One of the interesting themes in the movie Avatar was how often Jake’s Avatar appeared to die in front of the Na’vi. If something happened to Jake’s communication chamber, interrupting his connection with his Avatar it would appear that Jake died and then he would come back to life when reconnected with his Avatar. To me this was very similar to the Bible concept of resurrection – the process in which God recreates the body and reconnects the individual – his thoughts, memories, and awareness, with his body. The resurrection is one of the major themes in the body and explains how a person can die and then come back to life to face the judgment scene – either for good or for bad.
The first resurrection story is in Genesis 22, where Abraham is to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Abraham understands from God that he is to take his son to Mount Moriah and there he is to kill his son as an offering to God. Abraham goes through the whole process and is fully prepared to offer his son. When he starts to put a knife into the chest of his son, God stops Abraham and Isaac is rescued from death and Abraham receives his son back from the “dead”. Hebrews 11:17-19 states the following:
“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”
The second story of resurrection is told in the story of Joseph. Joseph becomes Pharaoh of Egypt’s right hand man and is responsible for rescuing all of Egypt from death by starvation during the 7 years of famine spoken of in Genesis 40-42. After saving all of Egypt Joseph predicts that God will deliver Israel and when that happens, even though it is many years after the death of Joseph, he asks that Israel will take is bones with them when they leave Egypt. Genesis 50:24-26 This is another figure of resurrection.
The first actual resurrection of a dead person is the story of Moses. God clearly describes the death and burial of Moses in Deuteronomy 34:1-7. He also comments into the process of Moses’ resurrection in Jude 9. We know that Moses was resurrected because he shows up in the story of Jesus, many years after his death, and is one of the two men that come to comfort Jesus in his time of distress in Matthew 17:1-4.
We know that the Bible states that when a person is dead he is unable to communicate love, anger, hatred, revenge, or any human thought or experience. The Bible says that “the dead know not any thing…” Ecclesiastes 9:4-10 Since the dead know not any thing, then in order to communicate with mankind the dead must experience a resurrection, a returning to the world of the living.
There are many more examples of the resurrection of the dead in the Bible. There are several in the Old Testament – II Kings 4:8-37; II Kings 13: 20-21 - and several in the New Testament writings – Luke 7:11-17; Luke 8:49-56; Matthew 27:50-53. Perhaps the greatest single resurrection is that of Lazarus in John 11. In this story John is dead for 4 days and has started to decompose, when Jesus comes to visit the family of Joseph and comfort them for the loss of their brother Lazarus. Jesus gives us the most detailed speech on the subject of the resurrection and then resurrects His friend Lazarus. This resurrection places a seal of God on Jesus
The next major resurrection is that of Jesus Himself. All four of the gospels discuss the various aspects of the resurrection and how God conducts His business. The Bible states that Jesus was able to lay down His own life and then to pick it back up. John 10:17-18
Finally God tell us that there will be two final resurrections – one for the righteous and one for the wicked. John 5:25-29 says the following:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation. “
Each person will decide which resurrection he/she will be in. If they choose to accept Jesus as God, then they will be in the resurrection that comes about when Jesus returns for the second time. This resurrection is discussed in I Corinthians 15:51-58 and I Thessalonians 4:13-18. The resurrection of damnation occurs a thousand years later at the third coming of Christ. Revelation 20:1-15
James Cameron was kind enough to give us the symbolism of the resurrection in his movie Avatar. God was kind enough to give us the reality. I pray that as we evaluate these things we will choose the reality over the symbolism and the fantasy. The choice is ours; the gift of the reality is God’s. He longs for us to be resurrected to live with Him forever.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Avatar and Hell
In the movie Avatar, the name of the mining camp is “Hell’s Gate”. This apparently is a statement that when you leave the fenced camp you were entering into someone’s perceptions of hell – meaning a gateway to death. The basic understanding was that the planet'’ atmosphere was death producing to humans, the animal life was dangerous to humans, the plant life had some deadly components, and then the people of Pandora – the Na’vi were also antagonistic to human beings and would try to shoot them with poison arrows. All of these death-producing things were present on the planet, and thus the warning that the mining camp was the gateway to hell.
In the Bible there is a similar story with some major differences. In the Bible story there was no death in the Garden of Eden. Nothing killed, and nothing harmed in God’s kingdom. Isaiah 11:9. God put only one warning sign up and that was that Adam and Eve were not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If Adam and Eve left that tree alone, there would never be death of any kind. On the other hand if Adam and or Eve ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, then death would come.
As the story unfolds Eve eats of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She eats because she accepts the thoughts of a speaking serpent/dragon. See Genesis 3:1-7, 14; Revelation 12:9. When she eats of the fruit, she then becomes the medium of temptation to Adam. When he chooses to eat of the same fruit, he concludes that he is naked and would be ashamed to come into the presence of God with no clothing. God comes at His normal time to talk to Adam and Eve and finds that they are now afraid to talk to Him. God asks if they had eaten of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and they prove they had by their blaming one another. After discussing it, God offers them new clothing that is purchased by blood and death. Genesis 3:21 Thus, the first death that happens on earth is a symbol of the coming of the true Avatar – Jesus Christ.
After God clothes them with clothing that He made for them, He then informs Adam and Eve that they must leave the Garden of Eden and they must leave the Tree of Life. Thus death is inevitable for Adam and Eve for they no longer can eat of the tree that brings healing and life. In time Adam and Eve will die.
Shortly after leaving Eden, Adam and Eve come face to face with death again. In Genesis 4 death comes to their second born son at the hands of their first born son. Cain kills Abel over the struggle of whether to bring an offering of fruit and vegetables or to bring an offering that symbolizes the slain life of Jesus. Cain is upset that God did not accept his sacrifice while God did accept the sacrifice of Abel. This disagreement led to the death of Abel and the running away of Cain.
This process continued with increasing frequency until by the time of the flood people were thinking evil thoughts continually and when people think evil thoughts all of the time they get violent. One of the concepts from the Old Testament is that when Israel turned away from God they practiced human sacrifice in the sense of offering up their children to their heathen but non-existent gods. They offered their children as sacrifices by making them pass through the fire. II Kings 23:10; II Chronicles 33:6. After 120 years God sent a flood to wash away the sins of the world, but in the act of cleansing there was death to all of the animals, and people on the planet Earth except for those animals and people on the Ark that Noah built by God’s instructions.
After the flood, the same selfishness of people began to manifest itself again in the meanness of people toward one another. All of the things that people did before the Flood were repeated by their children after the Flood, which eventually led to God confounding the language of man. This would slow down the negative process but man still found ways to think of evil continually. Man seemed to love death while rejecting life. The selfishness of man seemed to know no bounds, yet God, through His people Israel, tried to offer man another way – that of life. Israel, as a nation, was raised up to show an alternate way of life through obedient connection with God. All who would, could, and eventually would live forever and return to a way of life that nothing was to die or to harm one another.
Yet Israel did not do a very good job of revealing the life of surrender to God. They most often left their post with God and went to worship other Gods. They often ended up practicing the same behaviors as those who hated God. This went on for hundreds of years until the time finally came where God Himself came to be among the people. God lasted a few short years on Earth until He was hung on a cross and died. After His death Jesus Christ became the First to be raised from the dead. By this I do not mean that Jesus was the first to be raised from the dead, but that by His resurrection authorization had been given for all of those resurrected from the dead in the Old Testament times and those in the New Testament times. God revealed that there was a solution to the death problem and that solution was God Himself.
This process of rebellion against God, as started by Adam and Eve, has continued all through time down to the year 2010. God has revealed that any rebellion against Him, and His law, creates death. With death comes the trip to the grave. But God’s goal is to remove death once and for all time. God plans to bring everyone to an understanding that to live means to surrender in love to God. To die means to enter into rebellion against God and the principles of life. God offers us freedom to choose, but all must choose and deal with the consequences of that choice.
One of the interesting concepts in the Bible is that of death. One of the odd things that death presents is that all who follow death must end up in the grave. All through the Bible the name given for the grave was hell. Psalms 16:10; 86:13 marginal reference; Proverbs 7:27; I Corinthians 15:55 marginal reference; Revelation 20:13-14. Thus, Avatar’s Hell’s Gate is a way of stating that all who go through this gate love death and want the grave, or are willing to go to the grave. In the movie all of the people who had come to Pandora were willing to die because of the high potential reward. Pandora was supposed to be a very dangerous place to be but all that came were willing to take the risks.
In the Bible the stakes are a little higher. God did not intend for anyone to die on Earth and He did not make anything evil or harmful. God says, “an enemy has done this”. Matthew 13:27-28. God did not want anyone to go to the grave. But when God warned man not to sin, He told them that in the day that they would sin then death would come to them and they would then go to “hell” or to the grave.
But God also had a solution for all those who would go to the grave. God promised to resurrect them to eternal life, if they wanted it. God does not want to be separated from us. He wants us to live forever and to be with Him. All who will choose Him can have the gift of eternal life and to be resurrected to heaven, and then eventually to return to Earth. But for this to occur each one of us must have a personal experience with God. If we choose to do this He will resurrect us from the grave, and eventually He will destroy death and destroy the grave, because no one else will ever go there.
This little study is a response to Avatar’s message of “Hell’s Gate”. God recognizes what hell’s gate means – that we have chosen to reject God and have chosen death over life. God wants us to live forever with Him, we can choose to reject eternal death today. Even though we may die, and go to the grave, yet the promise of God is available to us, He will come and resurrect us and we will live forever. What choice will you make today?
In the Bible there is a similar story with some major differences. In the Bible story there was no death in the Garden of Eden. Nothing killed, and nothing harmed in God’s kingdom. Isaiah 11:9. God put only one warning sign up and that was that Adam and Eve were not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If Adam and Eve left that tree alone, there would never be death of any kind. On the other hand if Adam and or Eve ate of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, then death would come.
As the story unfolds Eve eats of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. She eats because she accepts the thoughts of a speaking serpent/dragon. See Genesis 3:1-7, 14; Revelation 12:9. When she eats of the fruit, she then becomes the medium of temptation to Adam. When he chooses to eat of the same fruit, he concludes that he is naked and would be ashamed to come into the presence of God with no clothing. God comes at His normal time to talk to Adam and Eve and finds that they are now afraid to talk to Him. God asks if they had eaten of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and they prove they had by their blaming one another. After discussing it, God offers them new clothing that is purchased by blood and death. Genesis 3:21 Thus, the first death that happens on earth is a symbol of the coming of the true Avatar – Jesus Christ.
After God clothes them with clothing that He made for them, He then informs Adam and Eve that they must leave the Garden of Eden and they must leave the Tree of Life. Thus death is inevitable for Adam and Eve for they no longer can eat of the tree that brings healing and life. In time Adam and Eve will die.
Shortly after leaving Eden, Adam and Eve come face to face with death again. In Genesis 4 death comes to their second born son at the hands of their first born son. Cain kills Abel over the struggle of whether to bring an offering of fruit and vegetables or to bring an offering that symbolizes the slain life of Jesus. Cain is upset that God did not accept his sacrifice while God did accept the sacrifice of Abel. This disagreement led to the death of Abel and the running away of Cain.
This process continued with increasing frequency until by the time of the flood people were thinking evil thoughts continually and when people think evil thoughts all of the time they get violent. One of the concepts from the Old Testament is that when Israel turned away from God they practiced human sacrifice in the sense of offering up their children to their heathen but non-existent gods. They offered their children as sacrifices by making them pass through the fire. II Kings 23:10; II Chronicles 33:6. After 120 years God sent a flood to wash away the sins of the world, but in the act of cleansing there was death to all of the animals, and people on the planet Earth except for those animals and people on the Ark that Noah built by God’s instructions.
After the flood, the same selfishness of people began to manifest itself again in the meanness of people toward one another. All of the things that people did before the Flood were repeated by their children after the Flood, which eventually led to God confounding the language of man. This would slow down the negative process but man still found ways to think of evil continually. Man seemed to love death while rejecting life. The selfishness of man seemed to know no bounds, yet God, through His people Israel, tried to offer man another way – that of life. Israel, as a nation, was raised up to show an alternate way of life through obedient connection with God. All who would, could, and eventually would live forever and return to a way of life that nothing was to die or to harm one another.
Yet Israel did not do a very good job of revealing the life of surrender to God. They most often left their post with God and went to worship other Gods. They often ended up practicing the same behaviors as those who hated God. This went on for hundreds of years until the time finally came where God Himself came to be among the people. God lasted a few short years on Earth until He was hung on a cross and died. After His death Jesus Christ became the First to be raised from the dead. By this I do not mean that Jesus was the first to be raised from the dead, but that by His resurrection authorization had been given for all of those resurrected from the dead in the Old Testament times and those in the New Testament times. God revealed that there was a solution to the death problem and that solution was God Himself.
This process of rebellion against God, as started by Adam and Eve, has continued all through time down to the year 2010. God has revealed that any rebellion against Him, and His law, creates death. With death comes the trip to the grave. But God’s goal is to remove death once and for all time. God plans to bring everyone to an understanding that to live means to surrender in love to God. To die means to enter into rebellion against God and the principles of life. God offers us freedom to choose, but all must choose and deal with the consequences of that choice.
One of the interesting concepts in the Bible is that of death. One of the odd things that death presents is that all who follow death must end up in the grave. All through the Bible the name given for the grave was hell. Psalms 16:10; 86:13 marginal reference; Proverbs 7:27; I Corinthians 15:55 marginal reference; Revelation 20:13-14. Thus, Avatar’s Hell’s Gate is a way of stating that all who go through this gate love death and want the grave, or are willing to go to the grave. In the movie all of the people who had come to Pandora were willing to die because of the high potential reward. Pandora was supposed to be a very dangerous place to be but all that came were willing to take the risks.
In the Bible the stakes are a little higher. God did not intend for anyone to die on Earth and He did not make anything evil or harmful. God says, “an enemy has done this”. Matthew 13:27-28. God did not want anyone to go to the grave. But when God warned man not to sin, He told them that in the day that they would sin then death would come to them and they would then go to “hell” or to the grave.
But God also had a solution for all those who would go to the grave. God promised to resurrect them to eternal life, if they wanted it. God does not want to be separated from us. He wants us to live forever and to be with Him. All who will choose Him can have the gift of eternal life and to be resurrected to heaven, and then eventually to return to Earth. But for this to occur each one of us must have a personal experience with God. If we choose to do this He will resurrect us from the grave, and eventually He will destroy death and destroy the grave, because no one else will ever go there.
This little study is a response to Avatar’s message of “Hell’s Gate”. God recognizes what hell’s gate means – that we have chosen to reject God and have chosen death over life. God wants us to live forever with Him, we can choose to reject eternal death today. Even though we may die, and go to the grave, yet the promise of God is available to us, He will come and resurrect us and we will live forever. What choice will you make today?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Avatar’s Dragons
In the movie Avatar one of the right of passage experience is to go on a strenuous climb to find a dwelling place for the smaller of Pandora’s dragon species the Ikran. Jake is told that he is to find one of the Ikran and he will know if it has chosen him by the attempt to kill Jake. If Jake can subdue his Ikran then he can connect with his antenna, the queue, and complete the process of Tsahaylu. When Tsahaylu is completed then Jake would be able to control his Ikran and become a successful member of the clan. He would have proved that he was a successful man and have passed the tests of manhood and be a functional member of the village. Jake, on completion of subduing his Ikran, would be thought of as a successful hunter and warrior. When Jake completed his growth tasks he would then be considered eligible to mate with one of the females of the clan. All of these things Jake accomplished and in a positive manner.
It is interesting that Mr. Cameron chose to use a flying dragon as one of the symbols of growth and maturity in the culture of the Na'vi. In the Bible a flying serpent, Isaiah 14:29, is used to communicate an evil messenger, someone to avoid if at all possible. The dragon, or the great serpent, is named Satan – the Adversary. Revelation 12:9. This adversary came to Adam and Eve and tempted them to rebel against the revealed will of God, and thus introduced sin into the world and opened Pandora’s box. Sin led to death and destruction.
The use of a dragon in Avatar is an interesting mix of symbols. In the movie Avatar, friendship with a dragon is a function of becoming an adult in the Na’vi culture. There is a greater dragon – the Great Leonopteryx – that is so deadly that few make any connection with this dragon. But there is an occasional hero that is able to make Tsahaylu with the Great Leonopteryx and when that rare thing happens the hero is called Toruk Makto and he is able to lead all of the tribes of Pandora together.
In James Cameron’s mind, the dragons of Pandora are used for positive purposes, to show maturity, courage, and to allow the warrior access to the air to be a greater hunter and thus a greater deliverer. In the Bible’s perspective contact with the Dragon is to open the door to being deceived and to be harmed in some way. God warns us to stay away from the dragon, in any of his forms, and to stay focused on Jesus. To not go through the rite of passage ceremonies by keeping your distance and not entering into a deep, personal, and emotional contact with a dragon would be good in the eyes of God. It would show a dependence upon God and trust in Him to care for all of the needs of the culture as well as the needs of the individual.
In conclusion, God warns us to flee from the dragon and we will be blessed. Avatar encourages us to have contact with the dragon and that this contact leads to blessings and social advancement. Each person has to make these decisions for themselves. God has revealed His holy will to man through the stories He has told us. We have seen the impact of sin on people and we have seen the destruction of peoples, cities, and nations through their disobedience to the will of God. The concept of uniting with a Dragon in the mind of God is to commit sin and to turn against God and against your community; this God warns of and encourages us to stay faithful to Him so that He can do great things for us. Stay away from the dragons, in any shape, form, or culture. The True, and real God, has warned us to flee from dragons and enjoy sweet communion with Him. Today we can choose the fantasy or to choose the real and the true.
It is interesting that Mr. Cameron chose to use a flying dragon as one of the symbols of growth and maturity in the culture of the Na'vi. In the Bible a flying serpent, Isaiah 14:29, is used to communicate an evil messenger, someone to avoid if at all possible. The dragon, or the great serpent, is named Satan – the Adversary. Revelation 12:9. This adversary came to Adam and Eve and tempted them to rebel against the revealed will of God, and thus introduced sin into the world and opened Pandora’s box. Sin led to death and destruction.
The use of a dragon in Avatar is an interesting mix of symbols. In the movie Avatar, friendship with a dragon is a function of becoming an adult in the Na’vi culture. There is a greater dragon – the Great Leonopteryx – that is so deadly that few make any connection with this dragon. But there is an occasional hero that is able to make Tsahaylu with the Great Leonopteryx and when that rare thing happens the hero is called Toruk Makto and he is able to lead all of the tribes of Pandora together.
In James Cameron’s mind, the dragons of Pandora are used for positive purposes, to show maturity, courage, and to allow the warrior access to the air to be a greater hunter and thus a greater deliverer. In the Bible’s perspective contact with the Dragon is to open the door to being deceived and to be harmed in some way. God warns us to stay away from the dragon, in any of his forms, and to stay focused on Jesus. To not go through the rite of passage ceremonies by keeping your distance and not entering into a deep, personal, and emotional contact with a dragon would be good in the eyes of God. It would show a dependence upon God and trust in Him to care for all of the needs of the culture as well as the needs of the individual.
In conclusion, God warns us to flee from the dragon and we will be blessed. Avatar encourages us to have contact with the dragon and that this contact leads to blessings and social advancement. Each person has to make these decisions for themselves. God has revealed His holy will to man through the stories He has told us. We have seen the impact of sin on people and we have seen the destruction of peoples, cities, and nations through their disobedience to the will of God. The concept of uniting with a Dragon in the mind of God is to commit sin and to turn against God and against your community; this God warns of and encourages us to stay faithful to Him so that He can do great things for us. Stay away from the dragons, in any shape, form, or culture. The True, and real God, has warned us to flee from dragons and enjoy sweet communion with Him. Today we can choose the fantasy or to choose the real and the true.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Avatar and the State of the Dead
In the movie Avatar there were several presentations of the dead. In one scene a dead member of the Na’vi is shown being prepared for burial and a seed from the Tree of Souls is placed in the burial place. Apparently this seed was to be a connecting link to the soul of the dead family member.
In another scene Neytiri is presented as attempting to explain to Jake how the Tree of Souls keeps an account of each dead member of the tribe. The dead people, and their memories, are retained in the Tree of Souls and anyone can come to the tree and “connect” to this record of lives and thoughts. Apparently one could communicate with the record of the dead one but perhaps not to the person himself or herself.
In the Bible the state of the dead is a complex set of concepts. God tells us in Genesis 2:7 that God made a living soul out of the dust of the ground and then God breathed into the person the breath of life and he/she became a living soul. This formula requires to parts to be a living soul – a body and the breath of life. Without either of these to parts the living soul does not take place. In Ecclesiastes 12:5-7 God tells us that when death occurs that the body breaks back down into dust, and the spirit, or life energy, returns to God. Thus the living soul comes to an end.
Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 gives us some additional information as to what happens to us when we die. It says:
1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labor which thou takest under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
In this text God tells us that we will all die, unless we are translated to heaven without seeing death. Death happens to all people and if the normal process occurs we all will experience this death process. When we die, the Bible says that our love, hatred, envy, knowledge, and wisdom all stops. There is no communication with the dead for all mental, and physical processing, is terminated. God even goes so far as to say that all our thoughts perish (Psalms 146:4) and that we no longer can praise God. Psalms 115:17 So from the Word of God all cognitive processing stops and ceases to function.
An interesting question comes up and that is many people claim to have communications with the dead, or tap into the memories of the dead, as in the Tree of Souls in the movie Avatar. If we use the Bible to guide our thoughts, since it is God who only knows all about life or death, then we are instructed not to seek wisdom from the dead. God wants us to seek wisdom and instruction from the living, He wants us to come to Him and He will grant us wisdom and truth. He does not want us to seek other avenues of information controlled by Satan, He wants us to come to Him and He will guide us.
“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God, for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it I because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:19-20
“When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.” Deuteronomy 18:9-14
(Necromancers are people who attempt to communicate with the dead, and familiar spirits are the supposed spirits of dead people dwelling in animals to communicate their thoughts to Necromancers, Wizards, and Witches. God forbids all of this.)
God is aware that Satan has chosen to attempt to communicate his will through avenues that God has forbidden us. The reason He forbids this is because the information sent to us from Satan is based totally on deception, error, and sin. Satan attempts to use avenues that God has forbidden. All communication with the dead can not happen because God says that the dead do not think, feel, share, praise, or anything, for they are dead. The dead do not communicate. So any communications that supposedly come from the dead come from Satan, not from God. Therefore all “communications” with the dead come from Satan, not from the person that can not communicate until they are resurrected. God wants to communicate the truth, and only the truth, Satan wants to communicate error to prevent us from trusting in God.
So God’s answer to the dead is to allow them to “sleep” until Jesus comes to awaken them again. I Corinthians 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:13-18 When He puts the breath of life back into their bodies, they will then be able to communicate again. Until then they simply rest in God and are not aware of anything under the sun.
Satan, on the other hand, wants to communicate with us his thinking. He wants us to distrust God and to disobey Him. Satan communicated this thought to Eve and through her distrust in God, and trust in Satan, she opened the proverbial Pandora’s box and introduced sin to Adam and then they disobeyed God and ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Thus they introduced death to the Earth, something that God did not want to occur. So all communication with Satan will eventually produce death if accepted, for Satan always wants to do anything and everything that God forbids.
So, as in all things, God has given us a choice. We can obey Him and prosper or we can disobey Him and get into trouble. God wants us to have truth only. He does not want us to have error for error produces death. So leave the dead alone and allow God to watch over them until the resurrection takes place. Let us connect with God and get all of the knowledge we can possibly use and live a life that will help all around us.
In another scene Neytiri is presented as attempting to explain to Jake how the Tree of Souls keeps an account of each dead member of the tribe. The dead people, and their memories, are retained in the Tree of Souls and anyone can come to the tree and “connect” to this record of lives and thoughts. Apparently one could communicate with the record of the dead one but perhaps not to the person himself or herself.
In the Bible the state of the dead is a complex set of concepts. God tells us in Genesis 2:7 that God made a living soul out of the dust of the ground and then God breathed into the person the breath of life and he/she became a living soul. This formula requires to parts to be a living soul – a body and the breath of life. Without either of these to parts the living soul does not take place. In Ecclesiastes 12:5-7 God tells us that when death occurs that the body breaks back down into dust, and the spirit, or life energy, returns to God. Thus the living soul comes to an end.
Ecclesiastes 9:1-10 gives us some additional information as to what happens to us when we die. It says:
1 For all this I considered in my heart even to declare all this, that the righteous, and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them.
2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; and he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
3 This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun.
7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
8 Let thy garments be always white; and let thy head lack no ointment.
9 Live joyfully with the wife whom thou lovest all the days of the life of thy vanity, which he hath given thee under the sun, all the days of thy vanity: for that is thy portion in this life, and in thy labor which thou takest under the sun.
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
In this text God tells us that we will all die, unless we are translated to heaven without seeing death. Death happens to all people and if the normal process occurs we all will experience this death process. When we die, the Bible says that our love, hatred, envy, knowledge, and wisdom all stops. There is no communication with the dead for all mental, and physical processing, is terminated. God even goes so far as to say that all our thoughts perish (Psalms 146:4) and that we no longer can praise God. Psalms 115:17 So from the Word of God all cognitive processing stops and ceases to function.
An interesting question comes up and that is many people claim to have communications with the dead, or tap into the memories of the dead, as in the Tree of Souls in the movie Avatar. If we use the Bible to guide our thoughts, since it is God who only knows all about life or death, then we are instructed not to seek wisdom from the dead. God wants us to seek wisdom and instruction from the living, He wants us to come to Him and He will grant us wisdom and truth. He does not want us to seek other avenues of information controlled by Satan, He wants us to come to Him and He will guide us.
“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God, for the living to the dead? To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it I because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:19-20
“When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.” Deuteronomy 18:9-14
(Necromancers are people who attempt to communicate with the dead, and familiar spirits are the supposed spirits of dead people dwelling in animals to communicate their thoughts to Necromancers, Wizards, and Witches. God forbids all of this.)
God is aware that Satan has chosen to attempt to communicate his will through avenues that God has forbidden us. The reason He forbids this is because the information sent to us from Satan is based totally on deception, error, and sin. Satan attempts to use avenues that God has forbidden. All communication with the dead can not happen because God says that the dead do not think, feel, share, praise, or anything, for they are dead. The dead do not communicate. So any communications that supposedly come from the dead come from Satan, not from God. Therefore all “communications” with the dead come from Satan, not from the person that can not communicate until they are resurrected. God wants to communicate the truth, and only the truth, Satan wants to communicate error to prevent us from trusting in God.
So God’s answer to the dead is to allow them to “sleep” until Jesus comes to awaken them again. I Corinthians 15:51-58; I Thessalonians 4:13-18 When He puts the breath of life back into their bodies, they will then be able to communicate again. Until then they simply rest in God and are not aware of anything under the sun.
Satan, on the other hand, wants to communicate with us his thinking. He wants us to distrust God and to disobey Him. Satan communicated this thought to Eve and through her distrust in God, and trust in Satan, she opened the proverbial Pandora’s box and introduced sin to Adam and then they disobeyed God and ate of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Thus they introduced death to the Earth, something that God did not want to occur. So all communication with Satan will eventually produce death if accepted, for Satan always wants to do anything and everything that God forbids.
So, as in all things, God has given us a choice. We can obey Him and prosper or we can disobey Him and get into trouble. God wants us to have truth only. He does not want us to have error for error produces death. So leave the dead alone and allow God to watch over them until the resurrection takes place. Let us connect with God and get all of the knowledge we can possibly use and live a life that will help all around us.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
God’s Purpose in Using Films like Avatar
Avatar has sold over 2 billion dollars worth of tickets. It is closing in on 2.5 Billion and it would not surprise me to see Avatar making 3 Billion dollars when it goes to DVD. That is a lot of impact on the thinking and feelings of the people of the world. With all of this impact how does God see movies like Avatar? Does He like it, or dislike it?
We know from Scripture that God likes that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report. He wants us to think on these good things. Philippians 4:8 Many who have seen the movie would say that all of these good things are displayed in Avatar. The people, who have seen Avatar, would say that all of the good things are there, and that they were blessed by the story line and all of the wonderful scenery, the heroism, and the determination to do right though everything is against the truth. But we still don’t know if God likes movies like Avatar.
God says the following in I Corinthians 9:19-23 through His prophet Paul:
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
It was Paul’s purpose to be anything and do anything that would allow the gospel out to the people of the world so that they would choose to select it. Paul became a servant, a Jew, to them that are without the law, anything to win people for the gospel’s sake. That is God’s plan as well. He will do most anything, as long as it does not deny His laws and His ways of conducting business. God wants His children to see that He loves them and that wants to do what is best for them. God may not like fantasy but if people are determined to see it He will work with them the best that He can.
God also says:
Philippians 1:18
“What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”
God wants His people to see and know the truth. But God will use any and all meetings to stimulate some to ask questions about God and then He can give the answers that they need and help them to find Him when they search for Him with all of souls. So God is willing to use movies like Avatar. He prefers to use the Bible and His people to proclaim the truth. But if people will not use His avenues, God will use the avenues people like to move them to ask questions about Him.
Another text on how nature moves us is found in Psalms 19:1-6
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Nature reveals God and encourages people to ask questions about Him. Avatar shows us the beauties of Pandora. We experience our longing for Eden when we see Pandora, for Eden is our home. We still have genetic/spiritual connections to Eden our original home. Whenever we see something as beautiful as Pandora, God is trying to get us to see Him in nature and to remind us of the experience, the longing for Eden restored.
God wants to reveal Himself to us in nature. Romans 1:19-21 reveals this thought to us:
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
God has chosen to use nature as a revelation of God. When we study nature, and get into harmony with it we can see God. When we hear His voice we are ready to accept these messages as true things.
There is much beauty in Avatar, heroism, love, joy, adventure, success, victory over evil. God is calling to each person to come back to Him. He promises to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness. He wants to stimulate our hearts so that we will seek to know Him for ourselves.
One final thought about the ways God uses to draw us to Him. In Daniel 3 the story is told about Nebuchadnezzar, the king of ancient Babylon. He had been granted a dream by God to tell him about his future and his kingdom in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar did not like the idea of his kingdom ending so he decided to build a statue of the image in his dream and instead of many metals Nebuchadnezzar would build his image out of solid gold. When doing this he thought to bring all of the leaders of his kingdom to show them the vision, or the movie that he had prepared. If anyone did not like it, or bow down to his image he would throw into an actual furnace and burn them to death. God had three of His people on sight and they protested against this blasphemy of idolatry and they would not bow down to the image on command. When Nebuchadnezzar heard this he was very angry and threatened to kill the three men. They stood fast and said that they would not bow down to the image, regardless of what the king would do to them. The king responded by casting them into the furnace. By the very act of throwing these servants of God into the furnace Nebuchadnezzar created the real event that moved people to see things God’s way. We do not know how many people have chosen God because of the scenes Nebuchadnezzar thought to create but we do know that when feeble man creates an alternative to God’s plan, God will use the very plans of man to bring people to Him.
Avatar is a beautiful movie about a fantasy place in the mind of James Cameron. He thought to make a commercial success and to perhaps influence people to see what he wants them to see. I believe God is using Avatar, the creation of man, to accomplish a larger purpose. I believe that Avatar has reminded people of the ancient symbols of the Garden of Eden, the Trees of Life, and the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Avatar has reminded people that there is a God out there that wants to know us and to work with us so that all of the beauties of Pandora will be experienced in the Earth made new. All that Pandora offers in the imagination, God offers to grant us in reality. Today is our opportunity to communicate our desires to God and He will help us reach the goals He has put into our hearts. God wants to have us be with Him. Will you take advantage of this offer?
We know from Scripture that God likes that which is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report. He wants us to think on these good things. Philippians 4:8 Many who have seen the movie would say that all of these good things are displayed in Avatar. The people, who have seen Avatar, would say that all of the good things are there, and that they were blessed by the story line and all of the wonderful scenery, the heroism, and the determination to do right though everything is against the truth. But we still don’t know if God likes movies like Avatar.
God says the following in I Corinthians 9:19-23 through His prophet Paul:
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
It was Paul’s purpose to be anything and do anything that would allow the gospel out to the people of the world so that they would choose to select it. Paul became a servant, a Jew, to them that are without the law, anything to win people for the gospel’s sake. That is God’s plan as well. He will do most anything, as long as it does not deny His laws and His ways of conducting business. God wants His children to see that He loves them and that wants to do what is best for them. God may not like fantasy but if people are determined to see it He will work with them the best that He can.
God also says:
Philippians 1:18
“What then? Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.”
God wants His people to see and know the truth. But God will use any and all meetings to stimulate some to ask questions about God and then He can give the answers that they need and help them to find Him when they search for Him with all of souls. So God is willing to use movies like Avatar. He prefers to use the Bible and His people to proclaim the truth. But if people will not use His avenues, God will use the avenues people like to move them to ask questions about Him.
Another text on how nature moves us is found in Psalms 19:1-6
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
Nature reveals God and encourages people to ask questions about Him. Avatar shows us the beauties of Pandora. We experience our longing for Eden when we see Pandora, for Eden is our home. We still have genetic/spiritual connections to Eden our original home. Whenever we see something as beautiful as Pandora, God is trying to get us to see Him in nature and to remind us of the experience, the longing for Eden restored.
God wants to reveal Himself to us in nature. Romans 1:19-21 reveals this thought to us:
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
God has chosen to use nature as a revelation of God. When we study nature, and get into harmony with it we can see God. When we hear His voice we are ready to accept these messages as true things.
There is much beauty in Avatar, heroism, love, joy, adventure, success, victory over evil. God is calling to each person to come back to Him. He promises to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from unrighteousness. He wants to stimulate our hearts so that we will seek to know Him for ourselves.
One final thought about the ways God uses to draw us to Him. In Daniel 3 the story is told about Nebuchadnezzar, the king of ancient Babylon. He had been granted a dream by God to tell him about his future and his kingdom in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar did not like the idea of his kingdom ending so he decided to build a statue of the image in his dream and instead of many metals Nebuchadnezzar would build his image out of solid gold. When doing this he thought to bring all of the leaders of his kingdom to show them the vision, or the movie that he had prepared. If anyone did not like it, or bow down to his image he would throw into an actual furnace and burn them to death. God had three of His people on sight and they protested against this blasphemy of idolatry and they would not bow down to the image on command. When Nebuchadnezzar heard this he was very angry and threatened to kill the three men. They stood fast and said that they would not bow down to the image, regardless of what the king would do to them. The king responded by casting them into the furnace. By the very act of throwing these servants of God into the furnace Nebuchadnezzar created the real event that moved people to see things God’s way. We do not know how many people have chosen God because of the scenes Nebuchadnezzar thought to create but we do know that when feeble man creates an alternative to God’s plan, God will use the very plans of man to bring people to Him.
Avatar is a beautiful movie about a fantasy place in the mind of James Cameron. He thought to make a commercial success and to perhaps influence people to see what he wants them to see. I believe God is using Avatar, the creation of man, to accomplish a larger purpose. I believe that Avatar has reminded people of the ancient symbols of the Garden of Eden, the Trees of Life, and the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Avatar has reminded people that there is a God out there that wants to know us and to work with us so that all of the beauties of Pandora will be experienced in the Earth made new. All that Pandora offers in the imagination, God offers to grant us in reality. Today is our opportunity to communicate our desires to God and He will help us reach the goals He has put into our hearts. God wants to have us be with Him. Will you take advantage of this offer?
Avatar and Satan’s Pandoran Deception
In the movie “Avatar” Jake Sulley is encouraged to come to Pandora to participate in the Avatar program and he will make enough money to get the surgery to repair his spine and he will be able to walk again. He went to Pandora to “drive” an Avatar – a genetic combination of human DNA and Na’vi DNA to make an “vehicle” which allows him to be able to breathe the atmosphere of Pandora and to interface with the local native humanoid peoples – the Na’vi. This Avatar interface will help the Mining Company to continue to make its quota of procuring the mineral – Unobtanium. This is the premise of the movie “Avatar”.
As we have discussed over and over through the postings in this blog, it is remarkable how many religious symbols James Cameron has incorporated into the movie. The issue of a genetic amalgamation of Human and Na’vi is an interesting symbol. We have discussed how Avatar is a Hindu concept of a vehicle in which a god comes to the Earth and is able to interface with humanity. This concept is also present in Christianity and is the foundational point for Jesus to come and take on a human body. He is able to grow up as a child on Earth, interact with His disciples, do all of the tasks that His Father assigned for Him to accomplish, die for us, be resurrected for us, and then return to heaven. Christ claims that He did this to learn the issues of life from a Human Being’s perspective, to live out a life of total surrender on Earth, and to remain a Human Being forever to interface between the Infinite Father in Heaven, and Redeemed Humanity.
Satan has chosen this same concept for an attempt at deception on the Earth. Since Jesus came in human flesh to interact with Humanity, Satan also wants to come to Earth appearing as Jesus Christ. II Thessalonians 2:7-9 describes this event in the following terms:
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
Satan will try any and all ways to deceive God’s people and the people of the world. God says that Satan has the power to appear as an Angel of light. Both Satan and his followers can appear to be something they are not. II Corinthians 11:13-15 says the following:
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
Everything Satan does he does with the sole purpose to destroy, deceive, and confuse God’s people. Nothing is ever as it appears for Satan, his angels, and his people here on Earth. All is done with the single-minded purpose of deception. This also applies to the “Coming” of Satan.
In the book “The Great Controversy” Satan’s plan is revealed. Satan seeks to deceive God’s people by getting them to turn away from the Bible to a set of standards, which he controls. Satan knows that if he can deceive and discourage people they will make poor decisions and eventually end up dying in some manner that is not conducive to their walk with God. Satan loves to cause pain and anguish to Jesus. He can not harm Jesus directly now, but Satan still has access to God’s people. He wants them to lose out on salvation. If people lose their salvation then Satan feels vindicated, he feels that he finally could beat Jesus and cause Jesus anxiety, and he, Satan, will not suffer for their sins, the people will.
Satan seeks to deceive in a very specific manner. The Great Controversy reports the following:
“Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship, which belong to the world's Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: "Christ has come! Christ has come!" The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is "the great power of God." Acts 8:10.
But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares that God's unmingled wrath shall be poured out.
And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ's advent. The Saviour has warned His people against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming. "There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. . . . Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:24-27, 31; 25:31; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known--witnessed by the whole world.” The Great Controversy pages 624-625 http://www.whiteestate.org/books/gc/gc.asp
God has foreseen the above events and has warned us of these events. God has even used the movie Avatar to prepare us for this final deception. The good news is that since God is raising our awareness of such things that His second coming is soon. I pray that we may learn from these warnings, that we may study the Bible to see if these things are so, and that when the time comes we will take the side of Jesus and meet Him in the air. This is my prayer.
As we have discussed over and over through the postings in this blog, it is remarkable how many religious symbols James Cameron has incorporated into the movie. The issue of a genetic amalgamation of Human and Na’vi is an interesting symbol. We have discussed how Avatar is a Hindu concept of a vehicle in which a god comes to the Earth and is able to interface with humanity. This concept is also present in Christianity and is the foundational point for Jesus to come and take on a human body. He is able to grow up as a child on Earth, interact with His disciples, do all of the tasks that His Father assigned for Him to accomplish, die for us, be resurrected for us, and then return to heaven. Christ claims that He did this to learn the issues of life from a Human Being’s perspective, to live out a life of total surrender on Earth, and to remain a Human Being forever to interface between the Infinite Father in Heaven, and Redeemed Humanity.
Satan has chosen this same concept for an attempt at deception on the Earth. Since Jesus came in human flesh to interact with Humanity, Satan also wants to come to Earth appearing as Jesus Christ. II Thessalonians 2:7-9 describes this event in the following terms:
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
Satan will try any and all ways to deceive God’s people and the people of the world. God says that Satan has the power to appear as an Angel of light. Both Satan and his followers can appear to be something they are not. II Corinthians 11:13-15 says the following:
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
Everything Satan does he does with the sole purpose to destroy, deceive, and confuse God’s people. Nothing is ever as it appears for Satan, his angels, and his people here on Earth. All is done with the single-minded purpose of deception. This also applies to the “Coming” of Satan.
In the book “The Great Controversy” Satan’s plan is revealed. Satan seeks to deceive God’s people by getting them to turn away from the Bible to a set of standards, which he controls. Satan knows that if he can deceive and discourage people they will make poor decisions and eventually end up dying in some manner that is not conducive to their walk with God. Satan loves to cause pain and anguish to Jesus. He can not harm Jesus directly now, but Satan still has access to God’s people. He wants them to lose out on salvation. If people lose their salvation then Satan feels vindicated, he feels that he finally could beat Jesus and cause Jesus anxiety, and he, Satan, will not suffer for their sins, the people will.
Satan seeks to deceive in a very specific manner. The Great Controversy reports the following:
“Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship, which belong to the world's Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.
As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour's advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13-15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: "Christ has come! Christ has come!" The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is "the great power of God." Acts 8:10.
But the people of God will not be misled. The teachings of this false christ are not in accordance with the Scriptures. His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast and his image, the very class upon whom the Bible declares that God's unmingled wrath shall be poured out.
And, furthermore, Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ's advent. The Saviour has warned His people against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming. "There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. . . . Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth; behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Matthew 24:24-27, 31; 25:31; Revelation 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17. This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known--witnessed by the whole world.” The Great Controversy pages 624-625 http://www.whiteestate.org/books/gc/gc.asp
God has foreseen the above events and has warned us of these events. God has even used the movie Avatar to prepare us for this final deception. The good news is that since God is raising our awareness of such things that His second coming is soon. I pray that we may learn from these warnings, that we may study the Bible to see if these things are so, and that when the time comes we will take the side of Jesus and meet Him in the air. This is my prayer.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Avatar and the Battle of Armageddon
We have discussed many issues regarding the movie Avatar and the symbols used in the movie to move the people to an emotional and spiritual experience. Perhaps one of the most powerful symbols in the movie is the final great battle between the Mining Company and the Na’vi and Eywa. This battle is of such a nature that Armageddon seems to be a title that people could use easily. Armageddon is a word and it is a symbol of something that God has predicted will come just before Jesus arrives. So lets explore the idea a bit more.
Armageddon is a term used only one time in the Bible and is also in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 16 we are informed about the 7 last plagues that will be imposed upon a rebellious Earth. Just as God warned the people in Noah’s day to get ready for the flood, so in these last days God is warning mankind that they need to get ready for these last plagues. One of these plagues, the sixth one, is referred to as the Battle of Armageddon. In Revelation 16:12-16 we have the following:
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
God put this story in the Bible to be a warning to us to be on the right side of this battle at all costs. The only way to make it through is to have a relationship with Christ.
This story retells the story of the destruction of the city of Babylon in Daniel 5. The nation of Babylon had deteriorated morally, just as America is today, and the time came that the nations around Babylon concluded that another stronger nation could rise up and take over the city of Babylon and takes it’s lands. That nation was the peoples of the Medes and Persians. They surrounded Babylon but could not get through its great walls or through its soldiers. It seemed that Babylon could not be conquered. But God had told how the city would be taken in Isaiah 44:27-45:13. God even named the Persian general who would be the conqueror – his name was Cyrus. God informed Cyrus of His prophecy, most likely through Daniel. Central in the prophecy was the concept of drying up the river Euphrates, the life source, and protector of Babylon. When Cyrus and his soldiers diverted the waters of the Euphrates river they found that the Babylonian soldiers had left the brass gates under Babylon open and the Medo-Persian soldiers came through and took the city just as God had foretold.
God says that the conquest of modern spiritual Babylon (Revelation 17-18), that consortium of people united against God and all that He teaches and all that He loves (Genesis 11:1-9), will occur similarly to what happened way back in Daniel 5. God’s people have taught the truths of His Word, and have lived out these truths in their lives so that all can see. Satan, and his people, will gather together with the intent of killing off all of God’s people, to keep them from telling them about their rebellion and their need of surrender to Jesus. They will gather to confront God’s people as they did in the time of Elijah at Mount Carmel in I Kings 18 and when they gathered together against Jesus at Mount Calvary. All of the people had chosen whom they would serve, God to go to heaven, or Satan to stay on Earth. When this battle occurs God’s people will have no defense but God Himself. God will come to fight this battle (Revelation 19) just as He had come to the defense of helpless Israel in the Red Sea. Exodus 14-15. God will win this battle just as He had against Satan in heaven, at Egypt in the Red Sea, and every other time that God and Satan have fought over this world. God will win.
It is our privilege to be on the winning side, just as Jake Sulley was on the winning side in the physical and spiritual battle in the end of the movie Avatar. We can choose to be on God’s side and He will take care of us better than what happened on the imaginary planet of Pandora. Will you choose Him today?
Armageddon is a term used only one time in the Bible and is also in the book of Revelation. In Revelation 16 we are informed about the 7 last plagues that will be imposed upon a rebellious Earth. Just as God warned the people in Noah’s day to get ready for the flood, so in these last days God is warning mankind that they need to get ready for these last plagues. One of these plagues, the sixth one, is referred to as the Battle of Armageddon. In Revelation 16:12-16 we have the following:
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.
13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
God put this story in the Bible to be a warning to us to be on the right side of this battle at all costs. The only way to make it through is to have a relationship with Christ.
This story retells the story of the destruction of the city of Babylon in Daniel 5. The nation of Babylon had deteriorated morally, just as America is today, and the time came that the nations around Babylon concluded that another stronger nation could rise up and take over the city of Babylon and takes it’s lands. That nation was the peoples of the Medes and Persians. They surrounded Babylon but could not get through its great walls or through its soldiers. It seemed that Babylon could not be conquered. But God had told how the city would be taken in Isaiah 44:27-45:13. God even named the Persian general who would be the conqueror – his name was Cyrus. God informed Cyrus of His prophecy, most likely through Daniel. Central in the prophecy was the concept of drying up the river Euphrates, the life source, and protector of Babylon. When Cyrus and his soldiers diverted the waters of the Euphrates river they found that the Babylonian soldiers had left the brass gates under Babylon open and the Medo-Persian soldiers came through and took the city just as God had foretold.
God says that the conquest of modern spiritual Babylon (Revelation 17-18), that consortium of people united against God and all that He teaches and all that He loves (Genesis 11:1-9), will occur similarly to what happened way back in Daniel 5. God’s people have taught the truths of His Word, and have lived out these truths in their lives so that all can see. Satan, and his people, will gather together with the intent of killing off all of God’s people, to keep them from telling them about their rebellion and their need of surrender to Jesus. They will gather to confront God’s people as they did in the time of Elijah at Mount Carmel in I Kings 18 and when they gathered together against Jesus at Mount Calvary. All of the people had chosen whom they would serve, God to go to heaven, or Satan to stay on Earth. When this battle occurs God’s people will have no defense but God Himself. God will come to fight this battle (Revelation 19) just as He had come to the defense of helpless Israel in the Red Sea. Exodus 14-15. God will win this battle just as He had against Satan in heaven, at Egypt in the Red Sea, and every other time that God and Satan have fought over this world. God will win.
It is our privilege to be on the winning side, just as Jake Sulley was on the winning side in the physical and spiritual battle in the end of the movie Avatar. We can choose to be on God’s side and He will take care of us better than what happened on the imaginary planet of Pandora. Will you choose Him today?
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