parashat achare mot Don't Feed the Demons!
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I’d like to speak again about Babylon the Great. In order to understand the endtime coalition, you have to know something about ancient Israel’s bad queens. Last week I taught that Babylon the Great is Atalya, but Babylon is also Eizevel. Revelation 17:1-5.
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the Great Prostitute who is seated upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the dwellers on earth have become drunk.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of blasphemous names and it had seven heads and ten horns. The Woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; and on her forehead was written a name: mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.”
Graphic artists who’ve attempted to illustrate this vision have depicted the Mother of Prostitutes as wearing gaudy costume jewelry, a sleazy cocktail dress, and holding a martini in her hand. These illustrations miss the point. Artistic imagination needs to be informed by the text. The Mother of Prostitutes doesn’t dress like a high-class call girl. A closer reading of the text reveals that the Great Prostitute dresses like Israel’s high priest. Notice the distinctive color scheme and materials of her outfit:
“The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and precious stones.”
Now let’s reference what Israel’s high priest wears. Among the vestments of the high priest is the breastplate of decision. Exodus 28:15-21.
“And you shall make the breastplate of decision, a work of design, like the work of the ephod you shall make it. Of gold, of blue, of purple, and of scarlet yarn you shall make it. It shall be square and doubled, a span in length and a span in width. Mount it in mounted stones, in four rows of stones. A row of carnelian, chrysolite, and emerald shall be the first row. The second row: a turquoise, a sapphire, and an amethyst. The third row: a jacinth, an agate, and a crystal. The fourth row: a beryl, a lapis lazuli, and a jasper. They shall be framed in gold in their mounting. The stones shall correspond to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve, corresponding to their names. They shall be engraved like seals, each with its name, for the twelve tribes.”
Although the effect is undoubtedly pleasing, the precious stones in the breastplate are not merely for decoration. The twelve precious stones in the breastplate represent the compete Israel. The New Jerusalem, home of the compete Israel, is adorned with twelve precious stones. Revelation 21:19, 20.
“The foundations of the wall of the city are adorned with every precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second is sapphire, the third is agate, the fourth is emerald, the fifth is onyx, the six is carnelian, the seventh is chrysolite, the eight is beryl, the ninth is topaz, the tenth is chrysophase, the eleventh is jacinth, the twelfth is amethyst.”
The New Jerusalem is engraved with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Revelation 21:12.
“It had a great and high wall, it had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names inscribed which are of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.”
When Israel’s high priest suits up, wearing the twelve precious stones engraved with the names of the twelve tribes, he becomes a living model of the New Jerusalem! When the Great Prostitute suits up, wearing gold and precious stones, she becomes a living model of the city Babylon. The woman is imitating the garb of the high priest.
Babylon the Woman is ritually unclean and disqualified as a priest, because she is drunk. Leviticus 10:8, 9.
“HaShem spoke to Aaron saying, ‘Wine or beer do not drink, you or your sons with you when you enter the tent of appointment, so that you will not die. It is an eternal statute throughout your generations. In order to distinguish between holy and profane, between unclean and clean.’”
Revelation 17:4-6. In the technical language of the Torah, abomination is an objectionable activity or object which obstructs the sacrificial system. The particular abomination by which the Woman obstructs the sacrificial system is the drinking of blood. Revelation 17:4-6.
“The Woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; and on her forehead was written a name of mystery: Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and of earth’s abominations. And I saw the Woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Yeshua.”
The Woman is imitating the work of a priest in the sanctuary. The principle occupation of the priests in the sanctuary is the manipulation of blood. Within the sacrificial system, blood is the medium for the transfer of guilt. Within the sanctuary God has provided blood to expiate on the person offering an animal. To expiate on something or on someone means to clear them of guilt. Sometimes in English we translate the word “to expiate” as “to atone.” By manipulating the life-blood of the sacrificial animal, the priest transfers responsibility for sin from the sinner to God. In the sanctuary service, when blood is moved, sin is removed. In the sanctuary service, God accepts the terrible consequences of sin upon himself.
Because of its vital function within the sanctuary service, the Torah contains detailed legislation regarding blood. The Torah forbids animal slaughter apart from the sanctuary, because blood belongs exclusively to God. In this respect blood is like the breath of life. At death the breath returns to the Giver. At death the blood should be returned to the Giver. The use and misuse of blood is set out in parashat achare mot. Leviticus 17:1-12.
“Now HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and to his sons and to all the children of Israel. You shall say to them, this is the word which HaShem has commanded, saying, any person from the house of Israel who slaughters an ox or a sheep or a goat in the camp, or who slaughters outside the camp, and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of appointment to offer it as an offering to HaShem, before the tabernacle of HaShem, it shall be considered blood-guilt against that person. He has spilled blood, and that person shall be cut off from the midst of his people. In order that the children of Israel should bring their sacrifices which they are sacrificing in the field and bring them to HaShem, to the entrance of the tent of appointment, to the priest, and they shall sacrifice them as participation sacrifices to HaShem. And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of HaShem at the entrance to the tent of appointment, and he shall incense the fat as a pleasant smell to HaShem. They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the satyr-demons which they are fornicating after. This shall be an eternal statute for you throughout your generations.’ To them say, ‘Any person from the house of Israel or from the resident who resides in their midst who offers up an ascending offering or a sacrifice, and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of appointment to do it to HaShem, that person shall be cut off from his people. And any person from the house of Israel or from the resident residing in their midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against the soul eating the blood and I will cut it off from the midst of its people. For the soul of the carcass is in the blood, and I have provided it for you on the altar to expiate on your souls, for it is the blood in exchange for the soul that expiates. Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, any soul of you is not to eat blood, also the resident in your midst is not to eat blood.’”
The Torah considers spilling blood apart from the sanctuary to be feeding the demons. Feeding the demons is considered aiding and abetting the Enemy. Feeding the demons is considered an act of disloyalty against the God of Israel. What is particularly relevant to our subject in this passage is the terminology for feeding the demons. Leviticus 17:7 calls this practice “fornicating after” the demons.
“They shall no longer sacrifice their sacrifices to the satyr-demons which they are fornicating after.”
Our Torah employs this same terminology in regard to mediums and familiar spirits. Leviticus 20:6.
“The soul who turns to mediums and to familiar spirits to fornicate after them, I shall set my face against that soul and I shall cut it off from the midst of its people.”
Our Torah employs this same terminology in regard to other gods. Exodus 34:14, 15.
“For you shall not bow down to another god, for HaShem’s name is jealous; he is a jealous God. Lest you should cut a covenant with the one dwelling in the land and they should fornicate after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and he should invite you and you should eat of his sacrifice.”
The term fornication refers to sexual infidelity. But the language of the Torah uses the term fornication to refer to religious infidelity. Just as fornication is a substitute for true love between husband and wife, religious fornication is a substitute for the intimate relationship between creature and Creator. In the language of the Torah, fornicating after demons, or fornicating after mediums and familiar spirits, or fornicating after other gods, means violating the exclusive claim of God on his worshipers. Just as the life-blood of his creatures belongs exclusively to God, so the loyalty of his creatures belongs exclusively to God. In the language of the Bible, HaShem is a jealous God. HaShem does not tolerate divided loyalty in his worshipers. HaShem does not tolerate religious fornication.
But Babylon the Great panders religious fornication. Revelation 14:8.
“Another angel, a second, followed saying, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great, she who made all the Gentiles drink the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”
Babylon the Great has committed religious fornication with the kings of the earth. Revelation 17:1, 2.
“Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgment of the Great Prostitute who is seated upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”
Babylon the Great has seduced the Gentiles into religious fornication. Revelation 18:1-3.
“After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority; and the earth was made bright with his splendor. And he called out with a loud voice, ‘Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great! It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul and hateful bird, for all the Gentiles have drunk the wine of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich with the wealth of her wantonness.’”
The sanctuary system operates by the movement of blood; Babylon’s system of worship operates by the wine of fornication. John saw the Woman “holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication.” Instead of the blood of the Lamb, Babylon the Great offers a concoction of her own making. The blood of the Lamb and the Woman’s wine are the same color, but appearances are deceptive. Revelation 12:10, 11.
“For the Accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their souls even unto death.”
The blood of the Lamb will make you a conqueror over the Dragon; the wine of the Woman will make you an ally of the Dragon. The blood of the Lamb represents expiation from sin; the wine of the Woman represents guilt manipulation. The wonder-working power of the sanctuary is the blood of the Lamb; the wonder-working power of Babylon the Great is sorcery. Sorcery is recourse to another source of power. You see, false worship requires miracles to make it an attractive proposition. Babylon the Great is a great worker of miracles. Revelation 16:13.
“And I saw issuing from the mouth of the Dragon and from the mouth of the Beast and from the mouth of the False Prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. They are the spirits of demons performing miraculous signs.”
Many people assume that spiritual power is naturally benign. But not everything spiritual is good; the Final Portion of Scripture teaches that there is such a thing as unclean spirits:
“Unclean spirits like frogs. They are the spirits of demons performing miraculous signs.”
The wonder-working power of Babylon the Great is demonic power. Babylon the Great is such a broad-based coalition, that even the demons feel right at home! Revelation 18:2.
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great! It has become a dwelling place of demons.”
The sixth trumpet of the Apocalypse is directed against the Great River Euphrates. The Euphrates is the waterway on which literal Babylon was located. The Book of Revelation tells us that the waters where the Great Prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and Gentiles and tongues [17:15]. Consequently, we learn that the sixth trumpet is actually directed against the inhabitants of Babylon. Revelation 9:20, 21 describes the reaction of the inhabitants of Babylon to the sixth trumpet.
“The remainder of humanity, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which can neither see or hear or walk; nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their fornications or their thefts.”
The Book of Revelation equates the worship of idols with the worship of demons. Unbeknown to themselves, by way of idolatry and sorcery, the inhabitants of Babylon are engaged in worshiping demons. The Apostle Shaul teaches that worship offered to idols is actually received by demons. 1Corinthians 10:20.
“Rather, that those who sacrifice, sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to have participation with demons.”
The Book of Revelation specifies that those engaged in sorcery and idolatry will not inhabit the New Jerusalem. Revelation 22:15.
“Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and makes a lie.”
We have already seen in parashat achare mot that the penalty for eating blood is exclusion from God’s people. Leviticus 17:10.
“And any person from the house of Israel or from the resident residing in their midst who eats any blood, I will set my face against the soul eating the blood and I will cut it off from the midst of its people.”
We have seen in parashat achare mot that the penalty for feeding demons is exclusion from God’s people. Leviticus 17:8, 9.
“Any person from the house of Israel or from the resident who resides in their midst who offers up an ascending offering or a sacrifice, and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of appointment to do it to HaShem, that person shall be cut off from his people.”
Both human consumption of blood and feeding blood to demons are misuses of blood. The juxtaposition of these two statutes implies that they’re somehow equated. The equal severity and nearly identical verbal formulation of their penalties reinforces the argument that eating blood and feeding blood to demons are somehow equated in Leviticus chapter 17. The Torah further classifies sorcery with eating blood. Leviticus 19:26.
“Do not eat with the blood, do not divine, do not forecast clouds.”
The Book of Revelation associates Babylon’s sorcery with bloodshed. Revelation 18:23, 24.
“And all the Gentiles were deceived by her sorcery, and in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
When Isaiah prophesies the fall of the capitol of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which is the prototype of Babylon the Great, he notes that Babylon takes security in her sorcery, but that she cannot expiate on her sin. Her astrologers cannot save her; they will be burned with fire. Isaiah 47:7-14.
“You said, ‘I will be mistress forever,’ so that you did not lay these things to heart, you did not remember their end. And now listen to this Delicate One who sits securely, who has said in her heart, ‘I and no other. I will not sit a widow; I will not know bereavement of children.’ These two things shall come to you in a moment, in a single day: bereavement of children and widowhood shall come upon you in their full meaning; for your many sorceries and the enormous power of your charms. You felt secure in your evil, you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray. You said in your heart, ‘I, and no other.’ But evil is coming, whose bribe you do not know, disaster is falling upon you, whose expiation you are not able, sudden ruin is coming upon you which you do not know. Stand up, with your charms and your many sorceries, with which you have labored since your youth! Perhaps you will be able to succeed, perhaps you will inspire awe. You are wearied with your many counsels, let them stand up that they many save you! Dividers of heaven, the gazers at the stars, announcers by new moons whatever shall come upon you. Behold they are like straw, fire consumes them, they cannot deliver their own souls from the hand of the flame.”
John the Revelator employs the same language as Isaiah the prophet. John applies the language of Isaiah against Babylon, the capitol of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, to Babylon the Great. Babylon the Great imagines herself to sit securely. Babylon the Great imagines that she will never know bereavement and widowhood. Unbeknownst to her, Babylon the Great will be burned with fire. Revelation 18:7-9.
“Since she says in her heart, ‘A queen I sit, I am no widow, mourning I shall never see,’ so shall her plagues come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she shall be burned with fire.”
You may be wondering, how can the Mother of Prostitutes imitate Israel’s high priest? After all, the Torah does not recognize female priests. It is only Israel’s heathen neighbors who had female priests. The Torah proscribes a particularly horrific punishment for the daughter who has defiled her father’s priestly office. Leviticus 21:9.
“The daughter of a male priest if she defiles herself by fornicating, has defiled her father. She shall be burned with fire.”
In the Torah execution by burning is restricted to the special cases a man who marries both mother and daughter or fornication on the part of a priest’s daughter. Babylon the Great receives the punishment of the daughter who has defiled her father’s priestly office. Revelation 18:8, 9.
“And she shall be burned with fire, for mighty is HaShem God who judges her. And all the kings of the earth, who committed fornication and were wanton with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning; they will stand far off in fear of her torment.”
In prophecy we learn the true nature of an entity from its ultimate end. From her end we learn the Babylon the Great is a priestess, or to use the language of the Torah, she is a priest’s daughter.
There was once a queen in Israel who said in her heart, “A queen I sit, I am no widow, mourning I shall never see.” Eizevel was a Lebanese princess who became queen of Israel. Eizevel attempted to impose her heathen religion on Israel. Eizevel sponsored four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and four hundred prophets of Ashera to deceive the people of Israel. HaShem commissioned Yehu to put an end to Eizevel’s career. Eizevel’s son Yhoram was reigning as king of Israel. 2Kings 9:22.
“Now when Yhoram saw Yehu he said, ‘Is it peace, Yehu?’ He replied, ‘How can there be peace so long as the fornications Eizevel your mother carries on and her sorceries are so many?’”
Although Queen Eizevel was foreign-born, Eizevel was not a Gentile problem. Eizevel was an internal Israelite problem. Eizevel was the leader of apostate Israel.
In the Book of Revelation, Eizevel is the prototype of Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes and of earth’s abominations. Babylon the Great is an internal Christian problem. Babylon the Great is the leader of apostate Christianity. Revelation 2:20-23.
“But I have against you that you tolerate the Woman Eizevel, who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and leads astray my servants to fornicate and to eat idolatrous sacrifices. I gave her a time-period to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her fornication. Behold, I will throw her into bed, and those committing adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. And her children, I will kill with death, and all the congregation shall know that I am the One who searches kidneys and hearts, and I shall give each among you according to your deed.”
The deeds of Eizevel listed here are false prophecy, false teaching, leading God’s servants astray, and participation in idolatrous sacrifices. Christian Eizevel is unwilling to repent of her deeds. The inhabitants of Babylon the Great are unwilling to repent of their deeds.
Despite the terrible abominations which he’d committed, Eizevel’s husband did repent. 1Kings 21:25-27.
“Only there was none like Akhav who sold himself to do what is evil in the eyes of HaShem, whom Eizevel his wife incited. And he committed extreme abomination, going after idols as the Amorite had done which HaShem had driven out before the children of Israel. And it came to pass when Akhav heard these words he rent his clothes, put sackcloth on his flesh, fasted, lay in sackcloth, and walked softly. Then the word of HaShem was to Eliyahu the Tishbi, saying, ‘Have you not seen that Akhav has humbled himself before me? Therefore because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring evil in his days. In the days of his son I will bring evil on his dynasty.’”
No matter how far astray his servants may have been misled by Eizevel, God is waiting to grant them repentance. The sanctuary is still open to expiate on the guilty! There is still power in the blood of the Lamb. HaShem is still willing to take all responsibility for their sin on himself. Before HaShem sends the fire to consume Babylon the Great, HaShem answers Eliyahu with fire. 1Kings 18:37.
“Answer me HaShem, answer me, that this people may know that you are HaShem God and that you have turned their heart back. And the fire of HaShem fell.”
HaShem is waiting to turn your heart back whether from fornicating after demons, or from fornicating after familiar spirits, or from fornicating after other gods, of from fornicating after the Great Prostitute. Don’t be deceived by appearances: the Great Prostitute is not our Great High Priest! Don’t be deceived by appearances: the wine of fornication is not the blood of the Lamb! Don’t be deceived by appearances: wonderful miracles are no proof of worship acceptable to God! Babylon the Great is a system of worship that pretends to please God, but is nothing but a front for the Dragon. Please don’t feed the demons!
