Paul despised for turning people away from the goddess Diana.

Acts 19:23-27

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

“And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way.” Acts 19:23

Christianity was initially called the “Way”. “About that time” refers to when the Ephesians were receptive to the Holy Spirit and saying “Yes” to the Way of Jesus Christ. Those of Ephesus burned about $6,ooo,ooo [six million dollars in today’s money] worth of “magic books” in one day. That is described in  the posts on Acts 19:1-22. Some influential unbelievers didn’t like what was happening and created a great commotion against Paul and the way of Jesus Christ.

“For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen.” Acts 19:24

Diana is also known as Artemis, as described in the previous section on the introduction to Diana/Artemis. The economy of the Ephesians was deeply integrated into the worship of the goddess Diana. This is like the economy of today’s culture, which is global, being integrated into the service given to the god that gives people what to speak, do, think, and feel. Financial success and prosperity depend on people allowing that false god to give life to the image of the beast to speak and live through them. That beast empowers people to succeed in what they endeavor to do. They are empowered with uncanny knowledge, extraordinary skills and talents, uncanny authority over others, heightened intuition, amazing physical abilities etc. These are those who boasts, “We can!” or “We see!” which is another way of saying “…who is like the beast? who is able to make war with him?” Revelation 13:4 Click here for a post on this subject.

Also, the United Nations is creating a global financial network to bring prosperity to nations around the world. Every nation across the globe is paying into the global treasury to redistribute wealth to all countries. The United Nations is progressing towards becoming the one world government of the beast. The global economy is integrated with serving the god that governs through the thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors of people everywhere. Click here for a post on the global raiser of taxes from the book of Daniel.

Below, the image to the left shows the contributions of each nation to fund the agenda of the United Nations. The image to the right shows the “Sustainable Development Goals” of the United Nations that each nation is funding. Click here for a clearer image and more information on the “Sustainable Development Goals”.

“He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: “Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade.” Acts 19:25

Demetrius called all the silversmiths and workers of a similar occupation together. These are those who were profiting and becoming wealthy from everyone serving Diana. In essence, this is like a powerful union coming together to “strike” and protest against anyone who adversely affects their ability to prosper financially. In their mind, Paul, and the Way of Jesus Christ, was “busting” the union. The trade of the silversmiths and other trades were becoming weaker in number and losing their power, influence, and prosperity to the Way of Christ.

Today, the powerful union representatives comprise the local grassroot leadership of the global culture. The unions have their power through today’s culture that serves the god that governs through their thoughts, words, feelings, and behaviors. They have their prosperity by uniting together to demand higher wages, increased benefits, etc. If the union representatives lose their support through today’s culture, they lose their financial prosperity.

“Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands.” Acts 19:26

The complaint of Demetrius, the union leader, was that Paul persuaded and turned people away from serving the goddess Diana. Multiple thousands of people believed Paul when he said that service to God is through the Spirit not by anything material that is made with human hands. They came to see that faith was wasted in manmade things, and that faith came by belief in God through Jesus Christ. The Spirit cannot be made from anything in this universe.

In today’s culture, which is global, faith is placed in the god that has made the human body [the temple of God] the home of the beast that gives them what to speak, do, think, and feel. This is a non-spiritual and worldly entity. However, the persuasion of we who live for the Way of Jesus Christ is that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Those who believe the testimony of Jesus turn away from the god of this world. The god of this world 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”.

“So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.” Acts 19:27

The union leader, leader of the grassroots culture [which is global today], feared that the teaching of the Way of Jesus Christ would mar the image of the goddess Diana. The methods and sources of gaining their economic prosperity would be disrespected.

Today, our born-again experience through the Gospel of Jesus Christ is able to pull down strongholds and to shine a light on wickedness. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5

The global government, with its global economy, does indeed fall into disrepute, as described in Revelations 18. That describes the collapse of the global economy. The god that uses the temple of our body as its home to govern through the thoughts, feelings, words, and behaviors of people becomes despised. That is what the Battle of Armageddon is all about. That is a time when the world is so filled with rebellion and despise against the global government that war breaks out globally. That is described in the events of the Fifth and Sixth Plagues of Revelations 16. As well as in the events of the Fifth and Sixth Trumpets of Revelations 9.

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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