I had another 'ah hah' moment today. I wondered how many times the word pharmakeia appears in the bible.
Pharmakeia only appears 3 times in the bible and is translated as witchcraft or sorceries...
What if pharmakeia isn't mystical witchcraft or sorcery as we think of it? What if pharmakeia is the production of medicines that do not really heal but rather just produce more customers?
I am reminded of what my mother said and did when she was faced with rounds of chemo to treat the return of her common bile duct 'tumor'. She asked the doctor, "Will this CURE me?" He said, "No".
The pharmakeia would not 'cure' her. She rejected the pharmakeia, the witchcraft, the sorcery and held on to her hope... her faith... and died about 3 weeks later.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 idolatry, witchcraft (pharmakeia), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Revelation 9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: 21 neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries (pharmakeia), nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.
Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries (pharmakeia) were all nations deceived.
The goal of pharmakeia is to produce more customers not to cure all sicknesses.
Those pushing pharmakeia are unbelievers. They do not believe Jesus is the Christ. The bible says they are liars and antichrists. They promote MAN as their savior. They think MAN can produce the pharmakeia necessary to 'save' the world.
What if the end times are not marked by witchcraft and sorceries as we think of them but rather are marked by the promotion of pharmakeia... medicines that will cure all sicknesses! I imagine one or more of the 10 'kings' will be a leader of pharmakeia. Revelation 17:12-14
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