Because the fallen children of Israel were God’s Chosen People, they became Satan’s (Baal’s) chosen people as he lured the sons of Jacob away from their Lord and to himself.  Billions of their descendants, calling themselves God’s children, remain his (Satan’s) people to this day.  As this series will prove, Satan’s efforts have drastically increased in scope and power.  In terms of Satan’s control of those who claim to be God’s people, America and the Western world’s other “Christian nations” make ancient Israel’s sins seem insignificant.  In both cases Israel’s god has always required sacrifice in both the spiritual and physical realm.  As history has revealed, neither ancient Israel nor modern Israel has disappointed their god.  Relative to service to her god, modern Israel does greater service to her god than did her ancient ancestors by far.

Following their meeting with God at Mount Sinai the recently freed Israelites refused to hear His voice, created a golden calf to follow back to Egyptian slavery, engaged in a mass sex orgy and forced God to create another law–the “law that was added because of (Israel’s) transgressions (sins)”–Gal. 3:19.  The “added law” required the use of animal sacrifices whose blood covered the people’s sins.  Animal blood would suffice until Israel’s God (the Word Who became Jesus of Nazareth) would die for the sins of all mankind.  Jesus announced during the Last Supper that the time for the change had come when He told His disciples that henceforth His blood would take the place of animal blood.  The sacrificial “law that was added” was “nailed to the cross” upon His Crucifixion.  The days of animal sacrifice were over.  His blood would remove all PAST sins for true converts (Rom. 3:25).

When the Israelite people began to embrace the religions and gods of the heathen people around them they soon realized that heathenism’s main god–Baal–demanded sacrifices.  However, unlike Israel’s God, Baal was not satisfied with the sacrifice of animals and grain.  He demanded human life.  Like their heathen neighbors, Israel would willingly sacrifice her most cherished possessions to her most cherished god–her children.  The priests of Baal assured them that the god of prosperity would bless the produce of their animals and their land if they would offer up their innocent little ones to him in the flames of idolatry.

The writings of ancient historians tell us that Israel did not hesitate to follow the commands of their new religion.  They describe parents offering up their children to Baal by placing them in the arms of a bronze statue of their new god.  Beneath his arms was a raging fire which consumed the child as his/her screams were drowned out by loud singing, the beating of drums and the blowing of horns.  Because of their sacrifice, the people believed that their animals and land would produce better than would normally be the case.  In this way, Baal supposedly trumped nature when it came to producing wealth for the people.  Among other things, Baal was the god of prosperity.

This was the religion and method of worship that Israel embraced after she turned away from God.  This was the horror of her new morality.  Child sacrifice would be the act that would seal the doom of God’s Chosen People and would bring about the nation’s judgment that would result in military defeat, slaughter, enslavement and scattering of all survivors throughout the earth where they remain to this day.  Read Who and Where is Israel Today?  Key word–Who?  After that judgment fell, the Scriptural statement that sums up the depths of the nation’s depravity is found in Second Kings 17:17: “And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire.”

Over time the offering up of their children would become so pervasive that it would be given governmental acceptance.  It would progress from being a forbidden pagan practice performed in the shadows of the society to a spiritual rite endorsed by those at the highest levels of national leadership.  Kings were known to offer up their royal children, thereby spilling royal blood in honor of Israel’s newfound god.

This bloody act of worship at first was found only in the Northern Kingdom.  It would eventually become a common practice in the Southern Kingdom.  That which most people on earth judge to be the most evil of acts–the murder of the innocent–would become an incontestable right within the Israelite society.  It would become not only a basic human right, it would become a RITE–A SACRIMENT–A SACRED ACT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IN HONOR OF THE NATION’S GOD.

But in the eyes of the true God, such an act could never be viewed as anything but the most horrific of religious customs.  The Almighty, through His Old Testament prophets, exposed the evil of such a practice and warned of its consequences: “Because they have forsaken Me and made this an alien place, because they have burned incense to other gods that neither they, their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known, because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocents and have built the high places of Baal where they burn their sons with fire as offerings to Baal ….” (Jer. 19:4,5), God promised to curse them.

The hands of the Israelites, and eventually the Judahites (Jews) were covered with the blood of their children.  They had deafened their ears to the screams of their little ones as they died the most horrific of deaths.  However, the Lord God Almighty in heaven heard their cries.  The death Israel had wrought on her alters of sacrifice would come back to haunt them as His warnings forewarned: “Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”  “Man sows the wind and reaps the whirlwind.”  A modern version of those Truths is this popular saying: “What goes around, comes around.”  To which I add: “… with a hammer in each hand.”  In the Middle East the reality of these sayings is summed up in one word: karma.  I have seen the above sayings come to fruition in real life on many occasions.  In fact, I see them materialize on a daily basis.  When that happens, which it always does, those being afflicted explain the problems they face as “just the way life is.”  This is true.  The question then becomes, why is it “just the way life is?”  The answer is found in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

At this point, several questions must be asked and answered relative to the subject of this series.  Could the change that took place in ancient Israel be manifesting itself in her modern day descendants?  Could the horrors of Israel’s past be repeating themselves on a much larger scale?  Could an end-time God-established and greatly-blessed nation have turned her back on her Creator and be worshiping and serving the same deity as did its ancient ancestors?  The answers to those questions can be summed up in one word: yes.  As an apostle of the Biblical God I watch in amazement as America’s Satan-serving past and the results it has produced plays out on t.v. and in print.  Honestly, I thought nothing could shock me.  But I must admit that I am shocked to my core at what is taking place in America on a day-to-day basis, as well as the speed at which my beloved nation is changing for the worst.  Many years ago I asked the Lord to allow me to see the return of His Son and to live through the hell on earth that would lead up to that event.  I believe He is granting my wish. The earthly hell part which Jesus called–“… the beginning of sorrows” (Mat. 24:4-8) is forming presently.  I am sure that this generation will see the true children of God being forced to leave the nation, the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord, Christ’s Second Advent and the resurrection of the righteous dead take place.  Gird up the loins of your mind, dear reader, for what is coming will, as Jesus said, make ALL OF THE HORRORS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE THROUGHOUT HISTORY COMBINED PALE IN COMPARISON TO WHAT IS COMING.  Won’t you join me in serving the Holy God of the Holy Scriptures and travel with me to the place of safety He has prepared for His Very Elect where we will be protected and provided for as the world around us goes up in flames?  I BELIEVE that this will take place within five to seven years.  I claim no revelation from God in this regard.  However, judging by what I am seeing and what is written in Scripture, I believe that Christ will return within that time period.  Recall that Jesus said that His true saints would know the “season” that would usher in the Great Tribulation.  I believe that season is about to arrive.  Pray, my beloved friends.  Believe and obey the Lord.  As Paul said, “Save yourself from this untoward (sinful) generation” by sanctifying yourself and all that you do, say and think unto the Lord.  This world offers no joy that can compare to knowing that one is one with the Lord.  Oneship with God can only be achieved through strict obedience to His Word.  Let us be about doing that.  After all, what else is there?  L.J.