A comment on Dan Brown

I want to take a momentary break from Revelation to comment on Dan Brown's books. I don't know how many of you have read them, or seen the movies, but his books are insidiously dangerous toward Christians. Long before Brown wrote the Da Vinci Code I had come across the information on the "Holy Grail" teachings of a supposed bloodline of Christ from which the nobility of Europe has supposedly descended. I found the information to be dangerous, as the way this completely inaccurate and even blasphemous "information" is written, it sounds extremely convincing to anyone who is not thoroughly grounded in their faith and has a solid knowledge of the Scriptures. Now comes this latest book, which I have read, as I like to stay on top of these things so that I can talk intelligently about them. The message of this latest book is that the Bible truly is a source of enlightenment, but not in the way a true Christian would see it. It teaches that the Bible is NOT to be taken literally, but that it is a metaphor for man reaching his potential godhood through learning how to focus and control his mind. This is nothing more than a veil overlaying the teachings of Hinduism, New Age, etc. That Brown pulls Scripture verses out and twists them to try to show how Christ was really teaching us that we all are really gods and it is the convergence of all of mankind's minds that will propel mankind to the next level of existence is truly frightening. Non-Christians and immature Christians will not see that he is twisting these Scriptures to mean something that they were never meant to mean. The implication that is so scary in his writings is that those who will not join in this convergence are something that have to be eliminated.

The first thing that should make a Christian hear warning bells ringing is Brown's presentation of the occult and the Masons. The easiest way to do this is to merely quote his book. My comments will be enclosed in brackets [ ].

"..the word occult, despite conjuring images of devil worship, actually means 'hidden' or 'obscured.' In times of religious oppression, knowledge that was counterdoctrinal had to be kept hidden or 'occult,' and because the church felt threatened by this, they redefined anything 'occult' as evil, and the prejudice survived." [Let's start with the phrase "knowledge that was counterdoctrinal". This knowledge would be the teachings against things such as the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the sacrifice of Christ for our sins, the resurrection, etc. Yes, of course there was a threat in these hidden teachings. They are from Satan. Occultic things are always from Satan. Satan loves to make things hidden. God reveals himself to us. Satan never reveals himself as who he really is, or nobody would want to follow him. He poses as an angel of light. Thus the word illumination, and the group the Illuminati. They believe Satan is the light. That he still is Lucifer (light-bearer). Things that are occultic are evil as they are anti-God and anti-Christ. That is not a prejudice, it is merely fact.]

[One truth that Brown offers is that our forefathers were not really Christians but Masonic deists. That, unfortunately, happens to be true. Our country, as an independent nation, was not founded by true born-again believers, but by secret organization members who had a veneer of Christianity over their lifestyles. Their membership in their organization took precedence over a personal relationship with Christ, if they even had one. There of course were some true born-again believers in the whole process of our country's roots (for instance the Separatist Pilgrims), and down through the history of our country, but ultimately there has always been a group of Illuminists and Masons at the helm guiding the direction of our country for their own purposes. Brown tries to persuade us that the Masons are not a secret organization, as they exist very openly - as do their members, not denying their involvement. However, they are a secret organization, as what they do, they do in secret. Their biggest policy is that nobody tell what goes on, and the threat against anyone who does, is severe. A horrible death is one of the consequences. A vow, an oath is taken to cover not only the secrecy of what goes on, but to help the other members of the organization even when it means breaking the law. At the lower levels, many take this all as a sort of joke, as they don't believe that these are the actual consequences, but merely metaphoric, however there have been Masons who have paid with their lives for leaving and spilling the beans as to what really goes on. Here are some samples of some of the vows (which are prohibited by Scripture) that they take. These are quoted from a source who was in the Masonic Lodge "All this I most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, with a firm and steadfast resolution to perform the same...binding myself under no less penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out by its roots, and my body buried in the rough sands of the sea, at low-water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly violate this my Entered Apprentice obligation. So help me God and keep me steadfast in the due performance of the same." At that point the person has to kiss the book upon which they take the oath - in this country usually the Bible, although if a Jew it is the O.T., and if a Muslim, the Koran. Look at the oath they take for their brother Masons. "I will keep all the secrets of a Companion Royal Arch Mason (when communicated to me as such, or I knowing them to be such), without exceptions." This includes anything - stealing, murder, treason, that the "brother" might do. He must even warn a "brother" that is in danger of being apprehended with this oath, "I will not speak evil of a Companion Royal Arch Mason, behind his back nor before his face, but will appraise him of all approaching danger, if in my power." If you think that Masons do not take this seriously, think again. Even in matters of business, a Mason takes a vow to give business to another Mason no matter what. "....employ a Companion Royal Arch Mason in preference to any other person of equal qualifications." Have you ever wondered why some obviously guilty high ranking individuals get away with the crimes they commit? Suppose the prosecutor and judge are brother Masons. Their vow to their "brother" comes before their obligation to the court system. If it appears that this is taking things too far, I would suggest that it is naive to look at what is going on in the world and not see this happening.]

[Here are some quotes taken from the book which will show Brown's insidious teaching that the Bible is teaching something quite different from what we as Christians know that it teaches. In the book, the word atonement is changed to at-one-ment, meaning one with the universal consciousness. These first few quotes have to do with a conversation between an Episcopal priest who is a Mason and the hero of the book, Robert Langdon. The rest are conversations between Langdon and various people.]

"Father, we're all familiar with the Revelation of Saint John and the literal meaning of the Apocalypse, but biblical prophecy hardly seems---" " Oh, heavens, the book of Revelation is a mess. Nobody knows how to read that. I'm talking of clear minds writing in clear language--the predictions of [list of names of scientists], all anticipating a tranformative moment of enlightenment. Even Jesus said, 'Nothing is hidden that will not be made known, nor secret that will not come to light.' " [Notice that the book of Revelation which was given to us by Christ, is said to not have been from a clear mind, but that the ancient mysteries are from those with clear minds.]

[The Ancient (Babylonian) Mysteries are said to be] "truths which had to be 'concealed from the average man' and which promised great insight into 'the spiritual realm' "

"Now, after all these years, mankind had finally managed to utterly erode everything that had one been so beautiful about Jesus." [This is speaking of Jesus as having been an Adept who had harnassed his own mind potential to manipulate matter and had ascended to godhood]

[It then goes on to say that the priest is fueled with great hope and reminded of the prophecies written in the Rosicrucian manifesto]. "Chapter one: Jehova will redeem humanity by revealing those secrets which he previously reserved only for the elect.[according to this, it is the Ancient Mysteries] Chapter Four: The whole world shall become as one book and all the contradictions of science and theology shall be reconciled. [They want theology to reconcile itself to science. The truth is science needs to catch up with the Scriptures.] Chapter Seven: Before the end of the world, God shall create a great flood of spiritual light to alleviate the suffering of humankind. [this no doubt speaks of antichrist and the New Age enlightenment and so-called peace he brings] Chapter Eight: Before this revelation is possible, the world must sleep away the intoxication of her poisoned chalice, which was filled with the false life of the theological vine." [Notice the buzz words I have put in italics. This is the really insidiously frightening part. Think about it. It is obliquely referring to Christians who are poisoning the world by clinging to the "old ways" of the "false theological vine" (belief in Christ's sacrifice) who need to be put to sleep (killed) so that they don't interfere with the universal consciousness that has to be focused to bring in the quantum leap to the new consciousness.] "Galloway (the priest) knew the church had long ago lost her way, and he had dedicated his life to righting her course. Now, he realized, the moment was fast approaching."

"The precious words of these Adepts --Buddha, Jesus, [notice Jesus is said to be merely an Adept] Muhammed, Zoroaster, and countless others....Every culture on earth had its own sacred book.....each one different and yet each one the same..[notice that all have the path to God according to Brown and the Masons] ..For America's Masonic forefathers, the Word had been the Bible, [Masons exist in every religion and culture] and yet few people in history have understood its true meaning........Concealed within those pages, there hides a wondrous secret. One day soon the light would dawn, and mankind would finally begin to grasp the simple, transformative truth of the ancient teachings...and take a quantum leap [notice the use of the words quantum leap] forward in understanding his own magnificent nature."

"there exist powerful secrets hidden in the pages of this ancient book...a vast collection of untapped wisdom waiting to be unveiled.....And if you have any doubts, ...Corinthians overtly tells us that the parables have two layers of meaning: 'milk for babes and meat for men' --where the milk is a watered-down reading for infantile minds,[true born-again Christians according to them] and the meat is the true message, accessible only to mature minds.[ the Masons, Illuminati, etc.] [Paul was not speaking of hidden meanings, but that the milk of the gospel is the teachings of the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. The meat of the gospel is the understanding of the prophecies of the Second Coming, which permeate the Old Testament prophets. This is the meat of Scripture, in understanding that the mystery of God is not yet finished, but is taught in these books of the Torah and prophets.]

"our brightest forefathers....all warned of the profound dangers of interpreting the Bible literally." [The only way to get God's truth is to interpret it literally. God wanted everyone to understand, as opposed to these followers of the Babylonian mysteries who think they have secret knowledge that gives them power over the masses. Now you can see the relationship between the Christian teachings that originate from taking the Bible from strictly a spiritual and metaphoric standpoint (rather than literal) and the ancient mystery doctrines.]

"..the Bible does not talk openly for the same reason the Ancient Mystery Schools were kept hidden...for the same reason the neophytes had to be initated before learning the secret teachings of the ages...for the same reason the scientists in the Invisible College refused to share their knowledge with others. This information is powerful...The Ancient Mysteries cannot be shouted from the rooftops. The mysteries are a flaming torch, which, in the hands of a master, can light the way, but which, in the hands of a madman, can scorch the earth....don't you see? The Ancient Mysteries and the Bible are the same thing." [They most assuredly are NOT the same thing. The Bible is God's Word and His truth. The mysteries belong to Satan. The Bible's teachings are not for an elite group who have been initiated into their mysteries to achieve power over the uninitiated, but to anyone who will sit down and read the Word allowing the Holy Spirit to instruct them.]

"The Bible is one of the books through which the mysteries have been passed down through history. Its pages are desperately trying to tell us the secret. Don't you understand? The 'dark sayings' in the Bible are the whispers of the ancients, quietly sharing with us all of their secret wisdom." [The Bible is the only source of God's truth. The rest are books of men.]

"The Ancient Mysteries, as he understood them, were a kind of instruction manual for harnessing the latent power of the human mind..a recipe for personal apotheosis (man becoming God)." [Satan's same old lie from the Garden of Eden.]

""We've lost the Word, and yet its true meaning is still within reach, right before our eyes. It exists in all the enduring texts, from the Bible to the Bhadgavad Gita to the Koran and beyond. All of these texts are revered upon the altars of Freemasonry because Masons understand what the world seems to have forgotten...that each of these texts, in its own way, is quietly whispering the exact same message....'Know ye not that ye are gods?' " [Again, this was the first lie Satan told Eve. That she and Adam could be like gods if they disobeyed God. The same old lie still works.]

"..the only difference between you and God is that you have forgotten you are divine." [Need I say anything?]

"The ancient texts are obsessed with the power of the human mind. The Vedas describe the flow of mind energy. The Pistis Sophia describes universal consciousness. The Zohar explores the nature of mind spirit. The Shamanic texts predict Einstien's 'remote influence' in terms of healing at a distance. It's all there! And don't even get me started about the Bible....the Bible is encoded with scientific information....When you start to understand the cryptic parables in the Bible....you realize it's a study of the human mind.....When the Bible tells us to 'go build our temple'... what temple do you think it's talking about? You are the temple of God. The Scriptures are well aware of the power latent within us, and they are urging us to harness that power...urging us to build the temples of our minds....Unfortunately, I think much of the religious world is wating for a real temple to be rebuilt. It's part of the Messianic Prophecy....but that overlooks an important point. The Second Coming is the coming of man--the moment when mankind finally builds the temple of his mind." [People who believe this are in for a seriously rude awakening as to what the Second Coming really is. They will totally believe the lie that antichrist will present to them. They have been pre-programmed to accept it with all of these lies that are being promoted through books like Brown's, which unfortunately many, many people take as gospel truth.]

"Within a matter of years, modern man will be forced to accept what is now unthinkable: our minds can generate energy capable of tranforming physical matter.....our thought have the power to change the world." [I think that we are very near to the end of this age, but not as they think it will happen.]

"..if we as humans can honestly grasp this one simple truth..the world will change overnight....the power of human thought grows exponentially with the number of minds that share that thought....The idea of universal consciousness is no ethereal New Age concept. It's a hard-core scientific reality...and harnessing it has the potential to transform our world....it's happening right now." [It most certainly is happening right now, but again not as they think. They are in for a surprise.]

"Elohim,....I've always wondered about it." "Yes, the word is plural. God is plural because the minds of man are plural." [This is intimating that we are God, that it is our connected consciousnesses that created the universe.]

"The Ancient Mysteries refer to a body of secret knowledge that was amassed long ago. One intriguing aspect of this knowledge is that it alledgely enables its practitioners to access powerful abilities that lie dormant in the human mind. The enlightened Adepts who possessed this knowledge vowed to keep it veiled from the masses because it was considered far too dangerous for the uninitiated." [This is really talking about tapping into the occult, which in this book is rendered an innocuous word meaning hidden, instead of what occult really stands for, aligning yourself with Satan and his minions and interacting with them to attain powers.]

[As you can see, this book is extremely anti-Christian in that it is leading people to believe that true Christianity is the same as the New Age or any of those other teachings, but that the Church (which I will agree has been guilty of adding man's traditions and extra unbiblical stuff) has corrupted it to mean that we are sinners that need Christ's atonement instead of the "true" teachings which they say is that Christ was an Adept who was trying to teach us at-one-ment with the universe and tapping into our mind's potential so that we could become gods. Because of Dan Brown's popularity, these books and what they teach are filling people's minds with the idea that we as Christians are basically barbarians, who need to be eliminated as we are holding the world back from making this "quantum leap" into the new evolutionary stage of mankind. They will soon be taught that killing us is a mercy, as they say we will merely be reincarnated on some other planet so that we can work our way up to where they are on the evolutionary scale. You should be afraid of this stuff. You should be very afraid.