Before you start, understand that what you read might make you angry. After all, nobody likes to be convicted of anything, and our own poor choices are no exception.
There are three sorts of “images” in scripture. Firstly, there
is the Image of God in whom man was made. His Image is of an invisible Substance
that was made manifest to the world in material and visible form — as Jesus.
Of course, there is the Holy Spirit, and the Patriarch — “Father
God” “Elohim” but the three together is one image consisting of three Holy
Substances as God is the “One True God.”
The second image, or actually “images,” were Adam and Eve,
but they were of the same substance — the images of God — but functioned differently.
Adam was “man” and Eve “anti-man” in that they were a pair with different roles;
they were both to have dominion over the other creatures in different things.
Their genes were the dominant genes among the other kinds.
The third “image” was Lucifer. Generally, many would write “Serpent”
as the third image, but “cunningness” was perhaps the nature of the “beast”
inside Lucifer, rather than the figural image.
Literally, the translation from the Hebrew is more just as image
than a deaf and dumb beast. Isaiah referred to the image as a “flying fiery serpent”
(Isa 14:29) which in the Hebrew is ‘serap
The creature that is called “Lucifer” is also of three
substances. Like God, “it” has a mind and is “cunning” as some versions say
(Gen 3:1). Likewise, when viewed in the world, Lucifer is an angel, or messenger,
of light; not that it brings light, but darkness.
The true “Bringer of Light” is Jesus, and Lucifer is nothing
more that “anti-light” which is the dark side of the opposite pair — of the
True Light, Jesus. As the “anti-light” Lucifer is the “Antichrist” and is much
like Jesus in image but not in function. He is the imposter of Christ for many
antichrists will come in the Name of Jesus (John 5:43).
The three-in-one images of Lucifer then is Anti-mind, Darkness,
and Antichrist. The angel is the darkness and is the “Beast” who nocturnally
walks in darkness.
Mankind’s substances are three images in one as well. They
each have mind, body, and spirit; the latter of which is the “soul.”
The man is the object with flesh and bones — material
substances. The soul is the “anti-man” who is just like the man but of a
different substance — an invisible “bodily shape” just as Jesus exposed when He
was baptized (Luke 3:22).
Because Jesus is the model from which mankind was molded,
therefore, man would have a soul in bodily shape as well. Scripture calls that “soul”
a “ghost” and the Soul of Jesus is the “Holy Ghost.” The ghost, or soul, of man
is holy, but the flesh unholy, thanks to sin, and as such, is prone to more
sin.
Mankind was made with the Spirit of God. Their Spirits were
meant to never die, so Adam and Eve could not give up the ghost in the Garden
because they had never died.
The first person who “gave up the ghost” in scripture was
Abraham (Gen 25:8). Something happened to Abraham that provided in him a
special Spirit. The Book of Jasher indicates that Abram took on
incorruptible flesh when Nimrod burned him in a fiery furnace. That fire “glorified”
Abram, perhaps, and made him like original Adam.
He was renamed “Abraham” — the “Shield” for the Holy Ghost
within him had shielded him from the wicked ones.
Abraham, during the time of Jesus, was the “Shield” that
provided comfort to dead Lazarus, ostensibly to protect him from Satan and
Hell. Lazarus was in “Abraham’s bosom” in what Enoch describes as the “Third
Heaven.” Both Luke and Enoch said that Paradise and Hades are both in the Third
Heaven but separated by a “great gulf” (Luke 16).
The ”image” of mankind is the flesh. It is made of matter
and as such, men are not gods but mere images of God, or at least it was
intended that way. Now, the image — the flesh — of man has been reimaged as the
Beast’s.
God is eternal, so mankind’s image was immortal. Original
sin mutated the flesh, and since all mankind are born in iniquity (depravity;
Psalm 51:5), then all mankind now have depraved flesh.
Since every cell of the body contains chromosomes with DNA
within, sin changed mankind to another “kind.” That was “death” because those
with mutated genomes were no longer immortal. Inside, Adam and Eve took on the
image of the Beast, but the flesh remained the same except for its substance.
The glorious pair had glorious flesh in the Garden of which
they were not ashamed, obviously because it was the immortal Substance like God’s.
After sin, they were ashamed of their own fleshes; not that they were naked,
but because their flesh was unlike it was before, according to the Book of
Adam and Eve.
However, something must have grown in Adam and Eve. Before they
had the Spirit of God within, and after sin, the spirit of Lucifer with its
pride, cunning, and lust (1 John 2:16).
Soon, Adam and Eve, once ashamed of their degenerated flesh;
soon they marveled in it. Then God covered their flesh with new flesh that he
provided as "coats of skin: (Gen 3:24) to obscure the “lust of the flesh”
of which John wrote.
The “flesh,” therefore, is the image of man. He wears it proudly
because no longer is mankind “sons of God” but “sons of man” and mankind are
the degenerates.
What do animals do, especially the flamboyant ones like
peacocks, roosters, lions, and such? They strut their stuff. Some raise their
feathers and others intimidate with their grandeur. Since original, or genetic,
sin; mankind also struts his stuff as if they are the gods (Gen 3:5).
How do people show off their flesh? Nakedness, decorations,
painting, primping, extravagant immodest clothing, piercing, fancy peculiar hair-do’s,
and such. The most awful ones even do things like ring themselves like pigs,
cut-out their ears as if cattle, and even tattoo themselves like branded animals?
But others are less extreme; they just flaunt what they have!
Beaches are where people once went to flaunt, but now they flaunt their skin
wherever they go, and society is okay with it.
This is not a condemnation of those who have been pierced
and tattooed but whose “flesh” have been marked within.
Mankind are all marked with the pride of the flesh and
almost everyone lusts for the flesh of others and are so endeared with their own
flesh that they neglect the real thing — the soul — the first “thing” that God
fixes!
The flesh is the outward “image” of the person. Some want
that image to look out of the ordinary and others desire to look glanderous. It
is all the same when too much attention is put on the flesh.
Rather than a coat of skin, or even the Holy Spirit, even
many Christians put on “coats” provided by the archetype within their genes;
that is a “coat of attention” to attract attention. When the flesh is covered
with modesty, it hides the flesh and reveals the soul.
The flesh reveals the spirit inside, and if too extravagant,
that spirit is an ugly one. It just may be the spirit of Lucifer who was an ugly
creature on the inside with only appearing to be beautiful on the outside as
the Book of Jasher has it.
Many have been taught that Lucifer is a beautiful angel, but
Jasher says that “it” is an ugly, hideous demon; that the beauty was the
image it portrayed to deceive Jared and others. Even now, some of the most
beautiful images that are seen in public are superfluous, for inside their
spirit may be as hideous as the Devil’s.
Surely, the image that Narcissus saw was merely a reflection,
but the water never reflected the ugliness inside him, and neither do modern
mirrors. The desire to be like God reflects the inner being in the person.
For myself, Dad hit the nail on the head! When I did wrong,
Dad said, “That was an ugly thing you did,” as I realized that I too am ugly inside.
Jesus came to “condemn sin in the flesh… they that are in
the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom 8:3,8). Sin, therefore, is in the flesh and hence
is genetic. The nature of sinful men (and women) is the adoration their own
flesh, and that is what is meant by them, “as God” (Gen 3:5). Furthermore, those
who are “in the flesh” displease God. It is not so much what is inside the flesh
than on the outside, but worse yet, what is in the “heart” — the faculty of the
will.
Inside the flesh is the Spirit of God. The epidermal flesh
is what is exposed to the world. From the standpoint of the Spirit, the flesh
is weak, but from the world, it is strong.
Sinners present their flesh to the world as strong, but
inside it thrives on the weakness of sin. Whatever the mind can imagine, the
flesh will do. Most people will do about anything for attention, even to the
point of self-sacrificing their own bodies with suicide, all the while contending
that they hate themselves! Nobody hates their own body (Ephes 5:29, indeed they
flaunt it.
The flesh is the visual and sensory nerve network of the person.
It must be appeased as if it is a “god.” The basic needs are demanded as a
right whether the slothful person works for it or not. High estimation is
demanded although the person does nothing for which to be esteemed. So, then,
they merely esteem themselves and act the “victim” as if everyone else is
wrong!
The flesh has a personality of its own; I deserve
whatever because I am me!
Things, therefore, are not idols. An “idol” is the
flesh of a person.
Spirits are non-material but visible gods are made of matter
— wood, stone, clay, and now plastics and such. The flesh was made from the elements
of the earth. The fleshes are the idols of mankind. As material gods and
goddesses, they must be appeased, and certainly must receive much adoration.
God does expect one thing — to be loved. As such, mankind is
to adore God, but what do they do? They adorn themselves as if they are God!
Self-esteem, for example, is self-adoration. Likewise, so is
“decorating” the flesh as if it is a “Christ Tree,” and by that, it is meant,
as if the flesh is the Tree of Life; that title belongs only to Jesus.
“Conversion” is whenever a person is persuaded to adore God
and cease the adoration of their own flesh. Apostasy is to lose that affection
for God by defecting from Him. Self-adoration and decorating oneself is as much
defecting from God to your idol, the flesh.
God issued standards for being holy. Among them is this
command, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print
any marks upon you: I am the Lord” (Lev 19:28). (Now you may be getting angry,
but God said that!)
God never revoked that command. Jesus said so, but He came to
“fulfil” the Law. (Mat 5:17).
So ask yourself, “What is the problem in cutting or marking
the flesh?” Keeping in mind adoration for God, why would anyone re-sculpture
and paint over what God has made? Their imagination may be better than the
image that God made, perhaps? Or maybe they are decorating their flesh for
attention, rather than gaining attention for the good works of God? Is the
flesh that God provide not good enough than to be marked over?
Or perhaps, there is another reason? Consider this one:
16 And he (the “Beast”) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Rev 13:16-17)
What are tattoos? Taking the mark in the flesh. If taking a mark of any sort without
knowing its meaning and or significance is dangerous. Eve took the “mark” of
the Beast in ignorance and so many do today. The mark that she took is
ambiguous, but I believe it changed the DNA in her flesh because Cain, her
germline, was “of the Wicked One” (1 John 3:12).
The mark to come may be a visible mark or maybe some invisible thing. The
reason that some rejected the vaccine without which their engagement in
commerce was limited, that whatever they injected might be the mark, and indeed
messenger-DNA marks the genome of the flesh. However, the worst is yet to come,
gate-RNA genetically cuts the flesh.
The point to these warnings is that not only are we in danger of some type
of nefarious mark when we do stupid things… like Eve… but we sort of insult
God; God, You did not make me glorious enough, so look what I have done!
Eve did that herself when she told Adam of “his” new son,
Cain, “I have gotten a man…” (Gen 4:1). Her new “lord” was apparently Lucifer in
whose Image Cain was made.
God had gotten the first man and placed him here, but the
second man, Eve had gotten, perhaps from the loins of the fleshly Image
of Lucifer. Thereafter, the germline of Cain was of the Devil’s flesh until by
now all have sinned and come short of the glorious flesh that God had provided
(Rom 3:23).
Alteration of the flesh in any manner is coming short of the
glory of God and is sin. Not only does it diminish God but elevates the person that
marks himself. “I did this!”
Although cosmetics and fashion are not permanent, they are
signs that the heart is not in the right place. Not that people should not be
presentable, but modest in appearance. A person can be fully clothed yet still
be immodest if the apparel makes them stand out in the crowd. Even coveralls in
a swimming pool are as noticeable as a bikini in the same pool of water.
By now, those with piercings or tattoos may be angry, and those
immodest, wrathful. However, I am no better! At one time in my career, I was
the “victim” of the infamous black three-piece suit, and soon after, the overly
lax leisure suit with flared pants. I was a sight for sore eyes in both cases.
Even worse, as a teenager, I marked myself; I sat there for
three hours or so, and “tattooed” my own flesh. I forget what I inscribed on my
arm and God maybe even blotted it out, because the tattoo failed to remain. God
saved me from my stupidity, it seems!
A good example now is Cat von Dee. She, as a young lady, had
tattoos of wicked images all over her legs. She was called to blot them out,
and that she did. Now her legs are mostly black. She expressed sorrow of what
she had done when naïve and had them undone. I guess, to God, that black skin
is preferable to evil flesh.
The point herein is that we all sin and should be sorry. The
best antidote to that is not to do things of which you are unsure. Will God
send you to Hell for doing stupid things? That is His call, but he didn’t Eve.
He gave her protection from more evil by placing on her and Adam coats of skin.
Presumably that is the flesh that we still mar to this day because before, the
flesh would have been incorruptible.
[1]
All references to Hebrew and Greek meanings are from the same source, to keep
from repeating Strongs’ credit so often.
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