In this final blog of the series, I think it’s important to ask, “What did Jesus’ death and resurrection truly accomplish 2,000 years ago?” Do we know? Or, are we still figuring it out? At the present time, I believe we are just beginning to uncover the true nature, of Jesus’s overthrow, of a lesser spiritual government. I think we are only beginning to appreciate the deeper layers of deception, that Jesus knew all too well.
We’ve begun to pay attention to the scapegoat mechanism, rooted in desire, and the predictable pattern of behaviors that lead to human violence. But, what about the role played by the 24-hour clock? Can we remove one more layer of our veil, to accurately identify our accuser’s hiding place? Can we begin to realize, that our lesser spiritual government deceives us from behind our own timekeeping devices? The itty, bitty voice that whispers to us from somewhere, deep inside!
The woman of Genesis 3 said, “The serpent deceived me and I ate.” The woman accurately identified her accuser. She pointed directly to the source of deception. Yet, the true identity of the allegorical character of the serpent has escaped us. We haven’t understood how the woman’s desire, to gain wisdom, led to a catastrophic change in eyesight. We haven’t fully grasped the type of wisdom the woman sought. Yet, one thing is clear. The woman pointed directly to the source of deception. But, this is not the story we have lived.
No. The story we’ve lived goes like this:
Adam blamed the woman, the woman blamed the serpent and everyone was scolded, and sent away from paradise. Everything had been perfect until the woman messed up. From that point forward, Adam believed his god was a punishing god. The woman became Adam’s scapegoat for time immemorial. Women must never be trusted ever again. Adam needs to rule the world. The Bible says it. We believe it. THIS is the story we have lived.
However, if interpreted wisely, this ancient biblical myth accurately reflects humanity’s anthropological history, and our timekeeping reality.
The woman accurately fingered humanity’s deceiver, but we’ve never unmasked the true identity of the allegorical serpent. If we don’t know the serpent’s identity, then we cannot articulate the modus operandi of our spiritual enemy. We cannot determine how the lesser government converts the blessing of temporal time into a curse; or how the devil exploits human eyesight, in order to subvert equitable partnership; or how egalitarian relationships morph into hierarchical domination; or how the satan bottom feeds on human desire.
Modus Operandi—Satan’s M.O.
We must get to a place in our spiritual maturity, where we can point to the 24-hour clock and say, “Look.” “See.” This is the image behind which the satan hides! This is the location from which satan gains access to the human mind. This image is the doorway to humanity’s weak spot!” We don’t think about the role of the clock because, like scapegoating itself, the ticking clock is simply part of our subconscious activity. Yet, that which is subconscious must be illuminated, if humanity is ever to heal from its spiritual affliction.
Humanity is currently moving to higher and higher levels of reasoning—just in time! As a species, we presently have nuclear and chemical weaponry at our fingertips. We’ve been within days of pushing buttons, that could bring about the annihilation of our earthly home. We cannot afford to remain oblivious to subconscious behaviors, that continue to escalate into violence and bloodshed. We’ve been hurting ourselves for thousands and thousands of years. If there is to be an end to violence, it must involve an understanding of the deceptive nature of humanity’s clock—and the lesser spiritual government, that subconsciously exerts amazing power, and influence within the human mind.
So, what did Jesus know about temporal time, that we do not yet regard as important?
Did he understand satan’s M.O.? Did he know that human eyesight had been exploited in order to deceive the human mind; that equitable partnership had been subverted, in exchange for hierarchical domination; that the devil constantly bottom feeds on the basic nature of human desire?
Yes. He knew.
Did he ever look upon the raised head of a coiled snake, and recognize its striking resemblance to the gnomon on the sundial, and the shadow that coils around it day, after day? We can be certain that he did. But, even though the image of the gnomon, and its coiling shadow, may imitate the ways and habits of a snake, it is the serpent’s ability to converse with the human mind, that is most troubling—not the image itself! The sundial and the gnomon are harmless, inanimate objects.
It is the spiritual government, activated by humanity’s awareness of time, that brings about harm to the human mind and spirit. The voice of temporal time poses questions, presents doubts, causes forgetfulness, etc. It is a voice that also says, “Look.” “See.”
Upon noticing an action or object, the eye and mind begin the process of comparing. Observing our neighbor’s appearance, ways, habits, or possessions leads to imitation, desire, or rejection of what we’ve seen. This is where bottom feeding on human desire starts. Therefore, the serpent exploits human eyesight, in order to bottom feed on our desires. But, the eye is neither good nor evil. Desire and imitation is neither good nor evil. Only the lesser government of temporal time can manipulate both, by pointing out actions and objects of desire—over time.
Comparative observation is also neither good nor evil. Seeing the differences in our neighbor does not always create a desire to possess or mimic what our neighbor has or does. Moreover, some attempts to mimic our neighbor can be quite healthy, leading to an improvement of self and community. However, when envy, jealousy, or any form of rivalry is birthed in the mind, the negative effects of a poisonous snake bite will soon be felt. The passage of time will foster the growth of such poisonous thoughts. Envy, jealousy, or rivalry will swell in the mind like yeast in warm water. The unwanted swelling then infects, itches, burns, or irritates the soul.
As the dis-ease intensifies, people look for something, or someone, to blame for the discomfort. Again, satan will exploit human eyesight. The cause of the dis-ease will always be our neighbor! That’s satan’s M.O. Once the scapegoat mechanism is triggered, it’s like a poisonous bullet, traveling through time, on its way to its intended target. While traveling, it will carry negative thoughts on a trajectory of escalation, and the 24-hour clock will enable the escalation enroute.
Oddly, the crafty serpent is almost never recognized as the director of human deception. Just as Jesus chose to disappear, amid the five porticoes of the Bethesda pool, Satan also hides. Disappearing deflects attention away from the real culprit, and on to a randomly chosen scapegoat. The scapegoat can be God, a person, a group, a tribe, a nation, a religion, a law, a weapon, etc.
So satan hides. In doing so, the human mind is left with no one to blame. Yet, someone, or something, must be blamed for our internal discomfort. The culprit could not possibly be a voice of deception, hiding within our own mind or spirit.
Deflection is one of satan’s best methods of operation. Even as the passage of time begins to exert pressure on the human spirit; even when time pushes the human spirit toward thoughts of hatred and violence, satan remains incognito behind every clock. Therefore, subconscious behavior is simply carried along through time, while the serpent hides behind the face of the clock, unnoticed.
Ending Generational Dysfunction:
As the biblical saga of Genesis 3 ends, deception spills over into Genesis 4. Cain becomes angry. From his perspective in temporal time, he cannot bring himself to please a god, who clearly shows favoritism. Envy and jealousy take root in Cain’s mind, and the 24-hour clock springs into action. The lesser government bottom feeds on his desire to be loved, as much as Abel is loved. None of his perceptions are true, but as prediction would have it, Cain blames his brother Abel, just as Adam blamed Eve.
After a time of restraint and escalation, Cain moves into a position of checkmate, because that is what you do with scapegoats. You capture them in order to either immobilize, constrict, or kill them. But, Abel wasn’t Cain’s problem, anymore than Jesus was a problem for the religious authorities. Cain didn’t understand his spiritual problem, anymore than we understand our spiritual problem today!
Cain was caught in a generational trap of obedience. He listened to Adam, who blamed his mother for everything that was wrong in his life. He listened to Adam’s belief, that God was a punishing god, who put a curse on the land, and did not treat people fairly. He bought into a generational lie.
So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? Genesis 4:5-6a.
If you do well? What does this even mean? Perhaps doing well simply means listening to God’s voice, that speaks inside the human conscience, rather than listening to the voices of people who are governed a lesser spiritual government. Yet Cain was caught, just like his mother was caught. He heard two conflicting voices—a greater and lesser government, and he couldn’t, for the life of himself, discern which voice offered wisdom.
And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it,” Genesis 4:6b-7.
And if you do not do well? What does this mean? And what is sin? Is it humanity’s subconscious desire to be in relationship with the lesser government of temporal time? To obey its voice, honor its authority, and worship its timekeeping images? Is that it?
We haven’t been taught this definition of sin!
Yet, it certainly reflects the idea that all are born into bondage to the measurement of temporal time. It certainly makes sense that this bondage is something from which we cannot free ourselves. Despite our desire to believe otherwise, we live with a lesser spiritual government in our head, and sin is crouching at our door—every minute of every day. Yes! Humanity’s 24-hour clock is the doorway to our weakest spiritual spot!
This notion offers a tremendous ray of hope for our collective future. It tells us that sin is something we can master over, once we accurately define it.
Is this the definition of sin that we need as we move into the future?
Humanity’s subconscious desire to be in relationship with a lesser spiritual government of temporal time, to obey its voice, to honor its authority, and worship its timekeeping images.
Once we become consciously aware of the satan’s M.O., then we can put our eyesight into check, knowing that our own eyes could be exploited by the lesser government of temporal time. At any point, we can monitor our comparative thinking and put envy, jealousy, or rivalry in checkmate. At any point, through the four-step process of accusing, assembling, restraining, and constricting, the scapegoat mechanism can be stopped. If the mechanism is triggered, and the poisonous bullet flies through time on its way toward the victim—we can catch it, midair.
We have this power within us!
We can master the ways and habits of the lesser spiritual government, and put its authority in checkmate. We can constrict its voice in our minds. We can reverse any and all dis-easiness, by restraining its infectious spread. We can stop the ticking of the 24-hour clock, and its escalating momentum, by refusing to worship its image. In other words, we can bring an end to all forms of violence on the face of the earth, once and for all. We have the personal and collective ability to say, “NO! Not this time. Not ever again.”
The question is, do we have the personal and collective will to live it?
Jesus showed us how to testify against the world’s system. He showed us exactly how to gain control of the lesser spiritual government, instead of jumping up and down to the beat of its rhythm. He showed us precisely how the devil operates, and how we can identify the operation, wherever and whenever we see spiritual division.
What did Jesus’ death and resurrection truly accomplish 2,000 years ago?