#slay that mighty beast of straw

[hyperlexichypatia]

Hypothetical and Actual Autonomy

 Did you know that you have the power to make hypothetical scenarios pop into being faster than the most prolific of novelists could dream of?

Just say "forced medical treatment is always wrong," and people become instantly creative, coming up with convoluted scenarios in which they're absolutely sure that forced medical treatment must be necessary.

It's important to remember that these bizarre hypotheticals are always, invariably, made in bad faith. They are never genuine attempts to parse out ethical lines. They are rhetorical traps designed to imbue false "nuance" into the abolitionist position -- if you cede that involuntary treatment might be justified in whatever bizarre scenario they've dreamt up, they claim that it's therefore all just a totally hazy gray area no one has any room to judge! And if you deny that their bizarre hypothetical is justifiable grounds for forced treatment, you're proving that abolitionists are rigid and heartless monsters who don't care when "real people" (bizarre hypothetical constructs) die for our ideology! (Actual Real People suffering and dying from forced treatment are, of course, quickly dismissed as irrelevant or the products of "a few bad apples.")

Despite their transparent bad faith, some of the hypothetical arguments I've encountered most frequently are worth examining for what they reveal about their speakers' underlying beliefs about neurodivergent/Mad people.

The most common hypothetical I encounter is the person about to jump off a ledge to his death. The ledge itself is an oddly specific motif -- sometimes it's a bridge or a cliff, but it's always an imminent death by height. This is truly a bizarre hypothetical scenario to invoke as justification for forced medical treatment, because it isn't even a medical situation. There are many ways to get a desperate, possibly-suicidal person off a ledge (some of them coercive, some of them not), but none of them involve any kind of medical treatment. (Though I did recently argue with someone who claimed that the act of pulling someone off a ledge constituted "medical treatment," to which I give the honorary Mr. Fantastic Award for World's Stretchiest Reach.)

What the people invoking this scenario actually mean, of course, is that someone rescued from a ledge should then, subsequent to their rescue, be placed on some sort of forced-treatment regimen, but they're hoping to conflate that with the immediacy of an imminent life-or-death emergency.

So what does the popularity of this hypothetical argument reveal about its proponents' underlying beliefs about Mad/neurodivergent people?

First and foremost, that suicidal distress is always and only ameliorable by medical treatment. But also, because these immediate life-or-death scenarios aren't actually medical situations, the underlying assumption is that allowing a neurodivergent person to choose to go about life is equivalent to letting them fall to their death from a ledge. That the desire to refuse unwanted treatment is, essentially, a death wish.

This is tied closely to the belief that Mad/neurodivergent people are always and inherently "suffering" from our Madness/neurodivergence, that medical treatment brings relief from this suffering, and therefore, that the only reason Mad/neurodivergent people would choose to refuse treatment is that we must have some self-destructive, self-hating drive to make ourselves suffer. This is why, having set up the "hanging from a ledge" scenario, people who make this argument inevitably expand it to "risk of self-harm" (a category so broad it can mean whatever anyone wants it to mean). It's not actually about any immediate life-or-death risk; it's about "rescuing" us from the suffering they're convinced we're inexplicably inflicting on ourselves by existing.

Another hypothetical scenario often invoked is a pregnant person refusing medical interventions necessary to save the life of their unborn child (a commonly cited example is someone refusing a necessary c-section). I have to give this one credit for being, unlike the ledge-hanging person, an actual medical dilemma. The answer is pretty straightforward, though -- just as non-pregnant people cannot be compelled to donate blood or organs to save someone else's life, pregnant people cannot be compelled to use their bodies to save their future children's lives. However, like the other examples, this question reveals some interesting underlying assumptions about neurodivergent/Mad people.

Because pregnancy is associated with women, pathologization of pregnant people occurs at the intersection of neurobigotry and misogyny (I coined the word "neuromisogyny" for this purpose). The Crazy Woman is a specific cultural threat, and the Crazy Mother is even more so. In this hypothetical scenario, the rhetorical fetus is a proxy for the threat that Crazy Mothers allegedly pose to their children by existing while neurodivergent.

This is why "children of mentally ill mothers" is an actual literary genre. This is why the CDC classifies having a Mad/neurodivergent parent as an "adverse childhood experiences" alongside traumas like abuse, neglect, poverty, and death. And while abusive fathers can just be called "abusive," abusive mothers are usually called "mentally ill." So in popular imagination, an abusive mother and a neurodivergent/Mad mother are one and the same. A common term applied to this constructed supercategory of abusive mothers and Mad/neurodivergent mothers is "narcissistic," which is the opposite of the selflessness that Good Mothers are supposed to embody. (The same "Good Mother/ Bad Mother" dichotomy that classifies neurodivergent/Mad mothers as abusive for existing also places a lot of actual child abuse above criticism, because it's practiced by neurotypical Good Mothers.) So the hypothetical pregnancy emergency is used to fears and judgments of the Narcissistic Crazy Mother, the Inhuman Unwoman selfishly prioritizing herself over her child.

Another hypothetical example brought up in defense of forced treatment is "What about a person who is unconscious, choking, or otherwise unable to express consent?"

This, again, is an attempt to paint disability rights and medical autonomy advocates as heartless extremists who don't care about human life -- what kind of dispassionate ideologue would wait for verbal consent before giving CPR to an unconscious person?

Well... none. No advocates actually propose that. This is an entirely fictitious strawman. But as with the other examples, it reveals some underlying assumptions about neurodivergent/Mad people.

To begin with the most obvious point, unconscious people literally cannot communicate. They cannot give or refuse medical consent. The ethical basis for performing emergency, life-saving treatment on unconscious people is that we presume, absent evidence otherwise (like a signed advance directive) that, if they were awake and talking, they would choose to be saved.

Mad/neurodivergent people can and do communicate their wishes, either through speaking or another communication method. There is no need to speculate about what neurodivergent/Mad people "would" want, because they're right here, saying (or typing or signing) what they do want.

So the people making this analogy are equating the expressed, stated wishes of Mad/neurodivergent people to the unknowability of the wishes of someone unable to communicate.

Furthermore, while no one objects to administering emergency, life-saving treatment to unconscious people, taking advantage of a patient's unconsciousness to bypass consent for non-emergency, non-life-saving procedures is, in fact, unethical. As I'm writing this, the practice of performing non-consensual pelvic exams on unconscious people at some hospitals is being widely (and rightly) denounced.

So as with the "person hanging from a ledge" hypothetical, the attempt here is to impute the immediacy of a life-or-death emergency onto ordinary treatments that could absolutely wait for a person to give consent if, in fact, they are temporarily unable to. Because, again, the people making this argument equate "correcting" someone's "defective" brain chemistry to be as urgent and as necessary as reviving someone having a heart attack.

If someone tries to argue for forced medical treatment using these hypotheticals, or any other bizarre, bad-faith hypotheticals, we are not obligated to argue on their terms. We know that these strawmen are ridiculous and made in bad faith. We know that they know that. But we can see that they reveal what people really think about our brains -- that we're irrational, destructive, dangerous to children, and that our very existence constitutes some kind of crisis necessitating emergency action protocols. That is how aggressively we are dehumanized. By being aware of it, examining it, and pointing it out, we can try to challenge it.

[viking-raider]

Services Due *One-Shot*

Summary: You’re promoting your new Amazon Prime show at a convention and decide to toss a coin to your Witcher, Henry, who’s there promoting the Witcher.

Pairing: Henry Cavill/Reader

Rating: Silly Fluff

Word Count: 1,444

Inspiration: This post by @thesapphichistory​

A/N: just a fun little one shot that crossed my mind after seeing the post and wondered what Henry would do with you since you “paid” for his Witcher skills.

(Cred to @hcavillier​ for the lovely photo of Henry)

                                                              –

You came to the Comic Con to promote your web series that was due to premiere in two weeks  You’d been signing autographs and taking selfies for hours, and finally got to go on your lunch break. But you were stopped by another pair of fans, so you indulged them and signed the few things they had for you and took several selfies with them, but turning to head over to the vendors, when one of the two girls squealed and started dancing in place, like a dog excited to get a treat. You turned to look at what she was going on about, following her eye line to a tall, broad shouldered man, with an ass you’d know from anywhere; Henry fucking Cavill. You two knew each other decently well, you’d met in 2011 on the set of Immortals, where he was the lead and you were one of the random lesser goddesses. You couldn’t recall the last time you’d seen the Brit, his Man of Steel premiere perhaps. The two fan girls finally managed to get a handle on themselves and scurried over to Henry, clamoring all over him, but Henry just smiled brightly at them, patiently and graciously did everything they asked of him. Satisfied, the girls went off, leaving him be.

Taking advantage of lull between fans bombarding you both, you dug into your pocket and found what you wanted, and moved over to him. “Henry!” You called to him, getting his attention, you watched as huge smile come across his face, meeting his blue eyes. You smiled back at him, and tossed the object in your hand at him, which he caught smoothly one handed.

“What’s this for, y/n?” He asked, looking down at the coin in his hand.

“Toss a coin to your Witcher.” you laughed, stopping in front of him.

He tried to fight the smile crossing his lips, biting his bottom lip to try and stop it, but failed miserably. “I should have fucking known.” he chuckled, pocketing the coin. “Is there a monster you’d like me to slay for your payment?” he asked, playfully.

“Yeah.” You nodded, feeling your stomach growl. “My stomach.”

Henry’s smile turned into a sly grin. “I can do that easily.” he told you, turning back to the table he had been signing things at and leaned over it to grab his coat. “I know a great place.”

Henry led you out of the convention building and to his rental car. You both took the time to where ever it was he was taking you, to catch up with each other since the last time you’d seen each other. Henry did several more Superman movies, Justice League and did Mission Impossible: Fallout with Tom Cruise. You’d done several movies in the time between your last encounter, but had done mostly tv and web shows and took a year off just to recharge your batteries before you started filming the web series you were promoting for Amazon Prime. Henry pulled into a parking lot of a local famous pizza place and parked.

“Aren’t you on a stupid strict diet for the Witcher?” you asked, following him inside.

“I am.” he laughed, finding a booth for them in a back corner so any prospective fans wouldn’t see them and come over. “But, it’s my cheat day.”

“Then, I have the perfect timing to utilize your Witchering skills.” You teased him.

“You’ve always had good timing.” He teased back, giving you a mischievous wink.

You rolled your eyes at him as the waitress came over to the table and ordered at medium cheese pizza with a Dr. Pepper for you and water for Henry. The waitress brought the drinks and let you know the food would be done soon, before going off to her next table. The conversation between you and Henry lulled for a moment as you both downed some of your drinks.

“So, how’s it feel not to be Superman, anymore?” you asked him, around your straw.

He heaved his shoulders and frowned down at his water. “It feels alright. I enjoyed playing Superman and all. But it takes a toll, it’s a big thing to live up. I just hope the guy that takes my place does a better job than I did.”

“You did a great job at Superman, Hens!” you told him, impassioned.

“Well, if you think so.” he grinned at you. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“You’ll always be my favorite Superman.” You smiled back at him, tapping the side of his calf with your foot to drive the point to him.

Henry tapped your leg back as the pizza arrived, “I bet you, your coin back, that I can eat more slices than you can.” He challenged you, seeing your hungry gaze at the food and set the coin on the table between the two of  you.

“I’ll have you know I haven’t eaten since last night, when I got off my flight.” You warned him, glancing up at him from the mouth watering pizza. “There’s a mighty beast to be slayed in my stomach.”

“Oh, I’ll slay that beast and kick your ass by eating more for good measure.” He warned you back, picking up a slice. “You may not have eaten in a while, I haven’t eaten in two months.”

With that, the two of you dove into the pizza with all haste. You’d just finished your second slice as Henry started reaching for his fourth, to stop him from grabbing it you kicked his foot under the table, making him retract his hand and giving you the diversion to grab the slice he’d been going for and stuff the first bite into your mouth.

“That’s cheating.” Henry laughed, picking up a slice.

You shrugged your shoulders at him and smiled around the now half gone slice. By the time the pizza was gone you’d caught up with him and there was only one slice left on the pane between you. Henry eyed you and you stared back at him, it started to feel like a Wild West duel at the O.K corral; who was going to grab the proverbial gun and win. You narrowed your eyes at him and he narrowed his back at you, and suddenly felt both of his feet pin yours down, preventing you from kicking him again, if you tried.

“Is that all for you.” the Waitress asked, seeing only one slice left and seeing if you wanted the check.

“Almost.” Henry told her, still watching you.

You turned your head out the window. “Is that Luke?” you asked, frowning.

“Not falling for it, short stuff.” Henry replied, shaking his head.

“Don’t need too, Godzilla.” You laughed, as Luke Evans knocked on the window after seeing the pair of you.

Henry turned his head and blinked, seeing it was actually Luke, which gave you the advantage to snag the last slice and devour it. Henry looked back at you as you inhaled the slice and rolled his jaw, the competitive part of him annoyed he’d lost, but the other part of him was amused at the sight of you engulfing it.

“This is mine.” You said, picking the coin up off the table.

“Hey, guys.” Luke greeted you coming up to the table and sliding into the booth beside you. “What’s going on?”

“Henry used his Witcher skills to slay the hungry monster in my stomach, then I kicked his ass by eating more than he did.”

“Oh, I let you win.” Henry chimed in.

“Like, fuck you did.” you laughed at him.

“I did, and you cheated.”

“I did no such thing.” You grinned, guilty.

“How’d you cheat?” Luke asked, amused at the bickering between you both.

“She kicked me in the leg, for a start.” Henry told him. “Then she tried to trick me into thinking you were outside…”

“Blasphemy!” You proclaimed. “It wasn’t a bloody trick, he’s right here.” you said, waving your hands at Luke, in demonstration.

“You know very well you did it to make me look away, whether Luke was here or not.” Henry countered, crossing his massive arms over his equally large chest.

’Christ, playing the Witcher has made him even hotter.’ You thought.

“Alright, fair.” you gave in, rolling your eyes at him.

Henry winked and rubbing his foot up your leg. “I don’t mind losing to you, y/n. Spending time with you is enough for services due.” he assured you.

[frederickwiddowson]

We are now going to see Christ as the only individual worthy to open the book of prophecy and judgment, identified as the Lion of the tribe of Judah. We will see the scene in heaven as judgment on this earth and the Beast and his kingdom is prepared. Christ will be praised and a countless multitude will praise Him.

Revelation 5:1 ¶  And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. 2  And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? 3  And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. 4  And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. 5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Verse 1 - God is holding a book in His right hand. It has writing on both sides and is sealed with seven seals. The right hand signifies authority and the seals signify that only God knows what is in the book.

Genesis 48:14  And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn…17  And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 18  And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head.

Daniel 12:8  And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? 9  And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Books, or Biblion, in Greek, were made much more common by Christians as they spent a great deal of effort in reproducing Biblical texts and the letters of the Apostles and the Gospels in book form. However, that took time to come about and here at the end of the first century the book referred to may have been a scroll book, some would say. The reason I think this is a book as we know it is because when scroll is used in Isaiah 34:4 and in Revelation 6:14 it is talked about as being rolled together not opened as here. Ancient scrolls, I have read, were made smooth on one side to be written on but this book is written on both sides, as pages in a book have writing on both sides. You open a book. You unroll a scroll. 

Verse 2 – An angel, a strong angel, asks in a loud voice who is worthy to open the book and the seals? This is clearly a rhetorical question as we can be sure that they know. 

Psalm 103:20  Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

Five more times in Revelation an angel with a loud voice proclaims things that will not be good for the people of the earth. 

Revelation 7:2  And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

Revelation 8:13  And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

Revelation 14:9  And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

Revelation 14:15  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

Revelation 19:17  And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;

Verse 3 – No man in heaven or on earth or under the earth, in Hell, had any power to open the book or see what was inside. It is not in man’s vision to open the book of prophecy. We cannot know what is to take place without God’s words in His book. No man today claiming to know what is going to happen in the future is telling the truth apart from what he has read here.

Take a moment and consider under the earth.

Matthew 12:40  For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Deuteronomy 32:22  For a fire is kindled in mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

Psalm 86:13  For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

Revelation 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

What is a pit without a bottom, only having sides? It is a sphere, like the center of the earth. 

Isaiah 14:15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. God’s prophecies are indecipherable to unregenerate and rebellious man.

Isaiah 29:9 ¶  Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. 10  For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. 11  And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: 12  And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. 13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: 14  Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. 15  Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? 16  Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Verse 4 – John, as a man, is upset that no man is found worthy to loose the seals and open the book. Judging by the number of prophecy seminars I’ve read about in the last forty years I would say that man’s desire to know the future is equaled only by his inability. 

Verse 5 – This elder names two references to Christ which are linked also by cross-referencing to His millennial reign. First look at the root of David, who was the son of Jesse.

Isaiah 11:1 ¶  And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2  And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3  And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. 6  The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8  And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

   10 ¶  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 11  And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. 12  And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. 13  The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. 14  But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them. 15  And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod. 16  And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Juda [Judah].

Genesis 49:9  Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

Hebrews 7:14  For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.

As a man, Jesus Christ’s legal descent through both Mary and his stepfather, Joseph, was from Judah. 

Matthew 1:1 ¶  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2  Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas [Judah] and his brethren;

Luke 3:33  Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda [Judah],

Only He is able to open the book and to loose the seven seals of prophecy.

Revelation 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

The spirit of prophecy belongs only to Jesus Christ, not the founder of any other religious or faith tradition. You think you can figure all of this out? Well, not unless Christ reveals it to you and to keep you from declaring yourself God-like to many other people, as well. Don’t get puffed up.

[1baddmouthcrown]

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day. Genesis 1:11-13

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:29-31

And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. Ezekiel 47:12

And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. Ezekiel 47:12

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god. 3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of the princes; 4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. 6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego. 8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. 11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat. 16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. 17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. 21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. Daniel 1

Alfredo Darrington Bowman Dr. Sebi 1988 February November 22 New York Supreme Court charged with practicing medicine without a licence, selling products not approved by the Food and Drugs Administration and falsely claiming to cure aids and other diseases. 77 patients with accredited medical documents/diagnostic sheets.

Ras Tafarite music Nyahbinghi named after cult immortalized African woman drumming traditions techniques brought to Jamaica by enslaved ancestors of Afro Jamaicans. Psalm 137, Hymns, Ira David Sankey Sacred Songs and Solos. 

And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the Lord. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play. And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever. And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp. And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear. And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day. And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. And the Lord plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made. Exodus 32

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever. Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image: And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon. Daniel 3

Priestess Bagirwa (singular, Mugirwa) Sultanin Mumusa of the Nyabingi cult movement Rwanda/Tanzania/Buganda widow of King/Mwami (Singular, Abami) Kigeri IV Rwabugiri of the Mwami Kingdom her son Ndungusi was the rightful hier to the throne.

Jazz great Duke Ellington and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, after Ellington received the Medal of Honor from the Ethiopian government, November 1973.

Count Ossie with Duke Ellington.

Prince Emmanuel Charles Edwards used to work at Up Park Camp the British army headquarters in Kingston Jamaica he said that one day he was painting a building and he fell off the ladder he saw this as a calling, a sign from the Father to redeem his people, Prince Emmanuel said that he was at Back O Wall Ackee Walk since 1944 on the 1st March 1958 lead the protest for Human Rights Repatriation with Nyahbinghi drumming.

Prince Emmanuel then moved to Galilee (Harris Street), Jericho (Spanish Town), Greenwich Street, David Lane, 54b Spanish Town Road Denham Town Western Kingston, and finally 10 Miles Bull Bay in the parish of Saint Andrew North East of Warieka Hill.

The Back O Wall and Dungle off Foreshore Road (now Marcus Garvey Drive) area was bulldozed between 1963 and 1966 for the new Tivoli Gardens which was the site of social unrest and declared state of emergency in 2010 on account of Christopher Coke Dudus.

The plot against Daniel.

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom;2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.15 Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions.20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?21 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.23 Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.26 I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.27 He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.28 So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. Daniel 6

[frederickwiddowson]

Revelation 12:1 ¶  And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2  And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

There are a couple of different ways to take chapter 12. One, is as a future event. The other is as historical background, a sort flashback in the events unfolding.

One take is that verse one could refer to Israel who will give birth to Christ.

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Here is an interesting cross reference having to do with Joseph.

Genesis 37:9  And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.

Read the prophet Hosea for Israel as an unfaithful wife.

Some historical commentators viewed the woman as the church itself while some American writers regarded the man-child as the United States, but this has been mentioned previously and is so wrong it need not be mentioned again.

Israel suffered greatly for her apostasy and Christ came into Israel as a Jew when the Roman Empire ruled them and they had lost all their former glory under David and Solomon. Not long after His resurrection, about forty years, Herod’s version of the Temple was destroyed by the Romans as the result of an insurrection against them by the Jews. Israel struggled and labored spiritually, politically, and physically before giving birth, in a manner of speaking, to Christ.

Is this coming up the Time of Jacob’s Trouble referenced in prophecy in Jeremiah, chapter 30?

12:3  And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

This is clearly Satan, who is also known as Lucifer. He is, possibly, described in part physically in Job 41 as the description there is of a dragon, what we since the 1800’s have called a dinosaur. The last verse in the chapter is revealing.

[Note that leviathan references simply a large creature, just as the word whale does, and is not referring to a specific species or other taxonomic classification, which were invented after this Bible was translated and cannot be read back into it honestly.

Genesis 1:21  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Psalm 104:26  There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.]

Job 41:1 ¶  Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? 2  Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? 3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? 4  Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever? 5  Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens? 6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him? shall they part him among the merchants? 7  Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons? or his head with fish spears? 8  Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. 9  Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? 10  None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

   11 ¶  Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine. 12  I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion. 13  Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle? 14  Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about. 15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. 16  One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. 17  They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. 18  By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. 19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. 20  Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. 21  His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. 22  In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. 23  The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. 24  His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. 25  When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. 26  The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. 27  He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. 28  The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. 29  Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. 30  Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. 31  He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. 32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. 33  Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. 34  He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

Notice another cross-reference in Isaiah.

Isaiah 27:1 ¶  In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

We have his color, red, and this symbology, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

This, most likely, is a reference to his nature and ten specific kingdoms over which he exerts control. As for Red, remember the red horse of the second seal?

Revelation 6:4  And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

The crimson stain of our sin?

Isaiah 1:18  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Red is a very significant color. It was the color of baby Esau.

Genesis 25:25  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

And, among other things, it was in the name of the sea through which God safely led the Hebrews, like the passage He makes for Christians through death and destruction.

What about the seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads?

Revelation 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

This woman, whom we will discuss later, possesses these seven heads and ten horns. Let’s not jump ahead as there are many things to review before we get to those explanations, which like chapters 11 and 12, maybe take us out of the linear exposition of events and give us background and an overview.

12:4  And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5  And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

Satan led the third part of the stars of heaven, which we have established as angels, and they were cast to earth. This is perhaps history and whether or not it is worthy of discussion. Evidence shows us that Satan’s rebellion began a long time ago.

As the Holy Ghost gave inspiration to the writers of the Old Testament they wove a description of Satan into their descriptions of human kings and even beasts. Here, Ezekiel starts out and ends up talking about the king of Tyre, who was the very powerful ruler of that city and Phoenicia, whose merchant navy traveled the world, including rounding Africa, working tin mines in Cornwall in England, and perhaps even reaching what are today called the Americas. But, in the description a key is given that could only apply to Satan.

Ezekiel 28:13  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14  Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15  Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

In addition, Satan, the adversary, also known as Lucifer, had his motivations exposed early on. In speaking to the king of Babylon, Isaiah gives us this;

Isaiah 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15  Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

One would think that the reference in Isaiah can be linked to these verses in Revelation 12 and that at least some of these verses by virtue of Christ’s statement in Luke 10:18 are historical events of Christ’s time and the ascension of the Roman Empire around Christ’s birth.

The evidence we have in the Bible shows the sons of God, whose visible representatives are called angels, like any visible representative of God, man on earth, or even a church, is called an angel, which we have already discussed as having in part succumbed to Satan’s pride and temptation.

The question is, do these verses following have to do with this mention in Revelation, chapter 12? Or is 12 referring to a future event?

Genesis 6:1 ¶  And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, 2  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

3 ¶  And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

4 ¶  There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. 5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Jude 1:6  And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

In any event, Satan knew Christ was coming, and wanted to kill Him, but did not know when.

Genesis 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Jeremiah 31:22  How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.

This gives us a spiritual reason why Israel was so deceived and spiritually buffeted about as Satan did everything in his power to destroy them both physically and spiritually. We must remember, though, that Satan could go no further than God allowed. We have that certainty from reading the book of Job. It also explains why he tested and tempted Christ to try to have Him seek a crown before a cross, thus trying to overthrow God’s plan.

Luke 4:1 ¶  And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2  Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. 3  And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. 5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. 8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 9  And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: 10  For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: 11  And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 12  And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 13  And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

Ruling the nations with a rod of iron will occur in the millennial reign of Christ. See this in a great chapter on the rising up of the kings of the earth as spelled out later in Revelation at the end of the millennium, Psalm 2.

Psalm 2:1 ¶  Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3  Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4  He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

   7 ¶  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 9  Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

   10 ¶  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. 11 Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

This promise is given in chapter 2 of Revelation, as well, to those who reign with Christ.

Revelation 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28  And I will give him the morning star.

Of course, Christ is the morning star (not Satan, as the NIV states in Isaiah 14:12 parroting noted 19th century Satanist Madame Blavatsky in her book The Secret Doctrine).

Revelation 22:16  I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

After His ascension to Heaven  Jesus is said to be seated next to God the Father, as a symbol of His authority and place, with God, as God.

Psalm 110:1  « A Psalm of David. » The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Matthew 26:64  Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Mark 16:19  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

Luke 22:69  Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God.

12:6  And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

If Israel is the woman then during the 3 ½ years of 360 days each as per the ancient calculation, which is 1260 days, the Jews will have to flee the most intense persecution of their entire existence. If those surviving Jews have to hide in the remote vastness of, for instance, Edom, during the Great Tribulation then who are those people living in Jerusalem? Muslims?

Matthew 24:21  For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.

12:7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Michael was introduced in Daniel as the specific angel representing Israel.

Daniel 10:13  But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. …21  But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

Daniel 12:1  And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. [Keep in mind that Daniel doesn’t see or, perhaps, understand the church age.]

Jude 1:9  Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

So, when was the devil cast out? Again, is this future or past?  Remember, Satan in Eden and had a respected position there, perhaps as God’s priest, based on what he wore.

Ezekiel 28:13  Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. 14  Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. 15  Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

He plotted the overthrow of God’s heavenly order in his mind.

Isaiah 14:12  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

You can see that he wished to be a god like God and this is the idea he tried to plant in Adam and Eve’s heads.

Genesis 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Is the following Godly sarcasm?

Psalm 82:1 ¶  « A Psalm of Asaph. » God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. 2  How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 3  Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4  Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 5  They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

   6 ¶  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7  But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. 8  Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.

And Jesus’ reference to it in a manner of saying, perhaps, you think you are gods in the flesh and yet you say I am blaspheming when I say I am the Son of God?

John 10:30  I and my Father are one. 31  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32  Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? 33  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. 34  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? 35  If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; 36  Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

And when the seventy Christ sent out to Israel returned

Luke 10:17 ¶  And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. 18  And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Again, is it future or past? Did the war in heaven happen during Christ’s time?  Or, is it a future event? Events in the spiritual world may not be linked to our timeframe, by the way. Consider that we have a very fuzzy notion of the orderly sequence of events outside of the physical world.

Here verse 9, by the way, is a link showing that Satan’s true nature is reptilian in form. See this cross-reference and then remember Job, chapter 41.

Isaiah 27:1 ¶  In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. 11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Here is a hint of when this is taking place. Satan accused the brethren night and day before God, so, as in Job, he still had access to God’s throne even after he lost his place of authority as the anointed cherub that covereth.

Job 1:6  Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.

And this was not just a one-time thing.

Job 2:1  Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

An important point here is that Christ’s people overcome not by war with guns and bullets but by Christ’s blood, their witness, and by being willing to die for Christ. One example of the great conflict between worldly Christianity and the faith of the Bible is the fictional work from the 1800’s entitled Uncle Tom’s Cabin. In it, in spite of the racism of the author as proved in her later relationships with black Americans, the main character dies rather than violate his submission to Christ in hurting others as it is demanded that he become a wicked overseer, prompting the salvation of his murderers at his death. The world vilifies Tom and calling someone an, “Uncle Tom,” is an insult in the black community as cooperating with whites in their presumed oppression. However, Tom is the most Christ-like character in fiction. Conservative Christians will glorify a man who goes to war and kills many people before they will glorify someone willing to die for Christ so white or black, the worldly Christian would not be able to face being killed for Christ as many martyrs have done and are doing now in other parts of the world.

So, when someone says that they would never take the Mark of the Beast it is almost laughable. A willingness to die for Christ is not a character trait of most modern day American Christians. Calling in the Marines, maybe, but not dying for Christ in a triumphant entry into eternity.

   12:12 ¶  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. 13  And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14  And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15  And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

At this time, it is better to be in heaven, the abode of God and the blessed dead, than to live on the earth. This passage seems to make it clear that Satan’s final casting down will be to earth during this Great Tribulation.

The woman, in my estimation a reference to Israel, is given supernatural power to escape as God did for the Hebrews in the Exodus.

Exodus 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.

For three and a half years, a time, times, and half a time, the remnant of Israel is protected from the wrath of Satan while the two witnesses torment Satan’s people, some of whom, as we saw, wind up giving glory to God.

Satan uses water as a flood to try to destroy Israel. This disaster is prevented by the earth absorbing the water. Is this figurative language representing something other than that which is literally stated? It doesn’t appear so considering the literal natural disasters that are listed in Revelation.

Satan goes to make war with the Israel’s remnant. Is that the 144,000 Jews of the 12 tribes, 12,000 each, that God set apart for Himself? They follow the Law given to Moses and trust in Christ. It is important to note that later the testimony of Christ is said to be the spirit of prophecy.

Revelation 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.