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Yesterday we looked at the biblical background for the moment when Eve sinned. That was Part 1, and I recommend you read it or at least skim it to get the context and flavor if what I am going to say next.
The central verse we're exploring is this one, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate." (Gen 6:6a).
We mentioned yesterday that biologically, the eyes see the world but in the verse it is a metaphor for the mind's eye, and that mind's eye is connected to the heart. It is a heart connection. Jesus said "Where your heart is there your treasure shall be also." That verse in Matthew 6:22 is preceded by talk of eternal treasure and followed by talk of a good eye and a bad eye.
We noted yesterday that the Hebrew word for 'pleasant' to the eyes was much more than the seemingly benign pleasantness of a piece of fruit. It means literally she saw the fruit through eyes that were lusting exceedingly and greedily. Wait, all that over fruit? I'd asked, Eve saw that fruit every day. Why were they drooling over it now? What was the difference? Satan. I have an idea of one of the schemes he uses to reduce the unwary to a lusting, slavering greedy sinner. He doesn't use it every time with all sinners, it actually is a method that is used in few instances, but of that moment with Eve, I think he did it. What is it, then? For the answer, let's look at vampires.
I am sure that you have heard, or read, or watched a movie or even a crime show where the conversation revolves around a criminal or an evil person, and they say "He has such a hypnotic stare". Or the sociopath has "such penetrating eyes", "piercing eyes." "One glance and she was under his spell," as they say in the romance novels. The current fascination with vampirism firmly centers on how the vampire looks at the hapless woman, "pinned under his penetrating gaze." Accompanying the hypnotic stare is the erotic element so familiar to any vampire aficionado.
The first story in English of a vampire was written by John Polidori. This publication also spawned the Gothic genre of literature. Not only was the story in English for the first time, but up until the publication of The Vampyre, the undead beast had been universally seen as a demonic kind of thing, to be feared and run away from. Polidori's depiction introduced the vampire as: "characterised in folklore: from the peasant classes, living a rural existence, uneducated, dirty and quite frankly having no appeal whatsoever for its victims. This is clearly the Nosferatu, a violent scavenger, a brainless revenant seeking only for the blood it needs to survive. ... At this time however the Nosferatu was the familiar shape for the vampire to take."
"With the advent of Polidori the figure of the vampire took a dramatic leap forward, leaving behind the shabby, stupid, blundering image of the Nosferatu for a more sophisticated and refined social animal, the Toreador or Byronic vampire. Here is a creature in strictly human form, with no huge teeth in the front of its mouth (the canine fangs were a later invention), and no bald head or pointed ears, a creature with human emotions and human drives, a creature that can pass freely in the world of men and need not fear detection in the enlightened society through which he stalks. The aristocratic figure who mingles in high society, delighting and thrilling all with his strange mannerisms and moods, is a far cry from the lonely beast rampaging through the forest tearing out the throat of any passing creature in order to carry on his vile existence. Here instead we have a creature altogether more terrifying in its sheer plausibility: it looks human, acts almost human, talks like a human, and moves among the highest echelons of society. Surely the menace inherent in such a creature is of a more insidious and horrifying kind than that of the weird, supernatural entity of the Nosferatu." (Source)
Who's going to get further with a woman, the lumbering beast or the dashing gentleman with the hypnotic gaze? That when he gazes at you, makes you swoon with eroticism and lust? We are all familiar with the cultural references of the link between eroticism and the pull of the vampire's gaze. It is the same across cultures, the vampire is lusty. I believe that cultural ubiquitousness exists because there is a germ of truth to it. I believe satan (and all the fallen angels) have an ability to gaze into a human's eyes and manipulate the physiology to the degree where you are reduced to a puddle of lusting flesh, insensible to your true surroundings to the point where you simply succumb to the sinful pheromones now coursing through your body. I think satan did that to Eve.
Angels have a different physiology than humans. They exist on a different plane or dimension than we do. They are endowed with powers that far outstrip ours. I mentioned some of their powers in the essay on Angels. All these are biblical facts. That satan could look into our eyes and manipulate the brain chemistry is something that is entirely possible.
Biologically, the optic nerve is the pathway to brain and then the central nervous system. It IS the lamp of the body. We know that human interaction includes chemistries and one of those are pheromones, which are simply secreted or excreted chemical factors that trigger a social response in members of the same species. Dopamine is the brain's natural neurotransmitter in triggering arousal and desire. Suddenly Eve 'saw' the fruit, it was 'pleasant' to the eyes, and she 'desired' it. How easy would it be for an evil angel to manipulate brain chemicals within our biology? Let loose a little dopamine and watch us swell up with sexual desire, swooning for more and tied begging for more of that pleasant drug that is behind the fallen angel's eyes? Easypeasy. The optic nerve, also called cranial nerve II, transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. This is interesting news from 2007: "A neuroscientist believes a little-known cranial nerve may be the secret to lust, and evidence suggests it may be the conduit for sex pheromones." Hmmm.
Dr. Robert Hare wrote in his book "Without Conscience, The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us" that psychopaths often make very intense eye contact, or have unusually piercing eyes. Other researchers have also mentioned the "reptilian gaze" of the psychopath, resembling that of a predator about to consume his or her prey. Victims of the psychopath also often refer to the 'laser beam stare.' Strangely enough, women often confuse this gaze with sexuality, and find it attractive. Many films depicting seductive yet immoral creatures such as vampires, often depict the vampire as having a very strong, psychopathic stare. Some psychologists have compared the psychopath to the vampire, or state that the psychopath has a 'vampiric personality' or lifestyle, as well as being parasitic." Note that the author chose to present his book with a cover illustrating the hypnotic eyes.
What if satan pierces Eve with his gaze, inducing a lustful response - one which we know was different from all the other times she had looked at the fruit- and after all, the bible shows that she had a strong and inappropriate reaction to it?
"Pheromones are odorless, airborne chemical signals that are released by an individual into the environment. These chemicals affect the physiology or behavior of other members of the same species. Although pheromones have been shown to exist in virtually all species of insects and mammals, they also control the behavior of humans, acting as sexual attractants." (Source) More on brain chemistry here.
There is a reason vampires and romance heroes are said to have a hypnotic, powerful, penetrating, or otherwise piercing gaze. There is a reason why eroticism and loosened inhibitions are included in the descriptions and depictions of vampires. Remember at the beginning of this essay when Polidori's Vampyre story showed not a lumbering beast but a 'sophisticated and refined social animal, ... a creature in strictly human form, ...with human emotions and human drives, a creature that can pass freely in the world of men and need not fear detection in the enlightened society through which he stalks. The aristocratic figure who mingles in high society, delighting and thrilling all with his strange mannerisms and moods..." And we are reminded of the Hebrews 13:2 verse that says "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." "And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14) so we know they delight in appearing as human and for the fallen ones, they delight in tricking us.
Remember the verse that says "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest __ the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them" (2 Cor 4:4) and here blinded the mind means "blowing smoke which causes (spiritual) blindness, i.e. experiencing "clouded vision."
I think satan and his fallen angels, when they incarnate and pass for human to do their work of lying and destruction, can look into a human's eyes and make them drip with lust and swoon with cloudy brain to do and say all sorts of things they might not otherwise.
NO, I am NOT saying that Eve is not at fault. She is. We all are responsible for our own sins! But vampires have to be invited in, (According to the lore anyway), and that old fallen angel Lucifer would not have gotten as far as he did if Eve had done the correct thing and responded to satan's question "Hath God really said..." with "YES, HE SAID, now go away." She didn't, and this was satan's invitation to press further. We know the rest.
The verses in Matthew 6 about the eye being the lamp of the body allude to a heart condition. Satan severs the eye from the heart and suddenly when you look at something you are lusting for it and excluding God. Your eyes should not be on the things of the earth but on the treasures of heaven. That is the doctrinal message of these two part of the essay about Eve. The supernatural message is that the vampire stories in my opinion have a grain of truth and that grain is in the ability of fallen angels to look into our eyes and manipulate our brain chemistry to sway under their spell. I think this will be a common method for them after the rapture, with so many willing participants in the lusts of the earth that post-rapture living will be. Third, I think they are here now, doing it in smaller measure. If you run across someone who has this marvelous way of looking at you that excites you beyond normal capacities and for no reason...RUN! Like Joseph shedding his cloak from Mrs Potiphar, run away immediately. Do not look, for entertaining their double-tongued talk and gazing into those hypnotic eyes will only lead to destruction.
Prayer: O, Lord,
"Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way."
Psalm 119:36-37
Tweet
The central verse we're exploring is this one, "So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate." (Gen 6:6a).
We mentioned yesterday that biologically, the eyes see the world but in the verse it is a metaphor for the mind's eye, and that mind's eye is connected to the heart. It is a heart connection. Jesus said "Where your heart is there your treasure shall be also." That verse in Matthew 6:22 is preceded by talk of eternal treasure and followed by talk of a good eye and a bad eye.
We noted yesterday that the Hebrew word for 'pleasant' to the eyes was much more than the seemingly benign pleasantness of a piece of fruit. It means literally she saw the fruit through eyes that were lusting exceedingly and greedily. Wait, all that over fruit? I'd asked, Eve saw that fruit every day. Why were they drooling over it now? What was the difference? Satan. I have an idea of one of the schemes he uses to reduce the unwary to a lusting, slavering greedy sinner. He doesn't use it every time with all sinners, it actually is a method that is used in few instances, but of that moment with Eve, I think he did it. What is it, then? For the answer, let's look at vampires.
I am sure that you have heard, or read, or watched a movie or even a crime show where the conversation revolves around a criminal or an evil person, and they say "He has such a hypnotic stare". Or the sociopath has "such penetrating eyes", "piercing eyes." "One glance and she was under his spell," as they say in the romance novels. The current fascination with vampirism firmly centers on how the vampire looks at the hapless woman, "pinned under his penetrating gaze." Accompanying the hypnotic stare is the erotic element so familiar to any vampire aficionado.
The first story in English of a vampire was written by John Polidori. This publication also spawned the Gothic genre of literature. Not only was the story in English for the first time, but up until the publication of The Vampyre, the undead beast had been universally seen as a demonic kind of thing, to be feared and run away from. Polidori's depiction introduced the vampire as: "characterised in folklore: from the peasant classes, living a rural existence, uneducated, dirty and quite frankly having no appeal whatsoever for its victims. This is clearly the Nosferatu, a violent scavenger, a brainless revenant seeking only for the blood it needs to survive. ... At this time however the Nosferatu was the familiar shape for the vampire to take."
Who's going to get further with a woman, the lumbering beast or the dashing gentleman with the hypnotic gaze? That when he gazes at you, makes you swoon with eroticism and lust? We are all familiar with the cultural references of the link between eroticism and the pull of the vampire's gaze. It is the same across cultures, the vampire is lusty. I believe that cultural ubiquitousness exists because there is a germ of truth to it. I believe satan (and all the fallen angels) have an ability to gaze into a human's eyes and manipulate the physiology to the degree where you are reduced to a puddle of lusting flesh, insensible to your true surroundings to the point where you simply succumb to the sinful pheromones now coursing through your body. I think satan did that to Eve.
Angels have a different physiology than humans. They exist on a different plane or dimension than we do. They are endowed with powers that far outstrip ours. I mentioned some of their powers in the essay on Angels. All these are biblical facts. That satan could look into our eyes and manipulate the brain chemistry is something that is entirely possible.
Biologically, the optic nerve is the pathway to brain and then the central nervous system. It IS the lamp of the body. We know that human interaction includes chemistries and one of those are pheromones, which are simply secreted or excreted chemical factors that trigger a social response in members of the same species. Dopamine is the brain's natural neurotransmitter in triggering arousal and desire. Suddenly Eve 'saw' the fruit, it was 'pleasant' to the eyes, and she 'desired' it. How easy would it be for an evil angel to manipulate brain chemicals within our biology? Let loose a little dopamine and watch us swell up with sexual desire, swooning for more and tied begging for more of that pleasant drug that is behind the fallen angel's eyes? Easypeasy. The optic nerve, also called cranial nerve II, transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. This is interesting news from 2007: "A neuroscientist believes a little-known cranial nerve may be the secret to lust, and evidence suggests it may be the conduit for sex pheromones." Hmmm.
Dr. Robert Hare wrote in his book "Without Conscience, The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us" that psychopaths often make very intense eye contact, or have unusually piercing eyes. Other researchers have also mentioned the "reptilian gaze" of the psychopath, resembling that of a predator about to consume his or her prey. Victims of the psychopath also often refer to the 'laser beam stare.' Strangely enough, women often confuse this gaze with sexuality, and find it attractive. Many films depicting seductive yet immoral creatures such as vampires, often depict the vampire as having a very strong, psychopathic stare. Some psychologists have compared the psychopath to the vampire, or state that the psychopath has a 'vampiric personality' or lifestyle, as well as being parasitic." Note that the author chose to present his book with a cover illustrating the hypnotic eyes.What if satan pierces Eve with his gaze, inducing a lustful response - one which we know was different from all the other times she had looked at the fruit- and after all, the bible shows that she had a strong and inappropriate reaction to it?
"Pheromones are odorless, airborne chemical signals that are released by an individual into the environment. These chemicals affect the physiology or behavior of other members of the same species. Although pheromones have been shown to exist in virtually all species of insects and mammals, they also control the behavior of humans, acting as sexual attractants." (Source) More on brain chemistry here.
There is a reason vampires and romance heroes are said to have a hypnotic, powerful, penetrating, or otherwise piercing gaze. There is a reason why eroticism and loosened inhibitions are included in the descriptions and depictions of vampires. Remember at the beginning of this essay when Polidori's Vampyre story showed not a lumbering beast but a 'sophisticated and refined social animal, ... a creature in strictly human form, ...with human emotions and human drives, a creature that can pass freely in the world of men and need not fear detection in the enlightened society through which he stalks. The aristocratic figure who mingles in high society, delighting and thrilling all with his strange mannerisms and moods..." And we are reminded of the Hebrews 13:2 verse that says "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it." "And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14) so we know they delight in appearing as human and for the fallen ones, they delight in tricking us.
Remember the verse that says "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest __ the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them" (2 Cor 4:4) and here blinded the mind means "blowing smoke which causes (spiritual) blindness, i.e. experiencing "clouded vision."
I think satan and his fallen angels, when they incarnate and pass for human to do their work of lying and destruction, can look into a human's eyes and make them drip with lust and swoon with cloudy brain to do and say all sorts of things they might not otherwise.
NO, I am NOT saying that Eve is not at fault. She is. We all are responsible for our own sins! But vampires have to be invited in, (According to the lore anyway), and that old fallen angel Lucifer would not have gotten as far as he did if Eve had done the correct thing and responded to satan's question "Hath God really said..." with "YES, HE SAID, now go away." She didn't, and this was satan's invitation to press further. We know the rest.
The verses in Matthew 6 about the eye being the lamp of the body allude to a heart condition. Satan severs the eye from the heart and suddenly when you look at something you are lusting for it and excluding God. Your eyes should not be on the things of the earth but on the treasures of heaven. That is the doctrinal message of these two part of the essay about Eve. The supernatural message is that the vampire stories in my opinion have a grain of truth and that grain is in the ability of fallen angels to look into our eyes and manipulate our brain chemistry to sway under their spell. I think this will be a common method for them after the rapture, with so many willing participants in the lusts of the earth that post-rapture living will be. Third, I think they are here now, doing it in smaller measure. If you run across someone who has this marvelous way of looking at you that excites you beyond normal capacities and for no reason...RUN! Like Joseph shedding his cloak from Mrs Potiphar, run away immediately. Do not look, for entertaining their double-tongued talk and gazing into those hypnotic eyes will only lead to destruction.
Prayer: O, Lord,
"Incline my heart to Your testimonies,
And not to covetousness.
Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way."
Psalm 119:36-37
Tweet
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteHow would this tie in with Adam..who also ate that fruit?
Thanks
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteOne thing we know is that the vampires throughout all cultural folklore attack women. I think there is a reason for that as I described in the post above. It speaks to Genesis 6:4-6 when the fallen angels saw the daughters of men and took for themselves as wives, all that they chose. I think that was the origin of the vampiric folkore and was patterned after satan's success with Eve. But what of Adam. Good question.
We know that God gave to Adam
--domicile in the garden (Gen 2:8;15)
--the command not to eat of the tree. Eve wasn't created yet (Gen 2:16)
--the responsibility over all the creatures in the garden (Gen 2:19-20)
--headship over his wife as Ephesians 5 shows. We are to use the Ephesians as a model for all marriages, including the first marriage and the first family.
"For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her..." Eph 5:23-25a
So the question is...where was Adam when all this was going down?? We know that by the end of the conversation, he was present and took the fruit Eve gave him. If he was not there then had he failed to impress on Eve what the Commandment was? We don't know. If he was there, had he failed in his duty to stop it? Either way, the standards God had commanded him to maintain were not maintained.
I think the serpent beguiled Eve with his questions and schemes and his hypnotic gaze. I don't know what happened to Adam. Maybe he was beguiled. Maybe he wasn't and had in fact impressed the commandment to his wife adequately. In any case, here is what I think, Adam, having seen that Eve had broken the commandment and knowing what that meant, consciously decided to eat of the fruit so that he would be with her. In that act, we see Adam "gave Himself up for her" as Ephesians says. There may be a scripture that explains the fall of Adam or refers to it that I'm not familiar with, but at this point, that is what I think. It's merely an opinion based on my understanding of the scriptures involved. All other scriptural opinions are welcomed!
I love these posts. I remember talking to you a bit about this before in reference to the cover to "Twilight" being a hand holding out forbidden fruit.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting. I have also seen people who are (in my opinion) very much demonized have that penetrating stare that you brought up. I can think of two people I know personally, one of them is also a pedophile. They have the most uncomfortable stare imaginable; it makes my skin crawl rather than allures me though.
Very, very interesting stuff. Thank you for posting this. Satan tempts us, and then mocks us, and accuses us, and condemns us. I can't wait until he is cast into the lake of fire.
-brandi
Sorry this is such a long comment!
ReplyDeleteEve was deceived by the serpent (Satan), Adam was not. II Corinthians 11:3 "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." see also I Timothy 2:13,14 (which is why women must be silent in the church)
This series reminds me of Bible College years ago and learning about The Lust of the Eyes, The Lust of the Flesh and The Pride of Life. I John 2:16 "For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world." (NKJV) And for the person who was afraid they could possibly sin in heaven, please note the next verse, 17: "the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."
I think it is very important to remember that not all sin is caused by Satan's temptations. Man is born with a sinful nature and is sinful from conception (OT: David's words: "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." Psalm 51:5 (NIV 1984) NT: Paul's words: "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned -" Romans 5:12 (NIV))
We are tempted by Satan but if we are a Christian, he cannot make us sin. We do that of our own will - see the book of Romans. Non-Christians cannot not sin (all their righteousness is as filthy rags), Christians have a choice (James 1:14,15), the dead in Christ will never sin again (Revelation 21,22). Thank God that if Christians confess their sin, he will forgive it (I John 1:9)!
Note: the Fall of all humans happened when ADAM sinned. I think sometimes that people forget this and put all the blame on Eve. I've often wondered - what would God have done with Adam and Eve if ADAM had refused to eat the fruit? We will never know this side of heaven and maybe in heaven it won't even be a question at all. Again, this goes along with what you wrote about Christ is the head of the church/the husband is the head of the wife.
I am glad you said your thoughts on this are speculation. People have told me many times that I have beautiful eyes and I've known for years that my eyes attract people to me, partly because I actually LOOK at them and concentrate on THEM during a conversation. I've also known for years that I am washed in the blood of Jesus Christ and that He is my Lord and Savior and that when I die, I am going to heaven. If people heed your words - will they now run from me?? :)
On the other hand - have you ever seen photos of Rasputin? ei yi yi! "Rasputin's most striking features were his eyes. Anna Vyrubova, one of Rasputin's devoted followers, said that his eyes were "the most extraordinary eyes, large, light, brilliant." Paléologue said, "The full expression of his personality...seemed concentrated in his eyes. They were pale blue, of exceptional brilliance, depth, and attraction."
Rasputin's eyes, however, were more than blue. He had a hypnotic talent in which he could hypnotize people with his eyes.
There is more at http://www.haleycopter.com/rasputin.html
What is the difference between demon possession and a demon taking the form of a human (which I've never heard of before)? What are your thoughts on that?