“When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days — and also afterward — when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth — men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air — for I am grieved that I have made them.””. <Gen.6:1-7 (NIV)>
“The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become”. <Gen.6:5 (NIV)> Some of the wickedness seen in mankind as a result of what occurred in this account are: occultism, violence, corruption, terror and demon theology. <cf Rom.1:18-32>
OCCULTISM: (Latin occulere, “to hide”), belief in the efficacy of various practices—including astrology, alchemy, divination, and magic—regarded as being based on hidden knowledge about the universe and its mysterious forces. Occultism may also include a belief in beings, such as angels, deities, or spirits, who can be contacted by those who possess the appropriate knowledge. Medieval occult practice included astrology, alchemy, and ceremonial magic rites for evoking spiritual beings. In the late medieval and early modern period (13th century to 15th century), occultism came to be increasingly regarded by the church as connected with the worship of Satan. Occultism continued as an intellectual presence in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and came to be valued more for its spiritual meaning than for its prescientific world view. In the 20th century, another rebirth of occultism can be seen in the counterculture movement of the 1960s, with its interest in astrology, divination, and magic. The New Age movement of the 1980s and 1990s may be considered another manifestation of occultism. A recent example of occultism is seen in this quotation: “Cult leader and convicted killer Charles Manson, who died on Sunday (Nov. 19) at the age of 83, built his own perverse mythology upon a foundation of occultism, race war conspiracy theories and, ultimately, murder.”— [Bryan Rolli, Billboard, “Music Journalist Legs McNeil Talks New Book on Charles Manson and the Dark Side of Late-’60s ‘Free Love’,” 21 Nov. 2017]
What do the Scriptures teach about the Occult? <see Deut.18:9-12; Isa.47:10-15; 41:23; Gen.3:5; 2 Cor.11:13-15>
VIOLENCE: “The number of crimes in South Africa is down, but the level of violence is scarier…the remaining violent crime is not only ever more spectacular, but ever harder to rein in….” (News item from the New York Times Friday Sept. 23, 2005); (Items from Canadian Press): VANCOUVER (CP) – Three attackers were ordered Tuesday to pay $5.7 million to a man they beat so badly he has to be fed like a baby. TORONTO (CP) – One day after police in Canada’s largest city arrested dozens of suspects in a sweeping gang bust that had top officials boasting of safer streets, gunfire rang across the city Friday with five more shootings – three of them fatal. Homicide rate jumped last year after reaching 30-year low in 2003 [StatsCan 10/6/05].
What do the Scriptures teach about Violence? <see Job.24:2-4; Hos.4:2; Prov.4:17>
CORRUPTION: – A Manitoba aboriginal group accused Winnipeg’s police force Thursday of whitewashing an investigation into the fatal shooting of a native teenager. [CP]. Two senior officials at the centre of a city hall cronyism scandal were fired yesterday, a sombre Mayor told a news conference. This is not a happy day for the City of Toronto…. [Globe & Mail 10/6/05]. Federal public service managers were warned Thursday to make sure they toe the line when it comes to fairness and transparency in staffing practices after a series of audits turned up signs of negligence and favouritism in hiring at some government departments [Globe & Mail 10/6/05].
What do the Scriptures teach about Corruption? <see Psa.12:1-2; Isa.1:23; Ezek.22:26>
TERROR: During George Bush’s recent remarks, billed as a major address in the War on Terror, [quote] “In this new century, freedom is once again assaulted by enemies determined to roll back generations of democratic progress. Once again, we’re responding to a global campaign of fear with a global campaign of freedom, and once again, we will see freedom’s victory,” …….“We will not tire or rest until the War on Terror is won,” Bush said. [Fox News 10/6/05]. Lots of things wake people up in the middle of the night ….it was a rude and more violent awakening – the sound of thieves breaking into their home. A couple and their three children, aged 13 to 21, were terrorized by the bandits for half an hour as they ransacked the home in northwest Toronto. [City Pulse News 10/6/05]
What do the Scriptures teach about Terror? <see Prov.28:2; Zech.14:13; Lk.21:11-13; cf Matt.27:15-26>
God condemns Corruption, Violence, and Terror and He will one day put an end to all such, even as He did in days gone by <see Isa.13:11; 14:27>
DEMON THEOLOGY: much can be said in regard to this subject. “A demon is a supernatural and often malevolent being prevalent in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology and folklore.” [From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]. We see recorded in various documents such as “Great Religions of The World” (National Geographic Society) where there are many references to demon personification and demon worship in all of the ancient religions of eastern countries, specifically in various forms of Hinduism and Buddhism. This theology has been restructured and has migrated in various forms to all countries of the world in our day. Demon personification, worship and human indwelling is also recorded in various forms by the Gospels and other books of the Old and New Testaments <cf Num.22:4b-7; Matt.8:28-29; Mk.5:1-10; Lk.22:3; 1 Tim.5:15; Acts 17:22; Gal.4:8-9>. Our Lord Jesus gave an example of those who seek to deliver themselves from demon possession, without the help of the Holy Spirit, the result of such an attempt being further demon possession <see Matt.12:43-45a; cf Heb.6:4-6; 10:23-29; 2 Pet.2:20>.
“The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.“ <1 Tim.4:1-3 (NIV)>; cf Jude 4-10, 14-23>.
How was Noah and his family affected by the ungodliness and sin that was so rampant in their day? In what ways can believers be influenced by demon theology in our world? What can we do to avoid such theology?
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.” <Jude 24-25>.