up to the heavens)? Or was he instead punished like wicked king Saul (who suffered a cruel death at the
hands of his pagan enemies)? Well, history tells us that Paul was indeed jailed in a foreign prison, and was
eventually beheaded by his Pagan (Roman) enemies.
But the fact is that Torah provides no record of any pious Hebrew prophet ever being beheaded by any Pagan
enemies of Israel. In fact, Jesus himself states that it isn't possible for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem [let
alone in a foreign land]. As is written: “... for it cannot be that a prophet perish outside Jerusalem” - Luke
13:33.
Why then would God allow Paul to be beheaded by Pagans, in a foreign land? The reason for the former
might be the Divine Law of "sowing and reaping" (“As thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee...”-
Obadiah 1:15, KJV). In other words, since Paul had led his followers to embrace the life of Pagan's (a
lifestyle with no regard for God's Law), it was only just that Paul should have been led to embraced the death
of a Pagan-- an unlawful death upon a Pagan (foreign) land.
And what has been Christianity's response to Paul's questionable end? Curiously, the Christian response had
been foretold [by Torah] centuries earlier. You see, the book of Judges tells us that God's ark [containing the
Law] was taken to a foreign land (the land of the Philistines, according to 1 Samuel 5:2). Once there, the ark
was placed inside a pagan temple-- deceptively portrayed as being “by the side” of a deceptive thing
(Dagon). This angered God so much that He made sure the deceptive thing (Dagon) ended up beheaded. As
is written:
“And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground
before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the
threshold...”- 1 Samuel 5:4. Notice the parallelism!... Just as, by Dagon's beheading, God made clear it would
be wrong for us to think He was actually “on Dagon's side”; likewise, by means of Paul's beheading, God
made clear that it would be wrong for us to think the Creator was on Paul's side. Curiously, history tell us that
half of Dagon's body was that of a man, while the other half was that of a fish.
And the former evokes Paul, as well as the typical [early] Christian evangelist, who would identify himself
with the sign of a fish [in remembrance of he who said, “... Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”-
Matthew 4:19, KJV].
Finally, instead of acknowledging God's judgment upon Dagon, for not showing proper submission to God's
ark [symbol of God's Holy Law, which was stored inside the ark], the Pagans decided to “sanctify Dagon's
fall”. In other words, to pretend that the whole incident of Dagon's falling beheaded upon the threshold had
nothing to do with punishment, but was rather a wonderful thing; one for which Dagon should be even more
honored, respected, and admired.
As is written: “Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the
threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day”- 1 Samuel 5:4, KJV. Likewise, instead of acknowledging God's
[beheading] judgment upon Paul [for not showing proper submission to God's Law], Christian believers
choose to “sanctify Paul's fall”; stubbornly portraying it as a wonderful thing-- something for which Paul [as
well as his corresponding message] should be even more honored, respected, and admired.
May the God of Abraham have mercy of Paul's soul, as well as of all of us. Amen.
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