Introduction

Is there such a thing as The Illuminati? Does this fit into our sophisticated age? Some ridicule the very idea, but in these chapters a fascinating portrayal is uncovered.

Are such words as Illuminism or The Iliuminati new to you? That is not strange, for today these expressions are unknown to millions, even among many well educated people. This results from the plan to keep that giant Conspiracy under cover, to always remain secret.

"The great strength of our order lies in its concealment," declared Adam Weishaupt, founder of the new order in 1776. "Let it never appear in any place in its own name, but always covered by another name and another occupation." (Quoted in Robison's Proofs of a Conspiracy, p. 195.)

This world-wide cover-up has been so cleverly conducted through the centuries, even milleniums, that most folk are entirely unaware of its existence.

This Conspiracy goes back to the time of Nimrod, that evil genius who began that ancient apostasy in Mesopotamia.

While every Sunday School teacher knows something about the Tower of Babel, yet few realize that the principles and philosophies of that ancient movement are right now playing a tremendous role in both our political and religious life.

In this book, The Illuminati 666, we bring together many startling, almost unbelievable, facts. Before getting into the depths of our story, let us note briefly some of our sources. How thankful we are for books, even those with which we do not agree, for they show us the thinking of other writers. But some, like that century-old classic, Alexander Hislop's The Two Babylons, open a vast area of thought and knowledge.

We are quite aware of how some scholars regard Hislop's work. Their attitude, however, only reveals how sadly ignorant they are of the real issues. Others, like Neal Wilgus' The Illuminoids, throw much modern light on the subject, although he does not go much on the idea.

Of course we could not expect Hislop to know many things we know today. They had not been discovered at the time he wrote, which leads us to wonder what he would write were he living today. His most valuable contribution has always been what history he opens up for a real researcher. I have in my hand the author's personally autographed copy of the third edition, 1857, to London's great preacher, C.H. Spurgeon. This was picked up in a London used bookstore, more than 50 years ago. Hislop presented it to Spurgeon after he had dedicated it to Lord John Scott, a contemporary who is regarded as an authority on "Primeval Antiquity."

The most reliable book of all we possess is, of course, the "book of books" - The Bible. While we will be quoting from many authors, yet we will regard God's Word as the final light of truth. In both the Old and New Testaments much has been brought to light to clearly identify the Conspiracy, which is the purpose of this present work. In two of the Apostle Paul's strongest letters to the church he speaks of two great mysteries. The "Mystery of Godliness", which in his words is "God manifest in the flesh", is without question the Lord Jesus Christ (I Timothy 3:16). In his second letter to the Thessalonian believers he describes the "Mystery of Iniquity" whom he calls, "The Man of Sin", "who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God (II Thessalonians 2:7, 3 and 4)."

At the time the apostle was writing he said, "The mystery of iniquity doth already work." It was working in his day. But he foretold a greater demonstration of Satanic power that was to come. It would be backed up by "all power and signs and lying wonders" (verse 9).

Shortly after the apostle's death, the church, which for decades had given such a powerful witness to the power of God through miracles and especially through the conversion of thousands to the simple gospel, began to "fall away" just as Paul had foretold in II Thessalonians 2:2. The elements of deception were already evident, especially while Philip was doing a mighty work in Samaria. The story of this is in Acts 8:5-21, where we are told, "the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did" (verse 6). Then there comes "a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria" with sorceries. This man was also baptized and the scripture says, "he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done". It is evident this man was more interested in the miracles than he was with the marvelous conversions.

When news reached the headquarters at Jerusalem, they sent Peter and John who prayed for these young converts that they might also receive the baptism of the Spirit of God, for as yet it had fallen on none of them. After the apostles prayed for them and laid their hands on them they, too, received the Holy Spirit in power.

This man Simon was watching closely what was being done. Then, coming to Peter and John he said, "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit." But there was something lacking in his life which the apostles discerned. And this brought perhaps the sharpest rebuke recorded in Scripture: "Thy money perish with thee", or as Phillips' translation reads, "To hell with you and your money!" to which the translator adds this note, "(These words are exactly what the Greek means.)" You can have no share or place in this ministry, for your heart is not honest before God. Acts 8:20-21.

Now who was this Simon? The Scriptures make clear he was a Samaritan deceiver who practiced divination. He "used sorcery, and bewitched the people giving out that he himself was some great one, and the people from the least to the greatest were so bewitched that they proclaimed him to be the great power of God (Acts 8:9-11)."

The Samaritans were not Israelites, they were Babylonians placed there by the King of Assyria (II Kings 17:24-25). They were placed in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof, but "they feared not the Lord." These folk were pagans in every way. In Hastings' Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, we read. "The amalgam of paganism and Christianity... was especially obvious in the Simonian system (p.496)." Simon Magus evidently became the leader of a retrograde sect, using some Christian terminology, but in reality anti-Christian (ibid.). The author of this baptised heathenism ... was Simon Magus. He unquestionably adulterated Christianity with pagan ideas and practices (see Apostolic Christianity, Vol.2, p.566).

This paganized Christianity was already having its effect while the apostles were living, for in II Corinthians 11:3,4 we read Paul's concern in these words, "I am afraid that your minds may be seduced from a single-hearted devotion to him (Christ) by the same subtle means the serpent used towards Eve for apparently you cheerfully accept a man who comes to you preaching a different Jesus from the one we told you about, and you readily accept a spirit and a gospel quite different from the one you originally accepted (Phillips translation)."

Under the influence of Satan's ministers, Christians were being transformed into the ministers of unrighteousness and many were being led astray. The mystery of iniquity was already working, and later it blossomed into a full and diabolical apostasy.

Simon is never spoken of as a member of the true church - the body of Christ. He took the name of Christ and espoused a few of His teachings. These he mingled with his Babylonian mystery religion. "Thus he became the leader of a retrograde sect, perhaps nominally Christian ... but in reality anti-Christian, and exalting Simon himself to the central position which Christianity was giving to Jesus Christ (Hastings' Dictionary of the Apostolic Church, Vol.1, p.497)."

Simon's influence had reached as far as Rome, according to Justin Martyr. When he wrote his Apology in A.D.152, he mentions Simon four times as the founder of a formidable movement. He "came to Rome in the day of Claudius Caesar and made such an impression by his magical powers, that he was honored as a god, a statue being erected to him on the Tiber, between the two bridges, bearing the inscription: Simon's deosancto (i.e., 'the Holy god Simon')." Quoted in Dictionary Of Christian Biology. Vol.4, p.682.

When we become more familiar with the origin and history of the Babylonian Mystery Religions it will open up areas of understanding, throwing light on the world's present situation. It is not generally known that pagan deities were known as "Peters" or "Patres" and that the special gods, or the Hierophantae, in the majority of their temples had particular priests who were constantly "occupied in the celebration of mysteries (see Ancient Mythology, Vol.1, p.354)." Even more interesting is the fact that the consonantal word P-T-R, indicating Peter, means "to interpret." They were "interpreters" of the mystery religions or the pagan mysteries of ancient Babylon. It is not surprising then that Simon Magus the bewitcher from Samaria became known as Simon Peter or Simon the interpreter.

Moses evidently knew this when he wrote the Pentateuch, for we read in Deuteronomy 23:4 that Balaam the son of Beor of Pathor of Mesopotamia was hired to curse Israel. We read in Numbers 22:4, 5 and 7, that Balak the son of Zippor, king of the Moabites, sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor and "the elders of Moab ... departed with the rewards of divination in their hand." Then follows the account of the ass that refused to pass the angel and who later spoke to Balaam.

Mesopotamia was the very home of idolatory or the Babylonian mysteries. The name Balaam in Semitic language means "Conqueror of the People" and definitely links us with "Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord (Genesis 10:9)." We read in verse 8 that this Nimrod, the son of Cush, began to be a mighty one in the earth. He was the great grandson of Noah and "the beginning of his kingdom was Babel (verse 10)." He built other cities like Ashur and Nineveh, which later became the capital of the Assyrian Empire. Nimrod is styled "the mighty hunter before the Lord," or as Dr. Strong renders it, "against the Lord." He shows that the Hebrew word paniym is more correctly translated "against" rather than "before". Nimrod was a great leader and he and his cohorts "changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image liken to corruptible man, and to birds and fourfooted beasts and creeping things (Romans 1:23)." The following verses of this Roman Epistle are upon the whole diabolical practice of homosexuality among both men and women, which is becoming so popular these days even among certain religious groups.

Nimrod was certainly "against" the Lord in all he planned and did. "The mighty hunter against the Lord" led multitudes away from the Creator and laid plans for a world-wide Conspiracy against God. That was the reason behind the Babylonian Mystery cults. Nicholaus was the name he was known by in Greece and that also means "Conqueror of the People".

Some claim that Balaam was the chief of a college of priests at Pethor, a sacred high place in Mesopotamia. From that old location near the site of the tower of Babel he organized what he thought was a complete cover-up destined to become one universal religion. And his plan almost succeeded. By the end of the fourth century, real Christianity was almost dead and in its place, but under the name of Christianity was, to use the words of Griffen, "a corrupt hierarchy controlling the nations of Europe, making the Church a veritable cesspool of iniquity, spiritual corruption, heathen philosophy, and whoredoms ... a closely-knit group of Satan-inspired, power-hungry and lust-filled rebels masquerading under a 'Christian' label but embracing all the Satanic rottenness of pagan Babylon (Fourth Reich of the Rich, 1978, Des Griffen, p. 38)."

In the year 323 A.D. the Emperor Constantine officially adopted this Simonized Christianity, which was nothing more than "baptized heathenism," and made it the official religion of Rome. Thus was the church led into a period of degeneration, often styled the "Dark Ages". A subline in his History of the Reformation on page 17 says, "The nations of Christendom no longer looked to a holy and living God, but had recourse to all the means that a superstitious, fearful and alarmed imagination could devise". And that condition prevailed for over a thousand years, at least until the Renaissance, beginning in the 14th century, which revived interest in science and literature, followed by the Reformation in the 16th century. Then things began to happen. Part-1 of Chapter-1 and the following chapters of this book plunge us into the background of the great apostasy showing its results and the Divine call back to the apostolic faith found in the Holy Scriptures.
        
Roy Allan Anderson, D.D.
 

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