Lord of the Dunghill
Baal (Lord: husband), Zebub (specifically the insect: fly, flies), Baal-Zebub (lord of the flies). The term is Canaanite, and while the many pagan gods from nations surrounding Israel were tempting in their own right, the title of Baal-Zebub won popularity to describe the person of Satan. Baal-Zebub is the “prince of the devils” Matt 12:24, “the prince of this world” John 14:30, 16:11 and is “the god of this world” 2 Cor 4:4.
Long ago and far away, I was a kid hearing such expressions as: “all religions & philosophies lead to the same god”, and “there are many truths”, and “you can interpret scripture a hundred ways”, but to their credit, and in a sense they couldn’t predict, these comments are right on-target. All religious systems (not all churches) do lead to the same god; the god of this world system that is.
Many Christians' minds are fuzzy concerning Satan's identity. If people would devote to the subject of truth as much attention as they give to the rest of their lives, then the Lord would give them the discernment to deal with it. Tragically, few listen, which is why the Lord spoke in parables; so for the time being, most of us stew in our own juices, learning the hard way Matt 13:13-15.
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The god of this world
Then there’s the role that Satan most relishes: people mixing up the God of Heaven & earth with Satan and in turn blaming our Creator for evil. But not everyone bows down. Some hidden here and there quietly fight the good fight:
“Yet I have left Me 7,000 in Israel, all the knees which
have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him.” I King 19:18
Elijah the prophet was in a funk for quite some time; feeling very afraid, on the run from Jezebel and Ahab's rule and from mercenaries hired to hunt him down. He found himself holed up in some desert cave, physically exhausted and spiritually spent. That’s when the Lord of Heaven reminded the prophet that there were others, though less vocal than Elijah who were not in bed with Satan and yes, they also knew better. What did these 7,000 remnant know? For starters, they knew that evil from within and influence from without is responsible for murderous acts, both spiritual and physical. Yet today, even among Christians you hear about “acts of God” and how God "must have wanted him home cause He took him." Even more appalling, you hear so-called prominent men of the cloth declaring that they don’t understand why “God allows these things”, and “how could He allow such and such.” One important aspect Elijah learned while on the run, is that God's power and love are above natural acts; rather His power mostly manifests in the spirit and lives of those who trust Him, 1 Kings 19:11-12. When the righteous die, not only do they go to a better place, they are also removed from the evil to come, Isaiah 57:1-2. From our vantage point, we often don't see the whys and wherefores of actions, but later we shall see.
The accuser of our brethren
Then there’s Satan's role as snitch. From what people say, it’s apparent they think the Lord keeps tabs on people, as though He were some frustrated schoolmarm or maybe a sadistic drill sergeant. In fact, it's Satan’s relished role to accuse people before God Rev 12:10. The Creator is on our side, remember? It’s Satan’s role to mock our Creator, because of course Satan knows we’re nothing but a bunch of ingrates who don’t even acknowledge the Lord of Hosts, Isaiah 1:2-3, and so he jabs at the Lord, asking why the Sovereign of the universe would waste His time on us, unless He really was nothing but a sentimental old man who can’t admit defeat.
This dialogue (and much more) plus the disrespectful undercurrent is regular fodder spoon-fed the human race, most often cooked and served by the secular crowd. Yet all sorts of satanic sophism is proffered by the religious bodies and governments of our world. Were you God’s adversary where better to place operatives? Why church/temple/mosque and government councils, naturally! Eph 6:12 "…For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." High places = esteemed places of worship and government.
“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceives
the whole world: he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him.” Rev 12:9
This shining one won’t have long before his pre-millennial role comes to pass. His time is short, so he'll depart dragging down as many as he can. Hope everyone reading this lives to see it all too. Once finding yourself locked in that time frame, you will witness people acting on a desire to either kill, ridicule or just ignore those who refuse the system. Many will be convinced that the antichrist (defined as 'instead of christ') is “God” and that by killing those who fail to bow, they will be doing “God’s work”, John 16:2. It’s written that this will happen. No one is going to get raptured, nor does the antichrist offer a seven-year covenant. Be careful of what ministries either on the web or in some esteemed facility regardless of affiliation or politics would have us believe. Everyone, in some form or other is going to be used, abused or duped. It’s all going to be very nasty, until the world finally realizes what’s up. It's time to wake up and recognize the players.
*The word perfect in Ezek 28: 12 is Strong’s #3632. This word is “wholly or utterly.” The context here refers to Satan’s form, which was “utterly beautiful.”
**The word perfect in Ezek 28:15 is Strong’s #8549. This word refers to upright or flawless in his works. In neither instance, does the word perfect imply that Satan is/was comparable to God. Only that he was created to be good.
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