Bible Definitions of Blasphemy

Introduction

There is a common misconception regarding the meaning of blasphemy. Typically, people think of blasphemy as speaking against God or claiming the rights of God himself. While this may be true under certain circumstances, there is more to it than that. The common understanding is based on the dictionary definition, which is:

1 a : the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God, b : the act of claiming the attributes of deity
2 : irreverence toward something considered sacred or inviolable

The definition above is taken from the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 2000 Computer Edition.

While there is technically nothing wrong with the dictionary definition as it only reflects the understanding society has of the meaning of words, the Bible has its own definition of blasphemy which is not identical with the common understanding of blasphemy in todays English speaking world here in North America, though they are very similar.

The author did not realize that there is a difference until he was motivated to study the Bible to discern exactly how the Bible defines blasphemy. It was while doing this Bible study that he came to realize the Bible's definition of blasphemy differs from the dictionary definition.

The common understanding is usually based on the idea that blasphemy is breaking both the first and third commandments of the Bible, which are:

Commandment #1: Exo 20:3 You shall have no other gods before me.

Commandment #3: Exo 20:7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.

A major source of the discrepancy is that people tend to use a very broad definition of blasphemy based on the following sources:

• Commandments #1 and #3.
• Some other Bible texts that may be misunderstood.
• The dictionary definition.

The Bible's definition is based more on specific acts rather than a broad, general definition. It tends to create its own definition for purposes that God had in mind.

One mistake people make is to believe that the Bible defines blasphemy as claiming the attributes of deity, but defined in a very broad sense. While it is true that blasphemy is claiming the attributes of deity, the Bible uses a definition that restricts this usage. If one defines blasphemy to be claiming the attributes of deity in a broad sense, then most anything that God can do where another person claims to be able to do likewise then falls under that definition. However, study of the Bible will reveal that it does not support such a broad use of the word blasphemy.

What suggested to the author that there is something wrong with the common understanding of blasphemy is the simple fact that the beasts of Daniel 7 and 8 do not show blasphemy upon the body or heads of any of those beasts. The only exception is the talking horn on the fourth beast of Daniel 7 It is explained that some of its behavior was blasphemous which is equivalent to showing it upon the horn. Blasphemy is shown upon the Revelation 13 sea beast and the scarlet beast of Revelation 17. This led the author to ask this simple question:

Why do some beasts have blasphemy upon them and some do not?

If claiming the attributes of deity is the definition of blasphemy, then the first, third, and fourth beasts of Daniel 7 should have blasphemy upon them (because behaviors of the leaders of those empires certainly fits this type of definition). The dragon of Revelation 12 should also have blasphemy upon it (or be very distinctly shown in its behavior) so that it is clear what it means. Yet, oddly enough, with the exception of the sea beast of Revelation 13 and the scarlet beast of Revelation 17, blasphemy is not shown upon any other beasts in spite of behavior of some of them which, based on the dictionary definition, clearly is blasphemous.

Naturally the question arose: Why is the blasphemy missing from the other beasts?

To help in your own study of blasphemy, this web page details the most important verses that contain the word blasphemy or various forms of it as found in the Bible (using the King James Version), and how these can be understood. Also, the identity of the Revelation 13 sea beast is known from other characteristics presented in Revelation 13, so the author attempts to show how the Revelation 13 sea beast commits blasphemy based on each of these definitions.

To see a complete list of all Bible verses containing the word blasphemy or variants of it that occur in the Bible, click here. Click the Back Button on your browser to return to this location after you have examined the blasphemy verses.

 

The Verses Which Define Blasphemy In the Bible

Let us learn how the Bible defines blasphemy by considering the following texts (this list may not be complete but should cover most Bible definitions):

1. The Jews revealed one definition of blasphemy through an incident recorded in Matthew 26:

Matthew 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

Matthew 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

Matthew 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

Matthew 26:66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

Here Jesus was said to have committed blasphemy by claiming to be God. This is probably the most important definition of blasphemy in the whole Bible. Note that the Bible does not expand this usage to mean that claiming to be God means that any act of deity is covered under this definition. It only means that actually making the claim to be God himself is the act of blasphemy and does not include anything that we may choose to extrapolate from such a claim. It is best to adhere to what the Bible actually tells us is blasphemy.

There was one other similar incident in the life of Jesus which we have on record:

John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 10:31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
John 10:32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do you stone me?
John 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone you not; but for blasphemy; and because that you, being a man, make yourself God.


The only thing that Jesus said of significance which could have stirred the people up so much was that he said he and his Father were one. So, when the Jews said they were going to stone him for blasphemy, it was precisely because, as they explained it, "because that you, being a man, make yourself God"

2. Next, the Jews revealed what is probably the second most important definition of blasphemy:

Matthew 9:1 And he [Jesus] entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

Matthew 9:2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

Matthew 9:3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.

Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

Matthew 9:5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?

Matthew 9:6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.

Matthew 9:7 And he arose, and departed to his house.

Matthew 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

The verses above give another definition of blasphemy, which is claiming the power to forgive sins. In the Bible, this refers only to forgiveness for sins against God's laws, so cannot refer to "sins" against man because of breaking his laws or breaking the laws of a false god.

Note that this verse does not use the dictionary definition of claiming the attributes of deity in general but is very specific. It refers to only one specific action - claiming to be a deity - which constitutes blasphemy.

Likely this is the second most important definition of blasphemy, for it is central to the salvation of man.

3. Here are verses which give another Bible definition of blasphemy:

   Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

   Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

   It seems very likely this cannot refer to merely speaking against the Holy Spirit because if that were so, nobody would be saved. It is likely that virtually everyone in the world has at one time or another felt irritated at the promptings of the Holy Spirit to choose to do right instead of doing something wrong that one wants to do. It is very likely that nearly everyone has at one time or another probably verbalized such feelings or at least grumbled in their minds about this. This, if it were to constitute the blasphemy spoken of in these verses, would be sufficient to bar almost everyone in the world from heaven. Therefore, it must refer to something else, something deeper.
   

   This form of blasphemy is persistent, stubborn refusal to repent of sins, so is said to be committed by a person against the Holy Spirit because he is the divine agency which convicts of sin and leads a person to repentence. Refusal to ever listen to him prevents conviction of sin and blocks repentence, meaning that a person who does this can never be forgiven of their sins. Therefore, the stubborn refusal to listen to the Holy Spirit is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
   
   Because the most important function of the Holy Spirit is to testify of Jesus and tell us what he is told by God, this means that a stubborn refusal to listen to God is another form of blasphemy. Of course, this also results in a stubborn refusal to obey the commandments of God.

   But how can you know that the author is correct in his understanding of this issue? You do need to be sure because Jesus makes it very clear that this is an important issue. Guessing wrong won't be an acceptable excuse on the judgment day, so it has to be right.

   There are several things which help explain this. First, there are the functions of the Holy Spirit (listed below). Then there is the evidence presented directly in the two verses quoted above. The clue to unlocking the understanding of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit are the two phrases "hath never forgiveness" and "in danger of eternal damnation". These two phrases in conjunction with one another, indicates that as long as the person never has forgiveness and remains alive and has not yet made an irrevocable decision to never repent of his sins, then he remains "in danger of eternal damnation". But, once he crosses the point where he has made an irrevocable decision not to repent of his sins, then he has committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

   But, someone might ask this question: how can such persons obtain forgiveness when it says they won't be forgiven? That seems logical, but actually is due to a misunderstanding of what Jesus was actually saying. Consider the phrase "in danger of eternal damnation". If indeed it is true that such persons cannot possibly obtain forgiveness, then Jesus would NOT have said that such persons were "in danger of eternal damnation" because eternal damnation is a phrase he used to mean a person was going to hell instead of heaven. In other words, if such persons could not obtain forgiveness, then Jesus would have said that they were already condemned to eternal damnation. Think about it, if you will, please, because there is a very significant difference. But the fact that Jesus used the phrase "in danger of eternal damnation" clearly implies that this is not necessarily an accomplished fact in a persons life until some point is reached, after which there can be no forgiveness - ever - because they will never choose repentence. Until that point is reached, this clearly implies that the person is not yet out of reach of forgiveness. The "danger" condition that such a person is in can be reversed until death or until the person makes an irrevocable decision that he will never repent of his sins.

   Repentance of sin comes as a gift from Jesus which the Holy Spirit brings to us (John 16:8, 13 and Acts 5:31). Upon repentence, there is forgiveness of sin and a turning away from it so that there is no longer a stubborn refusal to listen to the Holy Spirit. If a person chooses to listen to the Holy Spirit, then the person should no longer be "in danger of eternal damnation". Therefore, this is something that can be reversed. Hopefully, this makes sense to you.

   Verses showing the primary functions of the Holy Spirit are the following:
   • John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
   • John 14:26 But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
   • John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me:
   • Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
   • Joh 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come.
   • Mar 13:11 But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what you shall speak, neither do you premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak you: for it is not you that speak, but the Holy Spirit.
   • Mat 12:28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
   • Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
   • Act 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
   • Act 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
   • Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
   • Act 10:19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek you. Act 10:20 Arise therefore, and get down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
   • Act 11:12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
   • Act 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
   • Rom 5:5 And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us.
   • Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also bring to life your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you.
   • Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps our weakness: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
   • 1Co 12:8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
     1Co 12:9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
     1Co 12:10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another various kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
     1Co 12:11 But in all these works that one and same Spirit, dividing to every man individually as he will.
     Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
     Gal 5:23 Meekness, self-control: against such there is no law.
   • 2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
   • Eph 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, by whom you are sealed unto the day of redemption.
   • 2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
   • 1Pe 1:22 Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto sincere love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently:
     
     
   Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit boils down to stubbornness that is eternally unchanged. It is refusal to listen to God - ever.
   
   
4. Blasphemy apparently can also be committed against men, according to the Bible. Here is one such verse:

   1 Kings 21:10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die.

   This probably is based on the basic definition of blasphemy, which is that it is scorning the authority in charge.

Some versions render the Hebrew word as "curse" or "cursed" rather than "blaspheme". In this case, either is correct according to Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary. The context would strongly suggest that it is indeed possible to blaspheme the king, just as it is possible to blaspheme the mountains of Israel as recorded in Ezekiel 35:12 and explained below. This also makes it clear that some forms of cursing are equivalent to blasphemy, though it is not at all clear that all forms are blasphemy.

It would appear that this type of blasphemy can only be done when the speech is directed against an authority over the person's life. Hence, it does not apply to just any "cursing" or other statements against individuals in general who are not authority figures in a person's life. A comparison of Daniel 7:25 and Revelation 13:5 show us that speaking against an authority figure (in the case of these verses, God) is not necessarily blasphemy because these two verses do separate the "great words" or "great things" spoken against God from the blasphemy spoken against him.

Another verse that shows the meaning of blasphemy where reviling or cursing someone who is an authority is this:

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors who were hanged railed at him, saying, If you are Christ, save yourself and us.

The word "railed" in Luke 23:39 in the Greek is defined by Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary as this:

G987 (the Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary word number)
βλασφημέω
blasphēmeō
blas-fay-meh'-o
From G989; to vilify; specifically to speak impiously: - (speak) blaspheme (-er, -mously, -my), defame, rail on, revile, speak evil.

Therefore, when this criminal "railed" against Jesus while hanging on the cross, he blasphemed Jesus by villifying him, reviling him or speaking evil of him.


5. The Bible says that idolatry is also blasphemy against God. Here is the evidence for that:

Ezekiel 20:27 Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me.

Ezekiel 20:28 For when I had brought them into the land, for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill, and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering: there also they made their sweet savor, and poured out there their drink offerings.

Isaiah 65:7 Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, says the LORD, who have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.

Ezekiel 20:27-28 describes a situation in which God says that he was blasphemed. He explains how the blasphemy is done in verse 28. The explanation makes it plain that idolatry, including the behaviors associated with it, are considered blasphemy. This therefore, makes it plain that worship of a false god constitutes blasphemy.

Apparently, these people believed they knew better than God, so they substituted themselves for the authority of the true God. They set up another god in place of the true God, in this case, objects made of silver, gold, iron, stone, or wood in the form of idols to represent the spirit that they were worshipping. Making a god out of another person or object by worship of them or praying to them can constitute blasphemy. Since praying is something that a person should direct only to God, worship of another is a direct insult to God and for this reason it constitutes blasphemy. Also, setting up another person (such as a pope or a church conference president or even a prophet, especially if that person is a false prophet) as the final authority here on earth in place of God himself, is also blasphemy on the part of the person who accepts that person as the final authority. This is because idolatry does exactly the same thing - substitutes another spirit in place of God as the final authority in the person's life. It is for this reason that the Bible says that the beast of Revelation 13 is worshipped. The people who worship the beast have in fact accepted the pope as the final authority in their life in place of God himself, a continued decision that constitutes worship and is blasphemy.

It is very important to understand that when the ancients worshipped a god of stone, wood, or metals, they were not worshipping the object itself, but rather they were worshipping the spirit that this object represented. For example, when they worshipped the sun, moon, or stars, they worshipped the spirit that they believed resided in those heavenly bodies, not the sun, moon, or stars themselves. This is precisely what God meant in the commandments when he said not to make idols or to bow down and serve them because, in so doing, they were in fact worshipping another spirit other than the true God. For this reason, adoration or veneration (which is worship, whether a person knows it or not - it means exactly the same thing in the Bible) of the saints as the Catholics are taught to do, is nothing more than idolatry, though many of them do not know this. In ignorance, they are doing no differently than the ancient idol worshippers did.

Isaiah 65:7 lists additional behaviors that were commonly associated with idol worship in the days of ancient Israel which God calls blasphemy.

1. The word of God could also be blasphemed. Here is the evidence of that:

   Titus 2:5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

   It appears that this probably has to do with the marriage relationship, which God created in the first place. If there is deliberate discord caused by the wife in a Christian home, then apparently it reflects poorly on God, who created the marriage relationship between man and wife. This brings dishonor upon God, who by his word, created marriage in the first place. Bringing dishonor to God's word, especially in relation to the marriage relationship, is defined here to be blasphemy.

2. Even the mountains of Israel were said to be blasphemed against, which seems very strange indeed. This is blasphemy that is not against persons or God, but rather against inanimate objects. Here is the evidence of the blasphemy against the mountains of Israel:

   Ezekiel 35:12 And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.

   How do you blaspheme mountains, which are inanimate, unknowing objects? that seems strange, yet the Bible makes it clear that it can be done.
   
   Revelation tells us of blasphemy against another inanimate object. Here is the evidence of this:

   Rev 13:6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

   How do you blaspheme a building, specifically the tabernacle in heaven? The tabernacle spoken of here is in heaven, but it still is an inanimate object.
   
   The explanation of this is given later in the section dealing with blasphemy against God's tabernacle.
   

3. Hypocrisy regarding religion can be another form of blasphemy. Here is the evidence for that:

Revelation 2:9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Clearly these individuals make a pretense of being one thing while God says their hearts are really elsewhere. The modern day word for that is hypocrisy, but God calls it blasphemy. Because it makes the contrast between those who are Jews (which probably were meant to symbolize those who commit themselves to God to live the Christian life) in contrast to those who worship Satan, it seems reasonable that the blasphemy spoken of here is true only in relation to a person's commitment to God. The common forms of hypocrisy that all people encounter in daily life are not the subject matter about which God labels as blasphemy.

 

What Forms of Blasphemy Did the Beast Commit?

- And More Bible Definitions of Blasphemy

It is true that speaking against God can constitute blasphemy, for the Bible makes that plain in the following verse:

Leviticus 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

But this must be understood to be a specific type of speech in Bible prophecy. Note the distinction made between speaking "great things" and blasphemy, for it says the following:

Revelation 13:5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

Here is another example where Bible makes a distinction between "great things" or "great words" and the "blasphemies", for it says the following

Daniel 7:25 And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

The logical conclusion is that "great things" or "great words" against God are not necessarily the same as blasphemy. Therefore, we must look to other behaviors of the Talking Horn on the fourth beast of Daniel 7 to find the blasphemy that it commits.

This certainly is interesting because the author has encountered other authors who thought the "great things" of Daniel 7 is blasphemy, but the Bible does show that there is a difference between the "great things" and blasphemy.

The Talking Horn of Daniel 7 on the fourth beast is the same power as the leopard beast of Revelation 13 for it arises at the same time, does the same things, and has power for the same length of time. As is said, if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it probably is a duck. Therefore, we can look for parallels in their behaviors.

Daniel 7:25 (the fourth beast of Daniel 7) and Revelation 13:5 (the leopard beast) parallel each other. Here is the parallel structure:

Table 2 - Revelation 13:5 Compared to Daniel 7:25

Verse Division	Revelation 13:5	Daniel 7:25
Great Things or Great Words	And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things	And he shall speak great words against the most High,
Blasphemy or specifics of blasphemy	...and blasphemies;	...and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand
Length of Existence	...and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. (1260 literal years)	...until a time and times and the dividing of time. (1260 literal years)

Do you see the parallel construction of these two verses? These verses are talking about the same things. And it makes it clear that God makes a distinction between the "great things" (or "great words") spoken against God and blasphemy, at least for purposes of marking a beast with blasphemy. What is called blasphemies in Revelation 13:5 is called "...and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand" in Daniel 7:25. The last phrase in both verses simply gives how long this power would last.

What exactly constitutes the blasphemy defined in Daniel 7:25 when it says "...and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand"? This is an important question. History provides the answer to this question because both the Beast Power and the Talking Horn (In case you are wondering what this is, it is my "pet name" for the horn on top of the fourth beast of Daniel 7 that talks) as presented in the Bible actually show a description of the same power even though they look different one from another. Typically, to answer this question, people look to history in relation to Daniel 7, and while the author believes such an approach to be of value and will use some of the material from Daniel 7 for this purpose, the author also believes that Revelation 13:6 can provide us with substantial answers to this question, so will rely primarily on this for answering this question. Revelation 13:6 very specifically tells you precisely what this power does that God considers to be blasphemy, so is quite useful. Since both verses are about the same power, it is a valid approach to do this. In addition, for a power to be marked with blasphemy, it must meet certain requirements. Not just any act of blasphemy will do for God to mark a beast with blasphemy.

The specific things spoken of by Revelation 13:6 as blasphemy are:

• blaspheme God's name
• blaspheme God's tabernacle
• blaspheme them that dwell in heaven

Blasphemy Against God's Name - What Does It Mean?

What does it mean to blaspheme the name of God? The Bible demonstrates that God associates His name with His character. These verses below should help you begin the process of gaining understanding that God's name is associated with His character. Then you can understand exactly how blasphemy against God's name means damaging His character.

Psalms 74:10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name forever?

Romans 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Exodus 33:17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.

Exodus 33:18 And he said, I beseech thee, show me thy glory.

Exodus 33:19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.

Exodus 33:17-19 make it clear that God associates his name with His characteristics, or you could say it is associated with his character. He does this by saying that He would make all His goodness pass before Moses AND "proclaim the name of the LORD". For this reason, it is that Psalms 74:10 equates blasphemy with reproaching the name of God for it is an act of damaging His character and reputation.

But there is more. Moses was instructed by God to prepare two tables of stone upon which God planned to write the 10 commandments. Moses was to take the tables of stone with him and go up on the mountain where God planned to meet with him and show Himself to Moses. The verses below record what happened:

Exodus 34:5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

Exodus 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Exodus 34:8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped.

Exodus 34:5 says that God proclaimed the name of the Lord. Then the events proceeded as recorded in Exodus 34:-6-8, which should tell us that all the things that follow are associated with the name of the Lord.

When God proclaimed His name, what did He do? Here is a detailed list:

• He passed by Moses
• He stated His title or name, The Lord, the Lord God
• Then He began to list His character traits (question: why did He do this?):
• merciful and gracious
• longsuffering
• abundant in goodness and truth
• Keeping mercy for thousands
• forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin,
• and that will by no means clear the guilty
• visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

These characteristics can be divided into positive and negative characteristics, at least as we perceive them.

These verses become very specific about exactly what characteristics are found in the character of God, which God Himself associates with His name. As you look over the list above, it should become clear that several things are evident in the description of God. These are:

1. His mercy, goodness, and kindness are apparently emphasized by their number and by being listed first. These can be described in specific terms in the ten commandments. For evidence that this is so, consider that God is not a thief, He does not lie, He does not commit adultery with your wife or husband (unlike legends of some gods from some cultures around the world), He is not a coveter of your things so He won't murder you to get your BMW or other valuable possessions (if you have any). By not doing these things and making love for His neighbor the basis of His behavior towards us, God is therefore described as having mercy, kindness, and goodness. Clearly, we can rightfully say that His character of mercy, kindness, and goodness is described in the ten commandments. These are all positive attributes of God.



2. God is very willing to forgive, another positive attribute of God



3. and yet for the guilty, a negative trait as we perceive it: the sins of one generation will follow on down to several generations of their descendants



4. The positive and negative traits clearly imply that it is God's right to decide upon
   
   • forgiveness for sins
   • bring judgment for sin
   • determine our ultimate destiny, heaven and eternal life or hell and eternal death

Now, what does it mean then to blaspheme the name of God? It means to reproach the name of God and slander His character. Since the character of God is associated with His name, it stands to reason that if one reproaches the name of God, one is reproaching the character of God. God takes His reputation seriously and does not appreciate having it damaged by careless words, so it seems likely that He is insulted by such acts. To reproach the name of God is to take upon oneself the prerogatives that clearly belong to God alone, for one is clearly saying that a person need not worry about the consequences of such behavior. This implies that a person (or power) evidently considers oneself of more importance than God. He can safely be ignored in their thinking. This makes them into a god, consciously or unconsciously.

Question: Because the law of God describes His character, how do you commit blasphemy in relation to the law of God? Answer: By claiming to be able to change it at will! This is blaspheming the name of God because a power doing this is claiming they are a god in their own right and don't need to answer to the true God. This happens because the power believes they are an equal to God. It damages God's character because it alters His law, which is a description of what He is like. If one law can be changed, then any of them can be changed. This means that if a power wants to and claims the power to change God's laws, murder could become legal under God's law. Do you want that? Do you want theft to become legal? Think about this when you hear certain religious powers proclaim that they have changed some of God's law. They are proclaiming that they have the right to change ANY of God's laws. Do you really believe that God would given them such power when God says the following about Himself?

Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed

Another right God declares for Himself in His speech to Moses is the right to forgive sins. This is declared in Exodus 34:7, for it says that it is God who forgives sins. Remember that when God forgives sins, there is the implicit promise of eternal life connected with it, which no other being or any other so-called god can genuinely promise. Since this forgiveness of sins is associated with the proclamation of the name of the Lord, clearly one can blaspheme the name of God by claiming that one can forgive sins against God's laws. Nobody but God can absolve a person of their sins and genuinely promise them eternal life as a result!

Another right God declares in the proclamation of the name of the Lord is the right to render judgment for sin. Therefore, if a power claims to be able to decide who goes to heaven and who does not on the basis of perceived sins (such as being labeled a "heretic"), they are committing blasphemy against God. This last right is rather scary because how many of us have said that because of the behavior of certain people, they certainly are deserving of eternal loss in hell (have you ever told someone "GO TO HELL!!!")? We are in danger by such statements, though I am sure all people make similar statements at one time or another. We do need to be very careful about that. While it is true that we need to make judgments about people's behaviors and have to make some estimate of their motives sometimes, we need to be very careful about declarations of their motives and destiny in regards to that. This is a difficult area for all, especially when injustice has been done against us. But if we are not careful about such statements, we can be guilty of blasphemy.

It is also true that God Himself has made declarations about the probable destiny of individuals who continue to persist in committing certain evil acts. The warning is that they are at risk of hell, and usually not that they are definitely going there. Of course, if they don't repent, then the risk can become reality. We can know that they are in danger of hell because of God's own statements about such sins, but we must be absolutely certain that such statements are plainly laid out in the Bible and not based on some church leader's proclamations or tradition, which will never hold up in God's courts of law. All things will be brought into judgment by God, whether good or bad so we need to be very careful that we follow exactly what God has laid out in His word. We will be safe that way.

There is one place where there is a clear exception to the destiny question, and that is at the end of time during the time when the investigative judgment of God is done and over with. When Jesus finishes the judgment, He will make the following terrible pronouncement:

Revelation 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Immediately after that, the temple in heaven fills with smoke from God and nothing can enter it during the seven last plagues. This means that during this time, there is no forgiveness of sins and can never be again. The destiny of everyone will have been sealed forever. The people of God will know this about those who have chosen sin as their way of life.

In summary, the following things define blasphemy against the name of God:

• claiming to be God
• claiming to be able to forgive sins against God's laws, which carries the imilicit promise of eternal life with it
• claiming the right to bring judgment against people for sin against God's laws (this relates to destiny)
• claiming to be able to determine a person's ultimate destiny, or in other words, having the right to decide who goes to heaven and who does not
• claiming to be able to change the law of God at will, which damages the reputation of God's character

 

Blasphemy Against God's Tabernacle - What Does It Mean?

The tabernacle, being a non-living object, is clearly only an inanimate object. So, how can it be blasphemed against? In nearly all other instances in the Bible, blasphemy is committed against persons, not objects. So, how can you blaspheme the tabernacle of God? How is that possible? The following verses may provide the information necessary to find the answer to the question of how it is possible to blaspheme the tabernacle of God:

Ezekiel 35:12 And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume.
Eze 35:13 Thus with your mouth you have boasted against me, and have multiplied your words against me: I have heard them.
Eze 35:14 Thus says the Lord GOD; When the whole earth rejoices, I will make you desolate.
Eze 35:15 As you did rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was desolate, so will I do unto you: you shall be desolate, O mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it: and they shall know that I am the LORD.

This verse was spoken against the Edomites who did not help the people of God when Babylon came against them, so as a result, the Edomites were destined to be destroyed forever.

But what is interesting is that blasphemy could be committed against the mountains of Israel. How is that possible? How can anyone blaspheme mountains, which are not living things? The answer to this question is found in the phrase "They are laid desolate, they are given us to consume". The Edomites had watched their neighbor be destroyed by Babylon and did nothing to help them. Then, when the land was left empty, they thought they could freely take the land for their own and do as they wanted with the it. But God had other ideas and said that their attitude constituted blasphemy against the mountains of Israel.

To understand these verses better, a little history is needed. Here is what God had long before said about the Edomites and their land:

Genesis 36:8 And Esau dwelt in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

Deuteronomy 2:5 contend not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

The descendents of Esau, Jacob's brother from the book of Genesis, was the founder of Edom.

When the Israelites were on the way to Canaan, they were forbidden by God to bother the Edomites because God had given that land (Mount Seir) to the Edomites for their very own.

From this example we can find two different aspects of blasphemy the Edomites committed against the mountains of Israel. These are:

• The Edomites were guilty of coveting something that God had never given them for they said "they are given us to consume" which clearly indicates that they strongly desired this land for themselves, and
• They went further than merely coveting the land for they began to plan and presume to actually take and do something with the land that God had never given them

Thus, blasphemy can be committed against any inanimate object through the same ways. Therefore, it is in the same way that blasphemy is committed against the tabernacle of God in heaven. They coveted it, then laid plans to take it and do with it as they wished. They were guilty of presumption, they presumed that God had given it to them when he had not.

Of course, they cannot literally take the tabernacle in heaven away from God or even by any stretch of the imagination claim to be able to do so. But, they can do something that is very much equivalent: substitute their own priests and service for that which God has ordained is to be done only in the tabernacle in heaven. The idea is to take over the functions carried out by Jesus in the tabernacle in heaven so as to render it effectively removed (not physically removed but functionally it is done) from heaven and taken to this earth and placed under their control.

Think about this for a minute, if you will. When a person in Old Testament times went to the sanctuary, what did they see and what did they know about what was happening? Here is the answer to this question:

1. God's presence was supposed to be there
2. there were priests who carried out certain ceremonial duties
3. the law of God was kept in the ark of the covenant
4. you went there to have your sins against God's laws forgiven
5. you went there to worship God

If you were the leader of an apostatized religious power and thought you could do with the tabernacle and its services as you wanted, what would you do?  Remember that you would do this because it is to your advantage to do so in the eyes of the people who are your followers. You could:

1. Substitute yourself for God in the tabernacle so that God's presence is supposedly still there, just without his real presence of course, but you certainly won't tell the people this. You just claim to actually be God and that will do just fine.
2. Substitute your own priests to carry out the duties God's appointed priests are to carry out
3. Substitute your own version of the law - you think you can make it better to suit your own purposes, or maybe you can just improve the wording a little?
4. Claim that you can forgive sins against God's laws, even though it is now a law that you have "improved".
5. Substitute yourself as the authority in place of God so that you become the object of worship of the people and the one who controls their lives.

You may ask, How has the Catholic Church done that? Well, it works like this. The Israelites in Old Testament times had a set of sanctuary services that provided a symbolic way of dealing with sin. First, they would come to the priest with an animal to be sacrificed for their sins. The priest carried out the sacrifice and then went inside the outer veil of the sanctuary into the outer compartment where he carried out certain ceremonries related to dealing with the sins of the individual. These ceremonies done inside the outer veil of the sanctuary were NOT visible to the sinner in order to represent the ministry of Jesus that took place in heaven (thus, out of sight of the sinner) from the time he returned to heaven after his death and resurrection until the beginning of the Investigative Judgment in 1844. Jesus is the high priest who officiated in those ceremonies that were carried out before 1844 in the outer compartment of the sanctuary in heaven.

The Catholic Church has effectively taken over the functions of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary and placed it under their control, thereby effectively removing the sanctuary services from heaven to this earth. By doing this, they blaspheme the tabernacle of God in heaven in several ways:

• They substitute the ministry of their priests for that of Jesus as the intermediary between God and man
• They claim to be able to forgive sins against God's laws
• They claimed the power to change the law of God and claim they have actually done it by changing the Sabbath commandment to their own in which one is to worship on Sunday instead of the seventh-day Sabbath God instituted (God has never authorized a change and indicates that he does not change), they dropped the second commandment against image worship and split another commandment to make a total of 10 (they forgot that God has a copy of his law in the sanctuary in heaven and THAT COPY has NEVER been changed - the oroginal law of God has NOT changed and is still in force)
• They substitute the repeated Mass service for the sacrifice of Jesus that was to be done only once.
• They substitute themselves as the authority of God in the lives of people so that people worship them. In other words, by accepting the pope as God and the ultimate authority in place of God on earth, they worship the pope.

Thus, they substituted their own service for that provided for us in heaven by Jesus, they substituted their own priesthood for that of Jesus, they claimed to be able to forgive sins against God's laws, the popes claim to actually be God, and they changed the law of God, something that God has never authorized - and never will for all of eternity. Doing this is essentially the same as the Edomites did with the mountains of Israel. They coveted that which did not belong to them and presumed to take that which God had never given to them for their own purposes. By their own actions, this is revealed as true. By their own actions, it reveals them to be the leader of the beast of Revelation 13.

The earthly sanctuary in the Old Testament was used for the purpose of dealing with sin. In other words, God made His presence visible there in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary and if you wanted to have your sins forgiven, you came to God through a priest at the sanctuary for that purpose. Logically, to blaspheme the tabernacle means that a person or power must be usurping the power belonging to God in connection with the tabernacle.

There were several specific powers of God manifested at the sanctuary (perhaps the reader can think of others?) These were:

• manifesting the presence of God among His people
• forgiving sins
• accepting the mediatorial work of the priest for sins, which represented the work of Jesus as our high priest after the cross
• determining judgment of guilt or innocence of an accused person through through the Urim and Thummin stones on the high priests garments. This usually amounted to exercising the power to bring judgment against people for sin and to determine their destiny.

The most important power God exercised at the tabernacle for the average person was the power to forgive sins, which carries with it the promise of eternal life. That is not to deny or reduce the importance of the other functions of the priests, but it is a fact that the average person probably usually went to the tabernacle for the purpose of getting his sins forgiven and probably did not think much about the other powers.

If they were directly involved as an accused person who was brought before the high priest to determine guilt or innocense, then they might have worried a great deal about the fact that God genuinely knew their innocence or guilt and would definitely reveal the truth for all to see. But for most people visiting the tabernacle, all they wanted was for their sins to be forgiven so that they would not die in the fires of hell someday and would inherit eternal life. So, one meaning of blasphemy against the tabernacle of God in heaven means this power claims to have the authority to forgive sins against God's laws.

The second power of God manifested at the tabernacle was simply to manifest His presence. He manifested Himself as the glory that appeared above the mercy seat. He also manifested Himself in the cloud that led them on their journey, provided shade during hot days, light by night, and other functions, most of which was done either in or near the tabernacle. This told the people that He was or was not with them AND it told them that He was God. He existed. He was real. He had real power and He cared about them. Blasphemy against the tabernacle then in this case is for a power to substitute itself for God, claiming to be God, for the presence of God was manifested at the tabernacle. Consider the power that is spoken of in the following verse:

2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

It should not be too hard to imagine who this verse refers to. The temple of God is the church and there is only one church whose leaders claim to be God (thereby showing themselves that they are God), which is the Roman Catholic Church. Unfortunate, but true.

Blasphemy against the tabernacle is another way of saying that God's tabernacle in heaven perhaps is not really needed. This power is sufficient in and of itself to substitute for that function.

Blasphemy against God's tabernacle can also mean this power claims to be able to substitute its own mediation between God and man. This is so because it is obvious that by blaspheming the tabernacle of God, this power believes it has a better form of mediation than God provides. In the earthly sanctuary of the Jewish people, the sanctuary was the place where the priests would officiate between God and other men to provide forgiveness of sins through the sacrifice of animals. In addition, once a year the final forgiveness and disposal of these sins was carried out by the day of atonement services, which the high priest was to do. It appears that this power believes that after the cross, the same type of mediation is still necessary, so provides this for its believers. Of course, they need to leave off the animal sacrifices, but still provide mediators to absolve their believers of their sins.

In the heavenly sanctuary, Christ provides the sacrifice through His own sacrifice on the cross that is already done, and through this, He is able to obtain forgiveness of sins. No other person can do this because only Jesus died for the sins of others and only Jesus can appear in the personal presence of God to obtain forgiveness, something that is required. This substitution of another mediator is invalid, according to God, because he says the following about this subject:

1Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

There is only one priest who stands at the right hand of God and that priest is Jesus. No other can substitute for only He stands in the personal presence of God, which is the only place where forgiveness can be obtained. It cannot be obtained any other way for only Jesus can personally go before the Father and tell Him that His death is to be substituted for the sinners death and His blood for the sinner's blood. No earthly priest can substitute for that ever since the death of Jesus. Remember that the Bible says that the earthly sanctuary system of services was done away with at the cross, and that includes the mediation provided by the priests. For evidence of this, remember that the curtain in the sanctuary was torn at the death of Jesus (Matthew 27:51), indicating that the earthly sanctuary services were over and done with and that the way to God was no longer through a priestly mediatorial service here on earth. Instead, a much better one is obtainable through prayer to God through Christ (Hebrews 4:16).

There are those who claim that based on the original Greek, 1 Timothy 2:5 does not exclude other mediators. If this is true, then there should be evidence in the Bible of additional mediators officiating AFTER the death of Jesus, for this is when 1 Timothy 2:5 applies. But a search of the Bible will show that Jesus is the only mediator between God and man after His death. Here are several such verses that refer to the mediation of Jesus:

Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 9:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
Hebrews 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
Hebrews 9:18 Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood.
Hebrews 9:19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people,
Hebrews 9:20 Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you.
Hebrews 9:21 Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.
Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
Hebrews 9:23 It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: