Island of Malta—A culture of humanism before arriving to the world capital.

Acts 28:1-10

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

• Introduction to Malta.
• Humanitarian kindness, a fire built, cold rainy weather.
• Paul was bitten by a venomous snake and he shook it off.
• Paul heals the father of the chief official of Malta and then the rest of the sick came to him.

Introduction to Malta.
The storm-battered ship [spoken about in the posts from Acts 27:1-44] ran aground just feet away from the sandy shore of Malta! For a description of the sandy shore, click here for a post on the “Lowering of the Water” from Acts27:27-28. The ship was sailing for the world capital, and Malta would be the last stop before arriving there. The ship was completely broken apart by the surf and those aboard the ship had to swim, float on the broken ship flanks, etc. to make it to shore. There were 276 people aboard [Acts 27:37], consisting of the Roman centurion, the 100 soldiers with him, the prisoners, the crew, the pilot, and owner of the ship. Paul was a prisoner on the ship for preaching the Gospel of Christ and was being transported to Rome to stand judgment, be imprisoned, and eventually executed.

Paul had two Christian friends with him [not prisoners] [Acts 27:2]. One of those friends was Luke who wrote the book of Acts and the gospel of Luke. Luke was also a doctor, Colossians 4:14. We know Luke was with Paul, as the writer of Acts, because of what is written in Luke 1:3 and Acts 1:1-3. In both of those scripture references, Theophilus was who the letters were written to, and Luke is the one who wrote to Theophilus.

As seen on the map below, Malta is just north of the tip of Africa and just south of Sicily. At the time of Paul, Rome was the world capital and is about the middle of the “boot” on the south or west coast. Italy is shaped like a boot. That is how close Malta is to the world capital after setting sail from the coast of Israel. The journey to Malta from Israel was about 1227 miles as a bird flies. The journey to Rome from Israel was about 1445 miles as a bird flies. The journey from Malta to Rome was about 423 miles as a bird flies.

The ship was sailing for the world capital, Rome, and Malta was the last stage before arriving there. Today, the cities, states, and nations around the world are being storm-battered and driven to the “sandy shore” of “Malta” by the lowering of the spiritual waters. The metaphorical Malta is the last stage before arrival of the undisputed one world government through the goals of the United Nations.

The posts on the verses of Acts 28:1-10 describe the culture of Malta. What was the inhabitants of Malta like? In a sentence, they were an atheistic culture of humanism. The people of Malta are described as showing “unusual kindness” in the post on Acts 28:1-2. They believed in a false god that worked through the physiology of animals and creeping things, as described in the post on Acts 2:7-8 Paul was judged as being a murderer because a venomous snake bit him, but considered a god when no harm came to him. In many ways, they showed honor to the people who served them, as described in the post on Acts 28:9-10. Humanism is “An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.” Humanism is the fig leaf worn by those who serve the entity that has power over physiology to give what to feel, do, think, and say.

The culture we live in today can be described as being an atheistic culture of humanism, like the inhabitants of Malta. The god of today’s culture, which is global, is the atheistic entity that has power over physiology of human beings, animals, creeping things, birds, etc. We are just inches away from Malta as the people and nations of this storm-battered world are being driven to the world capital. The world capital being the United Nations as the undisputed one world government.

Paul was not led to Malta by the Spirit but was a prisoner on the storm-battered ship [for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ] when it was driven towards Malta. Paul even warned the captain, pilot, and owner of the ship not to start to sail on the journey towards the world capital [Acts 27:9-11]. At the same time, the hand of God is behind Paul and Luke being there to write this prophetic message to us today. The Holy Spirit is letting us know how near we are to the one world government of the beast as we are just inches away from the global shore of Malta [the atheistic culture of humanism].

While on the island of Malta, not one word is recorded of Paul speaking the Gospel of Christ to the inhabitants of Malta, no warning of the judgment to come as a result of their atheism. Everywhere else in the Bible, everywhere except on Malta, Paul always spoke of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The natives [in some translations it calls them barbarians] were not open to the Holy Spirit to hear the testimony of Jesus, and Paul was not led there by the Holy Spirit. Malta was not a place where the Holy Spirit was able to do His redeeming work. As Paul wrote through the Holy Spirit, “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.” 2 Timothy 2:16 Arguing for Jesus Christ, with those of Malta, would have led to much ungodliness, such as violence and death coming from the natives of Malta. In turn, this would have led to a violent response from the 101 Roman soldiers [as guards over those belonging to their ship]. Bloodshed and perpetual ill-will would have been the result.

“Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls— Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” Habakkuk 3:17-18

Somebody might ask how a person of God, like Paul, could be silent in a culture of atheism. God speaks these words through Micah, “Do not prattle,” you say to those who prophesy. So they will not prophesy to you…” Micah 2:6 We have to realize that when the United Nations is established as the undisputed one world government of the beast, there is a “half hour” of silence in Heaven, nothing is heard from God. This is a “half hour” of peace for the global government and its global culture. At the same time, God puts His mark/seal on the forehead of Believers. Then after that “half hour” of silence, the events of the Seven Trumpets of Revelation 8, 9, 11 are unleashed. This is explained in Revelation 8:1 “When He opened the seventh seal [reveals the events of the Seven trumpets], there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” and also “Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” Revelation 7:2-3

Paul was on Malta for about three months because of having to wait for the winter months to pass and for Spring to come. In the Spring, another ship would be boarded by all 276 persons who were shipwrecked with Paul. From Malta, everyone boarded the ship to sail for the world government. The ship had the “hood ornament“/figure head of the twins, one a human and one a god!

Humanitarian kindness, a fire built, cold rainy weather.
“Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The natives showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.” Acts 28:1-2

The storm-battered ship was completely destroyed just offshore of Malta. Those who were aboard the ship swam or floated on broken pieces of the ship’s planks to arrive safely on shore. They discovered that they were on Malta. Luke, who wrote the gospel of Luke and this book of Acts, described the inhabitants as being “unusually kind”. Luke was familiar with the kindness living through the Holy Spirit, but the people of Malta were kind in an unusual way. This is a kindness associated with the beast with two horns like a lamb, which is Satan’s version of the Holy Spirit, as described in the post on “The Beast with two Horns Like a Lamb” from Revelation 13:11-12. The unusual kindness is also spoken about in this verse, “For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.” Roman 16:18 These are those who have a form of godliness but deny the power of the Gospel of Christ.

The storm-battered peoples and nations of today’s world are being driven to Malta on the way to the world capital, on the way to the United Nations being established as the undisputed one world government.

The natives of Malta were so kind as to build a fire for everyone that survived the shipwreck because it was rainy and cold. Even with all of the kindness shown from the inhabitants of Malta, not one word of praise is given to God for them, no recognition of them being brothers and sisters in Christ, and no acknowledgement of the Holy Spirit living through them. As we learn in the verses of the next post, they were atheists who served their own god. In all the verses describing Malta, not one time is the Gospel of Jesus Christ preached to them. Every single book of the New Testament [associated with Paul and Luke] mentions God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit, except when on Malta. This reveals to us that the people of Malta, as kind as they were, were not receptive to the Holy Spirit to hear about the Living God and their need for Jesus Christ.

The inhabitants of Malta describe today’s culture that forms though humanism. Humanism is “An outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Humanist beliefs stress the potential value and goodness of human beings, emphasize common human needs, and seek solely rational ways of solving human problems.” Humanism is the fig leaf worn by those who serve the atheist entity that gives them what to think, feel, say, and do. This entity gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people. Today’s culture is groomed to the mark of the beast by what they are given to say and do. Today’s culture is not receptive to the Holy Spirit, and they hurl a lot of negative feedback when hearing about the need for Jesus Christ.

Malta was the last stop before everyone boarded a ship to the world capital, Rome, after being on Malta for three months [Acts 28:11]. Likewise, the metaphorical “Malta” is the last stage of forming the global culture before arriving at the world capital, which is the global government with their global culture. This is when the United Nations becomes the undisputed one world government.

The fire being built by today’s culture is made for everyone who are not part of the community family. The fire is formed by the hostile environment created by the atheist culture towards those who are rejected by them, unwanted by them, or critical of them. That includes Christianity. In that environment, the mixing of “unusual kindness” with the building of the fire, produces the metaphorical rainy and cold weather.

Today’s culture, which is global, uses behavior modification to persuade people to live by the entity that gives them what to think, feel, say, and do. Positive responses are given to those who behave according to expectations, and they are shown “unusual kindness”, warmth, and esteem. They receive social approval. Negative feedback is reserved for those who are not performing according to cultural expectations, and they find themselves in the fire, amidst the cold and rainy weather of social disapproval.

The Holy Spirit says to us, through Paul, “But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. 2 timothy 2:16-17 I envision this was the case while on Malta. The inhabitants of Malta probably would have become very unsettled, angry, and aggressive to be told their god was useless and they needed to serve the God of Jesus Christ. Much ungodliness would have increased. This describes today’s culture that is very hostile towards Christianity, hostile towards belief in the Living God, hostile towards speaking of the need for Jesus Christ, and hostile towards living in the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Paul was bitten by a venomous snake, and he shook it off.
“Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the natives saw the venomous beast hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the god of justice has not allowed him to live.”  Acts 28:3-4

This verse reveals the atheism of the “unusually kind” inhabitants of Malta and the false god that they served. They served a god that lived through animals and creatures of all types to bring judgment against social crime. A venomous snake bit Paul and he was immediately judged to be a murderer. However, we know Paul lived for the Holiness of God and he spent his entire born-again life to spread the message of life through the gospel of Christ. As we know, it is much better to be judged by the mercy and grace of God than to be judged by a false god that lives within the physiology of creatures.

Today, there is an entity that lives through the physiology of animals and creatures of all types and is the same entity that gives human beings what to feel, think, do, and say. In fact, animals and creatures are mentioned in the Bible as being part of the turmoil on this earth, “I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” Revelation 6:8 Speaking of the global government, “‘She has become a place for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.” Revelation 18:2

I’ve often heard people say how much they love the companionship and comfort of animals, but they choose not to own a pet because of the aggravation and trouble they bring instead. I’ve also heard people talk about their pets being unusually riled around certain people, apart from the natural instincts of the animal. I’ve also heard people talk against the those that were attacked by an animal, wondering what had gotten into the animal to bite and maul a person. They were thinking that the entity with power over the behavior of the animal had caused the attack. They assumed that the attacked person was an enemy of today’s culture that lives by the entity that has power over physiology to give them what to think, feel, say, and do. Nowadays, I’ve noticed how the majority of pets are the type that would eat “fluffy” for breakfast.

In today’s atheistic culture of humanism, they have changed “…the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things…who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…they did not like to retain God in their knowledge…” Romans 1:23, 25, 28 Humanism is the fig leaf worn by the entity with power over physiology to give what to think, feel, do, and say.

The metaphorical brushfire is where people who are shunned by today’s culture are placed. The hostility, coldness, and superficial kindness coming from the people of the community culture keep the unwanted in the brushfire and out of their society. That brushfire is filled with frustrated, angry, depressed, lonely, and rejected people. They will lash out and attack like a venomous snake, if they feel the freedom in their physiology to do so. Many might wonder what caused the entity with power over physiology to allow the attack to happen. A phrase that is a creation of today’s society is “victim shaming”, and we are told not to vocalize and engage in such a thing. Paul was being victim-shamed for being bit by a venomous snake that was trying to flee the heat of the brush pile.

“But Paul shook off the beast into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.” Acts 28:5-6

While the inhabitants of Malta weren’t receptive to the Holy Spirit and closed out the gospel of Christ, God was still working on behalf of Paul. and He made the lethal venom of the viper of no effect. This definitely had an effect on the Maltese people to see this, as they called Paul a god. Even then, Paul was prevented by the hardness of their hearts to tell them to give praise to the God of Jesus Christ.

Paul shook the venomous snake off his hand, and it fell back into the brush fire where it would have burned up and died. Paul had no ill-effects from the lethal venom. Then the inhabitants of Malta said he was a god. In today’s culture, when a person plays a part in casting shunned people into the metaphorical brushfire, and causing them to die by self-destructive behavior, they are considered a god. They are given positive reinforcement and honor to lift their esteem, but Jesus says this, “How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?” John 5:44

Paul heals the father of the chief official of Malta and then the rest of the sick came to him.
“There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and a bloody flux. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.” Acts 28:7-8

The “us” in the phrase, “He welcomed us” refers to Paul and Luke. Everywhere that Paul and Luke looked, the people of Malta were “unusually kind” [Acts 28:1-2], except when they said Paul was a murderer after being bit by a venomous snake. They changed their mind and called him a god after he shook the snake off into the brush fire, without dying from the venom [Acts 28:3-6]. The people of Malta were showing the traits of what we would call an atheist culture of humanism [as described in the post on the “Introduction to Malta”].

For three days, the chief official of the island had Paul and Luke in his home as guests. During that time, the “unusual kindness” of the Maltese people showed through the chief official in his generous hospitality towards Luke and Paul. We have to keep in mind that the description of the people of Malta is not praise for them but rather an observation of them. If Paul and Luke were praising their spiritual character, they would have praised God for them, calling them brothers and sisters in Christ, and speak of the Holy Spirit working in their life. For the whole three months that Paul and Luke were on Malta, there is no record of anyone coming to live for God through Jesus Christ. In fact, there is no record whatsoever of the Gospel of Christ being presented to the Maltese people.

In all of the “unusual kindness”, hospitality, generosity, and welcoming attitude of the inhabitants of Malta, they were not receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even so, the Holy Spirit was alive in Paul and Luke, with the compassion of Jesus Christ stirring within them. After three days with the chief official of Malta, the Holy Spirit moved Paul to heal the chief’s father. The father was bedridden, with a fever and bloody flux [bloody bowel movements]. Paul did pray and placed his hands on the chief’s father, and he was healed. The chief saw the faith that Paul had in the God of Jesus Christ, the same as the Maltese people saw how Paul did not die after being bit by a lethal venomous snake. As followers of Jesus Christ, in this atheistic culture of today, the only testimony we have is what people see in our life.

As Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.” John 9:4 The work is to bring the word of the Gospel of Christ to others. In these dark days, overcomers feast on the hidden manna, the manna of the word of God within our heart, “To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.” ’Revelation 2:17

“When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.” Acts 28:9-10

The word spread quickly through the population of Malta about the chief’s father being healed. When that happened, everyone who were sick wanted some of that healing, and they were cured. They weren’t coming for the spiritual healing by the forgiveness of sin, but their focus was on the physical body, on physical healing. I notice the word “cured” is used instead of “healed”. This would draw an image of people being cured in a medical clinic and not quite the same as the miraculous healing of the chief’s father. We have to recall that Luke was a doctor “Luke the beloved physician…” Colossians 4:14 I’m sure Luke was practicing his profession at this time, amidst the atheist culture of the Maltese. This is what the missionaries of today are doing when it comes to providing medical services, but the true healing is that of the soul when a person comes to God through Jesus Christ.

Today’s culture wants physical healings, but they close out anything to do with the healing of the soul by acknowledging their need for Jesus Christ. Today’s culture lives for the atheistic entity that has power over physiology and provides for physical needs. This is the same entity that gives people what to feel, think, say, and do as it gives life to the image of the beast to speak and live through people. The people of today’s culture are groomed to the mark of beast by what they are given to say and do.

After Paul and Luke performed a service to the Maltese people, the people of Malta honored Paul and Luke in many ways. When they were ready to continue their journey to the world capital, Rome, the Maltese people showed more “unusual kindness” by supplying Paul and Luke with all the supplies they needed for their journey.

In today’s culture, when people serve the community culture they are honored in many ways and are given the supplies needed for the journey through life. Not all they want, but all they need. To serve the culture of today is to serve the entity living within them, which is the entity that sets within thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors as if it is God. This entity is the one “...who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.” 2 Thessalonians 2:4 The “he” in this verse is the “man of sin”. Click here for a post on the “man of sin”

From Malta, everyone boarded a ship and headed to the world government. Likewise, from the metaphorical place of Malta, the peoples and nations of the world board ship sailing to the one world government, which is the United Nations as the undisputed government of the world. The “ship” that is being boarded is the atheistic world culture of humanism, which is the fig leaf worn by the entity that has power over physiology to live within the thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors of people.

A sneak peek into the next post is to reveal the ship that was being sailed on to arrive at the world capital. The figurehead of the ship was the twin brothers, Castor and Pollux. “After three months we sailed in an Alexandrian ship whose figurehead was the Twin Brothers…” Acts 28:11 The twin brothers were Castor, a mortal human, and Pollux a god. This reveals a union of human beings to a false god. We are the human beings, and the false god is the entity that joins itself to us with its power over physiology. It intertwines itself within our thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors. The “Twin Brothers” is what carries the global culture to the formation of the one world government.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:11