(For those who have read Part 1, Part 2 commences after the picture about midway,)
PART 1:
One of the signs of the end are that truth will be denied.
The Bible is the “Book of Truth.” There may be errors in translation, but the
Word is Truth: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim 3:16), so
if any error is found that makes God out to be a liar. With that, Jesus is
diminished, and philosophers are exalted if they can catch God in a lie, and thus
prove that God is an imaginary being created by weak men.
The greatest philosophical question of all time was asked by
Pilate when he looked Jesus in the face and asked, “What is truth?” (John
18:38). Ever since, everyone makes up their own version of truth, and thusly pervert
the truth.
Jesus had yet to reveal the truth to him, but Pilate went
unto the crowd and said, “I find in him no fault at all” referring to Jesus.
Why was Jesus tried? Because He claimed to be the Son of God. Many had done the
same in those days, but only one was taken seriously because of birthright.
If anyone can disprove the miraculous birth of the newborn
King, then the very idea of God in the flesh is destroyed. Nobody even tries to
deny that Jesus is the Son of Man by Mary but there is no manner of evidence to
disprove that He is the Son of God. In fact, all the miracles of the gospels
point toward Jesus’s Identity as God in the flesh.
Of all people, Herod seemed to believe the truth that Jesus
would be King of the Jews. Herod believed the gospel account:
1 Now when
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold,
there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, “Where is He
that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are
come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king had heard these things,
he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had
gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded
of them where Christ should be born. (Mat
2:1-4)
This is not a Christmas story but the “Mass of Satan.” I
contend that not only did Judas have Satan in him, but anyone who would endeavor
to physically kill Jesus would have. Did Herod have Satan in him? That is for later,
but for now, the commentary is how philosophers to this day still try to kill the Spirit of Jesus.
First note Herod’s thinking: He gathered the religious scholars
and those who knew scripture the best to ask them where Christ should be born.
Herod was an Arabian whose religion was not truly religious at all but a way to
gain favor with the Jews. It would please the priests and scribes that Herod
would seek their knowledge!
By this time, Herod was a crazy man. Flavius Josephus in The
Antiquity of the Jews (Book 17, chapter 6) revealed how crazy he had become
with his flesh eaten up by worms and his mind by court intrigues. Pretenders to
the throne throughout his reign had driven Herod crazy and he had them all
murdered using the law of Caesar to do his will.
However, somehow Herod understood that Jesus was the most
pretentious to the throne because scripture foretold His coming:
For unto us a child is
born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder:
and his Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isa
9:6)
The reign of Herod had finally brought peace to all of Judea,
even surrounding areas. Never had there been a time of such tranquility with
other nations because of Caesar Octavian. Caesar as emperor was “King of the
World” and King Herod merely his governor with the title of “king.” He was
indeed “king of the Jews” albeit by blood he was not even a Jew.
Herod himself was a contender for the Throne of God, and he
realized that since he was not truly the heir to the throne, and neither were
the Hasmoneans, that a descendant of King David would come to claim the throne
of Judea.
Herod had already killed his two sons and was about to kill
his third son because he had become paranoid that they and everyone surrounding
him was after his throne. To his death, Herod remained king of the Jews and his
last act with his people was to murder all potential contenders to his throne.
Herod felt loved when the Jews praised him to the extent
that he would give to them great wealth. Herod paid dearly for the love of the
Jews, Caesar, and even Julia, the wife of Caesar. Of all things, Herod willed
much of his riches to those who were already quite wealthy. That the “god”
Caesar would be heir to his wealth would be heretical to the Jews because
Caesar was just another of the many who claimed to be God in the flesh.
Herod’s death bought off his adversaries, but the true King
of the Jews paid for the sins of His people with His own Blood. Who was the
true King of the Jews? Certainly not Herod, neither by blood nor the spirit.
However, Herod did have another spirit in him to his death!
Herod knew scripture and the priests and scribes were
brought in to verify his belief. Herod would always do that. He was known for
bringing in witnesses to attest to his thoughts. Whether it was true or not,
Herod would always find witnesses against Alexander and Aristobulus, his sons
by Mariamne, and usually the best “witness” was Antipater, his son by Doris. In
fact, Antipater created the illusion that his half-brothers were after
their father’s throne when it was himself. Thusly, Herod was delusional even to
his death.
The Christ worried Herod more than his sons who others
provided evidence were after his kingship. Without any evidence of any kind
other than Holy Scripture, Herod feared the Christ who would be Wonderful,
Counselor, and newborn King. Jesus was Herod’s most viable pretender to the
throne since he had all rights to the throne through David; that would worry
Herod even more, especially when the Jews even called Jesus, the “son of David”
— “And all the people were amazed, and said, ‘Is not this the son of David?’”
(Mat 12:23).
Herod believed in Jesus but “Herod the Great” was pompous.
His whole attitude was Luciferin in activity:
13 …I (Lucifer) will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the
north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be
like the most High. (Isa 14:13-14)
Herod thought that way! Of course, Herod was modeling
himself, not after the Most High God, but Caesar who was both “king” and “god”
of all the Roman world. Herod, albeit like the Most High in Jerusalem, was only
a servant to Caesar, doing his will for his own gain. Certainly, Herod was more
like Octavian than Yahweh! In fact, Herod was called “The Great” because
of his pomposity and extravagant spending.
What is truth? The truth is that the Messiah had been born
just as the wise men declared. Even the “stars” would point to Jesus as King,
not just of the Earth but the universe. Herod never saw Lucifer as a threat
because he did the will of Satan with little thought of punishment as he
depended on Caesar. However, Caesar would only be able to destroy his kingship
or his body, but his legacy would live on. Herod was the negative antitype of
Jesus and Caesar the negative antitype of Yahweh. It was neither the
Greeks nor Jews who would be heir to Asia but the inglorious Arabian, Herod.
Herod did not have the faith of Abraham and hence was not a
rightful heir to Abraham’s Land which, by the way, was both the land of Judea
and Paradise in heaven.
Herod was the “son of Satan” much like his ancestor, Cain,
who was of the Wicked One (1 John 3:12). As an Idumean Arab, Herod was of the
mixed blood of Canaan, Ishmael, Esau, and many Mizraimites and Cushites. He was not all Semitic but mostly Hamitic.
Herod believed scripture but had much distrust. James, the
brother of Jesus wrote, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well:
the devils also believe, and tremble” (Jas 2:19). Herod trembled! Even when he
was dying, the thought that Jesus would have his throne caused him great
anxiety. Herod was better called, “The Anxious”! Herod believed in Jesus but
not as Christians would believe but how demons do out of truth and fear. Herod
believed scripture to the point that he would trade his soul to perish Jesus at
any cost.
Jesus was the “Living Will of God,” and Herod was the “dying
will of Lucifer.” What would Lucifer desire that Herod, about to die, would
will? That the enemies of Yahweh (the Romans) obtain the riches of the
Jews and that Lucifer would get the glory due God. With that said, Herod was
not only a useful fool to advance the cause of Caesar but a useful idiot that
thought of himself as mighty as Lucifer.
How does history see Herod? As “the Great.” How does history
see Jesus? As a liar. Scripture reveals the brutishness of Herod, and he did it
without the approval of Caesar.
Herod did very few things without taking it to Caesar for
approval, but in this case, he was rash. There are no Roman records of the
“Slaughter of the Innocents” in Roman records, and they recorded everything
because Caesar was judge in all things. He was the “Great Punisher” and never
would Herod punish anyone, even his sons, without Caesar’s prior approval. But this is how the historians view truth:
The story of the massacre is found in no
gospel other than Matthew, nor in the surviving works of Nicolaus of Damascus
(who was a personal friend of Herod the Great) and the historian Josephus makes
no mention of it in his Antiquities of the Jews, despite recording many of Herod's
misdeeds including the murder of three of his own sons. A majority of Herod
biographers, and "probably a majority of biblical scholars,"
accordingly hold the event to be myth, legend or folklore inspired by Herod's
reputation.
The author appears to have modelled the
episode on the biblical story of Pharaoh's attempt to kill the Israelite
children in the Book of Exodus, as told in an expanded version that current in
the 1st century. In that expanded story, Pharaoh kills the Hebrew children
after his scribes warn him of the impending birth of the threat to his crown
(i.e., Moses), but Moses' father and mother are warned in a dream that the
child's life is in danger and act to save him. (Wikipedia;
“Massacre of the Innocents”)
A majority hold the attempted murder of Jesus as a myth, so
they say. The world denies the truth only because their knowledge of things
does not exist. For ages, historians questioned the veracity of scripture
because they did not know that King Sargon even existed. However, as soon discovered,
Sargon not only existed, but was the greatest king of his time! So, for those
who believe historians over truth, have a worse attitude than Herod, who
believed only because God revealed it to the prophets! So, did inspired men lie
about Jesus? Why would they suffer their own “crosses” unless it was the truth?
Do historians just misunderstand Josephus?
Even as he was dying, Herod feared for his son, Archelaus,
and that also he would not be praised as great, By the way, his will was done,
as was the Father’s. He would die with an heir and the world would believe him
to be great.
Josephus wrote about Herod:
He contrived
the following wicked designs, He commanded that all the principal men of the
Jewish nation wheresoever they lived, should be called to him. Accordingly,
there were a great number that came, because the whole nation was called, and
all men heard of his call, and death was the penalty of such who would despise
the epistles that were sent to call them. And now the king was in a wild rage
against them all, the innocent as well as those who afforded him ground for
accusations… (Josephus;
Antiquity of the Jews; Book 17, chapter 7)
Hence, as will be shown, Herod
planned it, and there was a “Massacre of the Innocents” just as scripture says.
Josephus was a Jew. Seldom did
Jews consider children. All their censuses were about adult males over twenty
years of age (1 Chron 23:24). Hence, Josephus would have no reason to mention
innocent children, but he did innocent men. His aim was to ensure that
all males of any age would be inquired, but to find the child through the
parents that were of the House of David. That would be Joseph, the “father” of
Jesus. For Herod, it was Joseph who would be planning the coup and to get at
Jesus would require the presence of Joseph.
Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt,
not to save themselves, but to save two-year-old Jesus. It is not that
historians lie, but that they cannot read between the lines. Much of scripture
has so much hidden meaning, and it is supposed that Josephus, as a Jew, wrote
the truth but concealed its Christian meaning so as not to be persecuted.
What would Caesar Vespasian have
done if Josephus had written about Jesus as King? Because Nero had just
persecuted Christians and killed many, Josephus would be sure not to offend the
new emperor with Christian doctrine. Josephus wrote for Vespasian Herod’s
massacre of the innocents without mentioning that the Greatest Innocent
remained unscathed and was now King of all Kings, and Vespasian’s “King” as well.
Why do historians fail to mention
that Herod did massacre the innocents? Because it would not fit their
narrative that Christ is mythological!
Just as censuses never counted
children perhaps neither did Josephus. Speaking of censuses, that was the reason
that Jesus was born, according to the prophets in Bethlehem, but historians also
say that there was no census taken when Jesus was born. However, even Josephus
mentions that census, and according to Wikipedia, “The Census of Quirinius was
a census of Judea taken by Publius Sulpicius Quirinius, Roman governor of
Syria, upon the imposition of direct Roman rule in 6 CE.” However, there were
periodic census, and Josephus does mention one prior to 6 C.E.
Some have written that “Josephus
(not Luke) Misdated Quirinius's Census” (Compton, Jared M.; ahherald.com) and
he gave evidence for that conclusion. Censuses were not immediate and of short
duration, but over a period of years. It took David ten months to number
Israel, so numbering all of Asia Minor would have taken years. (Note: Quirinius
is Cyrenius as written by the apostles).
That taxation of “Syria,”
including Judea, commenced in 6 A.D. is ludicrous. Herod was noted for all
types of taxation to pay for his extravagances, most notably arenas that
matched Rome’s, cities of much grandeur, and gifts to the Romans and Jewish
leaders alike. They levied an Egyptian-type of tax, “tributum capitas”
which is a head tax that required a head count, or census. The point is
that the census of Cyrenius was not the first tax levied on the Jews by
censuses. (For the full account of Herodian taxes, consider the section on
“Herodian Taxation” from the book, To Caesar What Is Caesar’s: Tribute,
Taxes, and Imperial Administration in Early Roman Palestine by Fabian B.
Udall.)
On page 165, “Schalit in Konig
Herodes, 272-78, argues that “Herod carried out a census in his kingdom,
from 20 B.C.E., on a six yearly basis.” That would be 20, 16, 10, and 4 B.C.E.
If that is correct, then Cyrenius would perhaps just be completing the 2 A.D.
census in 6 A.D.
Based on professional research of
Herod’s very few records, it is plausible that there was a Judean census in
progress when Jesus was born in 6 B.C.E.
The ancients had not determined the
birth year of Jesus, let alone his birth date. Jesus was not born on December
25th of any year! There was an alignment in 2020 as is written, “On
December 21, Jupiter and Saturn will come together in a “Great Conjunction”
unlike any seen in nearly 800 years. The two planets will appear so close
together in Earth’s night sky on winter solstice that they’ll almost look like
a single object” (Betz, Eric; Astronomy; “The Star of Bethlehem: Can
science explain what it really was?”; Dec 18, 2020).
There are two important events
behind that alignment. 1) The age of Pisces — the Christian era — ended and the
Age of Aquarius began, and 2) on that date in 6 B.C.E., the Age of Pisces
dawned with that same alignment. Added to that event in 6 B.C.E. is that the
Sun and Moon aligned as well and pointed to the birth of Christ. Using the
Jewish calander and holidays, Messianic Jew, Jonathan Cahn, has calculated the
day to be March 20, 6 B.C.E.
So, if a Herodian census ended in
4 B.C.E., coinciding with the death of Herod, then it is plausible that it had
commenced as early as 6 B.C.E.
That ends the argument against
there being a census ongoing when Jesus was born but what about the Massacre of
the Innocents? Indeed, Josephus wrote that there was a massacre of the
innocents as recounted in the quote before.
As is the custom, when the next
in line to the throne is killed, so is his children because they are next in
line. Joseph, the “father” of Jesus was not a contestant for the throne of
Herod as the wise men said that Jesus was. Surely Herod was after Jesus and had
to get to Joseph to get to Jesus. Why else would Joseph and Mary go to Egypt if
they were not two of the many “innocents” that Herod sought? Herod was seeking
the pretender to his throne, not His father who, by the way, was unpretentious.
Now back to Herod’s slaughter: Herod
had a real coronation for Caesar and another one for the Jews three years
apart. Thinking that Antigonus was king, they never realized that Herod had
been appointed to that position and held that fiction for years. Herod used
that same illusion for his death; he feigned living after death so that his
will be done. Ironically, Jesus never feigned his death as the Gnostics and Muslims
believed but really died! Now examine Herod’s will be done.
Herod willed that he be “alive”
after he died to exterminate his perceived enemies in the Hippodrome. His will
be done was that all who had been against him, in reality or perception, be slaughtered
as if they were cattle:
He desired, therefore, that as soon
as they see he hath given up the ghost, the shall place soldiers around he hippodrome,
while they do not know that he; and that they shall not declare his death to
the multitude until this is done, but they shall be given orders to have to
have those that are in custody shot with their darts; and that this slaughter
of them all will cause that he shall not remiss to rejoice on double account;
that as he is dying, they all make him secure that his will shall be executed
in what he charges them to d; and that he shall have the honor of a memorable
mourning at his funeral… he took great care ,when he was departing this life,
that the whole nation be put into mourning, and indeed made desolate of their
dearest kindred, which he gave order that one of every family should be slain,
although they had done nothing that was unjust, or against him, nor were they
accused of any other crimes… (Josephus; Antiquity of the Jews; Book 17, chapter 7)
Remember that earlier in this
commentary that scholars denied that there was ever a “Massacre of the
Innocents,” and that Josephus wrote nothing about that ever happening? Well,
those are the very words of Josephus translated into English!
Herod certainly had Satan in him
just as Judas would later. It makes sense that Jesus got His revenge against
Satan in Herod when Judas died as horrible a death (more on that shortly).
Herod was trained in the Talmud
because he expressed that he was a Jew to the Jews. However, Herod had much Egyptian
in him and perhaps his model was Pharaoh of long ago.
Because the bad Pharaoh feared
the number of the Israelites and that he would be overthrown, he said, “When ye
do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the stools; if
it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall
live” (Exod 1:16).
Just as Moses was saved from that
“Massacre of the Innocents,” so would Jesus be. Just as the Israelites sought
refuge in Egypt because of the famine, Jesus would find refuge there for a
spell until Herod’s will be done. Herod was a type of “Pharoah” as well.
Certainly Pharaoh, who claimed to be a god, had Satan in him as well.
Anytime that there is a major
figure in the Bible who would slaughter the innocents, be assured that Satan is
in him.
Soon after the massacre and it
was known that Herod was dead, the family of Jesus returned from exile. Why had
they exiled?
16 Then Herod,
when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent
forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts
thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had
diligently inquired of the wise men… 19 But when Herod was dead,
behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20
Saying, “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land
of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.” (Mat 2:16, 19-20)
Unknown until recently, the Hippodrome of Herod for the
slaughter was not in Caesarea but in Jericho (New York Times; “Herod’s
Hippodrome Reported Unearthed”; Jun 1, 1975). It was a real amphitheater just
as Josephus described and was where hundreds of innocents were murdered just because
Herod was mocked, or as Josephus said, that “he would die without being
lamented.”
There was a period of time between when the order was given
to gather the innocents and the act was carried out for in between Herod
considered suicide and there was much ado with him appointing his heir to be Archelaus.
During that time, the family of Joseph would have had time to go to Egypt,
reside there for a while, and return upon hearing of Herod’s death.
In the footnotes of The Antiquity of the Jews, it points
to Herod’s death, according to the moon as March 13, 4710 (Julian Calendar) or
4 B.C.E
The eclipse of the dawning of the Age of Pisces when Jesus
was born was in 6 B.C.E. on the Julian Calendar, and in March. Therefore, Herod
died within a week of two years after Jesus was born. No wonder he
pursued those two years and younger and because the wise men mocked him when
they came to Judea to see the “King of the Jews” and dissed Herod. Those “wise
men” are spoken of as “kings” in sacred literature and King Herod would be
mocked because they considered Jesus the real King of the Jews.
Scripture reveals an interval for the return of Jesus from
Egypt. In that interim, Herod prepared for his son Archelaus to be king. Herod
was a “mad-man” by this time, according to Josephus. He had already murdered
his wife Meriamne and three of his sons just because they pretended to his
throne, and now, out of nowhere, the rightful heir to the throne appeared. That
heir was Jesus as the son of David who had precedence over either the Herodians
or the Hasmoneans; and with His birth, even the Pharisees and Sadducees stood
no chance of ruling. Only a fool would believe that Jesus was not among the
pretenders to the throne that Herod wanted murdered at his own death!
(To be continued)
(Picture credit: Daniel da Vittora, "Massacre of Innocents")
PART 2:
Preceding his massacre of the innocents, Herod became a madman
due to distemper. Distemper in the modern age is “highly contagious… incurable,
often fatal, multisystemic disease,” according to VCA Animal Hospitals, DVM,
Tammy Hunter, that affects the major systems of the body, including the nervous
system.
Of course, distemper is now associated with animals, but the
insinuation throughout scripture is that evil men are as beasts. Distemper is a
virus that is transmitted from beast to beast. Distemper has the potential to be transmitted across
the species to humans by close contact, according to the National Library of
Medicine (Xuefeng Cao et al).
With that “coincidence” to modern times, perhaps distemper
did jump from pets to Herod because of the Will of God.
Following is what the Bible says about the reason for the massacre
of the innocents:
Then Herod, when he saw
that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and
slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof,
from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently
inquired of the wise men” (Mat 2:16)
Compare that to the words of Josephus about the massacre of
the innocents:
The cause whereof was this, that he (Herod) thought himself despised; and that the
nation was pleased with his misfortunes. Besides which he resented a sedition
which some of the lower sort of men excited against him… (Josephus; Antiquity of the Jews; Book 17, chapter 7)
In the following several paragraphs, Josephus described the “wise
men” of which Matthew wrote: Judas and Matthias, “two of the most eloquent men
among the Jews; and the most celebrated interpreters of the Jewish laws; and
men well beloved by the people, because of their education of their youth: for
all those that were studious of virtue frequented their lectures every day”
(ibid).
There is no question that the “Massacre of the Innocents” of
which Matthew wrote is the same massacre of which Josephus wrote! It would take
a great stretch of the truth to deny that, and even many theologians do. Throughout
Antiquities, Josephus followed the course of scripture, so why would he
not be true to the truth in the gospels?
So now, consider Herod’s death; the very occasion that
brought Jesus to Nazareth to begin His childhood ministry:
But now Herod’s distemper greatly
increased upon him, after a severe manner; and this by God’s judgment upon him
for his sins. For a fire glowed in him slowly, which did not so much appear to
the touch outwardly, as it augmented his pains inwardly. For it brought upon
him a vehement appetite to eating, which he could not avoid to supply with one
sort of food or other. His entrails were also exulcerated; and the chief
violence of his pain lay in his colon. An aqueous and transparent liquor also
had settled it self about his feet: and a like matter afflicted him at the
bottom of his belly. Nay farther, his privy member was putrified, and produced
worms. And when he sat upright, he had a difficulty of breathing, which was
very loathsome on account of the stench of his breath, and the quickness of its
returns. He had also convulsions in all parts of his body: which increased his
strength to an insufferable degree. It was said by those who pretended to
divine, and who were endued with wisdom to foretel such things, that God
inflicted this punishment on the King on account of his great impiety. Yet was
he still in hopes of recovering; though his afflictions seemed greater than any
one could bear. He also sent for physicians, and did not refuse to follow what
they prescribed for his assistance: and went beyond the river Jordan, and
bathed himself in the warm baths that were at Callirrhoe: which, besides their
other general virtues, were also fit to drink: which water runs into the lake
called Asphaltitis. And when the physicians once thought fit to have him bathed
in a vessel full of oil, it was supposed that he was just dying. But upon the
lamentable cries of his domesticks, he revived: and having no longer the least
hopes of recovering, he gave order that every soldier should be paid fifty
drachmæ: and he also gave a great deal to their commanders, and to his friends;
and came again to Jericho. Where he grew so cholerick, that it brought him to
do all things like a mad man: and though he were near his death, he contrived
the following wicked designs. (Josephus; Antiquity of the
Jews; Book 17, chapter 7)
Many physicians have recently identified the cause of the
death of Herod and have settled on “chronic kidney disease complicated by a
very uncomfortable case of maggot-infested gangrene of the genitals” (ABC
News). The true cause of his death? He was
judged too evil to carry on living as the “beast.”
My contention is that Herod indeed had Satan in him, just like
Judas who would also plot to kill Him.
Nimrod built a tower
to heaven for two reasons: 1) according to the Bible to make a name for
himself, and 2) according to sacred literature, to kill God. Nimrod’s genealogy
is the origin of Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, and Roman gods. Nimrod was the
father of all false gods, and him being, “Nimrod the mighty hunter before the
Lord” (1 Chr 1:10). That is literally “from before the Face of” the Lord. (Strong’s
Dictionary). In other words, Nimrod had sought to kill the Lord when he built his
tower.
The same goes for Herod. He did not build his temple to
serve the Lord within but a monument for killing the Lord. He may not have been
aware of it as a madman, but that was essentially what he was doing.
Now, to make another point: The critics of Jesus accused Jesus,
“He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?” (John 10:19). The ancients, maybe rightfully, equated madness
with devil-possession. When Herod was said to be a “madman” they were saying
that he had a devil in him. I agree with that assessment because of what
they said about Jesus!
The viral “distemper” that Herod had was evil. Ironically,
his distemper affected all his vital organs plus his reproductive. That is not
an accident!
Phosphorus is the regulator of all the vital organs, and it
means “bringer of light;” as does the name, “Lucifer.” God was through with
Herod for his attempt at killing His only remaining heir to the throne. In like
manner, as he was dying, Herod had only one viable heir left, and that was
Archelaus. Herod was trying to be God in all his ventures, but each time Herod
judged his heirs wrongly. It was his son Antipater who was spawned by the Devil,
and he was by then dead.
The worms on the genitals of Herod have esoteric significance:
There was another “worm” in scripture that must never be forgotten. Isaiah may
have seen the “death” of Lucifer time and time again; speaking of Lucifer,
Isaiah wrote:
10 All they
shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become
like unto us? 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the
noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. 12
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou
cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! (Isa 14:10-12)
Now exchange “Herod” for “Lucifer” in that passage and “Roman Empire” for “nations.”
Isaiah spoke of Lucifer, but it appears that he also spoke of King Herod the
Great. That is more evidence that Herod had Satan in him!
The “fire” that was in the belly of Herod may have been the “fiery serpent”
burning his innermost being — the Arab within the “Jew.” Just as Adam and Eve
covered their decaying pudenda with an apron for the stench, so would Herod.
Did Adam have the “worms” as well? Was the “Serpent” a “Worm” and having
the ability to morph to whatever was necessary for his purposes? Paul wrote, “Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor 1:14). Lucifer (Satan)
can transform himself to suit his purposes, just as Cain was of the Wicked One,
so may have been Herod.
Well-known is that Judas had Satan enter unto him (John 13:27). Satan entered
Judas to betray Jesus and cause His death. Is it not plausible that Satan
entered Herod as well for the same cause?
Remember the death of Judas? Of course, he hung himself as Herod did with
the massacre of the innocents. He was as well as dead when he did that if God
had not taken him!
Then Judas was finished when God (the Holy Ghost of Jesus) finished him
off, maybe by breaking the limb from which he hung.
As is written, “Now this man (Judas)
purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst
asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts 1:18).
Satan perished the insides of Herod, apparently to get out of Herod, just
as Judas attempted suicide. He would have stabbed himself with a knife if not
stopped by Salome. He would have died the death that Judas did if God had not
intervened. Judas was the appointed one, not Herod, and when he sought to kill
himself, it was not Salome who prevented that, but the Lord God of Israel!
As for Herod, the “worm” was already with him on his journey unto another
realm Speaking of Hell, Jesus said that it is, “Where their worm dieth not, and
the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:44). Herod may have not had gangrene that
became infested with maggots as doctors believe, but that the spirit of Satan
was vacating Herod through his genitalia since he would not use the knife. Why
not? The “Worm” Lucifer entered Adam and Eve through their genitals, or at least
that is implied (Gen 3:7).
Why else would the Abrahamic Covenant be to circumcise the foreskin? Jesus
explained that as well in describing Hell, all in the same breath:
43 And if thy hand
offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than
having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44
Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45
And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt
into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never
shall be quenched… (Mark 9:43-45)
With his many wives and evil sons, Herod’s penis offended
himself. He even killed his favorite wife who he loved (intimately), and who
produced offensive sons who always dishonored their father. Then to top it off,
Herod committed infanticide with the massacre of the innocents.
With that said, it is proper to append that with this: The
sin of abortion is no different than Herod’s massacre of the innocents! It has
come to fruition; that even if it may
have been acceptable to God to murder another kind of “being” which it was not
( a fetus), but now “government soldiers” allow children who are born to perish
by the blade.
Now examine the plan for Herod to implement his will:
He (Herod) desired therefore, that, as
soon as they see he hath given up the ghost, they shall place soldiers round
the hippodrome; while they do not know that he is dead: and that they shall not
declare his death to the multitude till this is done: but that they shall give
orders to have those that are in custody shot with their darts; and that this
slaughter of them all will cause that he shall not miss to rejoyce on a double
account: that as he is dying they will make him secure that his will shall be
executed in what he charges them to do: and that he shall have the honour of a
memorable mourning at his funeral. (Josephus; Antiquity of the
Jews; Book 17, chapter 7)
Herod wanted to make the innocents squirm before he died and
before they would perish. Those soldiers of Herod were Satan’s demon legions to
do the will of their “father the Devil,” Herod.
How would demons perish the innocents? Not by coincidence
but “shot with darts” as Josephus wrote that Herod willed it to be. Paul warned
the future innocents to wear the whole armor of God, and for what reason? “Above
all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16). Paul was certainly thinking of the
demonic forces and how they massacred the innocents!
The massacre of the innocents did happen, and it continues
to happen to this day. For Herod, it happened precisely as Josephus wrote and
as scripture says.
Why would anyone deny the massacre? It is a form of denial
that innocents are subject to harm by the wicked ones. The innocents were
killed! They missed Jesus with their fiery darts that time, but Herodians were
still there at the Massacre of the Most Innocent, Jesus. Herod’s plan worked,
but it would not be him but Herod Antipas, as Luke wrote: When Herod Antipas went
about killing the innocents (James and an attempt at Peter), and unto the third
generation, God pronounced judgment on Herod Antipas, to wit:
19 And when
Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and
commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judaea to
Caesarea, and there abode. 20 And Herod was highly displeased with
them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him, and, having made
Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their
country was nourished by the king's country. 21 And upon a set day
Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto
them. 22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a
god, and not of a man. 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord
smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and
gave up the ghost. (Acts 12:119-23)
Herod (I) had a fine funeral and was buried in a tomb. Herod
Antipas was eaten of worms. The “Worm” that Moses wrote as a “Serpent” finally
ate the Herodian kingdom away until it was gone to history. The death of Herod
Agrippa was the beginning of the end, and Judea finally was conquered by the
darts of another “Caesar’s” fiery darts in 70 A.D.
God is patient! He could have ended the Herod’s with “the
Greatest” but in the end, it was the least known Herod that would end it all —
Gaius Julius Alexander in the era of Caesar Vespasian. Ironically it was the
Roman General, Tiberias Julius Alexander, a Romanized Jew who betrayed his own
people for their common good.
Isaiah got it spot on for any madman with Satan in him:
And they shall go forth,
and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for
their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall
be an abhorring unto all flesh. (Isa 66:24)
This finalizes my commentary about whether it is true or not, that Herod
the Great massacred the innocents, and among them were certainly the One that
he most feared, even though a child, and that Name is Jesus. Why would Josephus
omit the greatest conspiracy of all Jewish history? He did not. Josephus validated
scripture and only the foolish would deny that for one reason alone — to diminish
Jesus by refuting His Word.
