To Speak or Not to Speak in Tongues

To Speak or Not to Speak in "Tongues"?

To speak or not to speak in the babbling of tongues as most Christians and even some Messianic's do. It is a term that is greatly misunderstood by Shaul. As most of his teachings are misunderstood, so is the "Gift of Tongues" or shall I dare say the Gift of Demonic Tongues. This article will either shake you to your core and come out knowing in full confidence that babbling in an unknown language is merely a sign that the Torah is far from you or you will keep on believing in the world Christian Pentecostal view of speaking in tongues and see nothing wrong with it.

Everyone who I have spoken to and have first hand witnessed doing such acts will tell you that they are having a supernatural experience, therefore it is real. Who would doubt that? Of course it is real. But which source is it coming from, is the real question here. Is it from YHWH creator of heavens and earth or from the adversary, prince of darkness, who provides lying wonders and miracles? I will unveil the truth and origins of this phenomena and show that its purely demonic and not of YHWH. Are we not told to test the spirit of YHWH to see if it is of him or not?

1 Yochanan 4.

For any of you reading this article, and you have actually spoken in "tongues", did you test the Spirit of YHWH to see if it is of Him or not? Did you just assume that it was, because it felt supernatural?

I would like to commence by retelling an account that happened to me during my pregnancy, I specifically asked YHWH to show me a sign if it was from him. In addition, while I was a full 8 months pregnant with my first child another account happened that seal my knowledge and understanding on the "Gift of Speaking in Tongues".

Without going into many specifics I unknowingly married a biblical sociopath, he got me pregnant on purpose to assure my child could be used as anchor so he can stay here in the USA. We were separated throughout my pregnancy but I still was in prayer about having a full restoration. Little did I know that he actually never loved me and he fraudulently married me. He was part of a non denominational Spanish Christian church. I wasn't too aware (out of ignorance on my end) about what they believed and or did. After we were married, I noticed strange behaviors from my fraudulent husband. He was "slain in the Spirit", "falling backwards", and entertaining the famous "Holy Laughter". I had heard about it before, stories that my father encountered with people and he always said it was nonsense and demonic in nature. Since I never had a reference for what it was and what it meant, I decided to go with him to some of the Wednesday bible study cell group he was a part of. There I saw for the first time, Speaking in tongues, and the slain in the spirit of falling backwards. Honestly, I was sort of paralyzed watching what was going on. It felt off and not right in my spirit. I could clearly see, they were having a supernatural experience and I knew I did not want to be part of what that was. Questions raced thru my mind. Why would YHWH want someone to fall backwards? Why would someone babble and it sound like the same Gibberish over and over? Why did they fall backwards like a feather without their knees giving out? The most common thing is to bend your knees when you fall? I stayed quiet, I prayed... After this was over, I quietly asked him "how did you feel"? He said "I feel at peace". Again, I stayed quiet. Internally, I was wondering, well he doesn't look like he is in peace, his eyes were bug-eyed and his legs were shaking nervously and he sort of looked panicked in my opinion. All I responded was "ok".

The next experience I encountered was at the actual congregation. It just so happened that the "Pastor" was out of town and they had a guest speaker there that day. We sat down and the Speaker started saying, he was asked to speak but didn't have anything to speak about and then he began to laugh. I thought, oh maybe he is just nervous? Well, not really, I didn't know it but he began "The Holy Laughter". My con artist husband started to laugh, and I got upset, "Why are you laughing? This is not funny, I snapped"! Within a couple of minutes the entire congregation of maybe 500 people were laughing hysterically out loud. I began to look around and I noticed certain "women" who were leading and instigating this continuation of Holy Laughter. One was just a couple of chairs away from us. This whole ordeal lasted exactly 20 minutes. Twenty minutes of insane nonsense laughter. My spirit was disgusted and I was dying to get up and leave. Do you know that Pastor never spoke? His sole purpose was to instigate this Holy Laughter. As things died down, one of the instigating women who was sitting close to us started to cry and cry and cry. No one! not even an Usher came to console her. She was actually being really disruptive with it. Yet no one came to her aid. When the service was over, she got up and walked right next to me. How can I explain this? She smelled like death. Now I know where people coined the term walking zombie. I immediately covered my nose and turned to him and said, "did you smell that"? He said, "smell what"? Then another Pastor got up and asked everyone who needed prayer and laying on of hands and those who wanted to accept Jesus in their life to come up to the front. People flocked like turkeys to get up there, including my possessed husband. People started speaking in tongues, falling backwards, shaking on the ground, etc. The pastor proceeded to come down the aisles to start touching everyone in sight whom he could see. I immediately panicked, I don't want him to touch me! I prayed quickly, YHWH Abba father in the name of Yeshua, if this be of you then may I fall to the ground, if not may the Pastor not touch me at all." Amein.

This is what I am referring to: Testing the Spirit to see if it is of YHWH or not.

Can you guess what happened next? The Pastor touched every single person in my area, when he got to me, I was staring at him and he stopped right in front of me, looked straight into my eyes and passed his hand over my head in the air and never touched me and kept on touching every single person in this vicinity. What a sense of relief! I really did not want to flop like a fish on the floor. When we left I asked him, "how do you feel"? He said, "I feel at peace". This time I didn't stop at "Ok". I said, "well you don't look like you are in peace, your eyes are huge and your legs are shaking frantically". He immediately looked down at his legs and noticed what I said, and he replied sharply "well I feel at peace"! I replied, "ok, if you say so". I was 2 months pregnant here.

By the time I was a full 3 months pregnant, He physically assaulted me in front of my mother with intent to strangulate me and kill me and my unborn child. From that point on I separated from him. At this point, I still could not understand what was happening, I was confused and I prayed a lot for restoration and hopes that my son could have a father and I a husband but I stayed away and prayed from a far.

Twice a year they have both male and female retreats to an unknown destination. Throughout my entire pregnancy I was asked to attend this retreat for women and I would kindly deny it. I don't know why but the very last time I was asked was when I was approaching the end of my pregnancy. I was a full 8 months and had 4 weeks left to go. I said yes. I shouldn't have and I didn't want to. The Christian faith has nothing I want, but at this point I gave in to the pressure of any "hopes". Little did I know what would happen and come to pass.

The morning of the women's retreat, which was an overnight one, we were to get on a bus at 6am from their congregation. I showed up promptly and when we were all on the bus and on our way to the retreat, the "leaders" started asking for everyone's cell phone. She came to me and I refused. She was upset and arguing with me about it. She said that all of us need to give our cell phones up so that we are not distracted by it. Something about being completely immersed in time with the L--d. Oh how that term irks me to my core every time I hear it. It is hard for me to hear and my stomach not turn. Still, I was not giving up my phone, I was 8 months pregnant and I need it just in case something happened to me and I needed to call 911 and or my parents. I explained this to her and she was livid. She didn't care and all the way there and even when we arrived many different "leaders" were harassing me for the phone. In the meantime, I did not speak to anyone, all I did was stare out the bus window. Something deep inside me said to look where they are taking us. It was unknown destination... When I saw where we were heading, I could not believe it. It was in the middle of nowhere, farmlands outside of Miami. I'm pretty sure no one on this bus had ever been to this area before. YHWH is great! My best friend from my teenage years got married and lived literally a 5 minute car drive from where the bus dropped us off. I knew exactly where I was. What a relief.

When we walked into the house, there seemed to be one way in and one way out. It was a bunker styled house with a common area for eating and a kitchen. When you walked outside there were more bunker trailers, a pool, a very large back building and the most massive wooden stake cross I had ever seen in person. It was taller than the building. Think of the movie, Passion of the Christ.

After getting situated in the bunk beds with our belongings, the morning started with all of us ladies going into the large back building. As we walked in the were rows of single chairs.. maybe 8 rows of 10-12 chairs. There was a podium at front. I took a chair in the 1st row maybe about 6 chairs back from the front. There were women leaders assigned to each row. Each leader throughout the day would go up and give a testimony or discuss a subject. After the very first morning session. They proceeded to turn up the music so high my insides were vibrating. And they dimmed the lights. Each leader started with the first person in the row and worked their way back, praying for each women in their group. When the leader of my row got to me, I told her I did not want any prayer. She started pressuring me to do it and I said no thanks. As she was trying to get me to concede, a lady from the second row in the chair next to me, pushed me hard. I almost fell over. I jumped back and when I looked up that same lady was now on the floor. Her butt was on the floor with her legs up in the air, and she proceeded to "fly" on her behind across the floor and down the aisle. Now, I know why they wanted to desperately take my phone away. I immediately went to the door to leave and they guarded the door. They would not let me out. I said I need to use the restroom, I'm pregnant. They said, ok fine but they sent a lady with me and she was watching my every move. When I got out of the bathroom. I said I was tired and I wanted to go lay down, she said, no you can't. You have to go back inside. I argued with her for a while, more women started to surround me. I knew deep down, I was kidnapped at this point. I'm 8 months pregnant, my phone was in the room with my stuff and I was being held captive by "Christians". The entire day went on like this. A testimony, or subject, turn off lights, music prayer and women going crazy. Anytime I would look up to look around there was a women standing next to me and she would turn my head back down. She said, you can't look around. The entire day, I prayed and I prayed and I prayed. I had never prayed so hard in my life. I never managed to cry. It's hard to explain, but I felt a hedge of protection around me, I felt shalom, even though I knew the entire place was filled with demons. Every single woman there was possessed or oppressed, about 75 of them. By the time the end of the day came, a young woman walked up to me. She had beautiful deep blue eyes and light skin and dirty blonde straight hair. She seemed so warm and inviting, unlike the rest of the leaders. She came up to me and said, "Hi, You're so beautiful pregnant, you are Jewish right?, it is such an honor to be in your presence. I love the Jewish people. Would you let me pray for you? And she immediately touched my belly and started to pray. I actually felt my son move so hard, I jumped. And I told her don't touch me, I don't want anyone's prayers here. She of course tried to keep praying and I prayed against what she prayed. I prayed to YHWH if she has any unclean spirits that I reject her prayers.

I had not seen this girl throughout the day. Although, it's not like I could see most of what was happening, just glimpses and I could hear. It came to the part of the night where this girl who prayed for me, was introduced as the 2nd in Command Pastors wife. She came to give her testimony on how she received the "Holy Spirit" at 9 years old. As she was talking, I sort of found myself just starring at her... She had a glow around her that sort of drew you in. I caught myself pretty quickly. She explained how at 9 years old in her bedroom, she prayed and prayed so hard and asked for the Holy spirit to enter her. All of the sudden a strong gush of wind came in her room and knocked her across the room onto the bed and then on the wall. She immediately started speaking in tongues and could not stop. (no self control). She spoke in tongues for hours around her house in the middle of the night. As her story started to come to a close, that glow around her faded and I began to see a different look in her face as she started to talk about inviting the "Holy Spirit" into ourselves and into our lives. Her face started to show glimpses of witch like facial gestures. She then started to ask everyone to come up and receive the "Holy Spirit" and if anyone needed healing. Every single female in that place flocked directly to her as she held the power of healing and spiritual gifts.

What transpired from this moment on I was not expecting and what I am about to write and retell is one of the most horrific experiences I have ever gone thru. At this point, I still felt a hedge of protection and I prayed, I prayed all day, never ceasing. I had a women with me guarding me at all times and I was not allowed to go back to the bunkers still. I had been up since 4am and at this point it was now 9 or 10pm at night, with hardly any food, because most of it was not kosher for me to eat.

I requested to leave again to my bed and I was not allowed to. They said I could sit in a chair at the back of the room, so I did. While the entire day I was told to keep my head down and not look, I now had the ability to see everything that was transpiring. As the women there started to be touched by this head Pastoral woman, they are started falling in the spirit, screaming at the top of their lungs in "tongues" to the point their faces were blood red, flapping their arms like birds, falling on the ground roughly and hysterically laughing, some were on the floor singing mantras, a couple of them were completely possessed and violent, some cried really loud, some cried really low, some were running around, some laid on the floor passed out and some were dancing sensually.

This went on for about an 1 hour I suppose. As most of the women who were there for the retreat started to be "slain in the spirit" the leaders were left to commence this phenomena as well. The head women by this point looked completely like a witch in her face. The glow that I saw was completely gone and there was nothing but evil across her face and in her eyes. She proceeded to point from the front on this big room to each and every "leader" and to each one she pointed with her pointer and gestured with her pointer finger, down. So if I had words for what she was doing, it would go as the following. "You, hey you, yes you, down, down now on the floor". And then she would start laughing. She did that to each and every one of them. There were 2 or 3 "leaders" left sort of in their "right mind" still. A very clear voice said to me, "run, they are going to sacrifice you". Remember that big cross outside? It was just a matter of moments before the head witch would have control of everyone in that building and it would be just me and her. The same women who said it was an honor to be in my presence for being a Jew.

Since the door was not being guarded so intently anymore I ran for it. The doors opened and I ran to the room to grab my phone. As soon as I got there, a woman was running in behind me and she started yelling at me to go back. I started telling her to leave me alone and she wouldn't. She started to back me into a corner and yelling in my face. At this point tears trickled down my face, she didn't care. So I said out loud, "In the name of Yeshua my savior, save me from this place, take this demon out of my face, now. Amein. She was so mad and screamed really loudly and marched off. I took a deep breath and ran for the front door.

I tried every which way to open this door that had regular door locks inside. They seemed to be unlocked but the door would not open. I could hear commotion going on in the distance, I sort of panicked and ran to the kitchen wondering where I could hide. I saw a door and opened it, I thought it was a kitchen closet but it opened up into a large empty dark bunker room. I decided to try and hide under a bunk bed but I saw at the end another door. I ran to it and I opened it. It swung right open and out into the street! Halleluyah! Praise YHWH. I ran down the street in the direction towards my good friends home. I dialed my father on the phone. (you may wonder why I didn't dial 911 but I will explain in a moment) My father immediately answered. He said frantically, "Were are you? I have been waiting for your phone call"! I broke down at this point, I could barely talk or breathe. I said I'm near my friends house in the farm area down south Dade County on such crossing. He said, "hide I am coming to get you now". I asked how he knew I needed help but he passed the phone to my mom and I stayed with her on the phone until they got there. I could hear them searching for me, calling out my name. But I stayed quiet and kept hidden.

So I could have called 911, but I didn't. Hindsight, maybe I should have. At the moment I was scared they wouldn't believe me and I would look like the crazy one and they take my son away as soon as he was born. After all, this is a huge Christian congregation in South Florida. 75 witnesses to one. I suppose it played out the way it was supposed to.

When my Father arrived, I was so relieved, I can't even begin to explain it. He told me that on Friday afternoon the day before the retreat started, YHWH stopped him at work multiple times to pray for me, because I was about to witness a spiritual demonic orgy. He said all day on Shabbat YHWH had him praying for me. I asked him why did he let me go if he knew in advance this was going to happen. He said it was very difficult to do this, but YHWH did not say to stop me from going but rather to pray for me to stay strong, while I would witness everything. At the moment I was a bit upset. He knew what I was walking right into and I didn't have the warning.

Now I understand the purpose of why he allowed it to happen. There are multiple levels to this horrific experience.

1. Never ever speak in "tongues" or associate with anyone who does on an intimate level. Clearly as you can see its purely a demonic language and a sign you are far from Torah.

2. Anyone who calls on the Holy Spirit and the L--d to come and dwell in them is asking for Baal to come inside them. Hence the babbling of tongues. I know this statement might upset some people. I apologize, it is not my intent, but from what I experienced, YHWH's Ruach is not what showed up but demonic spirits. So if they called on Holy Spirit to come, for me it's safe to say I will never use that terminology. I would use set apart spirit or Ruach from YHWH.

3. Never marry someone unequally yoked.

4. Have faith that no matter what, YHWH/Yeshua can save you even from your mistakes. It might take longer to get out of the whole. But there is light.

5. Slain in the Spirit, Holy Laughter, whatever... is all demonic.

6. I witnessed an example on how YHWH used someone else to intercede for me while I would endure this trial and I pray Abba uses me to send this message out loud and clear for others.

7. It just made my faith in Abba that much stronger.

I have seen in Messianic circles people speak in "tongues" and it's the same gibberish I heard that day in this Christian circle. There is nothing different about it. One was Messianic and one was Christian. Same exact sounds and babble. In many instances, within the Messianic movement, I have been around "believers" who speak in "tongues" and you could be talking to them and all of the sudden they start babbling. I would ask, what are you doing? They would say, oh speaking in tongues but don't mind me. Well how confusing was that? Isn't that doctrine that people uphold about tongues not supposed to do it without an interpreter? I have seen people go up on stage "oh shandalala, shsandalsh, eosllsldi, lshlkeksd, skkkirrri, skssssh, shandalah la lala lalalala,. etc. and no interpreter? Something is really wrong with this picture... they go against their own rules? Confusion in YHWH's place of gathering? How is this edifying in any way?

I do want to point out, please don't mistake my generalization of messianic circles to mean everyone, I know not all places of worship do this.

To Speak or not to Speak in the well known form of "tongues".

Survey says: NOT TO SPEAK.

There is no seed of this babble language in Torah, nor did our Messiah Yeshua speak anything in reference to it. If someone is reading this and speaks in "tongues", I ask that you take a good hard look if this is something you should be dabbling with.

I know what I saw and what I heard. There is no way I would ever be convinced otherwise.

I pray you hear my story and become convicted on this topic. I have been wanting to write this out for almost 4 years now. I finally have.

May YHWH use this to open up other believers eyes and even in some instances, repent.

Amein.

Amanda Roth

1 Corinthians 14:20-25

Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be babes, but

in your thinking be mature. In the Law it is written, “By men of strange

tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even

so they will not listen to Me,” says YHWH. So then tongues (ecstatic

mumbo-jumbo or vocal gibberish) are for a sign, not to those who

believe (faithful to the Torah), but to unbelievers (unfaithful to the

Torah); but prophecy (Law, Prophets, Writings) is for a sign, not to

unbelievers (rebellious against the Torah), but to those who believe

(Torah faithful). If therefore the whole church (Torah congregation)

should assemble together and all speak in tongues (a cocktail of

confusing gibberish speech - Sibylline-style Oracles), and ungifted

men (spiritually unregenerate men) or unbelievers (Torah

unfaithful) enter, will they not say that you are mad? (insane? Takes

one to know one) But if all prophesy (Law, Prophets, Writings in the

Hebrew tongue), and an unbeliever (Torah unfaithful) or an ungifted

(spiritually unregenerate) man enters, he is convicted by all, he is

called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he

will fall on his face and worship Elohim, declaring that Elohim is

certainly among you.

"Slain in the Spirit"

I would like to delve into the term "Slain of the Spirit" or Falling Backwards.

Falling face backwards is a sign of pride and falling or prostrating face down in a humbling act. When you greet a King and Queen, do you nod your head upwards at them in arrogance? Or do you bow down head towards the ground, showing "respect" towards their authority?

The scriptures mentions 4 times where people fell down backwards as examples of their infidelity and sin.
Contrary, people who fell forward on their knees or face, the scriptures states this has happened about 30 times. Results were always good and profitable.

Scriptures citing falling backwards:

1. “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider shall fall backward” (Gen. 49:17).
2. “Then it happened... that Eli fell off the seat backward by the side of the gate; and his neck was broken and he died” (1 Sam. 4:18).
3. “But the word of YHWH was to them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little, that they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught” (Isa. 28:13).
4. “Then – when He said to them, I am He – they drew back and fell to the ground” (John 18:6).

John 18:6 is commonly used by supporters of falling in the Spirit. However, the following needs to be said about this practice from a biblical point of view:
Firstly, the people who allegedly fell in the Spirit in John 18:6 were the enemies of Yeshua, including Judas Iscariot.

Secondly, the falling backwards was not a condition of unconsciousness or fainting. It was rather a reaction of shock by lost people after meeting YHWH. John 18:6 can, therefore, not be used as justification for the present practice of falling in the Spirit, because it clearly suggests that those who fell down were lost sinners.

Thirdly, in the Scriptures people commonly fell forward on their knees or face. Every time when that happened (about 30 times) the results were good and profitable.

Although supporters of "falling in the Spirit" use these scriptures to justify their practice, the contrary is true. These verses explicitly refer to a falling forward on the knees or face. That was mostly a conscious act: “Then Abram fell on his face, and Elohim talked with him” (Gen. 17:3).

There is indeed a spirit that makes people fall down, but that is not the Spirit of Elohim – that is an evil spirit. There are various examples of this in the Bible. Mark says, “For Yeshua healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried...” (Mark 3:10-11).

In another case a boy with a mute spirit was brought to Yeshua, “and wherever [the spirit] seizes him, he throws him down... Then they brought him to Yeshua and when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and he wallowed” (Mark 9:18,20). After Yeshua rebuked the spirit and commanded him to leave, He assisted the boy to get up: “Yeshua took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose” (Mark. 9:27).

A case has also been recorded in Capernaum where Yeshua delivered a man who was possessed by an unclean spirit: “Yeshua rebuked him, saying, Be quiet and come out of him! And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him” (Luke 4:35).

The Set Apart Spirit warned us that in the last days the devil will succeed in even seducing believers to accept wrong doctrines which are propagated by deceiving spirits: “Now the Ruach expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1). John says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of Elohim; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

References to Falling Face Down

Matthew 17:6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
Daniel 8:17-18 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, "Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end. "18And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up.

Ezekiel 1:28
28Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of YHWH. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.

The following Scriptures are used in defense of prostrating or falling face down from the Spirit: Gen. 17:3; Num. 16:4; 24:4; Lev. 9:24; Jos. 5:14; Jud. 13:20; 1 Kings 18:39; 1 Chron. 21:16; Ezek. 1:28; 2:1-2; 3:23; 43:4; 44:4; Dan. 8:17; 10:9; Matt. 2:11; 17:6; 28:1-4; Mark 5:33; Luke 5:8; 8:47; 17:16; Acts 9:4 or 26:14; 16:29; 1 Cor. 14:25; 2 Cor. 12:2-4; Rev. 1:17; 4:10; 5:8; 19:4.

Even prostrating forward gets little Scriptural support or encouragement usually because Elohim, Yeshua or an angel often tell the people to stand up (Ezek. 2:1-2; 43:3; Dan. 8:17-18; 10:9-10; Matt. 17:6-7). In Matt. 17:7 Yeshua said to His disciples who fell on their faces because of fear: “Arise, and do not be afraid.” Therefore, YHWH's Set Apart Spirit is rather associated with the act of rising than with falling.

In conclusion to this section, falling backwards is to go away from the Torah, the commandments, the Law of Moses and the prophets.

"The Gift of Tongues"

I would like to quote the following paragraphs which have been taken from a very lengthy article I found against speaking in tongues. It is written by Avi ben Mordechai from Jerusalem.

In English, Hosea 13:1 reads as follows from the NKJV Bible translation:

When Ephraim spoke, trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended through Baal worship, he died.

In the English of the NASB, we have this comparative translation of Hosea 13:1 -‐

When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. he exalted himself in Israel, but through Baal he did wrong and died.

The above teaching in its context demands that we remember that strange and hideous

behavior of our nation’s idolatry and reminds us that it was through the subservience and

worship of Ba’al that death kept Ephraim in its grip. Let us compare this concept of death with what Moses wrote in the Torah at Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (abridged below for space) -

See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil, in that I command you today to love YHWH your Elohim, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments...So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving YHWH your Elohim, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which YHWH swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.

By extension, the Torah then goes on to teach at Numbers 30:2 the following:

If a man makes a vow to YHWH, or takes an oath to bind himself with a

binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according

to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Essentially, the contract of Sinai was ratified in blood and it was a done deal; the nation

became the People of YHWH and in trade, they had an obligation to obey YHWH’s Kingdom Law -

the written Torah of Moses. Much later on, after centuries of continual faithlessness (no faith)

and disrespect for the divine contract, the Prophet Hosea spoke out boldly in the Name of YHWH

and said in 13:1 -

When Ephraim spoke, trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when

he became guilty through Baal worship, he died.

Taking a look at the Hebrew text, something very interesting emerges. Here, we see that as

Ephraim is speaking, he (collectively) is trembling and at the same time, he is exalting himself in Israel. In the end, Ephraim’s guilt in the worship of Ba’al kills him. I find that the biblical text of YHWH is pretty straightforward about the sins of Ephraim and the context of the rest of the verses of Hosea 13 will bear this out. However, for this study, I want to draw our attention to the divine complaint that Ephraim was trembling and proud and I can assure you, there is more going on in the Hebrew than meets your eye in English. Let us take a look.

In the English of Hosea 13:1, “trembling” and “exaltation” are two words represented by the

Hebrew terms “Resh Tav Tav” and “Nun Sin Alef.” The term Resh Tav Tav (Ratait or trembling) is what is called Hapax Legomenon. This means that there are no other places in the entire Bible where you can find this word and so, it forces us to look deeper into how the root was used, by consulting its use in other Semitic languages, so that we can better grasp the meaning of it here in this text. In looking at this word in its context carefully, I noticed (like I am sure you too would notice) that there are some additional connected ideas. Consider that within the context, Hosea is saying that Ephraim was speaking; was feeling quite proud; had become guilty; had not listened to the prophets; and ultimately, their actions through Ba’al worship, led to death. One very fascinating place in all of scripture where we can see these concepts come together as one teaching unit is in 1 Kings 18. This was the story of Elijah and Jezebel’s 450 prophets of Ba’al -‐all sons of Israel under the nose and permission of Ahab.

Teaching from 1 Kings 18:25-40

The trembling that Hosea speaks about through the use of the Hebrew word Ratait (from

Resh Tav Tav), is more than just a show of terror or trembling; it’s actually shaking and raving

like a bunch of lunatics. It is a sense of trembling, shaking, stammering, mumbling, talkers! This describes what was going on at Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18, in the contest between Elijah and the Prophets of Ba’al. The large retinue of these guests of the prophets of Ba’al (those gathered around the altar) was, in fact, the people that trusted in Ba’al - the Israelites that Elijah was trying to help by turning them around and reforming them. You can read the whole story on your own as I think you will find it very appropriate in trying to understand what was going on at the time.

What I wish to do here however, is to direct you to a few highlights of the story so that I can point you to the real message behind the words. Notice the following things going on in 1 Kings 18:

25-40:

1. Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one ox for yourselves and prepare it first for you are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.” Then they took the ox which was given them and they prepared it and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon saying, “O Baal, answer us.” But there was no voice and no one answered. And they leaped about the altar which they made.

2.Elijah mocked them and said, “Call out with a loud voice, for he is Elohim; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened.” So they cried with a loud voice and cut themselves according to their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out on them.

3.When midday was past, the prophets of Ba’al raved until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice; but there was no voice, no one answered, and no one paid attention.

4.Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O YHWH, Elohei Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are Elohim in Israel, and that I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your Word.”

5.Elijah says, “Answer me, O YHWH, answer me, that this people may know that You, O YHWH, are Elohim, and that You have turned their heart back again.”

6.The fire of YHWH fell, and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “YHWH, Hu HaElohim; YHWH, Hu HaElohim.”

7.Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

This short narrative is packed with spiritual lessons that concern what we do with our

tongue (our speech) and to whom we believe that we give our allegiance. For the four hundred and fifty (450) prophets of Ba’al, their faith was in the chief deity of Canaan - Ba’al, the source of all the gifts of nature. All these men were false prophets performing a series of cultic rituals that involved leaping, calling out to Ba’al, cutting themselves, crying out with loud voices, and raving in the sense of entering into a prophetic trance, which has a close connection to the idea of what Ratait in Hebrew implies: panic, trembling, shaking, mumbling, yelling, stammering, cutting the flesh.

Do you see where I am going with this? There appears to be a definite connection between

what the prophet Hosea speaks of in 13:1 and what was happening in the contest between Elijah and the Israelite prophets of Ba’al on Mount Carmel; a series of ecstatic cultic religious behaviors, actions, words, sounds, and responses to the jibes of a real prophet of YHWH - Elijah. Indeed, this whole scene of 1 Kings 18 in conjunction with what is spoken about in Hosea 13:1 looks a lot like what is going on today in many Charismatic circles, as multitudes of so-called “spirit-‐filled” believers in Jesus or Yeshua (or whatever they call him) allow themselves to be possessed for Ba’al, as they give adoration to “the LORD,” which is the English term for “Ba’al.” Consequently, when Christians or Messianics say, “LORD GOD,” as in, “I praise you LORD; I praise you GOD; I love you Jesus; I love you LORD GOD, and then go on to perform rituals of laughing, leaping, speaking in ecstatic languages (tongues), they are in a very real sense, worshipping Ba’al; saying, “BAAL GOD,” “I praise you BA’AL,” I praise you GAWD,” I love you Zeus (Je-zeus), etc.... This is some very serious stuff that millions of Christians are doing, probably not even aware of what they are injecting into the unseen dimensions where all this darkness lives and functions. It’s high time that it stops,

now. Remember the passage that I quoted from Jeremiah 7:23-26 about YHWH’s love for Israel

and how He would send His prophets daily to help correct the nation; to guide them into the path of truth? Did the people listen? No, they did not. Here again, is the passage that I previously

quoted from Jeremiah 7:23-26:

...But this is what I commanded them, saying, “Obey My voice, and I will

be your Elohim, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the

way which I command you, that it may be well with you.” Yet they did

not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in

the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not

forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt

until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising

early and sending them. Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear,

but stiffened their neck; they did evil more than their fathers.

The part that I want you to see is the phrase, “...and in their stubbornness of their evil heart,

they went backward and not forward.” Again, I want you to pay attention and see what is going on around you in Charismatic and Pentecostal Christian gatherings. The people (perhaps even you) allow their bodies and their minds to be thrashed and thrown backwards by the Prophets of the Lord - “Ba’al.” The meetings get loud just like what happened in 1 Kings 18. Then a ruach or spirit is unleashed and sent out, sometimes en mass to large numbers of people and sometimes to just one or two at a time. Then, WHAM! The person goes down...backwards! My friends, this is the worship of the Canaanite deity of Ba’al in our own generation and I’m sure that if Eliyahu (Elijah) were here to witness this, he would have no fear in dealing with it as he dealt with it back in his own day. This being said, let us now connect all of this to something that Sha’ul (Paul ) of the Brit ha Chadasha (New Testament) said in 1 Corinthians 14:20-25 -