Pre-review of, 'The Passion of the Christ'

I've almost enough courage to go see the movie, 'The Passion of the Christ,' but hearing some of the things that are being said about it scares me all the more.

Jews claim the movie is anti-semetic, and some people are hating the Jews for killing Jesus.

The movie itself is blameless. It is our interpretations of it that twists things. Just as we've always twisted things. If we were a straight forward type of people, we would make our paths straight. But there is always something ahead of us that we try to avoid, so we twist out of its way. And it seems like we feel as if there is always something behind us, so we have to keep moving. We weave around the lit paths, preferring the dark, for fear of what we might see. (snap!snap!snap!)

Besides, it wasn't the Jewish people that killed Jesus Christ, but a man-made religious hierarchy that had too much power without prevention. The situation could arise in any culture, or sub-culture, such as the Jim Jones atrocity: the people there gave their leader too much unquestioned authority, and he could do what he wanted.

At the time of Jesus' life, the authorities had wanted to kill him many times, because He broke their rules, such as healing on the Sabbath and not washing His hands before He ate.

They would have killed Jesus much sooner, if they didn't fear the fact that the Jewish people loved Him.

He was born a Jew, therefor subject to Jewish law. If He were born an American, he would grow up a subject of American law, and the hierarchy that sustains it. And He would still have been crucified, because it was the will of God to do so.

But He wasn't born American. God chose the Jews. For even Jesus said that a prophet is not recognized in his own country. At the time, and still today, people think he was referring to leaving Gallilee: even though the truth is right there beside them...that's what they choose to believe.

And it is this pride which exists amongst the rulers of man, which had a hand in killing the Christ, which is also the beast, spoken of in the book of Revelations; where it states, "Let him who has wisdom reckon the number of the beast, for it is a man-made number. And the number of the beast is 666."

In ancient times, there existed a game among the nobles of Babylon and Isreal called gametia. (Since the letters of their language also had numerical values, word puzzles were solved using numerical questions and vice-versa.) The numbers 666, translated via gametia, is 'Babylon', which represents the arrogance of man and their race, displayed in their cities. (The same pride present in the construction and distruction of the tower of Babel) As well, 666 translates into Ceasar, which was once synonamous with King, or Tzar.

In the book of Genesis, after Cain slays Abel, it states that God put a mark on his forhead (the same mark of the beast) and he went and built the cities. It doesn't mention him dying. It is also important to note, it was his own pride which caused him to withhold sacrifice, and his own jealosy (comparing his own lot to anothers) that caused him to hate his brother, and in arrogance, he murdered Abel.

Centuries later, the murderous hand struck again, on Jesus.

That was just how man had a hand in Jesus' destruction. There were many others there as well that played an active roll. Many not seen, therefore not shown on Mel Gibsons movie.

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Here's a scary thought- Luke 10:18: And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightening from heaven."

Why I mention this passage, is because, if you also look at Revelations 12, which talks about the birth of Christ, and how Satan sat ready to devour Him as soon as He was born, but the women fled, and war broke out in heaven, and there was no longer a place for Satan in Heaven, so he and his angels were cast to the earth; you'll see how Luke 10:18 and Rev.12: 9 can be used for a time-line if in sync. Revelations 12:12 states, "Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, for he knows he has a short time."


When Jesus mentions Satan falling from heaven (in Luke) he is talking to the seventy he sent out to heal and cast out unclean spirits. They are just coming back from what Jesus referred to as a harvest and they say, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name!"

After that, He says, "Behold, I give you authority to trample on serpants and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing by any means, shall hurt you."

Meanwhile in Revelations 12:17- ...and he (Satan) went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

So it would seem that Satan and all his angels made it to the crucifixion in time.

* * *

An even scarier thought:

I would like to reiterate how Jesus empowered seventy people to cast out unclean spirits in every town and city they came to. Jesus, Himself, spent a lot of time casting out unclean spirits. When one reads the New Testament, it's surprising how many times these nasty little things are mentioned. Yet we know so little about them.

There's the one story, where His disciples can't cast out a particular unclean spirit, so they ask Jesus to do it. So He does. Then they ask Him why He could do it, and they couldn't, and He tells them that particular type of spirit requires fasting and prayer to cast out....so that insinuates a hierarchy amongst these unclean spirits.

There's the other story of Legion, from the Decapolis region of Gadara. Jesus steps off the boat, and this mad man comes running up to Him. Jesus asks his name, and he answers, "Legion, because we are many,"....so that insinuates a structure of unclean spirits, that could exist in one body!

If there is a hierarchy amongst these spirits, and a structure, there must be a whole society of them. There must be a vast amount existing simultaneously with us, or in us. And that's just the unclean spirits.

What is the nature of the relationship...who rules who? if there could be two existences simultaneously, could there be more? If we are to grasp hold of our true identities, these would seem pertitent questions. It would seem wise and prudent to discover their true nature.

Jesus, who knew the nature of these things, didn't like them enough that he cast them out of people. They, in turn, didn't like Him. Therefor, it would be more logical to assume that if it were in their power to play a part in the destruction of Christ they would. In fact, I would go as far as to say they amassed in Jerusalem that passover when Jesus was crucified, inhabiting what people they could, and screamed things like, "We have no king but Ceasar!" and "Crucify Him!" And perhaps one twisted a thorny crown on his head, or whipped Him. Or maybe they sat idly by mocking Him on His cross, saying with smug revenge, "Others you saved, but Yourself You cannot save."

One of the parables Jesus told was of the landowner who set up an area to grow grapes and make wine, then leased the land to others. At the end of the season he sent a servant to get his share of the harvest. They beat him and sent him away empty handed. Likewise they did to others he sent, even killing some. Finally he sent his son, thinking they would respect him. They reasoned among themselves that if they kill the son, they would be heirs to the land, so they killed him. Upon hearing this parable, the scribes left the temple, thinking the parable was against them. But it speaks more directly to the unclean spirits.

* * *

Perhaps none of the people present had anything to do with the crucifixion of Christ, but the unclean spirits and demons which inhabited them. And that's what Jesus meant when He said, "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do."

I'm be glad it's on DVD, because I can leave the light on when I finally get up enough nerve to watch the movie.