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In this part of Minecraft and the Bible, we will be looking at various old and new elements of Minecraft.

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Temples were added to Minecraft in version 1.3:

“For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.” (Hosea 8:14)

Enchantment is prominently featured within the game in a variety of ways:

• Bottle o’ Enchanting (which grants experience points)

• Enchanted Book (which allows players to magically enhance various objects using anvils)

• Enchanting Table (used to give tools, armor, etc. magical upgrades)

A little of what the Bible says about enchantment:

“Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.” (Leviticus 19:26)

“And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.”                (2 Kings 21:6)

“And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.” (2 Chronicles 33:6)

With the new Beacon block introduced in version 1.4, you must build a high place, then set the Beacon on top of it to gain powers:

“For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:” (Psalm 78:58-59)

“And in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.” (2 Chronicles 28:25)

“And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.” (Leviticus 26:30)

When fighting against the Wither boss and Wither Skeleton, players can be injured with an effect called “wither” that is much like poison.

The message players get when killed by the wither effect: “[player name] withered away:”

“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” (Psalm 37:1-2)

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:5-6)

“That bringeth the princes to nothing; he [God] maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and he shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither,[when the Wither boss blows projectile heads and hits the player, it causes wither, lining up with this verse and making God the enemy]
and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.” (Isaiah 40:23-25)

“Some [seed, which represents God’s word in this parable] fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.” (Matthew 13:5-6)

“But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” (Matthew 13:20-21)

Witches were added in version 1.4:

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” (Exodus 22:18)

Strongholds were added in version 1.8:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

Instead of pulling strongholds down, players are encouraged to build up and use them to reach the game’s ending.

A Brewing Stand that allows you to make various potions was added in Beta 1.9. Before it was officially introduced, the ability was known as alchemy. Iron and Snow Golems, which are occultic in nature, are in Minecraft as well.

Brewing Stand:

Golems:

Brewing Stands, potions, alchemy, golems…all point to witchcraft:

“And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.” (2 Chronicles 33:5-6)

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1 Thessalonian 5:9)

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*More articles about video games and the Bible.