Tehom-at

Demonic History & The Rites of Exorcism

Chapter 1: Araphel

n the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:1, 2)

Before the Creator began most of His significant work on the physical plane, we find a particular term used to describe the state of objects in the universe: “the deep.” In Biblical Hebrew, that word is tehom, and it takes on various meanings depending on its usage, including the following definitions: the depths of the ocean, a wide and empty place, and the grave. In the mythology of the ancient Babylonians, the primordial oceans were personified as a great dragon, which they named “Tehom-at,” or Tiamat.

Of this mythical creature we find the following written: “In the Babylonian [system] the greatest of the primeval dynasts is Tiâmat, the sea, the mother of the gods and also all monsters […] we note also that the Babylonian Sea is decidedly evil, the aboriginal foe of the gods of light.” [1]

Although in the Akkadian version of the story, written as a part of the Enūma eliš, Tiamat is female, (the “mother” of the gods) in other records it may be of either sex, or have a male counterpart. The conflict between Zeus and the dragon Typhon, found in classical mythology, is considered a direct parallel to the battle between the Babylonian figure Tiamat and the god Marduk. [2]

The parallels between these old legends and the Biblical account of creation have hardly gone unnoticed. In the book Dictionary of Deities and Demons in The Bible, the authors note: “Tĕhôm is etymologically related to Akk[adian] Tiamat, which derives from an older, Semitic root, thm, known in Ugaritic and other Semitic languages as a designation of the sea. [...] In Akkadian the root is known in the female form, tiāmtu, or tâmtu, ‘sea.’ The divine name Tiamat, especially well-known from the Babylonian Creation Myth Enūma eliš, is the absolute form of the noun.” [3]

They further go on to say, “The motif itself was probably inspired from the mythology of Western Asia, where it is represented by the Ugaritic myth of Baal. After Yam [the personified seas] had demanded Baal’s surrender, Baal defeats Yam by means of two clubs given him by Kothan-wa-Hasis.” [emphasis added]

We read with some interest that the myths about Tiamat probably had an older, Semitic origin, as does the Biblical record. Now, I have emphasized

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the term “Ugaritic” in both quotations because this is a significant language for Bible scholars. Of all the books of the Scriptures, the Psalms have proven to be among the most difficult to translate into modern languages. Not only are the identities of some of their authors unknown, but also some of the terms employed in their poetic language are not found elsewhere in the textual record. Definitions based on usage, therefore, have been impossible to utilize.

In 1929, excavations in the north Syrian site of Ras Shamrah uncovered a great number of clay tablets. Many of them were inscribed in a cuneiform script known as Ugaritic, which is a Semitic, Canaanite dialect. Due to the close parallels between Canaanite languages and ancient Hebrew, research into the deciphering of these tablets has allowed a previously unmatched understanding of the Psalmists’ words to be attained. [4]

We see, then, the close tie between the likely Ugaritic sources of the Enūma eliš and the Scriptural account.

Of the great, primeval conflict between good and evil, according to the ancient legends, we read this climax: “Marduk then rode to battle on his storm chariot. The sight of him overwhelmed the enemy; only Tiamat dared to face him, but after an angry exchange of words, as she opened her maw to swallow him, he drove in the winds and killed her with an arrow. Her army he took captive, enclosing it in a net held by the four winds. Out of the carcass of Tiamat Marduk then created the extant universe. He split her in two, and made out of one part heaven; out of the other, earth.” [5]

Those readers who are familiar with the Creation account of Genesis may rightly be impressed by how closely associated the descriptions are, and the Scriptures themselves make a clear connection between all the pagan deities we have seen up to this point:

“Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not; say:

Babylon is taken,

Bel is confounded,

Merodach is broken in pieces;

Her idols are confounded,

Her images are broken in pieces.” (Jeremiah 50:2)

The Babylonian gods Bel (Ba’al) and Merodach (Marduk) are associated with each other in this poetic parallel; and we know also that Ba’al is the name given to the false heathen deity to whom the Israelites turned in times of apostasy. (1Kings 18:21) The very word means “Lord,” or “Husband,” and if used as an improper noun (i.e., not a name) it was an allowable appellation for Yahweh: “‘And it shall be at that day,’ saith Yahweh, ‘that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.’” (Hosea 2:16) In

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Hebrew, the “i” ending indicates the possessive form of a word, thus: Ishi is “my Husband,” and Baali is “my Lord.”

If we understand that Ba’al is really the pagan understanding of the true Creator, obtained by the confusion arising from the division of Gentiles, (Gen 10:5) the parallels become still more significant, particularly regarding those words I have italicized.

Marduk rode to battle on a “storm chariot.” In the Bible we find this unusual verse describing the Almighty: “And He rode upon a Cherub, and did fly; and He was seen upon the wings of the wind.” (2Samuel 22:11) This is repeated in Psalm 18:10, and we learn from other Scriptures that Yahweh is indeed represented as riding on “chariots,” (Isaiah 66:15) and that His chariot (associated with clouds and wind) is borne by those Cherubim. (Ezekiel 10:20, 11:22)

The army of the defeated evil was bound at the “four corners” of the world. In the Book of Revelation, we find that angels are indeed “holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree,” until the last generation of believers are sealed for eternal life. (Rev 7:1-3) Chaos will not be allowed to reign on the earth until the very last “time of trouble” before the Resurrection and Judgment. (Daniel 12:1, 2) Thus are the armies bound.

Marduk split the body of Tiamat, the personified waters of chaos, into “two,” and from this division of the waters he created the heaven and the earth. We read in Genesis, “And Elohim said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’ And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And Elohim called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. And Elohim said, ‘Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And Elohim called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas: and God saw that it was good.” (Gen 1:6-10)

Now while some may look upon these parallels and come to the conclusion that the Hebrew writings were derived from the pagan myths, the opposite is actually true. When we understand that the legends perverted at the time of Ancient Babylon were Semitic in origin, that is to say, from the line of people that produced the Hebrews, we easily come to perceive the direction in which the information flowed. Nimrod, the first king of Babylon, was Hamitic, not Semitic, in lineage. (Gen 10:6-8) It is for this reason that the Scriptures declare: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto Yahweh; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.” (Psalm 22:27) All nations once had the truth as declared by the words of the Scripture; every descendant of Noah knew the true creation story as handed down from the patriarch.

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We know therefore that the pagan myths were based upon misunderstood, or deliberately misinterpreted, accounts of true, human history. Particularly in Babylon, confusion was the order of the day. (Genesis 11:9) Bel is said, in the myths, to have slain the dragon of chaos and thus brought an ordered creation into being. Yahweh did indeed bring order out of chaos, and that chaotic principle is described as a Serpent or Dragon in the Bible. It is written, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O Arm of Yahweh; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not It that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?” (Isaiah 51:9) Rahab the dragon is specifically associated with Babylon in Psalm 87:4.

We read this significant verse:

“Praise Yahweh from the earth,

Ye dragons,

And all deeps.” (Psalm 148:7)

The word “deeps,” is the term tehom-at, and it is set in parallel to “dragons.” Thus, the Biblical account and what we understand to be the seeds of truth from the Enūma eliš and other ancient sources perfectly correspond. Since tehom-at is a plural word, “deeps/oceans,” it may be applied in Hebrew to either an individual of great importance (as the plural term Elohim is used of Yahweh and Behem-oth of a single, gigantic beast), or to all the disorderly forces marshaled under a single head. They are represented in either case by “the deeps,” the dragonish waters of chaos.

Having learned what we can from Gentile mythology, we may now begin to leave it behind and concentrate on the Scriptural revelations, more fully aware of the impact the original information had on the legends of various regions.

Based on the parallels between the Babylonian legends and the evidence found in the Bible, we must conclude that Tehom-at is a Dragon of Chaos, and the enemy of the Almighty. He was worshipped in pagan religions, but was “wounded” (under the name Rahab) in the ancient days. This can be none other than Satan himself, a mighty angel who rebelled against Yahweh’s established order, and forever linked his essence to the chaos of the void. The King of Babylon was rightly called “Lucifer” by the prophet, (Isaiah 14:12) because Babylon is the traditional name assigned to the Kingdom of Pandemonium (chaos, literally “All demons”) when it operates on the earth; (Revelation 18:10) and in the final book of the Canon, the prophet John describes this adversary as, “the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan.” (Revelation 20:2)

But what exactly does it mean that Lucifer, whose history we will soon examine, was known by the name “Tehom-at” to the Babylonians, the people over whom he first held power after the Deluge of Noah’s day?

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(Genesis 11:6) What does it mean that he consented to assume a name that denotes, in essence, a creature of the void, or chaos?

It has to do with the true Satanism; by that I mean, not the religion that Lucifer inspires among humans necessarily, but the religion that he holds. I have spent some time developing the way this being has presented himself to his followers, because it leads directly to a question vital for our study of exorcism: What is it that the devil and his underlings believe to be true? What is it they are seeking to have humans believe, using the media of various pagan fables, apostate religions, and false prophets?

We can get a clear picture of Satan’s plan for humanity from the very first occasion on which he tempted us. We read, “Now the Serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which Yahweh Elohim had made. And he said unto the woman, ‘Yea, hath God said, “Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”’ And the woman said unto the Serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the Tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, “Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”’ And the Serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.’

“And when the woman saw that the Tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a Tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:1-7)

In those early days, Lucifer succeeded in stripping away humanity’s spiritual “covering” which they sought to replace with leaves, a theme to which we will shortly return. But prominent in this exchange between the Serpent and the woman is talk of a “Tree.” There are actually two of them relevant to that temptation. What Trees are these?

In Eden, the original home of humanity, there was a garden containing many kinds of plants and animals. Two Trees are mentioned by name, however, and we read of them in the following verse: “And Yahweh Elohim planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made Yahweh Elohim to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the Tree of Life also in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” (Gen 2:8, 9)

There were special qualities with which each of these Trees was imbued. Those who ate of the Tree of Life were promised immortality; as long as the fruit of this Tree was included in the diet of man, there would be no death. (Revelation 2:7) This quality was not based on spiritual standing, but on

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the decree of the Creator. Essentially, if even a sinner should eat of this Tree he would never lose his life, though by divine Law “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

By way of contrast, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was placed in the garden, and humans were instructed, “thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen 2:17) We are not given any indication that the fruit of the tree was poisonous, or otherwise physically harmful, yet to eat of it would be to break the agreement between God and man, and thus it symbolized the very kind of rebellion that Satan inspired in the Heavenly Kingdom. Death was a result, not of eating the fruit directly, but of rejecting the intimate relationship between the Divine and the human.

Though not commonly understood, even among many Christian groups, death is not a “punishment” for disobedience per se, but the natural consequences of turning away from God. The reason for this is simple: Elohim is the Source of life, (Gen 2:7) and Christ is declared to be “the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:9) Yahweh Himself declares through His prophet, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11)

Even to those who are ultimately lost in the Judgment, symbolized in the Scriptures by the rebellious Israelite tribe of Ephraim, the One who is Love Personified (1John 4:8) says, “And my people are bent to backsliding from me; though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt Him. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as Admah? How shall I set thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.” (Hosea 11:7, 8)

Admah and Zeboim were two of the other cities destroyed in “eternal fire” when Sodom and Gomorrah were consumed. (Jude 1:7, Deuteronomy 29:23) This is a fitting picture of the final destruction of the rebellious, and tells us much about the attitude of our benevolent Creator. But as merciful as Yahweh is, it is written that He can “by no means clear the guilty,” (Exodus 34:7) and this is a necessary – if painful – procedure to ensure the continued happiness of the faithful Creation and redeemed humans. Sin, death, and suffering are never allowed to rise again after this present age is ended. (Revelation 21:4)

The way in which the personalities of Yahweh and Satan interact is yet another “key” to dealing with demons; and it is vital to our understanding of what happened in the Garden of Eden. Lucifer induced Eve, and consequently Adam, to eat fruit from the forbidden Tree. At that point there was danger, and the Creator took the necessary measures to prevent disaster.

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“And Yahweh Elohim said, ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever…’” (Gen 3:22) He then restricted human access to the Tree of Life.

The following must be understood: the moral of this record is not that knowledge is a bad thing; knowledge of good and evil are in fact necessary for a righteous life, for like Christ Himself, we must “know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” (Isaiah 7:15) The problem here was that the ends did not justify the means, and Adam and Eve learned the difference between good and evil by choosing evil, by participation. This most intimate knowledge of rebellion was to have ever remained an alien experience to humanity and, should they have partaken also of the Tree of Life, there would have been beings walking the earth that are both sinful and immortal.

The demons know well that Yahweh is not one to play “favorites” with His creation; the Scriptures say, “There is no respect of persons with God.” (Romans 2:11) While Lucifer has been given time to reveal his character to the watching universe, he is fully aware that his existence will end at the Judgment, on which occasion Yahweh will execute His vow to His ancient enemy and former lieutenant: “Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffick; therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee; it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.” (Ezekiel 28:18)

But now, if the Dragon can perform forbidden sorcery with the materials at his disposal, and produce a sinner that Yahweh is honor-bound not to destroy, he will have a living “shield” to protect him from the just wrath of the Most High. The Almighty cannot destroy “some” sinners and not others. Satan has become the “accuser of the brethren” for this very reason, that we should all appear equally guilty. (Rev 12:10) Here are the stages of his plan for the human race:

First, Satan sought to induce mankind to fall. In this he has succeeded, and from that point forward he has had a forum from which to make his claims – that the law of Elohim is unjust, and impossible to follow.

Those who have fallen prey to the deceiver’s plots have certainly echoed this accusation of unfairness throughout the ages of human experience. At times it has even found expression in the voices of the chosen people: “When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live; he

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shall not die. Yet saith the house of Israel, ‘The way of the Lord is not equal.’ O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Are not your ways unequal?” (Ezekiel 18:26-29)

Under the Law, obedience led to life and disobedience led to death. This was the basic Covenant, and it was certainly fair or, to use the Biblical term, “equal.” Yet because Israel was so prone to rebellion, they could not see the justice in this simple transaction. Of course, Christians understand that the Law is there to point to Christ, (Gal 3:24) and only possible to fulfill through His merits. Under either Testament, however, willful disobedience results in the natural consequence of sin: death. (Jeremiah 38:20, Colossians 3:6)

By the very fact that most humans were not obedient to the Law of God under the Old Covenant, and most are not committed, born-again Christians under the New, Satan’s first layer of “defense” (as it were) is to point out that God’s Law is “obviously unfair,” since so few deign to keep it. In the Scriptures, it is written that when Satan is destroyed, those who managed to shake off his bewitchments will observe his end. “They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, ‘Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms, that made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?” (Isaiah 14:16, 17)

In the last days, the “Beast” that represents the Dragon’s power on earth (Revelation 13:2, 4) will cause “all the world” to wonder and worship. (verse 3) Satan’s first argument is that numbers are on his side, and on this basis he makes light of every man who does follow the teachings of the Almighty. (Job 1:9-11)

His second major goal is this: he attempts to get those who follow him to establish a godless society. Once he has secured a number of people in rebellion against the laws and principles of Heaven, he induces them to make laws that are – if not actually against the commandments of Yahweh – certainly designed to replace them. By exalting such philosophies as Secular Humanism, Evolutionism, Marxism, Communism, etc. (all of which have the common thread of putting man “first” in the hierarchy of the cosmos), Lucifer has largely been successful in removing the worship of God from the earth.

The Scriptures tell us that, “The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,” (Proverbs 9:10) and also, “The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.” (14:27)

Respect (the proper connotation of the word translated “fear” in those verses) of the Most High is both the foundation of true wisdom, and the fountain of life, which corresponds in clear symbolism to the Tree of Life that was designed to convey those very ideas. By contrast, a rejection of

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divine knowledge, and an acceptance of these earthy systems, is a way to gain a kind of knowledge, yes… but it is knowledge gained by rebellion, and thus it is neither wise, nor tending to eternal life. (Psalm 53:1)

Third, and the one aspect of his plan in which Lucifer has thus far failed entirely, Satan seeks to produce immortal sinners. If he can create even one sinful being that cannot be destroyed, the “equality” of Yahweh’s system would ensure that no sinful being could be destroyed. This is the original “loophole” that Satan sought to exploit in Eden, and it explains very clearly why, when all hope is lost after the final battle, and New Jerusalem descends to the earth to manifest the Everlasting Kingdom, there will be one final gathering of the ungodly.

John saw this event in vision: “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved City: and fire came down from Yah out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” (Revelation 20:7-10)

Why this last ditch effort? If Satan failed to overcome the angels in Heaven, how could he hope (after being further weakened by a millennial exile) to overcome the combined forces of divine angels and redeemed humanity in the end?

For one thing, he has no other options at this point; but ultimately, he is making one last attempt to get his “many” followers in close contact with the Tree of Life that was preserved from destruction during the Noachide Flood. The Scriptures reveal that it remains to this day within the walls of that very “beloved City,” New Jerusalem. (Rev 21:10 - 22:2, 22:14)

Of course, in His omnipotence and divine foresight, Yahweh would never allow this to happen. We see in John’s account what happens when the wicked gather against the City. The Almighty has given us an assurance of the judgment of the wicked, (Psalm 37:28) the end of sin itself, (Nahum 1:9) and the complete and full restoration of Creation. (Revelation 21:1) Yet if He has placed the attainment of Lucifer’s aims squarely beyond his reach, why allow him to go forward with his plan to any extent? The reason is simple: to allow human beings to see what Lucifer is doing; to allow them to understand what rebellion does to a soul, that they may intelligently, reasonably avoid it and turn to the Throne. (Psalm 91:8, 1Corinthians 6:3) Yahweh seeks “reasonable” service from His followers, (Romans 12:1) not blind faith or unquestioning obedience. He provides appropriate evidence (if not proof) for all that He claims.

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For our part, we may review here the three aims Satan wishes to accomplish among human beings from the beginning to the end. 1) He seeks to corrupt all humanity, and this he has done. 2) He seeks to establish a worldwide, godless society of mankind, and in this he has succeeded to a large extent, except for the Remnant believers who remain faithful. 3) He seeks to marshal his forces together for a final battle, making one last attempt to produce immortal sinners after generations of failure. At this third stage he will certainly fail once more, and the other two rungs of his plan will come to naught, for the Scriptures say, “Let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, ‘That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.’” (Romans 3:4)

We will have an opportunity to “judge” God in the sense that He invites humans to understand His ways. He said to those who were bent on leaving His principles, “O my people, what have I done unto thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me.” (Micah 6:3) As a husband to his wayward wife, (Jeremiah 3:14, Hosea 1-3) Yahweh has sought to restore the fellowship between humanity and divinity, sacrificing even His Son in the process, so great is His love. (John 3:16)

These three aspects of Lucifer’s plan are the rites of his religion; they are the foundation of his beliefs about the future. His influence on humanity through subtle means (most of the time) and outright possession (on rare occasions) are all designed to produce a society without allegiance to the true Creator, and ultimately a barrier between himself and the chaos of the void that spawned his rebellious nature.

Yet another example of his work is found in Genesis. Although spiritual beings are not “given in marriage,” and cannot produce offspring with material creatures, (Matthew 22:30) the fallen angels utilized the demonized and depraved “daughters of men” to corrupt the “sons of god.” There will be more on the details of this topic in the next chapter.

The result of this union, in any case, was the production of the Nephilim, famous “heroes” who led humanity away from their dependence on the Almighty, and plunged the pre-flood world into a society for which “Elohim saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:4, 5) The only remedy was swift, global judgment, or even faithful Noah’s family would not have escaped the moral wickedness – and the world would have been completely won to Satan’s second stage of conquest: a completely godless society.

It has ever been the case that a few, righteous men in an otherwise wicked system serve to preserve the entire structure so that more souls may be won. (Genesis 18:23-32)

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Although the Scriptural picture is clear, and reveals what Satan is trying to do in the world of men, this leads to some obvious and perennial theological questions. We may see that God allows Satan the opportunity to reveal his nature so that people can intelligently repent of following him – but why so much opportunity? Why is he given almost free reign over the kingdoms of men, so much so that the Savior Himself calls him “the prince of this world?” (John 14:30) Some have asked this question in a much more innocent, but perhaps as relevant, way: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

Every book of the Bible testifies to the freedom of choice that Yahweh provides to mankind. Though He is sovereign, His greatest gift to humanity was that He placed His “image” within us, a reflection of His own divine nature. While this was badly marred in the fall, and humans thus became depraved and unable to even seek after the Most High, (Romans 3:11) the gift of Grace, an undeserved opportunity to draw near to the Father through the intercession of the Son, was provided. (Ezra 9:8, Ephesians 2:8)

The Almighty does not often interfere with the freedom given to His created beings, even if it means that they will use their power to hurt others. Every human being must be free, or none may be free – remember the “equity” of the divine system and the memorable, though relatively recent, words of Martin Luther King Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” This freedom comes with a price… and it is that price that leads some to be very wealthy while others starve. It is that price that allows the powerful to prey on the weak, and the “civilized” man to enslave the “savages.”

Karl Marx cynically observed that “religion is the opiate of the masses,” because he realized that if the poor and underprivileged believe in a reward to come in a future life, they will not likely rise up to demand their rights in this one. While his point is acknowledged to a degree, he did not spend much time in his writings considering a very important aspect of his topic: Is what he said of religion itself actually true? Christians, in fact, are encouraged to stand up for the poor, the downtrodden and the weak. While we have a basic “turn the other cheek” philosophy when it comes to our own rights, realizing that Christ is our Defender, (Matthew 5:39) we also acknowledge that we have the responsibility to be advocates for others. We are told, “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17)

We have freedom, and we must use it responsibly if we are going to claim to be following the ways of Yahweh. It is the abuse of this freedom that leads to sin, and Lucifer understands this principle like no other being. In fact, if the three steps of his plan for the universe may be considered the “rites” of the demonic religion, the knowledge that freedom may be abused is the great dogma at the center of his faith. It is the very cornerstone of his religion, and it has a name: Araphel.

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Like tehom, the expression araphel in Biblical Hebrew is both interesting and significant to our study of demons. While “tehom” indicates that the demons are creatures of chaos, “araphel” points out that they are creatures of spiritual darkness.

The word appears fifteen times in the manuscripts. It is translated “thick darkness” eight times, “darkness” three times, “gross darkness” twice, “dark cloud” once and “dark” once also. Though the connotations are different depending on the context in which it is found, there is a common theme found in every place: concealment. It is important to note, this “darkness” is not the equivalent of “evil.” In fact, araphel of itself is actually a good and necessary thing.

Though it is often used in ways that signify just what the English connotation of “darkness” would be, a gloomy, forbidding state, (Jeremiah 13:6, Zephaniah 1:15) the very first verse in which it is found is this one: “And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness [araphel] where Elohim was.” (Exodus 20:11) Again we read, “Then spake Solomon, ‘Yahweh said that He would dwell in the thick darkness [araphel].’” (1Kings 8:12) A third place, “Clouds and darkness [araphel] are round about Him; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His Throne.” (Psalm 97:2)

But how can this be? The Bible says, “This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” (1John 1:5) Furthermore, it says, “[Christ, the image of the Almighty] only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see, to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1Timothy 6:16)

Is this a contradiction? Not at all. In fact, this harmony is demonstrated very clearly in the events surrounding the ministry of Moses, and the structure of the Divine Tabernacle as it is described in the Book of Exodus.

We read, “And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while [Yahweh] talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him, and Moses talked with them.

“And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that Yahweh had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face. But when Moses went in before Yahweh to speak with Him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of

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Israel that which he was commanded. And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.” (Exodus 34:29-35)

Moses had essentially pierced the veil around the Almighty, entering into His glory by means of a spiritual union, thus he needed a veil of his own when dealing with other humans. The second Scriptural witness to this idea is this one: the Sanctuary itself was filled with brightness, and was so holy that no one was supposed to look into the “Most Holy place,” lest the glowing light of the Divine Presence slay him or her. (Leviticus 16:2, Numbers 4:20) Because of this an instruction was given: “And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work; with cherubims shall it be made, and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.” (Exodus 26:31, 33b)

Thus we may understand the matter clearly. There is certainly no darkness in Yahweh. He is surrounded by brilliant, unbearable light by His very nature. Yet around Himself He draws araphel, a “thick cloud” of darkness, so that mankind may approach Him even as the Israelites approached Moses. As Figure 1.1 demonstrates, angels who stand continually in Yahweh’s presence similarly need to veil their true nature in human form, (Luke 24:4) because we would not otherwise be able to withstand the view.

If Moses, a human who stood in Yahweh’s presence for a mere matter of days, developed a glowing countenance, then we can perhaps gain still more insight into the effect of transgression upon the characteristics of Adam and Eve. Earlier, I said that we must return to the theme of Adam and Eve’s “covering” in order to understand this matter fully. When our first parents

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ate of the fruit, we read, “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:7) While they had been “naked” before, (Gen 2:25) this new state was a nakedness that signified far more than being without a physical covering. There was a “spiritual” difference now, indicated by the opening of their eyes, and they saw themselves as entirely different from the creatures of “shining countenance” that they had previously been.

Returning to the nature of araphel: in order to understand it, we must make a clear difference in our minds between the concepts of “darkness” and “sin.” This is easier for some people to do than others. In the Bible, sin is always a bad thing; darkness is not always a bad thing. It is, to use a more common term, a “necessary evil,” for if Yahweh revealed His full glory, no sinner would be able to survive long enough to draw near to Him and repent. (Exodus 33:20) It is the very fact that Yahweh veils Himself, that He “bears long” with us, which allows us the opportunity for salvation. (Romans 2:4) Grace itself is possible only because of the araphel layer.

We must also understand that the “potential for sin” is not the same thing as sin itself. Even Christ, who never sinned, was “tempted in all points.” (Hebrews 4:15) Having come in “the likeness of sinful flesh,” He was fair game for the inducements of Satan. (Romans 8:3, Mark 1:13) The Bible tells us that “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And there shall be no more curse.” (Revelation 21:4, 22:3) Sin will pass away forever, but freedom will not – and contained within freedom is the potential for sin.

No one will be “forced” to remain righteous in the Eternal Kingdom. Someone who would need restraints or threats to maintain a just life would not have the character to be admitted into the eternal age anyway. (Rev 21:27) There would be no need for the trials of this life, or to develop a godly character, if righteousness was something over which we had no control. In Christ we may choose to be righteous, to accept the gift of justification, and to live in Yahweh’s sanctifying light. In Heaven this will simply be a continuation of the eternal life that has already begun for those who are born of the Spirit. It is written of this age that Yahweh “hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son.” (Colossians 1:13) We do not “wait” for the Messiah to return; no, we claim eternal life now, by faith.

So if the potential for evil has always existed (just like the potential for righteousness) by the very nature of “freedom,” then we can understand the mechanism by which sin was able to intrude upon a universe that was created to be “perfect.” While much of this matter must remain a mystery to human understanding in terms of the “why,” the “how,” is revealed in this wise: if Yahweh made His creations truly “free,” then that means they

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were indeed “free” to disobey, and to usher in the principle of rebellion. Faith only has value if there is a potential for apostasy; goodness only has value if there is a potential for evil; love only has value if there is a potential for hatred.

Now, we must be exceedingly careful with our wording. I do not say that evil must exist in order for good to have value. The “balance” between good and evil is a distinctly pagan concept. Yahweh did not “need” evil as some kind of counterpart to His glory. We need only define evil in order to talk about good. We need only acknowledge that there can be hatred, in order to appreciate love. The actual existence of these concepts in reality is an intrusion into the harmony of Agape, divine love; and all who have hope in the life to come will rejoice eternally when transgression is nothing more than a memory. But to get to that good, eternal life, we needed to come through Meribah: “strife,” the “waters of testing.” (Psalm 81:7)

The angels had their test, and so do we. Yahweh did not intend for this manner of trial to be brought upon His creation, (James 1:13) but when one of His angels imposed it upon us, He allowed it. There must be freedom, or there can be no decision to love.

When Lucifer rebelled, he was not immediately destroyed. Though “the wages of sin is death” for any creature, not just humans, (Jude 1:6, Ezekiel 28:18) he was immediately protected by the darkness that Yahweh placed between them. He was “allowed” the freedom to sin, and he took advantage of that freedom. He took advantage of the principle of Araphel, and thus perverted free will. The gift that was offered to the created beings in order to give value to their worship was taken and twisted around, until the freedom itself became an object of worship.

There is great danger in believing, as some have said, “Yahweh will not do good, neither will He do evil.” (Zephaniah 1:12) The Almighty is not indifferent to evil, but has appointed a Day for calling all matters into account. He offers us freedom, but that freedom is not ours to abuse. There is responsibility that comes with power, even if that power is a gift; there is a difference between individuality (being one’s own person) and individualism (rejecting the example of others, even if it is the right way).

If an individual worships the freedom he has been given, and not the Being that gave him that freedom, the structure of light to darkness is reversed (see Figure 1.2); Araphel itself becomes internalized as a mental idol, and sin is sure to follow. It is, in fact, the subtlest form of idolatry there can be, but it is the very thing that ensnared the mightiest of the angels. “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! For thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I will

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ascend into heaven; I 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; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14)

An intelligent being would never cherish those thoughts in the face of an All-powerful God, unless he felt he was “free” to accomplish those things. Even so, an intelligent use of freedom would quickly reveal that even perfect freedom must have its limits, for if we use our freedom to abuse the freedom of others, then they are not truly free, and we quickly become a slave to our own lust for power. It is only when the freedom becomes an object of worship that this sad consequence is possible.

The religion of Tehom-at, the religion that Satan and his demons hold to be true, is the worship of freedom, which very quickly and naturally becomes the worship of self. Self is what abuses the freedom offered by Yahweh. Selfishness, the putting of one’s self first, is the true Satanism, and (as it naturally leads to the doctrine of “justification by works,” among other things) is at the root of every false, human religion. This freedom-worship, this Araphelism, takes the focus off the Divine Creator, and places it squarely on the creature, particularly when the creature is the worshipper itself/himself.

Paul warns about the danger of this very thing, saying, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 1:22, 25) The result is that “God gave them over to a reprobate mind,” (verse 28) and they “became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (verse 21) The visible results of Araphelism, giving into the power of this darkness, among humans are listed right there in the first chapter of Romans: overt idolatry, (verse 23) improper lusts, (verse 24) homosexuality, (verses 26, 27) “fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, gossip,” (verse 29) and the list goes on.

Most people do not know that there are two forms of religion classified by the name Satanism. The first is the “Diabolist” form, which is probably what many people think of when they hear the term “Satanism.” In this version, Satan is acknowledged to be a spiritual being, and he is glorified as the true Prometheus, the “enlightener” of mankind.

The second group does not believe that “Satan” is an actual person, but the members of this form of Satanism (and “milder” varieties of paganism like Wicca) embrace the principles he represents – freedom from theocratic order, worship of created beings and concepts, and an aversion to organized, Judeo-Christian religion. Essentially, it is a form of chaos-worship (and here the principle of tehom is tied in again) and their rede is often stated in this way, “Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.”

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Sometimes this is preceded by the phrase, “An it harm none…” but those with a full understanding of the principles of Heaven realize that this is not a true interpretation of the “Golden Rule,” since merely setting a non-Christian example is distinctly and ultimately “harmful.”

If we are Christians, we are in the service of Christ. His characteristics will be ours. We will put others before ourselves; we will consider ourselves servants, and we will find the greatest joy in letting our conduct represent our faith. Our works will be righteous, and our destiny will be sure.

If we are not Christians, we are serving something or someone other than the Creator. An idol need not be a graven image, or a statuette; it may be something as simple as a cherished sin, an impure obsession. If we put self first, our works may not necessarily be “evil” in an obvious sense, but they cannot be “righteous” as Yahweh counts righteousness. Even people that the Scriptures term “worldly” may be nice, kind, helpful and sweet – but all human righteousness is “as filthy rags” compared to the standard of Christ we are invited to embrace. (Isaiah 64:6, 2Peter 1:4) If Yahweh Himself is not our righteousness, (Jeremiah 33:16) we are in danger of serving “other gods” – indeed, we would be serving them already.

This is the fate that has befallen a full third of the angelic Host, and the mindset that motivates their actions. With their worship of Araphel, and their commitment to tehom, Satan and his demons have made themselves the enemies of faithful, intelligent obedience to the divine precepts that lead to life. Their primary goal is to lead humanity down that three-stage road described above, the way to apostasy and everlasting destruction.

References:

1 – Greece and Babylon, A Comparative Sketch of Mesopotamian, Anatolian, and Hellenic Religions, Lewis R. Farnell, D. Litt, MA., Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1911, p. 181

3 – Dictionary of Deities and Demons in The Bible, Karel van der Toom, Pieter W.van der Horst, Bob Becking, [editors], W.B. Eerdman's Pub. Co., 1995, entry: Tiamat, emphasis in bold added

4 – The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 3, seven-volume 1954 edition, Review and Herald Publishing Association, pp. 618, 619

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