Ekklēsia Nikaō, Part IV: The Body Politic

A Theology of Government (and why you’re probably wrong about it) for an Unflappable Witness in a Perilous Age

On the cusp of the 19th century, a warm August night blankets the skies over Cairo, Egypt. Footsteps shuffle along secretly as clay dust kicks up along the banks of the Nile. There is a ship treading patiently beside the docks, waiting for an important passenger — the General of the French army.

A furious figure emerges from the shadows.

Bonaparte.

Napoleon and the Great Sphinx (Napoleon in Egypt) by Woiciech Ritter von Kossak (1910)

His campaign in Egypt, while bolstered by multiple victories, has experienced chaotic challenges. The French fleet he arrived with got wasted by the Royal Navy, bubonic plague has killed thousands of his troops, supplies (and soldiers) have gone missing, morale and momentum seem all but ground to a halt.¹ Having squashed rumors of his defeats and questionable behavior from reaching home to France, what Napoléon does is dastardly: he exaggerates his conquests, the scientific discoveries and the glories of the campaign to redirect people’s attention, winning them over through deception. He sees an opening through the crumbling structures of those vying for French power. And then?

He drafts a letter.

He gives his command to another general (without telling him first).

He boards the ship.

And he leaves for France in the dead of night.

What follows is a tremendous turning point in European history as Napoléon Bonaparte ascends to power in a France still punch-drunk from a bloody and terrible Revolution. His opportunistic movements and crafty use of propaganda ensured that instead of questioning the utter failure of the invasion in Egypt, Paris would welcome him home as a hero.²³

In political and war games, strategy is key. Regarding the schemes of war, Napoléon Bonaparte once wrote: “A general must be a charlatan.”⁴

My goodness. Touché.

Currently being carefully maneuvered is a dire game of supernatural coercion against humanity. Chief among the enemy’s targets is the Ekklēsia — the Church of God everywhere. This is the Fourth Part in a series about what it means to be the Overcoming Church (Ekklēsia Nikaō) in our time as we witness sweeping tactics over the chessboard of the world. We’ve covered a bit of ground already, so you may want to go read Parts one, two, and three. Forces of darkness are lurking, distorting, choreographing behind the scenes to bring destruction to governments, nations, and the cause of Christ.

Swiftly approaching is the U.S. presidential election, and there’s no shortage of impassioned stances and vicious rhetoric. As followers of Jesus, keeping our heads (and our souls) in this hour is crucial. While many have their own unique theologies regarding government, I believe our position as the Church can be easily commandeered through filters of political ideals across the spectrum.

Left vs. Right. Boomers vs. Gen Z. White vs. Black. Middle-class vs. everyone.

Our true role is being ignored and circumvented, with much for us to do if we wish to course-correct. And friends, it is imperative that we understand one thing:

Our enemy is a charlatan.

Let’s get started.

The North is an ominous place.

For ancient Israel, the North represented forces of spiritual darkness and impending doom, with good reason. Prophets foretold of God’s looming judgement coming through armies invading from the north.⁵ Centuries earlier, the Israelites faced one of their most imposing threats: the last remnants of the giant Rephaim, led by Og the king of Bashan.⁶ The northern territory of Bashan in Canaan was a place brimming with evil, due in no small part to the supposed origin of the giants: in ancient Israelite thought, the “sons of God” (bene ha elohim) of Genesis 6:2 were said to have descended upon Mount Hermon when they instigated their divine rebellion to mate with human women.⁷

Mount Hermon is very, very interesting.

In the 14th century BC, the Hittites and Amorites swore an oath of peace by the gods of the mountain.⁸ Nearby Ugaritans, Sidonians and Damascenes flamboyantly venerated Ba’al and the other Canaanite deities. Not only is Bashan home to Mount Hermon, but it was also considered a land of dragons. Hebrew philology uncovers parallels the word shares with similar Ancient Near East languages:

“Bashan” in the second millennium BCE denoted both a mountain and a mythological creature that was a serpent, the “dragon-snake.” The most help in comprehending בשן as having a second meaning, “dragon -snake,” comes from cognate languages. The Ugaritic bthn and the Akkadian bašmu are cognate to the Hebrew bšn and the Aramaic ptn. These terms are equal to the Arabic bathan. All these nouns denote some type of “dragon” or “snake”.⁹

Fallen angels. Giants. False gods. A sinister mountain. Dragon-snakes. Have we ever heard of an evil serpent before?

Hmmm. Curious.

Stay with me. It gets better.

Fast-forward to the 1st century. Venturing into heavily idolatrous, pagan lands, Jesus took His disciples on a road trip up North — to Caesarea Philippi.

Here’s why that’s significant:

Caesarea Philippi was located in the northern part of the Old Testament region of Bashan, the “place of the serpent,” at the foot of Mount Hermon.

Things hadn’t changed much by Jesus’ day, at least in terms of spiritual control. You may have noticed… that Caesarea Philippi was also called “Panias.” The early church historian Eusebius notes: “Until today the mount in front of Panias and Lebanon is know as Hermon and it is respected by nations as a sanctuary.”

The site was famous in the ancient world as a center of the worship of Pan and for a temple to the high god Zeus, considered in Jesus’ day to be incarnate in Augustus Caesar.¹⁰

Put simply, this locale is crawling with the demonic. Along with other rustic deities like Dionysus, the Greek god Pan — with half goat, half man features — was celebrated with good old-fashioned debauchery. Worship of these particular gods “was often ecstatic in nature, involving occasional sacrifices, drinking, nudity and orgies.”¹¹ One of Pan’s epithets was Phorbas, meaning “terrifying one.”¹² According to the mythos, he could let out a screeching cry that would just about freeze the marrow in your bones, causing intense fear.¹³ Pan’s name and the terror he induced is where we get the modern English term “panic.”

PAN, THE NATURE-GOD playing his pipes (1723) by Arnold van Westerhout, copper engraving.

Panias is near the southern base of Mount Hermon and included shrines to Pan and other deities, taking advantage of the natural cave system; one of the main tributaries of the Jordan River flows from the spring within the cave. Many believed the cave to be a portal to the underworld: a “gate to Hades,” if you will.¹⁴ Those bringing sacrifices to Pan would fling them into the cave, hoping the sacrifice would be accepted by mysteriously disappearing in the dark waters. A stone’s throw away was the temple built by Herod the Great for Caesar Augustus, complete with precious white marble to impress all those looking to take part in the imperial cult.¹⁵

So, we have a place of political idolatry, demonic origin and pagan worship. As one speaker commented in a teaching I heard years ago: “If you were a good Jewish boy, you wouldn’t be caught there.” What in the world is Jesus doing?

Think of this: Jesus did everything intentionally. Remember that.

Here’s what happens next:

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” ¹⁴ And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

— Matthew 16:13-19

Christ's Charge to St Peter by Sir James Thornhill (c. 1729-31)

Like a good rabbi, Jesus asked His students questions. The most important question of all time was one He posed in full view of the pagan pageantry swirling around.

“Who is Jesus?”

The confession of Peter concerning Jesus’ identity as the unique, Messianic Son of God is a tremendously pivotal moment. Contrary to what some think, Jesus’ response has nothing to do with apostolic succession or papal authority. Rather, the “rock” wordplay regarding Simon’s new nickname, Peter (petros, meaning “small stone”) is a triple-entendre involving both the rocky landscape at the base of Mount Hermon and, more importantly, the large rock (petra) of revelation that Jesus is the Christ.

The “rock” refers to the mountain location where Jesus makes the statement…. Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God, at “this rock” (this mountain – Mount Hermon). Why? This place was considered the ‘gates of hell,’ the gateway to the realm of the dead, in Old Testament times.¹⁶

One last intriguing Mount Hermon connection: six days later, Jesus took Peter, James and John on a hike up a “high mountain” where they witnessed His Transfiguration. The proximity to Caesarea Philippi as well as the history and spiritual significance of the area have led many scholars to conclude Hermon is indeed the Transfiguration site. With all the pieces on the board, it makes the most sense. In Hebrew, Hermon comes from the root ḥērem (ḥrm), meaning “forbidden,” “accursed” or “banned.”¹⁷ Briefly, Christ is seen in His divine glory, illuminating the darkness of the Forbidden Mountain with the Light of Life (John 1:4, 8:12).

This is also the first use of the word “church” in the Scriptures. The Greek term ekklēsia was an assembly — literally the “called out ones” — requested to come together and decide how to administrate justice in their community.¹⁸ A political term. For Christ, He viewed this expression as the best way to describe His followers: as a governmental assembly.

Guess what? It’s all part of the divine plan. As I mentioned in Part II of this series:

Jesus, the “ruler of the kings of the earth,” seeks to freely share part of His glory and power to rule the New Creation with redeemed humans as His royal-priest co-regents.

Now we’re getting somewhere. Are you getting it?

Peter’s confession of Jesus’ identity is a theopolitical bomb.

Just think of what Christ did as He deputized the Twelve. He called them together, as an assembly, and “gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness” (Matthew 10:1). They’ve already been given a taste. Now, in the sketchy, perverse Northern neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, Peter drops the truth bomb. Jesus celebrates, then waxes prophetic.

“I’m building my ekklēsia on that rock — that revelation!”

It’s about Him. The truth of Jesus Christ is the rock the Church is founded on.

Nuclear-reactions start to domino in the spiritual realm. Jesus continues. With a disdaining glare towards the cave, He says that the “gates of Hades,” will be helpless against the Church’s power, which includes the keys to the kingdom. Within the week, He ratifies the founding of His Ekklēsia with the glorious unveiling of His divine identity as LORD of the Cosmos on the top of the rock of the enemy’s territory.

This is a supernatural slap in the face to the forces of darkness.

Jesus is picking a cosmic fight, staring down the rebels of the spirit world and saying: “Now you know. Here I AM. What are you gonna’ do about it?”

His authority will be exercised through His representatives, now a holy community of kingdom priests. All of a sudden, these formerly average, uneducated, rural Jewish guys are going to be able to have the authority to affect Heaven and Earth. Seriously? This is wildly epic.

But it’s God’s idea of government: the Church. Christ’s Body; “the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”¹⁹ The embodiment of Christ and His everlasting government on Earth.

The Body Politic.

In stark contrast to Napoleon’s vision of how to build an empire, God’s vision for His People has always had a primarily spiritual theopolitical ethic.

Take a look at the structure of leadership in ancient Israel. Instead of a king with unchallenged, universal authority, there were societal and religious checks and balances. God instituted a priesthood that was set apart for the work of ministering to Him on behalf of the people. Prophets were sent to speak oracles on behalf of Yahweh to the king and the people. And the role of the king was to uphold and enforce justice, righteousness and goodness in the land, typifying the ideal, godly ruler.

Flanked on both sides by spiritual authority, the king was intended to be shaped and informed by them. Instead of staging a violent revolution or hostile takeover, kings had to be anointed as a symbol of God’s divine choice and sovereignty. It was critical for a king to be deeply formed by the truth of Yahweh and the teaching of the Law, of which he was required to write his own copy (Deuteronomy 17:17). The spiritual hierarchy would look something like this:

1. Prophet — speak on behalf of God

2. High Priest — minister to God on behalf of the people

3. King — uphold righteousness on behalf of God, justice on behalf of the people

For example, it’s part of the reason Nathan the prophet is able to confront David regarding his iniquity in 2 Samuel 12. It’s why Azariah and a coalition of the priesthood “opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful and will have no honor from the LORD God’ ” (2 Chronicles 26:17-18).

Having an Ancient Near East “separation of powers” in Israel differs greatly from our situation as people in the West today. The primary reason is because what God facilitated in Israel had nothing to do with separating the Church and the State, which is a political operation. It had everything to do with the spiritual reality of government actualized by the People of God.

This was no amalgam of spiritual and political authority; God commissioned priests and prophets to be the moral compass of the nation and, to borrow a popular phrase, to be able to “speak truth to power.”

In the modern world, the relationship between the Church and human government has been a story of strained ambivalence.

Religious freedom has always been a chief concern in the United States, from the settlers, through the framers, to where we are today. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution asserts Congress will “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”²⁰ Obviously, rejecting the concept of state-sponsored religion is a good idea (just look at Medieval Europe). But it would be nearly impossible to divorce the values adopted in the U.S. from Christian ethics:

Christian ideas underlie some key tenets of America’s constitutional order. For instance, the Founders believed that humans are created in the image of God, which led them to design institutions and laws meant to protect and promote human dignity. Because they were convinced that humans are sinful, they attempted to avoid the concentration of power by framing a national government with carefully enumerated powers. As well, the Founders were committed to liberty, but they never imagined that provisions of the Bill of Rights would be used to protect licentiousness. And they clearly thought moral considerations should inform legislation.

America has drifted from these first principles. We would do well to reconsider the wisdom of these changes.²¹

Despite the positive influences, Thomas Jefferson complained that Christianity made “one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites.”²² Regarding government oversight by the bureaucracy, the Church has had similar frustration. From God’s vantage point, there is no perfect human political system, echoed in G.K. Chesterton’s observation that “all government is an ugly necessity.”²³ Over the past several decades in America, tensions in the political world have amplified the theological divide more than ever. Mask mandates, wild propaganda and revelations of government secrecy in just the past few years have only fermented a distrust in the American people for the powers that be.

Which finds us in the current kerfuffle.²⁴

Merely a few Tuesdays away, the coming election is bubbling over with enough vitriol and spin to pile on your plate. Brace yourselves. Things are about to get weird. And intense.

Several voices are looking to draw the attention of the public in certain directions. Lies and spiritual subterfuge lay behind every corner, and the Church needs to be sober, vigilant, and aware (1 Peter 5:8; 1 Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 6:18).

A question posed by the formidable atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell aims to cut through the murky modern fog of deceptive indoctrination:,

Why is propaganda so much more successful when it stirs up hatred than when it tries to stir up friendly feeling?²⁵

While I (and, you know, God) disagree with Russell’s humanistic conclusions, the question bears repeating. What could explain the brainwashing of the masses hitting its target whenever the objective is hatred, violence, sectarianism, and division? Think for a moment.

Why?

Thankfully, the Biblical story gives us clear answers due to the metaphysical realities that abound. Sorry to break it to you, materialists, but there is a very real spiritual aspect of the cosmos that peaks and prods at our physical existence. The Creator is infinite, eternally existent. He is benevolent and Self-giving in His love. And He has enemies. Those enemies hate you and seek your demise. To this end, they look to “klepsē kai thysē kai apolesē” — to steal, to kill and to destroy those who bear God’s image (John 10:10).²⁶ One of the greatest tools to accomplish that is to coax perversion, animosity and vengeance into the human heart through propaganda.

Friends, we must keep our Spirit-inspired wits about us right now.

The Church’s primary lens for viewing government should be a spiritual one; the eternal principle of righteous rule in the administration of the cosmos. Instead of human systems of authority, we see before us the glittering landscape of a Kingdom-based reality. Modeled for us is The Great King Above All, Who decrees and directs all of Creation: “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:3). Our minds strain with wonder and bewilderment trying to fathom a God not only so powerful, but moreover, so good.

Gut-check: how good do we usually become when we gain power?

Join me in a thought experiment:

• Have you ever thought about your eternal role in God’s Kingdom? What you’ll actually do?

• Take a deep breath. Really think. Why do you have this perspective?

• Are you aware of your skills, abilities, deepest passions?

• Did you know that you were created to rule?

It’s true. The Creation narrative includes God’s directive for Mankind and His desire to “let them rule” as His representatives (Genesis 1:26-28). Strikingly, the Apostle Paul hints at the New Creation and tells the believers in Corinth that “the saints will judge the world” and “do you not know that we will judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:2-4). I mentioned it earlier, but in his letter to the church in Ephesus, he says:

²² And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

— Ephesians 1:22-23

To quote the Apostle Peter again:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

— 1 Peter 2:9

Our purpose given by Christ is to someday “reign with Him” (2 Timothy 2:11-12) and be glorified in and with Him (Romans 8:17, 30; 2 Thessalonians 1:10). Instead of trudging through imperfect our current struggles, the Apostle John promises “when He appears, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2). This concept is sometimes called divinization or deification by the Catholics or theosis by the Eastern Orthodox Church.²⁷ Faithful, overcoming followers of Christ will be glorified in the New Creation with redeemed souls and resurrection bodies.

Destined to rule and reign over Creation in the eschaton with Jesus.

Just like God always wanted. And He’s never had a Plan B.

While civil political activity may have its place in the lives of believers, the primary impetus for the life and activity of the Church is occupied by a desire to lift up Jesus (not just any nationalized, flag-washed version of Him²⁸) and accomplish His purposes in the Earth.

We don’t need to worry about putting Christians in positions to get power — we already have power. The Ekklēsia is “seated with Christ in heavenly places” (Ephesians 2:6) and commissioned with the authority to carry the news of His royal victory on the cross to the ends of the Earth (Matthew 28:18-20).

Ours is a weighty, divine and holy calling. Do we recognize it?

People in the Church are so quick to rush out the door, get in their car and go vote or picket the city council meeting, but they are so slow to lock the door, get on their knees and engage the heart of God and seek to enact His purposes in the Earth through prayer.

Don’t misunderstand me: followers of Jesus should be active members of our society, helping build and lead and serve and be generous and creative and see life sprout up in every forgotten crack of our towns. But our focus is not government positions, legislation or school board seats. It is Jesus being faithfully glorified by His disciples in the world to do the work He commanded: go and make more disciples.

So, please, seek God. Go and vote for Biblical ideas and the ethic of Jesus.

But.

Dropping off your ballot is not the predominant power of being the Body Politic in the Earth.

The world is broken, and neither Trump or Harris or any other would-be leader is going to change that. But through His Church, Christ can. And we don’t have to wait for the government.

As I heard during a recent prayer gathering: we ARE the government.

Truthfully, I don’t know where to land this plane. My heart is stirred up and heavy. But a couple of observations are in order:

— Dark spiritual powers do exist. Intelligent evil is real and active, seeking to mislead and destroy us. We simply cannot allow ourselves to fall prey to the propaganda we face. Don’t let the Napoleons of the spiritual world fool you. They will often seem innocent.

— We need to regain a robust and Heavenly view of the sovereignty of God and the role of the Church in the world. Jesus is over all things, now and forever. The Church must live like it.

— Appropriating our divine destiny as the royal ministers of God’s justice in our society is primarily a spiritual vocation. It is a spiritual trade making use of spiritual tools.

In conclusion, I’m reminded of what we see in the book of Haggai the prophet during the exile in Babylon:

¹⁴ So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.

— Haggai 1:14

Your Republican or Democrat identity won’t save our nation. Neither will your vote. Neither will posts like this.

Church, do you know what we truly need?

We need to work on the House.

November 5th will not determine the future of America.

The Church will.

But in many ways our House, the Ekklēsia of God, has started running rusty with neglect. Unfaithfulness. Lewdness and perversion. Prayerlessness. And we wonder why the U.S. is in a state of moral decay? Has the Church in America become so in love with political liberty and a bit of power that, if we’re honest, we’ve gone a bit astray? Regarding the pull of “civil religion,” Michael J. Gorman riffs:

Why is it so seductive? Because, according to Revelation, it is the deliberate, deceitful, demonic work of the propaganda mechanisms of the idolatrous imperial powers (19:20; 20:3). Nationalistic allegiance or devotion, especially when dressed in religious garb, may not feel like idolatry, but Revelation makes us face the issue head on (13:4, 8, 12, 15; 14:9, 11; 16:2; 19:20).²⁹

Patriotism is good — in its proper place. Human leadership is good — in its proper place under God’s authority, ruling justly.

But for faithful witnesses in the Church, “the ‘uncivil’ call of Revelation is to forsake the idolatrous worship of secular power and to worship God alone.”³⁰ Dig deep. Confront yourself. Have we idolized politics?

Most pressing for lovers of Jesus in these precarious time is a renewal of deep dependence on the Holy Spirit. The propaganda is rippling thick. It is demonic. We must pray. Our pews and Sunday school rooms and sanctuaries are in desperate need of divine wisdom.

Which is, in fact, the subject of our next installment.

Disciples of Jesus absolutely must draw from the deep well of Heavenly, spiritual discernment in these times. This election-season piece serves as a link between Part III (on the preeminence of prayer and expectation) and the incoming Part V essay on how to be the Ekklēsia Nikaō and overcome the dangerous and pervasive weapon of spiritual deception. I hope you’re ready.

I hope I’m ready.

Like I said, our enemy is a charlatan. A trickster. A snake.

Thankfully, there’s a Snake-Crusher Who is leading us.

Ekklēsia Nikaō, Part I: The Hidden in Plain Sight Message of Revelation

Ekklēsia Nikaō, Part II: Sex Scandals, Demons & Bonfires

Ekklēsia Nikaō, Part III: The Greatest Failure of the Church

Ekklēsia Nikaō, Part V: Bad, Mad & Unwise in the Eras of a Swiftly Decomposing World

1. See Strathern, P. (2008). Napoleon in Egypt. Bantam.

2. Ibid.

3. Cole, J. (2007). Napoleon’s Egypt: Invading the Middle East. St. Martin’s Press.

4. Napoleon in His Own Words: From the French of Jules Bertaut (J. Bertaut, Trans.). (1916). A.C. McClurg & Company. p. 116.

5. See Jeremiah 1:14-15, 4:6, 50:3; Isaiah 14:31; Ezekiel 26:7, 38:6-15; Daniel 11.

6. Og was huge. His bed (or possibly sarcophagus) listed in Deuteronomy 3 was likely around 15 feet long and nearly 7 feet wide. Intense, right? For more on Og, see Hamp, D. (2023). Genesis Six Nephilim, Amorites, King Og of Bashan and their Identity, Height, and Weight. Huji. https://www.academia.edu/106180811

7. See Genesis 6:1-4 & 1 Enoch 6.

8. Mount Hermon. (n.d.). Copyright 2024. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mount-hermon

9. Hamp, D. (2021). Marduk, Og of Bashan, and the iniquity of the Amorites. Huji. https://www.academia.edu/105690540/Marduk_Og_of_Bashan_and_the_iniquity_of_the_Amorites

10. Heiser, M. S. (2015). The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Lexham Press. p. 283-284.

11. Eisenberg, M. (2015, November 1). Pan at Hippos: Face of Greek God Unearthed - The BAS Library. The BAS Library. https://library.biblicalarchaeology.org/article/pan-at-hippos-face-of-greek-god-unearthed/

12. PAN CULT - Ancient Greek religion. (n.d.). https://www.theoi.com/Cult/PanCult.html#Cult

13. Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 3. 46 ff (trans. Mozley) (Roman epic C1st A.D.). Here’s one quote: “Pan lord of the woodlands and of war, whom from the daylight hours caverns shelter; about midnight in lonely places are seen that hairy flank and the soughing leafage on his fierce brow. Louder than all trumpets sounds his voice alone, and at that sound fall helm and sword, the charioteer from his rocking car and bolts from gates of walls by night; nor might the helm of Mars [Ares] and the tresses of the Furiai (Furies) [Erinyes], nor the dismal Gorgon from on high spread such terror, nor with phantoms so dire sweep an army in headlong rout.“

14. Zohar, G. (2020, August 3). Ancient site dedicated to Pan on Israel’s Golan Heights is revered by Druze and Christians. Religion Unplugged. https://religionunplugged.com/news/2020/7/29/st-peter-and-pan-grotto-and-spring-in-the-golan-heights-is-revered-by-christians-and-druze-but-reviled-as-pagan-cult-center-by-jews

15. Josephus, F. (2016). The wars of the Jews; or, the history of the destruction of Jerusalem. anboco. 3:21:3.

16. Hornblower, S. (2024, August 13). Ancient Greek civilization | History, Map, Culture, Politics, Religion, Achievements, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/ancient-Greece

17. De Young, S. (2019, August 5). Tabor and Hermon - the whole counsel blog. The Whole Counsel Blog. https://blogs.ancientfaith.com/wholecounsel/2019/08/05/tabor-and-hermon/

18. Heiser, M. S. (2015). The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible. Lexham Press. p. 284.

19. See Ephesians 1:22-23.

20. McNeese, T. (2001). U.S. Constitution (ENHANCED eBook). Lorenz Educational Press. p. 88.

21. Hall, M. D. (n.d.). Did America have a Christian founding? | The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation. https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/did-america-have-christian-founding

22. Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Virginia II, Correspondence 1782-1786”, p.80, Cosimo, Inc.

23. Chesterton, G. K. (1907). A short history of England. John Lane Company. p. 103.

24. Per Merriam-Webster, a kerfuffle is “a disturbance or commotion typically caused by a dispute or conflict.” Fantastic word to keep in your backpocket.

25. Russell, B. (2006). The conquest of happiness. Routledge. p. 62.

26. Greek Interlinear Layout for John 10:10 (MGNT • NASB95). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/interlinear/mgnt/jhn/10/10/

27. Theosis comes from the Greek word théōsis meaning “to deify.” The doctrine of theosis has more than the lion’s share of controversy. While I do not think that we one day attain godhood, or an existential level like God Himself, the aforementioned Scriptures and witness of the New Testament pave the way for an eternal destiny of humanity that, I believe, far exceeds the wonder and transcendence we tend to teach in the Protestant tradition. Peter says we get to become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:14) and Jesus’ letters to the churches of Revelation include promises of reigning with Him, sitting on His throne, and ruling the nations (Revelation 2-3). Though Catholic and Orthodox doctrines take these ideas past their limit, there’s nonetheless a deeper beauty to our final state of glory.

28. Hudson, A. (2017b, November 14). Jesus is not your American patriot. The Gospel Coalition. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/jesus-not-american-patriot/

29. Gorman, M. J. (2011). Reading Revelation responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb Into the New Creation. Cascade Books. p. 180.

30. Ibid., p. 180.