What Part do WE Play in Salvation?

It has become glaringly obvious that, in our time, there are many false teachings about salvation.

I am increasingly seeing pastors, professors and lay people espousing that salvation comes by belief in Jesus without respect to our own obedience. In fact, the idea that we must believe in Jesus and follow him has been called “Lordship salvation,” or other derogative terms.

Here is a prime example.

In light of this, I have put together a video describing what part we play in salvation. Along the way, I describe why this has been so misunderstood and why our own obedience is imperative.

For the full scoop, please see my video on YouTube: What Part do WE Play in Salvation.

Nimrod: Man of Mystery (Revealed)

This article is part of a larger project that I am working on. As such, this is a more in-depth read than my usual blogs. This will provide you with a deeper level of information than most anything else that you might read about Nimrod.

In the first section, I discuss the character of Nimrod, his origins, and his dark connection with evil throughout the ages. In part two, I will reveal his role within the very fraternity that presently runs our world.

Believe me, there is far more involved with Nimrod than most of us ever imagined.

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Nimrod’s History and Dark Connections

Both the Bible and other historical sources attribute the construction of Babel—the precursor to Babylon—and its tower to a certain earthly leader of the day. His name lives in infamy and, like the thought of Babylon, survives to this day.

This man’s name was Nimrod.

In Scripture, Nimrod was the great grandson of Noah and is described as “the first on earth to be a mighty man” (Gen. 10:8).[1] He is also described as being a “mighty hunter before the Lord” (10:9) which, in the original language, may imply defiance against God.[2] We also read that Nimrod was credited as the chief builder of far more than just Babel:

In essence, Nimrod has been viewed as a larger-than-life figure in the biblical narrative. This may literally be true, as his stature has suggested a lineage back to the Nephilim (the giants of old).

The name “Nimrod,” while being somewhat dubious, is associated with the word “rebel.” Fundamentally, Nimrod was a rebel against God. However, things get far more interesting from there. This name is also possibly associated with Marduk, who was an ancient Mesopotamian god and the patron deity of the city of Babylon. As we will see in the writings of Josephus, this is consistent with everything else that is known about Nimrod. More interesting, it is likely that the Semitic root of this name is connected to Namra-uddu,[3] which was thought to be a star god.

Did someone say, “a star god”?

Where have we heard this before? That’s right: Lucifer is referred to as the “son of the morning” (or literally, “shining one”) in Isaiah 14:12. The “shining one,” as in a star that is also historically connected to the planet Venus. As Benson’s Commentary puts it: “Lucifer is properly a bright star, that ushers in the morning.”[4]

Yet another layer to this is that the so-called “Star of David” is—unbeknownst to most of the sleeping world—a pagan (read, Satanic) symbol that is historically and biblically associated with a god called “Remphan” (or, Rephan). Biblically, this name was first mentioned in Amos 5:26, where most translations render it as “the star of your god.” The Septuagint,[5] however, translated this verse as, “the star of your God Rephan.”

It is no surprise, then, that the Book of Acts later makes the identity of this pagan deity clear to its readers: “You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon” (7:43, my emphasis).

Not only is Nimrod’s existence and treachery evident within Scripture, but it is also verified in the writings of the Jewish historian, Flavius Josephus. Here is a carefully selected passage containing key insights about Nimrod, his role in Babel, and his overall place in Jewish history. While lengthy, rest assured that it is tremendously important:

If you thought that Nimrod was only found within the Bible, you now know differently. The most famous historian of the first century—who is renowned within all of history—described exactly who Nimrod was, and it’s completely consistent with what is revealed in Scripture.

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Nimrod: The First Antichrist

Josephus’ words powerfully add to the information we have already evaluated. When combined, all this leads to a very sinister and disturbing conclusion. Nimrod is both historically and etymologically connected to some of the darkest spiritual figures in all ancient history. In fact, Nimrod can be directly connected to Lucifer himself.

Remphan . . . the “star god” . . . the “shining one” . . . all are related to Nimrod.

It was Nimrod who defied God and served as the chief architect of the infamous Tower of Babel. He was instrumental in the building of “. . . Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria and built Nineveh, Rehoboth-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nineveh and Calah” (Gen. 10:10-12). His work in Babel and its “tower” laid the groundwork for what would become Babylon, and Babylon would go on to symbolize Satan’s dark kingdom made manifest on earth.[7]

In this sense, Nimrod served as the first and highest human representative of Lucifer’s global empire. Are you grasping the magnitude of this observation? If not, let me clearly and emphatically state the essence of the situation.

Nimrod was the first Antichrist figure in history.

Nimrod was an Antichrist before there was the Christ. However, there is even more to this. Nimrod is to this nefarious character what Babylon is to evil empires. Put succinctly, Nimrod is the symbolic embodiment of the Antichrist for all the ages.

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Nimrod : Alive and Well

The significance of this horrific figure goes far deeper than what has already been revealed.

Nimrod is not simply a biblical character, or one bound up within Jewish lore. He is no mere “builder” of cities or just another “rebel” against God. Nimrod is even more than the Antichrist of the ancient world and its symbolic figurehead. Shockingly—but also fittingly—Nimrod is the very figure that the Freemasons admire and celebrate as their first Grand Master. That’s right: their first Grand Master. In this sense, he is both the first great Mason and the fraternity’s most important figure.

Worse, the entire system is hidden beneath Christian trappings. Like Lucifer—the god of Freemasonry—the fraternity masquerades in the garments of righteousness. As such, their darkest truths are hidden while their lies are projected.

Part of the “Christian trappings” of Freemasonry can be seen in their assertion that King Solomon, rather than Nimrod, was the first Grand Master.[8] Freemasonry has adopted much from Jewish tradition and consistently uses its characters, structures, and events to camouflage its evil interior. Even sources that attempt to refute Nimrod’s connection to Freemasonry sometimes admit that their “old legendists”—collectively called the “Legend of the Craft”—affirmed his place in their history:

As stated, Freemasonry proper has always held that Nimrod was the fraternity’s first Grand Master.

There is, of course, further evidence of Nimrod’s status within the history and practice of the Masons. In the initiation of the candidate into Freemasonry—called the Apprentice Degree (1st)—candidates take what is called the “Oath of Nimrod.”[10] In this, the candidate pledges an oath that they will not reveal any possible aspect of the innerworkings of the Masonic fraternity to those on the outside. The consequences of doing so are clearly described, as to deter those who might think to break their oath:

In Arcane Schools—“arcane” meaning “mysterious” or “secret”—John Yarker further describes the place that Nimrod holds in Masonic history. First, he reveals that:

Connected to this, Yarker later continues by saying: “For some hundreds of years our (the Freemason’s) Constitutions have asserted that Nimrod was a Grand Master and gave the Masons a Charge which we still follow.”[12] That “charge” they still follow is none other than the Oath of Nimrod.

If we knew nothing else about the Freemasons, this should be enough to see the darkness hiding behind the “world’s oldest, largest, and most charitable fraternity.”[13] They admire—even esteeming him as the first to hold the sacred status of Grand Master—the man whose name lives in infamy: Nimrod.

Yes, the very man who is credited for the construction of the singular evil empire whose treachery stretches into the last days; the figure who led the campaign to erect a tower into the heavens and defy God; the one whose name shares roots with pagan deities and Lucifer himself; the one who is, in effect, the world’s original Antichrist; this is the very same Nimrod who sits atop the grand hierarchy of the fraternity that now runs our world.

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Conclusion

It is apparent that there is far more to Nimrod than meets the eye, and much more could be said. Hopefully, the mystery behind the man has now been revealed to you.

Nimrod was the master architect of the first civilizations after the Flood. He was the “chief builder” and the man behind humanity’s greatest primitive effort to usurp its Creator. He is the man whose very name is connected to Lucifer himself.

As such, he not only stands as history’s first Antichrist figure but also as the prototype for those who came after . . . and the one who is yet to come. This is precisely why the Freemasons have historically viewed him as their most central and significant human leader, despite their modern efforts to distance themselves from him.[14]

Now, this very fraternity builds their next city of Babel—their great “Babylon”—complete with a Tower built into the heavens, a plan to rule humanity, and the audacity to defy the Most High once and for all.

But that, dear friends, will have to wait until a later time.

(If you enjoyed this, please see my other materials about the Freemasons and my extensive video that reveals their plan for our world.)

References


[1] This may also be rendered, “he began to be a mighty man on earth.”

[2] See Barne’s Notes on Genesis 10:9.

[3] See the Brown-Driver-Briggs explanation of “Nimrod” in Strong’s, 5248.

[4] See Benson’s Commentary on Isaiah 14:12-14.

[5] The Septuagint is the earliest extant (surviving) Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, or the Old Testament. 

[6] Antiquities of the Jews — Book I. Chapter 4, sections 2-3 (my emphasis).

[7] This is evident in several ways. Ancient Babylon destroyed God’s temple and took the Jews captive into exile in 586 BC. Since then, it became the epitome of all truly wicked empires. Peter referred to Rome as Babylon (1 Pet. 5:13), and Revelation even referred to the final evil empire as “Babylon” (cc. 17-19).

[8] See Universal Co-Masonry’s, “The Legend of Nimrod.”

[9] Ibid.

[10] See Churchward’s The Arcana of Freemasonry, “Candidate Signs of the O.B.”

[11] See Chapter VI, “The Mystic and Hermetic Schools in Christian Times” (182).

[12] Ibid.my emphasis.

[13] This is a common boast of the Masons. See C.S.T.’s “Becoming a Mason,” for an example of this.

[14] See Universal Co-Masonry’s, “The Legend of Nimrod.”

Love and Wrath (Part Two)

In the previous article, I explained how the Bible describes love. If you have not read part one, then I urge you to start there so that the overall context can be understood for this article.

Perhaps the key thing we learned in part one is that God is love. We are not told that “God is judgment,” “God is mercy,” “God is wrath,” or anything of the sort. It is in God’s character to be merciful, to judge, and to pour out wrath at times, but such things do not literally define His character or essence.

However, we are told that love does; “God is love.”

This means that all God’s actions extend from His loving nature. Again, all God’s actions are done out of love. This simply must be kept in mind when considering the events described in the Bible, as well as how God interacts with His people today.

God either answering a prayer, or seemingly ignoring it, are both done out of love.

God raising a just ruler to lead His people was always done out of love.

God judging Israel throughout the OT was done out of love.

God redeeming the world through Jesus was done out of love.

This probably registers with most of us, but it goes a step farther. Believe it or not, God bringing wrath upon the wicked and unrepentant is also done out of love. Yes, even God’s wrath is connected to His love.

Allow me to explain.

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Examples of Wrath

The Bible is replete with examples of where God pours His wrath out upon wicked humanity.

This first notable time this was seen was in the destruction of the world through the Great Flood. Humanity had become so corrupt that God had no choice but to wipe the slate clean and start over with the few righteous people who remained:

And wipe out the world—all but Noah and his family—God did.

A similar, but more localized, event transpired later with the obscenely corrupt cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. After several times going back and forth, God finally told Abraham that He would spare the city of Sodom if even ten righteous people could be found there (Gen. 18:32). Since the righteous could nowhere be found, God poured His wrath out upon the cities:

Whenever stubborn groups or individuals threatened God’s overall plan to bring salvation to the world, God poured His wrath out on them. This can be seen in Korah’s rebellion, where a particularly dark and unruly sect attempted to overthrow Moses and Aaron’s ministry (and, by extension, God’s plans). God had no choice but to remove the rotten berries from the rest of the patch:

God even poured His wrath out in the New Testament by striking Ananias and Saphirra—two individuals who attempted to cheat the church and then cover up their deed—killing them on the spot (see Acts 5).  

While many other examples could be mentioned, we must always remember that God has created hell as the ultimate place of punishment for Satan, the demons, and even unrepentant humanity:

Hell serves that the ultimate example of God’s wrath being poured out onto the world. As I have discussed in this blog, hell is a place we should not even wish to contemplate, much less be sentenced to. It is certainly true that God’s wrath flows from his hatred for sin and from His righteousness.

However—and as I will now briefly explain—it also flows from God’s tremendous love.

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Wrath from Love

While often missed, it is God’s love that propels Him to take up for His Saints. Just as Revelation provides us with the image of the martyrs crying out to God for justice (Rev. 6:9), we understand that God does and will take up for His people. In fact, it is for this very reason we are told to leave vengeance to the Lord:

Paul even goes on to further explain how this will work. We are to love our enemies and, in doing so, God will avenge those who love Him:

God’s ultimate answer to the persecution of His people is judgment and destruction upon their enemies. God is slow to anger, however, and desires that all truly have a chance to be saved (2 Pet. 3:9). Unfortunately, we know that many will never repent but will continue to do evil. While the wicked will often reap what they sow in this life, we know for certain that they will in the next.

God’s love also means that He will not suffer His good Creation to forever be marred by sin:

Moreover, this is precisely why God is going to create a new heaven and earth!

Even hell—that is, everlasting punishment and estrangement from God—is a necessary realm, in light of God’s love. Strange as it may be to consider, hell will exist in part as a reminder that God will not tolerate sin and wickedness.

Jesus often—at least 11 times—made reference to a flaming garbage dump that once lay outside of Jerusalem—a place he called “Gehenna”—as an example to all of what will come of the unrighteous.

For the eternity, the real “hell” that he was alluding to will serve as a perpetual reminder that sin will not be tolerated.

Hell will not only serve as a testament to the destructive nature of sin and the incredible righteousness of God, but it will also serve as a testament to God’s love: His defining characteristic.

God loves the saints, the angels, and his soon-to-be restored Creation far too much to allow sin to go unpunished.

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Conclusion

Contrary to the logic of the world—which is foolishness to God—God’s love necessitates that His wrath exists. God punishes the wicked and destroys sin because of His great love for His children: those who follow Him.

Remember, once more, the fundamental reality that God is love. There is no way to divorce any of God’s actions from His very nature. God’s righteousness and hatred for sin is demonstrated in His wrath. However, so is His love. A God who does not punish those who persecute His people is not a loving God at all.

Think about it.

Do you love your children if you do not come to their defense? Do you allow evil within your home at the expense of your loved ones? God doesn’t. Evil is often—though not always—permitted for a time, but “Vengeance is Mine, and retribution, In due time their foot will slip” (Dt. 32:35a).

With all this in mind, I have often heard skeptics make the following statement: “I can’t believe in a god who would send people to hell.” When you understand what Scripture reveals about God’s nature, as well as the nature of evil, then you might just take the opposite view. When I hear people say they “can’t believe in a god who would send people to hell,” I simply reply:

“I can’t believe in a God who doesn’t.

Praise be to God that we serve a Creator who loves us—and prioritizes us—enough to sacrifice His only begotten Son for our salvation. Likewise, praise be to God that our Creator loves us enough to punish our persecutors.

Finally, praise be to God that Love could never allow sin to remain a permanent fixture of reality.