THE LORD OF THE FLIES
But when the Pharisees heard it, they said This fellow doeth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. Matthew 12:24.
Satan is known as Beelzebub, the “Lord of the Flies.” The “flies” are small demonic entities that are subordinate to their Lord, Satan. During unprecedented tribulation, demonic activity in the lives of many will begin to grow exponentially. Constant harassment by taunting, agitating, and irritating people will be the focus of these minor demon spirits. People who are not born-again will have trouble ridding their lives of these pesky demons.
Like God, Satan also has many names. Satan’s names have different meanings describing many of his different characteristics. For instance, the name Beelzebub, found in Matthew, 12:24, literally means “lord of the flies.” Beelzebub, or Baal-zebhubh in Hebrew was worshiped by the Philistines as well as other Canaanite nations.
Beelzebub is one of the names of Baal. Baal means “lord” but with a surname attached it means “lord of something.” The word Zebub means flies. Thus we have the name Beelzebub meaning “lord of the flies.’ The Israelites were strictly forbidden to worship any form of Baalism because it was a form of devil worship. Yet, many times Israel turned from the God of Heaven and built alters to worship the gods of the Canaanite nations.
Today many Christians are led astray by Canaanite or pagan like practices when they worship the same gods the false religions of this world worship. People today still worship gods of silver, gold, jewels, iron, and wood to name a few. They may not always bow down to worship them. However they worship the “created” within their hearts rather than the Creator.
The Canaanites worshiped many of the same gods the Egyptians worshiped; the only difference was the names they gave them. Baal was considered to be the sun god as well as the god of rain. Satan is able to transform himself into an “angel of light.” He desires to be worshiped as Christ who is the “Light of the world.” Satan also desires to be worshiped as the god of rain. He beguiles the multitudes into thinking he is the source of all natural resources and the creator of all that exists. In one form or another Satan sets himself up as the god of all forms of nature and all the things which God created.
When famine came from a lack of rain, the Canaanites held festivals where they danced and sang before Baal in hopes he would bring them rain. They would offer many sacrifices to Baal. At times they would lay their children on an altar as a sacrifice for sin, and slay them thinking this would appease Baal and bring rain. They would slash themselves with sharp stones and knives to try to get “their god” to saturate their fields with life sustaining water for their crops.
The world does not look to the true God for life sustaining water when natural or spiritual famine arises. They look for water, but not the “life sustaining” water that only God can give. The true God not only sends “natural rain” but also “supernatural rain” to all those who seek to “grow in Christ.”
Many think the only way to rid themselves of their sins is to lay an unborn child on an altar and abort it with a knife. They slay the child to appease the god of their contemptible consciences. The true God will never approve of human sacrifice unless it is a sacrifice of a selfish and prideful heart. The only sacrifice “for sin” that is acceptable to God is the sacrifice He provided at Calvary, which is His Son, Jesus. Satan approves of human sacrifice because it appeases his lust for dominion over human flesh and the dignity men.
The cutting of flesh with knives will never remove the burden of sin or ease one’s conscience, or make it rain. Masochism only masks the true problems deceitful hearts and minds procreate. The only human sacrifice accepted by the true God is the sacrifice of Christ who was conceived in the womb of Mary.
Baal worship takes on many forms today. Baal was also the God of prosperity. The worship of Baal was a type and shadow of things to come. Baal was represented as the “bull god.” When an icon of Baal was made out of wood or metal it was formed in the shape of a bull. When the Canaanites bowed down to worship Baal the idol was in the form of a bull. The Egyptians also worshiped an idol formed into a bull. The “bull god” in Egypt also represented “prosperity.” The Egyptians gave credit to the “bull god” for their prosperity.
As Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai, the children of Israel below were making an idol of gold in the form of a bull. They were paying homage to the Egyptian god for leading them out of Egypt and hoping he would also deliver them out of the Wilderness of Sin. This Egyptian god, like Baal, was also considered to be the god of rain and the harvest. According to the Canaanites and the Egyptians, the rain god made the earth fertile and crops were harvested and sold at the market for their livelihood.
In essence, the bull god brought the rain for the crops to grow. The yield from the harvest then brought them prosperity when they sold their crops at the market. Do these terms sound familiar to you? In other words, you could call it a “bull market.” Remember these words because we are going to look at the “stock market” later on in the book and see how the worship of ancient idols will impact the global “stock market” during the last days. The “bull god,” the “rain god,” and the “sun god” were all types and shadow of things to come.
FLYS AND BUGS THAT BUG YOU
Flies are pesky little insects and do the same things gnats do in the natural only worse. They irritate, aggravate, and frustrate their victims. You can slap at them, try to swish them away or swat them with something, but they are very persistent and will continually come back to aggravate and torment you. Flies are not intimidated by people’s size or strength. They are unclean creatures which lay their eggs in rotting flesh and decaying foods. They want your food and they “determinedly” try to get it. The only way you can stop flies from torturing you is by putting them to death. We need to keep in mind the fact that Satan is the “lord of the flies” and his army of “demonic despots” operate in this same manner.
Middle Eastern files are known to be much larger than common house flies found in other parts of the world. They are much larger than what we in North America call “horse flies.” Even to this day flies are considered “a plague” in Egypt as well as others parts of the Middle East. In Egypt they spread a disease known as “aophthalmia.”
The bite of the Egyptian fly is very painful and can cause terrible swelling of the eyebrows causing its victims problems with their vision. During the time God brought the plagues on Egypt, these insects and others covered the Egyptians and the ground in Egypt like a blanket, tormenting the Egyptians and polluting the land.
The phrase “swarms of flies” comes from the Hebrew word “arob.” “Arob is the root word for “arab” which means to “lay in wait or ambush.” This is not to suggest that all Arabs are people who would lay in wait to ambush someone. However, this is the very nature of those who, like Satan, seek to steal, kill, and destroy.
We are seeing today that many “Arabs” are laying in wait to ambush and destroy Israel as well as others all over the world that do not conform to Islam. “Ambushing” is the nature of many of the ancestors of Arab people; and in many cases that aspect of their nature has been passed down from generation to generation. It is also the nature of flies to “ambush.”
We must remember the people of Canaan and the other Arab nations in the Middle East have continuously opposed the existence of the nation of Israel, a type and shadow of the Church. In the same way, the Church and Israel will be opposed by all the nations of the world. I do not wish to disparage any group or groups of people with what I am writing, but I do speak out against the spirit that drives the mindset of murder, false accusation, and hatred. There are many Christian Arabs who love the Lord and are just as much a part of the Kingdom of God as anyone else in the Church. In the natural we are all made of the same decaying flesh and should not boast of any nationality or ethnic group. As Christians, who we are in Christ is all that matters.
In the last days Arab and Muslim nations will become allied with Russia and other nations around the world to eliminate what they perceive to be the cause of “the worlds” problems—the Church, Israel, and the United States. As I write this book there is much turmoil in the nation of Israel as well as all over the Middle East. Israel’s enemies have sworn to drive all them into the sea. The time will come when Satan will try to eliminate every Jew and Christian on Earth. Revelation, 13:7 says: And it was given unto him (anti-Christ) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, tongues and nations.
During the plague of flies God “made a difference” between Israel (the church) and the Egyptians (the world). The Bible says He puts a division between “my people and thy people,” so the world may know that I AM is in the midst of the Earth. (Exodus, 4:22). This was to be a sign to Pharaoh (Satan) and Egypt (the world) that God made a difference between them and the Hebrews who He was preparing to deliver out of the hands of their evil taskmasters.
Today God is bringing a separation between the world and the true Church. Today, Satan, the lord of the flies, is releasing many more “demonic swarms” to infiltrate, agitate, and contaminate people than ever before. The Lord and “his flies” are “lying in wait” to ambush ALL men through his subtle powers of deception. He is causing more and more conflict, irritation, and aggravation among and between peoples, nations, and ethnic groups around the world today.
Deception is one of the enemy’s greatest weapons. Satan is currently infiltrating the minds and hearts of people in ALL nations in order to eventually bring about lawlessness and total chaos. Satan and his flies thrive in an atmosphere of lawlessness and chaos. In the middle of chaos he does what he does best.
In the final “chaos” Satan paints a masterpiece of confusion and deception upon the canvas of men’s souls around the world. Hordes of demonic spirits will be loosed from the bottomless pit and the four angels bound in the Euphrates River who will slay a “third part of men” and will torment multitudes during the Great Storm. (Revelation 9:14-15). Satan and his army know that their time is short so they will swarm like flies upon the unsuspecting masses to wreak havoc and destruction before they proceed into perdition.
While there are wars going on in the natural realm, there is also a great battle taking place in the realm of the spirit. As wars are being fought on earth, demonic forces will be stirring up confusion and “every evil work” in the hearts and minds of earth’s inhabitants. As Christians we do not war against flesh and blood like the rest of world does. The Bible tells us that “we war not against flesh and blood but against the principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12). Our “warfare” is a spiritual one and the only weapons that help us defeat “spiritual wickedness” are “spiritual weapons” the Lord has equipped and armed us with.
The armies we fight against are the most ferocious, best trained group of fighting forces the world has NEVER known. Their power lies in their ability to conquer by means of beguilement, deception, and manipulation. The “art of deception” plays a big part in the battle for the human soul, especially in the “last days.” Many great battles have been won on natural battlefields because military leaders knew how to “deceive their enemies.” The best battlefield tactics are not always the conventional ones, but the unconventional ones. A small force of soldiers can defeat a much larger force if the right “strategies of deception” are used against the enemy. Satan uses his ability to deceive the nations to foment rebellion, lawlessness, division, and chaos.
MOSQUITOS
I heard a news report which said over two million people die each year as a result of mosquito bites. Many people die from malaria and several of the other deadly diseases mosquitoes carry every year. A few years ago the United States was introduced to West Nile Virus. This disease is introduced into the bloodstream through mosquito bites. West Nile Virus has the potential to be another “Apocalyptic” type plague. Although the virus was almost completely eradicated at one time here in the United States, it has been making a comeback in the last few years.
It is interesting that the West Nile Virus disease is popping up in different parts of the world at this time. This disease has been around in the Middle East for centuries, and is not uncommon in that part of the world from which it acquired its name “West Nile Virus.” The Nile River, of course, runs through the middle of Egypt, which is one of the subjects we are writing about. The story of the plagues which occurred in Egypt in the Book of Exodus played a big part in prophetic end time events. During the “Great Storm” this disease could reach catastrophic proportions.
Whether this disease is one of the diseases that will reach plague like proportions does not alter the fact that Satan is Lord of the “swarms of flies” and other tormenting creatures which the world will experience during the tribulation. Satan is “commander and chief” of all evil forces who come to steal, kill and destroy. He is the commander and chief of the rulers of darkness, as well as all the demon spirits operating on earth in the last days.
Unlike flies, many species of mosquitoes are very small and they attack, inject their poison, and are gone before you know you have been bitten. You do not always see mosquitoes when they bite, however you will certainly feel the result of the bite. Mosquitoes steal blood and leave poison its place causing an irritation which one can hardly resist scratching. At worst they can carry diseases that can wipe out entire populations. They lay their eggs in wet swampy areas (polluted waters) and thrive on the blood of others, whether it is the blood of men or the blood of animals.
Like the mosquito, Satan lies in wait to ambush his victims. One of the poisons that Satan leaves in the individual, and especially in the Church, is the contagious disease of hypocrisy. If you do not scratch a mosquito bite the itch will eventually go away. There is, however, always a great urge to scratch the bite even though you know it will just make things worse and the infected area will grow even larger. Jesus said “hypocrisy is the leaven of the Pharisees.” Hypocrisy spreads like a poisonous disease when it enters into the “bloodstream” of the Church. Hypocrisy causes great irritation and discomfort in many churches and if not dealt with it will eventually cause among other things, animosity, and division in churches.
Swarms of demon spirits will plague the hearts and minds of all who are not rooted and grounded in TRUTH and the knowledge God. Many Christians who “thought” they “knew the truth” will be “suddenly and sadly surprised” when the doctrines they thought were true will not free them from the “stinging scorpions” sent by the Destroyer. Many will come to Christ in that day saying “Lord did we not do such and such for you?” Jesus will say to them “Depart from me you workers of iniquity--I never knew you.”
We must maintain a personal relationship with the Truth, Jesus. If the Spirit of Truth is not living within us, we “do not know Him.” If we do not have the “Spirit of Truth” living within us, He does not know us. Jesus may know who you are, but He does not know you because His Spirit does not reside within you. When Christ says to those “depart from me I never knew you” He will be speaking to those who “thought” they were known by Him. If people are not rooted and firmly grounded in faith, they will be unable to withstand the Great Storm as it comes to destroy everything in its path. The oil in their lamps will not be sufficient to light the pathway that leads through the “gross darkness” that will engulf the entire earth.
Repentance is the only option for those who are living without Christ. To “repen”t simply means to turn around and go in another direction. Sinners must repent and seek God’s grace and mercy while His grace and mercy can still be found.
How we interpret the Book of Revelation before the tribulation begins will determine if we will be prepared for the destruction it brings or not. If people choose to believe they will be “raptured” before the tribulation, they will be unable to respond positively to the catastrophic events which are coming.
We should be prepared at all times to resist Satan and prepare for the troubles we have been warned will come. The Bible says that” many are the afflictions of the righteous but God will deliver them out of them all.” (Psalm 37:19). The Bible also says, “All who live godly will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12). Because “tribulation” and “persecution” is promised to ALL believers, we must expect them and be prepared for them. Although we may not be experiencing persecution and tribulation now, if we live godly as God commands, persecution and tribulation will surly come.
The tribulation is going to be the Church’s finest hour, however to be a part of that glorious time will require a greater faith and relationship with Christ. Only Jesus can deliver us from the turmoil, troubles, and plagues, the entire world will be experiencing. People must prepare their hearts now for the trying times which are ahead. The storm clouds are on the horizon and swiftly approaching.
When the Great Storm arrives it will be too late for those who were too foolish and slothful to prepare. Preparation must be made now if we are to journey safely through the “eye of the storm.” If we are not prepared before the storm hits, we will be carried away by the fierceness, and violence of the storm. It will be impossible for those who have little or no oil in their lamps to see the only Light which will shine in times of “great darkness.”