*Note: there is an audio version of this article:
*Note: images below come from Amazon, One of Swords, YouTube and Spyro Wiki unless otherwise noted.
Idols are the focus of the Skylanders series. They are sometimes featured blatantly, as in the case of Skylanders Universe’ Sheep Idol:
From the Skylanders Universe Blog: “Greetings, Portal Masters! The magic in Skylands is strong and now it has become even more powerful. When you buy a Sheep Idol for your Skyland, sheep will live on your Skyland. And now, you will be able to wield the Sheep Idol’s power and get special bonuses in Sheep Shot and Roundup.
In order to buy a totem, expand your Skyland at least one time. And remember, bigger Sheep Idols will provide even bigger bonuses!
We will speak again soon,
Eon”
The idol is put on top of a stone altar. A picture of a Skylander when properly placed on the “Portal of Power:”
The Bible reveals that these popular figures are much more than toys.
__________________________________________________
Skylanders go against the second commandment:
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above [picture], or that is in the earth beneath [picture], or that is in the water under the earth. [picture]” (Exodus 20:4)
Deuteronomy lists several of the materials used for idols:
“(For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by; And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)” (Deuteronomy 29:16-17)
Wood:
“The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.” (Isaiah 44:13-15)
Stone:
“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 26:1)
Silver and Gold:
“What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it [the idol] is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it.” (Habakkuk 2:18-19)
“The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.” (Isaiah 40:19)
“For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.” (Isaiah 31:7)
Molten Hot Dog:
“Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:4)
Earlier on in the wood section, it said the carpenter who made an idol “marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man:”
Isaiah teaches us some interesting things about idols:
“They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.
They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.” (Isaiah 46:6-7)
Let’s compare that passage with Skylanders:
- “They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god” further confirms that gold is used to make idols-gods. It is interesting that the limited-edition gold Skylanders are some of the most sought after collectibles.
- “They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place” lines up with how the player MUST put the Skylander on a stone altar or pedestal (the Portal of Power) to play the game:
- It said of the idol that they set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove. If a player bumps, nudges or otherwise removes the Skylander from its place on the Portal of Power, the game stops and displays this message:
- The player cannot continue until the figure is put back on the altar, or another figure is placed there, instead. If a Skylander does not rest upon the altar, a player can do nothing but turn the game off.
Here, the Bible speaks of the graven image or idol being made so that it does not move. Interestingly, Skylanders figures have no moving parts at all:
For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.” (Jeremiah 10:3-5)
God calls idols an abomination:
“The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therin: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God.
Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.” (Deuteronomy 7:25-26)
God commands people to stay away from idols:
“Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Ezekiel 20:7)
“And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger: For they served idols, whereof the Lord had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.” (2 Kings 17:11-12)
God pronounces judgment upon people who worship idols:
“Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it: And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.” (Ezekiel 36:18-19)
“And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.
In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.” (Ezekiel 6:4-6)
“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)
God even pronounces judgment on those who make idols:
“They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.” (Isaiah 45:16)
“Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.” (Deuteronomy 27:15)
“Then say thou, Thus saith the Lord God, The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.
Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed; and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years: therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen, and a mocking to all countries.
Those that be near, and those that be far from thee, shall mock thee, which art infamous and much vexed.” (Ezekiel 22:3-5)
The Bible also deals with idols in the New Testament:
“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.” (Acts 15:19-20)
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters,
nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” (2 Corinthians 6:16-17)
1 Thessalonians even shows that Christians turn away from idols to serve the true God:
“For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)
Why does God command that we not make, own, or worship idols? Part of the reason is that according to the Bible, an idol is not simply an idol. In 2 Corinthians 13:1 it says “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” Below you can see two distinct passages that clearly show that behind all idols, are devils:
“What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.” (1 Corinthians 10:19-21)
“And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.
Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.” (Psalm 106:36-39)
Finally:
“Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.” (1 John 5:21)
Video games are not of God, Amen. Now if we could get the majority of the body of Christ to read this blog and understand, they would have more time to preach the truth about video games.
Yet most popular “christians” on youtube play and openly endorse video games not knowing that ALL video games are of the devil. youtube.com/watch?v=G2Ccw6mGTgw
Hi Elijah, thanks for taking the time to write.
You have two similar main points in your comment.
1. “Video games are not of God”
2. “ALL video games are of the devil”
Also, when speaking about those in Christ who play video games, you put “christians” in quotes.
Although I understand where you are coming from (I thought the same thing at one point), I don’t believe that every single video game comes straight from the devil, nor do I believe that those who are gamers are therefore not “Christians.” Instead, I believe that the issue of whether Christians should play video games comes down to each person’s individual liberty and personal walk with God. This is illustrated in Romans 14:
“For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:2-8)
“But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.” (Romans 14:10-14)
As you can see, the chapter is speaking about Christians who do not agree on certain subjects. It includes issues such as whether to eat meat, to regard certain days above others, etc. However, it doesn’t necessarily say which position is correct. Instead, it states: “let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.”, “God is able to make him stand.”, “every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” and “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”
At the end, every one of us will stand before God and give account. Then, as born-again believers in Christ justified and washed of our sins by the blood of Jesus, we will enter the New Jerusalem-whether we play video games or not.
God bless you Elijah, have a great day.
Your Friend,
Nelson
Hi there,
My husband just bought our son the Spiro Skylanders as a gift. We no longer celebrate christmas because I felt convicted in my heart not to continue a tradition that is steeped in the occult and the old Babylonian religion. We are still allowing our son to have presents but we are now more interested in Chanukah to replace the christmas tradition (and the Feasts of the Lord for all others) but my husband bought our son this game and immediately after looking at the characters that are placed on “the portal of power”, I realized that not only are the characters themselves evil and scary looking, but after looking deeper into the object of the game, I was absolutely disgusted to find it steeped in occult language, actions and symbols. I fail to see how any of these characters or this game can be edifying for children.
When I showed my husband all of the occult symbolism and the fact that it flat out has “magic” in it, he shrugged it off as “just a game” and said “you can find that stuff in anything if you’re looking for it or if you *want* to see it”. This response concerns me greatly and the more I think about it, the more I’m in fear of having this thing in my house or allowing my son to “play” it. I’m keenly aware that game companies these days are actively marketing witchcraft and the occult to young people and that most of these games (movies, books and music) are drowning in occult symbolism and actually teaching kids witchcraft. I guess I need some advice from some of my brothers and sisters in Christ on this issue, as I feel very stuck and I feel like I’m on another planet when trying to communicate these things to my husband who basically refuses to see it this way. I don’t want these things in our house or near our son but it doesn’t seem that my husband will give me a choice in this matter. We have argued about this before and the outcome is always the same. It took me two years to finally remove christmas and all other occult holidays from our home for the same reason. He didn’t believe that they could be harmful spiritually for our family.
Luckily our son (who is almost 9 years old) has been very sensitive to and against games with magic or blood/violence in them so I am pretty sure he will make his own decision to not want to play it, but I’m worried that he will think we are condoning it and will end up playing it because we hand it to him. My husband is a believer but he doesn’t seem to grasp the fact that these are not “just games”, that they are really a gateway to the occult/magic and that these companies making these evil things *know* what they are doing and *who* they are doing it for. I don’t think he understands that these kinds of things can open spiritual doors and allow things in that will attach themselves to us and our son and harass us. I’ve always been very sensitive to these entities, I can see them/sense them, and they have harassed me since I was a very small child. My son can also see them and he has night terrors and sleep paralysis just like me. The only thing that makes them flee is prayer and calling on Yeshua/Jesus to take them away.
I’m very concerned, I don’t know what to do and I feel like God is convicting my heart where this is concerned but I don’t want to get into a heated argument with my husband over it or for him to think I’m “going off the deep end” with my faith. I also know though, that if I don’t respond to God convicting my heart with obedience, I will have to answer for that. Not only that but I’m concerned that our family will be cursed if we bring this cursed thing into our home. I feel at fault here for being fearful of my husband thinking I’m crazy or being too much of a fundamentalist or turning him off to the faith because of my convictions which he seems to think are ridiculous. I don’t want to just hold on to my faith when it’s convenient for me and I know God would look down on that if I did.
I know that once we are children of God nothing can snatch us from his hand, but what will this do to my walk with the Lord? Is this something that threatens my salvation because we are not being obedient? I guess I’m getting some “fear of the Lord” in all of this but I can’t just order my husband around and decide for him either. This probably has more to do with his walk with the Lord but what happens when we allow this garbage in our home and allow it to poison our sons’ mind? As a mother, it’s my responsibility to instruct him in the faith and to protect him when it’s in my power to do so, but I feel like my husband thinks I’m being completely unreasonable in not wanting this around our son. Does anyone have any advice for a situation such as this? Thank you for reading and for any guidance any of you can give.
God Bless You All,
– Dez
Hi Dez, thank you so much for commenting.
I read your letter twice, and have prayed for the Lord’s guidance in replying to you.
According to the Bible, your husband is the leader and spiritual covering of your family. Of course, as the mother you have a God-given responsibility to help raise your son in the fear and admonition of the Lord. However, to put it simply, your husband serves as the “umbrella” of your home.
As the fiery darts of the Enemy pour down like rain, your husband’s God-given role is to provide a spiritual covering or “umbrella.” As you follow him (although we all still fight the Enemy and walk after Christ), you are protected. However, if you do not follow him and the decisions he makes for your home, you step out from under that spiritual covering and protection God gave you and are subjected to the unrestrained fury of the Devil.
“But,” you may say, “He doesn’t go to church, read the Bible, or even believe in God!” He will have to answer for that. However, YOU will be judged on if you followed him, no if, ands or buts. Of course there are limitations to this, as in the case of him directly leading you into a violation of God’s word (e.g. “Steal that jewelry.”). However, except in this rare case, when you are not following your husband, THAT is an opening for demonic influence. You can pray and ask God to see if this is a possible cause of the ‘night terrors and sleep paralysis’ you mentioned.
Ma’am, you have peace, rest and liberty in God. The God of the Bible we know is powerful enough to protect you and your son-whether your husband decides to keep the game and let your son play Skylanders or not. Just do what you know is right and the rest will take care of itself.
I’ll leave you with the following passages. These have given me much comfort when I am in a place where I’m concerned about my salvation, what and what not to do, play, read, etc:
“Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:6-8)
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
I’m praying for you Dez, God bless.
Your Friend,
Nelson
Thank you so much for your response, Nelson.
I absolutely agree with you on this, It is important to me that I allow my husband to lead as he is our spiritual covering. I guess I was just feeling a little stuck between that and my own conviction where this is concerned. He is a believer and that was a gift from God for both of us and I thank him every day for the gift of our family’s salvation. He did end up giving our son the game, of course, I made my objection clear, but I left it up to him as the spiritual and physical head of the family to decide whether or not he felt that conviction as well.
I am convinced at this point that my entire family has been under demonic attack/oppression for a very long time, very likely, long before I was born. There is a long line of witches on my mothers’ side and deep occult activity on my fathers’ side as well. It occurred to me that it may be a generational curse because of something my family members did in the dark generations ago which has attracted an enemy that has attached itself to our family. I suspect that is why I have been haunted by these entities since I was a very small child and I’m not the only one who has seen them when they come near.
I started to think that I was losing my mind when I was still an unbeliever and worried that I was hallucinating these things, yet; I was not the only one seeing them or sensing them. Their attacks are much more subtle now that most of our family is in Christ, but they still hang around and also enter our dream-space. Again, the only thing that seems to be effective in removing them from our space is prayer and calling out Yeshua’s name. Of course, they like to paralyze my vocal cords and my entire body at times so that I can’t call out his name but when it finally occurs to me that my thoughts of calling on him are just as effective, they flee from me. I’m aware that as we get closer to the end, the oppression will get heavier which is exactly what has happened. Of course, God is bigger and more powerful than anything that would think to harm us, so I firmly believe that the only thing keeping them from swarming me and my family all the time is prayer and our efforts to remain in God’s will.
I very much appreciate your prayers and asking for guidance on our behalf regarding my questions, it means the world to me that someone else would care enough to bother. Thank you so much for your help and kind guidance, it hasn’t gone unnoticed or unappreciated.
Warm regards,
~ Dez
Hi Dez,
I First of all love to read that you are a Mom who has an awareness of Things like Movies, videogames, etc.that are not good for our families. I am the ONLY mother i know that is extremely aware of what my Kids watch or Play. Now my Friends got skylanders for his Birthday today and they have absolutely no clue about witchcraft,etc. I have not liked that game from the First Day That i saw it. I just know something was wrong! So, i thank God That He Ledas me! As you said, the Media is sooooo full of this stuff!
I think it is Great That You dont do the Christmas stuff anymore! WOW! I was thinking of that so much last Year….so 2013 i just did not make a fuss about it! We did the Christmas thing, but i did Not add value to it ( my Family Way Not ready for totally “no Christmas”).
With regards to your background, Jesus died and delivered you from your past! So as you got baptised, you died with christ and everything Else aswell! Your past, curses,etc,etc,etc! Nailed to the Cross! And you went down in the water symbolically in His Death And when You Came up you were raised with Christ in His resurrection!! nOTHING was left from the old you! If it is hard to understand, Then fast and spend Time in the Word…. Humble youself before God And Resist the devil and He has to flee. You seem so strong and i do Not want to Tell You what to do, butencourage you. We need eachother as believers!
Regarding your husband. When my husband did something similar ( Games, etc) i found that asking them nicely Not to Play it us good and if that dies not work, submitting it in Gods hands to deal with it! I have foind that he latter has worked the best for me so far. My husband just endend up losging interest. God is sooooo good!
I pray for us Moms to be strong and have Courage like you to stand up for what is Not right! No matter how much we get rediculed for beeing “tooo much” . I would Rather be tooo much Then responsible for Kids beeing Lead astray. We have a responsibility for their external Future and i think that God lays it on our hearts to warn others!!!!
Thank you for your opinion!!!
Lots of Jesus Love
Fellow sister and warrior for Jesus
ronel
I decided to not buy Skylanders even though it was top of my son’s letter to Father Christmas. I am very thankful that he didn’t make an issue of it nor that indeed he didn’t get many of the other things he asked for but acknowledged that you can’t have everything and maybe next year (not talking about Skylanders specifically). My wife is not a Christian so it could have been a battle if she had sided with him in saying initially that he wanted it. I think Nelson’s overall point is well made and as he says its clear that on the issues of their time that Paul didn’t lay down a diktat (I understand that the issue with meat was that in effect they were living (at least those Christians outside of Israel) in pagan societies where the meat was passing through the hands of people involved in worshipping at pagan temples/had been taken to these temples). I pray that you can resolve this matter without it becoming either an issue between you and your husband or something that weighs on your mind all the time when it shouldn’t.
[Nelson-Added @ to clarify comment]
@Elijah Prophet surely saying all video games are evil is like saying all non-Christians books or films are evil.I can definitely see that some do have an unhealthy interest in the occult but such sweeping generalisations are a bit off. Do you shop (if in the US) in Walmart or stores that sell Halloween stuff – again I don’t like it but if takes the aspect of things being tainted too far one will never step outside the house. Its like many topics as Nelson says Christians do disagree (military service vs pacifism for example being one that is of interest to myself)
ps to my last re a game I have bought my son – Lego City Undercover – basically a game that encourages a positive view of policing and fighting crime – as there are quite a few Christians in the police and many more are needed, games like that are surely a good idea and hardly evil ?
Whilst I myself had some concerns about Skylanders the first time I saw them, i think that have to be careful in for example seeking to match them up exactly to biblical quotes that don’t jemmy the meanings – after all though they are meant to be wood or golden they are in fact plastic – also of course the whole point of Exodus and Leviticus is of course not a prohibition on representative art per se (of the kind found in Islam) but of the use of it to create idols. Many people in the modern world have idols that are perhaps less obvious, whether its money, sports, cars, status or even a person. I also think that the point made by GodPwnseverything is valid – Paul didn’t prohibit for instance the eating of food sacrificed to idols though clearly there were groups advocating that and he disagreed with them.
Dear Stuart G,
Thank you for your comments and engagement on this article. I just wanted to address a statement you made: “I also think that the point made by GodPwnseverything is valid – Paul didn’t prohibit for instance the eating of food sacrificed to idols though clearly there were groups advocating that and he disagreed with them.”
I didn’t say that Paul “didn’t prohibit” the “eating of food sacrificed to idols.” My exact statements were on how the Bible leaves it up to the individual Christian’s liberty and relationship with God on whether or not to regard certain days above others, eat meat, play video games, etc.
Although some scriptures could point in that direction, I think God’s judgment (twice!) in Revelation is pretty revealing:
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Revelation 2:12-16)
“And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.” (Revelation 2:18-20)
Just wanted to prevent any confusion. God bless and happy holidays.
Your Friend,
Nelson
Nelson – yes apologies – the Romans quote relates to I think (from a discussion point in a recent bible study) to a point about the butchers in Roman/Greek etc colonies being involved in preparing meat being involved also in preparing meat for the local Roman/Greek temples and the aspect about eating herbs (vegetables) instead relates to that (which point I did think about at the time, rather than it meant the eating of meats actually taken to such places, which i thought sounded decidely iffy) – with the point being as I understand that there were no butchers in such communities selling meat who might not been seen as tainted by their association also to the preparation of meat for local temples (ie there were no Christian or indeed probably Jewish butchers in such colonies). Practically I suppose it would be the same for a Christian living in KSA etc where the only meat might be halal or even at more pragmatic level buying from your local corner shop thats owned by a Muslim or whatever (or buying from a big supermarket where one of the checkout staff wears a cabalistic star – I don’t believe that she can taint the groceries albeit that I pray for her release from that).
Thanks
God bless