Tricks of the Devil 249. “Love for earthly things devastates the soul, and then it becomes sad and wild, and does not want to pray to God. The enemy, seeing that the soul is not in God, shakes it and freely puts into the mind what he wants, and drives the soul from one thought to another, and so the soul spends the whole day in

The Devil's Desert I “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight...” Looking from the roofs of Jerusalem at the rocky surroundings - most often to the east, at the Judean desert - every time I remember these words - the prologue to the greatest of earthly

Children of God and sons of the devil. Bible Interpretation

QUESTION FROM ALINA
How to correctly understand verse 1 John. 5.18. My husband says that we are not perfect and therefore we sin, but he considers himself born of God, and he sometimes drinks, and I still smoke.

Let's look at this text from the first letter of John.

“We know that everyone born of God does not sin; but he who is born of God KEEPS himself, and the evil one does not touch him.”(1 John 5:18).

If you carefully read these words of the apostle, taking into account the context of the chapter, this entire message and the Bible as a whole, it will become clear that here John was talking about life priorities (KEEPS himself). Although some Christians conclude that if a person sins, then he is not from God. And these commentators usually confirm this opinion with other words of John from the same letter:

« He who commits sin is of the DEVIL, because first the devil sinned"(1 John 3:8)

There are many more such definitive texts in this first epistle of John. For example:

« Any He who is born of God commits no sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”(1 John 3:9).

If we take these words literally, it turns out that we are all NOT FROM God, since we all sin – some in thoughts, and some in deeds... It turns out that even all Christians are from the devil, since the Bible says that « All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(Rom. 3:23, see also Rom. 3:9, 1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chron. 6:36).

But what about the other words of the same Apostle John in the same first letter?:

« Any He who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.”(1 John 5:1).

There are probably many people on earth who believe that Jesus was born of God, but meanwhile they sin, including rude words, lies, fornication, adultery, drunkenness and other outrages... It turns out that even though they believe that Jesus is the Christ and born of God, then according to 1 John. 3:8,9 are they still of the devil...? How could John contradict himself?

Of course not. You just need to not look at individual words and phrases of the Bible as complete theses and rules, but perceive the message of John (as well as other messages and books of the Bible) as sermons, speeches, appeals. In these appeals, attention is often focused on something, there are exaggerations to increase the importance of the issue being raised in the eyes of the listeners. Meanwhile, the sermon is always integral and aimed at a specific audience, so the context must always be taken into account.

For example, Jesus called the devil the father of the Jews:

"Your father is the devil"(John 8:44).

The Jews said about their people that they were the children of Abraham, but Jesus said the opposite - they were the children of the devil. Is it possible to definitely say that all the Jews who were opponents of Jesus at that moment were children of the evil one? Are all Jews descendants of Satan? After all, all 12 apostles were Jews and most of the first Christians were originally Jews... Is their father evil?

Such an opinion will not arise if you understand what the speech or sermon was about. For example, Jesus meant that He declared that He came from God, but since the Jews do not accept Him, then they believe not the truth, but a lie. This means that they do things pleasing to Satan, as if they were obedient children of him who is the father of lies:

“Jesus said to them: If you were the children of Abraham, you WOULD DO THE WORKS OF Abraham. And now you are seeking to kill Me, the Man who told you the TRUTH... Your father is the devil; and you want to FULFILL the lusts of your father... When he speaks a lie, he speaks his own way, for he is a liar and the father of lies... But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.”(John 8:39-44).

See what we're talking about here? The Jews believed lies and wanted to do evil, so Jesus told them that their actions were not from God, and therefore had the roots of stanana.

And the Apostle John, in that first letter, constantly called Christians to love, explaining that it is from God, and emphasized that it is extremely important for the believer to understand that Jesus is the long-awaited Christ (the Messiah, whom all believers in the God of Abraham and Isaac). After all, at that time not everyone was convinced of this. That is why John was so categorical, pointing out the importance of this doctrinal point.

Regarding the sons of God and the children of Satan, in the epistle of St. John, too, everything is simple. As noted at the beginning, John was talking about priorities in life. He wanted to convey to believers the idea that all good comes from God, and evil has its roots in Satan. Therefore, by our actions, or rather by our life priorities, we can see who our spiritual father is...

Ap. wrote about the same thing. Jacob:

“Every good gift and every perfect gift descends from above, from the Father of lights"(James 1:17).

Thus, according to the teaching of the Bible, if we seek goodness and try not to sin, our Father is God. And if we cherish our sins and do not want to notice them, much less part with them, then we are spiritually far from God’s teaching, which means we are doing what is pleasing to Satan, being rather his spiritual heirs... This is what John was talking about here. By the way, the apostle himself explains this in the next verse we are considering:

“The children of God and the children of the devil are known by this: whoever does not do righteousness is not of God.”(1 John 3:10)

That is, a person who does not do righteousness in his life (that is, he has no need to do good) cannot claim that he is from God.

The entire Bible teaches that a Christian is one who tries not to sin. And if he sins, he repents. And in the future he is trying to improve with God’s help. In the above words of the apostle there is a direct indication of this; look carefully, John said that a man of God is a Christian: "keeps himself" from the evil one (see 1 John 5:18), "cannot sin"(1 John 3:9). This means that sin has become alien to him, and he can no longer cherish it as before, or even resign himself to it, but he tries to cleanse himself of sins and henceforth keep himself from the temptation of the devil.

In this same letter, John writes about Christian believers:

“IF WE SAY THAT WE HAVE NO SIN, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, then we represent Him as a liar, and His word is not in us.”(1 John 1:8-10)

As you can see, here John is stating that all Christians have sins. Naturally, neither God nor his apostle John can contradict themselves. This means the text of 1 John. 5:18, like similar ones, should be understood not literally, but as the goal, principle and priority of a Christian’s life - to try to live without sin.

ANTI-SEMITISM IS AN INDICATOR OF HIGH INTELLIGENCE.

As an example, we can cite several statements about Jews by world famous people.

George Washington (1st President of the United States, 1732 - 1799, from his book “Washington’s Maxims”): “It is very unfortunate that no state older than this has humbled them as the plague of society and its greatest enemies, by whose presence America is happy."

Mohammed (founder of Mohammedanism, 570 - 632, from the Koran): “It is incomprehensible to me that until now no one has driven out these cattle, whose breath is like death. Will not everyone destroy the wild beasts that devour people, even if they themselves have a human form? Are the Jews anything other than eaters of men?

Martin Luther (church reformer, 1483 - 1546): “The longing desire of the crying hearts of the Jews is for the day when they can treat us as they did in the time of Esther in Persia. And how close to the Jews is the book of Esther, which justifies their bloodthirstiness, vindictiveness and appetites for robber hopes! Never has the sun shone on a more bloodthirsty and vengeful people, who cherish the idea of ​​destroying and strangling the Gentiles.”

Giordano Bruno (Italian scientist and philosopher, 1548 - 1600): “The Jews are a pestilent, leprous and dangerous race that deserves to be exterminated from the day of its origin.”

Peter the Great (Russian Emperor, 1672 - 1725): “I prefer to see Mohammedans and pagans in my country rather than Jews. The latter are deceivers and swindlers. They will not receive permission to settle and organize their own affairs. Despite my orders, they are trying to do this by bribing my officials in order to become equal in rights.”

Jean François Voltaire (French writer, 1694 - 1778): “The Jews are nothing more than a despised and barbarous people, who for a long time combined disgusting avarice with a terrible prejudice and unquenchable hatred of the peoples who tolerate them and from whom they enrich themselves.” "

Benjamin Franklin (American scientist and statesman, 1706 - 1790): “Wherever in a country where Jews settle, regardless of their number, they lower its morality, commercial integrity, isolate themselves and resist assimilation. If we do not, through the Constitution, exclude them from the United States, then in less than two hundred years they will rush in in large numbers, take over, swallow the country and change the form of our government. If you do not exclude them, then in less than two hundred years our descendants will work in the fields, maintaining them, while they rub their hands in their offices. I warn you, gentlemen, if you do not expel the Jews forever, your children will curse you in your graves."

Napoleon Bonaparte (Emperor of France, 1769 - 1821): “The Jews must be considered as a nation, but not as a religious group. They are a nation in the middle of our nation. The property of entire villages is being plundered by the Jews, they have restored serfdom, they are real flocks of ravens. The poverty caused by the Jews does not come from one individual Jew, but is the essence of this entire people. They are like caterpillars or locusts that eat France. The Jews are a nation capable of the most terrible crimes."

Franz Liszt (Hungarian composer, 1811 - 1886): “The moment will come when all Christian nations, among which Jews live, will ask the question whether to continue to tolerate them or to deport them. And this question is as important in its significance as the question of whether we want life or death, health or illness, social peace or constant excitement.”

Henry Ford (American automobile manufacturer and writer, 1863 - 1947, New York Times March 8, 1925). “Control the 50 richest Jewish financiers who create wars for their own profits, and wars will be abolished.”

Winston Churchill (English statesman, speech in the House of Representatives on November 5, 1919): “There is no need to exaggerate the role played in the creation of Bolshevism and the genuine participation in the Russian revolution by international atheist Jews. Moreover, the main inspiration and driving force came from the Jewish leaders. In Soviet institutions the predominance of Jews is more than surprising. And the main part in carrying out the system of terror established by the Cheka was carried out by Jews and, in some cases, Jewish women. The same diabolical fame was achieved by the Jews during the period of terror, when Hungary was ruled by the Jew Bela Kun.”

These statements can be continued for a very long time. But it was not only the elite who understood the essence of “God’s chosen ones.” The common Russian people understood the Jews perfectly. You can take a few Russian proverbs and sayings:

- “Devils and Jews are the children of Satan.”

“I want to believe that water is measured with a sieve.”

“The Jew is fed up with deception.”

“A Jew fears the truth like a hare fears a tambourine.”

“There is no fish without a bone, and no Jew without anger.”

“So that God does not become angry, do not let the Jew enter the door.”

“A Jew in action is like a leech in the body.”

“Whoever gives freedom to a Jew sells himself.”

“Whoever serves a Jew will not escape trouble.”

“In order to achieve benefits, a Jew is always ready to be baptized.”

Let us note that the masters of the Jews are interested in moderate and controlled anti-Semitism. Due to such anti-Semitism, they train the Jews, unite them, force them to stick together, make them angrier, more aggressive and, in general, make the Jews completely controllable creatures. The owners of the Jews are afraid of anti-Semitism only in uncontrollable forms.

The uniqueness of Jewish chauvinism lies in the fact that Jews skillfully introduce their chauvinism into the heads of other peoples through religion - Judeo-Christianity. Those who preach Christianity insult and belittle their own people. You have to really disrespect, despise and hate your own people in order to accept and preach the idea of ​​God's chosenness of another - the Jewish people.

Let's think a little about God's chosenness of the Jews. What are these people really like? We can talk about the sexual perversions of Jews separately; for the purposes of this work, enough has been said.

The closeness of “God’s chosen” Jews to God can be demonstrated by one example. When they decided to crucify Christ, they took him to the Roman ruler Pontius Pilate, and he, trying to figure out why they wanted to kill him, considered that “they betrayed him out of envy.” After which the Jewish people tried to dissuade them. He failed. Then he decided to use the Easter holiday, where it was the custom to pardon one of the criminals. There was then one prisoner, a famous bandit and murderer, called Barabbas, and Pilate invited the people to release one of them (Barabbas or Christ). The Jewish people demanded that Barabbas be released and Christ crucified (Matthew 27:11-26). Here you have God's chosen people, their love for the Christian God. For them, the notorious bandit and murderer Barabbas is better than the “beloved” Jesus Christ.

Consequently, Christians would have to consider Jews not God’s chosen people, but Satan’s chosen people. Can this people be considered God's chosen people? And in Christianity it is written that Jews are God's chosen ones. What kind of crazy religion is Christianity? Ridiculous as hell. Everything in it is the other way around, and the game “in reverse” is the devil’s favorite game.

Let's take a closer look at this “God’s chosen” people. Jews are a special people. A typical Jew is a pathologically dishonest person, a fanatic and despot, a person of immoderate cruelty, an ideological slave owner.

Don't listen to the lying songs of Jews about democracy and freedom of speech. Jews hate freedom of speech. By freedom of speech they mean only the freedom of their speech. They hate freedom of speech of others. Jews have a brutal intolerance for dissent. Now in Russia you can freely buy at least “My Struggle” by Adolf Hitler in central bookstores, not to mention more serious literature? What kind of freedom of speech can we talk about? If Hitler’s book contains nonsense and stupidity, then why are the Jews so afraid of it? Stupidity is not scary. This fact alone makes one suspect that there is something true and serious in Hitler’s book. But Hitler’s book is just one of the books, and far from the strongest. No wonder the Russian proverb says: “A Jew fears the truth, like a hare fears a tambourine.”

Now all Jews have signed up as Democrats. It’s very funny to listen to fairy tales about the Jews’ love for democracy. The ideal for a Jew is a slave-owning system, where a Jew can not only deceive and ruthlessly exploit other peoples, but also freely kill slaves whenever he wants.

THEY WOULD KNOW THAT CAIN IS THE FIRST REINCARNATION OF THE DEVIL, THEY WOULD RECOGNIZE.

I AM NOT JUDGING YOU, BUT HELPING YOU TO KNOW THE TRUTH OF EXISTENCE,

YOU ARE LIKE STUPID CHILDREN DREAMS OF AVOIDING THE EVENT!

THERE IS ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END AND HERE WE ARE APPROACHING THE FINISH,

THE GODS ARE NOW LOSING THE BATTLE, BUT WE ARE STRIVING FOR REVENGE!

ISAIAH WRITTEN ABOUT THE USSR, ABOUT ORTHODOX COUNTRIES, ABOUT PUTIN,

ABOUT THE JEWS, ABOUT THE FUTURE WORLD, ABOUT TROUBLES AND ABOUT ME NEW WINE!

A T.Zh. THAT THE 600,000 CHOSEN JEWS WERE BROUGHT OUT BY MOSES, I.E. BY ME,

TO THE EDGE OF THE LAND OF MODERN UKRAINE, WE WERE TOGETHER WITH YOU!
THAT ALL PEOPLE ARE DESCENT FROM NOAH AND HIS THREE DIVINES AND SONS.,

AND MAGOG IS THE ANCESTOR OF THE SCYTHIANS, AND NOAH'S FAMILY WERE ARYANS, LOOK!!

John 8:34-59
34Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.” 2 Peter 2:19; Rom 6:16 35 But the servant does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. Gen 21:10 36 Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are Abraham's seed; yet you seek to kill Me, because My word cannot be contained within you. 38 I speak what I have seen with My Father; but you do what you saw your father do. 39 They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them: If you were children of Abraham, you would do the works of Abraham. Rom 4:16 40 But now you seek to kill Me, the Man who told you the truth, which I heard from God: Abraham did not do this. 41 You do the works of your father. To this they said to Him: We were not born of fornication; We have one Father, God. 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, because I proceeded and came from God; for I did not come of Myself, but He sent Me. 43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you cannot hear My words. 44 Your father is the devil; and you want to do the lusts of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks his own way, for he is a liar and the father of lies. 1 John 3:8 45 But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you will reprove Me of unrighteousness? If I speak the truth, why don't you believe Me? 47 He who is from God listens to the words of God. The reason you don't listen is because you are not from God. John 10:27; 1 John 4:6 48 The Jews answered and said to Him, “Are we not telling the truth that You are a Samaritan and that You have a demon?” 49 Jesus answered, “I have no demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me. 50 However, I do not seek My glory: there is a Seeker and a Judge. 51 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever keeps My word will never see death. 52 The Jews said to Him: Now we know that You have a demon. Abraham died and the prophets, and You say: whoever keeps My word will never taste death. 53 Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? and the prophets died: what are you doing? 54 Jesus answered: If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing. My Father glorifies me, of whom you say that He is your God. John 16:14; Acts 3:13 55 And you did not know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, then I will be a liar like you. But I know Him and keep His word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and he saw and rejoiced. Gen 15:6, 22:16 57 The Jews said to him: You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59 Then they took stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid himself and left the temple, passing through the midst of them, and went on.

Reincarnation: 56 Abraham your father rejoiced to see My day; and he saw and rejoiced. Gen 15:6, 22:16 57 The Jews said to him: You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

Isaiah 3:1-25
1 Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the staff and the reed, all the strength of bread and all the strength of water, Eze 4:16, Eze 5:16 2 the brave leader and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, and the seer and the elder, 3 Pentecostals, and a nobleman, and a counselor, and a wise artist, and skilled in words. 2 Kings 24:14 4 And I will give them boys to be rulers, and the children will rule over them. Ecclesiastes 10:16 5 And among the people one shall be oppressed by another, and every one by his neighbor; the young man will brazenly exalt himself over the old man, and the commoner over the nobleman. Ezekiel 22:29 6 Then a man will take hold of his brother in his father's family, and say, “You have a garment, be our leader, and let these ruins be under your hand.” 7 And he will say with an oath: I cannot heal the wounds of the community; and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; do not make me the leader of the people. Exodus 15:26 8 So Jerusalem was destroyed, and Judah fell, because their language and their deeds were against the Lord, offensive to the eyes of His glory. 9 The expression on their faces testifies against them, and they speak openly about their sin, like the Sodomites, they do not hide it: woe to their soul! for they bring evil upon themselves. Gen 13:13, Gen 18:20 10 Tell the righteous that it is good for him, for he will eat the fruit of his deeds; Isaiah 32:17, James 3:18 11 But woe to the wicked, for his reward will be for the work of his hands. Jer 25:14 12 The oppressors of my people are children, and women rule over them. My people! your leaders lead you astray and spoil the way of your paths. 13 The Lord has risen in judgment and stands to judge the nations. Psalm 97:9 14 The Lord enters into judgment with the elders of his people and with the princes thereof: you have laid waste the vineyard; the spoils of the poor are in your houses; 15 Why do you oppress my people and oppress the poor? says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 1:17, Amos 2:7 16 And the Lord said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with their necks lifted up and their eyes deceiving, and walk with majestic steps and rattle with the chains on their feet, - 1 Timothy 2:9 17 The Lord will bare the crown of the head daughters of Zion, and the Lord will expose their shame; 18 On that day the Lord will take away beautiful ankle chains and stars and moons, 19 earrings, and necklaces, and fans, withered wrists, and belts, and vessels with perfume, and magic pendants, 20 rings and nose rings, 21 the upper clothes and underwear, and scarves, and wallets, 22 light thin capes and headbands, and bedspreads. 23 And instead of perfume there will be a stench, and instead of a belt there will be a rope, and instead of curled hair there will be a bald head, and instead of a wide cap there will be narrow sackcloth, and instead of beauty there will be a brand. 24 Your men will fall by the sword, and your brave men in battle. 25 And the gates of the capital will sigh and weep, and it will sit desolate on the earth. Lamentations 1:4

1. Disasters awaiting the Jews: a) lack of means of subsistence. 2-7. b) lack of good rulers. 8-15. Vices of the people. 16-25. Vices of Jewish women.

Isa.3:1. Behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, will take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the staff and the reed, every reinforcement of bread and every reinforcement of water,

Explaining what the humiliation of Judea will consist of, the prophet briefly speaks about the impoverishment of the wealth of the Jews and describes in detail the anarchy that will occur because no one wants to engage in public affairs, upset by the management of inexperienced rulers. “Staff and cane” are symbolic designations of any support of the state - and strong-willed and intelligent people and natural resources. “Reinforcement with bread” means grain supplies and streams of water, without which people will begin to suffer from hunger and thirst.

Isa.3:2. brave leader and warrior, judge and prophet, and seer and elder,

“Prophet”, obviously false, as can be seen from the nearby synonymous expression: seer (kosem 8; pagan soothsayer). "The Elder." This is not only an elder, but also an elder, a respected leader (cf. v. 14).

Isa.3:3. a Pentecostal and a nobleman and a counselor, and a wise artist and skilled in words.

The Prophet lists various representatives of the civil and military administration of the kingdom of Judah (a commander of fifty in the army, a nobleman or senator, a councilor or a minister). He immediately mentions the wise artist. Some interpreters mean architects here (Jer. 24:1); others translate this expression with the term: spellcasters. These latter were also of great importance in the direction of state policy under the wicked kings. “Skilled in words” - from Hebrew: skillful in fortune telling.

Isa.3:4. And I will give them boys to be rulers, and the children will rule over them.

In the near future, this prophecy could relate to the accession of Manasseh, who ascended the throne at the age of 12 (2 Kings 21:1).

Isa.3:5. And among the people one will be oppressed by another, and each by his neighbor; the young man will brazenly exalt himself over the old man, and the commoner over the nobleman.

Due to the weakness of the rulers, various illegalities will begin in the state.

Isa.3:6. Then a man will take hold of his brother, in his father's family, and say: You have clothes, be our leader, and let these ruins be under your hand.

Isa.3:7. And he will say with an oath: I cannot heal the wounds of society; and in my house there is neither bread nor clothing; do not make me the leader of the people.

No one will want to take on the burden of public service. “Grabs” - will compel. "In my father's family." It is more correct, in accordance with the grammatical meaning of the Hebrew expression, to relate these words to the following expression: “you have clothes.” All this can be translated as follows: “you have clothes” (that is, some special, magnificent, which were appropriated to kings) in your father’s house; come and be our boss, take these ruins in your hands (literally: this rocking, threatening destruction is a symbol of a seriously ill, weak state body). “I can’t heal.” more precisely: I don’t want to be a doctor (chobesch). This word was successfully chosen by the prophet as having the meaning of both a physician who heals wounds (cf. Isa. 1:6) and a ruler (cf. Job 34:17). “And not in my house.” Eastern sheikhs are obliged to receive their needy subjects in their homes and therefore must have supplies of food and clothing.

Isa.3:8. Thus Jerusalem was destroyed, and Judah fell, because their language and their deeds were against the Lord, offensive to the eyes of His glory.

Isa.3:9. The expression on their faces testifies against them, and they openly talk about their sin, like the Sodomites, they do not hide it: woe to their soul! for they bring evil upon themselves.

The prophet bitterly reproaches the wicked Jews for their open wickedness. In particular, he denounces the wicked Jewish rulers, who led the people to the brink of destruction and for this they should expect a speedy judgment from God. The Jews do things that are offensive to the eyes of the glory of the Most High. The eyes of the Lord, pure and holy, cannot look at the vile deeds of the Jews. “Facial expression” is more correct in Hebrew: their forehead, forehead. And we have a proverb: it is written on his forehead that he is a worthless or stupid person.

Isaiah 3:10. Tell the righteous that it is good for him, for he will eat the fruits of his deeds;

Isaiah 3:11. But woe to the wicked, for he will have retribution for the works of his hands.

In the Old Testament, the idea is almost everywhere that a person’s fate corresponds to his behavior (cf. Proverbs 1:31; Deut. 28 and other places).

Isaiah 3:12. The oppressors of My people are children, and women rule over them. My people! your leaders lead you astray and spoil the way of your paths.

“Children” - more precisely: capricious, self-willed people... “Women dominate” - an allusion to Ahaz, who ascended the throne as a very young man and, distinguished by weakness of character, could succumb to the influence of women (his mother or his sisters). “Thy leaders” are predominantly false prophets (cf. Mic. 3:5). “The path of the paths” - that is, the true path that should be followed. They spoiled him, that is, they rejected him, took him away from him.

Isa.3:13. The Lord has risen in judgment and stands to judge the nations.

Isa.3:14. The Lord enters into judgment with the elders of His people and with the princes thereof: you have laid waste the vineyard; the spoils of the poor are in your houses;

Isaiah 3:15. Why do you oppress My people and oppress the poor? says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.

The Lord, who has to judge the Jewish people as a whole, will show special severity in His attitude towards the leaders of this people. “They devastated the vineyard,” that is, they took advantage of all the fruits of God’s vineyard themselves, instead of, like watchmen assigned to the vineyard, saving these grapes for the owner (cf. Luke 20:16). The figurative expression of verse 14 is revealed in v. 15. Isa.3:16-25. The women of Jerusalem aroused the wrath of God against themselves with their luxury and shamelessness. The Lord will take away all their jewelry and put a mark of shame on them. In the absence of a sufficient number of men, most of whom will die in the war, many of them will remain unmarried.

Isaiah 3:16. And the Lord said: Because the daughters of Zion are arrogant and walk with their necks raised and their eyes deceiving, and they walk with a majestic step and rattle the chains on their feet,

The “Daughters of Zion,” that is, the women of Jerusalem, walk with their necks raised, that is, stretched back with pride. They want to attract the attention of men by any means possible. “Chains on the legs” - anklets with gold chains, with which women, when walking, made some kind of jingle. The Prophet Isaiah, like other prophets, were not absolute opponents of such spending that goes to decorate life. They heralded the coming of such times when Israel would express its joy in songs and feasts, and Jerusalem would be adorned with all beauty. But they denied luxury, which is associated with oblivion of the highest interests of life.

Isa.3:17. The Lord will bare the crown of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will expose their shame;

“Exposure of the crown” is scab, a type of skin disease associated with hair loss. “It will expose the shame” - the Russian translation obviously adheres to the opinion here that the word phat means the female sexual parts, but the ancient translators did not attach such a meaning to this word. Blessed Jerome translates this word with the expression: hair. The parallelism with the first part of the verse forces us to accept precisely the latter meaning of this Hebrew word. There will be no repetition here with the previous hemistich: in the first hemistich we are talking about a hair disease (scab), and in the second - about the forced cutting of hair from the forehead, which is exposed as a result. The shamefulness of this shearing is indicated in the ancient Babylonian laws of King Hammurabi, which for dishonoring a priestess punishes the criminal by shaving his forehead (ed. Scheil, 1902, 127).

Isaiah 3:18. on that day the Lord will take away the beautiful chains on the legs and the stars and the moons,

“Beautiful chains” - more precisely, rings made of precious metals, worn by women on their ankles. “Stars” - more precisely “suns” (image of the sun). “Lunochki” are medallions depicting the moon, which also served as amulets.

Isaiah 3:19. earrings, and necklaces, and fans, withered wrists, and belts, and vessels with perfume, and magic pendants,

“Earrings” - more precisely from Hebrew. drops. This was the name given to diamonds that were worn on the ears and resembled elongated drops of water. “Withered” - headbands. “Wrists” - more precisely, a gold chain for tying the legs in order to make steps smaller and in order to make a ringing sound. (cf. Gen. 24:47). “Spirit vessels” were often made of pure gold. “Magic pendants” are amulets with inscriptions that protect against various misfortunes. By going into all these details of the women's toilet, the prophet wants to say that the Jews actually had no time left to do anything else except the toilet...

Isa.3:20. rings and nose rings,

Arab women still wear rings, attached to the nose with special devices and lowered onto the lips.

Isa.3:21. outerwear and underwear, and scarves, and wallets,

“Outerwear” is festive, expensive clothing. “Lower” - capes of various types. “Scarves” are actually the outer cloaks worn in the east over all clothes.

Isaiah 3:22. light thin capes and bandages and bedspreads.

“Light” - it is more correct to read this word separately and see here an indication of mirrors made of polished metal, which women constantly carried with them. 4 “Thin epanchi” - shirts made from the thinnest linen, which were worn under a tunic.

Isa.3:23. And instead of incense there will be a stench, and instead of a belt there will be a rope, and instead of curled hair there will be baldness, and instead of a wide cap there will be narrow sackcloth, instead of beauty there will be a brand.

“Wide epancha” - wide clothing with sleeves. “Sackcloth” is actually a bag or narrow clothing made from the coarsest fabric. The “brand” was usually placed on animals as a sign of their belonging to a famous person. From this we can conclude that Jewish women will also be sold into slavery and, through branding, their beauty will be spoiled.

Isa.3:24. Your men will fall by the sword, and your braves in war.

Isa.3:25. And the gates of the capital will sigh and weep, and it will sit desolate on the earth.

Since many Jews would fall in the war, there would be no one to gather at the city gates, at which the court was usually held and the bazaar was held. The speech of the prophet, contained in chapter 3, with the exception of verses 10-11, which are an exclamation very similar to the pious outpourings of the psalms, is recognized by the best critics as the original work of Isaiah. They say, however, that the prophet Isaiah is not characterized by the details that he reports about the adornment of women, but this expression, in fact, does not have sufficient basis. This speech was probably composed in recent years or shortly after the death of Jotham, perhaps just before Ahaz’s accession to the throne of the kingdom of Judah. Oppressed by external enemies (2 Kings 15:37), Jerusalem within is given over to anarchy. Young Ahaz has not yet taken control of the government and many are obviously afraid of his accession, wanting to have a more capable ruler over them. However, there are no hunters to take on the difficult task of governing the kingdom of Judah. This speech, according to Condamin"y, can be conveniently divided into the following stanzas: v. 1-7 - 1st stanza - 3, 3, 2, 2 v. 8-15 - 2nd stanza - 3, 3, 2 , 2 v. 16-23 - 1st stanza - 3, 2, 3 v. 24-26 - 2nd stanza - 3, 2, 3 It should be noted that Condamin divides the 19th verse into two, as it is done in the Hebrew Masoretic Bible, which is why he got not 25 verses in the 3rd chapter, but 26.

4 In the Slavic translation from LXX - And light Lakonian, and fine linen, and blue, and scarlet. Note ed.

Source: Professor of the Moscow Theological Academy, Master of Theology A. I. Pokrovsky
)

Nicholas says... Are there recent exegetical and hermeneutical studies on Isaiah 7:14 to put an end to the discussion about the interpretation of the word almah with representatives of monotheistic religions, or is this a matter of faith? Reply 6 March 2015 17.08 Teplov says... "... the prophets were called only from among the chosen people." But Balaam was not a Jew. The reference to Deuteronomy 18:18 speaks of brothers; this does not necessarily mean, as I understand it, fellow tribesmen.

Isaiah 5:1-30
1 I will sing to my Beloved the song of my Beloved concerning His vineyard. My Beloved had a vineyard on the top of a fat mountain, Jer 2:21, Mt 21:33, Mk 12:1, Lk 20:9 2 And He surrounded it with a fence, and cleared it of stones, and planted choice vines in it, and he built a tower in the midst of it, and dug a winepress in it, and looked for it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. Jer 8:13 3 And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more should I have done for my vineyard that I have not done to it? Why, when I expected him to bring good grapes, did he bring wild berries? 5 Therefore I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be desolate; I will destroy its walls, and it will be trampled underfoot, Ps 79:13, Isa 1:7, 1 Ezra 9:9, Hos 2:12 6 And I will leave it desolate: they will neither prune it nor dig it, but it will be overgrown with thorns and thistles, and I will command the clouds not to rain on him. Isa 1:30, Zech 14:17 7 The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his favorite planting. And He waited for justice, but behold - bloodshed; I was waiting for the truth, and then - a cry. Psalm 79:16 8 Woe to you who add house to house, adding field to field, so that there is no room left for others, as if you alone were settled on the earth. Micah 2:2 9 The LORD of hosts has spoken in my ears, “These many houses will be empty, large and beautiful, without inhabitants; 10 Ten plots of a vineyard will yield one bath, and a homer of grain sown will barely yield an ephah. 11 Woe to those who, early in the morning, seek strong drink and get hot with wine until late in the evening; Proverbs 23:30, Eccl 10:16, Luke 6:25 12 And the harp and harp, the tambourine and the flute, and the wine at their feasts; but they do not look at the works of the Lord and do not think about the work of His hands. Isaiah 28:7, Amos 6:5 13 Therefore my people will go into captivity unexpectedly, and their nobles will starve, and their riches will thirst. 14 Therefore the grave expanded and opened its mouth beyond measure: and their glory and their wealth and their noise and everything that makes them glad will come down there. Isaiah 30:33 15 And man shall bow down, and man shall humble himself, and the eyes of the proud shall be downcast; Isaiah 2:11 16 But the Lord of hosts will be exalted in judgment, and the Holy God will show His holiness in righteousness. Isaiah 2:17 17 And the sheep will feed according to their own will, and strangers will eat the rich pastures left behind by the rich. Isaiah 14:30 18 Woe to those who drag iniquity upon themselves with ropes of vanity, and sin as with the straps of a chariot; Proverbs 5:22, Micah 7:3 19 who say: “Let Him make haste and hasten His work, so that we may see, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to fruition, so that we may know! » Jer 17:15, Am 5:18, 2 Pet 3:4 20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 2 Kings 17:9, Amos 6:12 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and understanding in themselves! Proverbs 3:7, Rom 12:16 22 Woe to those who are brave to drink wine and strong to make strong drink, Proverbs 31:4 23 who for gifts justify the guilty and deprive the just of the lawful! Proverbs 17:15 24 As fire consumes the stubble, and the flame consumes the hay, so their root is destroyed, and their flower is scattered away like dust; because they rejected the law of the Lord of hosts and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah 9:18 25 Therefore the wrath of the Lord will be kindled against his people, and he will stretch out his hand against them and smite them, so that the mountains will tremble, and their corpses will be like dung in the streets. And despite all this, His anger will not be turned away, and His hand will still be stretched out. Isaiah 9:12, Isaiah 10:6 26 And he will lift up a standard to the nations that are far off, and will give a sign to him who dwells on the ends of the earth, and behold, he will come easily and quickly; Lev 26:25, Isaiah 13:2, Isaiah 7:18 27 He will not have one who is weary or faint; no one will slumber or fall asleep, and the belt of his waist will not be removed, and the thong of his shoes will not be torn; 28 His arrows are sharpened, and all his bows are bent; the hoofs of his horses are like flint, and his wheels are like a whirlwind; Jer 4:13 29 His roar is like the roar of a lioness; he roars like the skimn, and roars, and seizes the prey and carries it away, and no one will take it away. Job 4:10, Jer 2:15, Jer 4:7, Eze 32:2 30 And it will roar against him in that day like the roar of an angry sea; and he will look at the earth, and behold - darkness, grief, and the light has faded in the clouds. Job 18:5, Isaiah 8:22

The ABC of FaithOrthodox LibraryBible - comments and interpretationsInterpretation of the book of the prophet Isaiah A.P. Lopukhin

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Professor A.P. Lopukhin Explanatory Bible Interpretation of the book of the prophet Isaiah

Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

1-7. A song about an ungrateful vineyard and its judge. 8-10. Sevenfold woe on the insatiable purchasers of real estate, 11-17. on devotees to the feasts, 18-19. on unbelieving scoffers, 20. on those who do not recognize the difference between good and evil, 21. on the proud, 22. on drunkards, 23. and on violators of justice. 24-30. The threat to the wicked people of Israel from the invasion of a distant, alien, powerful people.

Isa.5:1-7. The prophet appears here as a lyrical poet, but his song contains a truth of a completely tragic nature. The prophet sings about the work of his beloved Lord, who planted his vineyard, that is, the chosen people, in a beautiful place and granted them all the conditions for a prosperous existence. However, this vineyard did not produce wonderful grapes, but bad berries, unfit for consumption. The listeners of this parable-song must say for themselves what the Almighty has the right to do with such a vineyard. But since the listeners cannot admit guilt, the Lord Himself determines for His vineyard or, what is also, for the Jews, their future fate, which promises to be very sad.

Isa.5:1. I will sing to my Beloved the song of my Beloved about His vineyard. My Beloved had a vineyard on the top of a fattened mountain:

“I will sing” from Hebrew: “I begin to sing about my Friend: this is a song about His love for His vineyard.” The prophet wants to depict the relationship of his friend (as Jehovah Himself is figuratively called here) to His vineyard, as the chosen people are often called in Scripture (cf. Is. 3:14; Jer. 2:21; Jer. 12:10; Matt. 21: 33). This vineyard was grown on the most convenient soil - on the ledges of the mountain, most open to the action of the sun's rays. “Bacchus loves open hills,” says Virgil, (George II, 113).

Isa.5:2. and He surrounded it with a fence, and cleared it of stones, and planted choice vines in it, and built a tower in the midst of it, and dug a winepress in it, and expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild berries.

“And He surrounded it with a fence” - more precisely from the Hebrew: dug up or dug up for planting cuttings of vines. “I cleared it of stones” - from large stones, while a small stone serves to anchor the vines in the soil. Towers in the vineyard were built so that the vineyard guard could observe from there the integrity of the vines, which could be damaged mainly by livestock. “The sharpener” is the actual lower vat, located in the ground, into which grape juice flowed from the upper vat, where the grapes were crushed. Selected grapes - according to Euro. soreк (ass. Sarka), i.e. predominantly dark red in color. “Wild berries” are poor quality berries.

Isa.5:3. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard.

Isa.5:4. What more should I have done for My vineyard that I have not done for it? Why, when I expected him to bring good grapes, did he bring wild berries?

Isa.5:5. Therefore I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be desolate; I will destroy its walls, and it will be trampled on,

Isa.5:6. and I will leave it desolate: they will neither prune it nor dig it, but it will be overgrown with thorns and thistles, and I will command the clouds not to rain rain on it.

The Beloved speaks here, i.e. the Most High. “Fence” - (Art. 5) - low stone walls around the vineyard, 1-2 arshins in height. “Pruning” the vines (Article 6) was necessary to give them greater fertility. The vineyard soil was dug up several times a year to increase its fertility.

Isa.5:7. The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His beloved planting. And He waited for justice, but behold, bloodshed; I was waiting for the truth, and then - a cry.

The parable with which the Lord spoke in v. 3-6. to Israel, is explained here. “Cry,” that is, the cries of people offended by powerful people are heard among the people. Isa.5:8-23. The Jews will be severely punished for their sins and crimes. Those who encroach on other people's possessions will suffer: their own lands will be devastated and the income from them will decrease. People who spend all their time in pleasure will suffer from hunger and thirst and will eventually be swallowed up by the gaping jaws of the underworld. Slaves of sin, who brazenly deny the existence of Providence and the inevitability of God’s judgment over people, will soon experience the brunt of this judgment. Other sinners will also pay for their sins.

Isa.5:9. The Lord of hosts said in my ears: these numerous houses will be empty, large and beautiful - without inhabitants;

The Law of Moses required that each Israeli family should own only its own, from the beginning of the taking of the Promised Land, a designated plot of land (Lev. 25:23). But the Jews repeatedly violated this law in various ways (see 1 Kings 21). Mainly, rich people tried to take possession of large plots of land because the wheat cultivated on these plots was in ancient times the most profitable item of trade and the land, one might say, was a goldmine in Palestine. Isaiah, like other prophets, pays special attention to this abnormality, due to which a few rich people became the owners of vast expanses of land and masses of houses, and the rest of the population had to work for them for a piece of bread, gradually turning into a real proletariat. Moreover, since wheat was cultivated for export abroad, ordinary Jewish villagers did not have enough bread for themselves and their families. In addition, this created a gap between the separate classes of the people, while the law did not establish any distance, no difference in the social status of the Israelis, and then the integrity of the state was endangered, which could only be defended by people who felt that they were not mercenaries in it, but masters, to whom the land was theirs. It should be noted that the prophet, however, announcing woe to such Jews who sought to expand their possessions, does not incite the people to forcibly restore the original boundaries of the possessions of each Jewish family, but only wants to influence these violators of the Law of Moses with the threat of the wrath of God (v. 10). The prophets were generally against any violence...

Isaiah 5:10. ten plots of vineyard will yield one bath, and a homer of grain sown will barely yield an ephah.

"Baht" is a measure of liquids about one epic measure or 34, 44 French liters. A “homer” was equal to ten ephas or baths. Rich Jews will receive ten times less than what they sow.

Isaiah 5:11. Woe to those who, from early morning, are looking for strong drink and until late in the evening, warm themselves with wine;

“Siker” is an intoxicating drink made from apples or other fruits, even from bread, but wheat (like our beer); 7 “Wine” - was prepared from grapes, which at that time were famous for their taste. The Prophet Isaiah here arms himself against drunkenness, a vice that began to spread among the Jews since the time of Solomon, whose example undoubtedly affected people close to the palace. (1 Kings 4:20). The excess in wine made the drink the most common and drunkenness thus had rich soil. The prophets, seeing all the harm from this hobby, tried in every possible way to reason with their listeners, who were even proud of their ability to drink as much wine as possible (cf. v. 22).

Isaiah 5:12. and the harp and harp, the tambourine and the pipe, and the wine at their feasts; but they do not look at the works of the Lord and do not think about the works of His hands.

“Zither” is an empty wooden box with strings stretched across the top (in Heb. kinnor). “Gusli” - harp (in Hebrew pebel). “Tympanum” is a hand tambourine or tambourine (in Hebrew, toph). “Pipe” - flute (in Hebrew cholil).

Isaiah 5:13. For this reason, my people will go into captivity in an unexpected way, and their nobles will starve, and their rich people will languish with thirst.

"Unforeseen." -The people, without any guilt behind them, will have to suffer because of the excesses that the rich allowed themselves.

Isaiah 5:14. Therefore, the underworld expanded and opened its mouth without measure: and their glory and their wealth, and their noise and everything that makes them happy, will descend there.

Isaiah 5:15. And man will bow, and man will humble himself, and the eyes of the proud will droop;

“He will bow down” - that is, he will repent.

Isaiah 5:16. and the Lord of hosts will be exalted in judgment, and the Holy God will reveal His holiness in righteousness.

Isaiah 5:17. And the sheep will graze of their own accord, and strangers will eat the rich pastures left behind by the rich.

By “sheep” we can mean poor Jews, who previously had no place in Palestine, since all the lands were in the possession of a few rich people. After all the rich and noble Jews were taken into captivity, the poor remaining in Judea could freely choose their fields anywhere.

Isaiah 5:18. Woe to those who drag iniquity upon themselves with ropes of vanity, and sin as with the straps of a chariot;

“Attracted” is a more correct translation; “bring upon themselves the punishment of God for their crimes.” In this sense, these words of the prophet are understood by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, and Saint John Chrysostom, as well as some of the newest interpreters. The punishment, one might say, is firmly established and attached to the wicked Jews, just as a cart is firmly tied to the animal carrying it.

Isaiah 5:19. who say: “Let Him make haste and hasten His work, so that we may see, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come to fruition, so that we may know!”

“His work,” that is, His judgment on us.

Isaiah 5:20. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who consider darkness to be light and light to be darkness, who consider bitter to be sweet and sweet to be bitter!

Isaiah 5:21. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and understanding in their own eyes!

Those who are “wise in their own eyes” do not want to know the law of God. Isa.5:24-30. For their crimes, all sinners will suffer heavy punishment from God; Their corpses will be lying everywhere - a sign that some terrible epidemic will begin, but this is not enough. God will call against the sinful Jews from a distant place such an enemy who, like a lion, will rush at the chosen people and take many Jews captive.

Isaiah 5:25. Therefore the wrath of the Lord will kindle against His people, and He will stretch out His hand against them and smite them, so that the mountains will tremble, and their corpses will be like dung in the streets. And despite all this, His anger will not be turned away, and His hand will still be stretched out:

“His hand... will be stretched out,” that is, this execution will be for Judea only the beginning of its disasters.

Isaiah 5:26. And he will raise a banner to the distant nations, and give a sign to those who live on the ends of the earth, and behold, he will come easily and quickly;

“He will raise the banner” - indicates the place for the assembly of the troops marching against Judea. “Far peoples” - most likely, here the prophet means the Assyrians and the peoples neighboring and subject to them.

Isaiah 5:27. He will not have anyone who is tired or weary; no one will slumber or fall asleep, and the belt of his waist will not be removed, and the thong of his shoes will not be torn;

Isa.5:28. his arrows are sharpened, and all his bows are drawn; The hoofs of his horses are like flint, and his wheels are like a whirlwind;

Isaiah 5:29. his roar is like the roar of a lioness; he roars like the skimn, and roars, and seizes the prey and carries it away, and no one will take it away.

The Assyrians were indeed distinguished by their tirelessness in campaigns and their ability to use all means of military art.

Isa.5:30. And on that day it will roar at him like the roar of an angry sea; and he will look at the earth, and behold - darkness, grief, and the light has faded in the clouds.

"Here is the darkness." These words depict the impression that will be made on the Jews by the invasion of the powerful and numerous Assyrians, who walked with great noise (like the sound of the sea). Critics are fairly unanimous in dividing chapter five into three parts: 1-7, 8-24 and 26-30. The first part maintains a well-known rhythm throughout its entire length. 1st verse - 1st half 1st verse - 2nd half 2nd Art. 3 verse - 4 verse 5 verse - 6 verse 7 verse Inscription: 1 stanza - in 4 half lines. - 2, 2 2nd stanza - in 4 half lines. - 2, 2 3 stanza - from 6 half lines. -3, 3 stanzas 1 and 2 - 2 half lines each. - 2, 2 This song was probably composed a little later after the appearance of the prophet’s previous speeches, around 735. The second part does not generally raise serious objections regarding its authenticity, although criticism almost unanimously considers the 15th and 16th centuries. insert, which could be placed below, since its content is too general and does not fit the list of specific punishments that began in verse 14. 17th Art. also, according to Condamin, it should have been placed after the 10th, as more suitable to it in its content. The stanzas in this part, which also probably appeared around 735, can be distributed in this way: 8-10 and 17 verses - 1st stanza - 2, 3, 3 11-14 verse - 2nd stanza -3, 3, 2 18-23rd verse - 3rd stanza -3, 3, 3 As for the third part, Condamin suggests that it originally had a different place - namely, Art. 24-25 after Chapter 9, Art. 16 and Art. 26-30, since they are more suitable in their content to those sections. more convincing reasons for his hypothesis, but what has been said is very insufficient to make such a rearrangement.

7 Ambiguous interpretation. The fact is that in Palestine and among the Greeks, “strong drink” was made from the fruits of the date palm and was, in fact, date vodka. The Aramaic concept of “strong drink” meant an intoxicating, intoxicating drink, technology close to mead or brewing, without race. That is, an intoxicating drink of natural origin. In Isaiah in the Slavic version in Is. 5:11 - “woe to those who rise up in the morning and strong drink to those who persecute.” Thus, the point of view that this is trivial moonshine is confirmed. Note ed.

“The Word of God... discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creation that is hidden from his sight, but everything is naked and open before the eyes of him to whom we will give an account” (Hebrews 4:12,13).

“Children, let no one mislead you. He who does what is right is righteous just as he is righteous. He who acts sinfully is of the Devil because the Devil sins from the very beginning. The Son of God came for this purpose, to destroy the works of the Devil. Whoever is born of God does not act sinfully because he has God's seed in him. He cannot act sinfully because he is born of God. The children of God and the children of the Devil can be recognized this way: everyone who does not do what is right is not from God, just as he who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:7-10).

“Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes harvested from thorny plants or figs from thistles? Every good tree bears good fruit, but a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a rotten tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you will know these people by their fruits"(Matthew 7:15-20).

What do the children of the Devil do:

THE CHILDREN OF GOD ARE PERSECUTED FOR THEIR RELIGIOUS VIEWS

“If the world hates you, know that it hated me first. If you were of this world, the world would value its own. And since you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: a slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also” (John 15:18-20).

“Should I judge outsiders? Do you not judge those who are internal, while God judges those who are external?” (1 Cor. 5:9-13).

“Leave them alone. They are blind guides” (Matthew 15:14).

What do the children of the Devil do:

DAMAGING THE REPUTATION OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD

“They began to accuse him, saying: “We have found out that he is corrupting our people, forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar” (Luke 23:1,2).

“They dragged Jason and some of the brothers to the leaders of the city, shouting: “These people, who troubled the whole inhabited earth, have now come here... These people are acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus” (Acts 17:6,7) .

“We have found this man to be a pestilence to the commonwealth, the instigator of sedition among all the Jews throughout the whole inhabited earth” (Acts 24:5).

“Your father is the Devil, and you want to fulfill your father's wishes. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks according to his nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

What do the children of the Devil do:

USING AUTHORITIES TO COUNTER THE CHILDREN OF GOD

“Will the throne become your ally, bringing disasters, plotting to do evil with the help of the law? They attack with cruelty the soul of the righteous and declare the blood of the innocent guilty” (Psalm 94:20,21).

“And now I tell you: do not touch these people and leave them alone, because if this plan or this deed is from people, then it will be destroyed, but if it is from God, you will not be able to destroy them. Otherwise, lest you prove to be enemies of God” (Acts 5:38,29).

Actually, it is not surprising, because it was precisely according to this well-known scheme that what was later called the “Inquisition” was born. Bonfires with “heretics” burned together throughout Europe (both Western and Eastern). But formally, it was not the priests who set them on fire, but the servants of Caesar. And the priests just stood nearby... Well, you understand...

What do the children of the Devil do:

INCITE THE USE OF FORCE AGAINST GOD'S CHILDREN

“And the chief priests and Pharisees gave orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should tell them so that they could arrest him” (John 11:57).

“And all these things happened to them as examples, and were written down as warnings for us” (1 Corinthians 10:11).

What do the children of the Devil do:

GUILTY OF KILLING CHILDREN OF GOD

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build the graves of the prophets, decorate the memorial tombs of the righteous, and say: “If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in the shedding of the blood of the prophets.” Thus, you testify against yourself and admit that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets. Well, complete the measure of your ancestors. Serpents, brood of vipers, how will you escape condemnation to Gehenna? That is why I am sending prophets, sages and mentors to you. Some of them you will kill and execute on the stake, and some you will beat with whips in your synagogues and drive from city to city, and you will be guilty for all the righteous blood shed on earth - from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachiah. , whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I say to you, all this guilt will be on this generation” (Matthew 23:29-36).

“Stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears, you always resist the holy spirit, both your fathers and you. Which prophet was not persecuted by your fathers? Yes, they killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become traitors and murderers” (Acts 7:51,52).

“The hour is coming when anyone who kills you will think that he is performing sacred service to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me” (John 16:2,3).

“Your father is the Devil, and you want to fulfill your father's wishes. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

INSTEAD OF AN AFTERWORD

“So you will recognize these people by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me: “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day: “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, didn’t we cast out demons in your name, and didn’t we do many mighty things in your name?” And then I will declare to them: “I never didn't know you! Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:20-23).

“The children of God and the children of the Devil can be recognized by this: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not from God, just as he who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10).