote America's Constitution. And, according to the White Males who wrote the Constitution, only white men who owned land could vote. Yet, it was the diverse coalition of minorities, women, youth and lower income people, the very people that America's Founding Fathers would have thought unthinkable of allowing them the right to vote - they are the very ones who redefined "We the People" and did the more unthinkable - the man they voted for was an African American - a man the Founding Fathers deemed was only three-fifths of a man. Needless to say, not all educated or wealthy white males embrace the mentality of the "White Male Establishment" - as many voted for Barack Obama as well. One might argue that the Constitution was amended to allow everyone to vote. However, an Amended Constitution did not nor does not change someone's heart - otherwise changes to the Constitution would have been made other than through the shedding of blood and other long fought political battles. Although there are other spirits operating through the "White Male Establishment" for the purposes of this paper - the principality I want to focus on is the "Nicolaitan Spirit" whose goal is to have victory over others by lording over them through various forms of fear and intimidation. Needless to say, anyone who enslaved another human being and excluded others from the right to vote was to lord over them as well. Now the word "Victory" is important to take note of. Again, the Nicolaitan spirit gains Victory over people by "lording over" them. And, it's obvious that a manifestation of this spirit was operating through the Founding Fathers who wrote the Constitution. And, it's also obvious that this spirit no longer has the Victory - the White Male Establishment has suffered defeat at the hands of the very people that America's Founding Fathers sought to lord over. President Obama did indeed have "Victory" both in the Natural realm and the Spiritual realm. |
The Nicolaitan Spirit is portrayed in the Rotunda
of the United States Capitol Building The main
focus of the Apotheosis of Washington,
as shown below, is Washington portrayed as Jupiter with Liberty seated to his
right and the main subject of this
paper – the goddess Victory seated to his left – all 3 representing
the Americanized version of the three deities worshipped on Capitoline Hill
in Rome.
The terms Victory
& Nicolaitan are one and the same spirit The symbolism
of Victory seated alongside Washington on a rainbow reveals the Founding
Fathers embraced the "doctrine of the Nicolaitans": to be victorious over the people. Given that the rainbow is symbolic of a
covenant - then we know that America's Founding Fathers entered into
covenants with the spirits operating behind the gods pagans worshipped. This too was forbidden in Scripture. Victory is an
aggressor and "delights" in leading nations into war as well as a
goddess who "delights" in war for the sake of war. And, interestingly, many nations view
America as just that: an aggressor in
war and a nation who delights in war. It is one
thing to defend your country – it is quite another thing to invade another
country. America is well known to justify
invading other countries – however their justifications are often based on “rumors” that are nothing more
than "rumors." |
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Two articles that ran in the Wall Street Journal & The Washington Post say it all: 1. The Wall Street Journal: Mitt Romney won the white vote 59% to 39%, the biggest share for a Republican since 1988 - and it was still not enough to put him in the White House.[1] 2. The Washington Post: Republican leaders awoke Wednesday to witness their grim future. And then they promptly began what promises to be an extended period of internal strife over how a party that skews toward older white men can compete in an increasingly diverse nation.[2] "Stunned" Fox News Commentators: The following comments made by Bill O'Reilly and John McCain are representative of the White Male Establishment and their disbelief that President Obama could be re-elected: Bill O'Reilly to John McCain: But do you understand what the New York Times wants, and the far-left want? They want to break down the white, Christian, male power structure, which you're a part, and so am I, and they want to bring in millions of foreign nationals to basically break down the structure that we have. In that regard, Pat Buchanan is right. So I say you've got to cap with a number. Resource: YouTube Bill O'Reilly to Megyn Kelly: The White Establishment is Now the Minority: O’Reilly went on to predict that Romney would lose the election if he lost Ohio. “How do you think we got to that point?” host Megyn Kelly wondered. “Because it’s a changing country,” O’Reilly insisted. “The demographics are changing. It’s not a traditional America anymore and there are 50 percent of the voting public who want stuff, they want things. And who is going to give them things? President Obama.” “The white establishment is now the minority,” he added. “And the voters — many of them — feel that this economic system is stacked against them and they want stuff. You’re going to see a tremendous Hispanic vote for President Obama, overwhelming black vote for President Obama and women will probably break President Obama’s way.” “People feel that they are entitled to things. And which candidate between the two is going to give them things?” Resource: YouTube |
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_______________________________________________________________________________ We
the People of the United States of America – Main Article The Preamble of the Constitution
begins, “We the People of the United
States”. Our Founding Fathers,
“men of reason” from the Age of Enlightenment who drafted and ratified the
U.S. Constitution, identified themselves in the Preamble to the Constitution
as “We the People”. It was at that
point in time that two social classes in
The popular interpretation of “We the People” is inclusive, meaning all the people of the country. However, the correct interpretation is exclusive; excluded were slaves, Native Americans, poor whites and women. The Constitution was written only for those people who sought to “lord over” all the people – the Nicolaitans of America. The Nicolaitans of America were
the “enlightened minority” of colonial and revolutionary times and are the
“elites” of today. Whether then or
now, they were influenced by the Nicolaitan spirit, one of the ruling
principalities over the The Nicolaitan spirit lords over all except the enlightened minority and its influence predominates even today in issues such as race relations, economic class distinctions and other such contemporary problems. We can see the operation of the Nicolaitan spirit most vividly in its statement in the iconography of the U.S. Capitol and how it has oppressed those of African descent in America, first in the visible form of slavery and then with the invisible shackles of race discrimination, even affecting the 2008 presidential campaign. The Nicolaitan spirit continues to lord over African Americans through discrimination and racism, continually harassing and hindering them from fully enjoying true equality in America. However, in the midst of all this, there is evidence that the Nicolaitan spirit is being judged along with its followers and will eventually be completely under God’s foot. Background To understand how this spirit could have a bearing on America, as well as how America’s Founding Fathers were specifically influenced by the Nicolaitan spirit when drafting the Constitution, we need to turn to Scripture for insight concerning man’s relationship to the spiritual realm. To begin with, we need to understand several Biblical principals: the principle of “Double Reference & Accountability”, reasoning apart from the Lord and the Nicolaitan spirit (the doctrine and deeds of the Nicolaitans). The Principle of Double
Reference and Accountability The principle of double reference and accountability refers to a situation that occurs simultaneously in the natural and the spiritual realms. While the natural realm is visible, the spiritual realm is not. Nonetheless, those in the natural realm – either knowingly or unknowingly – are influenced by the satanic in the spiritual realm. That’s why Paul told the Ephesians that our battle is not against people, but against those in the spiritual realm and to fight this spiritual battle, we need to put on spiritual armor – the Armor of God (Eph 6:10-12). In many situations when people acted in response to the prompting or provoking of those in the spiritual realm confederated with Satan, the Lord dealt with both simultaneously. For example, when Satan deceived Eve, he hid (invisible to Eve) behind the serpent (visible to Eve) to achieve his goal, which was to tempt Eve and ultimately Adam to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, when the Lord spoke to the serpent – the main rebuke was directed at Satan (Gen 3:14-15). The principle of double reference
and accountability was demonstrated by judgment pronounced on the serpent and
Satan simultaneously. For the serpent
who allowed Satan to operate through him, “upon
thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life”,
and for Satan, “and I will put enmity
between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; I shall bruise
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen 3:14-15). In In another example of this principle, Jesus rebuked Peter (the visible), and at the same time, He rebuked Satan (invisible to Peter): “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke
him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he
turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee
behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the
things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matt 16:22-23, As Jesus was being condemned by the chief priests and elders – Judas simultaneously committed suicide. At the same time that Satan thought he had triumphed over Jesus when he was crucified on the cross – it was Jesus who triumphed over Satan (Colossians 2:15). Satan has to operate through the natural environment as he did in the Garden of Eden or through man as he did with Peter or Judas. However, he cannot operate or exercise authority without the cooperation and willingness of man unless he can find a place in man (i.e., a spiritual opening because of sin), which he gains legal access to work through. Reasoning
Apart from the Lord Reasoning
apart from the Lord can be another spiritual opening for the satanic to
operate. The Apostle Peter is a good
example of how reasoning apart from God can be an opportunity for Satan to
influence that person. There is no
doubt that Peter loved Jesus with all his heart. When Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, “He
said, Lord, you know all things; You know that I love You” (John 21:17,
NIV). However, at times, Peter
reasoned according to the ways of the world and not according to the ways of
the Lord and Satan attempted to work through this stumbling block in Peter’s
life to snare Jesus. In the
above example, “But Jesus
turned away from Peter and said to him.
Get behind Me, Satan! You are
in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding
what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.”(Matt 16:23,
Amplified Bible) The
same incident as recorded in Mark is translated: “But turning
around [His back to Peter] and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter,
saying, Get behind Me, Satan! For you
do not have a mind intent on promoting what God wills, but what pleases men
[you are not on God’s side, but that of men].”(Mark 8:33, Amplified Bible)
Satan
attempted to work through Peter’s worldly mindset (you do not have a mind intent on promoting what God will, but what
pleases me ) and use Peter as a stumbling block in Jesus’ path. Instead, Jesus bound Satan from interfering
(Get behind Me, Satan!) and
simultaneously rebuked Peter regarding his worldly mindset. Satan also reasoned apart from God – his wisdom was corrupted by reason of his brightness. In turn, Satan works through men who corrupt their wisdom – arrogant men whose gods are their own intelligence and cleverness. “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy
beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom
by reason of thy brightness: I
will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may
behold thee.” (Eze 28:17, From their own personal writings
as well as the visual form of communication they used throughout the United
States Capitol described below, we know that The
Nicolaitan Spirit in Scripture There are only two direct references to the Nicolaitans in
Scripture, both found in the Book of Revelation. In the first reference, a letter to the
church in “Yet this is to your credit: you hate the work of the Nicolaitans, which
I also hate.” (Rev 2:6 Jesus was saying two things in this verse. First, he praised the Ephesian church for their strong position of intolerance towards the works (deeds or actions) of those embracing Nicolaitanism. Apparently, the Ephesians were united in their stand against the behavior and intent of the Nicolaitans and wouldn’t allow them to operate in their church. Second, Jesus explained why He was praising them: He hated this behavior. The deeds of the Nicolaitans were extremely displeasing to Him and so were any in His church who tolerated the actions of such people or the spirit operating behind them. The praise given to the church in
“But I have a few things against you,
because … you also have those hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which
thing I hate.” (Rev 2:14-15, Jesus condemned the open-mindedness of the church in Pergamos towards some of its members who held to or believed in the doctrine (teachings) of the Nicolaitans . He reiterated that He hated these teachings and didn’t want His flock to be following this false doctrine. So what can we conclude? From these two churches, we can see that the Nicolaitans had both a doctrine and works or deeds based upon or as a result of that doctrine. We also know that Jesus was very strong in his reaction to the Nicolaitans: He hated both their doctrine and their deeds. Therefore, we can easily conclude that since the Nicolaitan doctrine was definitely not of the Lord, it must have come from worldly thinking and motives, from demonic influence or both. We can also conclude that their doctrine and deeds posed a serious threat to the Body of Christ, otherwise, why would Jesus find their doctrine and deeds so repugnant? When combined with Christianity, this worldly knowledge produced varying forms of syncretism – the combining of non-Christian ideas or practices into Christian theology and worship. This syncretism became a new doctrine: part Christian and part worldly – the doctrine of the Nicolaitans – a doctrine that opposed Christianity. It is easy to see that syncretism poses a consequential danger to Christians and Christian fellowships. By combining opposing beliefs, such as paganism or worldviews, into Christianity, two results can be observed. First, it weakens an individual’s walk with the Lord. Incorporating false doctrine into Christianity absolutely cannot strengthen a person’s walk – the ways of false religions and the world are always inferior to the perfect ways of the Lord and thus, can only serve to damage an individual’s walk. Second, syncretistic beliefs and practices misrepresent Christianity to be unbeliever and unbelieving world. The ways of Christ are polluted and defiled by syncretism thereby distorting and weakening the gospel message. In Scripture, names always have meanings. Much can be gleaned from the Nicolaitan name, including an understanding of the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Nicolaitan is a compound Greek word comprised of niko or nikao, meaning conquer, overcome, prevail, or get the victory, and laos, meaning people. In other words, it means to triumph over the common people or laity. The Greek name of this conquering or victorious spirit operating behind the Nicolaitans was Nike, also known to many as Victory. Overall, the objective of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and the Nicolaitan spirit is to weaken both the Church and individual members of the Church, thereby gaining victory over the people in the church, lording it over them in the process. This is why Jesus was so adamant about hating both their doctrine and deeds. Their doctrine, deeds and the spirit operating behind them were at war with the Lord and He wanted His Church to stand unflinchingly against them. We can summarize the doctrine and the deeds of the Nicolaitans as follows (examples of the spirit in operation are described in later sections): Doctrine · Combining worldly ideas and practices (man-made tradition, pagan principles, etc.) with Christian theology and worship Objectives · Gain victory over Christians by weakening their walk with the Lord · Gain victory over the Church by weakening and perverting the Gospel message and bring the Church into disrepute · Gain victory over Christians who do not embrace the doctrine of the Nicolaitans as well as unbelievers by operating through those who do hold to the Nicolaitan doctrine. Practices or Deeds · Interpreting Christianity and Christian principles using the Nicolaitan doctrine rather than the Bible · Using feigned (deceptive) words to teach the Nicolaitan doctrine to Church the Church and unbelievers · Use feigned words to lord over and enslave others · Using the Nicolaitan doctrine to justify unbiblical practices, in the Church or society thus bring Christianity into disrepute · Slandering spiritual Christians and churches who disagree with the Nicolaitan doctrine The Nicolaitans were not
victorious over those in the church in With
these Biblical principles in mind, we can now look at how the Nicolaitan
spirit has influenced U.S. Capitol
Iconography – The Apotheosis
The subject matter Washington and
Jefferson chose reveals their belief in the pagan gods of antiquity and their
relationship to man – a theme that was carefully guarded and carried out even
after their deaths. The Capitol’s
iconography conveys the idea that pagan deities were involved at all levels
of The Book of Acts (Acts 14:8-18)
records an incident of healing in the city of This same belief of the men of Lystra of the ancient gods coming to earth and interacting with men can be found in the Apotheosis of Washington – an allegorical painting inside the Rotunda of the United States Capitol. This painting portrays Washington as the human representative of Jupiter[4] and Robert Morris, financier of the Revolutionary War, receiving money from the pagan god Mercury.[5]
The Capitol’s iconography reveals
that The notion that Washington was
the earthly representative of Jupiter was also conveyed in the Patriae
Pater, one of the two most famous pictures of America’s first
President (see article titled
Freemasons are most Religious). In
a panel in the south wing of the Capitol, Washington is portrayed taking an
oath in front of the god Jupiter.[6] Scripture reveals that God forbade people
from going into covenants with pagan deities – nonetheless they did. Like those that Scripture speaks of, the
Capitol’s iconography reveals that “And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon
was dead, that the children of The Hebrew, “Baal-berith” means “lord of the covenant” and Baal Berith was the pagan god that men invoked to preside over their contracts, covenants and agreements with other men. The covenant could also have been between men and the deity himself. Among the Persian gods of antiquity – Baal Berith was known or identified as the god, Mithra, and many of Mithra’s attributes were combined with those of Jupiter. Someone dedicated to this deity was known as a “Mithredath” (Ezra 2:8). Similar to Jupiter, Mithra was a military deity, as well as a god of covenants. Therefore, the Roman military readily combined many of Mithra’s attributes with those of Jupiter. When Mithra was invoked as lord
of the covenant, he was portrayed seated on a rainbow. This is exactly what we find in the Apotheosis
of It was a common practice in
antiquity that when a pagan deity from one country was embraced by another
country, that new country would add symbols to the deity’s existing
attributes that specifically expressed the beliefs held by the people of that
country. Likewise, For example, as shown below in a
section taken from the Apotheosis of Washington, George
Washington is portrayed sitting on a rainbow as the earthly representative
two military deities: the Roman god Jupiter and the Iranian god Mithra.
With that understanding, we can
further interpret the symbolism of the Apotheosis of Washington. The main focus of the Apotheosis of Washington,
as shown above, is Just as Victory, Fame and the
Nicolaitan Spirit The deity on The goddess Victory is an
aggressor and “delights” in leading nations into war. Worse, she delights in war for the sake of
war. Interestingly, this is exactly
the view many nations have of The goddess, Fame (a.k.a. Victory), is known for two specific attributes: reputation and rumors. Fame operates by spreading “rumors” specifically “rumors of war”. Those she likes, she will seek to ensure they have a good reputation; however, those she dislikes she will spread rumors and gossip to destroy their reputation. An example of Fame
(Victory/Nicolaitan spirit) in operation is the invasion of Those associated with the White
House tried to ruin Victory’s Branch and Women The branch held by Victory in her right hand is significant. A branch is a well-known symbol of victory, but the branch is also a symbol of the goddess Juno, Jupiter’s wife, when Juno is portrayed in her role as the “branch bearer”. Given that Juno was one of the three deities worshipped on Capitoline Hill, it makes sense that the branch also represents Juno and that she too has been incorporated into the personification of Victory. Victory’s branch also symbolizes the forbidden tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden from which Adam and Eve ate and as a result, sorrow and death entered the world. The combination of Victory and
the branch that she is holding reveals that a Nicolaitan spirit was operating
over This fallacy of inferiority was rejected by many women. However, an equally misleading notion was the fallacy held by some of these same women who wrongly taught that women were superior to men in intelligence. This was the prevailing view of one of the leading women’s rights advocates and outspoken abolitionists prior to the Civil War, Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Remembering that the Apotheosis of Washington was completed at the end of the Civil War, the branch in Victory’s hand definitely conveys the mood of many women at that particular time. The branch symbolized victory and lording over all those they felt were inferior to them intellectually, both men and slaves in general. Part of the composite of Victory
is the goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter.
Jupiter in the Apotheosis is George Washington as
he is the human representative of Jupiter.
Victory then, in her role as Juno, would be symbolic of It is in Victory’s role as the wife that the branch takes on a profound significance for both the male and the female. Victory, with the added attributes of Eve, reminds us that it was the woman who was deceived into believing that if she ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil that she would gain wisdom. After eating the forbidden fruit, she offered some to her husband Adam. Yet, the wisdom that she and Adam gained only led to sorrow and death. Therefore, even though Washington and other men needed their wives, to accept knowledge from them would only bring them sorrow and death. Both It’s also important to note that
Minerva’s gender was both male and female, thus Liberty/Freedom is a fusion
of both male and female deities. In
other words, those who sought her wisdom were not seeking wisdom solely from
a female deity. Therefore, it is
understandable that Minerva is seated to the right of Minerva is portrayed holding a copy
of the Constitution in the Apotheosis. She is also portrayed on other monuments in
Seated next to
There is even an interesting parallel to all this in modern times. As Hillary Clinton was campaigning for the 2008 Presidential nomination for the Democratic Party, many of her supporters compared her to Juno – one of the manifestations of Victory.[8] Similar to Juno, the wife of Jupiter, Clinton was married to America’s former president Bill Clinton (a type of Jupiter). The Constitution
and Slavery Satan was never able to find a place in Jesus. As Jesus said to His disciples,
“I will not talk with you much more, for
the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on ME.
[He has nothing in common with ME; there is nothing in ME
that belongs to him, and he has no power over ME.]” (John 14:30, Amplified
Bible) However, Satan did find a place
with The Constitution of the The Constitution was drafted to
protect the personal interests, economic interests and social class of these
men and their offspring – not those over whom they lorded. Our Founding Fathers were men who professed
a desire for freedom and equality – yet at the same time, they ruled as
dictators. Whether Heart
Issues The Constitution today is the
result of an evolution of changes, which are reflected in today’s
society. However, the Constitution is
also viewed as a document that is ageless and unchanging and that is also
reflected in today’s society. For
example, slavery was abolished by an amendment to the Constitution, yet,
significant racial issues still exist in Scripture reveals that the New Covenant was written on the heart and that’s why in His teachings, Jesus dealt with the heart. For example, He taught that if you have anger in your heart, you have committed murder and if you have lust in your heart, then you have committed adultery. (Matt 5:21-22, 27-28) Similarly, if someone still had the concept of slavery and racism in their heart after the end of the Civil War, then those attitudes of the heart passed down through the generations would continue to manifest in the natural realm through one means or another. James Madison, the man honored as
the “Father of the Constitution”, like many of “… No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.”
Ironically, slave owners, including and especially many of our Founding Fathers, were enslaved to slavery! As our Founding Fathers were writing “liberty” for all men, many of these drafters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were slave owners, depriving their slaves of the very liberty they so cherished. What they didn’t realize was that according to Scripture, the enslavement went both ways. As the Apostle Peter said, “They promise them liberty, when they
themselves are the slaves of depravity and defilement – for by whatever anyone is made inferior or worse or is overcome, to
that [person or thing] he is enslaved.” (2 Peter 2:19, Amplified Bible,
emphasis added) In other words, whatever we
submit to will be enslaving to us. For
example, when we submit to sin, we become enslaved to sin (John 8:34, In Old Testament times, the Israelites were guilty of selling their brethren as slaves to outsiders. The Lord, speaking through the Prophet Joel, told the Israelites that He would retaliate by turning the very ones they enslaved against them. In effect, He was going to use the weapon they had used, slavery, against them: “Also the people of This was another aspect of the
enslavement of the slave owners.
During colonial times and up to the Civil War, the slave population in
While the shackles of the slaves were visible – the shackles that bound the slave owners were invisible – nonetheless both were in bondage. What slave owners and others who embraced the worldly doctrine of the Nicolaitans did not understand, is that when they acquiesced to this spirit, they gave the spirit the authority to lord it over them as well. The slave owners were indeed enslaved to slavery and the Nicolaitan spirit was victorious over both the African slave and slave owner alike, but obviously not in the same way. However, keeping in mind the principle of double reference and accountability, we know that the visible (people) as well as the invisible (the Nicolaitan spirit) needs to be addressed. In other words, not all discrimination or bigotry is due to the influence of a principality. If discrimination is in someone’s heart, then the heart issue needs to be dealt with. Unless influenced by the Nicolaitan spirit, someone who has discrimination in their heart will not necessarily want to lord over someone else. They can be prejudiced without acting upon their prejudices. To determine whether a principality is operating behind someone or not would have to come by revelation from the Lord and a correct understanding would be necessary to determine how to approach the situation. President
Lincoln and the Nicolaitan Spirit Even President Lincoln came under
the influence of the Nicolaitan spirit.
Abraham Lincoln is considered by many to be
one of the greatest presidents of the Publically, The
Apostle Paul said that our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the spiritual realm (Eph 6:12).
However, President Lincoln did not fight the battle in the spiritual
realm, he fought it in the natural realm.
Even though Like
our Founding Fathers, The
Church Age and Slavery – Paul’s Letter to Philemon On the other hand, when dealing with the issue of a
runaway slave, the Apostle Paul approached the mindset and heart attitude of
the slave owner. Paul stated that he is our example as Jesus Christ was
his example. It is Paul’s example and
how he dealt with the issue of slavery that Paul wrote
one of the most beautiful letters recorded in Scripture – the letter to his
dear friend, Philemon. Paul wrote to
inform Philemon that Onesimus, his runaway slave, was in his company and was
now a believer, a brother in Jesus Christ.
Paul expressed his love for Onesimus by referring to him as his son (Phn
1:10) and informed Philemon that Onesimus was returning to him no longer a
slave, but better than a slave, urging him to receive Onesimus as he would
receive Paul himself. Paul wanted
Philemon to view Onesimus as an equal to both he and Philemon – as a man and
as a brother in Christ Jesus: “Perhaps the
reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have
him back for good – no longer as a
slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to
you, both as a man and as a brother in the Lord. So if you consider me a partner, welcome
him as you would welcome me.” (Phn 1:15-16, NIV, emphasis added) We know
from Scripture that Paul’s advice to anyone in slavery was for them to gain
their freedom if the opportunity availed itself. “Were you a
slave when you were called? Do not let
that trouble you. But if you are able to gain your freedom, avail yourself of
the opportunity.” (1Cor 7:21, Amplified Bible) It is
important to note that Paul did not start an uprising or condemn the use of force
to set Onesimus or other slaves free – nor did he go to the civil
government. Rather, Paul dealt with
Philemon’s heart. He appealed to the
emotions of a Christian slave owner to change his mindset concerning his
slave. Furthermore, Paul was confident
that Philemon would do even more than he asked. Paul’s desire was that Philemon would
provide the opportunity for Onesimus to be set free. “Having
confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.” (Phn 1:21, New
Testament Teachings on Slavery President
Lincoln’s belief in the superiority of one race over another was only a
reflection of the Founding Father’s mindset.
However, contrary to President’s “For as many of
you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there
is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal
3:27-28, Many of
the slave owners in Realizing
that not all salve owners were Christians, Scripture still seemed to be the
prevailing justification or excuse for retaining the institution of slavery. Nonetheless, if Paul’s approach had been
taken, it is probable that slavery would have died out on its own. What
was also missing for Christians in general, especially Christian slave
owners, was a change of thinking. As
Paul wrote the Romans: “And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.” (Rom 12:2, Paul
was saying, “Stop” – change all mindsets that are not in agreement
with the word of God. In addition to a
wrong heart attitude, Because
the attitudes of the heart and the mindset of The
Nicolaitan spirit does not discriminate as to who is being lorded over,
whether it was slave masters who lorded over slaves or those who lorded it
over the slave owners to set the slaves free.
Paul understood this. He did not want Philemon to be conformed to
the world’s acceptance of slavery – rather he wanted Philemon to change his
heart, be transformed by the renewing of his mind and set Onesimus free. That’s why when writing to Philemon, Paul
never used force or demanded that Philemon set Onesimus free. Paul realized that Philemon needed to
understand what God’s will was concerning the relationship between a
Christian slave owner and a slave in order that he could act
accordingly. Then Philemon could make
a conscious decision voluntarily to free Onesimus. “But it has been
my wish to do nothing about it without first consulting you and getting your
consent, in order that your benevolence might not seem to be the result of
compulsion or pressure but might be voluntary [on your part].” (Phn 1:14,
Amplified Bible) The
Civil War ended slavery, but it did not change the attitudes of the heart or
the mind that one race is superior to another – only obedience to the Word of
God can change either. Whether it was unbelievers
or Christians who misused Scripture to justify lording over the African slaves
and Native American Indians, it was the Nicolaitan spirit that was operating
behind them. Once
allowed in the Church, the goal of this spirit was to have victory over God’s
people, which could be accomplished in a variety of ways. This spirit will also manifest in a way
that brings shame to the Church, as was the case with those Christians who
misused Scripture to justify slavery. That
in itself is another way this spirit lorded it over God’s people and His
Church. The Nicolaitan
Spirit and the 2008 Presidential Campaign Present day manifestations of the Nicolaitan spirit in operation are apparent in the on-going attacks against the two Democratic candidates vying for the Democratic Presidential nomination: Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton (for a more detailed account of this, see the article entitled, The Spiritual Dimensions of the 2008 Presidential Campaign). During the campaign, the accusations leveled at each candidate for their opponent’s camp were as follows: 1. Race a. If Sen. Obama wins the nomination, it’s because he’s an African American. b. On the other hand, if he loses it’s because he’s an African America. 2. Gender a. If Sen. Clinton is elected it’s because she’s a woman. b. On the other hand, if she loses it’s because she’s a woman. 3. Obama
is accused of being “sexist” while Even though both Senators Clinton and Obama are politically qualified to be President, this particular campaign is more about race and gender than their political qualifications. Why? Because the American Constitution was not written with either African Americans or women in mind – “We the People” never included them. On the other hand, the Constitution was written for someone like Sen. John McCain who is white, a military hero and a politician. Not surprisingly, McCain’s focus is on presenting himself as “McCain the War Hero and Patriot”. What is surprising is that the
racial attacks on Obama have come from within the Democratic Party – from the
Since Satan can no longer enslave African Americans with th visible shackles of slavery, his line of attack is to enslave them with the invisible shackles of “feigned words”. It is through feigned words that Hillary Clinton has consistently attempted to shackle her opponent, Barack Obama. “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of
you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation
slumbereth not.” (2 Peter 2:3, (Note: “make
merchandise of you” means to deal with you as a slave). Race verses gender is not new to Even though Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a leading abolitionist before and during the Civil war, she was willing to shackle freed slaves with the invisible shackles of slavery (i.e., racism) if it meant that her own personal agenda for women’s rights took backstage to the rights of African American men. “One hundred forty-three years ago, women’s suffrage advocate Elizabeth Cady Stanton faced a conundrum: With the Civil War over, Stanton had to decide whether to support the 14th and 15th amendments to the Constitution, which enabled black men to vote – at a time when white women such as herself still did not have that right. Stanton decided to oppose the amendments: ‘As the celestial gate to civil rights is slowly moving on its hinges, it becomes a serious question whether we had better stand aside and see Sambo walk into the kingdom first.’ ”[13] (emphasis added) As mentioned previously, The similarities of this to the
2008 presidential campaign are striking.
Hillary Clinton’s attitude was that until the Democratic Party forced
her to endorse Obama, she wouldn’t.
Her behavior sent the message that if she couldn’t be President – then
neither should the African American (Obama).
She was willing to destroy the Democratic Party as well as Barack
Obama’s opportunity to make history and win the general election, and like “From the
beginning, Hillary Clinton has campaigned as if the Democratic nomination
were hers by divine right. That’s why
she is falling short – and that’s why she should be persuaded to quit now,
rather than later, before her majestic sense of entitlement splits the party
along racial lines. If that sounds
harsh, look at the argument she made Wednesday, in an interview with USA
Today, as to why she should be the nominee instead of Barack Obama. She cited an Associated Press article ‘that
found how Senator Obama’s support … among working, hardworking Americans,
white Americans, is weakening again. I
have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on.’ …Here’s what she’s
really saying to party leaders: There’s
no way that white people are going to vote for the black guy. Come November, you’ll be sorry. …
Assuming that Obama is the eventual nominee, he will have some work to do in
reuniting the party. But there’s no
reason to think he won’t succeed – unless The Constitution
Today It may surprise some that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the top-ranking African American in the Bush administration, understands the reality that “We the People” and “All the People” are not one and the same: “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday Barack Obama’s emergence as the first black American to win a major party’s presidential nomination was a landmark for equal rights after more than two centuries of struggle. … ‘It’s a country that has overcome many, many, now years, decades of, actually a couple of centuries, of trying to make good on its principles,’ Rice said. ‘And I think that what we’re seeing is, an extraordinary expression of the fact that ‘we the people,’ is beginning to mean all of us,’ she added, referring to the opening line of the U.S. Constitution.”[15] (emphasis added) While African Americans are celebrating their victory that “we the people” is beginning to include them, many Muslims are feeling just the opposite. “Barack Obama’s campaign
apologized Wednesday after a report that campaign volunteers in Detroit had shooed
two Muslim women wearing head scares out of camera range at a rally earlier
this week. According to the Web site
Politico, the women were told they could not sit behind the podium where
Obama was speaking, to prevent them from appearing in photographs and
television footage with the candidate.
Obama has battled false allegations that he is a Muslim, and the two
women, both Obama supporters, told Politico they were deeply disillusioned by
the incident.”[16] Doesn’t “We the People” include Muslims? If so, then why does Barack Obama feel the need to distance himself from his Muslim heritage? In reality, Obama is reacting to American’s fear of Muslims. This is just another example of the reality that “we the people” does not include “all the people”. The Constitution is a covenant and covenants have a spiritual aspect to them. All parties involved are obligated to keep a covenant into which they enter. Because “all the people” as well as “we the people” still embrace the Constitution as drafted and ratified, all Americans are still bound by the original intent of the Constitution of those who drafted and ratified that Constitution. In the case of the American Constitution, which was a product of the Age of Enlightenment written by “men of enlightenment”, it is these men and those who ratified the Constitution that define who “We the People” are. In other words, because the African Americans, Native American Indians, poor whites and women were excluded because they were inferior races, savages, inferior citizens or those incapable of reasoning, they were not included in “We the People” – and they still are not. Men may want to “reason” otherwise, however, one cannot change events in the spiritual realm through reasoning! Our weapons are not of this world; we do not wage war as the world does! (2Cor 10:3-4) This doesn’t mean that the above groups are aware that what they are experiencing is due to any spiritual consequences. However, this type of a situation can be understood according to the principle of Double Reference and Accountability (as explained in the above section with the title). Just as Satan incited David to take a census of his army (1Chr 21:1) and tempted Judas to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3-6), he continues to influence others within our government, as well as people in general. Even though our Founding Fathers considered themselves to be enlightened men, if they had consulted either the Native American Indians or the slaves, they would have been truly “enlightened”! Native American Indians and slaves would have correctly explained to the Founding Fathers that they were not savages or property, but were people just like them – men and women who were capable of reasoning. The slaves would have also made
it clear that Article IV, Section 2 of the Constitution was an injustice and
inequality directed against every enslaved.
This unjust provision provided a legal basis for a salve owner to be
able to retrieve a runaway slave from a “No Person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or Labour may be due.” If consulted, slaves would have
explained that many of them who ran away, did so because, like their masters
who lorded over them, they too wanted the “blessings of liberty” that the
Founding Fathers referred to in the Preamble to the Constitution. They would have explained that many of
them ran away because they were trying to find family and loved ones that
their masters had sold to slave owners in other states. They too were capable of feelings, they too
suffered, and they agonized at the loss of those they loved and that loved
them. Finally, those slaves who were
Christians would have explained to those masters who wanted to lord over them
– Master Washington and Master The Weakening of
the Nicolaitan Spirit over America Men die, but principalities
(spirits) don’t die. The same spirits
that were invoked by our Founding Fathers still have legal access over
Scripture clearly reveals that spirits,
like those that operate behind the pagan gods portrayed in the Apotheosis
of Washington, rule over geographical areas
and have human representatives (Jer 49:1-3; 48:7 and “For I will pass through the land of Egypt
this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man
and beast; and against all the gods of
Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.” (Ex 12:12, When the Lord judges a principality, He will also judge those in the natural realm that allow that principality to operate through them (see the Principle of Double Reference and Accountability above). This was demonstrated in the first Passover when Yahweh judged the Egyptian gods and at the same time, judged Pharaoh and the Egyptian people by smiting their firstborn because they would not release God’s children from slavery. On the other hand, those who are
unknowingly or unwillingly under the spirit’s influence will no longer be
oppressed by this principality. For
example, when Yahweh judged the gods of Israel’s Progression of Steps After the Hebrews were released
from slavery, they did not become the nation of Understanding that Sometimes the progression of the Israelites seemed that it was two steps forward and one step backwards – a progression that many African Americas may be able to identify with – looking somewhat like the following:
·
Enslaved ·
Crying
out to the Lord ·
Exodus –
they were set free after much suffering and bloodshed ·
Even
before reaching the Promised Land there were many trials and battles
including their own internal battles to deal with – hence forty years of
wandering around in the wilderness ·
Unbelief ·
Grumbling
·
Betrayal ·
Deception ·
Rebellion
against their leaders ·
Fear
(the spy’s fear of the giants – spread to the entire community) ·
Conquest ·
Stage of
the Judges ·
After
entering the Promised Land in spite of everything else there were still many
battles to be fought – from within – as well as from those on the outside ·
Deception
(Gibeonites) ·
Sin
(Aiken’s sin affected the entire nation) ·
·
·
Captivity ·
Return
from captivity ·
Discrimination ·
Against
all odds – ·
More discrimination ·
More battles
and wars ·
Yet, they remain a nation ·
And –
they still have battles from within and from outside There were many different leaders over time in this progression of Israel’s history just as there have been many different leaders in the fight for African Americans. What seemed to have been impossible became a reality: the Hebrews became the nation of Israel, and they remain as the Nation of Israel – including many on-going battles. On-going battles need to be fought through prayer and I pray that the Lord will circumcise the hearts and minds of those who want to keep the battles on-going. Just like the Israelites, the day is coming that African Americans will find more and more equality in America, regardless of whatever on-going battles may come their way. Our enemy wants us to focus on what we can see (the people), and not on what we cannot see (the principalities), and battle accordingly – only to be defeated. We need to keep in mind that any and all on-going battles must also be fought in the spiritual realm with God directing us. When we take our eyes off the Lord, we may find ourselves in situations such as righteous Joshua found himself in the Gibeonite deception or Aiken’s sin, which can hinder the spiritual progress of an entire nation. Certain parts of the journey will take a certain amount of time for the Lord to deal with whatever needs to be dealt with, as was obvious during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness before being allowed to enter the Promised Land. Moses understood that whenever they began to move from one place to another, to do so safely meant that God must go ahead of them. “And it came to pass, when the ark set
forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered;
and let them that hate thee flee before thee.” (Num 10:35, Likewise, on our way to the Promised Land, if we are to make spiritual progress, we are not to move until God rises up and scatters His enemies and goes before us, otherwise we may find ourselves taking two steps forward and one step back. Even after entering the Promised Land we must continue to wait upon the Lord and only fight the battles that He leads us to fight, otherwise we will only create unnecessary warfare. However, once the Lord tells us that we are in a spiritual battle, then we should walk and not stand still in terror. We will then make spiritual progress because the Lord God is our strength, our personal bravery, and our invincible army: “The Lord God is my Strength, my personal
bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will
make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make
[spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or
responsibility]!” (Hab 3:19, Amplified Bible) America’s Progression after
Entering the Promised Land Throughout their journey, on the
way to the Promised Land and after entering the Promised Land, the Lord
identified the both the gods and the nations that opposed Since the end of slavery, For many years across Our
Victory is in Jesus Christ who Triumphed over all Principalities and Powers ( God’s
Timing: Long before Moses was born, the Lord had
revealed to Abraham that his offspring would be in bondage for 400 hundred
years (Gen 15:13-14 & God’s
timing for the Israelites to be set free from slavery was specifically linked
to the point in time that He judged the Amorites as a nation. God told Abraham that after 400 years of
slavery his descendants would possess We also
know that Scripture reveals that if a nation repents of their sins, the Lord
will forgive their sin and will heal their land (Leviticus 26:40-42 & 40 Years: The Israelites
were in the wilderness for 40 years.
It is interesting that the first year an African American to be the
presumed Democratic nominee for president coincides with the 40th
year anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. The night before he was assassinated on
April 4, 1968, King told a rally at Mason Temple that God had allowed him to
go up to the mountain: “And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as
a people, will get to the Promised Land.”
Although Mr. Obama’s presumed nomination is bringing healing to 45 Years: It is also
interesting that 45 years to the day that Reverend King gave his famous “I
have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in
On the night she was defeated,
rather than concede, Hillary Clinton continued in her attempts to be
victorious over Obama and shackle him with “feigned words” (false
cunning arguments). “And in their covetousness (lust, greed)
they will exploit you with false
(cunning) arguments. From of old
the sentence [of condemnation] for them has not been idle; their destruction
(eternal misery) has not been asleep.” (2 Peter 2:3, Amplified Bible)
(emphasis added) With veiled threats, she attempted to undermine Obama’s victory. She indicated that if Obama wanted the support of the 18 million that voted for her, then he needed to pick her as his running mate – otherwise they would stay home election day. To suggest that he needed her was to imply that he was weak. If she could not be president, or at least vice president, the message was that she was willing to destroy him. Hillary Clinton Became a Slave to Victory: Scripture reveals that whatever we submit to will enslave us, and Hillary Clinton was enslaved to being victorious even if it meant lording over others. That is why she could not admit defeat on June 3, 2008.
“They promise them liberty, when they themselves
are the slaves of depravity and defilement – for by whatever anyone is made
inferior or worse or is overcome, to that [person or thing] he is enslaved.”
(2 Peter 2:19, Amplified Bible) What Hillary Clinton and others who embrace the worldly doctrine of the Nicolaitans do not understand is that when they acquiesce to this spirit, they give this spirit the authority to lord it over them as well. According to Scripture, the enslavement goes both ways. Hillary Clinton is enslaved to being “victorious” and “lording it over others” – yet the Nicolaitan spirit operating through her is victorious over both those she lords over as well as Mrs. Clinton herself, albeit not in the same way. That is why Hillary Clinton only acknowledged Barak Obama’s victory when those who were in a position to lord over her did so, and demanded that she endorse Mr. Obama. Fearing a divided Democratic Party going into the general election, Hillary Clinton raised the ire of several high-powered Democrats after she refused to concede and acknowledge Obama’s historic achievements on the night he won, as explained in the following article titled: “Clinton’s exit: When push came to shove”: “… On
Wednesday, Barack Obama was not the only one that Hillary Clinton felt she could lord over and enslave with feigned words. Even those who dared work for Obama or other Democratic candidates that campaigned against her were threatened with becoming unemployable in the nation’s Capitol. That is the power that Hillary Clinton felt she possessed! The following is from an article posted on Washingtonpost.com: “…When On
Earth as in Heaven: As the
Nicolaitan spirit becomes further weakened, the consequences of its weakening
are becoming more and more apparent to Americans in the natural realm. The significance of this is already being
realized by historians from a secular standpoint, as reported in The Washington Post on June 5, 2008: “… ‘I think this will be in a class by itself,’ said John
Hope Franklin, who at 93 is the dean of the American historians who think and
write about race. Obama’s campaign ‘is
the most radical, far-reaching, significant [undertaking] by any individual
or group in our history,’ he said. ‘This strikes at the very heart of
national ideology on race and the political patterns of this country’s
history.’ Obama’s candidacy is ‘monumental,’ said Manning Marable, 58,
professor of history at Notice the reference to “sin” and the timing
of
“400 years”. Further Evidence of
the Weakening of the Nicolaitan Spirit We know
from Scripture that the Lord has authority over a pagan god (principality) in
the spiritual realm as well as that god’s earthly image. For example, when the Philistines captured
the ark of God in battle, they took the ark into the temple of Dagon, their
chief god (this story is found in 1 Sam, chapters 4-6). From ancient iconography, Dagon was
represented as a type of fish deity, part man and part fish. When the ark was placed beside Dagon, the
following events took place: “And when they
of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the
Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow
morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon
his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of
his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the
priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the
threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.” (1Sam 5:3-5, KJV, emphasis
added) When
the Lord toppled the visible representation of Dagon, it was understood that
He was demonstrating his superiority over the supernatural spirit behind it. At the same time that this happened to the
Dagon, the Lord was afflicting the Philistines with tumors. Dagon and his people were both being
judged. Likewise, Isaiah prophesied
that Babylon “has fallen and all the
images of their gods lie shattered on the ground” (Isa 21:9). At the same time the people of Babylon were
being judged by the Lord, He was also judging their gods, shattering them on
the ground, just like Dagon. The
Nicolaitan Spirit in Greece This
same type of demonstration of authority recently transpired with the
Nicolaitan spirit in Greece. The
day before the welcoming ceremony at the White
House for Queen Elizabeth on May 6, 2007 (See
Article on Jamestown), the Lord
quickened me to Psalm 68:1-2 and gave me the understanding that these verses
were relevant to this ceremony. Just
as in Biblical days, the Lord will use everyday examples to which people can
relate to explain a Biblical principal and how what is occurring in the natural
relates to what is occurring in the spiritual realm. In this particular situation, the
manifestation of smoke (that was subsequently scattered by the wind) that came
from the 21-canon salute to Queen Elizabeth was prophetic: “Let
God arise, let His enemies be scattered: let them also that hate Him flee
before Him. As smoke is driven away,
so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked
perish at the presence of God.” (Ps 68:1,2,
Just as Moses said “Let God
arise and scatter His enemies” (Num 10:35, Ps 68:1), we say “Let God arise
and scatter His enemies” from over Subsequent
events that occurred in Greece shortly after this White House ceremony were
also spiritually linked to that ceremony, in particular, the smoke of the
cannon salute. In the summer of 2007,
Greece experienced a severe drought that was exacerbated by out-of-control
fires throughout the countryside.
Below is an accompanying caption of one such fire that threatened a
statue of antiquity: “The winged statue of victory stands in front of smoke from fires in the village of ancient Olympia near the birthplace of the Olympic Games, in southwestern Greece on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2007. A massive effort by firefighters, assisted by water-dropping aircraft and firetrucks, succeeded in keeping a raging blaze away from the 2,800-year-old site – the holiest sanctuary in ancient Greece. Three days of forest blazes throughout the country have left at least 57 people dead, authorities said Sunday. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)”[20] (emphasis added) Just as
with the above Biblical account of Dagon, this is symbolic and revealing of
what is happening in the spiritual realm to this particular principality,
Victory (also known as Nike). The pagan
goddess is shown standing in front of the smoke and fire that is
coming from the village of ancient Olympia directly behind her. She appears to be fleeing from the smoke
and fire behind her and has a look of terror on her face, which are symbolic
of two spiritual events. First, the
principality is being driven away (weakened) and it is God who is doing the
driving. Second, the Lord is bringing
judgment upon not only the principality in the spiritual realm, but also upon
those in the natural realm who worship this principality. As
Smoke is Driven Away, so Drive them Away The
smoke and fire in the picture are symbolic of the Lord driving away the
enemy: “As smoke is blown away by the
wind, may you blow them away” (Ps 68:2).
The interpretation is that God has arisen and the Nicolaitan spirit behind
the statue of Victory/Nike is actually fleeing from the Lord. As this spirit flees from God, it is also
fleeing out of our way as well. There
is no doubt that God is fighting this battle for us. Joshua reminded the Israelites that the
Lord had already fought for them in conquering the Promised Land. Concerning the remaining pagan inhabitants,
Joshua said, “The Lord your God Himself will drive them
out of your way. He will push them
out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the Lord your
God promised you. (Joshua 23:5, NIV, emphasis added) The
understanding that the Lord
has given me is that as principalities flee
from Him, they are fleeing out of the way of those who are listening to Him
and obeying His commands (i.e., believers).
Many who read this may recognize what the Lord is saying simply
because He has given them the understanding of how this particular spirit has
been oppressing them or someone they know.
In obedience to the Lord, they have been standing opposite of this
particular spirit and through that obedience, the Lord is driving the
Nicolaitan spirit behind Nike/Victory out of their way so that they can move
forward. Idols
that will go Mad with Terror Jeremiah
50:38 will help us understand the symbolism of the expression of “terror” on
the statue’s face and how that relates to
Greece as well: A drought on her
waters!
They will dry up. For it is a land of idols, idols that will go mad with terror.
(Jer 50:38, NIV, emphasis added) “A sword and a
drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up! For it is a land of images, and they are
mad over idols (objects of terror in which they foolishly trust).” (Jer
50:38, Amplified Bible) The
drought that Jeremiah referred to corresponds to the severe drought that
Greece was experiencing at the time.
Jeremiah also speaks about the “water that was dried up” due to the
drought. This was exactly what
happened in Greece prior to many of the fires, as reported in The Washington Post: “In The
wildfires affected over 50% of Greece and the drought was nationwide. The destruction was to a degree not
experienced by those living in Greece before and left them feeling
overwhelmed, helpless and in terror.
The sword (destruction, wildfires, etc) and drought on the land in
Jeremiah 50:38 was because their land was a land of idols and the people of
Greece foolishly put their trust in the ancient gods of their forefathers and
not the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
True
Victory in Jesus The winged
statue that the world recognizes as the earthly representation of the goddess
Victory (Nike) is the visible object that craftsmen made to identify the
principality operating behind the statue – the Nicolaitan spirit. Those who worshipped this goddess believed
that it was through this particular deity that they would be victorious. However, one doesn’t have to worship this
spirit for it to have victory over someone.
When the Church at Pergamos held to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans,
they allowed this spirit to operate within their Church. Once allowed in the Church, the goal of
this spirit was to have victory over God’s people. Scripture
reveals that the Lord will turn the enemy’s own weapons back upon him. Just as craftsmen meant for their statute
to convey the attributes and manifestations of a deity, the Lord used the
above image of Victory just as He used the image of the toppled statue of
Dagon to reveal what was going on in the spiritual realm at that time. For those who worshipped pagan deities, the
image of a deity was so closely tied to the spirit itself, that whether it
was Dagon’s statue or the above image of Victory, the understanding is that
the Lord was demonstrating his superiority over the supernatural spirit
behind it. In the case of the fleeing
Victory, the Lord is being victorious over this principality behind the
pagan goddess of Victory. Just as
their were earthly manifestations in the days of Nebuchadnezzar and other
pagans, the Lord gave the prophet Daniel the interpretation and understanding
of those manifestations. It is with
that understanding that we are to handle correctly this type of manifestation. For Christians, who have ears to hear and
eyes to see, they will understand that the Lord is demonstrating His authority
over this pagan god that false Church leaders have knowingly and other Church
leaders have unknowingly allowed to operate within their churches thereby
oppressing many within their congregations.
For
several years, I have been praying that the Lord would push the enemy away
from some Christians that I personally know who have been oppressed and
harassed by this particular spirit. I
believe the Lord is revealing that for many who have been oppressed by this
spirit, the time has come that they will be set free and that they will have
the victory over this spirit, not vice versa. Satan
perverted the truth of what it meant to be an overcomer. He deceived the pagans into believing that
they could overcome others by worshiping a pagan goddess by the name
Victory/Nike (meaning to gain victory and to overcome). However, our only true victory is in Christ
Jesus: “And having
spoiled principalities and powers, he made show of them openly, triumphing
over them in it.” (Col 2:15, KJV) When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, He not only freed believers from sin, but he also made a public spectacle of all the principalities and powers in the spiritual realm and the earthly representations of gods and goddesses in the natural realm. As Christians we overcome through our belief in Jesus Christ: “For
whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith.
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God?” (1John 5:4, KJV) As the Lord dealt with the gods of Egypt, the Philistines and Babylon, He has judged the gods of America as well. He will continue to do so until they are completely under His foot. Amen! EPILOGUE June 3, 2008: Barack Obama, an African American, became
the Democratic Party’s presumed nominee for president of the United States of
America and in doing so further weakened the Nicolaitan spirit. As mentioned
above, © Gwen Thomas – June, 2008, November, 2010 |
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“Voters to Hillary: No, You Can’t”, Andres Martinez, 06 June
2008,
http://mobile.washingtonpost.com/detail.jsp?key=240699&rc=andres&p=0
Washington Post Website. “Fires Rage On Across Vast Swaths of Greece”, John F. L. Ross (caption of AP Photo/Petros Giannakourisand). 27 August 2007, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/26/AR2007082600246.html
Washington Post Website. “Europe’s Summer of Wild, Wild Weather”, John Ward Anderson. 2 August 2007, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/01/AR2007080102347_pf.html
Williams, Juan. "Obama's Daunting Demographic Message for the GOP”, The Wall Street Journal, 8 November 2012
Wolanin, Barbara A. prepared under the direction of the
Architect of the Capitol. Constantino Brumidi: Artist of the Capitol.
Scripture quotations taken from The AMPLIFIED BIBLE, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
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Endnotes (Epilogue)