The Revival of Paganism - the Modern Pagan Man
Pastor Dale Morgan
The Revival of Paganism - the Modern Pagan Man*
Paleontologists speak of Neanderthal Man, Australopithecus and many
other pre-human forms that were supposedly forbearers to modern-day homo
sapiens. All of this supposedly happened over many millions of years
ago. Of course, removed from literal biblical interpretation, we know
this whole field of study remains highly imaginative and speculative.
There is already a long legacy of the Bible having trumped scientific
skepticism on many issues, whether historical, scientific or otherwise.
All of the Bible has proven true, except that which remains unfulfilled…
or remains to be scientifically discovered or proven. As everything that
has already been fulfilled or discovered has proven to be 100 percent
accurate, it takes only a small leap of faith to acknowledge that the
rest of the Bible that science still argues with will also prove
accurate. That truism applies to science, therefore also to the theory
of evolution. With respect to physical evolution, the Bible doesn’t
mention any different species of humans, sub-humans or any developmental
biological stages of mankind. As it happens, there simply isn’t any hard
proof for the theory of evolution. It remains a religion. Nor is there
any difference between ancient humanity and that of today. Man’s basic
characteristics, both physical and temperamental, have not changed one iota.
With respect to humans, the Bible only makes one major racial
distinction — that between Jew and Gentile. Even more importantly, the
Bible makes one other distinction between humans — between the pagan and
the righteous. It’s here that we see the real evidence for evolution,
although a spiritual version — paganism.
That’s our launch point for our study. Virtually all anthropologists
agree that today the earth’s sphere is populated by the socalled modern
man. In contrast, Bible prophecy speaks of the “Modern Pagan Man” of the
endtimes. Today, he is the fittest creature inhabiting and dominating
the earth’s new economic sphere.
Finding Ancient Pagan Man
To discover the “Modern Pagan Man,” let’s first examine the character
and behavior of the ancient pagan. The Bible offers a detailed
description. However, to get a balanced and accurate picture, we need to
do a brief word study. There is no specific word in the Bible for
”pagan.” In fact, we cannot even find the word “pagan” in some Bible
translations (for example, the King James Version, International
standard Version, American Standard Version and
others). Why? Because it is a word that originated later in New
Testament times.
Today, we commonly take the word “pagan” to mean a heathen person who
worships other gods or idols and is outside the Christian or Jewish
faith. In biblical times, a heathen was also a Gentile (though there
were believers in God who were not Hebrew).
Before Christ died for the sins of all and extended salvation to the
Gentiles, the Gentiles and heathen were essentially the same. At the
beginning of the New Testament era, most Jews still considered their
newfound salvation through the Messiah as a progressive fulfillment of
the existing Jewish faith (the religious world had not yet definably
split into Jews and so-called Christians). It took a little while before
it was broadly recognized that there were Christian Gentiles who were
neither heathen nor Jewish. Therefore, at the start of the Church Age,
only one Greek word was still used to describe both Gentile and heathen:
ethnos. This word appears 167 times in the New Testament. The point of
this is that in our study of the “evolutionary” pagan, we will only look
to those verses of the New Testament where the word ethnos is clearly in
the context of the newer sense of the word — “heathen.”
A study of the Bible reveals many common characteristics of the “pagan.”
We will only review five of these. All are directly linked to the
evolution of our materialistic “Modern Pagan Man.”
1. Self Interest
“If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even
the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what
are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew
5:44- 47) In these verses, Jesus makes the point that the “pagan” person
operates purely out of self interest. Pagans’ actions are motivated by
their own wants and pleasures, the personal pursuit of happiness and
comforts. They only love those who love them and revile those who
likewise repudiate them.
Today, some 2,000 years later, this pagan characteristic of self
interest has greatly evolved and is now held up as the very force
leading the world to betterment, continued progress and prosperity. In
fact, supposedly advanced economic theories hold this impulse of “self
interest” in high esteem, representing a rapid transition having taken
place in basically less than a few hundred years. It is a foundational
tenet of market-based capitalism, the term used for today’s type of
commerce (which, by the way, actually has little to do with capitalism
in its original sense). The main result is that the entire world has become
deeply commercialized. Increasingly today, commerce is the prime reason
for existence and the very definition of life.
What does the Bible say about the “self interests” of “Modern Pagan
Man?” It provides a clear message for societies who choose to define
their existence in purely pagan terms … in other words, societies that
have given themselves over to the rule of economics and Mammon. Tyre and
Babylon are poignant examples. Neo-Babylon (in the era of
Nebuchadnezzar) was all about business. According to studies, Babylonia
was essentially a commercial civilization. Virtually all of the
documents that have survived from this culture are business documents.
Another prime example is the history of Tyre, the extreme
commercialization of which the Bible itself provides clear documentation.
The city of Jericho may be another and even earlier example. Probably
the most ancient habitation in the world and one of the most prosperous,
it was the city selected by God to be the first conquered by the Hebrews
as they entered Canaan. In fact, this city was the only one miraculously
destroyed and the only Canaan conquest that was completely annihilated —
women, children, livestock and all. God wanted it completely expunged.
Why? Could it have reeked of generations of idolatrous commercialism?
God didn’t want any of Jericho’s culture to rub off on Israel. Joshua
even prophesied that whoever would resurrect this city of Jericho would
suffer the loss of his first and second born (Joshua 7:26). Exactly as
prophesied, this occurred 600 years later during the reign of Omri, when
Hiel of Bethel did so (1 Kings 16:34).
2. Worry About Material Things
Pagans are totally consumed with material things, according to
Scripture. “So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What
shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them” (Matthew 6:31–32 and Luke
12:29–30). By this definition, then, it would be pagan to only preoccupy
oneself in the pursuit of possessions and lifestyle. Scripture refers
here to only two items — food and clothing. In the society of that day,
both defined lifestyle as well as the necessities of life. This verse
therefore does not refer to mere subsistence. Clothing and food both
have necessary functions. To attribute any other value to them is
idolatrous and pagan.
Of course, in the modern age, lifestyle is defined by many more things
than just food and clothes. To be sure, there are premium brands in
clothing, top designer names, the latest accoutrements. The same is also
still true for some foods. The finest wines are sought; the food brands
that are the most effectively advertised are the ones people may strive
to buy. Mostly today, lifestyles are defined by other baubles such as
expensive Swiss watches, luxury cars, the latest gadgets, spacious,
palatial homes and much else. To have them all is the epitome of the
successful life, the trappings of elite existence. That’s the implicit
goal and value of a society of pagans. “Running after these things” is
today part of a highly sophisticated culture of branding, consumer
surveys, advertising and psychological research. In this sense, there
has been much change over the centuries and millennia. Here again we see
evolution in progress to the “Modern Pagan Man.” Viewing the massively
endemic commercialization of America and other nations, it is hard to
imagine that much more evolution could yet lie ahead.
3. Concern About Tomorrow
Societies that do not put their faith in God, by definition, must worry
about the uncertainties of tomorrow. The Bible says that it should be
otherwise: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34). This verse is connected to the
two verses before (Matthew 6:31–32), which speak of pagan practices.
In that context we understand that worrying about tomorrow is a “pagan”
preoccupation of the ethnos. These worries about the uncertainties of
tomorrow have driven a monumental amount of economic and financial
evolution over past decades and centuries and have clearly added to the
intensity of the commercialization of human life.
The introduction of insurance services is just one such example. No
doubt, the vast array of insurance products available does provide
useful services. Also, in recent decades we have seen a boom in
sophisticated financial instruments that in turn have underpinned an
unprecedented rise in global financial wealth. Many of these instruments
are based on mathematical concepts that seek to overcome the
uncertainties of tomorrow. Few people are either expert or aware of
these trends in the wild jungles of advanced economic and financial
innovation. Meanwhile, back on Main Street, life is clearly different as
a result of these many services that cater to the “uncertainties of
tomorrow.” Today, no one would think of not having life, home or auto
insurance. Most agree that it is unwise not to have an IRA or a pension
to protect against the uncertainties of retirement. Just taking the few
services mentioned leads to at least five different purchases on a
monthly installment plan. To the extent that a chronic
worry about the future has led to increasing commercialization and
idolatry is clearly pagan. This intensification of “worries over
tomorrow” is therefore an identifier of “Modern Pagan Man.”
4. Self Indulgence and Debauchery
The Bible clearly refers to people who live lives of dissipation and
indulgence as being pagan in character. Paul identified the Hebrews as
having acted like pagans when they had parties and revelries while
Moses was up on the mountain (Exodus 32). “Do not be idolaters,
as some of them were; as it is written: ‘The people sat down to eat and
drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry’” (1 Corinthians 10:7).
Apostle Peter took the same view: “For you have spent enough time in the
past doing what pagans choose to do — living in debauchery, lust,
drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They think it
strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of
dissipation, and they heap abuse on you” (1 Peter 4:3-4).
Reveling, debauchery, bacchanalian feasts and wild sensuality were seen
as being part of the worship exercises of the pagans. (The Amplified
Bible also mentions frivolousness and hilarity.) These aspects of
paganism are highly promoted today. Why? It’s good for business … good
for economic growth. Morality is not the relevant question. Revelry and
frivolity adds to economic growth whatever forms it may take. And
businesses on the leading edge in this regard often are the most
successful. Television programs and movies that cater to this trend are
an example, and many more could be listed. It’s part of a sophisticated
economic culture. Increasingly, these pagan “lifestyle” activities may
include mindless entertainment, drugs, pornography
… and much, much more. The “Modern Pagan Man” guiltlessly consumes and
indulges.
5. Ultra Competitiveness
The Bible pictures pagans as being competitive. They are seen vying for
the fulfillment of their personal wants. As already reviewed, “they run
after” the things they want (Matthew 6:31). Jesus indirectly points to
another competitive behavior of the pagans: “[…] whoever wants to become
great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must
be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20: 26-28).
Apparently, He said this while in Jericho — the city rebuilt from the
ruins of ancient Jericho. In contrast, “The kings of the Gentiles lord
it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves
benefactors” (Luke 22:25). By inference, pagan society is marked by
“oneupsmanship,” the desire to be the “top-dog” as society would define
it, and to rule over others. Achieving these goals requires competitive
behavior.
Of course, we recognize that competition is one of the most venerated
principles on earth today … for better or worse. Of course, nothing is
wrong with striving for improvement if the motivations are healthy and
balanced. However, the type of competitive behavior identified here is
the jungle rule, “survival of the fittest.” It is a type of competition
that is devoid of charity or love for others. This form of
competitiveness is deeply imbedded in pagan society — our society. Even
something as simple as buying a security on a stock exchange for the
sake of gain embodies the notion that one person’s success can only come
at the price of another person’s misfortune. Be that as it may, that’s
the accepted way of “Modern Pagan Man.”
Having reviewed just five of the pagan characteristics of ancient
mankind we indeed see proof of evolution. Yes, all the basic
characteristics of mankind remain the same. Yet, we do see that there
has evolved a modern, sophisticated pagan. Anyone who truly understands
the workings of the great global commercialization that reigns today
must face the true extent of the paganization of today’s world. Brief as
our description has been in this article, the world of “Modern Pagan
Man” sets a stark contrast to the primitive heathen of ancient times.
Does the society we see today already witness the “Modern Pagan Man”
that the Bible depicts during the endtimes? And, if so, what does the
future hold for the modern pagan?
The Endtime Pagan
The Bible prophesies many things that will happen to the “Modern Pagan
Man” and his endtime world.
“‘Ethnos’ will rise up against ‘ethnos’” (Mark 13:8, Luke 21:10). The
word ethnos here is commonly translated as “nation.” In other words,
there will be much unrest, warring and competition as pagans will rise
up against pagans. The ethnos will be holding Israel in bondage during
the latter days and will be judged (Acts 7:7), this being the same
period referred to by Jesus as the “time of the Gentiles” (the time of
the ethnos) (Luke 21:24). The pagans will set up vain systems that
conspire against God: “Why do the nations (ethnos) conspire and the
peoples plot in vain?” (Acts 4:25, Psalm 2:1). They are going to be
angry that God will unleash His wrath upon them and reward the
saints. Revelation 11:18 clearly says the ethnos are destroying the
earth. What form of destruction referred to here is not clear. On
balance, it seems to be referring to physical destruction. Could this
include such phenomena as pollution, environmental damage and
other results of overconsumption? The pagans are the ones who are
in alignment with the endtime commercial and political regime portrayed
as Babylon the Great found in Revelation 17–18. It is the ethnos who
“drink of the wine of the wrath of Babylon the Great’s fornication”
(Revelation 14:8, KJV). All pagans are deceived by the sorceries of this
global regime of which the “merchants were the great men.” (Revelation
18:23).
Thoughts to Ponder
The descriptions of the ethnos in the last days already align with what
we see unfolding in the world today. Surely, an anthropologist examining
the records of the time described in Revelation 17–18 would name that
era the time of the “Modern Pagan Man.” It is clearly a civilization
marked by extreme consumption, endless wants, materialistic idolatry and
a fixation on wealth. The evolution of this “pagan” is truly advanced.
But this description already fits the description of the human species
of our time.
How many of us might find similarities with the modern pagan way of
life? It is an important and timely question. Only the ethnos (and the
surviving Jews) are the ones who in the end — after the Great
Tribulation — finally come and worship before God. “…for all ‘ethnos’
shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest”
(Revelation 15:4, KJV).
After all, “Every knee shall bow,” says the Bible (Isaiah 45:23). All
the ethnos will sing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and
to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you
purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and
nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9-10).