The following section appears near the end of Gary’s second book “The New World Religion.” It gives historical perspective to the battle being waged between good and evil.
Historical Summary
Pantheistic thought had its roots in Satan’s first lies to Adam and Eve—that they could be as God and that they would never die. From the moment the first man and woman partook of the forbidden fruit, Satan’s deception grew, and sin increased. By the time of Noah, man had become so thoroughly corrupt and intermingled with the demonic realm that God sent the Flood.
After the Flood, it took only a few generations before man had again embraced the occult. This was evidenced by the building of the Tower of Babel, which is believed to have been the first ziggurat, an occult worship tower with a shrine at the top. Throughout the cradle of civilization, the occult mysteries flourished.
All of the ancient mystery religions during the Bible era were pantheistic. Pantheism originated in the city of Babylon in Mesopotamia and from there spread rapidly in all directions to cover the face of the earth. Hinduism is one of the offshoots of the original Babylonian pantheism (via the Aryans of ancient Persia). And Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism. All of the Eastern religions of today are ultimately traceable to ancient Babylon, where the post-Flood rebellion against God began.
These occult forces completely surrounded Israel. To the west were the Egyptian Mysteries (also known as the Mysteries of Osiris). To the south were the Arabian Mysteries; the chief god of this pantheon was called Allah. To the east were the Babylonian and Persian Mysteries (respectively known as the Mysteries of Semiramis and the Mithraic Mysteries, or Zoroastrianism). To the north were the Assyrian and Phoenician Mysteries (including Baal worship) and later on, the Mysteries of Greece and Rome (referred to as the Mysteries of Eleusis, Dionysus, Bacchus, etc.). All of these pantheistic religions—at their base—were the same.
Although God had scattered the people from Babylon during the building of the Tower of Babel, this did not put an end to occultism; it only slowed its progress. As new civilizations arose in Egypt, Persia, India, etc., the occult practices of old were revived. The people had merely taken their beliefs and practices with them.
Although some changes and modifications had taken place in these “new” mysteries to suit the developing cultures of the various language groups, the basic tenets and practices remained the same. All of the ancient mysteries, for example, had a priesthood that ruled the country or empire in association with the appointed priest-king. In order to enter the priesthood, one had to go through a series of secret occult rituals and initiations. When an initiate reached the highest level (or inner circle) of the priesthood, the secret doctrine was revealed. It always included the worship of Lucifer, more frequently referred to in the mysteries as the God of Hades, or the God of the Underworld, and usually symbolized by the serpent or dragon. This should have sent a clear message to the people of the day that their religions were satanically inspired. By the time of Abraham and Lot, the human state had degenerated to the point where God once again intervened. Those were the days of
Sodom and Gomorrah, when perversion and immorality reached new heights.
Although Abraham was himself not perfect, he was a man who sought to do right
before God. Because he and his family were the only ones left who were willing to
acknowledge God, God honored Abraham’s faith by choosing to create a nation from his seed. God would work through Abraham and his descendents, the Israelites, to keep His truth and the way of righteousness alive in the midst of a spiritually darkened world. After a few hundred years, when Abraham’s seed had sufficiently multiplied, there were enough Israelites to constitute a physical nation. At that time, God led His people out of Egypt through His servant Moses.
The history of Israel would be one of victory and defeat. When the Israelites were obedient to God they prospered, and none of their pantheistic neighbors could stand against them. However, when the Israelites began to fall for the spiritual lies of the surrounding nations, these same powers oppressed them. God sent a steady stream of holy prophets to teach Israel His ways and to warn them of what would happen if they did not obey. Much like the relationship between a loving father and his child, while longing for his child (Israel) to be obedient, there were times when that child was rebellious and needed to be disciplined before something much worse happened.
The Israelites, through Moses, were instructed to bring regular animal offerings or sacrifices before God. These sacrifices symbolized the payment for their sins, reminding them that the result of sin is death. These offerings were also symbolic of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose death would pay the penalty for the sins of the entire world at the appointed time.
After the proper groundwork had been laid, God sent His Son. The message of forgiveness and the promise of eternal life to those who believe in Christ would be sent forth from Israel to all nations. Although the gospel (the good news) spread in all directions, it was not accepted by all peoples and met with more resistance in some places than in others. Those missionaries who carried the message into Babylon, Persia, and India were violently rejected; only a small number of people believed and received the truth there. The hold of Satan on these countries was so complete that, to this day, only a small percent of the Orient believes in Christ. For example, Hinduism (the oldest surviving pantheistic religion) is still being practiced by a majority of India’s inhabitants.
The story would be different in the Mediterranean where the gospel was accepted by large numbers of people in spite of fierce persecution against those who believed in Christ. Within a few generations there were so many Christians in this region that the high priests of the Mysteries of Greece, Rome, and Egypt began to lose their control. The teachings of Christ went head-to-head against the pantheistic beliefs and occult practices of the priests, exposing them for what they were. Finally, the occult priests were forced to go underground in order to keep their secret knowledge and traditions alive.
These occult teachings have been handed down from generation to generation. They were preserved in the Western world by the secret societies of Europe, which were a continuation of the ancient occult priesthoods. Satan’s plan was to keep his priesthood and secret doctrines alive until, being sufficient in number and power, the priesthood could once again seize control over his lost territories.
Gnosticism, the most effective and widely accepted form of pantheism, was more deceptive and clever than the others, developing the occult’s only major counter-explanation to the person and message of Christ. The Gnostics were the chief adversaries of the Apostle Paul and the early Church, relentlessly pursuing Christians wherever they went, long before the mystery religions began to crumble.
According to Masonic historian Albert Pike, Gnosticism was an offshoot of Kabalism—an oral occult tradition which was adhered to by a minority of the Jews. At some point, which remains uncertain, these occult teachings were reduced to writing, and the Kabalah was born. On page 626 of Morals and Dogma—the most esteemed work of Freemasonry—Pike states, “The Kabalah is the key of the occult sciences; and the Gnostics were born of the Kabalists.”
Kabalism was merely a unique version of the ancient mysteries specifically designed to deceive God’s chosen people. Unlike other mystery religions, its teachings dealt specifically with Israel, offering occult explanations to the revelations of the prophets—complete with a mystical interpretation of Israel’s history. Moses, for example, was presented in their teaching as an occult figure whose purpose was to initiate the Israelites into the “enlightened,” more advanced teachings of Egypt, rather than the biblical teaching that he was the righteous prophet of God who led the Israelites out of bondage.
If Kabalism could be viewed as the occult counter-explanation of the Old Testament, Gnosticism—existing as a further development of Kabalism and addressing Satan’s “new problem” posed by the risen Christ—would serve as the main occult attack against the New Testament. Thus, Kabalism and Gnosticism together, composed a type of occult parallel to the Old and New Testaments.
Gnosticism initially attracted a strong Jewish element. However, it rapidly gained Gentile followers until it soon became a predominantly Gentile movement. Gnosticism gained favor among the ancient priesthoods, becoming a magnet for many occult adepts. Branches of Gnosticism were the first significant secret societies in the centuries following Christ, with various degrees or levels of initiation, and the inner circle of initiates worshipping Satan.
As the followers of Christ increased throughout the Roman Empire, so did the persecution. Believers were relentlessly pursued by various Gnostic sects and the pagan Roman system. In spite of this, and partly because of it, Christianity multiplied and spread.
By the time of Constantine (around 300 AD), Christianity’s potential as a political force was recognized.The Roman Empire utilized the integration of Christianity to consolidate its authority. To achieve this consolidation, the pagan Emperor Constantine—in an unprecedented move—lifted the ban against Christianity and placed believers in various offices throughout the empire. Constantine’s plan of unification worked, and a politically “Christianized Rome” was born. Without realizing the full implications, Christianity had been wed with a pagan system. Meanwhile, antagonism continued toward true Christians, although to a lesser extent.
From the time of Constantine’s conception of a “universal” Church, its ceremonies, beliefs, and practices reflected the strong pantheistic influence of its pagan roots. For example, the concept of monks and monasteries existed for hundreds of years within Buddhism, long before “Roman Christianity” was born. It is interesting to note that the pope’s two-pointed headdress, the Mitre, is virtually identical to that worn by ancient Babylonian priests. The veneration of Mary is similar to the goddess worship of the ancient mystery religions (Semiramis in Babylon, Isis in Egypt, Diana in Greece, Cybele in Rome, etc.). And purgatory, while not identical to reincarnation, is a big step in that direction—promoting the idea of being able to work out one’s salvation after death.
Even some of the medieval Church’s symbols were borrowed from the ancient mystery religions. The all-seeing eye of Lucifer exists in many churches and shrines in Europe— often located above the altar. The ancient obelisk in Saint Peter’s Square (Rome) was transported from Egypt, where it was formerly used in fertility worship and represented male sexuality. These examples show how the medieval Church blended the ancient mysteries with certain Christian concepts to form a type of “Christianized” paganism.
In the 1100s and 1200s, a gradual renewal of the true gospel in Europe prompted persecution from the “official” Church. This led to one of the bloodiest periods in known history. For the next few hundred years, the Vatican’s pursuit of “heretics” was relentless. The Roman church was able to maintain and enhance its political strength by torturing and executing Christians who opposed them. Truly Christian groups such as the Waldenses and Albigenses, who would not bow to Rome’s authority, were hunted down and put to death. This persecution of the saints has been recorded in Foxes Book of Martyrs and other historical writings.
This was also the time of the Crusades and medieval religious orders. The Order of the Knights of the Temple—also known as Knights Templars—came into existence in 1118. The Knights Templars, under the blessing and protection of the papacy, grew in stature and power.
As a military order the Knights Templars played a leading role in a series of Crusades aimed at defeating the Muslims and conquering Jerusalem. These Crusades resulted in unspeakable atrocities against Jews, Arabs, and Christians throughout Europe and the Middle East. During the following two centuries, the Knights Templars—entrusted with great wealth by European nobility—became the world’s most influential bankers.
While they were perceived by many as a genuine, devout Christian order, it was later discovered that they were a secret Luciferic society operating under the guise of Christianity. Surprised and outraged, most Europeans felt betrayed. Although Pope Clement V initially protected the order, public opinion modified his position. To avoid further embarrassment the Pope reluctantly agreed to their punishment. After a bitter and prolonged trial overseen by King Philip IV of France, several of the order’s top leaders—including Grand Master Jacques de Molay—were sentenced to death for their crimes. Those Templars who escaped punishment went underground and would later resurface under a different name, to carry on their religious agenda.
As a result of the Templar scandal, the disaster of the Crusades, Rome’s continued abuse of power and wealth, and the ever-increasing persecution of true Christians—fear, anger, and distrust grew among Europeans. After centuries of bondage to Rome, an increasing number of people began to openly seek religious freedom. In 1517, a Catholic priest who had witnessed the excessive opulence, corruption, and apostasy of the Church, took a stand. In defiance of Rome, Martin Luther nailed his 95-point thesis to the door of the castle church in Wittenburg, publicly denouncing the errors of Catholicism. The Protestant Reformation had begun.
In spite of the severe persecution of Protestant Reformation leaders, the “heretical” movement grew. The “Church’s” influence became threatened. To counter the Reformation, the Papacy launched a new round of Inquisitions against all who rejected her authority. A new order called the Society of Jesus was created to attack the powerful new movement as millions began to search the Scriptures for God’s truth.
This “secret” order of Catholicism—also known as the Jesuits—was founded in 1534 by Ignatius Loyola, and would become the “eyes and ears” of the Vatican. Its supreme aim would be the destruction of Protestantism which was based on the doctrine of “Sola Scripture” (only Scripture), and declared that the only authority for Christians must be Jesus Christ himself, according to the Bible. To accomplish this feat the Society would work through education, political blackmail, and brute force. From their inception, the Jesuits would be used as the main weapon against uprisings.
The medieval order of the Knights Templars, on the other hand, would re-emerge in 1717 as the order of Freemasonry.* The Masonic Lodge represented the beginning of an occult revival in Western society. Although rooted in Catholicism, Freemasonry was publicly cast as the arch-rival of Rome. This perception would allow the order to penetrate Protestant circles—the ultimate goal being to bring the “lost sheep” back under Vatican authority.
Various organizations were established to accomplish the order’s objectives. The most infamous Masonic offshoot of the 18th century was the Illuminati, founded in 1776 by Adam Weishaupt. Weishaupt, a Bavarian, had been both a high-level Freemason and a Jesuit. His society, like that of the Knights Templars, consisted of initiates who had been “illumined” by the secret teachings of Lucifer—hence the name “Illuminati.” Even though the Illuminati would only exist for a decade before being exposed, its impact during that short time was significant. It had infiltrated some of the highest political and financial circles of Europe and the United States. The “brotherhood’s” purpose was to create a Luciferic world order. After the Illuminati was exposed, its initiates continued to operate within the Masonic hierarchy.
During the century that followed, a wide variety of occult societies were established. These groups include the Theosophical Society, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the Ordo Templi Orientis and a host of other “illuminized” orders and fraternities—all founded by high-level Freemasons. It was largely through these Masonically-inspired organizations that the New Age movement was born.
Since the beginning of this movement in the late 1800s, the one-world agenda has gained steady momentum. Today, both the Jesuits and Freemasons are working through their network to achieve unity under a new religious and political order. The revived Roman empire foretold in Scripture (Daniel 7-8) is taking shape; and the age-old religious conspiracy, master-minded by Satan, is nearing completion (Rev. 13-14). Thankfully, Satan’s reign will last only for a short time. The battle between God and Satan over man’s eternal destiny—which began with Adam and Eve—will finally end when Jesus Christ returns.
*Most Masons do not realize what their order is all about at its highest levels. This is largely because they have not taken the time to read their own historical and philosophical works. A more detailed history of the Knights Templars, their public demise, and the founding of Freemasonry, is provided in my book En Route to Global Occupation.