The Gates of Hell Shall Not Prevail: A Christian Rebuttal of Masking, Lockdowns, Vaccines, and Secular Intervention in Spiritual Affairs.
IC XC NIKA
The Book of Leviticus includes God’s instructions to Moses about how to address leprosy and plague. It is the third book in the Torah. Christ fulfilled the law, broke the curse of the law (Galatians 3:10-11) and established a New Covenant (Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25), and routinely criticized how the Pharisees enforced the law of God (forbidding healing on the Sabbath, stoning adulterers).
The Book of Leviticus establishes laws for how to deal with the plague. It’s place in the Jewish Torah means it is still, currently, Judiac/Mosaic law (ie, the religious laws of practicing Jews).
Leviticus defines the connection between the spiritual and plague/physical illegal, such as the cause of illness is related to spiritual matters (sin, separation from God, etc;).
Leviticus places all authority over plague and disease with the priest. Not secular authorities. Only the priest can make a declaration of cleanliness or uncleanliness. Leviticus establishes social distancing, disease investigating, quarantine, and masking as methods to protect the clean from the unclean.
The similarity of the Book of Leviticus to modern secular public health laws is an example of the State establishing a religion (violating the first amendment establishment clause of the United States Constitution).
Conversely, the New Testament commands Christians to rely on the Church for recovery and protection from illnesses. Christians follow the new covenant established with Christ (an agreement between God and His Apostles). Compelling Christians to submit to Judiac and Mosaic law (quarantine, masking, etc) is an attempt to force Christians to sin or face persecution.
Leviticus 13:1-8
The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,
“When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a case of leprous[a] disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests,
and the priest shall examine the diseased area on the skin of his body. And if the hair in the diseased area has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a case of leprous disease. When the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean.
But if the spot is white in the skin of his body and appears no deeper than the skin, and the hair in it has not turned white, the priest shall shut up the diseased person for seven days.
And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day, and if in his eyes the disease is checked and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up for another seven days.
And the priest shall examine him again on the seventh day, and if the diseased area has faded and the disease has not spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; it is only an eruption. And he shall wash his clothes and be clean.
But if the eruption spreads in the skin, after he has shown himself to the priest for his cleansing, he shall appear again before the priest. And the priest shall look, and if the eruption has spread in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a leprous disease.
Only after an extensive process is completed, which requires three to four weekly visits to the potentially infected individual and a determination the individual is unclean, can a priest require the individual to wear a mask. Individuals infected with leprosy, plague, or schall are to present to the priest if symptoms change (Leviticus 13: 8-44) and the priest alone has the authority to declare an individual clean or unclean.
Only after four weekly visits over 21 to 28 days can a priest mandate an infected person cover their face:
Leviticus 13:45:
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
Leviticus 13:54-57:
This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy, and scall, And for the leprosy of a garment, and of a house
And for a rising, and for a scab, and for a bright spot: To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean: this is the law of leprosy.
Under the New Covenant, the Church is a place of healing. This upholds the belief under Leviticus that prayer and the spiritual are inseparable from physical illness and disease. But unlike the Book for Leviticus, the New Testament does not compel or command Christians to isolate themselves from one another while sick. Instead, Christians are to heal at the Temple:
James 5:14-15:
“Is any one of you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church and let them pray over him, anointing Him with oil in the name of The Lord. And the power of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”
The inclusion of he will be forgiven again demonstrates a connection between separation from God and illness. This validates the Old Testament position in Leviticus that a priest acts as a physician of the whole body, including both its physical and spiritual needs.
We are supposed to remain unveiled, as we are made in God’s image. Mask requirements would act as a veil, causing a distortion of God’s perfect image:
Corinthians 3:18:
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
If we are a mirror of the Glory of God, and God nor Christ never wore a facial mask (whether for celebration or health reasons) then it would be improper to require Christians to mask and a violation of religious freedoms for secular authorities to impose such measures during worship.
Those Christ cured of leprosy asked “to be made clean” because the illness was understood both by God, Christ, and Mosaic law to be cured through worship, prayer, and natural methods. God nor the Bible demand man to seek healing from those separated from God. Ephesians 5:11 commands man to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” Healing requires worship, prayer, and communion with God. Institutions and individuals offering only physical healing should be avoided, as they are not consistent with God healing people through faith and commandment that man will not be justified by the law, as “we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Romans 3:28)” and “that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified (Galatians 2:16).
Christ healed those who had faith in Him. Christ did not rely on doctors, scientists, medications, or machines to raise the dead or heal the sick. God, taking human-divine form as Christ, can create anything. But when confronting plague (caused by diseases far deadlier than coronaviruses and influenza), God chose not to create medicines or vaccines. Instead, God healed through faith (authority that was given to the Apostles and all Christains):
Matthew 9:2:
“And behold, they were bringing to Him a paralytic, lying on a bed; and Jesus seeing their faith said to the paralytic, “Take courage, My son, your sins are forgiven.”
Mark 11:22-24:
“And Jesus answered saying to them, ‘Have faith in God. “Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it shall be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you.”
Acts 14:8-10:
“And at Lystra there was sitting a certain man, without strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze upon him, and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk.”
Matthew 9:28
“And after He had come into the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”
Matthew 10:8:
“Heal those who are sick. Bring those who are dead back to life. Make those who have skin diseases ‘clean’ again. Drive out demons. You have received freely, so give freely.”
Christ cured a man of leprosy by placing hands upon him, which violated the law requiring individuals to remain at least 6 feet away from lepers.
Matthew 8:2-3:
And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
Social distancing, ostracization of the incurable, and quarantine are common features of rabbinical law. During the time of Christ, rabbinical law forbade people from coming within 6 feet of someone with leprosy. That distance was extended to 150 feet if the wind was blowing. 6 feet social distancing is, therefore, deeply rooted Jewish religious laws, and implementation of such rules required by any public institution is an establishment of a religion by compelling all citizens to follow rabbinic Jewish law.
Rabbi Michael Samuel writes God and the Pandemic, A Judaic Reflection on the Coronavirus:
“The concept of social-distancing at a time of pandemics is discussed in the Responsa literature. The term “responsa” refers to questions people have asked rabbis for almost 1500 years in matters of Judaic law, traditions, and values…
In this chapter, we will look at one of the great rabbis of the 19th century—R Akiba Eiger (1761-1837) Each of these scholars took practical measures to ensure there would be social-distancing during the Great Cholera Pandemic of the 19th century….
When King Frederick III of Prussia heard about his heroism, he honored the rabbi with a special commendation. He recalls:
His Honor’s letter has reached me, regarding prayer in the synagogue during the pandemic. It is my view that gathering in a small space is inappropriate. However, praying in smaller groups consisting of fifteen people is apropos. The same process ought to be done with the Afternoon Service. Each group consisting no more than fifteen people. This manner can be applied to other groups of fifteen, who will have a designated time when to appear and pray. This method also applies to the Afternoon Service. After the prayer quorum, let each group recite the appropriate Psalms of healing, as selected by the King. In addition, the prayers concerning the incense should also be recited.
And they should be careful that more people than the quota of fifteen people should not push their way into the synagogue, perhaps by using a guard from the police to oversee this. Once they have reached the maximum [prescribed] number, nobody else must be allowed to enter the synagogue until the first group has finished. Set this request before the magistrate, and let the magistrate know that I have written this instruction for you.
In the event of noncompliance, then the local authorities must be immediately notified. You will certainly succeed if you mention my name, and that I have instructed you not to have large gatherings in the synagogue, which is a small space.
Leprosy history from the Jewish Library, which mentions Leviticus as justification for responses to plague, which are eerily similar to official government actions since the COVID-19 pandemic started.
Christ violated various laws to heal the sick (such as social distancing Rabbinical laws) but remained sinless, thereby demonstrating putting the spirit of God’s law and Love above the letter of God’s law:
Matthew 8:1-4
When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Luke 5:12-14
And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Christ gave authority to the Twelve Apostles to heal, demonstrating the proper rule of Christian priests and clergy to fill the role of modern era doctors in physical ailments:
Matthew 10:10:
And he called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.
Those responsible for crucifying Christ sought to kill him because he healed on the Sabbath, showing that the letter of the law was more important to the Pharisees than the spirit of the law:
When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”
The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”
He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ”
Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, [d]and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
Christ willingly risked persecution by the Pharisees for helping to heal the sick, upholding the greatest commandant in the law: love:
Matthew 8:1-4
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
To love someone unconditionally means to not treat them as “unclean,” as only a priest can make such determination (not laymen, parish council members, nor parishioners).
Christ opposed accusations that his disciplines were defiled for refusing to adhere to the hygiene practices of elders, indicating that things which enter us can not defile us. Conversely, defilement is evil which you expel, through your words, actions, thoughts, and heart. This demonstrates hygiene practices, such as hand washing, do not make a person unclean. Therefore, nobody should be treated within the Body of Christ as unclean for not following hygiene traditions or practices (be it for a specific disease or all diseases):
Matthew 15:2, 15:20:
When confronted by Pharisees accusing his disciples of violating the law for failing to wash their hands before touching bread, Christ stated it is not what goes in to the body that defiles a man, meaning poor hygiene alone is not indicative of being unclean:
“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread?”
But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
God chose us and we should expect to, more often than not, to take positions that conflict with the earthly world and its secular authorities (oftentimes resulting in persecution and suffering):
John 15:18-19
If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Christ instructs us to take up our cross and follow him, warning us that we will lose our soul if we try to save our own life (such as conforming to public health social distancing, masking, and vaccine orders, whose premise is to “save lives)
Matthew 16:25-25:
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
If Christ is always with us, then we must never fear the seas of turmoil in the secular world:
Matthew 28:20
And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age
Multiple prophecies from Orthodox elders warning about a man-made, flu-like pandemic and vaccines.
Father Basil (Vassilios) Kapsokaliviti Mount Athos (†2015)
“They will legally introduce carnivals [mask-wearing]* in the Church with a law. Whoever does not participate in these carnivals will be persecuted! You will witness many shameful and foolish things! You will travel miles to find a good priest and spiritual father.” Elder Basil of Kafsokalivia,
Saint Paisios
“They will find a disease for which they will make a vaccine, which will be mandatory, and which will be the beginning of the sealing.” Saint Paisios of Mt. Athos (†1994)
Elder Savvas Achilleos (†2016)
“They are warning us that the flu is coming. How do they know this? How do they know? Tell me, how? It is because they themselves will manufacture it and release it. Possibly, this will not be a common epidemic form of the flu, but a flu that will come when they themselves will bring it upon the world. A manufactured disease right from the United States of America. What causes this new disease which looks like the common flu? It is caused by a pathogenic mycoplasma. These are the medical terms. It will be transmitted through an anti-flu vaccine. This is the point where we must be very careful. The world will feel the need to receive the anti-flu shot, yet this vaccine will contain a cruel illness in and of itself and will not contain anything that will prevent people from contracting the virus. It is highly recommended to not proceed to any vaccination.”
The United States funded gain of function research at the same Wuhan lab where COVID-19 escaped.
The Gates of Hell Shall Not Previal
Christ is the Physician of Souls and the Church is the Body of Christ. Christ knew no illness or infirmity. Christ, as well as his disciples, exposed themself to some of the deadliest diseases in human history yet remained unharmed. They did not fear earthly diseases because they fully trusted Christ and walked as He did (Apostles and Saints alike have raised the dead, healed the sick, and manifested food). The Body of Christ is a place of communion with God, love, and healing. Any laws or orders restricting access to Church or closing Temples where the faithful can be healed violates constitutionally protected religious rights in the United States (Congress “shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.” The first amendment applies to the federal, state, and local government) and Article 18 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Christ commands us to fear God and God alone. Our fear of God should direct us towards using the Words of Christ to guide us when we deal with problems of This World. As the Earth is the Kingdom of Satan (Matthew 4:8-9, John 8:44, John 12:31, Luke 10:18) and our deliverance is on Mt. Zion (Obadiah 1:17). Christians should expect to feel out of place in a world overcome by evil, and should not seek to comply with the directives of those opposed to Christ or Divine Law.
For all problems humanity faces, God has provided the answer. God is the Alpha and the Omega. It is impossible to face permanent or spiritual death when you are in communion with God, who is eternal, infinite, and beyond our comprehension. It is impossible to become ill while in the Body of Christ. The belief that you can become sick while inside the perfect and sinless Body of Christ is to accuse God of imperfection. It is to claim the Body of Christ can become sick.
Implementing secular solutions to earthy problems is a failure of faith in God. It is a failure to love God with everything you are and to trust that His will will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. To adhere to any pandemic guidelines inside the Body of Christ is to therefore claim God’s will is for His children is to become sick in the very place they obtain healing and salvation.
We, as Christians, can not rely on secular institutions, atheists, agnostics, and people who are not in Communion with God to guide us on how to address earthly problems. Instead, we should only look to God and the Word of God, using the Apostles and Saints as examples of how to do God’s will on Earth. Individuals with no faith can not understand it, which is perhaps why many lockdowns included churches among “nonessential” services and religious exemptions for mandates are being denied by those who do not know true faith in an absolute, perfect, divine power. Asking a non-believer to understand faith is like asking someone who was born blind to describe what a sunset looks like.
The body is but one aspect of a human, and no true healing can occur if it does not address the spiritual components (ie, that which can’t be quantified or measured). A secular doctor can treat the physical symptoms of a disease, but nothing else. And there is no test a seculur doctor can run to diagnose the underlying spiritual issue connected to, or causing, physical illness. For example, if you become sick after going to a bar to consume spirits, a doctor can provide medications for your physical symptoms. But the cause of the illness if your choice to engage in gluttony by going to a place of immorality instead of a Godly activity.
Christ affirms physical healing of deadly and incurable diseases is based on Faith. Not logic, not science, not medicine. But faith and faith alone. Love of God increases Faith in God.
True faith in God causes fear and trembling. The Apostles, despite knowing Christ was the Messiah, were still fearful during a storm while sailing, to which Christ replied: “And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?” Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm (Matthew 8:25-26).
Imagine questioning your safety while in the presence of God! Yet Christ calmed the storm, reminding the Apostles that they need not fear anything but God so long as they have faith in God.
We must put everything we are towards trusting and loving God. We must not allow earthly, man-made problems to cause us to stray from the narrow path. And we certainly should not conform to solutions proposed by the same Godless, secular authorities that created the man-made problem we are facing. Because all problems of this Earth are the direct result of humans exercising their free will. Evil exists because some people choose to bring forth evil thoughts and actions. Those who have chosen to welcome evil into This World should never be trusted to guide the faithful. For We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven and we are the salt of the Earth. God will never abandon his flock because he chose us. But his flock must remain unquestionably faithful.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love (Eph. 1:3-5)
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.(Eph. 1:11-14)
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph. 2:19-22)
We are to redeem the world. God’s plan for us is one of redemption and being the Light that converts evil to love. We are that which turns the darkness into light. We must never forget that, as members of the Household of God, the only way to convert the darkness of our times is to overcome evil with love.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:
“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil Eph. 5: 8-16)
That requires us to face the current times with absolute, unquestioned trust in God. Our Kingdom is not of This Earth. The world will hate all those faithful to Christ. We must not become so attached to living comfortably and safe when Christ promises that all who are with him will be persecuted, defamed, ridiculed, mocked, and oppressed. God loves us so much that he chose to be tortured and crucified so that we may become Gods and be freed from spiritual death (which we ourselves were responsible for). Imagine the humiliation of God being whipped, spit on, insulted, and mocked in front of His Creation?
How blessed are we that God only asks us to love and trust him when he, as Christ, suffered more than any human could possibly comprehend?
How could death by any disease in this world compare to what Christ endured on the cross? We must, like Christ, carry our cross (Mattew 16:24). We must endure for the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Let us put on the Armor of God, with faith, and stand against the evil of our time.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The Gates of Hell Shall not prevail.
IC XC NIKA
