Smashing Ishtar for Real

 

Carolyn Hyde of HeartofG-d.org Ministry in the Galilee

An Israeli prophetic/intercessor/worshipper friend, jposted this morning that Israel just smashed the altars of Baal and Astarte (Ishtar). I was intrigued...in light of recent smashing of the 'Ishtar' altar in Washington, D.C.  (See Flights of Fancy below this article.)

So I checked the news to find out what she was referring to. It was the IDF smashing the Lebanon town of Baalbek after 2 days of warning residents to flee the area. The Israeli strikes targeted Baalbek because it is a political stonghold of Hezbollah, the Shi'ite Muslim group which is backed by Iran.

Baalbek also happens to be a "World Heritage Site" because of the 3,000-year-old Roman ruins there. This is why almost every news article is pushing the historical "treasure" of the site, rather than what murderous evil is launched from the city against Israel. 

We see the same principle at work when Palestinian terror groups in Gaza and West Bank hide their munitions and themselves behind locations the Israelis have been forced to make hard choices (because of world outrage) about destroying. 

     
It is because these terrorists nests are purposely set up in hospitals, children's schools - any place that if Israel takes care of the threat, there are going to be deaths and casualties of the most vulnerable citizens. Because even though Israel will give prior warning for residents to flee, the terrorists will try to make their own people stay in place. Their deaths will cause world outrage at Israel. You see, Israel values the lives of these people far more than the terrorists who use them a human shields. 

So in the IDF striking of Baalbek we see the same terrorist m.o. of hiding among World Heritage ancient ruins because the world will be outraged over any damage to the sites of false gods far more than the Israeli lives that are lost if the area remains untouched by Israel. 

The Lebanese city of Baalbek was named after "Baal," which means deity, and "Bek/Bekaa," which refers to the Bekaa Valley, a name which has shown up for years related to terrorist activities. It is where Hezbollah arms depots are located and is 30 km east of Beruit. 

Baalbek was a Phoenician city that became one of the most celebrated sanctuaries of the ancient world with pilgrims flocking to the city to worship at the temples of Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus, known under the name of the Romanized Triad of Heliopolis.

Now terrorists have made the city and region its stronghold even as Jupiter, Bacchus, Venus and the rest of the ancient false gods are no longer worshiped on the earth. 

The terrorists have cynically made the ancient "World Heritage" site its home because it offered them covering - a safety zone Israel would be hard pressed to bomb. That day is over. Israel is doing what it has to. The nations will still raise uproar about the ancient ruins of false gods, but REAL IDOLS must be smashed. 

Also, you have to see that ISRAEL WAS SMASHING REAL ALTARS OF IDOLATRY and this is a spiritual lesson to us, not to be satisfied with purely symbolic altars to idolatry. We have to get to the real altars in our hearts and minds.  

I do believe that it's fine to prophetically smash symbolic altars as long as we have a firm grip on the REAL IDOLS in our lives and in our nations. Our focus cannot be on some mythical 'god' or 'goddess" we have to see in modern days what our true idolatry is and how we are demonically influenced to DO sins, not by non-existent 'spirits' of false gods, but by real demons targeting us with evil thinking and acting.  We must smash the real demonic influences in our minds and hearts.

Earlier comments on the Washington, D.C. symbolic smashing of the altar of Ishtar (Astarte):

Oct 24 2024: Last night we were plunged into darkness. There was an electric outage in our small housing division that started right after 5pm and lasted until 2am. There were a few hours of sunlight left in the day so I finally picked up the book that is so popular among Christians and many Messianics who are thrilled to have a genuinely popular Messianic Jew that so many Christians listen to. 

I've had the book for many days that I wanted to give read through even though the premise of it did not sit well with me when it became center stage in American Christiandom a few weeks ago. It didn't sit well with me because of the scriptures that clearly rebuffs any spiritual power in idols. The book, which has an intriguing title, has been out a couple of years,but I was never drawn to read it. When I saw the traction is was getting among American intercessors, I knew I had to read to know for sure if it was solid material or not.

Last night with nothing else I could do but read a book, I finally picked it up and starting reading. I will say that the author is a greatly entertaining writer, but what I found was a fertile imagination. Even though the premise of the book is based on factual information of ancient myths and idolatry, it leaps out of what God's Word says about idols and demons. I could not find the biblical basis for the assertion that mythical gods and goddesses were actually demonic spiritual powers. 

What could it hurt to believe the ancient idols actually were inhabited by demonic spirits? A lot when it contradicts God's Word. The demons that have plagued mankind throughout human history, even as worshiping idols on a altar who went away for a couple of thousand years, never stopped. Demonic 'gods' and 'goddesses' are returning; they've always been here active. 

I fully believe in the reality of demonic spirits at work in people, but what I read in God's Word is stated clearly that the ancient idols are "nothing." Paul tells the Corinthians that exact thing in 1 Cor 8:4 "We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” 

He continues to explain in verse 7, "But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled."

The prophet of Isaiah lays it out brilliantly (44:9-15) "All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. . . .12 The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint. 13 The woodworker extends a measuring line; he marks it out with a stylus; he shapes it with chisels and outlines it with a compass. He fashions it in the likeness of man, like man in all his glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.14 He cuts down cedars or retrieves a cypress or oak. He lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a laurel, and the rain makes it grow. 15 It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread; he even fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it."

Isaiah had a lot to say about idols in various books and it is worth following up to get yourself settled in biblical truth rather than vain imaginations.

Psalm 115:4-8 also clearly laid out how all idols on altars were strictly man made - no spirit with any power animating them in the least. "Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. …5 They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; 6they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; 7 they have hands, but cannot feel; they have feet, but cannot walk; they cannot even clear their throats. 8 Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them."

Paul exhorted Timothy (2 Tim 4:2-4) "Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. 4 So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

Keep with the word. It is a fault in American Christian circles to want to be on top of the latest spiritual understanding and revelation. That desire leads many away from the truth of the Word of God into following flights of fancy. One example is desiring to know the latest new name of a demonic spirit. Suddenly the Jezebel spirit is "just a woman" but the mythical goddess Ishtar is a real demonic spirit. Now according the God's Word. The book of Revelation is pretty clear about the two major principality demonic spirits we are up against are the Jezebel and Beast spirits. No false gods and goddesses named at all. 

In 2 Cor 2:17, Paul told the Corinthians, "For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Messiah we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God." 

And in 2 Cor 4:2 he said,  "Instead, we have renounced secret and shameful ways. We do not practice deceit, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by open proclamation of the truth, we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God."

Lastly, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:32-34 continuing in 11:1-2 

10:32 "Do not become a stumbling block, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God— 33 as I also try to please everyone in all I do. FOR I AM NOT SEEKING MY OWN GOOD, BUT THE GOOD OF MANY, THAT THEY MAY BE SAVED. 11:1-2 "YOU ARE TO IMITATE ME, JUST AS I IMITATE MESSIAH/CHRIST. 2 Now I commend you for remembering me in everything and for maintaining the traditions, just as I passed them on to you.

I do not seek to harm anyone, but we need to be sober and stick to what the Word of God points us to.