Idol Pollution

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

Revelation 9:20-21

Everyone that studies scripture could likely agree that idolatry is wrong. I have heard countless references in sermons and conversations describing how a person’s car, money or even a celebrity could end up being an idol. Although this is true, it often gives the impression that idolatry of the ancients has been vanquished from the Earth never to be concerned with again. This is simply not true, especially when we take the letter from the Jerusalem council, in the book of Acts, seriously.

Act 15:19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
Act 15:20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

In the letter from the council, the new believers are instructed to abstain from things polluted by idols or abstain from meats sacrificed to idols. This is completely different than making an idol out of something new, such as a material possession. We do not usually think of idols from the ancient world existing in our world today. How does an object get polluted by an idol? Strong’s G234, for polluted, calls it ceremonial defilement.

G234
ἀλίσγεμα
alisgema
al-is’-ghem-ah
From ἀλισγέω alisgeō (to soil); (ceremonial) defilement: – pollution.

This is not a new command for the people of Yahweh. Yahweh made this clear from the beginning by telling His people not to use objects from other nations’ gods.

Deu 12:29 “When Yahweh your God has cut off the nations whom you are about to go to, to dispossess them before you, and you have dispossessed them, and you live in their land,
Deu 12:30 take care so that you are not ensnared into imitating them after their being destroyed from before you, and so that you not enquire concerning their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods, and thus I myself want to do also.’
Deu 12:31 You must not do so toward Yahweh your God, because of every detestable thing they have done for their gods Yahweh hates, for even their sons and their daughters they would burn in the fire to their gods.

The snare lies in the fact that it is not the worshipping of other gods in which we are speaking because that would mean the person never came to Yahweh in the first place. If we are worshipping other gods and claim Yahweh is our God, that is a different matter. It means that person has never left their former gods. What we are talking about is items defiled by other gods. This is people using items or “eating meats” meant for other gods. Our world is full of things polluted by idols from the ancient world. An example of something polluted by idols that is easy to identify would be a witch doctor’s mask. It should not be a surprise to Christians that they are drawing from a different power source than Yahweh. Paul exposes exactly what these defiled symbols are about: demons.

1Co 10:14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
1Co 10:15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.
1Co 10:16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
1Co 10:17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
1Co 10:18 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?
1Co 10:19 What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything?
1Co 10:20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons.
1Co 10:21 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.
1Co 10:22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?

Paul isn’t pulling these ideas from thin air. Paul knows his Bible, which in his day was what we call the Old Testament. Paul and other New Testament writers did not invent anything new. We are generally just ignorant of the scriptures that they studied and memorized due to some very poor teaching, ear tickling and laziness.

Deu 32:16 They stirred him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations they provoked him to anger.
Deu 32:17 They sacrificed to demons that were no gods, to gods they had never known, to new gods that had come recently, whom your fathers had never dreaded.
Deu 32:18 You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and you forgot the God who gave you birth.
Deu 32:19 “The LORD saw it and spurned them, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters.
Deu 32:20 And he said, ‘I will hide my face from them; I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.
Deu 32:21 They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
Deu 32:22 For a fire is kindled by my anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol, devours the earth and its increase, and sets on fire the foundations of the mountains.
Deu 32:23 “‘And I will heap disasters upon them; I will spend my arrows on them;
Deu 32:24 they shall be wasted with hunger, and devoured by plague and poisonous pestilence; I will send the teeth of beasts against them, with the venom of things that crawl in the dust.
Deu 32:25 Outdoors the sword shall bereave, and indoors terror, for young man and woman alike, the nursing child with the man of gray hairs.

This is very serious, so please do not block your ears. The words of Moses and Paul are as relevant today as they were in times of old.

Paul addressed the people of Galatia who were apparently turning back to their former idolatry. These days, months and seasons Paul spoke of, were the festivals polluted by idols during the winter solstice and spring equinox. “The elementary principles of the world” was used for Strong’s 4747.

Gal 4:8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.
Gal 4:9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
Gal 4:10 You observe days and months and seasons and years!
Gal 4:11 I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.

G4747
στοιχεῖον
stoicheion
Thayer Definition:
1) any first thing, from which the others belonging to some series or composite whole take their rise, an element, first principal
1a) the letters of the alphabet as the elements of speech, not however the written characters, but the spoken sounds
1b) the elements from which all things have come, the material causes of the universe
1c) the heavenly bodies, either as parts of the heavens or (as others think) because in them the elements of man, life and destiny were supposed to reside
1d) the elements, rudiments, primary and fundamental principles of any art, science, or discipline
1d1) i.e. of mathematics, Euclid’s geometry

It is well known that these stoicheion also refer to fairies, elves and guardian spirits, otherwise known as demons. Most Chiristians would agree that what I have mentioned so far can fall into the “things polluted by idols” category. In some cases, if I hadn’t brought up these items, many would not even be aware of their existence. Now, we are going to discuss the more common items polluted by idols.

The beloved decorated fir tree has many ties to idols, as does the whole Christmas tree season. All the people of the world that celebrate Christmas do not suddenly embrace Christianity for the month of December. It has been a time of year dedicated to all the ancient sun gods for 4500 years. The whole Christmas tree Jesus situation is a complete pollution of idolatry and there is no biblical basis for any of the celebrations, other than not to do them.

It is bad enough to use the symbols out of ignorance. I once heard it said that the fir tree was a symbol illiterate people could understand when explaining Jesus to them. Why not use the trees Jesus used such as the fig and olive trees? Why pick symbols used by other nation’s gods (demons), that Yahweh hates, to explain His son? Once a person knows what the symbols are used for, and the pollution, then they realize it is no longer Yahweh that is worshipped but Baal, the name of all the various sun gods. Arguably, it was always about Baal. Someday, Yahweh will put an end to the Baal worship, but for now it is up to those who know to warn the people.

Hos 2:16 And on that day—a declaration of Yahweh—you will call me, “My husband;” you will no longer call me, “My Baal.”
Hos 2:17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by their name.

Peter also addressed this issue with the people of Galatia in his general letter to the dispersion.

1Pe 1:13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
1Pe 1:14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,
1Pe 1:15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,
1Pe 1:16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

“Former ignorance” is referring to when they were involved with items polluted by idols. When we are grafted into the Israel of God, there is no room for idolatrous objects in our life. Yahweh gives us His own festivals and seasons to celebrate with our friends and families that are not at all polluted with idols. These are Passover, Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, the weekly Sabbath, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles. These are sanctified by Yahweh himself and are the days Jesus and His followers celebrated long after His death and resurrection. These other days the church picked up are simply recycled idolatrous sun god days. These are the first things the Jerusalem council told new believers coming out of pagan religions to leave behind, yet they are the last things Christians will consider giving up today.

Loving my neighbour means I must share what I have learned about idolatry. Jesus gave the churches warnings which are still applicable.

Rev 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Rev 2:21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works,
Rev 2:23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.

Jezebel was all about Christmas tree Jesus, otherwise known as Baal. Practicing sexual immorality, and eating food sacrificed to idols is exactly what we partake in sitting at the table of demons. Do you find yourself or your children in continual tribulation? Tormented by demons? Try repenting and giving up the items and practices polluted by idols.