Updated: 2016-05-28

Preamble

As I attempted to put together a brief but compelling summary of some of the more impressive parallels between Biblical history and our day and age, I realized that the Bible is far too pregnant with knowledge to enable any such undertaking. Thus, I scaled back the goal of this article to merely provide some surface level insights into how the original deception continues to repeat itself, today, and I highly encourage you to dive into the Bible, in all of its facets–including with an eye on understanding the historic patterns that it mentions and how they have embodied themselves throughout human history and into our present day and age.

As any student of history understands, the history of mankind is replete with repeating cycles (or patterns) that are reemerging in (or resonating into) our present reality. Thus, one who is aware of history understands that the present is rooted in the past. For example, the Word of יהוה puts it like this:

Whatever has happened–that’s what will happen again; whatever has occurred–that’s what will occur again. There’s nothing new under the sun. People may say about something: “Look at this! It’s new!” But it was already around for ages before us. There’s no remembrance of things in the past, nor of things to come in the future. Neither will there be any remembrance among those who come along in the future.
Ecclesiastes 1:9-11, CEB

According to the ultimate source of history, it is clear that one who knows the past can grasp the present. Thus, perhaps we should take a little trip down memory lane in order to realize what, exactly is going on in our present day and age.

The Deception in its Original Form

In the beginning, יהוה created man in His image (Genesis 1:27). He put the man in His garden to serve and protect it (Genesis 2:15). However, the man failed to protect the garden from the teachings (deception) of the serpent but, rather, was persuaded by them (i.e., desired to be like יהוה) and corrupted himself and the entire creation by eating the forbidden fruit.

Furthermore, in the beginning, the serpent did not focus his teachings directly upon the man but targeted the man’s helper, who was the weaker of the two–while (apparently) the man watched and listened. Also, this hostility against the woman by the serpent was promised to continue (Genesis 3:15).

The Deception in its Modern Form

Now, fast forward, a bit, to the recent history of the a nation that was originally founded upon faith and trust in יהוה–one that based its laws upon the Law of יהוה. For example:

The Americans combine the notions of Christianity and of liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make them conceive the one without the other; and with them this conviction does not spring from that barren traditionary faith which seems to vegetate in the soul rather than to live.
Democracy in America, Volume I, Chapter XVII (1835)

While some much needed change in the area of so called racial tolerance seemed to play out in the 1960s–a tolerance that would have been manifest from the country’s inception had its founders completely adhered to the Word of יהוה (e.g., Exodus 21:16, Acts 17:26, etc.)–depravity and humanism continued to creep into society at an accelerated pace. Along with a stated (but arguably imperfectly practiced unto this day) recognition of the basic, God given equality of all human beings crept in the advocacy for immorality–particularly adultery and covetousness. Men and women, once again, set aside God’s Law in favor of their lusts–effectively establishing themselves as gods in their own eyes.

To a large extent, the impetus for this shift away from desiring to obey יהוה towards wanting to be like Him was yet another attack on women under the guise of freeing women from oppression (aka feminism), while men looked on. Sounds familiar, does it not?

Utilizing history as a guide, we can be relatively certain of a fate not unlike that of the first human society or Rome, etc., if we do not repent of our wickedness and return to יהוה.