’The Virgin' is a title which has been used since fallen man sought to construct his own god "and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator" (Romans 1:25). It likely evolved from God's pronouncem ent in Genesis 3:15 which foretells o f "a virgin" birth. To obscure this origin, the Catholic bible completely crops Christ and adopts 'goddess power'.
CATHOLIC BIBLE KJV
she shall crush thy head and
thou shalt lie in wait for her heel31
her seed; it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel
The spokesm en for the recent Y ugoslavian apparitions, Fathers Vlasic and Slavko, repeat this false notion and extend the
"she" to include 'the Church'.
[T]he passage, at the beginning of the bible about a Woman being the sign and the salvation by which Satan will be overcome. . .We forget that it is the Woman with her children, and you and I are our Lady’s children.32
All new versions adopt this Catholic 'holy mother the Church' concept (THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS, Revelation 17:5?), even though all Greek manuscripts identify the church as 'it' here.
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
her Eph. 5:25 it
her Eph. 5:26 it
her Eph. 5:27 it
Numerous m ythological fables surround 'the Virgin' o f the heathen; many counterfeit Christian theology. Mimicking Isaiah 7:14, the Hindu Vedanta scriptures say:
[I]n the early part of the Kali-Yuga shall be bom the son of the V irg in .33
The title 'the Virgin' has been applied to the goddesses o f the C anaanites (A starte and Ashtoreth), the B abylonians (Rhea or Sem iram is), the Egyptians (Isis), the H indus (Isi, K anyabava, Trigana), the Rom ans (m other o f Rom ulus and Rem us), and the G reco-R om an goddesses Ceres, Hestis, Vesta, D iana, A rtem is, Demeter, and Cybele. For this reason, new versions omit a phrase in Luke 1:28 which speaks of Mary's unique position.
H I S M A R K & M A S Q U E R A D E • 109
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
OMIT Luke 1:28 blessed art thou
among women Clearly, there is a distinction between Mary, the historical mother o f Jesus Christ, and this Virgin o f the heathen religions. Mary was 'a virgin', as foretold in Isaiah 7:14.
Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son.
However, the use o f the word as a proper name or title, as the capital "V" indicates, implies that this virginity was perpetual. Contrary to the Catholic Council o f Chalcedon in A.D.451, which proclaim ed M ary's perpetual virginity, the dogm a can be rejected based upon the witness of all four gospels. (Matthew 12:46-49, Mark 3:31-34, Luke 8:19-21, and John 2:12), Galatians 1:19, Luke 2:7, and Matthew 1:25, the last o f which is omitted in new versions.
NIV, NASB, et al. KJV
OMIT Matt. 1:25 firstborn
'The Virgin' o f the heathens has found its way into the NIV. The capitalization o f the 'V' brings out all sorts o f New Age theological possibilities.
Virgin 2 Kings 19:21, Isa. 23:12, 37:22, 47:1, Jer. 18:13, 31:4, 31:21, 46:11, Lam. 1:15, 2:13, Amos 5:2
virgin
OMIT Heb. 1:3 by himself
Alan Schreck's Catholic and Christian uses these verses to support 'M ary's Role in God's Plan o f Salvation.'34 He urges all to heed the message given in recent visions.
God is speaking a prophetic word to the church today through Mary, Christians at least ought to be willing to listen to her message in order to test it. If God does continue to speak to the world through Mary, this could be another sign to Christians of her continuing role in his plan of salvation.35
Schreck's com m ent about M ary's 'role' in God's plan of salvation is a reference to the Catholic church's use of the titles Co- Redeem trix and Co-M ediatrix. New Ager, Geoffrey Hodson, also speaks of not one but two saviors.
The divine Messengers sent to save mankind, the Christ, as the son of God and the Celestial V irg in [Lucifer], [were] sent down from heaven to earth to save perishing humanity.36
'New' Greek co-editor F.J.A. Hort shares W estcott's belief that 'the Virgin' is the female personification of the divine principle.
I have been persuaded for many years that Mary-worship and Jesus-worship have very much in common in their cause and in their results.37
M ichael Carroll explains the root o f their reasoning in his thoroughly researched The Cult o f the Virgin Mary.
H I S M A R K & M A S Q U E R A D E • 111 [Yjradition recognizes M ary's.. .role but distinguishes her from Sophia, or Heavenly Wisdom, the female personification of the divine principle, whereas Roman Catholic tradition merges these two concepts and has in the process deified M a ry .3 8
W illiam P. B arker, author o f E veryone in the B ible summarizes:
Scholars point out that much Mariolatry. . .Mary's supposed immaculate conception by her own parents, her supposed perpetual virginity, her supposed translation bodily into heaven, her supposed appointment as co- redemtrix with Jesus. . .grew out of the devotion to the female cults so extant in the Mediterranean world in the early centuries of Christianity.39
T esting the m essage, given by 'the V irgin', as Schreck requests, is done based upon the word o f God. Departures from biblical C hristianity are frequent occurrences in the reported appearances. The statements given by 'the Virgin' during her recent daily visits to Yugoslavia are contrasted with verses from the bible.
'Virgin': ”. . .search for God within."40 Mark 7:21,22,23
Jesus said, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within. .."
'Virgin': " .. .to be stronger than all our difficulties means to be saved.. ."41
Titus 3:5
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us."_______________
112 ■ N E W A G E V E R S I O N S
'Virgin': "I have come to bring peace to the w o rld .”42 Luke 12:51/Matthew 10:34
Jesus said, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division." "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."
'Virgin': ".. .recite the rosary everyday.. .four hours a day"43
Matthew 6:7
Jesus said, "When ye pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."
'Virgin': "I have given myself for you."44 Luke 22:19
Jesus said, "This is my body, which is given for you." 'Virgin': "Our Lady will knock at our door and the door of
the Church."45
Revelation 3:20
Jesus said, "Behold I stand at the door and knock
'Virgin': "Pray to the Mother of Goodness.. .'I offer myself to you by means of your goodness, your love, your grace, save m e. . .give me your goodness. Let me gain Heaven by means of it.46 I accept you as my mother and keep you in my life.'"
Acts 4:10-12
"by the name of Jesus Christ. . .Neither is their salvation in any other for there is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”
'Virgin': "Our Lady does not like to talk about sin."47 John 5:14
H I S M A R K & M A S Q U E R A D E • 113
'Virgin': "I must suffer for the salvation of souls."48 I Peter 4:1
"Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh."________________ 'Virgin': "Jesus comes in the Host."49
Acts 1:11
"Two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."__________________________________________ 'Virgin': "Pray our Lady's 'PLAN' may go forward."5o Matthew 6:9
Jesus said, ". . .pray ye. . .thy will be done. . ." [The term 'PLAN' is a New Age buzzword for their agenda]
Carroll, a Princeton scholar, points out that in each o f the so- called Marian apparitions, the entity is never identified as Mary by the observers. This was the case at Lourdes, Fatima, La Salette, as well as with Catherine Laboure, creator o f the popular Marian medals. The observers usually report seeing a "luminous something" which is only later identified as Mary at the prompting of a third party who was not privy to the visions them selves. In some cases, the entity later identifies itself by such names as 'the Angel o f Peace', 'the M other of God' o r 'the Immaculate Conception' (meaning she, not Jesus, was im m aculately conceived). None o f these scripturally identifies the speaker as Mary.