Gauntlet of the Spirits

 

Please enter my friend.  Adonai Tzvaot, the “Lord of Hosts” beckons you to sit and learn of the mighty armies from heaven and hell.

This is a war between the holy and the profane.

Simply put, angels are messengers who bring either good tidings or impending doom.

Angels have garments; they have an allegiance to their master; they are a military force; they have an organizational structure; they have frequencies; they have a sophisticated communication network; they march under banners; they have colors; and they have missions.

It can be, but necessarily, an invisible realm, the confrontation between God with His angels standing opposed to the Evil One with his nefarious demonic hordes.  We live in a day and age where the barriers that protect us have been blurred and vaporized.  God did not ask you, if you want to participate in this engagement, as His creation you are conscripted, for good or for evil.  There is no sitting on the fence.

And so, the war comes onto our turf.  Will you be able to recognize actors, heavenly or demonic?

Let us reason together from the biblical narrative, ancient texts, history, and eye-witness accounts.

There is a very strange verse nestled in Hebrews 13:2 between an admonition to extend brotherly love, remembering those in prison and those suffering mistreatment, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”  

Brotherly love, remembering prisoners, and assisting those suffering mistreatment and death has certainly faded from the cultures of the world. 

There are two things that must be emphasized:

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.  Ecclesiastes 1:9

Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Matthew 6:10

Everything on earth, visible or invisible, has been in existence since the creation.  Godly things on earth are a model or foreshadowing with a tether or bridge to  heaven.

This topic is as expansive as the heavens, and so we shall only touch upon it. 

In the angelic realm there are ten primary names of angels who represent different spiritual levels.  All these spiritual forms are alive. They recognize and know the Creator with very immense knowledge.  Each angelic form was created with a unique mission and purpose within the angelic hierarchy. 

Even the highest angels are unable to conceive of the true nature of the Creator as He truly is, since its intellectual capacity is too limited to know or to grasp Him.   They do, however, comprehend and know more than the form which is below it. 

Chayot are the Holy Angels who are the highest ranking angels.  Their mission is enlightenment, holding up God’s throne, and holding the earth in its position in space. 

Ofanim are the color of beryl (green) and covered with eyes according to Ezekiel.  One part of them touches the chayot and the other touches the ground.  These angels are interconnected as described in the “wheel within a wheel”.  They move, being propelled by the Chayot.  When they move it is straight, they do not turn to the right, nor to the left.    

Erelim are the angels that cry out, the angels of peace, who weep bitterly at the state of affairs upon the earth today.  They seem to be intimate with the moment of death.  It is said that these angels are the carriers of righteous souls unto God.  They are also witness to destruction and the humiliation of the Shekhinah.  Some ancient texts describe these angels as the genius of foliage, impelling plant growth.

Chashmalim are brilliant angels, including all the shades and hues that the eye is capable of distinguishing, much more than a luminous sunrise or sunset.  They communicate in silence.  What the mouth can not articulate, the soul can speak.   In the Book of Proverbs speaks twenty-eight times of the “quality of times” that change in the world, there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.”   In the higher heavenly realms time does not exist, at least the way we understand it.  We get very flustered with paradoxes, but in the lofty abode all is harmonious, paradoxes coexist, and silence and communication are unified.  There are some things that cannot be explained by speech and yet silence has the power to convey. This is the power of telepathy.   “Telepathy” is derived from the Greek terms tele (“distant”) and pathe (“occurrence” or “feeling”).  But before you say whoo-whoo, remember any action that travels afar is tele, such as television or telescope.

In Hebrew, tele can mean dew, specifically a crystalline dew, which can communicate thought.  This is not far fetched as radios began with crystal tubes and consider the work of Dr. Emoto on intent and water. Telepathy can include prayer.  It comes from the root to 'adhere' and so when we pray, our prayers are joined with God, as long as we pray according to His will.  This is why the Lord's prayer is so foundational. 

Now, ponder the manna in the Wilderness that fell with the dew.  Was this manna part of a Divine communication plan, as well as nourishment, much like the Urim and Thumim on the High Priests Breastplate for communicating with the Most High?  Will we witness a return of the manna?

Seraphim are the burning angels.  They are six-winged angels who fly around the Throne of God crying, “holy, holy, holy."   It is said that they continually “burn up” in self-nullification.  There are ten archangels with one over them, who is said to have been transformed from flesh and blood into flaming fire.

Malachim are the angels of pure intellect, unfettered by earthly conceptions. They abide in a world of divine energy.  Each world heavenly or demonic has its own energy source to sustain its existence.   Malachim can be found in all divine territories.

Elohim are the powerful angels.  In the Bible, they can refer to God, but also can reference powerful people or judges.

B’nai Elohim in the form of Elokim (Sons of God) can be an angel or demi-god.  Elokim is the Name of God in judgment.    ‘Bnei’ means literally, sons.  It is also a title such as prince, noblemen, or judge.

Cherubim are complicated winged angels, and it is here we meet a paradox.  We first see the cherubim in the account as being golden angels who spread out their wings over the kapporet (covering) upon the ark of testimony.  They are with God as something that He rides or sits upon.  Some ancient scholars believe cherubim are like winged children who promote belief in erotes and cupids.  The Midrash Hagadol asserts that the cherub resembles a human, in all respects, except that it has the wings of a bird.  Some think the cherubim are winged adults. 

An intermediate position between this view and the preceding one was taken by Abraham b. Moses Maimonides (1186–1237), suggests that the ark cherubim in the tabernacle had human heads and faces and avian wings, bodies and feet.

While others, believe the cherubim are winged bovines, griffins, or sphinxes.

What do we know about the cherubim?

There is a possibility of what the cherubim may be.  It was proposed by a tenth-century grammarian Menachem ibn Saruq who deduced the word to mean “figure”.  The root meaning a “mix”.   That does pose a problem with the biblical text which forbids the mixing of seed.

Another person characterized the cherubim of the Garden of Eden as “angels in form of demons, and argued that their name is a reflection of the fact that they contain a mixture of two species.”  Thus, cherubim could be identified as a composite or hybrid creature.

Or, it could be that the cherubim are just winged human-like creatures.  The archeological evidence supports this. 

First, a stamp seal from Beth Shemesh, which, according to Keel, should probably be dated to ca. 1100–900 BCE, depicts an armless, winged human whose wings are spread straight out to his sides], like the ark cherubim in the temple (1 Kings 6:24–27 ≈ 2 Chronicles 3:11–13).

Second, a cylinder seal from Tell el-Ajjul, in the vicinity of Gaza, dated by Teissier to the period of ca. 1820–1740, portrays a pair of armless, winged humans spreading their wings out in front of them, like the ark cherubim in the tabernacle, and sheltering a tree.

Third, a fragmentary Phoenician openwork ivory found in Nimrud, probably from the ninth or eighth century BCE shows a winged human with wings extended in the same position; the upper wing is preserved and is the same length as the adjacent arm.

Ishim are a class of angels who contain fire, flames and sparks within snow.  Recall the plague of hail containing fire during the 10 Plagues of Egypt, in the showdown of who is God.

These ishim are said to be the messengers to the prophets and are delegated to be involved with the affairs of man.  Some say they are the beautiful souls of just men who reside the 5th heaven, Makon.   Since creation the Ishim exist to praise and extol God in the heavenly choir.

The angelic realm is so vast to the degree that one could spend a lifetime learning about it.

Men will faint from fear and anxiety over what is coming upon the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.  Luke 21:26

That t heir hearts may melt and many fall at all their gates.  I have the glittering sword.  Ah!  It is made for striking like lightning; it is wrapped up in readiness for the slaughter.  Ezekiel 21:15

When plunging into the darkness things can becomes murky and it is oftentimes difficult to distinguish where one entity starts and another one begins.  We need to pray for clarity, so that we can distinguish good from evil in an epoch where good is called evil and vice-versa.

When the Children of Israel spied out the land they felt inferior and fearful when they saw the giants.  Why?

It is interesting, in the Hebrew, it can read Bnei Elohim 'Sons of God', which is what we traditionally have come to know, or it can be read as, Bnei Elokim 'Sons of Gods' (of Judgment).  Elokim is the attribute of God apportioned for strict Justice. He alone is the True Judge. 

According to Midrash Rabbah - Bereshit (Genesis) XXVI: 7 The Nephilim are known by seven names:  Nephilim, Emim, Rephaim, Gibborim, Zamzumim, Anakim, and Awim.  Each family of these beastly tribes has a distinct horror attached to them.

Think about all the biblical passages that talk about the End of Days with words such as dread, melt, chains, and ruination.

Ancient scholars say “that they were as expert in the knowledge of different kinds of earth as a serpent, for in Galilee a serpent is called ‘awwiah’. Nephilim denotes that they hurled (hippilu) the world down, themselves fell (naflu) from the world, and filled the world with abortions (nephilim) through their immorality”.

It is alluded that some, but not all, angels, began seeking “going after strange flesh,” keeping “not their first estate,” having “left their own habitation,” and “giving themselves over to fornication.”

During the fall there is a Hebrew feast called Yom Kippur.  It is a solemn day of fasting and prayer.  Yom Kippur atones for sins between man and G-d.

In the days of the Temple, described in Leviticus 16, two goats were chosen.  One bore the Name of God and the other Azazel.   A red cord was tied on the horn of the goat destined for Mount Azazel and he was ushered to a cliff called HaKippurim (Mountain of Covering) and plunged to his death to atone for the sins of the people.  He was not merely banished from the camp because he contained the sins of the people which could return.

Ancient writings states the rite of Azazel is so called ‘because it obtains atonement for the affair of Uzza and Azazel.”  These two angels were angels of destruction who descended to the earth in the days of Naamah, sister to Tuval-Cain, where the ‘godly beings saw the children of man”.

The Azazel is a remembrance sacrifice for the sin of immorality which these beings sought out, as well as atonement.  Without blood there is no remission of sin. 

The Hebrew word, Nephilim, means “fallen ones” Strong’s The word in Hebrew is interchangeable with a tyrant or giant. 

Who are the Nephilim - נפלים?  Nephilim is: נפל has the connotation of ‘fall down’. The root is used in Genesis 2:21, nephilim is a plural word, meaning that there is more than one.

The Days of Noah was a period of time when the nephilim first appeared, a time of rampant immorality.  They traded their angelic legacy for a bestial existence.

They produced offspring, a mixture of an earthly and a celestial race of giants.  These giants when slain became a hybrid race of disembodied spirits or demons doing the work of destruction until the day of Judgment.

From the pages of history and legend:

“The Canaanite women were in the habit of walking around naked, and they gave themselves every conceivable manner of lewd practices.  Of such were the women whose beauty and sensual charms tempted the angels from the path of virtue.  The angels, in the other hand, no sooner had rebelled against God and descended to earth than they lost their transcendental qualities, and were invested with sublunary bodies, so that a union with the daughters of men became possible.  The offspring of these alliances between the angels and the Canaanite women were the giants known for their strength and their sinfulness.”  Legends of the Jews, Volume 1

“Under the leadership of twenty captains they defiled themselves with the daughters of men, unto whom they taught charms, conjuring formulas, how to cut roots, the efficacy of plants.  The issue of these mixed ‘marriages’ was a race of giants, three thousand ells tall, who consumed the possessions of men.  When all had vanished, and they could obtain nothing more from them, the giants turned against men and devoured many of them, and the remnant of men began to trespass against the birds, beasts, reptiles, and fishes, eating their flesh and drinking their blood.”  Legends of the Jews, Volume 1

“The earth complained about the impious evil-doers.  But the fallen angels continued to corrupt mankind.

Azazel taught men how to make slaughtering knives, arms shields, and coats of mail.  He showed them metals and how to work them, and armlets and all sorts of trinkets, and the use of rouge for the eyes, and how to beautify the eyelids, and how to ornament themselves with the rarest and most precious jewels and all sorts of paints. 

“The blood spilled by the giants cried out unto heaven from the ground, and four archangels accused the fallen angels and their sons before God, whereupon He gave the following orders to them:”

In Hebrew the root of nephilim is nefel, which can also mean abortion or miscarriage, such is the case in Job 3:16.  It is critical to understand that an abortion is a fetus that “falls down”.  Thus the nephilim are the fallen ones. 

Genesis 6:4 reads “The titans (Nephilim) were in the earth”.  (Emphasis mine).  In Hebrew, there are no vowels so this verse can also read: “The aborted infants were in the earth,” literally meaning the earth was filled with them.  Thus the verse interchangeably read:

Genesis 6:4 There were abortions (aborted infants) in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

Just as in the days of old, the fruit of sexual intercourse is aborted and discarded.

There is archeological evidence that the Canaanite people engaged in widespread abortion.  This is one reason among many that the Bible tells us not to practice the ways of the Canaanites.   

These fallen angels became “the evil spirits” who taught mankind all the arts of deception, witchcraft, science, and sin. Jewish Encyclopedia

There is an ante-diluvium generation who enjoyed long life much like the angels. According to Clementine Homolies it is said that God gave manna to the giants “suited to their various tastes” so that they would not be eager to eat meat.  But their appetites were not satiated.  "But they, on account of their bastard nature, not being pleased with purity of food, longed only after the taste of blood. Wherefore they first tasted flesh".

One may think that this is ancient history, but in technological circles (and others) there are those who have laid a foundation for 'legal' cannibalism. 

To grasp the Days of Noah, we have to understand what demons are. The previous quote from the Jewish Encyclopedia seems to indicate that demons are the disembodied spirits of the Nephilim.

A category of created beings exists in-between the physical and spiritual. It possesses only some of the limitations of the physical world and its matter. The name of this variety is sheidim.

In the Bible, shedim means foreign gods (eg Deuteronomy 32:17.) The word is related to the Akkadian sedu, meaning demon.

They possess some of the properties of corporeal bodies, but are not exactly like our corporeality. They also possess some characteristics of the spiritual world, but also are not identical to those belonging to the world of spiritual beings. Evil spirits are included in this lot.

In the Middle-East they are referred to as ‘carriages” as they are entities who travel here and there. 

Sheidim are negative or evil angels. In Hebraic thought, they have no free-will, are not independent, and are just robot-like messengers.   Shedim can include germs, viruses or any destructive messenger. 

The ancients believed that the Shedim had a unique power of speech. Shedim live in deserts, dirty places, or in ruins. They are particularly fond of elimination areas. A person needs to watch out for them especially around uncovered food or water. This suggests that shedim may have been an explanation for the observed health dangers accompanying these phenomena.

Mazzikim are harmful spirits created on the Eve of the Sabbath at Creation.  Avos 5:6

Ruhot are formless spirits described in some stories as creatures one could bind into a form to make them speak prophecy or perform a task for the binder. 

Shiddah/shiddot are male and female demons.  Git. 68a

Ancient texts mentions beings called sheidim, but also states, “one who worries about them- they bother him, while he who doesn’t worry about them, they don’t bother him.”

The definition of a demon from Strong’s is a shade, demon or devil.

They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new [gods that] came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.  Deuteronomy 32:17

There is a second Hebrew word, which is also translated as “devil” or demon, a satyr or hairy goat.

 And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.  Leviticus 17:7

These se'irim ("hairy beings") are described as dancing in the wilderness.   They are identical to the jinn of the Arabian woods and deserts (see Wellhausen, l.c., and Smith, l.c.). To the same class belongs Azazel, the goat-like demon of the wilderness (Lev. xvi. 10 et seq.), probably the chief of the se'irim, and Lilith.

In Chaldean mythology, the seven evil deities were known as "shedim," or storm-demons, represented in ox-like form; and because these oxcolossi representing evil demons were, by a peculiar law of contrast, used also as protective genii of royal palaces and the like, the name "shed" assumed also the meaning of a propitious genius in Babylonian magic literature (see Delitzsch, "Assyrisches Handwörterb." pp. 60, 253, 261, 646; Jensen, "Assyr.-Babyl. Mythen und Epen," 1900, p. 453; Sayce, l.c. pp. 441, 450, 463; Lenormant, l.c. pp. 48-51).

Ancient texts say six things about demons:

In Psalm 106:37, the word “devils” in the Septuagint, is the same Greek word found in I Corinthians 10:20. This allows us to connect the references in the Tanach to the references in the Nazarene Codicil.

The church established through Scripture certain characteristics of demons:

In 450 BCE Herodotus wrote of the offspring of the nephilim whom he witnessed while traveling to his friend Prometheus:  “The Gorgonean plain, Kisthene called, Where dwell the gray-haired three, the Phorcides the “grey ones”, Old, mumbling maids, swan-shaped, having one eye Betwixt the three, and but a single tooth. On them the sun with his bright beams ne’er glanceth, Nor moon that lamps the night. Not far from them The sisters three, the Gorgons, have their haunt; Winged forms, with snaky locks, hateful to man, Whom nothing mortal looking on can live. Thus much that thou may’st have a care of these. Now of another portent thou shalt hear. Beware the dogs of Zeus that ne’er give tongue, The sharp-beaked gryphons, and the one-eyed horde Of Arimaspians (one-eyed people), riding upon horses, Who dwell around the river rolling gold, The ferry and the frith of Pluto’s port. Go not thou nigh them.”

Censorship goes back before Roman Military Commander Pliny the Elder (23AD) who describes in his book Natural History with illustrations and descriptions, races culled from classical writings.

Ancient texts talk of a time before Messiah where a man’s enemies are the people of his own household.  That generation is like the face of a dog.  In a demonic manifestation youths will demand honor from their elders with increasing insolence.  They will be shameless and act like audacious dogs.  They are affluent, and will lack compassion and refuse charity, like dogs that refuse to share the meat they have scavenged.  Ostensible leaders will first check back to see if their views will be popularly received, like a dog that looks to its master to see if he follows.  Herein lies a Spirit of Cannibalism.

Marco Polo mentions dog-headed barbarians on the island of Angamanain.

Giovanni da Pian del Carpine writes about armies of dogheads, the Ogedei Khan, who live north of Dalai-Nor.  In modern scientific medicine doghead is a condition named cynocephali. They have the body of a man and the head of a dog. 

Pliny the Elder describes this race living in the mountains of India who barked to communicate, lived in caves, wore animal skins, and were avid hunters. 

Alexander the Great had an account while in India describing these dogmen with enormous teeth and a breath of fire.

Severa says they were cannibals.

Each traveler emphasized that they combined or hybrid man and beast. 

People today are witnessing a resurgence of these dog-humans.

Across this panorama of angelic and demonic combat there is a clear objective.  The battle for your soul is raging.  Each day we are being told that our life is worth nothing.  We are told that we must accept the global concept of a greater good.  We are told that we are to destroy the Temple of the Living God through self-nullification and flagellation, for the mere fact we are born, in order to preserve the planet for ‘the lords’.  Though we are created in the Image of God, we are incrementally being prohibited to advocate for ourselves, instead, being told that we need an advocate within the ‘beast system’ for a voice.  This is programming, my friend.  Each day we are being shamed, indoctrinated into heresies never known since creation, exposed to vile harlotries, and God forbid any attempt to rebuke a sin.  The Satan is the accuser, and he is demanding before the Divine Council, that your name, your essence, your soul be blotted out of this life and the World-to-Come. 

Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.  And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Matthew 10:26-28

The good news is that throughout much of history, and certainly contained within the bible, many books are mentioned.  The most important book is the Lamb’s Book of Life.  To God your soul is precious.  There is no sin to disgusting that a sorrowful and repentant heart, directed to your Creator, will not be covered over, as if it never happened.  That said, there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood.  That sacrifice was accomplished when the Lamb of God, Jesus, shed His blood for you.  God is jealous and He wants you for His own.  If you should tarry, He will assume you hate Him.  The consequences for that choice is that He will visit iniquity to the third and forth generation (to your great grand-children, but for His love, He will cut your inquiry short). 

However, for those who love Him and follow His commandments, He will show His lovingkindess to a thousand generations!  Whether you take this literally or as a metaphor, that is an awesome love!

The Bible/Torah, Tanach, Navi (Prophets), and Writings

Yeshodi HaTorah:  http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/904962/jewish/Yesodei-haTorah-Chapter-Two.htm

Talmud, Yoma 67b

Jewish Encyclopedia, demonology

Talmud, Chagigah 16a

Talmud, Psachim 110b

Talmud, Succah 28a

Lamentations Rabbah Proem 24 and 1:23