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1000 results for “chris_hayes”
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NOT GOOD. ALL 53 #GNP scum voted yes.
At least all Dems and Independents voted NO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnyv9qNQSI
Installing #Project2025 : It's top scumbag architect #RussellVought has been confirmed as Trump #budgetchief
(No, ChrisHayes. It IS a #coup)
#OustRussellVought, who believes the U.S. is in a ...wait for it...'post-constitutional time'. also wants an 'imperial presidency'
#postconstitutionalorder #authoritarianism #MarkoElezIsAWhiteSupremacist #MarkoElez #dystopians #ArrestAdolphMUSK
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NOT GOOD. ALL 53 #GNP scum voted yes.
At least all Dems and Independents voted NO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnyv9qNQSI
Installing #Project2025 : It's top scumbag architect #RussellVought has been confirmed as Trump #budgetchief
(No, ChrisHayes. It IS a #coup)
#OustRussellVought, who believes the U.S. is in a ...wait for it...'post-constitutional time'. also wants an 'imperial presidency'
#postconstitutionalorder #authoritarianism #MarkoElezIsAWhiteSupremacist #MarkoElez #dystopians #ArrestAdolphMUSK
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NOT GOOD. ALL 53 #GNP scum voted yes.
At least all Dems and Independents voted NO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnyv9qNQSI
Installing #Project2025 : It's top scumbag architect #RussellVought has been confirmed as Trump #budgetchief
(No, ChrisHayes. It IS a #coup)
#OustRussellVought, who believes the U.S. is in a ...wait for it...'post-constitutional time'. also wants an 'imperial presidency'
#postconstitutionalorder #authoritarianism #MarkoElezIsAWhiteSupremacist #MarkoElez #dystopians #ArrestAdolphMUSK
-
NOT GOOD. ALL 53 #GNP scum voted yes.
At least all Dems and Independents voted NO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnyv9qNQSI
Installing #Project2025 : It's top scumbag architect #RussellVought has been confirmed as Trump #budgetchief
(No, ChrisHayes. It IS a #coup)
#OustRussellVought, who believes the U.S. is in a ...wait for it...'post-constitutional time'. also wants an 'imperial presidency'
#postconstitutionalorder #authoritarianism #MarkoElezIsAWhiteSupremacist #MarkoElez #dystopians #ArrestAdolphMUSK
-
NOT GOOD. ALL 53 #GNP scum voted yes.
At least all Dems and Independents voted NO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cnyv9qNQSI
Installing #Project2025 : It's top scumbag architect #RussellVought has been confirmed as Trump #budgetchief
(No, ChrisHayes. It IS a #coup)
#OustRussellVought, who believes the U.S. is in a ...wait for it...'post-constitutional time'. also wants an 'imperial presidency'
#postconstitutionalorder #authoritarianism #MarkoElezIsAWhiteSupremacist #MarkoElez #dystopians #ArrestAdolphMUSK
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Jezebel: Sex. Celebrity. Politics. With Teeth: Republican Lawmakers Are Strangely Silent on the Abortion Pill Ruling https://jezebel.com/republican-lawmakers-are-strangely-silent-on-the-aborti-1850316333 #Jezebel #republicanpartyunitedstates29 #supremecourtoftheunitedstates #clarencethomase28094cornyn #abortionrightsmovements #janetprotasiewicz #alexandriaocasio #matthewkacsmaryk #cindyhydesmith #chuckgrassley #abortionpill #cynthialumis #legislatures #thomasrice #johncornyn #chrishayes #wade
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Jezebel: Sex. Celebrity. Politics. With Teeth: Republican Lawmakers Are Strangely Silent on the Abortion Pill Ruling https://jezebel.com/republican-lawmakers-are-strangely-silent-on-the-aborti-1850316333 #Jezebel #republicanpartyunitedstates29 #supremecourtoftheunitedstates #clarencethomase28094cornyn #abortionrightsmovements #janetprotasiewicz #alexandriaocasio #matthewkacsmaryk #cindyhydesmith #chuckgrassley #abortionpill #cynthialumis #legislatures #thomasrice #johncornyn #chrishayes #wade
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Jezebel: Sex. Celebrity. Politics. With Teeth: Republican Lawmakers Are Strangely Silent on the Abortion Pill Ruling https://jezebel.com/republican-lawmakers-are-strangely-silent-on-the-aborti-1850316333 #Jezebel #republicanpartyunitedstates29 #supremecourtoftheunitedstates #clarencethomase28094cornyn #abortionrightsmovements #janetprotasiewicz #alexandriaocasio #matthewkacsmaryk #cindyhydesmith #chuckgrassley #abortionpill #cynthialumis #legislatures #thomasrice #johncornyn #chrishayes #wade
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Jezebel: Sex. Celebrity. Politics. With Teeth: Republican Lawmakers Are Strangely Silent on the Abortion Pill Ruling https://jezebel.com/republican-lawmakers-are-strangely-silent-on-the-aborti-1850316333 #Jezebel #republicanpartyunitedstates29 #supremecourtoftheunitedstates #clarencethomase28094cornyn #abortionrightsmovements #janetprotasiewicz #alexandriaocasio #matthewkacsmaryk #cindyhydesmith #chuckgrassley #abortionpill #cynthialumis #legislatures #thomasrice #johncornyn #chrishayes #wade
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The Boys (Season 5 Review) | A Messy but Entertaining Final Season
The Boys Season 5 delivers brutal confrontations, emotional character moments, and a solid finale, but uneven pacing and too many setup storylines stop it from fully feeling like the epic final season it should have been.https://wornoutspines.com/2026/05/20/the-boys-season-5-review/
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The Boys (Season 5 Review) | A Messy but Entertaining Final Season
The Boys Season 5 delivers brutal confrontations, emotional character moments, and a solid finale, but uneven pacing and too many setup storylines stop it from fully feeling like the epic final season it should have been.https://wornoutspines.com/2026/05/20/the-boys-season-5-review/
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The Boys (Season 5 Review) | A Messy but Entertaining Final Season
The Boys Season 5 delivers brutal confrontations, emotional character moments, and a solid finale, but uneven pacing and too many setup storylines stop it from fully feeling like the epic final season it should have been.https://wornoutspines.com/2026/05/20/the-boys-season-5-review/
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The Boys (Season 5 Review) | A Messy but Entertaining Final Season
The Boys Season 5 delivers brutal confrontations, emotional character moments, and a solid finale, but uneven pacing and too many setup storylines stop it from fully feeling like the epic final season it should have been.https://wornoutspines.com/2026/05/20/the-boys-season-5-review/
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The Boys (Season 5 Review) | A Messy but Entertaining Final Season
The Boys Season 5 delivers brutal confrontations, emotional character moments, and a solid finale, but uneven pacing and too many setup storylines stop it from fully feeling like the epic final season it should have been.https://wornoutspines.com/2026/05/20/the-boys-season-5-review/
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Varathron – The Crimson Temple Review
By Doom_et_Al
“Always respect an old man still playing in a young man’s game,” the saying goes. “There’s a reason they’re still around.” With that in mind, it’s curious how little attention Greek black metal stalwarts, Varathon, generally receive. Formed 35 years ago in an era when many AMG staff had not been conceived, and Steel Druhm still had hair, Varathon were instrumental in establishing the famous “Hellenic black metal sound” alongside legends such as Rotting Christ and Macabre Omen. Perhaps it’s the frequent line-up changes, or the lengthy gap between albums (at 7 albums in 35 years, they’re no Rogga Johannson), or maybe it’s the long shadow cast by more famous contemporaries, but for whatever reason, these influential elders have long flown under the radar (only 2014’s Untrodden Corridors of Hades has been reviewed on this site). That’s a pity, because 2018’s Patriarchs of Evil was a fantastic slab of black metal goodness, crying out for TYMHM treatment. Now these legends are back with The Crimson Temple. Does the AMG Law of Diminishing ReturnsTM apply? Or does wisdom keep the inevitable at bay?
What’s always set Varathron apart from many pretenders is their willingness to incorporate elements of traditional metal into the black metal aesthetic. Yes, you’ve got the occult influences; yes, you’ve got the synths and the tremolos; but what you may not be expecting is the strong emphasis on riff-based melodies and a classic approach to songwriting. No long, pointless doodles or interludes… no, what we have here is verse-chorus-verse of the good stuff, with minimal bloat or drag. As their career has progressed, Varathon’s production have improved massively, with the music becoming more melodic and accessible. As we arrive at The Crimson Temple, we are, by black metal standards, in accessible territory, with Varathon continuing the trend of shinier production, catchier melodies, and a lighter approach. There’s also an embrace of slightly different styles (thrash, doom, and death metal all weave their way in). It’s with these explorations that things go slightly awry. While never unenjoyable, the new forays result in the band occasionally getting bogged down.
The Crimson Temple starts incredibly strongly, with three bangers right out of the gate. “Hegemony of Chaos,” “Crypts in the Mist,” and “Cimmerian Priesthood” highlight what makes Varathon such a potent outfit. There’s a perfect blend of evil atmosphere, catchy melodies, strong performances, and that uniquely Hellenic propulsion. These songs move, and they do so with purpose and momentum. I defy you not to tap your foot while listening to the chorus of “Crypts in the Mist.” Go on, just try it. If we’d had an album of these, we would all be rearranging our end-of-year lists. This approach isn’t completely abandoned in the second half, but only “Shrouds of the Miasmic Winds” comes close to capturing the early magic.
The Crimson Temple loses its footing when it marches gamely into realms Varathon aren’t as adept in. “Immortalis Regnum Diaboli,” with its emphasis on thrash, is only partially convincing, and that’s when the chorus steers back to black metal. “To the Gods of Yore” goes for a doomy, slower vibe that’s atmospheric, but boring. Varathon did this slow-song trick before, but whereas the more sedate parts on albums such as Patriarchs of Evil had gorgeous, melancholic synths, here we just have plodding guitars. It’s also a pity that most of the good material appears on the first half of the album, making it feel very unbalanced. There’s a noticeable loss of momentum as you head into the final quarter.
The Crimson Temple is incredibly frustrating to review. When it’s on fire, it’s excellent, highlighting what a potent and enjoyable band Varathron can be. I understand they wanted to experiment and avoid making an album of the same song repeated 10 times. But when that song is such a banger, I suppose I wanted them to do just that. The Crimson Temple shows that Varathon are not content to fly on autopilot in the twilight of their career. But sometimes, with age, comes wisdom. And wisdom is knowing what you’re good at and sticking with it. If there is another album in 6-7 years, I would love Varathon to consider that.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Agonia Records
Websites: varathron.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/varathron
Released Worldwide: December 1st, 2023#2023 #30 #AgoniaRecords #BlackMetal #Dec23 #GreekMetal #MacabreOmen #Review #Reviews #RottingChrist #Varathron
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Varathron – The Crimson Temple Review
By Doom_et_Al
“Always respect an old man still playing in a young man’s game,” the saying goes. “There’s a reason they’re still around.” With that in mind, it’s curious how little attention Greek black metal stalwarts, Varathon, generally receive. Formed 35 years ago in an era when many AMG staff had not been conceived, and Steel Druhm still had hair, Varathon were instrumental in establishing the famous “Hellenic black metal sound” alongside legends such as Rotting Christ and Macabre Omen. Perhaps it’s the frequent line-up changes, or the lengthy gap between albums (at 7 albums in 35 years, they’re no Rogga Johannson), or maybe it’s the long shadow cast by more famous contemporaries, but for whatever reason, these influential elders have long flown under the radar (only 2014’s Untrodden Corridors of Hades has been reviewed on this site). That’s a pity, because 2018’s Patriarchs of Evil was a fantastic slab of black metal goodness, crying out for TYMHM treatment. Now these legends are back with The Crimson Temple. Does the AMG Law of Diminishing ReturnsTM apply? Or does wisdom keep the inevitable at bay?
What’s always set Varathron apart from many pretenders is their willingness to incorporate elements of traditional metal into the black metal aesthetic. Yes, you’ve got the occult influences; yes, you’ve got the synths and the tremolos; but what you may not be expecting is the strong emphasis on riff-based melodies and a classic approach to songwriting. No long, pointless doodles or interludes… no, what we have here is verse-chorus-verse of the good stuff, with minimal bloat or drag. As their career has progressed, Varathon’s production have improved massively, with the music becoming more melodic and accessible. As we arrive at The Crimson Temple, we are, by black metal standards, in accessible territory, with Varathon continuing the trend of shinier production, catchier melodies, and a lighter approach. There’s also an embrace of slightly different styles (thrash, doom, and death metal all weave their way in). It’s with these explorations that things go slightly awry. While never unenjoyable, the new forays result in the band occasionally getting bogged down.
The Crimson Temple starts incredibly strongly, with three bangers right out of the gate. “Hegemony of Chaos,” “Crypts in the Mist,” and “Cimmerian Priesthood” highlight what makes Varathon such a potent outfit. There’s a perfect blend of evil atmosphere, catchy melodies, strong performances, and that uniquely Hellenic propulsion. These songs move, and they do so with purpose and momentum. I defy you not to tap your foot while listening to the chorus of “Crypts in the Mist.” Go on, just try it. If we’d had an album of these, we would all be rearranging our end-of-year lists. This approach isn’t completely abandoned in the second half, but only “Shrouds of the Miasmic Winds” comes close to capturing the early magic.
The Crimson Temple loses its footing when it marches gamely into realms Varathon aren’t as adept in. “Immortalis Regnum Diaboli,” with its emphasis on thrash, is only partially convincing, and that’s when the chorus steers back to black metal. “To the Gods of Yore” goes for a doomy, slower vibe that’s atmospheric, but boring. Varathon did this slow-song trick before, but whereas the more sedate parts on albums such as Patriarchs of Evil had gorgeous, melancholic synths, here we just have plodding guitars. It’s also a pity that most of the good material appears on the first half of the album, making it feel very unbalanced. There’s a noticeable loss of momentum as you head into the final quarter.
The Crimson Temple is incredibly frustrating to review. When it’s on fire, it’s excellent, highlighting what a potent and enjoyable band Varathron can be. I understand they wanted to experiment and avoid making an album of the same song repeated 10 times. But when that song is such a banger, I suppose I wanted them to do just that. The Crimson Temple shows that Varathon are not content to fly on autopilot in the twilight of their career. But sometimes, with age, comes wisdom. And wisdom is knowing what you’re good at and sticking with it. If there is another album in 6-7 years, I would love Varathon to consider that.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Agonia Records
Websites: varathron.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/varathron
Released Worldwide: December 1st, 2023#2023 #30 #AgoniaRecords #BlackMetal #Dec23 #GreekMetal #MacabreOmen #Review #Reviews #RottingChrist #Varathron
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Could AI Explain the Antichrist’s “Resurrection”?
By Elizabeth Prata
Synopsis: A thoughtful reflection on Revelation’s “fatal wound,” exploring whether the Antichrist’s resurrection is literal, counterfeit, or technologically fabricated through AI deception, while ultimately affirming Christ’s sovereignty, victory, and eternal promises.
I have often wondered about this scene in Revelation. The Beast, AKA The Antichrist, will preside over the world during the time of The Tribulation. He will have seemed to be killed, or maybe really killed with a sword. It’s unclear. Here is the verse:
A thought about ‘fatal’
saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; (Revelation 13:3) underlines are mine.
In the Greek fatally means Lit slaughtered to death according to biblehub.com Greek lexicon; or, “wound of death.” So, did the Antichrist die? Fatal means dead. On the other hand, the language says ‘as if he had been’.
To continue-
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (Revelation 13:11-12) underline mine
But did the Antichrist only seem to die?
In Revelation 13:3 and verses 12 & 14, the word fatal is used four times. Fatal means lethal, deadly, mortal, terminal. So why does the verse above say ‘as if he had been fatally wounded’? It’s the same Greek usage, too, of John saying he saw the Lamb ‘as if he had been slain’. But we know Jesus really was slain. (Revelation 5:6).
Some interpret it by saying that the antichrist really dies and satan heals the antichrist and resurrects him to life. But John 1:3 says that in Jesus is life, and Colossians 1:16 says in Him all things were created, and by Him all things were created. Revelation 1:18 says Jesus holds the keys to death (and Hades). So how could satan legitimately perform an action in a power that only Jesus possesses? Satan can perform counterfeit miracles only so far, as we saw Pharaoh’s magicians do at first, then God’s power shown through Moses left their miracles in the dust.
We read in chapter 13 verse 14-
And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. v 14
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. v 15
A counterfeit miracle healed a near-fatal wound?
Another interpretation is articulated by John Walvoord:
Another plausible explanation is that the final world ruler receives a wound which normally would be fatal but is miraculously healed by Satan. While the resurrection of a dead person seems to be beyond Satan’s power, the healing of a wound would be possible for Satan, and this may be the explanation. The important point is that the final world ruler comes into power obviously supported by a supernatural and miraculous deliverance by Satan himself. (Source: John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
2 Thessalonians 2:9 says satan possesses great power and can do counterfeit miracles:
that is, the [lawless] one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 says that this time will be one of great deception, with the world being deluded.
So, could satan fake resurrecting the Antichrist? His wound seemingly killing him but satan performing a counterfeit miracle to make is seem that the Antichrist is alive-again? Again, it’s unclear.
Here’s where AI may come into play
Or this: here is my own thought. As I see Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly refine itself, it’s getting harder to tell which figure in videos are real and which are digital phantoms.
Perhaps people previously trying to interpret these verses could not understand how a fatal wound could be healed and the Antichrist given breath again to the extent that the whole world believes it and marvels. (Revelation 13:3). But nowadays we know that digital fakery is so developed and so precise that we see digital fakes of people and animals every day and do not know they are fakes. AI could perhaps display a digitally enhanced Antichrist with only an inner circle knowing he isn’t living any more.
Here’s why I think this-
In the end of WWII, an antichrist prototype, Adolph Hitler, sequestered himself from the public and was rarely seen except to his closest advisors. After an agitator tried to assassinate Hitler in July 1944, Hitler rarely appeared in public any more. He refused to visit destroyed cities or go see frontline troops, appearing only in highly curated photo opportunities.
Remember Forrest Gump?
Fifty years later, in 1994 the movie character of Forrest Gump played by Tom Hanks made it seem as if he was really appearing alongside historical leaders like Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. These digital effects were achieved through groundbreaking “invisible” visual effects created by special effects company Industrial Light & Magic. In the movie it really looked as if the titular character had directly interacted with those real historic presidents. People marveled at the trick.
Given what we know about the advancing refinement of AI digital personas, in the near or far future, the Antichrist being given ‘breath’ easily could be a digital fakery presented to the world as if the Antichrist actually was resurrected from death to physical life. It would not be hard at that future time to fool the world into thinking the Beast was alive; IF he had been killed and was all dead and not mostly dead.
We can’t be dogmatic about these things. Though the Bible is perspicacious and its meaning is accessible, not hidden, and though it is a book not for scholars but for anyone to understand, there are hard things in it that take time and patience to unravel. And there are some hidden things in it too- namely prophecies like what the Seven Thunders had said (Revelation 10).
But personally, I believe AI will pay a major role in this ANtichrist wound scenario described in Revelation 13. That is just my opinion.
In the end it is good to focus on the fact that Jesus wins, that He loves His believers, and His Bride will be spotless and enjoy Him forever on a renewed earth. No Antichrist, no Satan, no unrepentant sinner in sight. Let me conclude with Pastor Tom Ascol’s good words. He had been talking about the crumbling political, social, and civic compact here in the US, and how the world is changing in front of our eyes. We are living in dystopian times, the beginning of. Yet,
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Created it by himself for himself. He has a plan. He has an agenda. He has a purpose. And sin didn’t thwart any of that. Sin actually, in a mysterious way that we don’t fully comprehend with his providence, was factored into it, was a part of it. And he is going to redeem this world. He is going to renew this world. He is going to bring a people safely to a reconciled state with him to be sinless forever.”
“And we’re part of that. And we have a role to play here and now in the overall purpose of God. And that purpose will not fail. And as we know him in Jesus Christ, we can be sure that nothing will come into our lives that hadn’t been filtered through his hands. That nothing will happen to us that is not a part of his purpose to do for us what he’s promised to do. And he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.”
~Tom Ascol, The Sword & The Trowel recent podcast: TS&TT: Assassination, Corruption, & Social Decay: Understanding the Times
Further Resources
AI essays from The End Time:
When the Teacher Isn’t RealLogging Off to Lean In: Focus in a Distracted Digital World
Answers in Genesis-
AI: Useful Tool or Existential Threat?
The Effects of Artificial Intelligence part 2. Includes a downloadable Study Guide
Challies: Wise and Helpful Ways for Christians To Experiment With AI
#ai #antichrist #bible #christianity #God #jesus #prophecy -
Could AI Explain the Antichrist’s “Resurrection”?
By Elizabeth Prata
Synopsis: A thoughtful reflection on Revelation’s “fatal wound,” exploring whether the Antichrist’s resurrection is literal, counterfeit, or technologically fabricated through AI deception, while ultimately affirming Christ’s sovereignty, victory, and eternal promises.
I have often wondered about this scene in Revelation. The Beast, AKA The Antichrist, will preside over the world during the time of The Tribulation. He will have seemed to be killed, or maybe really killed with a sword. It’s unclear. Here is the verse:
A thought about ‘fatal’
saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; (Revelation 13:3) underlines are mine.
In the Greek fatally means Lit slaughtered to death according to biblehub.com Greek lexicon; or, “wound of death.” So, did the Antichrist die? Fatal means dead. On the other hand, the language says ‘as if he had been’.
To continue-
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (Revelation 13:11-12) underline mine
But did the Antichrist only seem to die?
In Revelation 13:3 and verses 12 & 14, the word fatal is used four times. Fatal means lethal, deadly, mortal, terminal. So why does the verse above say ‘as if he had been fatally wounded’? It’s the same Greek usage, too, of John saying he saw the Lamb ‘as if he had been slain’. But we know Jesus really was slain. (Revelation 5:6).
Some interpret it by saying that the antichrist really dies and satan heals the antichrist and resurrects him to life. But John 1:3 says that in Jesus is life, and Colossians 1:16 says in Him all things were created, and by Him all things were created. Revelation 1:18 says Jesus holds the keys to death (and Hades). So how could satan legitimately perform an action in a power that only Jesus possesses? Satan can perform counterfeit miracles only so far, as we saw Pharaoh’s magicians do at first, then God’s power shown through Moses left their miracles in the dust.
We read in chapter 13 verse 14-
And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. v 14
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. v 15
A counterfeit miracle healed a near-fatal wound?
Another interpretation is articulated by John Walvoord:
Another plausible explanation is that the final world ruler receives a wound which normally would be fatal but is miraculously healed by Satan. While the resurrection of a dead person seems to be beyond Satan’s power, the healing of a wound would be possible for Satan, and this may be the explanation. The important point is that the final world ruler comes into power obviously supported by a supernatural and miraculous deliverance by Satan himself. (Source: John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
2 Thessalonians 2:9 says satan possesses great power and can do counterfeit miracles:
that is, the [lawless] one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 says that this time will be one of great deception, with the world being deluded.
So, could satan fake resurrecting the Antichrist? His wound seemingly killing him but satan performing a counterfeit miracle to make is seem that the Antichrist is alive-again? Again, it’s unclear.
Here’s where AI may come into play
Or this: here is my own thought. As I see Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly refine itself, it’s getting harder to tell which figure in videos are real and which are digital phantoms.
Perhaps people previously trying to interpret these verses could not understand how a fatal wound could be healed and the Antichrist given breath again to the extent that the whole world believes it and marvels. (Revelation 13:3). But nowadays we know that digital fakery is so developed and so precise that we see digital fakes of people and animals every day and do not know they are fakes. AI could perhaps display a digitally enhanced Antichrist with only an inner circle knowing he isn’t living any more.
Here’s why I think this-
In the end of WWII, an antichrist prototype, Adolph Hitler, sequestered himself from the public and was rarely seen except to his closest advisors. After an agitator tried to assassinate Hitler in July 1944, Hitler rarely appeared in public any more. He refused to visit destroyed cities or go see frontline troops, appearing only in highly curated photo opportunities.
Remember Forrest Gump?
Fifty years later, in 1994 the movie character of Forrest Gump played by Tom Hanks made it seem as if he was really appearing alongside historical leaders like Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. These digital effects were achieved through groundbreaking “invisible” visual effects created by special effects company Industrial Light & Magic. In the movie it really looked as if the titular character had directly interacted with those real historic presidents. People marveled at the trick.
Given what we know about the advancing refinement of AI digital personas, in the near or far future, the Antichrist being given ‘breath’ easily could be a digital fakery presented to the world as if the Antichrist actually was resurrected from death to physical life. It would not be hard at that future time to fool the world into thinking the Beast was alive; IF he had been killed and was all dead and not mostly dead.
We can’t be dogmatic about these things. Though the Bible is perspicacious and its meaning is accessible, not hidden, and though it is a book not for scholars but for anyone to understand, there are hard things in it that take time and patience to unravel. And there are some hidden things in it too- namely prophecies like what the Seven Thunders had said (Revelation 10).
But personally, I believe AI will pay a major role in this ANtichrist wound scenario described in Revelation 13. That is just my opinion.
In the end it is good to focus on the fact that Jesus wins, that He loves His believers, and His Bride will be spotless and enjoy Him forever on a renewed earth. No Antichrist, no Satan, no unrepentant sinner in sight. Let me conclude with Pastor Tom Ascol’s good words. He had been talking about the crumbling political, social, and civic compact here in the US, and how the world is changing in front of our eyes. We are living in dystopian times, the beginning of. Yet,
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Created it by himself for himself. He has a plan. He has an agenda. He has a purpose. And sin didn’t thwart any of that. Sin actually, in a mysterious way that we don’t fully comprehend with his providence, was factored into it, was a part of it. And he is going to redeem this world. He is going to renew this world. He is going to bring a people safely to a reconciled state with him to be sinless forever.”
“And we’re part of that. And we have a role to play here and now in the overall purpose of God. And that purpose will not fail. And as we know him in Jesus Christ, we can be sure that nothing will come into our lives that hadn’t been filtered through his hands. That nothing will happen to us that is not a part of his purpose to do for us what he’s promised to do. And he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.”
~Tom Ascol, The Sword & The Trowel recent podcast: TS&TT: Assassination, Corruption, & Social Decay: Understanding the Times
Further Resources
AI essays from The End Time:
When the Teacher Isn’t RealLogging Off to Lean In: Focus in a Distracted Digital World
Answers in Genesis-
AI: Useful Tool or Existential Threat?
The Effects of Artificial Intelligence part 2. Includes a downloadable Study Guide
Challies: Wise and Helpful Ways for Christians To Experiment With AI
#ai #antichrist #bible #christianity #God #jesus #prophecy -
Could AI Explain the Antichrist’s “Resurrection”?
By Elizabeth Prata
Synopsis: A thoughtful reflection on Revelation’s “fatal wound,” exploring whether the Antichrist’s resurrection is literal, counterfeit, or technologically fabricated through AI deception, while ultimately affirming Christ’s sovereignty, victory, and eternal promises.
I have often wondered about this scene in Revelation. The Beast, AKA The Antichrist, will preside over the world during the time of The Tribulation. He will have seemed to be killed, or maybe really killed with a sword. It’s unclear. Here is the verse:
A thought about ‘fatal’
saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; (Revelation 13:3) underlines are mine.
In the Greek fatally means Lit slaughtered to death according to biblehub.com Greek lexicon; or, “wound of death.” So, did the Antichrist die? Fatal means dead. On the other hand, the language says ‘as if he had been’.
To continue-
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (Revelation 13:11-12) underline mine
But did the Antichrist only seem to die?
In Revelation 13:3 and verses 12 & 14, the word fatal is used four times. Fatal means lethal, deadly, mortal, terminal. So why does the verse above say ‘as if he had been fatally wounded’? It’s the same Greek usage, too, of John saying he saw the Lamb ‘as if he had been slain’. But we know Jesus really was slain. (Revelation 5:6).
Some interpret it by saying that the antichrist really dies and satan heals the antichrist and resurrects him to life. But John 1:3 says that in Jesus is life, and Colossians 1:16 says in Him all things were created, and by Him all things were created. Revelation 1:18 says Jesus holds the keys to death (and Hades). So how could satan legitimately perform an action in a power that only Jesus possesses? Satan can perform counterfeit miracles only so far, as we saw Pharaoh’s magicians do at first, then God’s power shown through Moses left their miracles in the dust.
We read in chapter 13 verse 14-
And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. v 14
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. v 15
A counterfeit miracle healed a near-fatal wound?
Another interpretation is articulated by John Walvoord:
Another plausible explanation is that the final world ruler receives a wound which normally would be fatal but is miraculously healed by Satan. While the resurrection of a dead person seems to be beyond Satan’s power, the healing of a wound would be possible for Satan, and this may be the explanation. The important point is that the final world ruler comes into power obviously supported by a supernatural and miraculous deliverance by Satan himself. (Source: John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
2 Thessalonians 2:9 says satan possesses great power and can do counterfeit miracles:
that is, the [lawless] one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 says that this time will be one of great deception, with the world being deluded.
So, could satan fake resurrecting the Antichrist? His wound seemingly killing him but satan performing a counterfeit miracle to make is seem that the Antichrist is alive-again? Again, it’s unclear.
Here’s where AI may come into play
Or this: here is my own thought. As I see Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly refine itself, it’s getting harder to tell which figure in videos are real and which are digital phantoms.
Perhaps people previously trying to interpret these verses could not understand how a fatal wound could be healed and the Antichrist given breath again to the extent that the whole world believes it and marvels. (Revelation 13:3). But nowadays we know that digital fakery is so developed and so precise that we see digital fakes of people and animals every day and do not know they are fakes. AI could perhaps display a digitally enhanced Antichrist with only an inner circle knowing he isn’t living any more.
Here’s why I think this-
In the end of WWII, an antichrist prototype, Adolph Hitler, sequestered himself from the public and was rarely seen except to his closest advisors. After an agitator tried to assassinate Hitler in July 1944, Hitler rarely appeared in public any more. He refused to visit destroyed cities or go see frontline troops, appearing only in highly curated photo opportunities.
Remember Forrest Gump?
Fifty years later, in 1994 the movie character of Forrest Gump played by Tom Hanks made it seem as if he was really appearing alongside historical leaders like Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. These digital effects were achieved through groundbreaking “invisible” visual effects created by special effects company Industrial Light & Magic. In the movie it really looked as if the titular character had directly interacted with those real historic presidents. People marveled at the trick.
Given what we know about the advancing refinement of AI digital personas, in the near or far future, the Antichrist being given ‘breath’ easily could be a digital fakery presented to the world as if the Antichrist actually was resurrected from death to physical life. It would not be hard at that future time to fool the world into thinking the Beast was alive; IF he had been killed and was all dead and not mostly dead.
We can’t be dogmatic about these things. Though the Bible is perspicacious and its meaning is accessible, not hidden, and though it is a book not for scholars but for anyone to understand, there are hard things in it that take time and patience to unravel. And there are some hidden things in it too- namely prophecies like what the Seven Thunders had said (Revelation 10).
But personally, I believe AI will pay a major role in this ANtichrist wound scenario described in Revelation 13. That is just my opinion.
In the end it is good to focus on the fact that Jesus wins, that He loves His believers, and His Bride will be spotless and enjoy Him forever on a renewed earth. No Antichrist, no Satan, no unrepentant sinner in sight. Let me conclude with Pastor Tom Ascol’s good words. He had been talking about the crumbling political, social, and civic compact here in the US, and how the world is changing in front of our eyes. We are living in dystopian times, the beginning of. Yet,
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Created it by himself for himself. He has a plan. He has an agenda. He has a purpose. And sin didn’t thwart any of that. Sin actually, in a mysterious way that we don’t fully comprehend with his providence, was factored into it, was a part of it. And he is going to redeem this world. He is going to renew this world. He is going to bring a people safely to a reconciled state with him to be sinless forever.”
“And we’re part of that. And we have a role to play here and now in the overall purpose of God. And that purpose will not fail. And as we know him in Jesus Christ, we can be sure that nothing will come into our lives that hadn’t been filtered through his hands. That nothing will happen to us that is not a part of his purpose to do for us what he’s promised to do. And he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.”
~Tom Ascol, The Sword & The Trowel recent podcast: TS&TT: Assassination, Corruption, & Social Decay: Understanding the Times
Further Resources
AI essays from The End Time:
When the Teacher Isn’t RealLogging Off to Lean In: Focus in a Distracted Digital World
Answers in Genesis-
AI: Useful Tool or Existential Threat?
The Effects of Artificial Intelligence part 2. Includes a downloadable Study Guide
Challies: Wise and Helpful Ways for Christians To Experiment With AI
#ai #antichrist #bible #christianity #God #jesus #prophecy -
Could AI Explain the Antichrist’s “Resurrection”?
By Elizabeth Prata
Synopsis: A thoughtful reflection on Revelation’s “fatal wound,” exploring whether the Antichrist’s resurrection is literal, counterfeit, or technologically fabricated through AI deception, while ultimately affirming Christ’s sovereignty, victory, and eternal promises.
I have often wondered about this scene in Revelation. The Beast, AKA The Antichrist, will preside over the world during the time of The Tribulation. He will have seemed to be killed, or maybe really killed with a sword. It’s unclear. Here is the verse:
A thought about ‘fatal’
saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; (Revelation 13:3) underlines are mine.
In the Greek fatally means Lit slaughtered to death according to biblehub.com Greek lexicon; or, “wound of death.” So, did the Antichrist die? Fatal means dead. On the other hand, the language says ‘as if he had been’.
To continue-
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (Revelation 13:11-12) underline mine
But did the Antichrist only seem to die?
In Revelation 13:3 and verses 12 & 14, the word fatal is used four times. Fatal means lethal, deadly, mortal, terminal. So why does the verse above say ‘as if he had been fatally wounded’? It’s the same Greek usage, too, of John saying he saw the Lamb ‘as if he had been slain’. But we know Jesus really was slain. (Revelation 5:6).
Some interpret it by saying that the antichrist really dies and satan heals the antichrist and resurrects him to life. But John 1:3 says that in Jesus is life, and Colossians 1:16 says in Him all things were created, and by Him all things were created. Revelation 1:18 says Jesus holds the keys to death (and Hades). So how could satan legitimately perform an action in a power that only Jesus possesses? Satan can perform counterfeit miracles only so far, as we saw Pharaoh’s magicians do at first, then God’s power shown through Moses left their miracles in the dust.
We read in chapter 13 verse 14-
And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. v 14
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. v 15
A counterfeit miracle healed a near-fatal wound?
Another interpretation is articulated by John Walvoord:
Another plausible explanation is that the final world ruler receives a wound which normally would be fatal but is miraculously healed by Satan. While the resurrection of a dead person seems to be beyond Satan’s power, the healing of a wound would be possible for Satan, and this may be the explanation. The important point is that the final world ruler comes into power obviously supported by a supernatural and miraculous deliverance by Satan himself. (Source: John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
2 Thessalonians 2:9 says satan possesses great power and can do counterfeit miracles:
that is, the [lawless] one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 says that this time will be one of great deception, with the world being deluded.
So, could satan fake resurrecting the Antichrist? His wound seemingly killing him but satan performing a counterfeit miracle to make is seem that the Antichrist is alive-again? Again, it’s unclear.
Here’s where AI may come into play
Or this: here is my own thought. As I see Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly refine itself, it’s getting harder to tell which figure in videos are real and which are digital phantoms.
Perhaps people previously trying to interpret these verses could not understand how a fatal wound could be healed and the Antichrist given breath again to the extent that the whole world believes it and marvels. (Revelation 13:3). But nowadays we know that digital fakery is so developed and so precise that we see digital fakes of people and animals every day and do not know they are fakes. AI could perhaps display a digitally enhanced Antichrist with only an inner circle knowing he isn’t living any more.
Here’s why I think this-
In the end of WWII, an antichrist prototype, Adolph Hitler, sequestered himself from the public and was rarely seen except to his closest advisors. After an agitator tried to assassinate Hitler in July 1944, Hitler rarely appeared in public any more. He refused to visit destroyed cities or go see frontline troops, appearing only in highly curated photo opportunities.
Remember Forrest Gump?
Fifty years later, in 1994 the movie character of Forrest Gump played by Tom Hanks made it seem as if he was really appearing alongside historical leaders like Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. These digital effects were achieved through groundbreaking “invisible” visual effects created by special effects company Industrial Light & Magic. In the movie it really looked as if the titular character had directly interacted with those real historic presidents. People marveled at the trick.
Given what we know about the advancing refinement of AI digital personas, in the near or far future, the Antichrist being given ‘breath’ easily could be a digital fakery presented to the world as if the Antichrist actually was resurrected from death to physical life. It would not be hard at that future time to fool the world into thinking the Beast was alive; IF he had been killed and was all dead and not mostly dead.
We can’t be dogmatic about these things. Though the Bible is perspicacious and its meaning is accessible, not hidden, and though it is a book not for scholars but for anyone to understand, there are hard things in it that take time and patience to unravel. And there are some hidden things in it too- namely prophecies like what the Seven Thunders had said (Revelation 10).
But personally, I believe AI will pay a major role in this ANtichrist wound scenario described in Revelation 13. That is just my opinion.
In the end it is good to focus on the fact that Jesus wins, that He loves His believers, and His Bride will be spotless and enjoy Him forever on a renewed earth. No Antichrist, no Satan, no unrepentant sinner in sight. Let me conclude with Pastor Tom Ascol’s good words. He had been talking about the crumbling political, social, and civic compact here in the US, and how the world is changing in front of our eyes. We are living in dystopian times, the beginning of. Yet,
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Created it by himself for himself. He has a plan. He has an agenda. He has a purpose. And sin didn’t thwart any of that. Sin actually, in a mysterious way that we don’t fully comprehend with his providence, was factored into it, was a part of it. And he is going to redeem this world. He is going to renew this world. He is going to bring a people safely to a reconciled state with him to be sinless forever.”
“And we’re part of that. And we have a role to play here and now in the overall purpose of God. And that purpose will not fail. And as we know him in Jesus Christ, we can be sure that nothing will come into our lives that hadn’t been filtered through his hands. That nothing will happen to us that is not a part of his purpose to do for us what he’s promised to do. And he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.”
~Tom Ascol, The Sword & The Trowel recent podcast: TS&TT: Assassination, Corruption, & Social Decay: Understanding the Times
Further Resources
AI essays from The End Time:
When the Teacher Isn’t RealLogging Off to Lean In: Focus in a Distracted Digital World
Answers in Genesis-
AI: Useful Tool or Existential Threat?
The Effects of Artificial Intelligence part 2. Includes a downloadable Study Guide
Challies: Wise and Helpful Ways for Christians To Experiment With AI
#ai #antichrist #bible #christianity #God #jesus #prophecy -
Could AI Explain the Antichrist’s “Resurrection”?
By Elizabeth Prata
Synopsis: A thoughtful reflection on Revelation’s “fatal wound,” exploring whether the Antichrist’s resurrection is literal, counterfeit, or technologically fabricated through AI deception, while ultimately affirming Christ’s sovereignty, victory, and eternal promises.
I have often wondered about this scene in Revelation. The Beast, AKA The Antichrist, will preside over the world during the time of The Tribulation. He will have seemed to be killed, or maybe really killed with a sword. It’s unclear. Here is the verse:
A thought about ‘fatal’
saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; (Revelation 13:3) underlines are mine.
In the Greek fatally means Lit slaughtered to death according to biblehub.com Greek lexicon; or, “wound of death.” So, did the Antichrist die? Fatal means dead. On the other hand, the language says ‘as if he had been’.
To continue-
Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who live on it worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. (Revelation 13:11-12) underline mine
But did the Antichrist only seem to die?
In Revelation 13:3 and verses 12 & 14, the word fatal is used four times. Fatal means lethal, deadly, mortal, terminal. So why does the verse above say ‘as if he had been fatally wounded’? It’s the same Greek usage, too, of John saying he saw the Lamb ‘as if he had been slain’. But we know Jesus really was slain. (Revelation 5:6).
Some interpret it by saying that the antichrist really dies and satan heals the antichrist and resurrects him to life. But John 1:3 says that in Jesus is life, and Colossians 1:16 says in Him all things were created, and by Him all things were created. Revelation 1:18 says Jesus holds the keys to death (and Hades). So how could satan legitimately perform an action in a power that only Jesus possesses? Satan can perform counterfeit miracles only so far, as we saw Pharaoh’s magicians do at first, then God’s power shown through Moses left their miracles in the dust.
We read in chapter 13 verse 14-
And he deceives those who live on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who live on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. v 14
And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. v 15
A counterfeit miracle healed a near-fatal wound?
Another interpretation is articulated by John Walvoord:
Another plausible explanation is that the final world ruler receives a wound which normally would be fatal but is miraculously healed by Satan. While the resurrection of a dead person seems to be beyond Satan’s power, the healing of a wound would be possible for Satan, and this may be the explanation. The important point is that the final world ruler comes into power obviously supported by a supernatural and miraculous deliverance by Satan himself. (Source: John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary)
2 Thessalonians 2:9 says satan possesses great power and can do counterfeit miracles:
that is, the [lawless] one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,
2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 says that this time will be one of great deception, with the world being deluded.
So, could satan fake resurrecting the Antichrist? His wound seemingly killing him but satan performing a counterfeit miracle to make is seem that the Antichrist is alive-again? Again, it’s unclear.
Here’s where AI may come into play
Or this: here is my own thought. As I see Artificial Intelligence (AI) increasingly refine itself, it’s getting harder to tell which figure in videos are real and which are digital phantoms.
Perhaps people previously trying to interpret these verses could not understand how a fatal wound could be healed and the Antichrist given breath again to the extent that the whole world believes it and marvels. (Revelation 13:3). But nowadays we know that digital fakery is so developed and so precise that we see digital fakes of people and animals every day and do not know they are fakes. AI could perhaps display a digitally enhanced Antichrist with only an inner circle knowing he isn’t living any more.
Here’s why I think this-
In the end of WWII, an antichrist prototype, Adolph Hitler, sequestered himself from the public and was rarely seen except to his closest advisors. After an agitator tried to assassinate Hitler in July 1944, Hitler rarely appeared in public any more. He refused to visit destroyed cities or go see frontline troops, appearing only in highly curated photo opportunities.
Remember Forrest Gump?
Fifty years later, in 1994 the movie character of Forrest Gump played by Tom Hanks made it seem as if he was really appearing alongside historical leaders like Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard Nixon. These digital effects were achieved through groundbreaking “invisible” visual effects created by special effects company Industrial Light & Magic. In the movie it really looked as if the titular character had directly interacted with those real historic presidents. People marveled at the trick.
Given what we know about the advancing refinement of AI digital personas, in the near or far future, the Antichrist being given ‘breath’ easily could be a digital fakery presented to the world as if the Antichrist actually was resurrected from death to physical life. It would not be hard at that future time to fool the world into thinking the Beast was alive; IF he had been killed and was all dead and not mostly dead.
We can’t be dogmatic about these things. Though the Bible is perspicacious and its meaning is accessible, not hidden, and though it is a book not for scholars but for anyone to understand, there are hard things in it that take time and patience to unravel. And there are some hidden things in it too- namely prophecies like what the Seven Thunders had said (Revelation 10).
But personally, I believe AI will pay a major role in this ANtichrist wound scenario described in Revelation 13. That is just my opinion.
In the end it is good to focus on the fact that Jesus wins, that He loves His believers, and His Bride will be spotless and enjoy Him forever on a renewed earth. No Antichrist, no Satan, no unrepentant sinner in sight. Let me conclude with Pastor Tom Ascol’s good words. He had been talking about the crumbling political, social, and civic compact here in the US, and how the world is changing in front of our eyes. We are living in dystopian times, the beginning of. Yet,
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Created it by himself for himself. He has a plan. He has an agenda. He has a purpose. And sin didn’t thwart any of that. Sin actually, in a mysterious way that we don’t fully comprehend with his providence, was factored into it, was a part of it. And he is going to redeem this world. He is going to renew this world. He is going to bring a people safely to a reconciled state with him to be sinless forever.”
“And we’re part of that. And we have a role to play here and now in the overall purpose of God. And that purpose will not fail. And as we know him in Jesus Christ, we can be sure that nothing will come into our lives that hadn’t been filtered through his hands. That nothing will happen to us that is not a part of his purpose to do for us what he’s promised to do. And he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.”
~Tom Ascol, The Sword & The Trowel recent podcast: TS&TT: Assassination, Corruption, & Social Decay: Understanding the Times
Further Resources
AI essays from The End Time:
When the Teacher Isn’t RealLogging Off to Lean In: Focus in a Distracted Digital World
Answers in Genesis-
AI: Useful Tool or Existential Threat?
The Effects of Artificial Intelligence part 2. Includes a downloadable Study Guide
Challies: Wise and Helpful Ways for Christians To Experiment With AI
#ai #antichrist #bible #christianity #God #jesus #prophecy -
Gates to Hell and Hellmouths
Maybe there is some crazy logic to the idea of a geologist examining the question of Hell as a real place. With the widespread belief that another world exists below the surface, it certainly falls into the realm of spooky geology and geomythology. So, I’m going to go there, so to speak. Not literally, of course, though some have tried to enter Hell on purpose. They had their reasons. Here, my reason for exploring the intersection of geology and ideas about hell is to contrast supernatural beliefs with natural science. Through time, humans have discarded supernatural ideas about the world as we gained increased understanding through scientific processes. But even in the 21st century, there are still many who think Hell is an accessible and real place.
Where is “hell”?
In the past and even today, some believe that you can get to Hell via a portal or entrance from earth. There are countless tales of trips to the underworld made by mythical persons. There continue to be legends about gates to hell around the world that we might access today. They often draw tourists.
The idea of “Hell” in modern culture often has a strong Christian connotation even though most non-Christian cultures hold their own ideas of an underworld as a realm of the dead, even a place for judgment for one’s life choices. This judgment idea was very useful in converting people to religious values. But there is very little in the canonical Bible teaching that tells Christians about Hell. Ideas about Satan’s kingdom come more from art and literature. These have been incorporated and repeated so often that it feels genuine. Dante’s Divine Comedy (1320) told of a hole to hell formed from the fall of Lucifer from Heaven. The opposite side of the earth from the crater was a displaced elevated mountain called Purgatory. Hell was at the center of the earth, as far away from Heaven as could be.
Imaginative creators like Bosch and Milton (Paradise Lost) so colored the public’s version of Hell that people eventually came to accept it as religiously sanctioned. The depiction of hell as a terrible place within reach was good for church business.
A panel showing “hell” from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch (1510).There is no reasonable claim regarding an entrance to Hell and no basis for this to be a geological question: God and Satan are supernatural entities, they do not obey the laws of nature. Hell, it would follow, is a supernatural location as well. But, let’s have some spooky fun and examine some places around the world that are said to be gateways to Hell.
Gates and Hell mouths
The prevalence of caves in Greece, in particular, influenced the idea that the underworld (Hades) could be reached via a passage from the surface. These passages contained amazing features and perhaps even a flowing stream. It was a reasonable assumption to these observers to say that the earth could be full of huge voids. It could be, they hypothesized, that the winds and vapors of the earth rushing through these voids caused earthquakes and volcanoes.
Some caves seemed to go on forever, perhaps they led all the way to the world of the dead. It’s not easy to keep track of all the locations where Greek/Roman heroes entered the netherworld with some set purpose – Aeneas, Heracles, Odysseus, Orpheus. Many of these stories have been extrapolated to modern times by those looking for the physical location where these epic tales took place. There are also additional areas that have been labeled Gates to Hades. Kroonenberg (2011) remarks that Hades looks like a rabbit warren with all these secret entrances. Some caves were natural but others were constructed, or at least physically enhanced, to represent a passage to the underworld for visitors, or as a temple to Pluto or Hades.
Diros cave or Alepotrypa in the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece was a burial site and may have inspired ideas about Hades.The Mayans believed that the cenotes (water-filled cave-opening) of the Yucatan peninsula were portals to the underworld, Xibalba. Like the legends of Greece, the Mayans also had fantastical stories of trips into Xibalba.
Pluto’s gate
A natural cave in Hieropolis, Turkey carried a reputation as one of the most famous “gates to hell” – a link to the world of the dead – because of the emission of toxic gases (mostly carbon dioxide) that killed animals in proximity. The Gate of Pluto (Plutonium or Ploutonion) was built at the area, which is above a fracture that emits the gases. The vapor was said to be Hadean’s breath and/or the breath of the hellhound Kerberos (Cerberus) that guards the entrance to hell. Priests learned to hold their breath while entering the cave in order to demonstrate they could survive. The sacrificial animals (often bulls) did not survive. Pluto’s gate remains a dangerous area. Carbon dioxide is still found to be at deadly concentrations that will kill insects, birds, and mammals that venture nearby. The concentrations of carbon dioxide escaping from the mouth of the grotto are still in the range of 4–53% depending on the height above ground level. The levels rise at night to concentrations that could kill a person within a minute.
An artist’s depiction of Pluto’s Gate.Lake Avernus (Lago Averno)
A crater lake in Cumae, Italy (near Naples), Avernus means “birdless” because birds supposedly dropped dead out of the sky if they flew over it. The legend of Aeneas has him descending into the Underworld here. Greek geographer and historian Strabo described the location and told of the toxic vapor that kills the birds. Like Pluto’s gate, there was likely emission of carbon dioxide that caused suffocation. No bubbles of gas are apparently in the lake now. On the shore of the lake is the Cave of the Sibyl as described in Virgil’s Aeneid and also nearby is a cave of Baiae which also represented a location of an oracle of the dead. These “navels of the earth” were places where one could access the underworld and commune with the dead.
From http://www.italysvolcanoes.com/. Geologic map showing locations of Lake Avernus, the mythical location of the Oracle of the Dead, Cuma (location of Cave of the Sibyl) and Baiae. Black lines are faults.Entrance to the Cave of the SibylNecromanteion
An excavated area near the Acheron River was the location of a temple to Hades, the god of the underworld, and the oracle of the dead. The Acheron was also a legendary entrance to Hades, being one of the five rivers that flowed through the underworld. Kroonenberg describes that this area around the Acheron has since silted up and doesn’t look like it was described over a thousand years ago. Long ago, in spring, locals could hear a deep lowing coming from below the ground in the Acherusian swamps as though a bull had been locked in a dungeon. The roar was made by waters traveling through the subterranean openings, but it was not heard after the swamps were drained. The sound supposedly led people to believe that Hades was close by underground.
Seven Gates of Hell
Many additional surface “portals” to hell show up in modern legends. The myth of the “Seven Gates of Hell” has been cobbled together organically by mashing up ideas about ancient Mesopotamian gates of hell, seven as a magic number, and places where you can open an entrance to hell via some occult ritual. Several mundane locations have accrued a spooky reputation in this way. In the Internet age, they became prime places to go “legend tripping” – a way for young people to test the limits of courage. None of these places have genuine supernatural “energies” but the power of storytelling is very strong.
In Stull, Kansas, a private cemetery became associated with a hidden stairway to hell, much to the dismay of the local townspeople.
Similarly, the concocted legend of the gates to hell in Hellam Township, Pennsylvania continues to annoy residents. The idea of a strange and creepy-looking physical gate spawned a fictional story of hidden gates appearing at the site of an asylum that burned down. If you stepped through each gate, you would go straight to hell. The name of the township might also have been a catalyst for the story but Hellam Township was not named after hell. There was never an asylum or a fire here. It’s a very silly story without any basis in reality, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to find it.
Some other so-called “gates to hell” are even sillier. Local kids, it seems, gave the name to drainage tunnels in Clifton, New York, and Columbus, OH. The Devil’s gate in Los Angeles County, California is also the location of a drainage tunnel but at least this location comes with a more interesting story about American physicist and occultist Jack Parsons attempting to open a portal to hell. And, more impressively, the nearby rock face formed a mimetolith that looked like the characteristic profile of Satan.
Modern view of the Devil’s Gate and face, near Pasadena, CA.Fengdu, China has become a well-known city of the dead based on the beliefs of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. The dead must pass tests before entering the afterlife. The area now represents the cultural expression of the journey of the dead, depicting ghosts, or demons that torture people for their sins.
Pits and Holes
Around the world, we can find countless places that namecheck Hell or the Devil. I previously explored the ideas of bottomless pits on earth including Houska castle, supposedly built to cover a pit to hell. It’s possible this was a karst geology feature that eventually morphed into a more colorful story. Some other legendary pits associated with entering hell are less impressive.
Lacus Curtius, Rome
A pit of uncertain origins, now filled and marked with rock slabs. Popular rumor is that it used to be considered a door to hell within the Roman Forum that opened to accept a sacrifice of a brave soldier and his horse.
St Patrick’s purgatory
A small cave or pit on Station Island, Ireland dated from the 5th century. According to legend, Christ himself revealed the place to Patrick as a special location where people would get a glimpse of hell and change their ways (i.e., become Christian converts). By witnessing Purgatory, the people would finally know the reality of the joys of Heaven and the torments of Hell. It is now a pilgrimage site.
Batagaika
More impressive is a natural feature of Batagaika, a continually growing Siberian permafrost slump crater that locals suitably call the Hellmouth because it threatens to consume their land and villages.
Batagaika, the “Hellmouth” crater (megaslump) in Yakutia, Russia.Kola borehole/Well to Hell
Two man-made gates to hell continue to grow as legends that are ever further removed from their true origin. The Kola borehole is the world’s longest human-made borehole. The story of the project, which was designed for the scientific study of the deep crust, inspired a totally manufactured story by Christian fundamentalists claiming that scientists had drilled a well so deep, they inadvertently reached hell itself. The temperatures were searing and they could hear the screaming voices of the damned.
Darvaza
On a flat plain in Turkmenistan, a pit burns continuously. The location has developed a supernatural aura suited to its dramatic appearance and this overshadows its more prosaic and embarrassing origins as a place where a natural gas exploration site collapsed and was deliberately set on fire.
Darvaza gas crater was created in the 1950s when a Soviet gas drilling rig fell into an underground cavern. The crater was set on fire shortly afterward and has been burning ever since.Burning places
The most dramatic places associated with gates to hell are in volcanic areas. In Japan, volcanic features (Jigaku) were connected with the idea of underground prisons and a world where souls suffer. For example, Chinoike Jigoku is modernly known as the Bloody Hell Pond, a hot spring that is disturbingly red due to iron oxide. At one time, the hot waters may have been used for torture. Now, it’s a tourist attraction.
Mt. Osore in Japan, translated as “Dread Mountain” is the gateway to Hell, where souls pause on their way to the underworld. A barren volcanic wasteland of howling winds and bubbling yellow to red caldrons, this is similar to the Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei) of Italy – a “hellscape” in an active volcanic caldera area stinking of sulfurous steam with fumaroles and mud pots, with small cones and multiple craters. Solfatara crater is the mythological home of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. Roman thinkers had many creative natural ideas about the formation of Etna and Vesuvius, the great mountains in this regionally volcanic area that rumbled and occasionally unleashed destruction.
Sulfur at the Solfatara crater, Phlegraean Fields, Italy. Photo Donar Reiskoffer, Wikimedia Commons.Hades
In ancient Greece, the underworld of Hades was known to be hot. Hades was viewed as a vast opening underground. This does make sense because of the active volcanic regions of Greece and Italy. Ancient natural philosophers assumed there was space inside the earth as evidenced by caves and underground rivers. In Medieval Europe, ideas about Hades easily transitioned into that of the Christian’s Old Testament Sheol (Hell). They were alike in description. As mentioned in the Bible’s book of Revelation, hell was a place of fire and brimstone (volcanic sulfur).
Because religious texts told of the miraculous formation of the earth, the study of earth processes was set back due to these entrenched dogmatic ideas. Volcanoes were seen as the “chimneys of hell”, existing solely to remind people of a punishing fate in the subterranean fires of eternal torment. It was difficult to convince people that volcanic places were not deliberately made by an agent of destruction. Many people believed their local volcano was inhabited by demons or the devil himself.
Hekla
On the volcanic island of Iceland, people didn’t believe in a single location of “the afterlife”. By the Middle Ages, Icelanders accepted the view that Hekla, in particular, was a gateway for condemned souls to enter an area of torment. Hekla was the dominant erupting area that influenced travelers that saw it and who took back the stories to Europe. Observers thought the noises from escaping gases were the sounds of the wretched souls. Hekla’s reputation as a hellish abyss dwarfed the more familiar Mount Etna in Italy that people called “Hell’s Chimney”.
Detail of Abraham Ortelius’ map of Iceland (1585) showing the Volcano Hekla in eruption. The Latin text means “The Hekla, perpetually condemned to storms and snow, vomits stones under terrible noise.”Masaya
The example of the Nicaraguan volcano Masaya illustrates the orthodox Roman Catholic thinking about hell mouths. When the Spaniards entered the country, they didn’t have much experience with volcanic areas and referred to the active volcano as “The Mouth of Hell”. The locals considered the volcano a deity but the Christian invaders attributed the belief in false gods to the Devil’s work. In 1529, Francisco de Bobadilla climbed the volcano and erected a cross in an attempt to exorcise the evil entities. Other religious men who visited Masaya assumed the volcano was a vent for which the fires of hell escaped. Hell, they believed, was at the center of the earth. For the fire to burn without obvious fuel, it must be supernaturally stoked. However, Friar Juan de Torquemada in 1615 rejected volcanoes as Hellfire because “Hell is the prison made by God for those who are condemned, therefore the fire of Hell should only harm nor hurt those who by His just judgment have been sentenced to torments and pain.” Since volcanoes destroyed indiscriminately, they were not related to hell. And, interestingly, there was no need for Hell to have a mouth.
Literal ideas of hell faded away
In the late 16th century, natural philosophical thought was returning. Learned men started to doubt the supernatural idea of Hell and again explored creative scientific explanations. By the Enlightenment, belief in a literal hell in philosophical circles was ridiculed. Descarte was an early proponent that the earth had a core, not including any void space for Hell. The earth’s core was demonstrated in 1906 but that didn’t stop the proliferation of belief in a hollow earth or of a literal place called Hell.
The threat of hell as a place of real punishment is on the wane worldwide with some religious figures using it only in a metaphoric sense. But in the US, survey questions regarding belief in Hell still garner very high percentages among Christians. Do they think Hell is a literal void of fire and torture at the center of the earth? I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be that surprised if they say they do. It’s a simple and powerful idea even though it is scientifically preposterous.
Sources
Kroonenberg, S. (2011). Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur: Mythology and Geology of the Underworld.
Sigurdsson, H. (1999). Melting the Earth: The History of Ideas on Volcanic Eruptions.
Viramonte, J.G. and Incer-Barquero, J. (2008). “Masaya, the “Mouth of Hell”, Nicaragua: Volcanological interpretation of the myths, legends and anecdotes.” Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 176:419–426. https://pages.mtu.edu/~raman/papers2/ViramonteMasayaJVGR08.pdf
#caves #doorToHell #gateToHell #geologyAndHell #Hades #hell #hellHole #hellmouth #netherworld #portalToHell #scienceOfHell #supernatural #underworld #volcanic #volcanism
https://sharonahill.com/?p=1893
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Gates to Hell and Hellmouths
Maybe there is some crazy logic to the idea of a geologist examining the question of Hell as a real place. With the widespread belief that another world exists below the surface, it certainly falls into the realm of spooky geology and geomythology. So, I’m going to go there, so to speak. Not literally, of course, though some have tried to enter Hell on purpose. They had their reasons. Here, my reason for exploring the intersection of geology and ideas about hell is to contrast supernatural beliefs with natural science. Through time, humans have discarded supernatural ideas about the world as we gained increased understanding through scientific processes. But even in the 21st century, there are still many who think Hell is an accessible and real place.
Where is “hell”?
In the past and even today, some believe that you can get to Hell via a portal or entrance from earth. There are countless tales of trips to the underworld made by mythical persons. There continue to be legends about gates to hell around the world that we might access today. They often draw tourists.
The idea of “Hell” in modern culture often has a strong Christian connotation even though most non-Christian cultures hold their own ideas of an underworld as a realm of the dead, even a place for judgment for one’s life choices. This judgment idea was very useful in converting people to religious values. But there is very little in the canonical Bible teaching that tells Christians about Hell. Ideas about Satan’s kingdom come more from art and literature. These have been incorporated and repeated so often that it feels genuine. Dante’s Divine Comedy (1320) told of a hole to hell formed from the fall of Lucifer from Heaven. The opposite side of the earth from the crater was a displaced elevated mountain called Purgatory. Hell was at the center of the earth, as far away from Heaven as could be.
Imaginative creators like Bosch and Milton (Paradise Lost) so colored the public’s version of Hell that people eventually came to accept it as religiously sanctioned. The depiction of hell as a terrible place within reach was good for church business.
A panel showing “hell” from The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch (1510).There is no reasonable claim regarding an entrance to Hell and no basis for this to be a geological question: God and Satan are supernatural entities, they do not obey the laws of nature. Hell, it would follow, is a supernatural location as well. But, let’s have some spooky fun and examine some places around the world that are said to be gateways to Hell.
Gates and Hell mouths
The prevalence of caves in Greece, in particular, influenced the idea that the underworld (Hades) could be reached via a passage from the surface. These passages contained amazing features and perhaps even a flowing stream. It was a reasonable assumption to these observers to say that the earth could be full of huge voids. It could be, they hypothesized, that the winds and vapors of the earth rushing through these voids caused earthquakes and volcanoes.
Some caves seemed to go on forever, perhaps they led all the way to the world of the dead. It’s not easy to keep track of all the locations where Greek/Roman heroes entered the netherworld with some set purpose – Aeneas, Heracles, Odysseus, Orpheus. Many of these stories have been extrapolated to modern times by those looking for the physical location where these epic tales took place. There are also additional areas that have been labeled Gates to Hades. Kroonenberg (2011) remarks that Hades looks like a rabbit warren with all these secret entrances. Some caves were natural but others were constructed, or at least physically enhanced, to represent a passage to the underworld for visitors, or as a temple to Pluto or Hades.
Diros cave or Alepotrypa in the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece was a burial site and may have inspired ideas about Hades.The Mayans believed that the cenotes (water-filled cave-opening) of the Yucatan peninsula were portals to the underworld, Xibalba. Like the legends of Greece, the Mayans also had fantastical stories of trips into Xibalba.
Pluto’s gate
A natural cave in Hieropolis, Turkey carried a reputation as one of the most famous “gates to hell” – a link to the world of the dead – because of the emission of toxic gases (mostly carbon dioxide) that killed animals in proximity. The Gate of Pluto (Plutonium or Ploutonion) was built at the area, which is above a fracture that emits the gases. The vapor was said to be Hadean’s breath and/or the breath of the hellhound Kerberos (Cerberus) that guards the entrance to hell. Priests learned to hold their breath while entering the cave in order to demonstrate they could survive. The sacrificial animals (often bulls) did not survive. Pluto’s gate remains a dangerous area. Carbon dioxide is still found to be at deadly concentrations that will kill insects, birds, and mammals that venture nearby. The concentrations of carbon dioxide escaping from the mouth of the grotto are still in the range of 4–53% depending on the height above ground level. The levels rise at night to concentrations that could kill a person within a minute.
An artist’s depiction of Pluto’s Gate.Lake Avernus (Lago Averno)
A crater lake in Cumae, Italy (near Naples), Avernus means “birdless” because birds supposedly dropped dead out of the sky if they flew over it. The legend of Aeneas has him descending into the Underworld here. Greek geographer and historian Strabo described the location and told of the toxic vapor that kills the birds. Like Pluto’s gate, there was likely emission of carbon dioxide that caused suffocation. No bubbles of gas are apparently in the lake now. On the shore of the lake is the Cave of the Sibyl as described in Virgil’s Aeneid and also nearby is a cave of Baiae which also represented a location of an oracle of the dead. These “navels of the earth” were places where one could access the underworld and commune with the dead.
From http://www.italysvolcanoes.com/. Geologic map showing locations of Lake Avernus, the mythical location of the Oracle of the Dead, Cuma (location of Cave of the Sibyl) and Baiae. Black lines are faults.Entrance to the Cave of the SibylNecromanteion
An excavated area near the Acheron River was the location of a temple to Hades, the god of the underworld, and the oracle of the dead. The Acheron was also a legendary entrance to Hades, being one of the five rivers that flowed through the underworld. Kroonenberg describes that this area around the Acheron has since silted up and doesn’t look like it was described over a thousand years ago. Long ago, in spring, locals could hear a deep lowing coming from below the ground in the Acherusian swamps as though a bull had been locked in a dungeon. The roar was made by waters traveling through the subterranean openings, but it was not heard after the swamps were drained. The sound supposedly led people to believe that Hades was close by underground.
Seven Gates of Hell
Many additional surface “portals” to hell show up in modern legends. The myth of the “Seven Gates of Hell” has been cobbled together organically by mashing up ideas about ancient Mesopotamian gates of hell, seven as a magic number, and places where you can open an entrance to hell via some occult ritual. Several mundane locations have accrued a spooky reputation in this way. In the Internet age, they became prime places to go “legend tripping” – a way for young people to test the limits of courage. None of these places have genuine supernatural “energies” but the power of storytelling is very strong.
In Stull, Kansas, a private cemetery became associated with a hidden stairway to hell, much to the dismay of the local townspeople.
Similarly, the concocted legend of the gates to hell in Hellam Township, Pennsylvania continues to annoy residents. The idea of a strange and creepy-looking physical gate spawned a fictional story of hidden gates appearing at the site of an asylum that burned down. If you stepped through each gate, you would go straight to hell. The name of the township might also have been a catalyst for the story but Hellam Township was not named after hell. There was never an asylum or a fire here. It’s a very silly story without any basis in reality, but that doesn’t stop people from trying to find it.
Some other so-called “gates to hell” are even sillier. Local kids, it seems, gave the name to drainage tunnels in Clifton, New York, and Columbus, OH. The Devil’s gate in Los Angeles County, California is also the location of a drainage tunnel but at least this location comes with a more interesting story about American physicist and occultist Jack Parsons attempting to open a portal to hell. And, more impressively, the nearby rock face formed a mimetolith that looked like the characteristic profile of Satan.
Modern view of the Devil’s Gate and face, near Pasadena, CA.Fengdu, China has become a well-known city of the dead based on the beliefs of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. The dead must pass tests before entering the afterlife. The area now represents the cultural expression of the journey of the dead, depicting ghosts, or demons that torture people for their sins.
Pits and Holes
Around the world, we can find countless places that namecheck Hell or the Devil. I previously explored the ideas of bottomless pits on earth including Houska castle, supposedly built to cover a pit to hell. It’s possible this was a karst geology feature that eventually morphed into a more colorful story. Some other legendary pits associated with entering hell are less impressive.
Lacus Curtius, Rome
A pit of uncertain origins, now filled and marked with rock slabs. Popular rumor is that it used to be considered a door to hell within the Roman Forum that opened to accept a sacrifice of a brave soldier and his horse.
St Patrick’s purgatory
A small cave or pit on Station Island, Ireland dated from the 5th century. According to legend, Christ himself revealed the place to Patrick as a special location where people would get a glimpse of hell and change their ways (i.e., become Christian converts). By witnessing Purgatory, the people would finally know the reality of the joys of Heaven and the torments of Hell. It is now a pilgrimage site.
Batagaika
More impressive is a natural feature of Batagaika, a continually growing Siberian permafrost slump crater that locals suitably call the Hellmouth because it threatens to consume their land and villages.
Batagaika, the “Hellmouth” crater (megaslump) in Yakutia, Russia.Kola borehole/Well to Hell
Two man-made gates to hell continue to grow as legends that are ever further removed from their true origin. The Kola borehole is the world’s longest human-made borehole. The story of the project, which was designed for the scientific study of the deep crust, inspired a totally manufactured story by Christian fundamentalists claiming that scientists had drilled a well so deep, they inadvertently reached hell itself. The temperatures were searing and they could hear the screaming voices of the damned.
Darvaza
On a flat plain in Turkmenistan, a pit burns continuously. The location has developed a supernatural aura suited to its dramatic appearance and this overshadows its more prosaic and embarrassing origins as a place where a natural gas exploration site collapsed and was deliberately set on fire.
Darvaza gas crater was created in the 1950s when a Soviet gas drilling rig fell into an underground cavern. The crater was set on fire shortly afterward and has been burning ever since.Burning places
The most dramatic places associated with gates to hell are in volcanic areas. In Japan, volcanic features (Jigaku) were connected with the idea of underground prisons and a world where souls suffer. For example, Chinoike Jigoku is modernly known as the Bloody Hell Pond, a hot spring that is disturbingly red due to iron oxide. At one time, the hot waters may have been used for torture. Now, it’s a tourist attraction.
Mt. Osore in Japan, translated as “Dread Mountain” is the gateway to Hell, where souls pause on their way to the underworld. A barren volcanic wasteland of howling winds and bubbling yellow to red caldrons, this is similar to the Phlegraean Fields (Campi Flegrei) of Italy – a “hellscape” in an active volcanic caldera area stinking of sulfurous steam with fumaroles and mud pots, with small cones and multiple craters. Solfatara crater is the mythological home of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan. Roman thinkers had many creative natural ideas about the formation of Etna and Vesuvius, the great mountains in this regionally volcanic area that rumbled and occasionally unleashed destruction.
Sulfur at the Solfatara crater, Phlegraean Fields, Italy. Photo Donar Reiskoffer, Wikimedia Commons.Hades
In ancient Greece, the underworld of Hades was known to be hot. Hades was viewed as a vast opening underground. This does make sense because of the active volcanic regions of Greece and Italy. Ancient natural philosophers assumed there was space inside the earth as evidenced by caves and underground rivers. In Medieval Europe, ideas about Hades easily transitioned into that of the Christian’s Old Testament Sheol (Hell). They were alike in description. As mentioned in the Bible’s book of Revelation, hell was a place of fire and brimstone (volcanic sulfur).
Because religious texts told of the miraculous formation of the earth, the study of earth processes was set back due to these entrenched dogmatic ideas. Volcanoes were seen as the “chimneys of hell”, existing solely to remind people of a punishing fate in the subterranean fires of eternal torment. It was difficult to convince people that volcanic places were not deliberately made by an agent of destruction. Many people believed their local volcano was inhabited by demons or the devil himself.
Hekla
On the volcanic island of Iceland, people didn’t believe in a single location of “the afterlife”. By the Middle Ages, Icelanders accepted the view that Hekla, in particular, was a gateway for condemned souls to enter an area of torment. Hekla was the dominant erupting area that influenced travelers that saw it and who took back the stories to Europe. Observers thought the noises from escaping gases were the sounds of the wretched souls. Hekla’s reputation as a hellish abyss dwarfed the more familiar Mount Etna in Italy that people called “Hell’s Chimney”.
Detail of Abraham Ortelius’ map of Iceland (1585) showing the Volcano Hekla in eruption. The Latin text means “The Hekla, perpetually condemned to storms and snow, vomits stones under terrible noise.”Masaya
The example of the Nicaraguan volcano Masaya illustrates the orthodox Roman Catholic thinking about hell mouths. When the Spaniards entered the country, they didn’t have much experience with volcanic areas and referred to the active volcano as “The Mouth of Hell”. The locals considered the volcano a deity but the Christian invaders attributed the belief in false gods to the Devil’s work. In 1529, Francisco de Bobadilla climbed the volcano and erected a cross in an attempt to exorcise the evil entities. Other religious men who visited Masaya assumed the volcano was a vent for which the fires of hell escaped. Hell, they believed, was at the center of the earth. For the fire to burn without obvious fuel, it must be supernaturally stoked. However, Friar Juan de Torquemada in 1615 rejected volcanoes as Hellfire because “Hell is the prison made by God for those who are condemned, therefore the fire of Hell should only harm nor hurt those who by His just judgment have been sentenced to torments and pain.” Since volcanoes destroyed indiscriminately, they were not related to hell. And, interestingly, there was no need for Hell to have a mouth.
Literal ideas of hell faded away
In the late 16th century, natural philosophical thought was returning. Learned men started to doubt the supernatural idea of Hell and again explored creative scientific explanations. By the Enlightenment, belief in a literal hell in philosophical circles was ridiculed. Descarte was an early proponent that the earth had a core, not including any void space for Hell. The earth’s core was demonstrated in 1906 but that didn’t stop the proliferation of belief in a hollow earth or of a literal place called Hell.
The threat of hell as a place of real punishment is on the wane worldwide with some religious figures using it only in a metaphoric sense. But in the US, survey questions regarding belief in Hell still garner very high percentages among Christians. Do they think Hell is a literal void of fire and torture at the center of the earth? I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be that surprised if they say they do. It’s a simple and powerful idea even though it is scientifically preposterous.
Sources
Kroonenberg, S. (2011). Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur: Mythology and Geology of the Underworld.
Sigurdsson, H. (1999). Melting the Earth: The History of Ideas on Volcanic Eruptions.
Viramonte, J.G. and Incer-Barquero, J. (2008). “Masaya, the “Mouth of Hell”, Nicaragua: Volcanological interpretation of the myths, legends and anecdotes.” Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. 176:419–426. https://pages.mtu.edu/~raman/papers2/ViramonteMasayaJVGR08.pdf
#caves #doorToHell #gateToHell #geologyAndHell #Hades #hell #hellHole #hellmouth #netherworld #portalToHell #scienceOfHell #supernatural #underworld #volcanic #volcanism
https://sharonahill.com/?p=1893
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I was at the Southern Steps in Jerusalem
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined and what happened during my free time. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, readers and fellow followers of the Lord! This is the 10th chapter of my ongoing series of articles about the holy nation of Israel with recollections about the experiences and discoveries I had during the pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church (hosted by strategic partner Behold Israel). To see my previous Israel tour articles, click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. No matter what happens in this twisted world we live in, I will always stand with Israel and my faith in the Lord remains uncompromising!
In this latest edition of my Israel 2023 series, I share with you what I experienced when our pilgrimage tour group visited the Southern Steps (also referred to as the Southern Stairs and Rabbi Stairs) located at the lower part of the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Thanks to our dedicated local tourist guide, our tour group had a meaningful visit there and we spent several minutes observing the place. Our time at the steps concluded with a bible teaching led by New Life Philippines Pastor Edwin Tugano. In my personal experience, I felt something from the Lord there as I realized the biblical relevance of the holy site as well as insight regarding what the place was like thousands of years ago.
This is me at the Southern Steps in Jerusalem, Israel.The site is very significant as it is the place that served as one of the main entrances from the south to the Temple Mount during the time of Lord Jesus. In fact, people coming from the City of David going north to the Temple Mount used the Southern Steps very long ago. Also, the Southern Steps became a useful place where rabbis and their disciples gathered for faith lessons and this explains why the said steps are also called the Rabbi Stairs. Physically, the steps were hundreds of feet wide which provided abundant space for congregating and teaching.
As many centuries had passed since Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven, there were physical changes that happened at the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount and this is evident as visitors today cannot access the mentioned sacred site above (where the Jewish temples used to be) using the Southern Steps. This is because there is noticeable expansion of the Southern Wall blocking the steps’ upward access to the Temple Mount. I myself had touched that wall and noticed how its stone quality and colors differed from the rest of the Southern Wall.
I brought the Passion Translation Holy Bible with me at the Southern Steps. After taking this image, I climbed up the steps, reached the Southern Wall and touched it.Regardless, the step themselves – composed of the original stones from Jesus’ time (those steps with the rougher stones) plus newer ones (added to fill the gaps) leading to the Southern Wall – are still there and climbing them required methodical walking. The Southern Steps today are widely visited by faithful Christians from around the world as it is a holy site and it is very likely that Lord Jesus Himself climbed the steps going to the Temple Mount. There is no doubt that Lord Jesus and His disciples also gathered at the steps for teachings. The holy site should remind you about the significance of Lord Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem.
In my experience there at the Southern Steps with my tour companions, I felt the holiness of the place and that became more evident as I opened the Holy Bible during the bible teaching led by our pastor right there. During our time there, I noticed another pilgrimage tour group was present with us several feet away.
Did Pentecost happen at the Southern Steps?
Our pilgrimage tour group in the foreground, and another group in the background. The Southern Steps is an essential place for Christians to visit in Israel.By reading the biblical reference of Pentecost and connecting it with my observations of the holy site, I can say that the Southern Steps is a possible place where Pentecost may have happened. I can even say that it is a more suitable place – where about three thousand Jews got baptized after the apostle Peter preached the good news – than the Upper Room (itself a popular location in many paintings and artworks dramatizing Pentecost).
Take a close look at the biblical record of Pentecost below…
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.
“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
Acts 2:1-41 (NKJV)
Take note that verse 2 of Chapter 2 in the Book of Acts specifically mentioned “house” which is not limited to houses. In fact, in the Old Testament of the Bible, the Jewish temple is referred to as the house – as in the house of the Lord. The place of worship of the Lord!
Still within biblical context, “house” – as seen in verse 36 with “house of Israel” – also symbolizes family and lineage in the Holy Bible. “House of Israel” refers to the entire nation descended from Abraham through Jacob and Isaac and that includes the Jewish people (descendants) who were present in Jerusalem during Pentecost. For relevance of the house of Israel, read 2 Kings 7:1-16 in the Holy Bible – God’s words for King David passed through the prophet Nathan.
In the foreground are the Southern Steps and the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount. In the background is more of Jerusalem. (source – screenshot taken from the Instagram video of Hananya Naftali)As it was an essential form of access into the Temple Mount, the Southern Steps also served as a natural place of gathering, spacious enough to accommodate thousands of Jews. As mentioned earlier, these wide and spacious holy stairs are a more suitable place than the Upper Room for Pentecost to happen.
Also take note that verse 41 of Chapter 2 of the Book of Acts mentions that there were around three thousand Jews who got baptized and helped the church of Lord Jesus grow a lot on the day of Pentecost itself (for relevance, read John 3:3 in the Holy Bible). This also means that there were between fifteen thousand to thirty thousand people in Jerusalem who witnessed Pentecost happen. Having been at the Southern Steps myself, I can easily visualize the whole place – from the steps themselves and the space between them and the City of David in the south, plus the whole stretch of the Southern Wall – being filled with lots of people on that very day. Having attended the bible teaching led by our pastor who stood at the steps facing us south, I can visualize the apostle Peter preaching to thousands of Jewish people there long ago.
Our pastor Edwin Tugano (standing on the ancient steps facing us) led the bible teaching for me and my pilgrimage group companions.There is absolutely no way that the 3,000 people who received Christ and got baptized would fit inside the Upper Room at the time of Pentecost. When the apostle Peter preached, he was not surrounded by only a tiny group of people but by a huge crowd who listened. The other apostles were with Peter back then. This should remind you that the artists responsible for the paintings and artworks portraying Pentecost happening inside the Upper Room or within an indoor place with walls and a roof did not fully understand the biblical record of Pentecost. In other words, those artists got it wrong and the Bible proves they are wrong. This should remind you to maintain faith in God’s Word, not in man-made artworks.
Once again, the Southern Steps is a possible site of Pentecost. It may not be definitive but it definitely is more suitable than the Upper Room for congregating and preaching in front of thousands. The other possible places where Pentecost may have happened include the Royal Stoa (which was intact at the Southern Wall covering its length and was located high above the Southern Steps) and at the Jewish Temple itself.
While the exact location of Pentecost remains unresolved, I encourage you all to always keep faith in the Lord and His Word knowing that Pentecost truly happened as it was an anointed by the Lord to happen. Location is one thing, but the Holy Bible and the Holy Spirit are always essential to our faith in Lord Jesus.
Conclusion
It was destiny from the Lord for me and my pilgrimage tour group to visit the Southern Steps. I felt the unction from the Holy Spirit to capture this very moment upon arrival there.I can say that me and my pilgrimage tour group companions were blessed by the Lord during our time at the Southern Steps. Simply thinking about Lord Jesus teaching His followers at the steps is uplifting There clearly is a lot to learn and discover by being at the holy site and having the Bible for reference. I thank Lord Jesus for blessing us, for our pastors and our local tour guide, and for the anointed experience at the Southern Steps. I definitely will revisit those steps when I return to Israel.
Israel is a great and holy place to visit! Visit Israel with the Holy Bible! Pray to the Lord wholeheartedly and reveal to Him your heart’s desire to visit Israel to deepen your faith in Him. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Follow the light of Lord Jesus, keep on praying to support Israel, learn to love and bless the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel articles here. There is more to come!
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@chrislhayes.bsky.social discusses Just after the Trump #DOJ announced an indictment against #JamesComey, the former #FBIdirector posted a video on #Instagram professing his innocence. “I’m not afraid,” says Comey. youtu.be/2V_KsNZ2T2I?...
Comey RESPONDS to Trump indict... -
@chrislhayes.bsky.social discusses Just after the Trump #DOJ announced an indictment against #JamesComey, the former #FBIdirector posted a video on #Instagram professing his innocence. “I’m not afraid,” says Comey. youtu.be/2V_KsNZ2T2I?...
Comey RESPONDS to Trump indict... -
@chrislhayes.bsky.social discusses Just after the Trump #DOJ announced an indictment against #JamesComey, the former #FBIdirector posted a video on #Instagram professing his innocence. “I’m not afraid,” says Comey. youtu.be/2V_KsNZ2T2I?...
Comey RESPONDS to Trump indict... -
@chrislhayes.bsky.social discusses Just after the Trump #DOJ announced an indictment against #JamesComey, the former #FBIdirector posted a video on #Instagram professing his innocence. “I’m not afraid,” says Comey. youtu.be/2V_KsNZ2T2I?...
Comey RESPONDS to Trump indict... -
“It’s a reminder of how truly utterly deranged the current president sounds… and how accustomed we’ve all become to it.”
#chrislhayes on the A+ #Trump trolling from #GavinNewsom’s #GovPressOffice
team.
(Fox bobbleheads not getting it just shows they should never stop) -
“It’s a reminder of how truly utterly deranged the current president sounds… and how accustomed we’ve all become to it.”
#chrislhayes on the A+ #Trump trolling from #GavinNewsom’s #GovPressOffice
team.
(Fox bobbleheads not getting it just shows they should never stop)