My friend Steve completes the paper with the following:
Seeing – The Ripening Fruit and Harvest
“My congregated people, attendants, and troops are dumb, silent, and cut off. They cease and are destroyed for their knowledge is worn out, failing and coming to nothing. When you spurn or abhor knowledge until it disappears, and spurn or abhor being My priests, and for want of attention put in a place to be forgotten the precepts, statutes, and laws of the Elohim, I will put in a place to be forgotten and not give attention to your sons who are the builders of your family name.” (Hosea 4:6)
None of us knew what was happening to us in the 1960s. We were literally like sheep being led to the slaughter. We could sense that something life-changing was taking place, but we couldn’t comprehend what it was. It was like standing in front of a redwood seedling that had just been planted. Even though your eyes never leave it, you still never see it grow. You just wake up one morning and there it is – towering over you.
That’s what the spiritual strategies, events, and defenses were setting in place in the 1960s. They were methodically shaping the never-before-seen world that we were about to enter. And though they were invisible to us then, they would soon engulf us to mark and dominate our time. But none of this caught Jesus off-guard. Instead, it was the world that we were chosen to be born into and appointed to rule WITH Him in the fullness of His Nature and Character.
And so, the die was cast. As a friend so aptly pointed out, “the days of Father Knows Best was being left behind in favor of Archie Bunker.” This misfit of a father would take center stage during the ’70s, with Homer Simpson following in the ’80s. Then in the ’90s, the fruit of the seeds that were planted in the ‘60s began presenting itself for harvest.
In 1998, the animated series Family Guy with its warped Griffin family captured the attention of America’s television viewing audience. This award-winning show that is now in its third decade, took its place among the other indoctrinating programs. Like the others, it has dutifully fed America’s children and youth with a steady diet of what Astarte’s new norms look like.
But Family Guy is unique from the others in that it encapsulates in a single show the totality of Astarte’s vision. It leaves nothing to the imagination.
The destination of her schemes along with the effects of her AI strategy are on full display. Every storyline screams out her message and ridicule. Even the names and roles of its characters paint a vivid picture of not only what Astarte thinks about God’s Man but also what her intentions are toward him.
It is appropriate, then, that we take some time to unpack this further as Jesus continues to lure Astarte and her cohorts into His theater of Light.
Family Guy is a grotesque parody of the family that bludgeons the American culture in the name of comedy. Its main characters include:
Peter The father
Lois The mother
Meg The oldest child and daughter
Chris The oldest son
Stewie The youngest child and son
Brian The family’s pet dog
Griffin The family’s last name
Peter is the father. His name means “stone or rock.” He is portrayed as an obese, unintelligent, lazy, immature, and eccentric alcoholic who can’t keep a job. Thus, the chief protector of the family is as dumb as a rock. Beyond this natural characterization, there is also a spiritual connotation. Through this character’s name and the way he is portrayed, Astarte is openly mocking Jesus and His ekklésia (“ones called out from and to Him”) that He said He was going to build on the rock of His Father’s revelation:
“But now, to build on this idea, I also say to you, laying the argument to rest, that you are Peter and upon this huge mass of connected rock I will build the house of the assembly and congregation of My called out ones, and the gates of the fortress of the invisible realm where the dead reside will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18)
Lois is the mother. Her name means, “more desirable and better.” She is a housewife and piano teacher who is from a wealthy family. She’s portrayed as being intellectually, emotionally, and financially superior to her husband. She’s also highly flirtatious and promiscuous having slept with several characters in the show, including seducing her daughter’s boyfriend. Lois is how Astarte sees herself – better and more desirable than her husband (Baal/Satan) – and yet unfettered by the obligations of fidelity so she can pursue her conquests of other men. Although Astarte fancies herself as being more sophisticated and refined, she still cannot hide from the fact that she is The Harlot.
Meg is the daughter and oldest child. Her name means, “pearl.” She is desperate to fit in and longs to be accepted. However, she is unattractive, insecure, and bullied. At home, she is ignored by her brothers while being emotionally and verbally abused by her parents, especially her father.
Everything about this character is a contemptuous mockery of the “pearl” of the Kingdom and the Man (merchant) who sold all that he had to buy it.
“Again, the Kingdom of the Heavens is similar to a man, a merchant who seeks and investigates by inquiry to reach a binding resolution to trade beautiful pearls that are good, and that inspire others to embrace what is lovely.
“And finding one precious and very costly pearl, he sells each and every part of the totality of what he has and goes off to the marketplace to buy it.” (Matthew 13: 45, 46)
Chris is the oldest son. His name means, “he who bears or carries Christ.” He’s a younger version of his useless, fat, and unintelligent father. And like his father, he portrays Astarte’s attitude and a sneering contempt for the son who would dare to bear, carry or claim the Name of Christ.
The breakout character of the show is Stewie. He’s the diabolical, violent, and murderous one-year-old son who, again, sees himself as being superior to his father. He is the ruler of the house. The writers purposely portray him as sexually ambiguous while also being highly promiscuous. He’s obsessed with world domination and killing his mother. Everything about Stewie is perverse. His name is a cool version of the name Stewart, which means, “household guardian.” This parallels the meaning of the name, America (“ruler of the home; guardian of the estate”). So, Stewie portrays Astarte’s vision for America – diabolical, violent, and murderous. Just like her.
Brian is the family’s dog. His name means, “high, noble.” He is portrayed with human faculties – he speaks articulately, is being educated at Brown University, walks upright, drinks martinis, smokes cigarettes and marijuana, and is considered the most intelligent and grounded member of the family. He is constantly correcting Peter’s crazy ideas. And even though he and Stewie are constantly fighting, they consider each other their best friend.
Finally, there’s the family’s name – Griffin. This name is of Assyrian origin. It is associated with the mythical creature, the gryphon (Griffin). In England, Griffin was a nickname for a “fierce and dangerous person.” In Germany, the name was based on the word Grifan, which meant to “snatch or seize.” This name was given to a child whom the parents thought would be a fierce warrior.
In Wales, the name came from Gruffudd, a combination of Gruff, which meant, “dragon” and udd, which meant, “lord” – “Dragon Lord.”
So, no matter how you approach the name Griffin, for centuries it has been associated with fierce, violent, and dangerous people; and mystical, spiritual warfare with the Dragon Lord.
If this isn’t fascinating enough, the 3 elements of the show creator’s name – Seth McFarland – carry powerful spiritual connotations and pedigree, as well. Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve. He was the son who took the place and carried the legacy of the righteous son, Abel, who was slain by his older brother, Cain. Seth means, “Placed, Appointed.”
Mc means, “Son.” Farland comes from an old Gaelic name, “Parthalan.” This was an early form of the Hebrew name “Bartholomew” who was one of Jesus’ original 12 apostles. Bartholomew means, “Son of Talmai.” And, Talmai means, “plowman, abounding in furrows.”
And so, through the story of his name, Seth McFarland is a son of apostolic heritage who has been appointed as a plowman to plow an abundance of furrows. For now, he is being exploited by Astarte. She is using him and his authority to “plow an abundance of furrows” into which she can sow the seeds of her perverse ideas and strategies through Family Guy.
But Seth is also one of the 7.65 Billion people on the planet today who are members of the Elohim Class. He, like each of them, can turn on Astarte in a millisecond and then do to her what Jezebel’s servants did to her and what Jesus did to the Gerasene demoniac. (2 Kings 9:30 – 37; Mark 5:1 – 13)
And then there’s Fox. The smart and cunning creature – like the serpent – that is the namesake of the station that airs The Simpsons and Family Guy.
You can’t make this stuff up.
So, the family is the target. There in plain sight, blatantly displayed and articulated in precise detail is Astarte’s idea of what life looks like in a world ruled by her. A world where the unprotected and least capable in life is vested with the greatest authority, and where even the family pet is considered superior to and nobler than God’s Man.
However, as perverse and ruthless as this world is, it cannot exist on its own. Astarte must have Man’s permission and agreement to use his authority before she can implement her strategies and inverted authority structure:
The Child – Stewie: Guardian of the house
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The Mother – Lois: The better, more desirable one
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The Father – Peter: Dumber than a rock
“For, indeed, what is there that can be hidden and kept inwardly secret except to make it visible and clear? Or what secret hidden thing can come into being or happen except that it first comes into the light to become visible and manifested?
“For as much as a certain one – anyone – has and possesses ears to listen and hear, then listen, attend to and comprehend what is heard.” (Mark 4:22, 23)
The game.
Seeing – The End
As there was a beginning to the antics of the 1960s, so there will be an end. That’s the nature of all things material. The same thing will happen with Astarte and her rule over Satan’s realm. That’s the nature of his kingdom.
Her rule will end just as it did for the 11 other Archés before her. Like them, she is filled with corruption. All she is, all she does and all she will ever conceive, or devise can only decay. So, whatever she does will disintegrate leaving her and Satan’s realm with nothing but dust – the very substance of the earth that Satan sought to rule. And, as it has been for each of his 12, so it will be for Satan himself. As YHVH described to Ezekiel with tears flowing, His majestic Covering Cherub will “become nothing; a non-entity as far as and even unto futurity, the vanishing point of time.” (Ezekiel 28:19)
This is the fate that awaits Astarte and her schemes. And the instrument of her destruction, and that of her master’s kingdom, will come at the hands of the very ones who have served her:
“And when Jezebel heard that Jehu (YHVH is He) had come to Jezreel (God will Sow), she put paint on her eyes and shook her head to be pleasing as she leaned out to look from behind the window.
“And as (YHVH is He) came through the gate, she said, ‘Shalom, Zimri, peace be with you. Have you come to kill your sovereign lord?’
“And he lifted his face toward the window and said, ‘Who is WITH me?’ And two or three eunuchs leaned out to look towards him.
“And he said to them, ‘Throw her down!’ So, they flung her down. And her blood spurted and sprinkled in atonement toward the wall and toward the leaping horses that abusively trampled her.
“And when he had come in to eat and drink, he said, ‘Go now, I pray, and attend to this cursed one and bury her for she was a king’s daughter.’
“So, they went to bury her but could not find her, except lo! for her skull and feet and the palms of her hands.
“They, therefore, turned back and returned, and boldly announced to him, saying, ‘This is the word of YHVH that He spoke by the hand of His servant, Elisha (YHVH is God) the Tishbite (recourse/remedy), saying, “In the territory of Jezreel (where God will Sow), the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel.”’
“’ “And the corpse of Jezebel will be as dung and manure upon, above and over the field and land of the territory (where God will Sow), so that they will not say of her, ‘This is Jezebel.’”’” (2 Kings 9:30 – 37: WITH capitalized for emphasis. Parentheses added to reflect the meaning of the names)
The 1960s.