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5ab5341
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rich were able to afford crypts where entire families would be able to "go to sleep with their fathers," as the saying went. Sleep was the common metaphor used to express their hope that one day Yahweh would return and resurrect the dead for judgment. There was a debate within the Pharisee and Sadducee circles about resurrection. The Pharisees believed it, but the Sadducees did not."
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Brian Godawa |
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fda2674
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This world was cold and brutal, like the edge of a gladius. Not many lived into their thirties or forties with all the sicknesses, thuggery, war and revolution under Roman oppression.
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Brian Godawa |
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58478dc
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In the thirty-third year of the reign of Augustus, a Jewish rebel named Judas the Galilean rose up and led a revolt against Rome. The Roman governor had ordered a census of Judea in order to increase their taxes. Judas and a fellow Pharisee, Zadok, were driven by a holy zeal for the Law of God and used as their model of inspiration the Maccabean revolt of a hundred and seventy years earlier. Jews had a particular animosity toward censuses b..
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Brian Godawa |
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9c35e4b
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Over the generations of Israel's growth in her Promised Land of inheritance, Ba'al and Asherah had managed to worm their way into the hearts of Israelites like a couple of parasites. Though Jews were expressly forbidden by Yahweh from worshiping other gods or making images of them, the populace nevertheless became infatuated with them and whored after the Canaanite deities. The extent to which Jews gave them obeisance is the extent to which..
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Brian Godawa |
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4f93e69
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The waters of the Abyss also operated as a passageway that linked the earth above with the underworld below. Panias had a nickname throughout the land. It was called the Gates of Hades.
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Brian Godawa |
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b1ddf92
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Demons could only possess those who invited them in. But unfortunately for Israel, many Jews violated the first commandment of Yahweh's Ten Words from Sinai, and worshipped the Canaanite gods. This failure gave the spiritual forces of this present darkness a grip of influence over Israel. She was infested with demons.
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Brian Godawa |
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6d9428f
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Esagila meant "House of the Raised Head." Marduk meant to raise himself above the heads of all the gods. He wanted to rule in the heavens as Nimrod wanted to rule on earth."
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Brian Godawa |
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da25715
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My brothers, everything that the Maccabean revolt gained for us, the purity, the holiness, the zeal, was lost when the Herods took over the priesthood. The Herodians are the betrayers of our countrymen. They are not even true Jews. They are Edomites, sons of Esau. Pretenders and betrayers. They rob the common Jew and control the majority of the wealth of Israel. They conspire with Rome to keep us enslaved while they sit in their extravagant..
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Brian Godawa |
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99871c8
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Water. He craved water. He had a headache, a backache, his entire body ached. He had been fasting for over thirty days now, he couldn't remember exactly how many. He had lost track. Dizziness finally brought him to the ground, his knees stinging on the gravelly desert floor. "Had enough?" The whisper penetrated him with a sweet malice. He ingested dust from a gust of wind and coughed. It stuck in his dry throat and he suffered a coughing fi..
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Brian Godawa |
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e79eb3c
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Nachash," croaked Jesus. It was the name of that ancient tempter in the Garden, the first of many names through the ages; Accuser, Mastema, Sammael, Diablos, Helel ben Shachar, the Serpent. "I am going by Belial these days. It has a nice ring to it." Belial meant the personification of wickedness, treachery and rebellion."
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Brian Godawa |
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af53130
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Jesus' throat hurt to speak. "I see you are disguising yourself in more humble appearance these days. Afraid of something?" "The jester from Galilee. I am impressed you can maintain your wits after so many days in my little home away from home." Belial spread his hands out, gesturing to the dry deadly expanse around them. "I will admit that the advance of civilization has made it somewhat disadvantageous for the Watchers to reveal our true ..
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Brian Godawa |
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80bd641
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But as the primeval past faded into memory, mankind's knowledge expanded and its hubris grew with the promise of the Serpent that humans would become as gods. The Watchers became less obvious with passing time, as they sought to work more behind the veil of the supernatural world. As divine beings, Watchers could exert hypnotic effect on humans to see them in any appearance they desired. Thus, the eight-foot tall shining Belial made himself..
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Brian Godawa |
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4dfaf35
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Belial said, "Let us stop wasting time, Nazarene. I know who you are. I saw the entire circus show in the desert. The dreadfully smelly and theatrical Baptizer, the Holy Spirit descending like a vulture, Yahweh blathering from heaven, blah, blah, blah." Jesus drifted off in his memory to a mere month ago, where he had been baptized in the Jordan River not too far from this hellish wasteland. John the Baptizer had left the communal sect of Q..
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Brian Godawa |
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0c8c1e9
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Belial said, "My children. My minions. No, the Nephilim are not gone from the land. They are still here. And they will rise up." The unholy Nephilim had been purged from the land, first by the Flood, and finally through the holy wars of Canaan by Joshua ben Nun and King David. There was only one thing Belial could mean by their return. Belial changed the subject. "Yahweh has protected his chosen seedline of Messiah through all the ages. I m..
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Brian Godawa |
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cffeda4
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But the earthly humans over which we rule can." He let that one linger with a sense of foreboding. Belial was good at delivery. He was after all the Accuser in the very courtroom of Yahweh's divine council. He challenged the Laws of Torah and prosecuted heavenly lawsuits against Yahweh's people. "I almost had you in the hands of Herod when you were born. How you escaped Herod's slaughter of the innocents at Bethlehem, now that I must congra..
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Brian Godawa |
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673884c
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The star prophecy that Belial alluded to had a long history of importance. When Yahweh had originally created the heavens and earth, he placed the constellations of stars and planets in the sky not merely for seasons but for signs to mankind. And the most imaginative sign was the story of redemption that he embedded within the very structure of the twelve constellations that revolved around the earth. The narrative was of a virgin (Virgo) w..
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Brian Godawa |
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a51c189
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You would not attack an unarmed, naked woman, would you, Son of God?" Her voice turned from vulnerable to sexual. "Or would you like to?" Jesus kept looking her in the eye. Compassion flowed from his gaze, not judgment. It shook her to the core. He said, "You are a woman created in the image of Yahweh and you have a name." "I am the Ob of Panias. I belong to Pan." "You belong to Yahweh," said Jesus. He reached out and touched her head. She ..
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Brian Godawa |
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c18422f
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exilic prophet Daniel, had followed the final sign in the heavens that pointed to the birth of Messiah. It was written that when the constellation Virgo was on the horizon, clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, with twelve stars above her head, she would give birth to a divine king. This was because the king planet Jupiter aligned in conjunction with the king star Regulus over her head creating a bright star. The Magi observed t..
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Brian Godawa |
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924a231
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The priestess stopped at the mouth of the cave. She raised her arms, and an ugly unearthly howl came out of her, as if from the very depths of Sheol. The acoustics of the grotto were astounding. Every sound was amplified. Then she disappeared inside the cave. Jesus walked up to the temple area. Simon saw people appear from inside buildings and tombs, from behind trees, rocks and architecture. They were the local residents, but they were not..
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Brian Godawa |
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8e9f6f3
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Peter yelled out, "Jesus!" He and the disciples moved to help. Jesus snapped his palm back at them to stop. He was fifty yards away from the disciples, right inside the temple district of the ravine. The demoniacs staggered out of their hiding places toward Jesus. He now looked up into heaven with hands held out in vulnerability. Simon could feel, if not hear, the sounds of a thousand spirits whispering foul words and vile thoughts in the a..
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Brian Godawa |
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f306b13
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It had some kind of access to the underworld. Equally significant was the fact that this sacred space stood at the foot of the mountain range of Hermon, the cosmic mount of assembly of the gods. Simon had read the Book of Enoch, and the Book of Giants at Qumran. He knew of the fall of the Watcher gods at this very mountain before the Flood. This was the heart of evil in the land of Bashan, the place of the Serpent.
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Brian Godawa |
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5f4376f
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As their ranks closed in, Simon could see that the solid crowd of hundreds of possessed creatures had stopped its advance within a few yards of Jesus. Those behind tried to push forward, but the line would not move. It was as if an invisible barrier held them from advancing upon him. There was no way out for Jesus, and no way in for them. They swayed as if under a spell. A cacophony of growls and screeches peppered the crowd, making Simon t..
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Brian Godawa |
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78728a6
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Jesus lowered his arms. The entire massive crowd of demoniacs fell to the ground, unconscious, downed by a spiritual wave of power. A gust of wind drew up out of the fallen bodies and became a whirlwind around Jesus. Dust and debris flew around him. The whirlwind then sucked away from Jesus into the large cave opening, and everything went silent. Dead silent. When the individuals in the crowd began to move, they were disoriented, as if they..
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Brian Godawa |
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3957700
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Jesus said to those around him, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" Peter blurted out, "Some say John the Baptist come back from the dead." John spoke up, "Some say you are Elijah from heaven." Simon added, "It seems the masses have imagined you being the return of just about every prophet from our Scriptures." Jesus looked around at them with a somber face. "But who do you say that I am?" The disciples glanced at each other sheepis..
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Brian Godawa |
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a3e16d1
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From primeval days, this cosmic mountain and its gates has been a stronghold of evil on this earth. Yet, I say to you, upon this rock, I will build my church. And the Gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." He thought for a moment, then looked back at the disciples again. "To you, I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heave..
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Brian Godawa |
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016a035
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Jesus looked back at the cave, then up at the mountain and recited a Psalm of David. "O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan! Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that Elohim desired for his abode, yes, where Yahweh will dwell forever? The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary. You ascende..
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Brian Godawa |
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07f417d
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Rabbi, where are you going?" After an uncomfortable silence, Jesus finally said, "Back to camp," and he turned and walked away. The disciples caught up with him on the path along the other side of the river. Demas and Gestas overheard Jesus explaining to them, "We must prepare to go to Jerusalem soon. It will be a time of great suffering for me." "What do you mean?" asked Peter. "I will be killed there. But the twelve of you should not desp..
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Brian Godawa |
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d28a9a3
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mountain of God, O many-peaked mountain of Bashan. The mount that Elohim desired for his abode.'" He looked directly at Demas and Gestas. "The phrase, 'twice ten thousand, thousands of thousands' refers to the heavenly host of Elohim's divine council. They are his holy ones, Sons of God who did not rebel." The brothers knew that "host" was a military term for a king's army of warriors. "Sinai was Yahweh's holy mountain in the Exodus, until ..
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Brian Godawa |
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626f4a4
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Jesus turned back to the cave, took a deep breath, and said, "Get ready for all Hades to break loose." He led them into the dark, wide cavernous mouth of death. It was pitch black. But the archangels could see just as well as in the light with their preternatural sight. Being human, Jesus was not so equipped. He stumbled on some rocks. Mikael, his guardian, took his hand and led him gingerly into the blackness. They had gone some distan..
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Brian Godawa |
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cf59806
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opportunity to boast to Ittai. "A big battle is coming. The Sons of Rapha will finally be unveiled in all our power and glory. Speak nothing of this, or I will have to slit your throat." "Of course." Lahmi gave his usual grin of contempt. "We are the Seed of the Serpent cursed by the Israelite god Yahweh. Ha! It is a badge of honor to be so cursed by such a despicable deity. We will hand him his curse back on the blade of our scimitars!" It..
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Brian Godawa |
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d3708c4
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Ittai was thinking of the fact that he had Nephilim blood in him. He did not have the height, but he had the extra fingers and toes--which he had cut off--and he had the strength. He had Nephilim blood in his own veins. He was cursed by this Yahweh god who fascinated him. Lahmi was unaware of Ittai's concerns. "So the sword you forge today for Goliath will be the sword that will cut off the head of this so-called messiah king. That is why i..
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Brian Godawa |
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a99f2f7
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Elohim worked in mysterious ways.
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Brian Godawa |
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0c32b7d
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The angels came up to Jesus carrying Gabriel and Uriel. Raphael said, "Mikael is on his way to Tartarus with Ba'al." Saraqael and Raguel approached from out of the black. Saraqael said, "Pan got away. He is a slippery scoundrel, that one." Mary smiled broadly. "I know where he went." They looked to her for more. She said, "He went to Gaia, the Mother Earth Goddess." Gabriel said, "Well, isn't that convenient. That old gnarly tree was next o..
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Brian Godawa |
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6d8d7e5
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When Ham was under the spell of Anu and Ishtar, they had secretly experimented on him through occultic sciences that were beyond the knowledge of mankind at the time. They had altered his body by splicing their own genetic makeup into his. But they also violated his wife, Neela, impregnating her with a newly developed genetic implantation. One that would carry the recessive genes of the Watchers without resulting in immediate gigantism. The..
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Brian Godawa |
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8b0d2db
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it was plain by Canaanite standards, a simple elevated wooden seat carved from a tree, with two lion Cherubim also carved from wood at each side of the arms. To David, it represented Yahweh's messiah king, anointed by Yahweh's holy Seer to bring heaven and earth into unity. As in heaven, so on earth, he thought. They waited by the entrance for the king's arrival. Saul stepped out from the back of the room and approached the throne. He was a..
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Brian Godawa |
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25e6cfc
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David said to Saul, "Sorry, my lord. Forgive my incompetence." He began to play the coronation psalm he had played for Jonathan on the hillside. Its effect on Saul was immediate. A peace came over him. The whisperer went away. His tension released and his nervous twitching and ticks vanished. It seemed as if his mind all of a sudden became clear and he could even see more clearly with his eyes. It was like a fog had been lifted from over hi..
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Brian Godawa |
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07cdb8a
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In this moment of clarity, Saul regretted that he had opened the gates of Tartarus to satisfy his hunger. There was an emptiness in his soul, a deep and abiding emptiness, like a pit in Sheol, that drove him. He had believed that greatness and glory might satiate the hunger. But now he realized he had bitten off more than he could eat. He felt nauseous. Nevertheless, he determined to institute a pogrom to root out all mediums, necromancers ..
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Brian Godawa |
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2859d7e
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I accept your offering, and I bid you welcome my children, my Sons of Rapha." Goliath responded with the respect he showed only to the gods but to no man, "We are your bondservants, my lord and god. Command us and we will obey." Dagon growled, and then spoke. "The skies are very dark over the land of Canaan. The time has come for me to reveal to you your most important calling." Goliath responded, "We have trained for twenty-five years. We ..
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Brian Godawa |
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d2c3b3d
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In response to this provocation from Judas, Caesar placed Judea under direct provincial administration from Rome. The Herodian rulership over the Jews was restricted to Galilee, but the Roman army made its presence felt with quartered troops all over the territory. They delivered harsh punishments for every minor offense. The people lived in abject fear for their lives with the grip of Imperial Rome around their throats. It was within this ..
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Brian Godawa |
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5259d2e
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Herodian ruling class. These were the traitors that fornicated with Rome and exploited the Jewish poor. These were the wealthy who bought and paid for the priesthood of Israel, turning the holy into an abomination.
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Brian Godawa |
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34bbf40
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They all tended to portray a gloomy dark world where the unrighteous dead suffered in one form or another. The righteous dead, however were taken away to garden paradises, or "Isles of the Blessed."
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Brian Godawa |
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2f05b69
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Nimrod continued, "These were the one percent of wealthy pigs who ruled over the ninety-nine percent of people with their greed and their selfishness! But I swear to you by my very head and by the head of my queen Semiramis, that as our subjects you will never go hungry!" The crowd burst out in applause. He milked it, "You will never be without shelter in the great city of Babylon!" More applause resounded. "You will never be without health..
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Brian Godawa |
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814ed1d
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Baptism was recruitment into that supernatural holy war that reiterated the waters of the Flood cleansing unholiness and evil from the individual's life, in preparation for a new messianic world. But in the case of Jesus, it was much more. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit had come upon him, which was foretold by Isaiah the prophet, "Behold my Servant, whom I uphold, my Chosen One, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon ..
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Brian Godawa |
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546ce44
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Yahweh the Father then spoke the words from heaven, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Those words were an allusion to a well-known messianic psalm of David where Yahweh spoke to the coming King. "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, and the ends of the earth your possession." But justice and inheritance were not merely a passive receiving of land rights...
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Brian Godawa |