Conspiracy in History - Jewish leadership and their secret idolatry (3/4)
By Orlando Fedeli - We read throughout the old testament that Jewish leaders were secretly involved in idolatry and wanted disseminate it through the people
Note from the translator: This is an essay by Mr. Fedeli named “Conspiracy in History: Examples from the Old Testament” which we are breaking in 4 parts:
Conspiracy in History
Examples from Holy Scripture: Conspiracy against Job and idolatry
Examples from Holy Scripture: Jewish leadership and their secret idolatry ←
Coming 01/20
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How and when did the father of lies dominate the Jews?
The destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar in the 6th century B.C. proves that even then the Jews had given themselves over to the devil. God then showed the prophet Ezekiel in a vision that he had permitted such punishment for the sins of idolatry secretly committed by the priests and rulers of the people. The description of the vision resembles a mystery plot.
“[7] And he brought me in to the door of the court: and I saw, and behold a hole in the wall. [8] And he said to me: Son of man, dig in the wall, and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door. [9] And he said to me: Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they commit here. [10] And I went in and saw, and behold every form of creeping things, and of living creatures, the abominations, and all the idols of the house of Israel, were painted on the wall all round about. [11] And seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and Jezonias the son of Saaphan stood in the midst of them, that stood before the pictures: and every one had a censer in his hand: and a cloud of smoke went up from the incense. [12] And he said to me: Surely thou seest, O son of man, what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every one in private in his chamber: for they say: The Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth. [13] And he said to me: If thou turn thee again, thou shalt see greater abominations which these commit.” (Ez. VIII, 7-13).
Then God makes him see that even "between the porch and the altar" there were those who "they adored towards the rising of the sun" (Ez. VIII, 16).
In this curious vision, God shows that the priests of Israel, in darkness, in secret, gave themselves to idolatry. To reach the scene of their crimes, they had to use secret passages... On the surface, the priests taught the true religion. In the darkness, in secret, they practiced another. Almost 600 years before Christ, the Jewish priests and leaders had secretly denied the true religion.
If they acted secretly, it was because the people were still faithful enough not to tolerate public idolatry. However, God destroyed Jerusalem by punishing all the people for the sin of the chiefs, because the crime of the rulers affects the nation as such.
One continually reads in the prophecies that the apostasy of the people is specifically attributed to the Jewish priests, elders and rulers.
“Indeed the lying pens of the scribes hath wrought falsehood” (...) “from the prophet even to the priest all deal deceitfully” (Jer. VIII, 8,10).
It was the priests who lost faith, doubting Scripture and worshiping Baal. The invisible God was beyond the clouds, far away. The idol, the demon, seemed closer and more accessible to them.
“The priests did not say: Where is the Lord? and they that held the law knew me not, and the pastors transgressed against me: and the prophets prophesied in Baal, and followed idols.” (Jer. II, 8).
Instead of taking care of the people, their leaders mistreated and led them astray.
“The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and its princes: for you have devoured the vineyard, and the spoil of the poor is in your house.” (Isaias III, 14).
“Because the pastors have done foolishly, and have not sought the Lord: therefore have they not understood, and all their flock is scattered.” (Jer. X, 21).
“As the thief is confounded when he is taken, so is the house of Israel confounded, they and their kings, their princes and their priests, and their prophets. Saying to a stock: Thou art my father: and to a stone: Thou hast begotten me” (Jer. II, 26-27).
“Astonishing and wonderful things have been done in the land. The prophets prophesied falsehood, and the priests clapped their hands: and my people loved such things” (Jer. V, 30-31).
“And I have seen the likeness of adulterers, and the way of lying in the prophets of Jerusalem: and they strengthened the hands of the wicked, that no man should return from his evil doings” (Jer. XXIII, 14).
“for from the prophets of Jerusalem corruption is gone forth into all the land.” (Jer. XXIII, 15).
These very curious texts always affirm that it was the leaders, priests and prophets who lost the people of God, believing the lie (in the singular) and secretly adoring idols.
It was no use, however, to conspire in secret, for the God who sees everything, knows the secret machinations and the most intimate arcana of hearts:
“Shall a man be hid in secret places, and I not see him, saith the Lord? (…) I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name (…) the prophets that prophesy lies (…) Who seek to make my people forget my name” (Jer. XXIII, 24-27).
Therefore, the punishments inflicted by God on the Kingdom of Judah were caused by an occult apostasy concerted by the priests who intended to corrupt the people by teaching lies in the name of the God of Truth.
That there was a conspiracy in the etymological and proper sense is declared in Holy Scripture by the prophet Isaiah who records these words of God:
“For thus saith the Lord to me: As he hath taught me, with a strong arm, that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying: Say ye not: A conspiracy: for all that this people speaketh, is a conspiracy” (Isaias VIII, 11-12).
The purpose of this conspiracy is explicit in Jeremiah:
“And the Lord said to me: A conspiracy is found among the men of Juda, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They are returned to the former iniquities of their fathers, who refused to hear my words: so these likewise have gone after strange gods, to serve them: the house of Israel, and the house of Juda have made void my covenant, which I made with their fathers.” (Jer. XI, 9-10).
The conspiracy of the leaders of Israel and Judah was made to lead the chosen people to idolatry, that is, to worship the devil.
“Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, who rule over my people that is in Jerusalem. For you have said: We have entered into a league with death, and we have made a covenant with hell. (…) for we have placed our hope in lies, and by falsehood we are protected.” (Isaias XXVIII, 14-15).
The conspiracy of Jewish leaders in the Old Testament to lead the people to worship idols was sealed with a pact with hell itself, that is, with the devil. The conspiracy was diabolical because it aimed to lead to and was directed by the devil.
"And they have set their idols in the house, in which my name is called upon, to defile it." (Jer. XXXII, 34). For it is not enough for the devil to be adored: he wants to desecrate the Temple of God, having the abomination placed in the holy place.
All this evil was the result of a conscious adherence to the lie, a determined will to do evil that led the conspirators to devise and study the most effective way to lead the people to sin.
“Jerusalem (...) hast trusted in falsehood” (Jer. XIII, 25).
“they have laid hold on lying, and have refused to return.” (Jer. VIII, 5)
“they have taught their tongue to speak lies: they have laboured to commit iniquity.” (Jer. IX, 5) and imitated “the (evil) ways of the Gentiles” (Jer. X, 2).
Why do the prophets continually say that the Jewish leaders embraced, recorded and taught the lie, using the term in the singular?
This must be related to the statement of Christ, who called the devil the "father of lies" (St. John VIII, 44), on the occasion of his great discussion with the Pharisees, whom he called the sons of the devil, that is, the members of the serpent race (Gen. III, 15). What is this lie par excellence that the devil is a father?