Styx was the river in Greek mythology separating earth from the underworld, called Hades. Styx means "hate" and "detestation". In ancient times superstitious people placed a coin in the mouth of the deceased to pay the toll which was required to cross Styx on the ferry. "Hades" in Greek Mythology is the parallel to "Hell" of the Bible. Tartarus was a dungeon below Hades where evil people were sent for unending, severe punishment.
Elysium was an island for the "chosen few" in Greek mythology. Although they had no "heaven" this was a close parallel. Heroes and those who have been "good" go there.
Where did common people go? They went to the Asphodel Meadows. This was a place for people who were neither good nor evil. Most people went there. It was a place of neutral existence. People were as automatrons. Happy and sad, pleasure and pain nor wealth nor poverty existed there.
Mythology? Yes. Myths are a collection of falsehoods and half-truths people used to explain their origins. Few people take Greek mythology seriously today, but at one time those Greek gods were the gods of the Babylonians and descended from Nimrod of the Bible. The Romans took the traits of the Greek gods and renamed them with Latin names. Likewise, the Greeks did the same for their gods, taking Babylonian gods and renaming them with their own names.
Blame Nimrod for all these pagan gods! Although the Bible says little about Nimrod, It does say that he "was a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Gen 10:9) in archaic language meaning that Nimrod was "in opposition to the Lord". He was the King of Shinar and builder of Babylon and possible Assyria, and was also a "mighty hunter", indicating that he was a great military leader. Nimrod was credited by early Jewish sources as being the king who built the Tower of Babel.
The Tower of Babel was built to worship the cosmos; the sun, moon, stars and galaxies. The Tower of Babel is to be one of the earliest forms of worship of pagan gods. Babel was the early start of astrology and the use of horoscopes as a guide to live by, thus being in opposition to the One True God. Hence, Nimrod was the father of idolatrous religions!
Josephus, the Jewish Historian of Caesar's time, said "Now it was Nimrod who excited them to such an affront and contempt of God. He was the grandson of Ham, the son of Noah, a bold man, and of great strength of hand. He persuaded them not to ascribe it to God, as if it were through his means they were happy, but to believe that it was their own courage which procured that happiness. He also gradually changed the government into tyranny, seeing no other way of turning men from the fear of God, but to bring them into a constant dependence on his power. "
The gods of Assyrian, Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome had much in common, but foremost they represented celestial bodies! There are just too many god's in these cultures for me to compare which Babylonian god is represented by each Greek god, etc. so we'll look at one prominent goddess, Ashtoreth:
1 Kings 11:33 "Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father."
Ashtoreth was the goddess of fertility, or sex goddess if you prefer. The corresponding Greek goddess was Venus and the Roman goddess was Aphrodite. Hence, you can see that each civilization handed down their gods and goddesses in a similar fashion, and of course we are most concerned with their effect of Jews and Christians. Revelation refers to modern apocalyptic religions as "The Great Whore Babylon", indicating that the "New Age" religions of the end-of-time are the same old pagan religions originating in Babylon, likely by Nimrod! As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes "There is nothing new under the sun!"
Revelation 17:5 "and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."
This is the same religion of Nimrod! Ezekiel mentioned the sex religion of the Babylonians :
Ezekiel 23:17 "And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them." (You'll need to read the entire chapter to understand the context of this verse).
My point is that Wiccans and other pagans still worship these gods. Although many pagan gods came through the Norse, Druids and Germans, many of them have Roman, Greek, Egyptian and Babylonian equivalents. This is true "universalism". Their gods are all equivalent, but pagans, my God is different! He is the One True God whose name is "I AM WHAT I AM". He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. He appeared on earth as the Son of Man! He is the Way and only Way to heaven!
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Not only is Jesus the only way, but God also had a plan for us all along! If you refer back to the Greek religions, we don't go to our death place by the River Styx. We get there by a crimson River which flows for all, but few are on that boat. Furthermore, Hades is the underworld home of the dead. All go there whether good, bad or indifferent. Hell is the dungeon right below their heaven and what must be Greek "Purgatory" , Asphodel Meadows.
1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
Yes, that river of blood is the shed blood of Jesus who gave his life so we could have eternal life!
We have Heaven! It's not an Island somewhere above the clouds. It's an eternal realm in another dimension. It's a place where body and spirit reunite in harmony with God. We believe it to be a real place, with physical characteristics, but outside the knowledge of known physical laws. It is supernatural, but real! Whereas, the Greeks believe that hereos and "good" people go to their heaven, Elysium, "saved" sinners go to God's Heaven! Everybody in Heaven with the exception of Jesus, will be former sinners! If you don't like the "hyppocrites" in church you certainly won't like them in Heaven. They'll be there if they've truly repented!
Then what about "Asphidel Meadows"? If you're remember, that's a place of neutrality for those neither good nor bad, but as I see it, for the good and the bad! It seems to be the place that people believe exists because "A good God would never send them to Hell!" These prognosticators don't really care whether they go to Heaven, so they invented a place where they could go without obeying God! That's just not the way it works and people are deluding themselves! If you're counting on there being a Purgatory, forget that as well. That's just not Scriptural, my Catholic friends!
In the Greek religion people entered death though "hate", the meaning of Styx. They could only go to "heaven" by being a hero or good, but by paying a price, they could go to that neutral eternal home, Asphidel Meadows. We don't have that make-believe resting place. We have Heaven! What's more, you can't get there by buying yourself in! You get there by the free grace of God! It's a gift for you, not because you're good or worked for it, but just because you believed sincerely and believed with obedience!
I know people who claim to be pagan! It's novel and "smart" of them now. They get the pleasures of the Sex Goddesses and avoid the asceticism of a God who dictates self-control, but they pay a dear price for this false worship. No, they will not be going to a Meadow anywhere, but to a burning Lake of Fire.
Mark 3:29 "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation."
Blaspheming against the Holy Ghost is denying the One True God who appeared to us as Jesus Christ! Denying Jesus is the only thing unpardonable! If you're a pagan and die that way, you chose the way most traveled. If you're a Christian in name only (CINO) then you have the same fate... maybe even a worse fate if that's possible! Go figure!
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