A member of ISIS uses a jackhammer to deface a lamassu in the Mosul Museum.
It's hard to imagine that a group as insane as the Islamic State could hold the high ground on any issue at all, but they do in fact get it right at times. No, really.
The funny thing about Satan is that he rarely if ever tricks people with unadulterated falsehood. Even though lying is the Adversary's native language (John 8:44), he is a master linguist. An amateur liar makes up complete nonsense, but an expert deceiver speaks truths that are only barely polluted with untruth. Satan does well in his war against our souls because he packages lies in chests of gold.
Like Jews and Christians, Muslims are monotheists who wish to see the world at large free of the plague of polytheism. Both the Bible and the Quran place extreme importance on the fact that there is only one transcendent Creator, and that all other entities--even high-ranking angels--are finite, created beings unworthy of worship. "Thou shalt have no other gods" is the first of the famous Ten Commandments.
The funny thing about Satan is that he rarely if ever tricks people with unadulterated falsehood. Even though lying is the Adversary's native language (John 8:44), he is a master linguist. An amateur liar makes up complete nonsense, but an expert deceiver speaks truths that are only barely polluted with untruth. Satan does well in his war against our souls because he packages lies in chests of gold.
Like Jews and Christians, Muslims are monotheists who wish to see the world at large free of the plague of polytheism. Both the Bible and the Quran place extreme importance on the fact that there is only one transcendent Creator, and that all other entities--even high-ranking angels--are finite, created beings unworthy of worship. "Thou shalt have no other gods" is the first of the famous Ten Commandments.
Members of the Islamic State are dedicated to rooting out polytheism in their territories. One of the ways by which they accomplish this is to tear down temples and statues made by polytheists (here are the ancient sites they've destroyed so far). And believe it or not, the Holy Bible is in absolute agreement with this type of cultural cleansing. Here are a few of many verses that demonstrate this fact:
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"Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you. Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles. Do not worship any other god, for the Lord [YHVH], whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." (Exodus 34:12-14, NIV)
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"This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire. For you are a people holy to the Lord your God." (Deuteronomy 7:4-6, NIV)
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Jehoiada then made a covenant between the Lord [YHVH] and the king and people that they would be [YHVH's] people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people. All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. (2 Kings 11:17-18, NIV)
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While I don't believe that Allah is the same as YHVH (the Great I Am), there is some overlap between the two Gods. Like I said, Satan's counterfeits are close to the real thing. As a result, those of us who follow the Hebrew scriptures find ourselves in the awkward position of having to nod our approval of the Islamic State's destruction of heathen heritage sites, while simultaneously disapproving of Islam in general. I wish that ISIS and their violent campaign would cease to exist, but I also wish that the altars and idols of the heathen world would cease to exist. I wish it because YHVH wishes it, and he knows what's best for us (hint: it's himself).
The Temple of Ba'al: Coming Soon to a City Near You
In August 2015, ISIS militants blew up the Temple of Baal-Shamin in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra. Jews and Christians should have said, "Good riddance," but I get the impression that most of them shared the sentiment of UNESCO's Irina Bokova, who called the destructive act a "war crime and immense loss... for humanity." A loss of what, we should ask. A nice-looking building? There are others. No, Ms. Bokova meant a loss of culture. But for those of us who bow the knee to the God of Abraham, any such culture should be detestable.
The Bible minces no words when it comes to God's hatred of Baal. We read in Jeremiah, "'Because they have forsaken Me and... because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind; therefore, behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter'" (19:4-6, NASB). No one should have problems interpreting this passage: The adulterous Israelites would die horribly for their love of Baal and his ways.
In one of the most brutally impactful stories in the Bible, the prophet Elijah calls down fire from heaven to consume an entire assembly of priests of Baal (but only after they saw a miracle from YHVH and had every opportunity to repent of their ways). Numbers 25:3 records that some Israelites yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, causing YHVH's anger to burn against them, and the Lord instructed the judges of Israel to execute all who had turned to worship Baal. Clearly, God has no patience for this dude.
The Bible minces no words when it comes to God's hatred of Baal. We read in Jeremiah, "'Because they have forsaken Me and... because they have filled this place with the blood of the innocent and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of, nor did it ever enter My mind; therefore, behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the valley of Ben-hinnom, but rather the valley of Slaughter'" (19:4-6, NASB). No one should have problems interpreting this passage: The adulterous Israelites would die horribly for their love of Baal and his ways.
In one of the most brutally impactful stories in the Bible, the prophet Elijah calls down fire from heaven to consume an entire assembly of priests of Baal (but only after they saw a miracle from YHVH and had every opportunity to repent of their ways). Numbers 25:3 records that some Israelites yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, causing YHVH's anger to burn against them, and the Lord instructed the judges of Israel to execute all who had turned to worship Baal. Clearly, God has no patience for this dude.
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Accordingly, we disciples of Messiah should be perturbed by the altars and idols that exist in our own lands. Ask yourself, Believer: How did you respond to recent news that full-scale reproductions of the entrance to Palmyra's Temple of Baal were to be installed in New York's Times Square and London's Trafalgar Square? What was your reaction to the light show at the Empire State Building, which ended with a giant portrait of the goddess Kali? And are we even aware that sites used for pagan worship still exist intact in many regions, and that New Agers frequently make spiritual pilgrimage to these sites?
Hopefully, you've reacted to these things with disdain, not apathy. If we want to conform our minds to be like Messiah's, as the Bible instructs, then we can't shrug our shoulders when we learn of the abominations erected in our backyard. First and foremost, we need to pray against them. Then we need to take action and use whatever outlets are at our disposal to speak out and show our displeasure. We should be like King Asa, who "did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles" (2 Chronicles 14:2-3, NIV). |
A rendering of Kali wrapped up the Projecting Change light show at the Empire State Building on 1 August, 2015.
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The sad reality of our situation is that we do not live in Israel, but Babylon, and the laws of modern society prevent us from literally smashing altars or idols (like the statue of Baphomet recently unveiled in Detroit) without consequence. But we can still protest.
I'm encouraged by the fact that many Christians did react strongly to the report that replica temples of Baal would be erected in New York and London. Perhaps as a result of widespread outrage, plans for the Times Square replica have been scrapped, and the London version will now be a replica of the Triumphant Arch instead of part of Baal's temple. There is power in protest, but we must be willing to get out of our comfort zone and make a fuss. Apathy is an open door for the Enemy.
I'm encouraged by the fact that many Christians did react strongly to the report that replica temples of Baal would be erected in New York and London. Perhaps as a result of widespread outrage, plans for the Times Square replica have been scrapped, and the London version will now be a replica of the Triumphant Arch instead of part of Baal's temple. There is power in protest, but we must be willing to get out of our comfort zone and make a fuss. Apathy is an open door for the Enemy.
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