From Ancient Judgment to Modern Crisis: Lessons for Our Time

The prophecy in Isaiah 14 mentions that the "rod" which struck the Philistines was broken, and from the root of that snake which broke it would come up a venomous viper. The imagery of a "rod," representative of God's heavy hand, takes us back to a key moment in the Old Testament, specifically in 1 Samuel 4-5, where the Israelites faced defeat at the hands of the Philistines. The Israelites had just lost a battle, and in a desperate attempt to turn the tide, they brought the Ark of the Covenant into the camp, believing He would save them. But even Christ's symbolic presence on the Ark couldn’t save them, as they suffered even greater loss, with 30,000 soldiers killed and the Ark of God captured. Who sat on top of this box? Christ did—symbolically enthroned between the cherubim on top of the Mercy Seat. 

Isaiah 14:29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.

1 Samuel 4:3-5 When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, 'Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that He may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.' So the people sent men to Shiloh, and they brought back the ark of the covenant of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim. And Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

1 Samuel 4:10-11 So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

In that story, the "rod" that struck the Philistines was not a physical object but God's heavy hand—a symbol of His divine judgment and a WARNING! This rod, a powerful instrument of God’s wrath, had been used in the past to bring judgment not only upon the Philistines but also upon the Egyptians. This connection harkens back to the Exodus, where the "rod" of both Moses and Aaron, as a divine tool, was wielded to bring plagues upon Egypt, demonstrating God’s authority over false gods and idol worship. In the case of the Philistines, the Ark—symbolically carrying the very presence of God—was captured, symbolizing that in capturing the Ark, they captured God Himself.

GOD SENT COVID-19, HE IS THE ONE WHO SENDS THE PLAUQES. - DO YOU BELIVE IN SCRIPTURE OR NOT? - HE SENT EVERY PLAUQE IN SCRIPTURE!

The bubonic plague that struck the Philistines wasn’t a mere coincidence; it was a direct act of divine judgment in response to their audacious act of capturing the Ark of the Covenant—symbolically, capturing God Himself, who sat on that Mercy Seat. SIN CATURED GOD! The Viper I speak of often. This plague, a manifestation of God’s wrath and WARNING, led to the collapse of their false god, the statue of Dagon, which was found fallen and broken before the Ark of God, where Christ's symbolically sat. The accompanying afflictions—tumors, death, and widespread suffering—served as undeniable signs of divine retribution, compelling the Philistines to return the Ark to the Israelites. A PLAUQE - "Let my Son go!" This act of judgment mirrored the earlier plagues against Egypt, underscoring a consistent message: the "rod" of God's justice spares no one who opposes Him, whether they be Egyptians, Philistines, Americans or GLOBAL EARTH.

1 Samuel 5:2-4 Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained. 

1 Samuel 5:6 The Lord’s hand was heavy on the people of Ashdod and its vicinity; he brought devastation on them and afflicted them with tumors.

1 Samuel 5:11 So they called together all the rulers of the Philistines and said, “Send the ark of the god of Israel away; let it go back to its own place, or it^[c] will kill us and our people.” For death had filled the city with panic; God’s hand was very heavy on it.

Consider this: Why do we see the Egyptian Pyramid on the American dollar bill? Who placed it there? I firmly believe, without any doubt, that Christ's hand did - drawn by the finger of God Himself. Christ through one of His humans placed that image on the American one-dollar bill as a representation of our current state as captives in a modern-day Egypt. And then through the humans thereafter, He has made sure to leave it there since its first appearance in 1935. We must turn back, NOW!

So, what does this have to do with us today?

The rod that struck the Philistines continues to carry significant weight. Just as the Philistines suffered from the consequences of capturing God’s presence, we too are facing the consequences of rejecting the true God and embracing the false God, false idols of our time, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and the growing reliance on technology. These modern idols are not mere tools; they are becoming the very forces that control and manipulate our world, much like the false gods of ancient times, such as Dagon with the Philistines, driven by The Man of Sin himself.

Let's not forget AI has the miraculous ability TO SPEAK TO US!

Revelation 13:14-15 Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.  The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the IMAGE COULD SPEAK and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

In the context of today’s global challenges, particularly the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19, that is still killing 1,500 Americans per week, there is an undeniable connection to the plagues that struck Egypt and the Philistines. Just as God used the "rob" to bring judgment upon the Philistines, so too is He allowing plagues to manifest in our world today. COVID-19, like the plagues of the past, is a divine wake-up call—a reminder that we must return to Him, abandon our false idols, and repent. For just as God was captured in 1 Samuel 4, Isaiah 14 confirms that the rod is now broken. This "rod" is the vulnerable God I speak of often.

Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Please refer to the current global death toll of COVID-19, updated as of December 3rd, 2024.

The story of the Ark’s capture and return also offers a lesson in obedience. The Philistines, recognizing that God’s hand was heavy upon them, ultimately returned the Ark. They knew they could not escape the consequences of their actions. Today, we are similarly called to turn away from the idolatry of technology and artificial intelligence and to seek God’s guidance and protection.

The "rod" that struck the Philistines symbolizes both God’s power and His judgment. The viper that emerged from the root of the snake suggests that today’s rebellion against God will bring even greater consequences. The modern idols we embrace, particularly AI and robotics, are not neutral; they are becoming the tools through which the powers of darkness seek to control and deceive humanity. If we fail to recognize this, we are falling into the grip of the very "venomous serpent" foretold in prophecy.

As believers, we are called to recognize these signs of the times and heed the warnings given to us through scripture. The rod that once struck the Philistines is broken, but the lessons remain. Let us not rejoice in our technological advances or our material gains, but instead, let us turn to the true power that can save us—the power of God, the presence of Christ, and the lessons of history that call us back to obedience and repentance.

The time is now. Just as the Philistines were forced to return the Ark to its rightful place, we too must return to God, halt the rise of AI, and stop the advance of robotics. The rod has struck, and the choice remains: will we listen, or will we continue to defy the warnings and face the consequences?

Isaiah 14:29 Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent.

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