JUDGEMENT 22
Ex 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
My comments:
Jannes and Jambres, the witches or sorcerers Moses came up against in
Egypt were able to duplicate Moses` signs to Pharoah, but only to a
very limited extent: nothing like God`s power.
Exodus 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers :
now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their
enchantments.
Some of these =93witches=94 practices are described in more detail in the
book of Deuteronomy. God calls their practices =93disgusting=94:
Deut 18:9 =B6 When you have come into the land which the Lord your God
is giving you, do not take as your example the disgusting ways of
those nations.
10 Let there not be seen among you anyone who makes his son or his
daughter go through the fire, or anyone using secret arts, or a maker
of strange sounds, or a reader of signs, or any wonder-worker,
11 Or anyone using secret force on people, or putting questions to a
spirit, or having secret knowledge, or going to the dead for
directions.
12 For all who do such things are disgusting to the Lord; and because
of these disgusting things the Lord your God is driving them out
before you.
13 You are to be upright in heart before the Lord your God.
14 For these nations, whose land you are taking, give attention to
readers of signs and to those using secret arts: but the Lord your God
will not let you do so. (BBE)
God here is talking about secret arts, asking the dead for advice =96
all things connected with devilish and satanic practices. They even
include people putting their babies into the fire of a sacrificial
altar =96 usually to Baal.
These satanic practices are harmful, murderous and destructive and can
include death and ***** and other abominable practices which we can
read about in the newspapers sometimes, but which, hopefully we will
never be connected with.
Manasseh, the wicked king of Judah, participated in some of these evil
practices:
II Chron 33:6 More than this, he made his children go through the
fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom; and he made use of secret
arts, and signs for reading the future, and unnatural powers, and gave
positions to those who had control of spirits and to wonder-workers:
he did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, moving him to wrath.
None of these =93black arts=94 could have anything like the knowledge and
wisdom of almighty God =96 to whom a Christian goes for true insight and
prophecy.
A =93wonder worker=94 is coming in the future who will even call down fire
from heaven =96 and he will be so convincing he would deceive even the
very elect of God =96 except that is not possible =96 because the elect of
God keep God`s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Rev 13:11 =B6 And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he
had two horns like a lamb, and his voice was like that of a dragon.
12 And he makes use of all the authority of the first beast before
his eyes. And he makes the earth and those who are in it give wor****p
to the first beast, whose death-wound was made well.
13 And he does great signs, even making fire come down from heaven on
the earth before the eyes of men.
14 And those who are on the earth are turned from the true way by him
through the signs which he was given power to do before the beast;
giving orders to those who are on the earth to make an image to the
beast, who was wounded by the sword, and came to life.
15 And he had power to give breath to the image of the beast, so that
words might come from the image of the beast, and that he might have
all those who did not give wor****p to the image of the beast put to
death.
16 And he gives to all, small and great, the poor and those who have
wealth, the free and those who are not free, a mark on their right
hand or on their brows;
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