THE BEASTLY SPIRIT

The language of the Bible can sometimes lead to confusion, but that is never the intention of its infinitely wise author. A good illustration of this is found in the story of Saul, where we read, "But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him." (1 Samuel 16:14, KJV). We all know that God is holy; how then can He send an evil spirit? If we understand the language of the Bible and the concept being presented, there is no need for confusion.

One of the most significant concepts that many Bible readers fail to grasp is that God is not only the Creator but also the author of "moral freedom." In Heaven, all created beings were free to live according to His purpose or to rebel. Lucifer chose to rebel because freedom is the foundation of righteousness. Holiness, which I prefer to refer to as "wholeness," is a state that every child of God enters into out of free will rather than coercion. The devil employs two tools: deception and force. The latter is used only after the former fails.

Adam and Eve were commanded not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, yet they were free to act as they wished. Righteousness only makes sense when it arises from an understanding of the character of God and the consequences of disobedience out of freewill. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, as a state is represents the choice available to each angel and other creations of God, to depart from God.

Keen students of the Bible will note that the Garden of Eden contained two trees: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, in the middle of the Garden. Eating from the Tree of Life represents living by every word of God, while from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil symbolises making a choice against God. Since everything was created by God, this tree essentially embodies both good and evil, representing the corruption of good through the choice of evil, which is what happened to Lucifer:

"Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."

Ezekiel 28:15 (KJV).

The first King of Israel, Saul, serves as a perfect representation of Lucifer, the fallen Angel. Chosen by God, anointed, and granted the privilege of being the first King, Saul allowed pride to enter his heart. He began disobeying God. Despite receiving numerous opportunities to repent, he continually rebelled until God could no longer tolerate him as king (1 Samuel16:1). The prophet Samuel struggled with Saula's apostasy, particularly after Saul failed to follow God’s specific instructions regarding the annihilation of Amalekites. God had been explicit about what Saul was to do, yet he spared the best of the Amalekite animals and failed to kill Agag, their king contrary to the divine commission:

"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." (1 Samuel 15:4, KJV).

The Amalekites (a symbol of sin and sinners) prevented Israel from occupying Canaan; they attacked Israel on their way from Egypt (see 1 Samuel 15:2). By sparing King Agag and some of the Amalekite cattle, Saul essentially modified God's instructions, a behaviour that the Babylonian system of false worship is notorious for throughout history. As stated in Matthew 15:9 (KJV), "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." Any alteration of what God commands disqualifies not only the individual but also the word of God. Jesus made this clear when He said, "Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven..." (Matthew 5:19). 

The perfection of God is uncompromising. 

The Apostle James reiterates this principle in James 2:10: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Changing what God has decreed or directed in any way implies that we believe ourselves to be better than God, which is the strongest indication of self-worship. This is what King Saul did by sparing King Agag and the animals, he stood in the place of God, committing an abomination. Israel was God's people, not King Saul's servants: 

"The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein"

Psalm 24:1(KJV).

Life consists of fullness. Remember our reframing of the Holy Spirit as "the Spirit of Wholeness?" If life is 100%, then 99.99% is equivalent to death. A small leak will sink a ship, and this principle applies to spiritual matters as well, for a perfect God cannot unite with evil. This explains why our righteousness must rely solely on Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who lived a perfect life on Earth: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (2 Corinthians 5:21, KJV). 

There is nothing that humanity can add or subtract from the words of a perfect God without inviting sin, which leads to death, as all life was created and is sustained by the word of God. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4), because bread itself is a creation of the word. To prioritize bread above God is to engage in the worship of creation (Romans 1:25). This was Esau's great mistake:

"Looking diligently ... lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright."

Hebrews 12:15-16 (KJV).

Saul’s disobedience cannot be taken lightly; it was a deliberate invitation to unholy and evil spirits. Although Saul God sent him an evil spirit, it was the result of his choice to persist in wickedness (1 Samuel 16:14). God sends to us only what we desire, and that is a fundamental rule of life and the context in which we should understand Nebuchadnezzar's predicament. On multiple occasions, God demonstrated to the proud king that He was the ultimate ruler of Heaven and Earth. However, one day, as Nebuchadnezzar stood atop his palace admiring the great Kingdom of Babylon, he uttered words that suggested Babylon was his creation:

“The king spake and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30, KJV).

We read that while these arrogant words were still in his mouth, he was transformed into a beast for seven seasons until he later acknowledged God as the supreme ruler and creator of all things (Daniel 4:34). When we disobey God, it isn't because we don't recognise His existence or His right to reign over our lives; it is often due to rebellion. Every human being possesses a conscience, the still small voice that positively convicts them of wrongdoing. This conscience will ultimately testify against those who silence it through rebellion. Therefore, no one who lives selfishly will have a valid excuse before God on the day of judgment:

"For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things."

1 John 3:20 (KJV).

Nebuchadnezzar's punishment of living as a beast for seven seasons was not the work of God; rather, it resulted from his own choices. God does not impose punishment externally; the natural laws that govern all life turn against those who prioritize their own interests over the well-being of others.

Order is the law of Heaven, ordained by the Ten Commandments, which require us to have no other gods and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. These laws rightfully demand that we keep God foremost in our minds since He is our creator, while also encouraging us to regard our neighbours as we regard ourselves. Adhering to this behaviour is the essence of being human, which elevates us above beasts, as exemplified in Genesis 1:26. It is through divine wisdom, as expressed in God's word, that we have dominion over everything. Love is the law of Heaven.

However, when we lose our humanity due to selfishness, or in the famous words of the Satanist Aleister Crowley, “do what thou wilt,” we become like beasts. Adam and Eve lost their dominion when they succumbed to the lies of the serpent, a beast and symbol of Satan, the great deceiver and the Cherub who rebelled in Heaven. Thus, they were the first to fall victim to the poisonous lies of the arch deceiver and beast who misleads the world: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world…” (Revelation 12:9, KJV). Lies effectively destroy because they are a misrepresentation of reality, unlike truth.

Therefore, the choice to act in an animalistic manner is one that King Nebuchadnezzar made; God had no part in it. This choice reflects the attitude of every person who disregards God and neglects their neighbor, contrary to the second greatest commandment: “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:31, KJV). 

In Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar is warned about his pride and rebellion and is implored to change his ways through a dream successfully interpreted by Daniel when it eludes Babylonian wisemen (Daniel 4:7). However, he does not willingly comply with the guidance given in the dream. It is the same spirit that compelled Cain to kill Abel. Having been influenced by the spirit of the serpent of Eden and the Dragon of old, Cain boldly posed a question that many humans symbolically ask God by living life on their own terms: 

"Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9, KJV).

This reflects the spirit of Nebuchadnezzar, the Spirit of Babylon, and of the Beast, whose mark we are strongly warned against receiving in Revelation 14:9. Babylon derives its name from Babel, where humanity sought greatness for itself by building a tower, contrary to God's instructions, leading to the confusion of their language into many dialects and forceful dispersion. Therefore, Babylon serves as a symbolic representation of all human beings who oppose God and His Kingdom by living for themselves, “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad” (Matthew 12:30, KJV). 

Selfishness inevitably leads to animal-like behaviour that ultimately destroys anyone who adheres to that principle, as it disconnects them from the rest of creation, which is established by the word of God. Thus, it also harms others, because in nature, everything was created to support one another, whether animate or inanimate, in an infinite web of symbiosis inspired by the wisdom of a selfless and loving God. 

Selfishness is the MARK of the BEAST!

"And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird."

Revelation 18:2 (KJV).