A Critique of Jonathan Cahn's Harbinger Book II The Return

 

 

 

 

IF YOU GIVE JONATHAN CAHN A TOP HAT WITH A MAGIG WAND, HE WILL TO YOUR AMAZEMENT CREATE AN ANCIENT MYSTERY OUT OF THIN AIR. HE IS AN   ILLUSIONIST WHO HAS PERFECTED HIS CRAFT THROUGH THE 

APPLICATION OF MYSTICAL HERMENUETICS OVER A PERIOD OF MANY YEARS. 

A CLOSE  EXAMINATION OF

  JONATHAN CAHN'S

MYSTICAL  HERMENUETICS 

 

- JONATHAN CAHN-  Jewish Mysticism / Extra-Biblical Sources/ Prophetic Fraud/ And Revealer of Bogus Mysteries

THE FOLLOWING EXCERPT WAS TAKEN FROM CHARISMA MAGAZINE AUGUST 2015 ON AN ARTICLE THAT WAS WRITTEN ABOUT JONATHAN CAHN:

"After a search that took him(Jonathan Cahn) through the OCCULT, UFOs and NOSTRADAMUS"...TROY ANDERSON page 58  

                                 

INTRODUCTION

Mathew 15:14
"Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit".

Galatians 5:20 .... involvement with the occult....5:21: I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God (Apostle Paul). CJB

1 John 4:1-  Dear friends, don't trust every spirit. On the contrary, test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

 

 When A False Prophet Asserts America was Modeled After “Israel”

"America was established after the pattern of Israel. It was woven into our existence, we were founded after the pattern and blessed after the pattern,” Jonathan Cahn 2012

 Many people believe that Jonathan Cahn is a modern day prophet and that his books contain “special revelation.” For this reason his books have become best sellers, especially in Christian circles. His first book, The Harbinger sold like hotcakes and as a result he became a sought after speaker and frequent guest on the radio talk show circuit. And now his most recent book, The Harbinger II is also destined to become a best seller.

I urge our brethren to exercise extreme caution–and spiritual discernment–before diving into one of Jonathan Cahn’s books.

First Let me state from the outset that I'm not in denial that America and the nations of the world for that matter are currently experiencing God's Judicial Wrath. They have been since ancient biblical times. And this is quite obvious given the current circumstances in Sept 2020 when this book was released to the public. All one has to do is go to any bible study tool website and type in the search bar God's wrath upon the nations.

Jonathan Cahn, a popular Christian author, claims that his books reveal mysteries and predict the future. He thus portrays himself as like one of the Biblical prophets, including the claim of having new revelations. The main point of his books The Harbingers 1&2 is that America is modeled after Israel. I will show you that these claims are false and that Cahn is not a true prophet of God. Part I will examine these claims meticulously from a Biblical perspective. In Part II of this  article, I will provide evidence from credible source(s) proving that the only mysteries Mr. Cahn is revealing to the world are the ones PATTERNED and written centuries ago by NEW AGE RABBINICAL SAGES  KNOWN AS THE RABBINICAL WRITINGS OF TALMUDIC JUDAISM. THESE NEW AGE  RABBIS ARE DESENDANTS OF THE PHARISEES A JEWISH CULT (see link: https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/pharisees-and-rabbinic-judaism). THE EVIDENCE WILL  SHOW THAT MR, CAHN HAS ADOPTED CONCEPTS FROM THESE MYSTICAL WRITINGS IN ORDER TO FABRICATE HIS  MYSTERIES. OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, HE HAS BLENDED  THE WRITINGS OF NEW AGE RABBINICAL SAGES WITH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST RESULTING IN A FALSE GOSPEL. IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN RABBINICAL MYSTICAL HERMENUETICS  REPACKAGED WITH THE LABEL MESSIANIC JUDAISM ATTACHED TO IT.

PART I

In drawing parallels between Israel and America, Cahn asserts several things: first, that America was founded on a covenant with God as much as Israel was. Second, that America is being released from God's protection to suffer the consequences of having marginalized Him. Third, that Isaiah predicted all of this in Isaiah 9:10.

Cahn gleans nearly all of his correlations connecting America with a prophecy made to Israel from one verse ; Isaiah:9:10.
. To begin with, this verse applies only to the tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, who, along with the Southern Kingdom of Judah, comprise God's covenant with his people. All the way through The Harbingers, the United States is presented IMPLICITLY as a nation in covenant with God. God has only one covenant nation; the nation of Israel. This is a critical error of both books. Although that may be overlooked by someone eager to recognize the U.S. in Isaiah's prophecy, one must read the entire context, which begins with verse 8 and runs through verse 21 of chapter 9. The Harbingers 1&2 has undertones of Anglo-Israelism and Christian Dominionism. I RECOMMEND YOU WATCH HIS DOCUMENTARY "THE HARBINGER DECODED" WHERE HE REPEATS THESE SAME CLAIMS FREE ON YOU TUBE.

Prophets Reveal Mysteries

The apostle Paul claims that he was chosen by God to reveal mysteries as were the other apostles. The gospel itself was the mystery of which he spoke. We see this in Ephesians 3:

"that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel" (Ephesians 3:3-6)

A mystery is something that would not be known had God not chosen to reveal it through His appointed spokes persons. These are Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament, and Christ and His appointed apostles and prophets in the New Testament. The writings of the Biblical prophets in Scripture are inerrant and infallible. In the Scriptures God has revealed all the mysteries that will be known to us until Christ returns.

However, Jonathan Cahn, who is not one of the Biblical prophets, claims to reveal mysteries: “The Harbingers 1&2 are not only revealing mysteries but also the sounding of the alarms.”Cahn’s claim to be a revealer of mysteries is strong and severely problematic: “Much that will be revealed in these books has never before been revealed in written form” (Cahn: 2). This is a rather bold claim that rivals and echoes the apostle Paul’s cited above. He claims to have special revelation like the biblical authors. The problem is that Cahn did not see the resurrected Christ and was not appointed by Him like Paul and the other apostles. Cahn has no standing as an apostle or prophet and his writings are not binding as Scripture is.

Referencing his previous book Cahn repeats his grand claim: “The Harbinger book 1 contains14 major revelations or mysteries” (Cahn: 4). Unlike Paul and the other apostles, Cahn was not personally taught by Christ, but he still claims prophetic status based on subjective, inner voices: “I heard an inner voice say, ‘There’s a mystery here. You must seek and find it” (Cahn: 9). Religious leaders claiming special revelations and special status are nothing new. Hundreds of false groups have started that way. We need to decide CAREFULLY whether to believe anyone who claims special revelation above and beyond Scripture.

When Questions Imply Everything and Teach Nothing

Confusion
One of the annoying characteristics of many postmodern writers is to use questions that seem to make a claim but have built-in deniability. They ask questions but refuse to make objective statements, thus creating confusion while appearing to teach something. Cahn follows a similar process, filling his books with suggestive questions so that readers have to scour through every word (as I did) to find out if these are meant to be definitive statements. For example: In his book the Mystery of the Shemitah and I quote: “Could the mystery of the Shemitah still be at work—moving, impacting, and altering the course of world history—even in the modern world, even in our day”? (Cahn: 42). So he creates confusion with a question, when in fact this is a claim he is making—which I will show is a false one. The Law of Moses that requires cancelling all debts every seven years is not binding on any nation but ONLY Israel in the Old Testament, so it can hardly be the key to world history. Cahn is a master at sowing confusion. He is very sly and manipulative with his use of words i.e. "A GREAT SHAKING IS COMING FOR 2020" as he has been claiming lately on his videos with The Harbinger 2 . That is making a statement while painting with a broad brush. Anything bad could happen in 2020 including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris losing the National Election on November 3rd and all hell breaking loose in America with riots and looting. Yet he could easily claim that this was given to him through divine revelation if he chooses to.

Let me share another example of his cunning craftiness with his use of words. This quotation is from the following link:

Scary Stories: ‘The Harbinger’ of Fake Prophecy by:

LoriAnn Weldon, Articles, Nov 3, 2017

Lori Ann: "This is the kind of vague teaching Cahn does: His book The Mystery of the Shemitah was built on the idea of specific seven-year cycles of jubilee and judgment, and saying that there will be a great shaking at the end of 2015, a Shemitah as he calls it; probably economic, but he hedges his bets and says that it could be spiritual, which is a lot harder to prove or disprove.
And then, just in case people start pointing out that it is now November 2015 and all his projected dates in September 2015 came and went without anything happening, he puts out this handy little caveat":

Mr.Cahn:" One cannot put prophetic manifestations into a box or onto a regular schedule and expect them to perform on cue. The phenomenon does not have to manifest in every cycle or with the same intensity. It may appear dormant in one cycle and manifest in the next. Nothing has to take place in this current year 2015 of the Shemitah".

NOW SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS ENTAIL? DOES GOD SPEAK WITH A FORK TONGUE? LISTEN TO WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY TO JONATHAN CAHN AND THE BODY OF CHRIST THROUGH HIS WORD:

 
Numbers 23:19 “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”

If God speaks something it WILL come to pass.
For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment. Luke 1:37 AMP

God, Himself, stands over and watches over His own Word, making sure it is fulfilled.
Jeremiah 1:12 AMP says, “Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.”

 

Always keep in mind that  Mr. Cahn  isolates certain facts in order  to project his desired end results. Mr. Cahn likes to exaggerate and isolate everything, especially Scripture.

One final example from Harbinger book II: THE GOD OF DEATH APPEARS OVER NYC. I actually saw a video which was posted on You Tube a couple of years ago  on August 9, 2015 when that image was first projected onto the Empire State Building. This image is known as the goddess Kali. It is still on You Tube. Just type on the search bar: "The  goddess Kali displayed on the Empire State Building.   

These examples above prove that all of these so called mysteries were written after the fact. How do I know this? Because Mr. Cahn likes to spend time in NYC and elsewhere in search of Harbingers in preparation for his next book(s). It may take years to accomplish this but that is his Modus Operandi.

These so called mysteries were done through his personal research and observations after these events had already occurred. They were not given to him through any form of DIVINE REVELATION i.e. dreams, visions or prophetic utterance. HIS PROPOSITIONS  OR BOGUS MYSTERIES ARE FOUNDED PURELY ON PROPHETIC SPECULATION.

A word about Prophetic accuracy: This is a term that defines the prophet's skill in accurately delivering a prophetic word from the Lord with 100% accuracy. The meaning of the term includes the obligation to not veer from the word given by the Lord in order to assure the cooperation and compliance of his Angelic delegation. An example of this in scripture is the Prophet Samuel. The Bible says that the Lord never allowed Samuel's words to fall to the ground cf with 1 Samuel 3:19-20. Also God warns his people about the consequences for following false prophets cf Jeremiah 23:28-40.

Is America modeled after Israel as Mr. Cahn claims in Harbingers 1&2?

Cahn often repeats what I call our national myth—that America is somehow modeled after Israel. This myth goes back to beginning of our history but cannot be sustained by any biblical standard. The myth is based on the belief that man can unilaterally make a covenant and bind God to it, without God having agreed to anything. Cahn claims, “Embedded in America’s foundation is a prophetic warning. The warning was given on America’s first day as a nation. It concerns what will happen if America should ever turn away from God” (Cahn: 21). For such a warning to be valid and binding, it would have to be issued by an infallible prophet who speaks for God, in this case, beyond scripture. Who, exactly, is America’s Moses, or Jesus, or the apostles? Lacking any such person, God cannot have stated that America is modeled after Israel and has a binding covenant with her. That God does as Mr. Cahn claims is our national myth.

The truth is that God draws out the boundaries of all nations through His providence. The truths revealed in Romans 13 and elsewhere about how Christians relate to civil governments applied to Rome when Paul wrote and all civil governments in history. Only Israel was directly established by God and had a binding covenant mediated through Moses who God chose and appointed. America has neither a Moses nor a binding covenant. We are not a nation modeled after Israel and never have been. The moral laws of God that do apply are found in the Bible and they apply to all people in all nations.

Cahn falsely claims that any nation can become a covenant nation: “Such a prophetic sign could be given to any nation as long as that nation in some way matched the description or shared the attributes of ancient Israel in 586 BC” (Cahn: 56). Cahn obviously fails to understand what Moses taught in Deuteronomy 32:8, 9. Only Israel was directly under Yahweh, all the other nations are under the “sons of God.” No other nations had an Exodus, a Sinai, or a Moses. All nations are ruled by God’s providence and are under the principalities and powers (‘sons of God’ of Deuteronomy 32:8). America is no exception. Cahn again repeats our national myth in Harbingers 1&2: “Those who founded America not only foretold its future blessing—but also gave warning. It was this: If America ever turned away from God, then the same judgments that fell upon ancient Israel would fall upon America” (Cahn: 61). Israel had Moses and the prophets who spoke inerrantly for God. Who speaks bindingly for God beyond Scripture for America? There is no such person unless of course you've been duped into believing it's Mr. Cahn, America's so called Prophet. By the way, for those who are wondering what is the true identity of the Prophet in both Harbingers; IT'S NONE OTHER THAN JONATHAN CAHN HIMSELF!

Sometimes Jonathan Cahn goes beyond the facts and makes broad assumptions. One concerns Winthrop and the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. Winthrop declared a covenant with God when establishing that colony. Cahn broadens this one colony establishment to the entire American civilization. (108) He writes, “...we do know that America's founders made a covenant with God, based on Israel's covenant with God.” (108) Winthrop's covenant statement is broadened to all the founders without supporting evidence. There were several previous colonies founded, beginning with Jamestown in 1607. I do not think one can expand one man's words about the founding of one colony to the future of the entire nation. I know we want to believe America was founded as a “Christian” nation but one colony does not a nation make.

Cahn later appeals to George Washington's inaugural address, writing, “America's first government committed and consecrated the nation's future to God.” (231) Washington's actual words were, “...that Almighty Being...whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that his benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the People of the United States, a Government...” Washington asked God to consecrate, or bless, the U. S. To me, that is not the same as dedicating the nation to God. (232) And Cahn says where Washington made his dedication of the nation is St. Paul's Chapel. (232) Not true. Washington's inaugural speech was at Federal Hall (26 Wall Street) not St. Paul's Chapel (209 Broadway). Granted, Washington went to services there after his speech but did not give his speech there.

This brings up a thought provoking question. Because Winthrop made a covenant statement, does that mean every American is involved? Because one group of people projected the image of a god on the Empire State Building, does that mean the entire city of New York is under God's judgment?

Sometimes Cahn doesn't give the whole story. The recent change in the abortion law in New York is a case in point. Cahn writes, “...the law legalized the killing of children up to the point of birth.” (191) He fails to notice the conditions required: danger to the mother's life or health or the lack of viability of the child outside the womb. I would rather such declarations by Cahn be more accurate.

And another issue. Cahn says the peek of the seven day average for the infection rate in New York was April 9 and April 10, exactly 50 years to the day New York expanded the abortion law. (229) Actually, the seven day rolling average peeked on April 8 at 5305, April 10 and April 11 rolling figures are 5205 and 5040, according to NYC Health website. Cahn's source is a newspaper article, not the official state data source.😆 This may be a small issue but Cahn makes a big deal of the “exact date.” It's not. While I verified many of the correlations, it does make me wonder about the others I did not take the time to check.

I reject Cahn’s claim that America is somehow modeled after Israel. All the moral laws of God always apply to all peoples in all nations. They are revealed in Scripture. All geo-political entities have boundaries that are drawn out by God in His providence and have leaders that His providence allows. In these important ways America is like all other nations. We are not modeled after Israel. Furthermore, no man or nation has the power or authority to bind God to a man-made, unilateral covenant. Unilateral covenants in the Bible are established by God, not man. We need to reject the myth that America is a special covenant nation and start thinking Biblically rather than mythologically.

 

BEFORE YOU CONTINUE TO THE NEXT

SECTION WATCH THIS SHORT VIDEO BELOW

BY THIS CHRISTIAN HISTORIAN

PART II

THE LESSON

Let's begin with a question.  What is a mystic ? Definition:  Of or relating to Ancient Mysteries. Notice the subtle wording in Mr. Cahn's first  book the Harbinger The Ancient Mystery that holds the Secret of America's Future.

Definition of Ancient Mysteries

Secret rituals of pagan religions, known only to select initiates who had qualified for higher spiritual development. Such mysteries were kept apart from popular worship, and initiates had to take a binding oath of secrecy, so that even today our knowledge of the mysteries is partly conjectural. Typical mystery cults were those of Eleusis in Greece from about 1500

B.C.E., in turn deriving from the mystery religions of ancient Egypt and the mysteries of Mithras, a Persian deity. Traces of Mithraism existed in Britain. Many secret societies in modern times have claimed that their rituals are a descent of an ancient tradition.

Dear viewer: I did an exhaustive search to see if this term ANCIENT MYSTERY is found in the bible. Nowhere is this term found either in the Old or New Testaments. However I did find a list of Ancient Mystery Religions in the book "ESSENTIALS OF BIBLE HISTORY" pages 564-567 as follows:

1) THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES 2) THE CULT OF DIONYSUS 3) ORPHISM 4) THE CULT OF CYBELE ATTIS  5) SYRIAN MYSTERY CULTS 6) MITHRAISM 7) THE CULT OF ISIS AND SERAPIS 8) EPICUREANISM & STOICISM.

As you can see this term Ancient Mystery is not biblically based but has a direct correlation to Ancient pagan religions.

Go to the links below to learn more about the origins of

Ancient Mysteries and how it was applied by Mystery Religions

of the Ancient World 

 The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies , Part One
The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies, Part Two
The Ancient Mysteries and Secret Societies, Part Three 

It is evident that mysticism abounds in the books and teachings of Jonathan Cahn.  In an interview with Jonathan Bernis, Jonathan Cahn referred to The Oracle as "the mystery of the ages" and "the blueprint of end-time prophecy." 34  A cursory examination of the mystery schools will reveal the coded language of adepts in books like Manly P. Hall's The Secret Teachings of all Ages, in which he dedicates four lengthy chapters to The Secret Doctrine of Israel and refers to "Kabbalism as a key to Masonic esotericism."

 

The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn is written in a narrative resembling that of the Zohar.  Presented as a daily devotional, The Book of Mysteries follows the one-year journey of a traveler's odyssey through deserts and secret chambers to discover "Hidden Keys" to the "Secrets of the Ages" revealed by a man known only as "the teacher."  The Zohar tells a similar story of "a group of 'wandering mystics' headed by their grand master, Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai" as they travel through the deserts of the Holy Land to uncover "the deepest mysteries of Torah.  In the tradition of the Zohar's orally transmitted secrets, the teacher in The Book of Mysteries tells his apprentice, "And so the mysteries have been passed down from teacher to disciple, from age to age."(https://livekabbalah.org/rabbi-shimon-bar-yohai/)

Within the umbrella of kabbalistic texts can be found the Sefer HaRazim or The Book of Mysteries.  This original version of the Book of Mysteries is a collection of magical incantations said to be revealed to Noah by the angel Raziel.  It is divided into seven sections, each section describing one of the seven heavens.  Included is a list of the hierarchy of accompanying angels whose secret names may be invoked to assist the spirit traveler in his ascent to the throne.  The legend - or fable - surrounding the Sefer HaRazim Book of Mysteries is that it was passed down through the ages to Solomon and was the source of his "wisdom and purported magical powers." 

Have You Been Bewitched By The VAV?

 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one...And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. Acts 8:9 & 11

The Hebrew letter Vav has the numerical value of 6.  The Zohar states that the redemption of Israel will come through the mystic force of the letter Vav in the 6th millennium.

I have documented in a previous article some of the mystery teachings of Jonathan Cahn which come from Kabbalah, specifically the mystery of the Jubilean Code from Cahn's book, The Oracle.  In that post I showed how the mystery of the Jubilean Code was first disclosed, not as a "download" given to Cahn by God - as he claims - but from the Zohar, the main book of Kabbalah. 1   

Here is a quote from that article:  "In this mystery Cahn relates that the return of the Jewish people to Israel in the year 1948 is connected to Leviticus 25:10 by means of a secret code hidden in the words 'you shall return' (tashuvu) and the missing Hebrew letter VAV...which also represents the divine light of the serpent Leviathan and is the middle pillar of the sefirot tree which emanates from and returns to Ein Sof."

I further showed that this same mystery appeared in an article from the The New York Jewish Week titled, "The Joy of Six" which cited the Zohar as the source of the mystery, as well as in the 1977 book, The Secrets of Hebrew Words, by kabbalist rabbi, Benjamin Blech.   

Blech can be seen in a video presentation (starting at 44:00 min.) teaching how Kabbalah predicted the future return of Jews to the land in 1948 by means of the missing mystical Vav as revealed in the Zohar, even as he warns the young people in his audience of the dangers of revealing these secrets.  

Theosophical occultist and Freemason, Alice Bailey, said there would come a time when the ancient mysteries would be released to the public on a global scale.  In her 1922 book, Initiation: Human and Solar, Bailey channeled and predicted that very soon the first stages of initiation into the mysteries would be taking place in the churches and that masters of initiation will be at the head of the various church denominations:

"Before many centuries pass the old mysteries will be restored...an inner body will exist in the Church [and] the taking of the first initiation will, before so very long, be the most sacred ceremony of the Church...At the head of certain of the great occult groups, of the Freemasons of the world, and of the various great divisions of the the church...will be found initiates or Masters." 2

That time is here.  The connections between Kabbalah, Freemasonry and Theosophy are undeniable.  Appearing as separate spiritual entities, they in fact share the same agenda; a utopian kingdom on earth, centered in Jerusalem, which will serve as the seat of yet another false messiah.

I my previous article noted above, I showed how Cahn's oracle also decoded a mystery of return for the Church; a subtle narrative that necessitates a transformation of Christianity.  The Church - which has been in "exile" - must return to its Jewish roots based on the so-called law of Jubilees.  Yet, in all of the Gospels, in the Book of Acts and in the Epistles there is no mention of this return of the Church.  In contrast, the New Testament writers repeatedly warn of false prophets and teachers who secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 2:1-3, Galatians 3:1, Acts 20:28-31)  

In today's mega-marketing industry of Christianity there is no lack of oracles who are serving to initiate the Church into the ancient mysteries.  Much of the deception has entered through the door of dispensationalism, appealing to an unsuspecting Evangelical bloc swept away by the mysticism and bewitchment of rabbinic interpretation of prophecy.  

Philip Mauro, author of The Hope of Israel and one-time adherent to the falsehood of dispensationalism wrote: 

"Jewish fables (literally, myths) are no new thing.  Paul has plainly warned the household of faith not to give heed thereto (Titus 1:14).  It will be a surprise to most of those who love the Lord Jesus Christ to learn that, in respect to the central and vitally important subject of the Kingdom of God, twentieth century dispensationalism is practically identical with first century rabbinism.  For the cardinal doctrine of the Jewish rabbis of Christ's day was that, according to the predictions of the prophets of Israel, the purpose and result of the Messiah's mission would be the re-constituting of the Jewish nation; the re-occupation by them of them of the land of Palestine; the setting up again of the earthly throne of David; and the exaltation of the people of Israel to the place of supremacy in the world. 

But what Paul and all the apostles preached was, that what God had promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures was a kingdom over which Jesus Christ of the seed of David should reign in resurrection, a kingdom which flesh and blood cannot inherit, a kingdom which does not clash with the duly constituted governments of this world, and one into which Gentiles are called upon terms of perfect equality with Jews." 

While Jonathan Cahn claims to be a Messianic rabbi of Jewish descent, he has once again presented to the Church a kabbalistic fable from the Zohar, this time with the implied pretension that he received it as a revelation from God.  And the Church should take heed.

MR. CAHN HAS SEEDED THE CHURCH WITH KABBALISTIC INFLUENCES THROUGH THE ZOHAR AND THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD BY HIS SERMONS AND BOOKS, DESIGNED TO PEAK THE INNATE CURIOSITY OF THE MIND OF HIS HEARERS/FOLLOWERS WITH SUCH TERMS AS ANCIENT MYSTERIES. THESE TERMS ARE CLASSIC NEW AGE EXPRESSIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN USED FOR CENTURIES BY ALL OCCULT GROUPS OF FREEMASONRY, THEOSOPHY AND NEW AGE RABBINICAL SAGES FROM THE JUDAIC BRANCH OF KABBALAH. CHRISTIAN MEDIA IS BEING INUNDATED WITH TEACHINGS AND BOOKS THAT CONTAIN CODE WORDS IN THEIR TITLES,CHAPTER HEADINGS AND TEXTS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO ATTRACT  GULLIBLE CHRISTIANS TO SEEK SECRET KNOWLEDGE THAT IS LATENT IN THE HUMAN RACE. WORDS SUCH AS MYSTICAL THINGS, PARADIGM, BLUEPRINT, ANCIENT WISDOM, BOOK OF MYSTERIES, DECODING SECRET CODES, UNLOCKING MYSTERIES, HIDDEN KEYS THAT UNLOCK DOORS, YOUR DESTINY, AND HARBINGER; THESE ARE THE BOOKS THAT ARE BECOMING  NY TIMES BESTSELLERS IN TODAY'S CHRISTIAN MARKET. 

NEW AGE TEACHINGS OF FALSE SCIENCE HAVE BEEN MAKING STEADY INROADS INTO THE CHURCH FOR YEARS THROUGH BOOKS LIKE QUANTUM FAITH, QUANTUM SPIRITUALITY, THE PHYSICS OF HEAVEN AND MORE RECENTLY JONATHAN CAHN'S BOOK THE PARADIGM WHICH MR. CAHN CLAIMS TO BE A BLUEPRINT OF MYSTERIES CONNECTING PAST AND PRESENT EVENTS. EVEN THE SO CALLED SCIENCE OF KABBALAH IS SAID TO CONTAIN THE ANCIENT BLUEPRINT THAT REVEALS THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE.  WHAT IS NOT WIDELY UNDERSTOOD BY THE BODY OF CHRIST, IS THAT THE ROOT OF EVERY NEW CONCEPT AND TERMS/EXPRESSIONS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO ANCIENT BABYLONIAN MYSTICISM AND KABBALISTIC WRITINGS, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF OCCULT SCIENCE.  MORE IMPORTANTLY THESE SEED-WORDS ARE THE LANGUAGE AND BUILDING BLOCKS OF SATAN'S COUNTERFEIT KINGDOM  ON EARTH THROUGH THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE BLUEPRINT FOR THE UNIVERSAL END TIME RELIGION KNOWN AS MYSTERY BABYLON AS DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION. 

IN THE 2 VIDEOS BELOW DeANNE LOPER EXPOSES

 JONATHAN CAHN'S BOOKS. THESES ARE EDITED 

VERSIONS. YOU CAN GO TO YOU TUBE  TO HEAR 

THE UNEDITED VERSIONS OF 1HOUR & 19 MINUTES.

Contributing source: Kabbalah Secrets Christians need to know by Author DeAnne Loper.

 

The Bible is sufficient. Stop chasing after prophecies, mysteries and prophetic frauds like Jonathan Cahn. Stop buying for yourselves false prophets who are making a living by prophelying. Stop buying books that supposedly “unlock secrets” and “reveal mysteries” and all of that gobbledegook. God doesn’t hide things in the Bible. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind. Hiding things in His word defeats that purpose, don’t you think?

If someone tells you they’ve discovered something in the Scriptures that no one else in 2 thousand years has discovered, they’re wrong and trying to sell you something – each and every last and lousy time. And you can BANK on it.

Mr. Cahn's HERMENUETICS is based on a MYSTICAL METHOD of interpreting scripture.  What is Mystical Hermenuetics? This interpretative method is one that views the scriptures as having shades of meaning in addition to a strict grammatical literal interpretation. Jewish Mystics frequently see the inspired text of the Hebrew Scriptures as having deeper meanings intended by God that may not have been known or realized by the BIBLICAL AUTHORS themselves! It is nothing more than seeing additional interpretations of a passage of scripture besides it's obvious biblical meanings.

A mystical hermenuetic method is often identified as EISEGESIS. It is a fundamental Jewsish method that has made it's way into all kinds of Rabbinical writings including the ZOHAR/KABBALAH.

Another variant of Mystical hermenuetics is Midrashic interpretation, since it is also characterized by finding deeper biblical meanings in the Bible unknown to the original biblical authors.  New Age Rabbinical Sages manufactured fantasy tales embroidered around biblical narratives, patriarchs, and events and used them in their attempt to discern the hidden meaning of scripture.

A BRIEF HISTORY CONCERNING THE EVOLUTION OF RABBINICAL MYSTICAL HERMENUETICS

 The School of Akiva taught that since Elohim is all knowing, when He speaks, every word and every letter is divinely inspired and has some implication. Akiva’s school therefore sought and found hidden meanings in the text. The school of Ishmael countered this approach and claimed that when Elohim speaks to man He speaks as a man would to another man, without buried hidden meanings. These two schools were ultimately reconciled when it was determined that Ishmael’s approach was true on the literal and implied levels of understanding while Akiva’s approach held true on the allegorical and mystical levels of understanding. The literal and implied meanings of the text could be derived from accepting the text as if a man were speaking to another man while the allegorical and mystical meanings could be derived by recognizing that the text expressed the infinite mind of Elohim with meaning buried in every word and letter. One of Rabbi Akiva's most famous students is Rabbi Shimon Ben Yohai author of the Zohar....Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai - Jewish History.

Interpreting omens, using gematria/numerology and looking at signs is not Christianity – it is occultic. It is a well known fact that Jonathan Cahn in the past has derived some of his mysteries (i.e. HIS TEACHING SERIES "Gulgatah: The Cosmic Skull: The Rabbinic Mysteries V, THE ZOHAR SPEAKS") from the Jewish Mystical book known as the Zohar the world's premier text of occultic knowledge. The Zohar is a mystical commentary on the Law of Moses; the main textbook of Kabbalah.  He has in the past stated for the record that there is nothing wrong with quoting from the Zohar in order to supplement his apologetics. In his faulty logic he sincerely believes it can be used as a bridge builder to share the gospel. If Cahn is a born again Christian as he claims, he should condemn this Satanic book the Zohar. He should not quote it to supplement his apologetics, except in condemnation of its mystical passages. Some of these Rabbis who consulted the Zohar  were WIZARDS!

PART III

Jose J. Bernal

DEAR VIEWER: BEFORE YOU CONTINUE READING BELOW I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I BECAME THE TARGET OF RELIGIOUS VERBAL ABUSE BY JOSE J. BERNAL PICTURED ABOVE FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THESE OCCULTIC BOOKS, THE ZOHAR AND THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD WHICH HE AND JONATHAN CAHN  USE TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR APOLOGETICS. FOR MORE DETAILS SEE THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW. JOSE BERNAL WENT AS FAR AS USING THE RACE CARD AND FALSELY ACCUSING ME OF BEING ANTI-SEMITIC! IT'S  ALL A VERBAL PLOY WHILE RESORTING TO IDENTITY POLITICS. SEE THE SHORT VIDEO BELOW FOR MORE EVIDENCE.

 

Jonathan Cahn is not the only person in his Messianic congregation that's into the Zohar and other Rabbinical writings such as the Babylonian Talmud. There's another individual by the name of Jose J. Bernal, a biblical instructor who back in 2013 posted these comments on Amazon.com:

Jose J. Bernal said: "Isn't it amazing how God uses Paul in Acts 17 to teach the pagans from their own writings on Mar's Hill and how in Apologetics even the Book of Zohar unwittingly supports the Gospel because it has been used by faithful witness Apologists as a "hostile witness" of the Gospel? Only God can do such things; turn something like the Book of Zohar into a tool that bears witness that Jesus is the Messiah! Thank you."

"The only thing that I would use the Zohar for and the Baybylonian Talmud would be for the same use that eminent Messianic Jews such as Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Dr. Michael Rygelnik, Dr. Michael Brown, Dr. Mitch Glazer, and many more, such as Pastor and Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn would use such works for; to affirm from them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is called in Apologetics "the fair use of a hostile witness" to affirm a specific matter".

TO AFFIRM FROM NEW AGE RABBINICAL SAGES  THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST? REALLY? DEAR VIEWER THIS STATEMENT OF JOSE J. BERNAL IS BASED ON FAULTY LOGIC AND FALLACIES! AS YOU CONTINUE TO SCROLL DOWN I WILL SHOW YOU THAT THESE KABBALIST DENY THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST AND THAT THEY BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST WAS A MERE MORTAL HUMAN BEING AND KABBALIST JUST LIKE THEMSELVES(SEE VIDEO #3 BELOW WITH BILLY PHILLIPS). ALSO I WILL PROVE TO YOU WHAT THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD HAS TO REALLY SAY ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, CHRISTIANS, THE VIRGIN MARY, AND WHAT THESE TALMUDIC JEWS ARE DOING TO THEIR KIDS(SEE THE TWO LINKS BELOW).

  Let’s look at it another way Mr. Jose J. Bernal – would a born again, biblically sound Christian:

… quote from a Quronic document to evangelize Moslems because it seemed to contain some Christian thoughts?

… quote from a Mormon document to evangelize Mormons because it seemed to contain some Christian thoughts?

… quote from a Jehovah’s Witnesses document to evangelize Jehovah’s Witnesses because it seemed to contain some Christian thoughts?

… quote from a New Age document to evangelize New Agers because it seemed to contain some Christian thoughts?

… quote from a Wiccan document to evangelize Wiccans because it seemed to contain some Christian thoughts?

… quote from a Satanic Bible document to evangelize Satanists because it seemed to contain some Christian thoughts?

 

 We will demonstrate in this article below that Paul in Acts 17 while preaching to the Greek Philosophers at Mars Hill had no need to seek or establish "common ground" in Athens by trying to find things in the Greek worldview from their own writings that he could agree with and borrow to build an epistemological bridge from the agreed-upon things to the unique truths of the Gospel. On the contrary, from his epistles we know that he believed in an ontological common ground identified in Scripture as our being all made in God's image. The "common grace" of General Revelation guarantees that both the sinner and the saint confront the true God in every moment of consciousness. The unregenerate sinner continually suppresses this awareness in order to maintain the illusion of his own autonomy.

 

The real reason why Jesus Christ censored the Babylonian Talmud and what Jose J. Bernal is not telling you!

THE JEWISH TALMUD is "Holy Writ" for the Jews.

The Talmud supercedes the Old Testament in authority for the Jews. And the Talmud is the most racist, hate-mongering , blasphemous book the world has ever known.

The Talmud was written in Hebrew between the 3rd & 6th Centuries as a codification of the so-called Oral Law that the Jewish rabbis claim was handed down from Moses.

But the Messiah Jesus censored the "Oral Law" when He said, "By the traditions of your elders you make void the Word of God." (St Matthew 15).

The English translation of the Talmud has been watered down so as to conceal from the Gentiles the "satanic verses" contained in the original Hebrew.

The "Satanic Verses" of the Talmud can be classified into 3 categories:

1) Jewish Supremacy.
2) Hatred Towards The "Goys" (Gentiles).
3) Blasphemies Against Jesus Christ, The Virgin Mary, & All Christians.

SATANIC VERSES OF THE TALMUD'S
"JEWISH SUPREMACY"

* "If a `goy' (Gentile) hits a Jew he must be killed." (Sanhedrin 58b)

*"If a Jew finds an object lost by a `goy' it does not have to be returned." (Baba Mezia 24a)

* "If a Jew murders a `goy' there will be no death penalty." (Sanhedrin 57a)

* What a Jew steals from a `goy' he may keep." (Sanhedrin 57a)

* "Jews may use subterfuges to circumvent a `goy.'" (Baba Kamma 113a)

* "All children of the `goyim' (Gentiles) are animals." (Yebamoth 98a)

* "Girls born of the `goyim' are in a state of `niddah' (menstrual uncleanness!) from birth." (Abodah Zarah 36b)

SATANIC VERSES OF THE TALMUD'S
HATRED TOWARDS THE GENTILES

* "The `goyim' are not humans. They are beasts." (Baba Mezia 114b)

* "If you eat with a `goy' it is the same as eating with a dog." (Tosapoth, Jebamoth 94b)

* "Even the best of the `goyim' should all be killed." (Soferim 15)

* "Sexual intercourse between the `goyim' is like intercourse between animals." (Sanhedrin 74b)

* "When it comes to a Gentile in peace times, one may harm him indirectly, for instance, by removing a ladder after he had fallen into a crevice." (Shulkan Arukh, Yoreh De `ah, 158, Hebrew Edition only)

SATANIC VERSES OF THE TALMUD'S
BLASPHEMIES AGAINST JESUS CHRIST, THE VIRGIN MARY,
& ALL CHRISTIANS

* "`Yashu' (derogatory for `Jesus') is in Hell being boiled in hot excrement." (Gittin 57a)

['Yashu' is an acronym for the Jewish curse, `May his (Jesus) name be wiped out forevermore.']

* Yashu (Jesus) was sexually immoral and worshipped a brick." (Sanhedrin 107b)

* "Yashu (Jesus) was cut off from the Jewish people for his wickedness and refused to repent." (Sotah 47a)

* "Miriam the hairdresser had sex with many men." (Shabbath 104b, Hebrew Edition only)

* "She who was the descendant of princes and governors (the virgin Mary) played the harlot with carpenters." (Sanhedrin 106a)

* "Christians who reject the Talmud will go to hell and be punished there for all generations." (Rosh Hashanah 17a)

SEXUALLY PERVERTED CITATIONS IN THE TALMUD:

So that you may better understand the CORRUPT DOCTRINES, MORAL DECAY and background of Rabbi Simeon Ben Yohai, PRINCIPAL AUTHOR OF THE BOOK KNOWN AS THE ZOHAR I will quote the following passages and practices condoned by Rabbi Yohai to his jewish followers from YEBAMOTH 60B WHICH LEGALIZED SEXUAL RELATIONS between jewish priests and 3 year old girls: It was taught by Rabbi Simeon Ben Yohai who stated: A proselyte who is under the age of 3 years old and 1 day is PERMIITED TO MARRY A PRIEST. For it is said, but all the women children that have not known man by lying with him keep alive for yourselves, and Phineas who was a priest (the footnote says) was with them.

KETHUBOTH 11B: SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH CHILDREN
When a grownup man has sexual intercourse with a little girl, it is nothing. For when the girl is less than 3 years old, it is as if one puts his finger into the eye(in other words her virginity will return back to her). But when a small boy has intercourse with a grownup woman, he makes her as a girl who was injured by a piece of wood.

BABYLONIAN TALMUD SANHEDRIN 54b
".....A child less than 9 years old can not be the subject of SODOMY"!

A RABBI WHO HAD SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH EVERY WHORE IN THE WORLD;

FROM THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD WE READ THE FOLLOWING: "ABODAH ZARAH 17A STATES THAT THERE IS NOT A WHORE IN THE WORLD THAT THE TALMUDIC SAGE RABBI ELEAZAR HAS NOT HAD SEX WITH".

ADAM HAD SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH ALL THE ANIMALS IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN. BABYLONIAN TALMUD YEBAMOTH 63A.

GENTILES ARE INCLINED TO BESTIALITY. LEWDNESS AND MURDER. GENTILES PREFER SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH COWS MORE THAN THEIR OWN WIVES. EVE HAD SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH THE SERPENT, TRANSMITTING LUST TO THE GENTILES, FROM WHICH THE ISRAELITES ARE EXEMPT. BABYLONIAN TALMUD ABODAH ZARAH 22A.

A WOMAN WHO HAD SEXUAL INTERCOURSE WITH A BEAST IS ELIGIBLE TO MARRY A JEWISH PRIEST. A WOMAN WHO HAS SEX WITH ADAIC HU DEMON IS ALSO ELIGIBLE TO MARRY A JEWISH PRIEST. BABYLONIAN TALMUD YEBAMOTH 59B.

"HUSBANDS MAY TREAT THEIR WIVES LIKE MEAT FROM THE BUTCHER SHOP"
THE TALMUD PERMITS THE JUDAIC HUSBAND TO SODOMIZE HIS WIFE TO HIS HEART'S CONTENT, SINCE THE CHAZAL/TALMUDIC RABBINICAL SAGES DECREE THAT SHE IS NOT ENTIRELY A HUMAN BEING, BUT RATHER A PIECE OF MEAT FROM A BUTCHER SHOP. ANAL SEX AND OTHER PRACTICES ARE PERMISSIBLE TO THE JUDAIC HUSBAND BECAUSE IN HIS RELATIONS WITH HIS WIFE, HE IS DEALING NOT WITH A WOMAN, BUT MEAT, THE DESIGNATION FEMINISTS RIGHTLY DECRY AND HERE IS A RELIGION THAT FORMERLY PRECRIBES IT. IN CONSIDERING WHICH SEXUAL PRACTICES ARE FITTING FOR THE HUSBAND AND WIFE, THE TALMUD STATES CONCERNING INTIMATE RELATIONS WITH THE JUDAIC WIFE: "MEAT WHICH COMES FROM THE BUTCHER MAY BE EATEN SALTED. ROASTED, COOKED OR BOILED; SO WITH FISH FROM THE FISHMONGER"- BABYLONIAN TALMUD NEDARIM 20.

ZIMRI ENGAGED COZBI IN SEXUAL RELATIONS 424 TIMES IN ONE DAY. ALSO HER WOMB WAS ONE AND HALF FEET WIDE.
BABYLONIAN TALMUD SANHEDRIN 82b.

WOMEN CANNOT CONCEIVE BEFORE THEY REACH 12 YEARS AND A DAY OLD, ACCORDING TO THE RABBIS. WHEN ASKED HOW IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT A GENTILE GIRL HAD CONCIEVED AT AGE 6, THE RABBI REPLIED THAT GENTILES ARE NOT HUMAN. BABYLONIAN TALMUD NIDDAH 45a.

RABBIS INTELLECTUALLY MORE SUPERIOR THAN GOD:

A SLY RABBI DEBATES GOD AND THROUGH TRICKERY DEFEATS HIM. GOD ADMITS THE RABBI WON THE DEBATE.
BABYLONIAN TALMUD BABA MEZIA 59b.

GOD INTERVENES IN A RABBINIC DISPUTE AND IS LOGICALLY DEFEATED BY A RABBI. THE COMMANDS OF THE RABBIS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE COMMANDS OF THE BIBLE. WHOEVER DISOBEYS THE RABBIS DESERVES DEATH AND WILL BE PUNISHED IN HELL WITH BOILING EXCREMENT-BABYLONIAN TALMUD ERUBIN 21B.

ELIJAH AND MOSES BLAMED GOD FOR CAUSING THE ISRAELITES TO SIN. GOD ADMITTED THEY WERE RIGHT:
BABYLONIAN TALMUD BERAKOTH 31b-32a.

BABYLONIAN TALMUD BERAKOT 7a: GOD ASKS A RABBI FOR A RABBI'S BLESSING

GOD DECREES AND THE ZADDIK NULLIFIES GOD'S DECREE. BABYLONIAN TALMUD MO'ED KATTAN 16b.(The Zaddik is said to have the ability to change heavenly decrees and alter divine judgments. A Zaddik is a Judaic living saint, often reputed to be possessed of miraculous or MAGICAL POWERS).

SINCE GOD ALREADY GAVE THE TORAH TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE ON MOUNT SINAI WE NO LONGER PAY ATTENTION TO HEAVENLY VOICES. GOD MUST SUBMIT TO THE DECISIONS OF A MAJORITY VOTE OF THE RABBIS. BABYLONIAN TALMUD BAVA METZIA 59b.

TALMUD CITATIONS CONCERNING CHRISTIANITY:

CHRISTIANS ARE ALLIED WITH HELL, AND CHRISTIANITY IS WORSE THAN INCEST-BABYLONIAN TALMUD AVODAH ZARAH 17A.

GOING TO PROSTITUTES IS THE SAME AS BECOMING A CHRISTIAN-BABYLONIAN TALMUD AVODAH ZARAH 17A.

THOSE WHO READ THE GOSPELS ARE DOOMED TO HELL-BABYLONIAN TALMUD SANHEDRIN 90A.

WHEN THE MESSIAH COMES, HE WILL DESTROY THE CHRISTIANS-BABYLONIAN TALMUD SANHEDRIN 99A.

CHRISTIANS AND OTHERS WHO REJECT THE TALMUD WILL GO TO HELL AND BE PUNISHED THERE FOR ALL GENERATIONS-BABYLONIAN TALMUD SANHEDRIN 90A.

THOSE WHO READ THE NEW TESTAMENT WILL HAVE NO PORTION IN THE WORLD TO COME-BABYLONIAN TALMUD ROSH HASHANAH 17A.

JEWS MUST DESTROY THE BOOKS OF THE CHRISTIANS i.e. the NEW TESTAMENT: THE BOOKS OF THE CHRISTIANS MAY NOT BE SAVED FROM A FIRE, BUT THEY MUST BE BURNT IN THEIR PLACE-BABYLONIAN TALMUD SHABBAT 116A.

 

Another example from a Mystery Religion:

Christianity asserts that there is one source of Truth and that is the Bible, the inspired, inerrant Word of the living God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice (John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12). It is God’s written revelation to mankind and is never superseded by man’s thoughts, ideas, writings, or visions! The Gnostics, on the other hand, use a variety of early heretical writings known as the Gnostic gospels, a collection of forgeries claiming to be “lost books of the Bible.” Thankfully, the early church fathers were nearly unanimous in recognizing these Gnostic scrolls as fraudulent forgeries that espouse false doctrines about Jesus Christ, salvation, God, and every other crucial Christian truth. There are countless contradictions between the Gnostic “gospels” and the Bible. Even when the so-called Christian Gnostics quote from the Bible, they rewrite verses and parts of verses to harmonize with their philosophy, a practice that is strictly forbidden and warned against by Scripture (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:18-19).

WHAT WAS PAUL'S PURPOSE AT ATHENS? 

Mars Hill is the Roman name for a hill in Athens, Greece, called the Hill of Ares or the Areopagus (Acts 17:19, 22). Ares was the Greek god of war and according to Greek mythology this hill was the place where Ares stood trial before the other gods for the murder of Poseidon’s son Alirrothios. Rising some 377 feet above the land below and not far from the Acropolis and Agora (marketplace), Mars Hill served as the meeting place for the Areopagus Court, the highest court in Greece for civil, criminal, and religious matters. Even under Roman rule in the time of the New Testament, Mars Hill remained an important meeting place where philosophy, religion, and law were discussed.

The biblical significance of Mars Hill is that it is the location of one of Paul’s most important gospel presentations at the time of his visit to Athens during his second missionary journey (Acts 17:16–34). It was where he addressed the religious idolatry of the Greeks who even had an altar to the “Unknown God.” It was this altar and their religious idolatry that Paul used as a starting point in proclaiming to them the one true God and how they could be reconciled to Him. Paul’s sermon is a classic example of a gospel presentation that begins where the listeners are and then presents the gospel message in a logical and biblical fashion. In many ways it is a classic example of apologetics in action. Paul started his message by addressing the false beliefs of those gathered there that day and then used those beliefs as a way of presenting the gospel message to them.

We know that when Paul arrived in Athens he found a city “given over to idols” (Acts 17:16). In his usual manner, Paul began presenting the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. He started by “reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers” (Acts 17:17) and then also proclaimed the gospel “in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:17). While at the marketplace he encountered some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (Acts 17:18) who, having heard Paul proclaim the resurrected Jesus Christ, wanted to learn about “this new doctrine” he was teaching, so they “brought him to the Areopagus” to hear more from him (Acts 17:19–20).

We know from history that the Epicurean philosophers generally believed that God existed but that He was not interested or involved with humanity and that the main purpose of life was pleasure. On the other hand, the Stoic philosophers had the worldview that “God was the world’s soul” and that the goal of life was “to rise above all things” so that one showed no emotional response to either pain or pleasure. These groups and others with their dramatically opposing worldviews loved to discuss and debate philosophy and religion. Intrigued by what they considered Paul’s “babblings” about the resurrection of Christ, they brought him to the Areopagus where the Athenians and foreigners “spent their time in nothing else but to tell or hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21).

As mentioned earlier, Paul’s presentation of the gospel is a great example for us, both as a pattern for how Paul identified with his audience and as an example of apologetics in action. His connection with his audience is seen in how he begins addressing those gathered at the Areopagus. He begins with the observation that they were “very religious,” based on the fact that they had many altars and “objects of worship” (Acts 17:23) including an altar to “the Unknown God.” Paul uses that altar to introduce them to the one true God and the only way of salvation, Jesus Christ.

His apologetic method and his knowledge that they did not even know what God is really like leads him to go back to Genesis and to the beginning of creation. Having a completely wrong view of God, those gathered that day needed to hear what God really was like before they would understand the message of the gospel. Paul begins explaining to them the sovereign God who created all things and gives life and breath to all things. He continues to explain that it was God who created from one individual all men and nations and even appointed the time and boundaries of their dwelling (Acts 17:26). His message continues as he explains the closeness of God and their need to repent of their rebellion against Him. Paul completes his message by introducing them to the One before whom they would all stand one day and be judged—Jesus Christ, whom God had raised from the dead.

Of course, many in the audience scoffed at the idea that Christ was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day because the idea of the resurrection to the Greeks was foolishness (1 Corinthians 1:23). Yet a few believed what Paul said and joined him.

What happened on Mars Hill is important because of the many lessons that can be learned, not only from how Paul presented the gospel and presented a biblical worldview, but also in the varied responses he received. Some of those there that day believed and were saved, others mocked Paul and rejected his message, and still others were open-minded and desired to hear more. We can only hope that those who were open-minded were later convinced of the truth and also repented and believed.

As with all men, those who were confronted with the truth of the gospel and did not respond in faith had no guarantee of a second chance. As Hebrews 3:15 says, “Today if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in rebellion.” Paul’s message to the philosophers on Mars Hill that day ended with a call to repentance and acceptance of the two fundamental truths of Scripture that Paul was committed to preaching—the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul preached Christ crucified to them as he always did wherever he went (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Stoicism is one of many ancient Greek philosophies. While Paul was in Athens, a group of Stoics met him and engaged him in a debate (Acts 17:18) that started in the marketplace and continued in the Areopagus. In speaking to the Stoics and other philosophers gathered on Mars Hill, Paul gave a presentation of the gospel and made a point of mentioning the Athenian altar to the “unknown god” as proof of their spiritual ignorance.

Stoicism, which emphasizes rationalism and logic, is commonly considered to be the opposite of Epicureanism, which is seen as promoting feeling and comfort. Many people think Epicureanism is all about pleasure in life while Stoicism is all about rejecting pleasure. This view is over-simplified to the point of inaccuracy. In reality, Epicureanism teaches to arrange one’s life in such a way that it is completely free of stress—including the stress brought about by over-indulgence and pleasure-seeking. True Stoicism says to align one’s expectations with the logos—the natural law of the cosmos—and not to worry about the rest.

Stoicism was first taught by Zeno around 300 BC in the stoa poikile (painted colonnade) in the Agora in Athens. The philosophy is comprised of three disciplines. The philosophical base of Stocism is physics, or the natural world. Stoicism teaches materialism—that all of creation is made of material stuff, including god/logos and human souls (which are made of fire). When our five senses interact with other material objects, their reality is impelled upon us. But we can only accurately interpret those sensations through logos, which defines how the world works. All our assessments, whether concerning the temperature of a beverage or the feeling of imminent doom, are only accurate insofar as we are in tune with the logos. Ethics—the way we should act—is based on logos. The closer we are to the logos, the more ethical we will naturally act, according to Stoicism.

Stoicism says that the alignment of one’s perception with the logos is a journey. Someone who is completely immature in the ways of logos acts impulsively and with passion (appetite and/or fear). His reactions to external forces are so uninformed by reason that he actually limits his ability to make choices in the future—like the man who gets angry and kills and is imprisoned. It is this detachment and preference for reason-based decisions that give the Stoic his reputation as a repressor of feeling. With maturity into the logos, one realizes that everything that is external to him is neutral; it’s oikeion. Money, home, companionship, and sometimes even life are neutral. There are varying degrees of oikeion. Life, in general, is preferable to death. But if life were to be contrary to logos, death would be preferable.

The final stage of Stoicism is the sage. The sage is completely ruled by logos. His decisions are always logical, and he is never so impassioned that he cannot think things through to make the best choice. He does experience joy, watchfulness, and wishing, but he is not controlled by his emotions or by the actions of the outside world. Think of the character Spock in Star Trek as one trained in the Stoic philosophy.

One area in which Stoicism contradicts Christianity is in the physics; the entire Stoic god is wrong. Stoicism teaches a kind of pantheism—that god is not only logos, but logos is god. The reason logos reigns in the cosmos is that it is in everything and a part of everything.

However, parts of Stoicism are relatable to Christianity—in fact, John calls Jesus the “Logos” in John 1, where the title is translated as “Word.” Psalm 119 is filled with verses that explain joy comes with following God’s law. And it’s true that ethics are based on God’s character. But there is one big difference: the logos is not an apathetic, material force that ordains the working of the universe. The Logos is a loving Person who intimately interacts with our lives and responds to us.

Whereas Epicureans discuss and debate only as much as they need to understand what they believe, Stoics meditate constantly. In order to properly respond to the world, Stoics consider different scenarios and reason out what the appropriate reaction should be. The Bible teaches that we should meditate on God’s Word (Psalm 1:2). The Stoic tradition of meditation is similar in some ways to what we call inductive Bible study—learn the law, discover what it means, apply it to your actions.

Stoicism, in some cases, has stumbled onto truth. Hold the things of the world lightly. Know that God’s point of view is truth, and ours can be distorted. Act in a reasonable way based on the truth of the logos, not your impulsive passions. Christians have been given the Spirit of Truth. We understand that “alignment” with the logos does not come from a deeper, more reasonable understanding of the natural world; rather, righteousness comes from a relationship with God through Christ, the true Logos. God not an impersonal, immovable force; He is the loving, caring Jesus who entered our world, sacrificed Himself for us, and rose again. When Paul spoke of the resurrection on Mars Hill, his speech was interrupted by the philosophers there, and “some of them sneered” (Acts 17:32). However, others “became followers of Paul and believed” (verse 34). May many more Stoics find the Savior.

Epicureanism was a Greek philosophy started by Epicurus (341—270 BC). It was still going strong in New Testament times when Paul visited Athens on his second missionary journey. One of the groups that debated with Paul on the streets of Athens was Epicurean (Acts 17:18); later, this group brought Paul to the Areopagus for further questioning (verse 19).

Epicureanism taught that the highest state a person could attain was ataraxia—absolute peace—and aponia—complete absence of mental, emotional, and physical distress or need. Epicureanism has gotten a bad rap in modern times because of a misunderstanding of its basic tenets. People today tend to think it represents ultimate, decadent luxury and indulgence. It’s usually contrasted with Stoicism, which is thought to be the absolute absence of desire. But these are extreme definitions that don’t quite hit the mark.

Epicurus’s goal was to teach people to relax and enjoy life without worrying so much. His first step was to remove the idea of the gods from the psyche of his followers. To Epicurus, the gods did exist, but they lived so far away from the affairs of man, in a permanent state of ataraxia, that they didn’t interfere with humanity—in fact, they weren’t even aware of humanity.

With the removal of fear of the gods came two advantages for the Epicureans. First, there is no judgment after death; therefore, death shouldn’t be feared. Everything is material, so, whatever “soul” there is, it is connected to the physical body and ceases to exist upon death. Second, there is no judgment during life. There is no way to appease a god who doesn’t know you exist and doesn’t care about your life. Therefore, you are free to find fulfillment in life outside of religious rules and expectations.

What, then, is fulfillment, according to Epicureanism? If we aren’t working for the favors of gods, in this life or the next, how can we live to the full in the moment? Epicurus’s answer is more balanced than many understand. To him, ataraxia was everything. It meant very simple but profound things like not being hungry, not being in distress, and not worrying.

Absolute peace meant being comfortably fed, but not overfed because that leads to stomach aches. Desserts and fine food are okay if they are rare enough to be appreciated but not so common as to be expected or desired. Too much education is distressing because it awakens a desire to understand things that are not understandable. Feelings, not logic, most often reveal the truth about a situation. To an extent, altruism and civil obedience are good because, if the society is healthy, it benefits you, too. But politics and power are too stressful. Things like fame, marriage, and wealth are artificial, and very often bring more heartbreak than joy. At the same time, Epicureanism did not prohibit such activities if a person found them beneficial.

So, in true Epicureanism, the best life is characterized by sufficient food, a comfortable dwelling, peaceful relationships, and good friends. Epicurus’s academy followed this model; the school was in his home and garden and included slaves and women.

If this sounds familiar, it MAY be because some of what Epicureanism taught aligns with the Bible. For example, money and power do not often bring peace. “But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many’” (Matthew 20:25–28; see also Matthew 13:22; Mark 10:23b; James 3:1).

Worrying is not good. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25; see also 1 Peter 5:7). Of course, the reason Jesus gave for not worrying was trust in God; Epicurus’s reason was that there are no gods that matter.

A good life includes sufficient food and good friendships. “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17; see also Proverbs 27:17).

Possessions and desires enslave more than they free. “Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags” (Proverbs 23:20–21; see also Matthew 19:21–22; Galatians 5:24).

Nature around us has no choice but to tell the truth, but we often don’t listen. “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. . . . They exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Romans 1:20–25; see also John 8:44–45). Of course, the “truth” that the Epicurean drew from nature completely ignored the fact of a present, life-sustaining Creator.

Regardless of the few times Epicureanism stumbled upon the truth, the materialistic views of Epicureanism directly contradict the Bible. Scripture says that God is very involved in our lives. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39; see also John 14:16–17; Hebrews 13:5b).

The cosmos includes the spiritual as well as the physical. “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24; see also Ezekiel 18:4; Hebrews 4:12).

We will be resurrected—death is not the end. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die” (John 11:25b–26a; see also 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:54–55).

Only Christ can bring peace, not the careful manipulation of the earthly life. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33; see also 2 Corinthians 12:8-10; Philippians 4:4–7, 11–13).

Ultimately, what Epicureanism taught was a “fulfilled” life free from pain, hunger, distress, worry—and God. Considering the gods the Greeks knew—violent, lusty, and capricious super-humans—they maybe aren’t to be condemned for seeking to cast off the deities. But the Epicureans didn’t understand that a fulfilled life can’t happen without the Creator-God who loves us and saved us. It is good to have bread and friends. It is better to have the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48) and the Friend who made the ultimate sacrifice for us (John 15:13–15).

 In Paul's apologetics, he never attempted to assimilate Epicureanism or Stoic ethical thoughts or philosophy with Christian ethics or the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 2 :2  NIV. When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

In Dave James  book "The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction", in chapter 17 "The Tenth Seal", Mr. James discusses very profoundly the mystical qualities of Mr. Cahn's mystical hermenuetics. I make the following quote from page 198 of the same chapter:

" In the July 3, 2012 interview when Brannon Howse expressed his deep concern about Cahn using mystical sources for his messages, Cahn tried to justify his practice by noting that the Apostle Paul also referred to the teaching of pagan philosophers in his address to the Athenians(Acts 17:22-31). He went on to suggest that Paul would have been"crucified" by discernment ministries for using a hymn to Zeus and because of his associations.(WHAT ASSOCIATIONS? THAT PAUL BELIEVED THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND GREEK PHILOSOPHY OF MYSTERY RELIGIONS HAVE A COMMON GROUND FOR SHARING THE WORD OF GOD?)

 
That is a red herring. The two situations are completely different. Paul's approach is nothing like Cahn's. Cahn refers to the mystical rabbinical writings of the Zohar POSITIVELY, saying that because God had inspired them his church should "listen to New Age Rabbinical Sages". He presents the Zohar as something that can be studied and it's depths plumbed for hidden mysteries like he had just revealed for the first time.  

In stark contrast, Paul immediately tells his audience that what they have been taught by their poets about the unknown god they worship is completely wrong. He does not suggest that their sayings contain hidden mysteries that were inspired by God and that he had just discovered for the first time. Paul never implies that the Athenians should listen to these men. Rather he refers to a single point of agreement(we all come from God) and to denounce their idols. From Romans we understand that the knowledge of that truth is not a hidden mystery but has rather been made plain to everyone through both the conscience and the creation(Romans 1:18-2:16).

Dear Viewer: Can you see more clearly NOW Mr.Cahn's and Mr. Bernal's gross errors in quoting from EXTRA-BIBLICAL SOURCES WHICH HAVE A DIRECT CORRELATION TO PAGAN MYSTERY RELIGIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO PROVE THAT IT CAN BE USED AS A BRIDGE BUILDER TO AFFIRM THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST? 

During the Age of the Renaissance, the preeminent Christian  scholars, Philosophers and scientist of Scientific Revolution were all avid students of the Zohar/Kabbalah. They believed with great conviction that the Zohar/Kabbalah held within it the secrets of the Chrsitian faith, including the original teachings of Jesus. Are you now beginning to see a pattern of resemblance  between Mr. Cahn's motives for using the Zohar to support his sermons/apologetics and the Christian Mystics of the  Renaissance Age?

Mysticism and the search for hidden, only to be revealed to the wise kind of heresies continue in our time. The source and so called evidence for some teachings in our churches of today is still from the Zohar of ancient Jewish mystics. Kabbalah is a doctrine of esoteric knowledge concerning God and His plans for the ages. As the gnostics of early Christianity, some get to feel that they and a few others are created to unveil hidden, secret, only for a few special ones to know... so called truths. They teach that every letter, word, number, and accent in the Bible has a hidden sense, and a few are given special powers to reveal to us those ‘hidden, secretive’ things.

Jonathan Cahn has preached in pulpits referring to the Zohar, its mystical writings, speaking of Gulgatah, the cosmic skull. In a part of his sermon, which can be found on Youtube, uploaded on February 25, 2010, called ‘The Zohar Speaks’(see video at the bottom of this article), he talks of world mysteries, hidden until he proclaims them. This source, the Zohar, and those which he quotes of those ancient mystical writings are not prophets of God. He refers to the Zohar as ‘a hostile witness’ but then takes their mysticisms and claims to be the one blessed to rightly interpret their conjectures. He claims that God put in the Zohar mysteries for him to be the revealer of, and his conjectures are the first time revelations of truths. These claims are audacious in pronouncement, and lead from the simple and already revealed truths of the Holy Bible. His attempts to reconcile the Bible to the Zohar's mystical writings are laden with errors, and distracting to our true calling and message of God.( John murjahelhttps://www.armyofprophets.com/post/106-what-is-kabbalah-do-we-listen-to-jonathan-cahn-7468886 ).

A word about Rabbi Shimon Ben Yohai

Author of the Mystical book the  Zohar

 

The Roman Emperor of the 2nd century of the C.E. placed a death sentence upon the head of Rabbi Yochai for fear of his power & great influence. In order to escape the Roman Soldiers, the great kabbalist together with his son Rabbi Elazar took refuge in a cave in Pequi"in, Israel. There for 13 years they buried themselves in the ground up to their necks in order to subjugate the distractions of their bodies. It was during this time that they SUPPOSEDLY recieved instructions in the deepest mysteries of the Torah from ELIJAH THE PROPHET. These teachings would later become the foundation of THE ZOHAR.

.IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FURTHER BACKGROUND INTO THE CORRUPT DOCTRINES AND MORAL DECAY OF RABBI SIMEON BEN YOHAI, I MAKE THE FOLLOWING QUOTATION WITH REGARDS TO HIS APPROVAL & LEGALIZATION OF CHILD SEX WITH 3 YEAR OLD GIRLS AS FOLLOWS:

 

YEBAMOTH 60b: IT WAS TAUGHT: RABBI SIMEON BEN YOHAI STATED: A PROSOLYTE WHO IS UNDER THE AGE OF 3 YEARS AND ONE DAY IS PERMITTED TO MARRY A PRIEST. FOR IT IS SAID, BUT ALL THE WOMEN CHILDREN THAT HAVE NOT KNOWN MAN BY LYING WITH HIM, KEEP ALIVE FOR YOURSELVES, AND PHINEAS WHO WAS A PRIEST, SURELY WAS WITH THEM.

 

As Christians are being misled by their Judaizing preachers & popes who are increasingly consulting Jewish rabbinical sources for a "PURER" understanding of the Old Testament, they are unknowningly consulting the OCCULT.

 

Judaism is the religion of the Pharisees and the patrimony of Babylon from where the Talmudic & Kabbalistic traditions of Judaism ultimately derive. Orthodox Judaism's other sacred book, the Kabbalah( THE ZOHAR BEING IT'S PREMIER TEXT OF OCCULT KNOWLEDGE) is filled with astrological teachings, fortune telling, gematria, necromancy & DEMONOLOGY.

 

Orthodox Rabbis place curses, cast spells & imagine they have powers greater than God, derived from their study of the Sefer Yezriah(a book of Kabbalistic Magic). Christians are TRAFFICKING in Babylonian Paganism when they DEFER to the the Rabbis of Judaism  "Michael Hoffman".

 
A contributing Source: A QUOTATION FROM TED W. PIKE’S BOOK “ISRAEL OUR DUTY OUR DELIMMA” FROM PAGE 103: “The Kabbalah at this time was a Babylonian brew which included such occult features as REINCARNATION, NECROMANCY, CONJURATION, ASTRAL PROJECTION, COOPERATION WITH DEMONS, ASTROLOGY, NUMEROLOGY, AND A VAST SYSTEM FOR THE USE OF CHARMS, AMULETS & INCANTATIONS”. In short, most of what was distinctive of BABYLONIAN & EGYPTIAN SORCERY WAS INCLUDED IN THE ZOHAR! Even today virtually all occult systems (especially THEOSOPHICAL ONES) and practices, including WITCHCRAFT & SATANISM, borrow heavily from the KABBALAH (AS PRESERVED IN THE ZOHAR) in their rituals and symbolism”. (Want this book? You can purchase a copy  at Amazon.com.) I also recommend this second excellent book sold  on Amazon.com: Kabbalah Secrets Christians need to know by Author DeAnne Loper.

The only reason Christians were BLOWN AWAY by Mr. Cahn’s BOGUS MYSTERIES is because many collectively have the Biblical understanding of second graders. WHEN IT COMES  TO HERMENUETICS, THEY ARE UNABLE TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXEGESIS, EISEGESIS AND MYSTICAL HERMENUETICS.

PART IV

 

DEAR VIEWER: THE 3 VIDEOS

BELOW PROVIDE VISUAL EVIDENCE

WITH REGARDS TO JONATHAN CAHN'S

MYSTICAL HERMENUETICS IN SUPPORT OF HIS

 APOLOGETICS WITH FALSE INTERPREATIONS

OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

VIDEO #1

IN  VIDEO #2 BELOW BILLY PHILLIPS

A KABBALIST TEACHES 

A LECTURE CLAIMING 

JESUS WAS A KABBALIST. 

THIS VIDEO

SHEDS LIGHT AS TO HOW 

JONATHAN CAHN DEVELOPED HIS 

MESSAGE THE ZOHAR SPEAKS.

VIDEO #3

A JEWISH MAN EXPOSES THE

ZOHAR

MORE VISUAL EVIDENCE PROVING

THAT JONATHAN CAHN'S MYSTERIES

ARE AN ELABORATE FABRICATION

 FORE MORE INFORMATION SEE THE LINKS BELOW

 THE MYSTICAL NUMBERS OF PROPHETIC FRAUD JONATHAN CAHN...

extendedlifectm.org › 2020/09/23 › jonathan-cohnJonathan Cohn: HERETICAL TEACHER OF JEWISH MYSTICISM

‘The Return’ – Jonathan Cahn’s Upcoming Prayer Event Produced by Wolves in sheep's clothing:christianresearchnetwork.org/2020/09/08/

 END TIME FANTASY WRITER JONATHAN CAHN'S BOOKS EXPOSED

Jonathan Cahn's Paradigm | Christian Observer

 DOWNLOAD OUR WHITE PAPER ON THE OCCULT-SORCERY

 The Hidden Faith of The Founding Fathers Video Below

SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES/PERSONS FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS WHICH MADE THIS ARTICLE POSSIBLE: THE BEREAN CALL, THE BEREAN  RESEARCH, GOT QUESTIONS.COM, MS LORI ANN OF MAGPIE DESIGNS LTD,  JOAN N. OF AMAZON.COM. DeANNE LOPER, AND TED WINSTON PIKE