Male witchcraft in the bible

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When people think of witches in the bible, they automatically think of women. While individual women are occasionally mentioned in scripture, most of the witches were men.

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Witchcraft does exist in the bible, but under different names- witchcraft, sorcery, astrology, idol worship, wizards, familiar spirits, magicians, etc. Most organized groups of sorcerers were men, operating in king’s courts and temples. In the bible, there were isolated cases of women at work as well.

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My purpose here is to

1. explain the association of witchcraft with pagan god worship

2. define general witchcraft, according to traditional guidelines (the topic of “white witchcraft” is a separate discussion!!!)

3. show examples in the bible

4. identify witchcraft with both male and female practitioners.

5. for my personal use, identify the word jezebel as inclusive of both male and females, to simplify discussions. I acknowledge that others on other sites may not do this. I believe in treating people equally.

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What is witchcraft?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch

Witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or magical powers in order to inflict harm or damage upon members of a community or their property.

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Modern Witch claim:

http://www.electricwitch.com/chapter1.html#warlock

http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/faq.htm

“Witches and Wiccans practice a nature-based religion, and worship at least one Goddess and/or God. Satan, or “The Devil” is a Christian belief. Witches do not believe in the devil, and therefore do not worship one. People who worship Satan are known as “Satanists”. Witchcraft is not Satanism.”

What they do not see is that the god or goddess they worship is a demon, a false god presented to them by Satan. So they are deceived. Since they do not see themselves worshiping Satan directly, they are doing so indirectly, as demon worship replaces the worship of the One True God of the bible.

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General Biblical view:

In the Hebrew Bible references to sorcery are frequent, and the strong condemnations of such practices found there do not seem to be based so much upon the supposition of fraud, as upon the abomination of the magic in itself. In the King James Bible the Hebrew words כשף (kashaph or kesheph) and קסם (qesem) and the Greek φαρμακεια (pharmakeia) are translated ‘witch’, ‘witchcraft’ or ‘witchcrafts’.

Deuteronomy 18:11-12 and Exodus 22:18 state “Thou shall not suffer a witch to live.” The word “witch” is a translation of the Hebrew kashaph, “sorcerer”. As such a closer translation would be “one who uses magic to harm others”. The Bible provides some evidence that these commandments were enforced under the Hebrew kings:

“And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray you, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto you. And the woman said unto him, Behold, you know what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then lay you a snare for my life, to cause me to die?”

(The Hebrew verb “Hichrit” (הכרית) translated in the King James as “cut off”, can also be translated as “kill wholesale” or “exterminate”)

The New Testament condemns the practice as an abomination, just as the Old Testament had (Galatians 5:20, compared with Revelation 21:8; 22:15; and Acts 8:9; 13:6). The word in most New Testament translations is “sorcerer”/”sorcery” rather than “witch”/”witchcraft”.

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New Testament sorcerer:

Act 8:9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

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Sorcerers in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court

Dan 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.

Dan 2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

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-Elijah and the prophets of Baal - Elijah wins

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Male Prophets of Baal were sorcerers

1Ki 16:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.

1Ki 16:32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

1Ki 18:19 Now therefore send, [and] gather to me all Israel unto mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel’s table.

1Ki 18:21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD [be] God, follow him: but if Baal, [then] follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

1Ki 18:22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, [even] I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal’s prophets [are] four hundred and fifty men.

1Ki 18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress [it] first; for ye [are] many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire [under].

1Ki 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed [it], and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But [there was] no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

1Ki 18:40 And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

Baal- who was he-?

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/baal.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal-Peor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal

1. the “god” of thunders, god of “peace,” as Satan’s right hand man, god of the rain, thunder, fertility and agriculture, and the lord of Heaven. Worship involved sex rituals. Jezebel was the priestess of Baal. In one biblical incident, there were 500 male priests, and one female, named Jezebel. She was known for her deceit, destructiveness, rebellion against the God of Israel, and violence. It is this spirit of rebellion and violence that can characterize any witch – whether they are male or female.

2. also known as Molech- god of fire and child sacrifice- something practiced by witches as well

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch

2 Kings 23:10 (on King Josiah’s reform):

And he defiled the Tophet, which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire l’Molech.

Jeremiah 32:35:

And they built the high places of the Ba‘al, which are in the valley of Ben-hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire l’Molech; which I did not command them, nor did it come into my mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

3. also known as Dagon – creator and subduer, warrior, slayer

Dagan is mentioned occasionally in early Sumerian texts but becomes prominent only in later Akkadian inscriptions as a powerful and warlike protector, sometimes equated with Enlil. In the preface to his famous law code, King Hammurabi calls himself “the subduer of the settlements along the Euphrates with the help of Dagan, his creator“. An inscription about an expedition of Naram-Sin to the Cedar Mountain relates (ANET, p. 268): “Naram-Sin slew Arman and Ibla with the ‘weapon’ of the god Dagan who aggrandizes his kingdom.”

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Sorcery in Pharaoh’s court

When Moses performed certain signs in Pharaoh’s court to show God had sent him, the magicians were able to duplicate some of the signs.

Exd 7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Exd 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

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Antichrist figure –past and future:

Old testament (As a man who will honor a foreign – pagan- god of forces and war):

Dan 11:38 But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces (fortresses, strongholds, places fortified for safety, strengths, strong forces, powers): and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.

Dan 11:10 But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and [one] shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, [even] to his fortress.

Dan 11:11 And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, [even] with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

Dan 11:24 He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do [that] which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: [yea], and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time.

Dan 11:30 For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.

Dan 11:31 And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily [sacrifice], and they shall place the abomination that makes desolate.

New testament:

Rev 13:1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Rev 13:2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as [the feet] of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

Rev 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who [is] like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

Rev 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months.

Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

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Scripture speaks against violence and strife

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God

1Ti 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, [even] the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;

1Ti 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

Isa 59:6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works [are] works of iniquity, and the act of violence [is] in their hands.

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Writing about Witchcraft and jezebels who operate today.

One reason for putting this together is to clarify that:

1. witchcraft exists in the bible in different forms – sorcery, magic, etc

2. its basic intent is to do harm people, and rebel against, or replace Yahweh with a false pagan god.

3. it includes not just pagan god worship, but, as iniquity, can be characterized by violence, strife, conflict, war, envyings, evil surmisings, railings (false accusations, which would lead to conflict), power plays, child sacrifice (now seen in abortion, and suicide bombings by children), and perverted or illicit sex.

4. as evil, it is demonic in origin

5. Men are witches too. In the bible, there were more of them mentioned, as operating in groups, than there were women, who operated as individuals.

6. In my posts, I use the term “jezebel” to denote either a male or female witch, even though the named personality Jezebel herself was female. Remember she was associated with 500 men witches, or “prophets” of Baal, the god of fertility, war, peace, child sacrifice, fire, etc. So there were more male than female witches in just this one story.

While the term has come to indicate an unchaste, rebellious woman, the actual Hebrew translates אִיזֶבֶל as “Baal exalts.” The last 2 letters, reading right to left, בֶל is translated Bel, or Baal. Obviously, more men than women were involved with Baal. Jezebel just happened to be queen.

Because of the social status of men, their role as witches (male jezebels) can be more powerful than women. They can rule entire nations, and cause wars and persecutions. Women are usually weaker rulers.

The ultimate male witch (male jezebel) will be personified in the coming antichrist figure, who comes against the saints, and comes to destroy Israel, plunging the entire world into war. The antichrist will come as a male jezebel of war and conquest.

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See also:

Prayer against witchcraft control Click here for more

The Conflict Oriented Male Jezebel – Spirit of War Click here for more

The Charismatic Male Jezebel – conquest of romance and assimilation Click here for more

Test for Jezebel Tendencies Click here for more

The Jezebel Pastor / Minister Click here for more