Nearly a year ago, a company in Geneva, Switzerland known as CERN - the company that developed the world wide web - launched a huge project called a hadron collider. Supposedly, this gigantic device was sent to space to create some sort of a reenactment of the "Big Bang Theory" to study. Two main opposing particles collided together, around March 2015, in order to create some sort of "wormhole".
In mythology, during the battle of the Olympians and the Titans, Zeus sentenced Atlas to hold up the "heavens". This gave some legends the ability to deify the Atlas Mountains in Northwest Africa which is next to the present day Atlantic Ocean. Some legends present a submerged land in this area, known as Atlantis. Before the discovery of the Americas, some maps included a mystical land with the name, Brazil. Although, atlases began depicting the Titan holding up the world over his shoulders, he was first seen holding up two pillars which were said to be on the mystical island of Atlantis.
As stated in What is Caesar's and What is God's, The Israelites went from being slaves in Egypt to being encompassed by the growing empire of Babylon. As the Great Pyramids suggest by the capstone, the Egyptians did believe in some sort of Supreme Power, whereas Babylon, which later had influences in Greece and Rome, was quite polytheistic with its subjects worshipping the king. In Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue portrayed the various empires that would form from the head of Babylon. The statue's iron legs represented the Roman Empire. Something quite significant about Rome is that the timeline of the government of it began with Kings, later to a Republic, then to the Empire consisting of Caesars.
Coincidentally, once upon a time, England, Scotland, Whales, Spain, France, and Ireland all had different Kingdoms. Throughout the years, Britain - named after a famous legend, "Brutus" who was said to have defeated giants in the ancient land of Albion - started gaining power over many countries and became "Great Britain". Eventually, the power of the king began to split between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Lords consisted of those of noble status while the House of Commons was made up of elected officials. Some seats in the House of Commons were "reserved" by wealthy men. Eventually, very much like an empire, the British owned the Commonwealth of Australia, South Africa, and many islands.
The idea of old ideas versus new ideas, in Parliament, carried over the Atlantic and turned into two specific parties: Conservative Republicans, the "right-wing" and Liberal Democrats, the "left-wing". These two wings make up the American Eagle.
In developmental psychology, one of the important milestones is comprehending conservation. A child is presented with a tall slender glass and a short stout glass. They think the tall glass would hold more water yet both glasses end up holding the same amount. The Conservative approach to government is that the law remain grounded on the Constitution no matter how things change throughout the decades. "If a man love me, he will keep my words." (John 14:23)
The term Liberal relates to the word, Liberate, which is freedom. In the glass of water scenario, no matter the shape of the glass, seeing how glasses are of all shapes and sizes, there is some liberty to add or subtract from the water to fit the change. This idea portrays that laws should have some freedom if it is necessary to improve human life. "If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:36)
A favorite pastime for wealthy 18th century Europeans was "foyning". This is a game where men gather and debate over something. The man who came out the wittiest, stumping the other man, would be the winner. In High School, many students participate in debates. Both sides are given a topic and a side to support, even if they don't agree with it. They must then find all the evidence necessary to stump the other team. This practice is seen in courtrooms, planning committees, scientific hypotheses, and Presidential debates. Philosophy utilizes this act of battling of the wits to find "truth". Pilate, in the midst of an empire built upon philosophy, asked Jesus, "What is truth?" (John 18:38)
Many of these wealthy politically minded people made up the majority of churchgoers, since the poor were working so hard to keep their families alive. For years, the Democrats and Republicans would have to set their disagreements aside and sit next to each other in church. Unfortunately, some extreme conservative pastors and deacons held Pharisee-type thinking so tightly that women were disgraced and anybody who didn't wear their "Sunday Best" would be booted out the door.
Up until the Contemporary Christian Music movement, churches seemed to be well in "order." At this point, Conservative and Liberal Christians began the "War on Music." Satan knew exactly what he was doing since he is a musician himself. "The workmanship of thy tablets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created." (Ezekiel 28:3) The fight of contemporary and traditional music boiled over one peculiar verse. "Speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing in and making melody in your heart to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:19) This verse was already bugging the Catholic Church before the Protestant. It set up a Council to decide if the music should support the words, if the words should support the music, or if they are both equally important. Jesus, however, answered this question long before. "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and hounereth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me." (Matthew 14:20)
And so, Protestant churches towards the end of the 20th century began to tear apart. While some churches aimed at a "Blended" service, and some split up into Traditional and Contemporary services to gear towards the people's preference, some were either leaned more towards "Traditional" or "Contemporary". "If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." (Mark 3:25) After this precedent, many other issues created Conservative Traditional churches and Liberal Traditional churches and Conservative Contemporary churches and Liberal Contemporary Churches. What it all comes down to is the schism of two great commandments that sum up the 10 commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your mind, with all your soul, and with all your strength: this is your first commandment. The second is like, namely this, thou shalt love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31)
Churches have developed various interpretations of what it means to love God or people. The scale easily tips one way or the other with more focus on obeying every single rule that goes beyond the 10 commandments, sometimes to the point of shunning people who don't measure up, or more focus on accepting sins, sometimes to the point that they tell their congregation they can believe whatever they want just as long as they know that Jesus loves them. So, then the truth is lost between the "right-wing" and the "left wing". Love to God is obedience to Him and following what He says about Himself and His children. Love of a neighbor is guiding without condemning. This means God's followers earnestly seek to keep others away from the sting of the world, and desire to bring them closer to Truth even if they haven't fully comprehended it themselves.
Republicans use the color red which signifies blood and Democrats use the color blue which signifies water. "There are three that bear witness on earth: the spirit and the water and the blood: and these three agree in one." (1 John 5:8) The topic of red, white, and blue is for another time but it must be understood that this worldly red and blue does not agree, nor can it. Though red represents hot and blue represents cold, the words in Revelation 3:16, "Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of my mouth," does not imply that one should be Republican or Democrat because they are both of the world.
The Israelites were closest to God in the wilderness between Egypt and Babylon. While Atlas was busy trying to hold up two pillars, God showed the Israelites, Egyptians, and later, through word-of-mouth, Babylon that He was the ultimate pillar that was to be feared and loved when He showed Himself as a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
He made this declaration loud and clear with a man named Samson who had 7 locks of hair that gave him his strength. "I saw a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." (Revelation 5:6) In the Bible, horns represent power. Mythology uses this with unicorns. A rhinoceros, an herbivore, would not be as fierce without its horns. The Lamb is the man, Jesus, who was slain for our sins. The Spirits are the seven angels mentioned in Revelation 1. Zechariah 4:10 confirms this: "These seven are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the earth."
Though, the world attempts to blind God and cut off His power in the churches, He still plans to overcome. "For the Lord of hosts has planned and who shall frustrate it? And as for His out-stretched hand, who can turn it back?" (Isaiah 14:27) The rulers of the nations set up their military and refine it, boasting even of their powers, and for the reason that Satan thinks he is actually going to win this fight. He keeps the nations deceived by denying what Peter warned: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (2 Peter 3:10)
If the new view of Atlas represents the sky not falling on the earth, Samson shows that someday Atlas will no longer serve his purpose. Atlas' strength will be no match for the Word of the Lord. And, CERN, backed by funding from many nations, thought they were so wise with their concept but thousands of years prior to their existence, God showed that the two pillars must collide before He brings in the New Earth and the New Heavens. Science in all its efforts of cloning, creating machines, and healing could never measure up to the plans that God has in store.
Will we turn our ears and will we turn our eyes away from the voice of fruitless knowledge? God's Tree of Life stands waiting in the midst of it all to bring Eternal life. Let us, then, let our faith be unmoved built firm on solid ground. Amen.
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