“Through the Eyes”

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Published: Wednesday, 06 September 2017 01:54
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“Through the Eyes”

(The eyes of Medussa)

By Augusto A. Kho

St. Luke's Hospital; Quezon City

July 20, 2017 (Thursday); 5:01 PM

Updated: July 23, 2017 (Sunday); 9:00 A.M.

Updated: July 25, 2017 (Tuesday); 3:50 P..M.

 

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Medussa by Caravaggio (1595)

 

This writing has been suddenly crept in while watching Nelids on her hospital bed at St. Luke's Hospital in Quezon City while re-reading what I most recently wrote entitled, "The Last Arrow: Understanding IFP's 'Contend Philippines'."

 

Yesterday, Isaac my son rushed my wife at Manila Doctor's Hospital in UN Avenue at 11:00 A.M. when she complained of very severe pain in her left lower abdomen. From there, they found out she has .3 cm gall bladder stones that the said hospital immediately recommended an "open wound" gall bladder surgery the next day. When Nelids asked for urologist (internist) recommendation for operation, the poor doctor didn't know how to react and he simply made a sudden shard gripe that etched across his face.

 

That prompted Nelids to request for her immediate transfer to St. Luke's Hospital where her resident doctor is. A whooping P20,000.00 hospital bill was charged to her for barely 6 hours without yet other miscellaneous expenses like medicines and others.

 

St. Luke's Hospital doctor simply laughed off when he learned my wife's urgent open wound surgery from the other hospital. He said, "How could that be when your diagnosis reveals you have no stone in your gall bladder?" After a thorough observation, St. Luke's doctors merely applied therapeutic application first until the stone was flushed out the next day. No shockwave or lithotripsy, nor surgery have been applied. Her nearly 2 days confinement in St. Luke’s Hospital merely incurred her P17,000.00 plus. And Nelilds have been recommended for release by tomorrow.

 

 

Moral Lesson: Always look for second opinion, one may have committed "honest (or serious ) mistake." In today's medical profession, money at times is the highest priority. Afterall Christian economist, Layman Porter once said, "Money is the best motivator in the whole world today."

 

 

“Through the eyes”

Can a mesmerizing spirit crept in the church? Will the church be under this powerful spell? Like Medussa, any eye-gazer who looked through her eyes will be turned into stone.

 

"Through the eyes" is Nelids' most recommended title for this piece. I originally had in mind the following titles, "In the eyes of Medussa," or "Through the eyes of Medussa" or "Medussa's eyes." Nelids shared those original conceptualized titles seem to be glorifying the devil's name so I changed it as what she recommended as a title.

 

 

Familiar spirit

Sometime in 1989 in a worship service in an underground church in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, our 6-feet tall elder, went to the pulpit and spoke with the permission from our pastor. . A bit later, he turned as if he was mumbling his words and suddenly as if something snapped him back with a contoured confusion on his face. His eyes turned sharp-red and his eyes run deep unto our eyes. We heard his voice like thunder as he uttered this words straight through the eyes, “I am the Lord God Almighty. Kneel down and bow before Me.”

 

Instantly we were stoned like dead by his persuasive words and magnetic look. Many cringed in fear and trembled. No one from us moved as if we were completely mesmerized. Fear filled the room of worship and I saw everyone fell on their knees bowing down. Until I saw our pastor started to kneel. And I was on my knees sliding down as well – slowly, but discerning who he was. Then a voice came, saying, “I am not He who spoke”. Right there and then I immediately straightened myself up and silently approached my pastor and I whispered to him, “It is a familiar spirit.”

 

He was walking in the Lord in the prophetic move. My pastor, Miggy and we as the church elders know him quite well including his spiritual gift. But that fatal day was something else. There was something sinister in him that magnetized us all. But he first got a nod from our pastor for him to share what the Lord wanted him to say in the pulpit.

 

When our pastor gave me the go signal to deal with the unfamiliar spirit, I swiftly approached the man and said, “In Jesus’ Name I command you to get out and get into another room!.’ The man readily obeyed and get inside an empty room. From there I cast out the evil spirit that beclouded him. When he turned sober I asked him what happened. He said that he was speaking the word of the Lord when seemingly a “strong spirit” came in him and he went into trance until he completely gone out from his own mind.

 

 

 

"The Last Arrow"

Revisiting Medussa is conceived while I was re-reading "The Last Arrow" which is inspired from IFP's 'Contend Phililppines'," i.e. a "call for prayer " for the Body of Christ in relation with "Contend Philippines" which was held last July 15, 2017 at Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City to intercede for the nation's challenges to fulfil her destiny and fight against the spirit of Leviathan, a coiling, hissing, encroaching and twisting (CHET) sea-monster which is half-snake or half-crocodile referring to the "ancient serpent" that mutates in different forms and names all throughout these years.

 

To qoute

To qoute excerpts from "The Last Arrow" are the following to give you a brief bird-eye-view who Medussa is...

 

 

The religious spirit

Remember that Jesus once rebuked the Sanhedrin of this words, “Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell? “ (Matthew 23:33/ NLT ).

 

Snakes in Greek “ophis” refers to “snake, serpent, with the ancient serpent as an emblem of cunning and wisdom. The serpent who deceived Eve and was regarded by the Jews as the Devil.’ James Strong Dictionary define it as “a snake (as a type of sly cunning) and artful and malicious person, especially Satan, the serpent.” Like Medussa, the devil’s or serpent’s eyes are very hypnotically, and irresistibly mesmerizing. WHY? Because “serpent” another Root Word name “optamai” means “To look at” and “to behold” or “to gaze as eyes wide open that express mechanical, passive and casual vision.” When you vision is mechanical and passive, failing to use your head or intellect and / or God’s divine wisdom then you might be under a "mesmirizing spirit."

 

 

C.H.E.T.

Pastor Ed De Guzman during the Intercessors' Consultation last July 13 shared that the said identified spirit that intercessors to wrestle with is no less than "sea-monster", too ancient that it possesses these obvious character through the years - coiling, hissing, encroaching and twisting. It is the a religious spirit of serpent or leviathan .” This spirit is responsible in demonic-inspired killing the “sons of men” as God’s saviours and deliverers in the time of Moses and Christ Jesus as babes when Pharaoh and Herod were demonized to annihilate them to thwart the divine plan of God for man’s redemption (John 10:10b) as the thief cometh to steal, to kill and to destroy. The same like that of Molech spirit in the Old Testament.

 

The spirit of leviathan has a herculean task to mesmerize and influence like you are being “drugged” or “na-bato” sa droga . It paralyzes or bewitches or as if “na-Medussa” ka that you are completely under spell, totally mesmerized, and you cannot move as hard as stone (na bato ka) as if a huge anaconda coiled all over you. Revelation 21:8 speaks regarding “sorcery.” Leviathan is a form of sorcery hidden in a religious spirit like the Sanhedrin but exposed by Jesus Christ when He accused them hem, “SNAKES…. VIPERS…”

 

 

That is why some religious leaders, pastors like me or you are included has this powerful venom-like cunning words that “coils, hiss” encroaches, and twists, like a dragon, serpent, or snake that can manipulate and control people’s minds and people’s lives.

 

The snake-monster coils, twists, and encroaches. In Filipino it means – pumupulupot, buma baluktot at gumagapang (naninira ng palihim) – such an extremely negative descriptive words that is synonymous to snakes. These three words oftentimes is in the tongue.

 

 

The inside of us

The inside of us as we not fully aware of is a snake-pit. Like our tongue-transforming snake.

 

Apostle James said that all animals can be tamed but not the human tongue. James 3:8 says, But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” Why? The word poison (Greek) “ios” (ee-os) means “poison of animals (poison of asps is under their lips; spoken or men given to reviling and injuring others); venom emitted by serpents.” We as preachers can easily succumb sinning by our words.

 

 

Blessing and Cursing

James 9-10, “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”

 

Since poison in Greek “ios" means "injuring," this spirit wont' leave you with a sting or injury. "Ios" means “injuring venom (as emitted by serpents) and in Filipino ti says, "mapanirang masakit na kamandag.” When you are beaten by a snake, its' poison runs all throughout your blood until it paralyzes all your veins until you lay unconscious until it drops your body dead.

 

That is why satan is called, "Accuser of the brethren." Satan's aim is to hurt and destroy people. Therefore, we must glorify God with our mouth and we must not allow our mouth to glorify Satan.

 

 

Medussa?

Is Medussa inside the Church today? Who is Medussa?

 

Medussa’s head was placed on the top of the column of the entrance of ancient Library of Celsus and in the temple of Hadrian in the ancient city of Ephesus, Kusadasi , Turkey. Medussa’s head was also placed on a pillar right inside the ancient Hagia Sofia, an Orthodox Church in the city of Constantinople (now Istanbul).

 

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According to Hesiod, "Theogony," Gazers upon her (Medussa) hideous face would turn to stone.

 

Medussa is a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. In Filipino, we call her, "Valentina." "So anyone who looked to the eyes of Medussa immediately turned into stone "according to Greek mythology. And why would God used the Greek minds and culture in Revelation chapters 2 and 3?

 

 

Ephesus and Medussa

In ancient city of Ephesus is mentioned in the Bible several times especially in the Book of Acts (Acts 18:19; 21; 18:24; 19:1; 17; 26; 35; 20:17; 1 Cor. 15:32; 16:6; Eph 1:1;! Tim. 1:3 ; 2 Tim. 1:18; 4:12; Revelation 1:11).

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Ephesus means “permitted” is located between Miletus and Smyrna in maritime city of Asia Minor near the Aegean Sea. Paul spent two years in Ephesus preaching, teaching and make some disciples there. John the Beloved when all his contemporaries were executed remained in Ephesus and died there according to historical accounts and traditions. These men of God could have seen Medussa’s statue as well and we do not know how much statues they were. But the disciples battled in their spirit as well for such “territorial enemy” surrounded with cults and myths.

 

Paul warned Timothy, a half-Greek with a Greek culture and mind who traditions is purely mystical. Paul said to Timothy, “Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies…” (1 Tim. 1:4). Fables in Greek “muthos” means “myth.”

 

The early apostles and their followers were confronted with mystique ideologies which is the Greek-mind.

 

 

Spirit of stupor

Medussa today may not be literal but figurative. He can be my church or in your church today. He is very common and can easily identified whenever you are preaching on Sunday and see a few of brethren if not sleeping, snoring.

 

It is the spirit of stupor, the spirit of slumber and sleepiness. Paul warned the church in Ephesus regarding that spirit that turns you into stone – unfeeling like dead.

 

“Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light,” (Ephesians 5:14).

 

Only God as the Light can reveal and deal with this spirit. “Sleep” in Greek, ”katheudo” can be interpreted as literal and figurative i.e. “drop off to sleep; to be indifferent to one’s salvation; to yield to sloth and sin, to lie down to rest or sleep.”

 

Have you not noticed that some religious leaders are unfazed by the moved of the Spirit of God as if they are completely bound by unseen force as if they were turned to a stone? Some Christian groups could not even discern their demonic-inspired ideology and easily deceived by the doctrinal discrepancies and fallacies. Try to convince of the truth and the prophetic move of God and they would just be simply made as stone by the spirit of Medussa. Unconcern. Passive. Apathetic. Is that the "spirit of stupor" or "slumber?"

 

Even the Jewish people, God’s “apple of the eyes” has not been spared with this mesmerizing, turpid, stupor-spirit.

 

“And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but

perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes;

lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and

convert, and be healed, “(Isaiah 6:9-10).

 

Romans 11: 8 (KJV), “(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.”

 

New International Version, “as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day."

New Living Translation, “ As the Scriptures say, "God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear."

 

Even Christ’s disciples had the spirit of slumber hours prior to His betrayal. Stupor or slumber in Greek “katanuxis” means a prickling, piercing, insensitivity of the mind that renders the soul torpid so insensitive. Strong define “a prickling” as a sensation as of the limbs asleep that is by confusion, even with stupor (lethargy). It derived from the Greek root word “katanusso” i.e. to pain the mind sharply, agitate it, vehemently, emotion included.

 

 

Medussa, hypnosis-like

Like the Christians in Ephesus, the Jews are into a deep slumber as well. Romans 11:8,

“(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not

see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.”

 

Slumber Greek “katanuxis” means “insensitivity of the mind; spirit of stupor which renders the

soul torpid, confused and lethargic.” When the mind is insensitive, it fails to distinguish the right

from the wrong and the knowledge on truth does not prevail. Like the eyes of Medussa it

mesmerizes into hypnotic state.

 

 

 

Mesmerism, Hypnosis and Psychiatry,Magic

Hypnosis is a state of human consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion. The term may also refer to an art, skill, or act of inducing hypnosis according to Lynn, Steven Jay; Green, Joseph P.; Kirsch, Irving; Capafons, Antonio; Lilianfeld, Scott O.; Laurence, Jean-Roch; Montgomery, Guy (October 2015). "Grounding hypnosis in science”

 

Theories are explaining what occurs during hypnosis fall into two groups. Altered state theories see hypnosis as an altered state of mind or trance, marked by a level of awareness different from the ordinary conscious state as described Encyclopædia Britannica, 2004.

Hypnosis is not exactly a new concept. People have been entering into hypnotic-type trances for thousands of years. In many cultures and religions, it was regarded as a form of meditation.

Modern day hypnosis however started in the late 1700s and was made popular by Franz Mesmer, an Austrian physician who became known as the father of ‘modern hypnotism’. In fact, hypnosis used to be known as ‘Mesmerism’ as it was named after Mesmer.

Mesmer held the opinion that hypnosis was a sort of mystical force which is flowing from the hypnotist to the person being hypnotized but his theory was dismissed by critics who asserted that there was no magical element to hypnotism.

Before long, hypnotism started finding its way into the world of modern medicine. The use of hypnotism in the medical field was made popular by Surgeons and physicians like Elliotson and James Esdaille.

Researchers like James Braid who helped to reveal the biological and physical benefits of hypnotism. According to his writings, Braid began to hear reports concerning various Oriental meditative practices soon after the release of his first publication on hypnotism, Neurypnology (1843). He first discussed some of these oriental practices in a series of articles entitled Magic, Mesmerism, Hypnotism, etc., Historically & Physiologically Considered. He drew analogies between his own practice of hypnotism and various forms of Hindu yoga meditation and other ancient spiritual practices, especially those involving voluntary burial and apparent human hibernation. Braid's interest in these practices stems from his studies of the Dabistān-i Mazāhib, the "School of Religions", an ancient Persian text describing a wide variety of Oriental religious rituals, beliefs, and practices.

Magi who gave Christ gold, incense and myrrh were men from the Orient and they are seers.

Austrian Sigmund Freud, “The Father of Psychoanalysis,” published an article in 1940 which is entitled, "Das Medusenhaupt (Medusa's Head)" . It was then published posthumously. In Freud's interpretation, Medussa means “to decapitate; to castrate).”



Mesmerizing Magic

In Acts 8:9-11 it tells us of a certain man named Simon, “who used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria …that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.”

 

The word “bewitched” in Greek “mageia” means “magic, magical arts, sorceries.” Root word from Greek “mageuo” (mah-yoo-o) “to be a magician, to practice magical arts, use sorcery.” It refers to “magos” like to the wise men who presented gift to infant Jesus in Bethlehem. That Greek word, “magus” is “a name given by the Babylonians, Chaldeans, Mede, Persians and others to the wise men, teachers, priest, physician, astrologers, seers, interpreter of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers, astrologers, false, prophet” or others according to Thayer Bible Dictionary.


So this Simon, the sorcerer “bewitched” the Samarians with “sorceries” (Greek: “mageia”) which means “magic arts, magic.” It is indeed an “art” but “magic.” If it is an art then it must be scientific. Webster defined art as “a skill acquired by experience, study or observation; it is a branch of learning- one of the humanities.” Synonyms of art is “craft, handcraft; handicraft, trade.”

 

 

Biblical Mesmerism

Mesmerism a modern terminology refers to trance. In Number 24:16 “trance” is called “ayin” in Hebrew i.e. “ eye (physical) or mental state (spiritual eye), “ also a “spring, a fountain”. Strong call it “as the eye of the landscape” parang sine or parang movie in other words.



Balaam, a Mesopotamian prophet, was placed into “trance” state by God Almighty to.

Peter was placed into “trance” by the Lord while he was in prayer in Acts 10:10. The word “trance” in Greek “ekstasis” means “casting down of a thing from its proper place or state; displacement; mind out of normal state like lunatic; bewilderment, ecstasy or trance.”

Paul, while inside the temple praying, was in a “trance” Acts 22:17 in King James Version writes, “And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance.”

In Easy English Bible Translation it says, “I was praying. I was awake but I had a dream.” And in Acts 22:18 (New Living Translation) Paul continued speaking to the crowd in Jerusalem said, “I saw a vision of Jesus.” In KJV it says, “And I saw Him (Christ)” The word “saw” in KJV in Greek “eido” i.e. “to perceive or see in the mind.”

Webster define “trance” as “stupor” or “daze.” It is sleep-like state (as of deep hypnosis) characterized by partly suspended animation with diminished or absent sensory and motor activity. You can be sleeping yet dead, we call it “comatose.” Can you be a comatose church?

Sleepy Church
Is it Ephesus Church in a sleepy church or in comatose state? Paul addressed this to the Ephesians, “Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light,” (Ephesians 5:14). Dead in Greek nekros means “lifeless, spiritually dead, nekus – a corpse.”

Oh I remember what Mark, the Egyptian tourist guide said showing to us the dry, uninhabited city somewhere in Cairo,Egypt while we were inside the bus. He said, “On your left you’ll see, the “city of the dead.”

 

 

In Your Eyes: "The eyes of Medussa"

The Legend of Ra, Isis of Egypt and the Snake. Ra, the chief god and sun god, has a secret name, which is the secret to his power

 

Sanhedrin is branded as "snakes" (Matthew 23:33) by Christ Jesus with the following Greek descriptive words:

  • “ophis” refers to “snake, serpent, with the ancient serpent as an emblem of cunning and wisdom. The serpent who deceived Eve and was regarded by the Jews as the Devil.’ James Strong Dictionary define it as “a snake (as a type of sly cunning) and artful and malicious person, especially Satan, the serpent. The word "ophis" is derived from the Greek word "optamai."

  • “optamai” means “To look at” and “to behold” or “to gaze as eyes wide open that express mechanical, passive and casual vision.”

  • A mesmirizing spirit can turn your eyes are mechanical, passive and casual. Casual is defined as "done without much thought or concern." Casual is being sloppy, sluggish, and drowsy. Let us study Eve and the serpent...

  • Eve and the serpent. Genesis 3:4, "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die."

  • Their conversation is very casual. Eve was then very passive, undiscerning, too-trusting. Serpent in Hebrew "nachash" means "serpent" as literal according to James Strong but also means "fleeing serpent" as "mythological".

  • deeper meaning of "nachash" is "to practice divination" or "practice fortunetelling." It also means "hissing, that is to whisper a magic or spell or enchantment. " Webster define "hissing" as to produce a sound like a long "s" i.e. "to show disapproval." The serpent or the devil is 100% alway shows disapproval to God. Disapproval is disobedience or rebellion. Any "s" or "hissing" is anti -God or anti-Christ like a snake that "twists" the truth and making a lie as if sounded true or certain. Don't we know that many of us who called ourselves Christians oppose God's Prophetic Word? Would that be a form of witchcraft because of rebellion as it is said in ! Samuel 15:23?

  • Satan the great Serpent always distorts, twists and disapproved God's Word. Satan perverted and opposed God commandments when he talked and deceived Eve in Genesis 3:4, Again, with the same old, archaic technique distorted God's Word when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4:6.

  • The "S" sound of the serpent casually made Eve (spiritually) drowsy and look what had happened? Genesis 3:6 says, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

 

  • "saw" Hebrew "ra'ah" i.e. "to look at" or "to gaze at." Very surprising of the word "saw" or "ra'ah."

 

Ra is the ancient sun-god of Egypt. The Legend of Ra, Isis of Egypt and the Snake named Wahjet. Ra, the chief god and sun god, has a secret name, which is the secret to his power.(How is this related to the so-called "ISIS" now i.e. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in terms of spiritual realm?).

 

According to some sources, Ophion ("serpent", a.k.a. Ophioneus), ruled the world with Eurynome before the two of them were cast down by Cronus and Rhea. The oracles of the Ancient Greeks were said to have been the continuation of the tradition begun with the worship of the Egyptian cobra goddess, Wadjet.

 

  • "pleasant to the eyes". The word "pleasant" is "ta'avah" (Hebrew) i.e. "lust; object of desire" while "eyes" is "ayin" (Hebrew) i.e. "physical eye as shows mental and spiritual faculties." Figuratively "a spring fountain." making one "conceited."

 

Human desires are like a fountain with a raging torrent which is sometimes beyond satisfaction. Our cravings can be too intense in great proportion that falls into greed. As Mahatma Gandhi puts it, “The earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed .” So our eyes can lust that much like a fountain.

 

  • The ancient strategy of Satan still apply today when he tempted Eve. Genesis 3:6, “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” Eyes is Hebrew “ayin” i.e. a fountain (as the eye of the landscape).” The eyes can see the whole landscape of the world be our inner cravings and outward lures that can mesmerize our souls.

 

  • 1 John 2:15-17, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

  • "The Last Arrow". Remember when the father shot his last arrow to the serpentine dragon and missed it? It is the last arrow on hand that he got. But his son sneaked from his mother's arm and ran after his father who was on his last stand. To the father's surprise, the young boy, his son handed to his father his spear insinuating to his father to make one more last try, using his as if the last arrow. But the spear too heavy that it didn’t fit to his bow so he called his son to stand before him, using his tiny left shoulder to place the spear shaft to target the enemy. The dragon, "flying serpent" again flew towards their direction saying, "Who will challenge me, Mr. Bowman? ... Is that your child? He cannot escape to die in the fire... " The frightened young boy hearing the thundering voice of the dragon looked back but his father snapped back, "Don't look back! Look at me. Look at me!” True enough, who among us can challenge Satan’s demonic herculean power? If we can’t save our very own lives from his claw, how can we save our son or children?

 

Why did the father said, “Look at me? Look at me?” When you look at the gigantic dragon, you will lose heart and faint and focuses on the enemy more than God who can crush the head of the dragon? (Gen.3:15c; Romans 16:20).

 

When you look at the world and its gigantic monstrous venom you will gets drowsy and fall. Then shift and focus your eyes on Christ alone! Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus…”

Let Christ alone is where your eyes must look at or gaze on. I may continue, Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;

 

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NOTES

 

  • While the serpent concocted Eve to look and eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, the author of the Hebrews on the other hand, encouraged the backsliding and falling Jewish Christians to look at for someone who can strengthen their pitiful state i.e. "Looking unto Jesus," (Hebrews 12:2).

 

  • “Looking” in Hebrew "aphorai" means " to turn the eyes away from other things and fix them on something.” It derived from the root word, "apo" i.e. "separation." It suggests that your eyes must be exclusively focus on Christ alone. No one else and nothing else that your eyes must feast on. “Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith.”

 

  • Origin of the Serpent:

11th century, the Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer illustrates the origin of the "fallen angel myth" by giving two accounts, one relates to the angel in the Garden of Eden who seduces Eve, and the other relates to the angels, the benei elohim who cohabit with the daughters of man (Genesis 6:1–4).[65]

 

  • 'The Last Arrow" tells us that the father have exhausted all his means to kill the monster dragon. His very last arrow did not hit the enemy. Without him knowing it, his son followed him on the lofty tower and handed over his father, his own spear. The father told his son to stand infront of him so he could use his son's shoulder as a bow to hit the enemy. As the flying, fire-spewing dragon approaches near to their direction, his son cringed in fear looking to the dragon's fiery eyes. His father shouted from his back saying, "son, do not on him, look at me, look at me." 1 John 2:15-17, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."

 

  • Peter started to sink in the water as well when He shifted his eyes away from Jesus who was walking on the water.

 

  • Spirit of Stupor. No power is limited to God. Even the powers of the enemy, only God has the absolute control. No sorcery or witchcraft can operation without God’s permission as “permissive will of the Lord.” If you are mesmerized by God, so be with it. If you are mesmerized by an evil spirit, then God has control over that. Even Simon, once a sorcerer, “believed and baptized and continued (became devotee or follower) of Philip” was rebuked by Peter (Acts 8:13/KJV).

  • In Pharaoh’s eyes. In Pharaoh’s eyes, Moses was god. Exodus 7:1, “And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god.” The word “god” in Hebrew elohiym which is also the name of God also means “god,” or “god-like one.” Why? Because through Moses, God will “multiply His signs and wonders (‘mopheth i.e. miracles). In Exodus 7:11, the king of Egypt is surrounded with “wise men, sorcerers and magicians and enchantments.” The word “sorcerer” is Hebrew “chartom” (khar-tome) means “ astrologer,” “occult” or “horoscopic.”

 

Pharaoh’s counsellor in his palace are magicians whom Moses had close encounter. “Iron sharpens iron,” (Proverbs 27:17) so God granted Pharaoh’s intent of the heart. “Magic” (of God) vs magic (of men). Even Aaron rod turned into serpent and eaten (v. 10-12) and when the king called his magicians and sorcerers to cast down their rod into serpents, Aaron’s rod-turned-serpent swallowed them all. Serpent “tanniyn” (Hebrew) means “dragon, sea monster, dinosaur.” The Nile is said to be likened as “sea or river monster” according to Strong.

 

  • Christian backsliders.

The Jewish Christian believers have gone into backsliding. Paul, author of the Book of Hebrews said to them, “O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you.” Galatia is a Roman province of Galatia in Asia Minor (now Turkey). In other words, once you did not obey the truth, you are under the spell or magic. Paul said they were “bewitched” in Greek “baskaino” i.e. “ to charm, to fascinate by false representations.”

The word “bewitched” has something to do with the Christians who were in “constant danger of relapsing (backsliding)” according to Thompson Chain- Reference Bible.



Galatian is called “Galli” by the Roman writers who are a mixture of Gaul (French) and Greek. The presence of many synagogues in this region of Asia Minor (Turkey) clearly suggests many are Jews. Paul who was accompanied by Silas and Timothy visited Galatia during his 2nd missionary journey (Acts 16:6). Paul got sick there and he used this opportunity to stay longer in Galatia for the advancement of the Gospel (Galatia 4:13). And during Paul’s 3rd missionary journey together with Timothy “had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia..” (Acts 16:6)



Phrygia is bounded by Galatia that includes Lydia, Laodicea, Hierapolis and Colosse. And we and others 28 Filipino intercessors of IFP have gone to Laodicea, Hierapolis and Colosse where we did pray for this places which once a “bastion of Christianity.”

 



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Seven-headed dragon (OT)

 

Leviathan, the Seven-Headed Serpent of the Old Testament (Tanach). Moses and the

serpent on as pole (Numbers 21:8). Above photos from the internet

 

In Greek mythology Medusa means "guardian, protectress". She was a monster, a Gorgon, generally described as a winged human female with living venomous snakes in place of hair. Gazers upon her hideous face would turn to stone. Most sources describe her as the daughter of Phorcys and Ceto,[2] though the author Hyginus makes her the daughter of Gorgon and Ceto.[3] According to Hesiod and Aeschylus, she lived and died on an island named Sarpedon, somewhere near Cisthene. The 2nd-century BCE novelist Dionysios Skytobrachion puts her somewhere in Libya, where Herodotus had said the Berbers originated her myth, as part of their religion.

 

Greek mythology

Medusa was beheaded by the hero Perseus, who thereafter used her head, which retained its ability to turn onlookers to stone, as a weapon[4] until he gave it to the goddess Athena to place on her shield. In classical antiquity the image of the head of Medusa appeared in the evil-averting device known as the Gorgoneion.

 

Roman mythology

Medusa myth is related by the Roman poet Ovid (Metamorphoses 4.770), Medusa was originally a ravishingly beautiful maiden, "the jealous aspiration of many suitors," but because Poseidon had raped her in Athena's temple, the enraged Athena transformed Medusa's beautiful hair to serpents and made her face so terrible to behold that the mere sight of it would turn onlookers to stone.[6] In Ovid's telling, Perseus describes Medusa's punishment by Minerva (Athena) as just and well earned. The image of Medussa is even inscribed in the coins during the reign of Seleucus I Nicator of Syria, (312-280 BC.).

 

Perseus received help. He received a mirrored shield from Athena, gold, winged sandals from Hermes, a sword from Hephaestus and Hades's helm of invisibility. Since Medusa was the only one of the three Gorgons who was mortal, Perseus was able to slay her while looking at the reflection from the mirrored shield he received from Athena

Sources: American Heritage Dictionary; compare Medon, Medea, Diomedes, etc.). Hesiod, Theogony 270, and Pseudo-Apollodorus Bibliotheke, 1.10.. Gorgon and Ceto, Sthenno, Eurylae, Medusa".. Bullfinch, Thomas. "Bulfinch Mythology – Age of Fable – Stories of Gods & Heroes". (2007

 

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Left Photo is Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Middle Photo is the 7-headed dragon in Angkor

Wat.. Right Photo: Look at the snake on gate of this temple in Viantiane, Laos. Photos by Peps in 2014 except middle photo.

 

The Beast (Greek: Θηρίον, Thērion) may refer to one of two beasts described in the Book of Revelation. The first beast comes "out of the sea" and is given authority and power by the dragon; the second beast comes "out of the earth". This first beast is initially mentioned in Revelation 11:7 as coming out of the .....beasts revealed to Daniel, and to the seven-headed beast revealed to John.

 

Dragon or the Beast (Greek: Thērion) may refer to one of two beasts described in the Book of Revelation. The first beast comes "out of the sea" and is given authority and power by the dragon; the second beast comes "out of the earth". This first beast is initially mentioned in Revelation 11:7 as coming out of the abyss. His appearance is described in detail in Revelation 13:1-10, and some of the mystery behind his appearance is revealed in Revelation 17:7-18. The second beast comes from "out of the earth" and directs all peoples of the earth to worship the first beast. The second beast is described in Revelation 13:11-18 and is also referred to as the false prophet. The two beasts are aligned with the dragon in opposition to God. They persecute the "saints" and those who do "not worship the image of the beast [of the sea]" and influence the kings of the earth to gather for the battle of Armageddon. The two beasts are defeated by Christ and are thrown into the lake of fire mentioned in Revelation 19:18-20.