"Only in the book of Revelation does the reference to magic arts or sorcery take on an entirely new meaning! The word used throughout the book of Revelation is an altogether different Greek word than is used anywhere else in scripture. In Revelation 21:8 it is pharmakeus and in Revelation 22:15 it becomes pharmakos. Then in Revelation 9:21 and here in our text the word is pharmakeia. Obviously the prefix “pharma” reveals that the meaning of the word has something to do with drugs, as in the words “pharmaceutical,” “pharmacy,” and “pharmacist.” No other place in scripture, but in the book of Revelation, is the idea of “sorcery” associated with drugs! The three Greek words listed above are simply different forms of the same word denoting drugs and druggists. It identifies deadly poisons and those who either make or sell those deadly poisons. That is just what the words mean, nothing else. In the Greek language a Pharmacist is, therefore, a Sorcerer, a maker or a dealer, a vendor or a user of deadly poisons sometimes administered as medicines. Legal or illegal, in many cases they destroy the brain and other vital organs and systems, madden the user, and weaken and ruin the spirits, souls, and bodies of the countless millions who use them. If you doubt that practically all drugs are dangerous, deadly poisons that are, even at best, destructive to human life, just listen to the plethora of warnings and side effects at the end of most pharmaceutical ads on television! Oftentimes more seconds are spent on the warnings and side effects of the drug than on the actual promotional and beneficent content of the ad! That is the actual meaning of the words “Sorcerers” and “sorceries” in the book of Revelation. As a matter of scholarship it cannot be contested.
"The purpose of this message is not to attack drugs, medicines, or pharmacists. Let us keep our minds in the Spirit! Again I remind every reader of these lines that the Revelation is a spiritual book, and its realities are spiritual realities! No one knew better than the beloved John what, in its spiritual meaning, “drugs” signifies! The message is clear — it signifies the doctrines and teachings of religious Babylon which dull the spiritual senses of the Lord’s people and are destructive to true spiritual life, giving them a false hope, a mis-directed goal, and causing them to live by religious superstitions, myths, traditions, legends, and folklore. Doctrines about the power of the devil, financial prosperity, the rapture, so-called end-time events, the antichrist, the great tribulation, a mansion over the hilltop, along with holidays, rituals, ceremonies, sacraments, and a hundred more delusions drug God’s people into a spiritually hallucinogenic state. They live in a false, starry-eyed fairy-world of soulical imaginations which they suppose to be spiritual realities! Pleasure! Fun! Thrills! Excitement! are the result of a cunning spirit that saturates the church systems as they run after the “high” of soulical programs, concerts, fleshly manifestations, emotionally stirring singing, entertaining preaching — the same as any drug user in the world. God says that all nations are deceived by the “sorceries” or the “spiritual drugging” of Mystery Babylon!"
Much more in the link:
You can believe it's context is only spiritual or symbolic all you want. However when I see the great men of this earth who just so happen to be merchants, deceiving the entire earth with a gene altering poison that's advertised as a pharmaceutical. I'm gonna say that scripture is prophetic and it's come to pass here and now in the physical and natural world. The implications of this deception is debatable to the flesh. But in the spirit it's clear the meaning and end result of this deception.
Yes, Babylon keeps the people of God decieved, and it works like a drug on us, we need always combat such deception, this particular verse is talking about Babylon's destruction, along with its deceiving sorceries.
I do agree with you, evil men of the world deceive, it's all they know how to do, without God, and without hope IN THE WORLD.
For 2000 years people been taking literal world happenings that seem to look like the spiritual reality being conveyed in Revelation, and calling it a fulfillment of the prophesy, they continue to look outside at the world events, rather than inside at the spiritual events.
It is not merely spiritual, it is about the kingdom we are a part of, it is wholly spiritual, as is the revelation of Jesus Christ in our being.
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So when Jesus said when you see these things come to pass, look up for your redemption draweth nigh. He's speaking of spiritual matters only?
I suppose the scripture in revelation 12 that mentions a woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet and upon her head 12 stars. And being with child travailing in birth and pain to be delivered is only spiritual also.
When 9/23/17 this very sign took place in the heavens. I guess all of these things are just coincidences. God's word says that the sun, moon and stars are given to us for signs, seasons, days and years.
His word is prophetic and it's spiritual meanings will manifest in the natural. We are to discern all these things. Otherwise His people will perish for lack of knowledge. We must have His wisdom to see the spiritual and earthly revelation He's given us.
Revelation is not the Gospels, its interpretation is wholly different that the Gospels.
Again you trivialize the spiritual reality as being less than or apart from our physical reality. The kingdom of Heaven is a present reality, it is where Jesus is revealed(unveiled)
Please interpret the sign you are talking about, you've strayed from the topic of Revelation though. The book of Revelation is unique and is to be interpeted so. Revelation is not about the physical world at all in any way, it is all spiritual, and to be spiritually interpreted, it is also much more fulfilling spiritually than a physical interpretation, it's just better.
I agree with you here, but it is not foretelling covid or any like thing. Prophesy is not simply foretelling, it also speaks of God’s reality, the state of things, and how to live in that reality. Spiritually understanding Heaven is experiencing heavens realm, where God lives, with Jesus Christ, by way of the Holy Spirit.
People perish for lack of knowledge about God, Spirit, life, and the working of the adversary.
The physical world is not what Revelation is written about. Babylon is a spiritual city, a real lying force, a harlot that leads us away from God, the true bride of Christ, and the City of God............all experienced in our very real heavens, that is how the book is written.
But you've chosen a doctrine, I'm under no illusion I can wrest you from it.
1/4 of the earth will be destroyed in the physical.
The mark, name or number is being unleashed on all the nations.
Followers of Christ will be martyred for their testimony of Him.
He will return and make His enemies His footstool.
All physical in the earth.
I'm humble enough to admit idk all there is to know about the physical and spiritual meanings of everything in the book of revelation. I am wise enough to know that the book is not spiritual revelation only.
So I agree with you, I won't be swayed by man as to what the Holy Spirit has taught me.
But if your understanding is keeping you on the narrow path than praise be His name.
"And the kingdom, the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey them. This was the end of the matter” (Dan. 7:27-28, Goodspeed).
Thank you God’s _plan_trumps_all, I'm actually having a personal revival with this study. It's been going on for a year or so now, I enjoyed conversating with you about it.
That’s quite the logical leap. The Bible was written two thousand years ago so it’s pretty obvious that the word used then and our current concept of pharmacy have diverged.
Does he classify alcohol as pharmakeia? Jesus turned water into wine, albeit weaker wine than we’re familiar with. How about coffee and tea? That’s taking an herb and producing caffeine which affects health. Is the author equating those with the sin of sorcery?
Here is what the Greek lexicon says about the word uses in Revelation 18:23:
https://biblehub.com/lexicon/revelation/18-23.htm
Revelation is a book of symbols using physical realities to show spiritual realities. It's not the literal drug, it's the doctrines that work as a drug.
Sorceries is simply a English interpretation of a Greek word, it could be inderpreted into English as "drug pusher" or "chemist".
The point is the effect of the doctrines of Babylon.
The late A.T. Robertson, speaking of the nuances and shaded meanings of the original Greek autographs, wrote in his book, The Minister and His Greek New Testament, said --
Such a concept would indeed include the multifaceted word -- 'pharmakeia'. It has been translated in the past as witchcraft or sorcery, and could literally be translated as drug-pusher. Yet, none of these single concepts are by themselves suitable to convey the full meaning of 'pharmakeia' in modern society.
The concept would include persons of superior knowledge who misuse knowledge to victimize the ignorant or to lead away from the rational and empirical truth, as in the case of our FDA, CDC, NHS, Big Pharma, the Biden Administration, our religious leaders, and international actors. It would no doubt include the heads of corporations and financial system and their coercive use of financial leverage to force the innocent into mass formation psychosis to which their beliefs and rational thinking was completely abandoned.
Thus, any misuse of superior, natural knowledge, including the willful manipulation of mathematics, algorithms, computers, genetics, or even mechanical sciences, are all used as tools of the practice of 'pharmakeia'. To the Greeks, it was as much indicative of a thought and belief system shrouded in the popular superstitions as it was the actual practice of pagan priests and priestesses using drugs to gain superiority over their devotees. From the christian point of view, 'pharmakeia' included the practice of fortune telling and astrology. It connoted a deceived person or group (Cabal) caught-up in and espousing a philosophy, religious or political that was opposed to the truth of the Laws of God and Nature. In this broad sense, it included both the abortionist and the local pimp, and the false knowledge would, of necessity, fall under the category of 'pharmakeia'. It carries the idea of a person being drugged or drunken on false ideas or concepts as in the case of the whore of Babylon who made all the nations to drink of her heady wine of false religious philosophy.
When the innocent of God are wittingly caused to stumble, be inflicted, and harmed by those of influence and authority, this is indeed 'pharmakeia'. It is written these who do 'pharmakeia' will not only face death, but will experience a second death.
These people who are in positions of authority (false teachers, heretics, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, doctors, bachelors & masters, politicians which forsake Christ to maintain false doctrine) and are purposely leading the innocent astray, especially the children, and causing all to stumble, be inflicted and harmed, it is only fitting death is not their only punishment, but the Second Death, the Lake of Fire to which we just discussed.
What is the "second death"? It is God's condemnation of being thrown into the 'Lake of fire' to those who committing 'pharmakeia' will be condemned to. The 'Lake of fire' is made of two things. Jesus reveals the fire. He teaches us it is made of unquenchable fire: Mark 9:43-44 “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” Unquenchable means the fire is impossible to satisfy, suppress or destroy. The fire is inextinguishable. Nothing or no one will be able to put it out.
The second element in the lake of fire is brimstone, as revealed by John (Revelation 21:8). Brimstone is none other than burning sulfur. Sulfur is an explosive element that’s difficult to extinguish. It is a lemon-yellow colored stone that, when ignited, turns into liquid fire. It has a rich, fluorescent-type deep cobalt bluish color as it burns. Sulfur does not glow red. It burns blue. A blue-colored flame is much more intense. Also, the flame is only visible in the darkness. God caused fire and brimstone (sulfur) to rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah from heaven because of his intense displeasure (Genesis 19:24). Brimstone symbolizes God’s intense anger or wrath (Deuteronomy 29:23; Psalm 11:6).
https://biblehub.com/lexicon/revelation/19-6.htm
Awesome, I always get alot of insight by checking the lexicon and how a particular word is used throughout scripture.
"Here we have the great “Handel’s Messiah” of God’s elect! In recent years the word Hallelujah, or Alleluia, has disappeared from the Psalms in the King James Bible, and the phrase “Praise ye the Lord” has taken its place. However, it is still retained in the Revelation. Breaking down the word into its component parts, it becomes “Praise Yah,” or better yet, “Hail Yah,” and expresses a great sense of glorified reverence and gratitude. The first time the word is found in the Bible is in connection with the installation of the ark of God in the midst of Zion. David had ended his warfare, all his enemies had been defeated, the stronghold of Zion had been wrested from the Jebusites, and now the ark would rest in Zion and Yahweh would be exalted in their midst. David decided to have a choir in the midst of the worship of God and we read that “he appointed certain of the Levites to minister (in song) before the ark of the Lord, and to celebrate and to thank and hallelujah the God of Israel” (I Chron. 16:4, Literal). The ark of God was the symbol of Yahwey’s presence, power, victory, and glory among His people. Christ, of course, is the true ark, and as great Babylon is overthrown within and without, and Christ comes forth to take His rightful place in His people, all of God’s called and separated elect who dwell in the heavenlies, in the high places of the Spirit of the Lord, break forth in glad Hallelujahs. HAIL YAH! ALL HAIL TO THE CHIEF! That is the message! Oh, yes! Thus in this majestic chorus great joy is expressed for the overthrow of the carnal mind and all it has spawned in the earth. Hail Yah! For HE has done this by His mighty love, power, and purpose! To Him be the glory!"
Good. Lord. How much more obvious do things have to be? However I do take exception to part of the interpretation not specific to pharma.
"For by thy sorceries (doctrines which dull the senses and drug God’s people into a hallucinogenic state) were all nations deceived!"
"The people are drugged to sleep by the word of Babylon simply because the true word and the true ministries of God ARE FOUND AND HEARD NO MORE AT ALL IN HER!"
"They have nothing of life to offer, no reality to meet your deepest need, so they give you a drugged word to induce either a deep spiritual stupor or a fleshly, emotional high which keeps you ignorant of the real, eternal values. You are so drugged out of your mind that you’re not aware of the lack, of what’s missing. It’s a numbing effect, you’re in a hypnotic trance, an illusory world of imagination, unreality, and make-believe, as they “soothsay” you, casting over you their spell, bringing you under their control so that you listen to their voice and blindly obey."