Zohran Mamdani Elected as the Mayor of New York City

 

First, this is not, never has been, and never will be, a political blog. The post which you are now reading is not a political post.

            On today, 4 November, 2025, Zohran Mamdani, a self-identified socialist, won the mayorship of New York City on the Democratic Party ticket. Some critics say that Mamdani is closer in his beliefs to Communism than to Socialism. Some may even see an apocalyptic meaning in his election, seeing Communism as 666, the number of a man. Revelation 13:18.

            No! I am not saying that Zohran Mamdani is the Antichrist! I am saying that some may see the resurgence of Socialist/Marxist/Communist ideas as evidence of the nearness of the coming of the Antichrist. This resurgence seems to fit many of the biblical descriptions of the Antichrist, the man of lawlessness. The following list is not everything said about the Antichrist in the Bible.

1.                          It elevates a political idea, which comes from man, to a position over God. The most extreme versions of the idea are overtly anti-religious. Anti can be understood not just as against, but also as instead of.

2.                          The Antichrist will be very popular with the majority of the populace and will perform miracles, perhaps economic miracles, rather than seemingly magical ones. He will claim that his system can eventually solve all the world’s problems. He will basically be a political Messiah-figure.

3.                          The divinity of man and man's self-transformation, which are New Age ideas, will be stressed.

4.                          Persecution of Christians will become more openly evident. Not all persecution is physical. It can also be denigration as uneducated bigots and may manifest as harsh social disapproval.  

5.                          The Antichrist will become powerful politically, militarily, and financially and will be a globalist in policy. He will create a one-world religion and a one-world government. Revelation 13:16-18.

6.                          After he is killed with a head wound, the Antichrist will be resurrected. Revelation 13:3. Some see this as having happened in the fall of Communism with the Soviet Union and the seeming modern resurrection of quasi-Marxist thought.

7.                      The government of the Antichrist will use economics, social pressure, and outright physical force to suppress any dissent.

 

Again, I am not saying that Zohran Mamdani is the Antichrist! It is a truly stupid exercise to attempt to name the Antichrist. Over the centuries, many have attempted to do so. Here are some of the names which have been put forward.

The Roman Emperor Nero, Oliver Cromwell, Peter the Great, Martin Luther, Adolf Hitler, Greta Thunberg, an as-yet unidentified Jewish person, the Ottoman Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte, Hillary Clinton, Saddam Hussein, Ronald Reagan, Pope Gregory VII, Pope John Paul II, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, King Charles III, Bill Gates, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joe Biden, Mikhail Gorbachev, Prince Harry, Emmanuel Macron, Henry Kissinger, Barack Obama, Osama bin Laden, Donald Trump, a 6^th century French peasant mentioned by Gregory of Tours, Benito Mussolini, the European Union, John F. Kennedy, Aleister Crowley, and almost unbelievably, Jesus himself.

Do you see the idiocy of this? Not only is it idiotic, we are specifically told by Jesus not to do it. Matthew 24:36. To do it is disobedience to the Lord, an act of sin.

So, is the Antichrist to be a person representing the political systems of either Socialism or Communism? I do not know, and neither do you. 2 Thessalonian 2:1-8.

Keep your eyes open and do not be deceived, but also do not delude yourself into thinking that you do know. It is disobedience to Jesus to set dates and to plan out elaborate timelines of future historical events and to prematurely say names. When the Antichrist emerges it will be obvious to anyone who knows how to look. You will not have to guess.

Instead, enthusiastically live each day as if it is the last day of your life. As Pastor Frances Chan has said, think of what Jesus wants you to do in the next five minutes. Remember that the thing holding back the emergence of the Antichrist is us, the Body of Christ, the Church, the ekklesia, indwelled by the Holy Spirit.

Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

Assos                           Acts 20:30                   Behramkale, Turkiye

Berea                          Acts 17:10-13              Veria, Greece

Cauda                         Acts 27:16                   Gavdos, Greece

Erech                          Genesis 10:10             Uruk, Iraq

Iron                             Joshua 19:38               Yaroun, Lebanon

Joppa                          Jonah 1:3                    Jaffa, Israel

Myra                           Acts 27:5                     Demre, Turkiye

Philadelphia               Revelation 3:7             Alasehir, Turkiye

Rabbah                      Amos 1:14                   Amman, Jordan

Tahpanhes                  Jeremiah 44:1             Tell Defenneh, Egypt

Find a Penny

 

Find a penny and pick it up and all the day you’ll have good luck. I heard this chant many times as a child in the southern portion of the United States but it is not restricted to the American South.

            The “lucky Penny” superstition has been known for thousands of years. Ancient peoples, just like many moderns, often believed in the power inherent in coins. Finding a coin was considered to be a sign of good luck, or of coming prosperity, because metals were considered to represent wealth and protection.

            Making a wish after throwing a coin into a fountain may have originated as giving a valuable offering to water deities.

            “A penny for your thoughts” carries the idea that your thoughts are valuable because the coin has value.

            After a coin flip, a coin landing with its head-side up (obverse) is considered to be a positive sign. A coin with the tails-side up (reverse) is considered to be negative. Some people will not pick up a coin from the street if the coin is in the tails up position. In American football, the referee determines first possession of the ball by the use of a coin flip.

            This may seem like a trivial and harmless holdover of an ancient superstition. Most people would view it in this way and, for the most part, it is. The children gleefully throwing coins into the fountain outside a restaurant and making a wish are totally innocent. Most adults have no idea of the origins of the superstition and have not given it a single thought, and probably never will. In its origins it is a demonstration of the use of Magick.

            Magick, as opposed to harmless stage magic (where you do not actually see what you think you see) is an ancient concept. The actual modern word, Magick, seems to have been originated by Aleister Crowley, an utterly evil and awful man who described himself as The Great Beast. His most famous quotation is “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.”

            Magick is the intentional attempt to control reality by performing certain actions or saying certain words. It is an attempt to impose one’s will on the universe. It is an assertion of self as the master. If you gave them a coin, the water deities were obligated to grant you a wish. If you rubbed the lamp, the genie was your slave. If you said the correct words in the correct sequence, a demon could be forced to obey you.

            Simony is the practice of buying or selling objects held to be religiously sacred. It does not include the selling of modern Christian merchandise which, of itself, is not inherently holy or sacred.  Simony would be the selling, for personal profit, of materials or items or powers used in the official functions of the church. The word originates from Acts 8:18-24, where a magician, Simon Magus, offered money to Peter in an attempt to purchase the power to perform miracles. Peter angrily rejected Simon’s offer of money.

            The Bible clearly says that we are to avoid the intentional use of magic and the occult. Deuteronomy 18:10-11, 18:2; Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:31, 20:6,27; Isaiah 19:1-4; Ezekiel 13:20-21; 2 Kings 21:6; Revelation 21:8.

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

            Your innocent child can probably still enjoy throwing a few coins into a fountain.

Modern Names of Places Mentioned in the Bible

 

Acts 11:26     Antioch (Antakya, Turkiye)

Hosea 10:14   Beth Arbel (Irbid, Jordan)

1 Chronicles 5:26   Gozan (Tell Halaf, Syria)

Acts 14:8   Lystra (Klistra, Turkiye)

Revelation 2:18  Thyatira (Akhisar, Turkiye)

When the Only Person You Want to Talk to is Your Dog

Recently, I saw a woman wearing a tee shirt which said, "Leave me alone! I'm only talking to my dog today!"  We all feel that way sometimes.  Your dog will love you and listen to you even if you are in a sour mood. Even if you are a bad person.

The next time you are in a mood like this, try taking to God. He will always listen. He is always there, even when you do not talk. He wants you you to talk to Him. He comes to you, even when you do not want Him to.

'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.  Revelation 3:20

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible ®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Excellence

Nick Saban, the football coach at the University of Alabama, has coached two American college football teams (Alabama and the Louisiana State University) to national championships and is currently one win away from another national championship game.  Speaking about the fact that many of his former players have gone on to professional football careers and that many of his current players probably will do so, he gave his players this advice: “Don’t save yourself for something that won’t happen if you don’t spend yourself now.” This is very good advice.

Very good advice indeed. It can be applied to any endeavor. Never accept mediocrity when you can display excellence by the full application of your abilities.

Jesus said this exact thing in Revelation 3:16.  “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

This is not expecting excellence. It is demanding excellence. It is disgust with half-hearted, nominal Christianity. Jesus is worthy and deserves our best.

"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Eschatology Series, Post #3: Christian Eschatology

Prior posts in this series:
http://saintsontheloose.blogspot.com/2015/01/film-comment-left-behind.html
http://saintsontheloose.blogspot.com/2015/01/eschatology-series-post-2-eschatologies.html

Christian eschatology is the study of the end times of the world as related to Christian doctrine. This is far less settled than many people think. Some Christians see eschatology as the major emphasis of their ministry activities while other Christians seem to be totally uninterested. Others merely point out that Christians are clearly instructed in the Scriptures to be ready for the end times but to not set dates. We are instructed to watch the signs and to stay aware. Much of the discussion centers on the book of Revelation.

There are numerous concepts in Christian eschatology which have engendered much discussion (and sometimes heated arguments leading to church splits) among the Saints. There seem to be as many opinions on this subject as there are Christians. Below is a short listing of some of the terms involved in the discussion.

ANTICHRIST: The Antichrist is a world religious and political figure in Christian Eschatology who represents everything opposed to God and Jesus. He is called the Beast and the Man of Perdition who will declare himself to be God. Some believe that he will be a human son of Satan. Others believe that he will be Satan himself. Some see the Antichrist as not a person but a political system or a false church system. Others say that he is in some way merely a symbolic figure representing the world system which opposes the teachings of Jesus Christ. Various persons throughout history have been suspected by some of being the Antichrist: The Roman Emperor Nero, Oliver Cromwell, the Pope, and even United States President Barack Obama. There is a number associated with the Antichrist, 666, which we are told is the number of a man. Intense numerological speculation has occurred with it being demonstrated, for example, that the Emperor Nero's name totals to the number 666. My view is that when the true Antichrist appears it will be readily obvious to members of the Body of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 1 John 2:18, 2:22, 4:3, 2 John 1:7, Daniel 7:24-25, Revelation 13:5-8, 15:2

FALSE PROPHET: The False Prophet is a person who uses seemingly magical powers to convince people to worship the Antichrist as God. Some believe that he will be of Jewish origin, others that he will be a Gentile. Revelation 13:11-15, 16:13, 19:20, 20:10, Matthew 7:15, 2 Thessalonians 2:9

MARK OF THE BEAST: The Mark of the Beast is some sort of marking placed upon those persons who accept the divinity of the Beast/Antichrist. Without the mark, a person will be unable to buy, sell, or hold a job. Speculation as to the nature of the mark includes that it might be a tattoo, an actual branding, a bio-chip, or just the internal mark of having chosen allegiance to the Antichrist. Revelation 13:16-18, 14:9-10.

THE GREAT TRIBULATION: A time period ruled by the Beast during which Christians will be intensely persecuted and martyred. Revelation 6, Daniel 9:24-27, 12:1, 14:1-5, Matthew 24:21, Jeremiah 30:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:2, 9, 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, Isaiah 2:2, 13:6-9, Joel 1:15, 2:1-31, 3:14, Deuteronomy 4:30, Zephaniah 1:1

THE MILLENIUM: A one thousand year time period during which Jesus Christ literally rules the entire Earth from His throne in Jerusalem. There are numerous comments and interpretations about this period: they include:
  1. Some insist that it is first mentioned in the Persian Zoroastrian religion and was copied by Christianity.
  2. The word merely means "a long time."
  3. The millenium is merely symbolic.
  4. We are in the millenium now and the world will progressively become better until the Kingdom of Heaven is finally achieved.
Matthew 24, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, Revelation

ARMEGEDDON: A terrible world-wide war provoked by the Antichrist in which the majority of the Earth's population will die. Daniel 9, Matthew 24, Revelation 4:19.

THE RAPTURE: The Rapture is the event when Jesus returns to take believers into the air with Him, leaving the Earth populated only by unbelievers. Exactly when, or even if, this occurs is disputed among Christian believers. There are many conflicting interpretations of this doctrine. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, Matthew 24:29-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-27, 1 Corinthians 15:52, Isaiah 27:13.

Magic Squares in Christian Occultism, Part 3

The Sator Square is a Christian use of the Magic Square. The words, Sator Arepo tenet opera rotas, are a palindrome which can be read top-to-bottom, bottom-to-top, left-to-right, or right-to-left. The Latin inscription means something like "Farmer Arepo makes work wheels." "The farmer Arepo uses a plough to do his work." By itself, the sentence is virtually meaningless and harmless. It would not arouse the suspicions of any one holding malicious attitudes towards Christians.


                                     S A T O R
                                     A R E P O
                                     T E N E T
                                     O P E R A
                                     R O T A S


Placed on the cornerstone block during construction, this is obviously intended as a blessing or protection for the building and the persons inside. Like the Fish symbol, this could also be a sign that only Christians would recognize. Since it is an attempt to influence reality by the use of powerful words, this can also be seen as the use of and belief in magic.

Hidden within this square are the Latin words "Pater Noster" ("Our Father") enclosed by the A and O from the Greek words Alpha and Omega , the "beginning" and the "end" of the Greek alphabet. The "Our Father" references Matthew 6:5-13 and Luke 11:1-4. The "beginning" and the "end" reference Revelation 1:8, 21:6, 22:13, and Isaiah 44:6

                                            P

                                            A

                                            T

                                  A        E       O

                                            R

                           P A T E R N O S T E R

                                            O

                                  O       S       A

                                            T

                                            E

                                            R            

Sator Squares have been found in numerous places worldwide:
1. On a building in the ruins of Pompeii.
2. At the Duro-Europas site in Syria.
3. In excavations under the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.
4. On the wall of the Duomo of Sienna, Italy.
5. In a 2nd Century excavation site in Manchester, England.
6. A stone at a chapel in Andertton, Lancashire, England.
7. In a wall located in Oppede, France.

Other Discussions of the Sator Squares:
http://finding-palindromes.blogspot.com/2012/06/sator-square.html
http://mysteriouswritings.com/the-sator-square/
......................................
"Πάτερ ἡμῶν", "father of us":
Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου·
ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου·
γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου,·
ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς·
τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον·
καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν,
ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν·
καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν,
ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ.

Modern Names of Biblical Places

Ecbatana: Mentioned in Ezra 6:2, Ecbatana (aka: Agbatana) was probably first occupied by the Assyrians in 1100 BC/BCE.  About 700 BC/BCE, the city was the capital of the Medean Kingdom (“Persians and Medes”) under King Diokes.  The city is the site of the tombs of Esther and Mordecai and is known today as Hamadan, Iran.  The main exports of the city are leather, carpets, and ceramics.

Gerasa: The agricultural city of Jerash, Jordan (48 km north of Amman) is mentoioned in Mark 5:1 and Luke 8:26 as Gerasa.  It was also known as Antioch on the Golden River.  The city was founded in 331 BC/BCE either by Alexander the Great or by his general, Perdiccas, as a retirement city for career soldiers.

Pergamum: Revelation 2:12. The name of Pergamum probably is derived from the Luwian word  “parrai” of the Hittite word “parku.” Both words mean “high.”  The city was founded by Lysimachus, one of Alexander the Great’s generals.  Under the Romans, the city had a population as large as 150,000.  The modern city, with a population of 55,000, is known as Bergama, Turkey and  produces cotton, gold, and carpets.

Neapolis: The seaport of Neapolis (Greek = “new city”) was settled in the 7^th century BC/BCE to exploit nearby silver and gold deposits.  In 168 BC/BCE Neapolis became a Roman city.  The modern name is Kavala, Greece.  The city is mentioned in Acts 16:11.

Puteoli: Acts 28:13 mentions the Roman colony of Puteoli.  The name is derived from the Latin word “putere” (“to stink”), probably because of the strong sulfur smell in the area. The Roman colony was established at the earlier Greek colony of Dicaearchia.  The city produced blown glass, marble, wrought iron, and mosaics and was a port for the Greek grain trade.  The modern name of the city is Pozzuoli, Italy.

What is Theology?

Jesus is the full, total, and final revelation.  Theology is our feeble attempt to understand.

A Possible Interpretation of the Parable of the Unjust Steward

Jesus strikes me as having been pleasant and calming rather than strident and militant.  He was willing and able to express anger, but probably more often than not made his disciples smile or laugh.

I recently posted about the hard to understand Parable of the Unjust Steward.  What I said in the first paragraph may hold a key to understanding the parable.  Jesus seems to be praising the Unjust Steward.  I think He was.  He was using the Aramaic/Hebrew form of humor expressed as sarcasm or irony.  I believe that the parable probably struck His disciples as humorous in a wry sort of way.

If you are going to serve money, do it as well as you can.  If you are going to serve God, do it as well as you can.  You cannot serve two masters.  If you try, you will serve neither well.  God despises lukewarmness.

“So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”  Revelation 3:16  

Modern Names of Biblical Places: Smyrna

The ancient city of Smyrna survives today as Izmir, Turkey.

“And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;” Revelation 2:8

Book Comment: Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die

Pastor John Piper, in Fifty  Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die (2006), uses Biblical citations to show that “to die for our sins” is only one of the many reasons Jesus chose to die.  This is a point which Piper points out repeatedly; Jesus chose to die and God the Father was pleased.  The death of Jesus should not be blamed on a particular group of people;  Yes, the Jews killed Jesus,  and the Romans killed Jesus, but so did you and I.  Ultimately, God killed Jesus, and it was God’s idea.

The death of Jesus was planned from the instant of the Creation.  It did not surprise God or interfere with His Plan.  It was His Plan.  It should not surprise us that God  had multiple purposes with His plan.

Piper finds fifty reasons from scripture for the voluntary death of Jesus.  There are probably more.  Using the chapter titles from John  Piper’s book, here are a few which may surprise you:

To Abolish Circumcision and All Rituals as the Basis of Salvation:  Galatians 5:11,  6:12

To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning: Ephesians 5:25

To Destroy the Hostility Between Races: Ephesians 2: 14-16

So That He Would be Crowned With Glory and Honor: Hebrews 2:9,  Philippians 2: 7-9, Revelation 5:12

To Show That the Worst Evil Is Meant By God for Good: Acts 4:27-28

 

As smart as we pride ourselves on being, we are very limited in our intelligence.  Look at the doctrine of the Trinity, which is clearly taught in Scripture and which we clearly struggle to understand.  God thinks on a cosmic level not bounded by space or time.  Read the series of questions He put forth in the book of Job.  “My ways are not your ways.”  Isaiah 55:8

Film Comment: Daredevil

The film, Daredevil (2003), is based on a comic book series.  Daredevil is one of Marvel Comic's second-tier characters, much less well known than The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Spiderman, or the Fantastic Four.  The film includes several comic book insider references and, as do almost all Marvel films, has a cameo by the iconic comic book writer Stan Lee.  Be aware that the film, while rated PG-13, includes extreme violence and some profanity.

The superhero Daredevil is in reality blind attorney Matt Murdock.  Yes, blind.  As a child, Matt Murdock was involved in an industrial accident which destroyed his eyes but enhanced all his other senses to the point that they almost produce sensory overload.  He feels the heat of your breath; his fingers can feel the indentation in the wood produced by a pen writing on a sheet of paper on a desk;  he can sense movements in the air around him; he can hear your internal organs at work; he can identify you by your smell as you enter a room; and his enhanced sense of balance means that he has become the world's best acrobat.

By day an attorney, at night Matt becomes Daredevil, a vigilante in a form-fitting red leather suit, complete with small devil horns on his forehead.  Motivated by the murder of his boxer father, Jack "the Devil" Murdock, Matt swears to fight crime and to "seek justice, one way or another."  Matt's way is extreme violence against rapists, muggers, thieves, and other low-life scum who exist in the underbelly of the city.

The reason this film is germaine to this blog is that the film highlights the fact that Matt Murdock is, at least nominally, a Christian.  This was established as early as Daredevil #119.  Matt's Christianity was brought to the forefront by the writer Frank Miller (who, by the way, is an atheist) during his run as the book's writer and has become one of the character's most identifying aspects, playing on the conflict between his beliefs and his actions.  In Ultimate Spiderman #109, Daredevil states that he is Catholic.

Matt Murdock is a Roman Catholic and the comic books (and the film) are full of cathedrals with stone gargoyles, crosses, stained glass windows, priests, nuns, and other overtly religious images.  Matt hangs around his church and talks to his priest, but seems to avoid actual church services, though he does occasionally go to confession.  He actually believes but can't give up his quest for revenge.  He doesn't want to be a bad man, but he fears that he is a devil.

After severely beating a mob enforcer, Matt realizes he has been observed by the man's son.  He turns to the boy and says, "I'm not the bad guy, kid. ... I'm not the bad guy. ... I'm not."

Matt is stuck in the limbo in which many religious people find themselves.  He is blind, even though he thinks he can see.  People like Matt believe intellectually, perhaps even emotionally, but they are unable or unwilling to commit, unwilling to give up their favorite ways of doing things, unwilling to give control of their lives to the Lord.  They are neither hot nor cold for God, they are lukewarm.

"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth"  Revelation 3:15-16

The Devil's Future

"When the devil reminds you of your past ... remind him of his future." Teresa of Avila


As you grow closer to God, the Devil and his angels step up their attacks, usually in ways no one else but you would notice; self-doubts, opportunities to indulge in whatever is your strongest temptation, tests of your patience and acceptance of others,  obsessive thoughts, and many more.  It is not necessary for the Devil's purposes that he pull you away from Jesus.  He will be happy if he can make you ineffective.


The Devil and his angels are in all-out war against God.  They have to be if they are to have any chance (they don't) to escape the fire.


"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." Revelation 12:12



"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" Matthew 25:41

Film Comment: Zardoz

Zardoz (1973) is a film set in the extremely  distant future, so far in the future that no attempt is made to tell the audience when it occurs.  Over the untold centuries, Earth’s population has split into three distinct cultures: the Eternals, who used science to become telekinetic and immortal and have long since become bored with everything, even science; the Brutals, who live muddy lives of primitive mind-numbing poverty and ignorance; and the Exterminators, who gleefully hunt and kill the Brutals for their bloodthirsty god, Zardoz, a giant flying stone head.

One of the Exterminators, Zed (Sean Connery) is smarter than the others and wants to know the answer to one question, “Why?”  Committing an act the other Exterminators would see as stupidly blasphemy,  Zed jumps into the open toothy mouth of the enormous giant head, Zardoz.  When the head begins to move, Zed stays inside and is carried away to his destiny.

Standing in the mouth of the idol, Zed sees sights he’s never seen before; forests and a settlement with buildings.   Zardoz, which is obviously a mechanism, carries him to the Vortex, a force-field surrounded paradise in which the Eternals live.

The presence of a barbarian stirs up long-dead emotions in the Etertnals, especially in one woman (Charlotte Rampling).  The Eternals allow Zed to link his mind into their computer which controls the tedious day to day functions of maintaining their environment.  Zed is suddenly no longer an illiterate barbarian Exterminator; he is now a hyper-genius barbarian Exterminator.

Along with all the Eternal’s accumulated historical and scientific knowledge, Zed has also learned their secret: “It was all a joke.”  Zardoz is a machine, his name is stolen from the book, The Wizard of Oz, and he was created to find the perfect Exterminator.  The Eternals have groomed Zed to be their executioner, to do for them for what they could not do for themselves.

Some people find this film to be excruciatingly slow, and it is.  I think the speed of this film is intentional.  It moves slowly to highlight the deadly boredom of the Eternals.  They have done everything, seen everything, discussed everything, learned everything, and have absolutely no challenges to which to respond.  Perfect health, limitless wealth, and eternal life have become their prison.  Zed, the ruthless killer, is exciting because he is dangerous, because he can end it.

Many Christians have a deficient understanding of eternity.  I doubt that many actually believe the Hollywood idea of the dead becoming angels and sitting on clouds playing harps for eternity.  Besides being totally confused about who the angels are, this future would become a Hell just like the one faced by Zardoz’s bored Eternals, because it would never end or change.

More likely, many Christians probably never give it a thought.  Thinking about death and eternity are unsettling to most people.  To the Christian, though, they shouldn’t be.  Jesus has defeated death.   We have absolutely nothing to fear.

The biblical understanding of eternal life is expressed in the Greek words, ζωὴ αἰώνιος, “life aeon-long.”  An aeon (αἰώνιος) is the longest period of time the human mind can conceive, endless time.  Jesus has said (John 8:58), “Before Abraham was born, I AM,” an existence of NOW in which the past, present, and future are all one thing.  There is no beginning and no ending, everything is now.

In this eternal now we will not just float around on clouds, playing harps.  We will be “kings and priests” (1Peter 2:9, Revelation 1:6, 5:10) and we will judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:3).  And here is a secret: our eternal life has already begun.  It started when Jesus said, “It is finished!” 

Whose Name Is On Your Foot?

Many of the people associated with Pixar Studios (Toy Story,  Wall-E,  Finding Nemo, etc) are openly Christian so it is not surprising to find Christian elements in their films, though the films themselves are clearly secular.   In the Toy Story series of films, steadfast and loyal Sheriff Woody, a floppy-limbed cowboy doll, continually asks the other toys, "Whose name is on your foot?"  He reminds them that they belong to Andy and that their purpose is to attend to Andy.  They are marked by their owner.

Many people don't like that concept.  They refuse to accept that we all belong to, are owned, by someone or something.  It may be a political or economic philosophy, a religious denomination, a cultural movement, sports, the pursuit of pleasure or wealth; anything which consumes our attention and loyalty.

The Bible clearly understands that we all are marked.  We all belong to someone.  Some belong to God.

Ezekiel 9:14  "And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof."

Revelation 7:2-3  "Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”

Revelation 22:4 "And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads."

Some belong to Satan.

Revelation 17:4-5  "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."

Revelation 13:16  "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, 

to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:" 

Whose name is on your foot?

Feelings of Guilt That Won't Go Away

Christians should not live with a permanent sense of guilt. We are forgiven and God sees Jesus when he looks at us. We are also not yet perfected so we will knowingly or unknowingly continue to commit sins. Transitory feelings of guilt may be the Holy Spirit prodding us to alarm us that we are separating ourselves from God. He is calling us to remind us that though we are saved and will not be lost, we need to return to the working out of our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12; Hebrews 4:16). We are not saved by the working out but are participating with the Holy Spirit in our growing sanctification.

A permanent sense of guilt is another thing entirely and may have several causes, three of which will be discussed here: 

1. We may be consciously or unconsciously holding onto the belief that we must somehow earn our salvation, suspecting or knowing all the while that we are not good or holy enough. NO ONE IS GOOD OR HOLY ENOUGH! (Ephesians 2:8-9)

 At the moment of your salvation, God saw you as holy and He sees you as holy now. He still expects you to allow the Holy Spirit to conform you to him, to sanctification.

2. Satan is the Accuser (Revelation 12:10), daily making accusations to God against us. A persistent feeling of guilt may be Satan pulling a trick on you, immobilizing you; in football terms, "taking you out of the game." Do not allow him to do this. Romans 8:1; John 8:36.

3. The guilt that a Christian is feeling may be caused by the fact that he or she has not confessed their real sin. They may not even realize what their real sin is. Compulsive behaviors such as pathological eating, gambling, attraction to pornography, temper tantrums, etc. may plague Christians who over and over find themselves helplessly returning to the hated behavior. Though they confess their sin and ask God for "strength," they fail. The real sin may be underlying anger or resentment which is so frightening that it is directed into other, less fearsome directions. Rest assured that the Holy Spirit knows the real sin and will reveal it to the believer who truly listens.