***UPDATE***
Turns out the Aleister Crowley connection was totally deliberate. The script writer?Lionel Wigram discussed this openly with ComingSoon.net in this article.
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What is it at the heart of men that is intrigued by a mystery? Perhaps its that excitement, perhaps its the love of chasing hidden knowledge, but one thing is for certain, the world of humanity seems to truly enjoy stories of crime. I’ve contemplated the reason for this, and while I don’t feel I have the definitive answer, I do feel that it could be because they make us feel smart. We know from mirror neurons that as we watch videos of someone our mind relates to what we are watching. So much in fact, that our minds have difficulty telling between fantasy and reality. Its not about maturity or experience in telling right from wrong, as much as our minds are incapable of telling that what we are watching isn’t actually happening to us.
Now this makes perfect sense to me. I used to work in a sports bar, I’ve seen how football fans can get. Its a frenzy, and the new science of mirror neurons explains it so perfectly. But if thats true, then as we watch shows of amazingly complicated mysteries being solved, we feel as if we were the ones that solved it. By beholding, we become changed. We
Think of the Olympics. We send one representative (or two) from each country to compete in each of the various events. The USA may have 1 person to represent his/her nation for the 100 meter dash. (Probably more, but for this illustration thats immaterial) When that person wins, the USA citizens win through him/her (or them) by virtue of the fact that they went as the USA representative. Similarly, when Sherlock Holmes solves the case we feel a sense that we’ve come through something. As if we’d been standing beside Sherlock as he defeated another villain. We watch as he uses nothing but his senses, his knowledge and street smarts to outwit the bad guys. By beholding his surrounding he is able to solve riddles by process of deduction. By beholding he is changed.
But its not just the victory we take part in. Its the man’s pain, his neurosis, his obscure lifestyle, and his strange abuse of others and disregard of fellow men that we take part in as well. Again, theres a part in your brain called “mirror neurons” which make you go through all those same experiences. Perhaps this is a reason why after watching kung-fu films as a kids made me wish I was a ninja, even if it was only part of the reason.
The resent surge in crime shows is nothing new. CSI, NCIS, NUMB3RS, Psych, and many more follow are modernization of the formula’s set down by Arthur Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes series of novels. Even back in the 80’s, a show called “Murder She Wrote” began with a pilot episode named, “The Murder of Sherlock Holmes.” Its influence can even be felt in the hit series “House: MD” starring Hugh Laurie. The name of the titular character “House” is a play on the name “Holmes” which sounds like “Homes.” So “House” = “Home.” Get it? And House spends all his time solving mysteries of a medical nature.
The most recent films about Sherlock Holmes by Guy Richie from 2009 can be most telling about this character and the fictional world in which he resides. The film is ripe with occult imagery and meaning. The promotion of the occult is all throughout.
The movie itself opens to a scene of a young drugged woman being ritually sacrificed. A man in a black cloak is reciting some sort of magic spell as the woman in white is squirming on a altar with torches light a catacomb of some sort. Holmes of course arrives in the knick of time to save the day.
The Bible was very clear about human sacrifice. “For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you.” Ezekiel 20:31 And though this film may not overtly claim that such activity is acceptable, the filmmakers of these modern times do everything they can to make such depictions as realistic as possible, to show the evil in as accurately as possible. And hollywood, with all its power of imagery can make images like that live on in your mind forever. And just like that, millions of people that see this film have now experienced human sacrifice that otherwise would condemn such activity. With this movie’s rating of PG-13, this movie was also seen by more impressionable children than anyone will ever want to admit too.
This film takes place in the year 1891, and the rituals and symbols that repeatedly come up in this film seem strikingly similar to a non-fictional man that lived around that same time. In 1896, Aleister Crowley experienced his first truly mystical experience, and a short number or years later was initiated into the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Aleister was named in the newspapers of his day as “the wickedest man in the world,” eventually becoming the father of what is now called modern Satanism. He called himself the BEAST of the book Revelation. Interestingly, the villain of “Sherlock Holmes”, Lord Blackwood, is named “the Beast” at least once or twice. After he is caught and placed in prison, he is found reading the book of Revelation chapter 13:1-2 “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a BEAST rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.” A rosicrucian cross is carved on the opposite wall, a reference to ancient mystery religions of the past.
Later we see far into the film Lord Blackwood’s spell book covered with a pentagram nearly identical to the one that Crowley preferred, but then in the end the hero himself enters into ritualistic magic himself. Crowley promoted the use of drugs as a way to enhance magic and make it work better for you. Isn’t it ironic that in the end of this film it is not Lord Blackwood that practices such a ritual, but Sherlock himself. He draws a pentagram on the ground, takes a drug of some kind, and with knife in hand cuts himself, opening himself to the world of the occult for answers.
“There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.” Deuteronomy 18:10-13
God was so clear about His desire to separate His people from witchcraft and satanism that he condemned it outright. Why? Because by beholding you become changed. By involving ourselves the occult, we become more like the occult. We experience what the hero experiences and we join ourselves to his way of thinking, even if for a moment.
“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” Revelation 14:9-11
Its time to come out of this lifestyle of watching these kind of movies. Time is short, and those that are joined to the beast, even a little, will not be able to stand at the second coming of Jesus. Time is short, but is there hope for God’s saints? Absolutely! Look at the very next verse.
“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” Revelation 14:12
This segment of scripture does not end on a low note (keeping in mind the versification is not in the original text, technically this segment ends here) but on a high one! God has saints, and they can be identified! This entire book of Revelation is the story of how God is going to save them. And I’m sorry, but I find this book infinitely more interesting than the Satan laced filth this world is offering me. And by beholding the Bible, I am changed. By beholding Jesus, I am very much changed.
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
Following is a video with evidence from this film, showing some of the scenes named about and more.
God Bless,
Chris
