Spir Dynamics 1071 5/20/97; Eph 1153 10/4/89; 7/29/79

DOCTRINE OF IDOLATRY

A. Demon possession functions under the principle of idolatry, Zech 10:2.

B. Idolatry is analogous to spiritual fornication or adultery. Spiritual adultery was often used in the Old Testament as a synonym for apostasy. Jer 3:8-10; Ezek 16:23-43, 23:24-30; Rev 17:1-5.

C. Idolatry is called the devil’s communion table, 1 Cor 10:19-21.

D. The General Characteristics of Idolatry.

1. Idolatry is related to demonism in Lev 20:6. Idolatry combines demon possession with the Phallic cult. It was one of Satan’s greatest systems of religion.Idolatry, demonism, and immoral degeneracy are a manifestation of the unbeliever status quo. Idolatry became a basis for every imaginable sin.

2. Idolatry is related to sexual sins in Ezek 23:3-18, 37-49; Lev 18:3-25. This includes abnormal sexual sins, as noted in Deut 12:29-31.

a. In Jer 9:14, “But they followed the scar tissue of their hearts and after the Baals, in which their fathers had trained them.” The phallic cult came from the Phoenicians.

b. The phallic cult includes immorality of all kinds, such as incest, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, demonism, human sacrifice, rejection of authority, and social degeneracy.

c. The entire religious background of the Phoenician phallic cult is found in the epic of Ugarit. God the Father is counterfeited by the god El. The Son is counterfeited by Baal. Baal has a struggle once a year with Mot, the god of death, and he dies (the counterfeit of the cross). Baal had a wife-sister, Anoth, who finds his body and brings it back to life (the counterfeit of the resurrection). She is the goddess of sex, murder, warfare, and love. In Phoenician she is Ashtarti; in Latin she is Venus.

3. Idolatry is related to human sacrifice, Lev 20:1-5.

4. Idolatry is related to rejection of authority, Lev 20:9.

5. Idolatry is a part of social degeneracy, Lev 20:10-23.

E. Idolatry is always forbidden by God in any form, Ex 20:3, 23, 23:24; Deut 4:28, 5:7, 6:14, 7:16, 8:19. The first commandment of the Decalogue prohibits mental idolatry; the second commandment prohibits overt idolatry, Ex 20:1-6; Deut 5:6-10.

F. Idolatry results in the national judgment of the fifth cycle of discipline, Isa 2:8, 18-20, 21:9, 36:18-20, 37:12-19; Jer 3:6-11, 2:27-30, 7:17-20, 17:1-4; Ezek 6:4-6.

G. Idolatry is caused by rejection of Jesus Christ as savior. Rejection of Christ creates a vacuum, and into that vacuum is drawn idolatry. Rom 1:18- 25. Idolatry begins in the mind and proceeds to overt practice, Jud 2:10-13; Ezek 14:7.

H. Idolatry in relationship to emotional revolt of the soul produces psychotic conditions as well as a variety of phobias, Jer 50:38.

I. Idolatry is related to the sexual sins of immoral degeneracy, Ezek 22:3- 18, 23:37-49; 1 Cor 6:9.

J. While the believer can enter immoral degeneracy, idolatry and demon possession are sins of the unbeliever only. Believers can, however, be influenced by demons through living in the cosmic systems or by immoral degeneracy. Therefore, two categories of people become involved in idolatry.

1. The unbeliever in immoral degeneracy.

a. 1 Cor 6:9-11, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous [the unbeliever] shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor Katamites [male homosexual prostitutes], nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor greedy people [pimps or panderers], nor drunkards, nor abusive persons, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.”

b. Eph 5:5, “For you know this principle if you have learned the pertinent doctrine, that every male prostitute, either a pervert or a panderer who is an idolater, has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ even God.”

c. Rev 21:7-8, “He who overcomes [believer] shall inherit these things, and I will be His God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly [unbeliever] and unbelievers, both the detestable and the murderers, both fornicators and drug abusers, and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

d. The sins of immoral degeneracy are always related to the practice of idolatry on the part of the unbeliever.

2. The believer in immoral degeneracy.

a. Believers can practice idolatry, such as the Catholic Church’s worship of Mary, the mother of the humanity of our Lord.

b. 1 Cor 6:9-11, “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people [those involved in immoral degeneracy]; I did not at all mean with immoral people of this world [unbelievers], or with the greedy [pimps and panderers] and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But now I write to you not to associate with any so- called brother, if he should be an immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”

K. The believer is commanded to have nothing to do with idolatry.

1. 1 Cor 19:14, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, flee from idolatry.”

2. 2 Cor 6:16, “Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? Just as God said, `I will dwell in them, and walk among them, and be their God, and they shall be My people.’”

L. Unbelievers worship demons in the function of idolatry. Rev 9:20, “And the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues did not change their mind about the works of their hands [idolatry], so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk.”

M. Idolatry means demonism. 1. Lev 17:7, “And they shall no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat-demons to which they prostitute themselves.”

2. Deut 32:16, “They angered Him with their detestable idols.”

3. Deut 32:17, “They sacrificed to demons, who are not God.”

4. For the unbeliever idolatry is the quickest way to become involved in demon possession.

5. Idolatry gives the unbeliever the opportunity to use his volition for demon possession.

6. Idolatry caused Israel to enter immoral degeneracy, Ps 106:34-39, “They did not exterminate the peoples [Canaanites], as the Lord had commanded them, but they mingled with the nations, and adopted their customs [the Phallic cult and idolatry], and they worshipped their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters to demons. Consequently, they shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with their blood. They defiled themselves by what they did, by their deeds they played the whore.”

7. Idolatry is demon possession to unbelievers, and demon influence to believers. 1 Cor 10:14-21, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I communicate to wise believers; you judge what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless [Eucharist], is not this fellowship with God from the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, it not this fellowship with God from the body of Christ? Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all share from one bread. Look at the nation Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar? Therefore, what do I imply? That a thing sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I am teaching that what the unbeliever sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God; therefore, I do not want you to become fellowshipers with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”

8. The believer under demon influence learns false doctrine. 1 Tim 4:1, “The Spirit explicitly communicates that in latter periods of time some believers will become apostate, giving attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” _