Batman and the Hot Iron
By Ken McDonald B.D., Th.M.
© 7/18/2023
1Tim. 4:1 ¶ Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Tim. 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron…
When the Spirit speaks expressly then you have a direct message from the true God. Yes, I know the word of God is all the direct message from God to us, but here in 1 Tim. 4:1 Paul mentions that this is an express message from God. It therefore should give you a heads up, especially considering that we are in the latter times.
For proof that we are presently in the latter times read your Bible and compare it with the daily news. Along with that, realize that 4000 years, or 4 days took place before the Cross. 2000 years have now taken place after the Cross for the church age. The last 1000 years is the Millennium, which is the 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ on this earth. (Rev. 20) After the Millennium the universe burns up and there is a new Heaven and Earth. (2 Pet. 3) Yes, we are in the last moments before the trumpet sounds and the Lord comes and calls His Bride out of this world. (1 Thes. 4, 1 Cor 15)
The warning states that, “…some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” I do not want to be one of those who depart from the faith. I know that I am wicked and could easily end up like that. I have thought much upon these verses. One thought I have had is, how can a Christian give heed to seducing spirits? Those are unclean spirits.
To give heed is to pay attention to them. In Acts 3 there is a lame man sitting outside the beautiful gate asking for alms.
Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Acts 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
He gave heed to them. He paid attention to them. But why would a Christian pay attention to an unclean spirit? Maybe it’s because they do not realize that it is an unclean spirit? Could be. But there is a curious statement at the end of those two verses which states that they are “having their conscience seared with a hot iron…”
For a number of years I have asked many Pastors and Bible teachers what the hot iron is, and none could tell me for sure what it is. So I am going to give you what I think. The word of God is the final authority, not me. But here is what I think.
First thing is that whatever the hot iron is, it sears the conscience. Your conscience is your knowledge of right and wrong. Animals do not have a conscience. Man has a conscience because Jesus Christ, the True Light lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1) Every man, or womb-man is born with a conscience, so that they instinctively know there is a right and there is a wrong. With this understanding then here is something available today that will sear your knowledge of right and wrong. It is a hot iron! What is that?
Secondly: Your conscience is not physical, but a hot iron is physical. Now there is no need to go to “the greek.” The word hot is not archaic and neither is the word iron. Hot means hot and iron means iron, but it sears your non-physical conscience.
To sear your conscience is to deaden it. Seal it off so nothing comes out or goes in. Conviction ceases, and brother, when conviction ceases you are in deep trouble! It is called spiritual death.
Rom. 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Eph. 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
Alright, so let’s put it all together. There is something hot with iron that will deaden your conscience. So I know this:
Cell phones, computers, and TV’s all get hot. And in those screens there is iron, and it gets very hot. Some cell phones have been known to explode and catch on fire.
I also know that the churches I am in that extremely limit their exposure to the entertainment on those devices are much more spiritual than those who do not limit their exposure to the entertainment on those devices.
There is no doubt that Hollywood, and all places that produce the movies, shows and games are not interested in Biblical things, to put it mildly.
Is. 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Your mind is to be stayed upon Jesus Christ and the things of God. Think on these things.
Another word for entertainment is amusement. To muse upon something is to think upon it. Amusement is to not think upon it. When you are being entertained then you are not thinking. When something is very amusing it causes you not to think. In other words it captures your attention, and when it captures your attention it has you giving heed to it. You are no longer sober minded, you are passive which is something a soldier should never be.
These devices of hot iron are specialized devices designed to capture your attention. Because they are so spectacular in doing so it causes you to give heed to them, and most of the time you are paying attention to the wrong things, thus searing your conscience little by little.
How much of your entertainment is violent? Many times I have heard a preacher say to me, “Well, we just watch the old westerns.” They may not show the blood and gore of the new movies, but the betrayal, murdering, stealing, etc. are all there. And Christians are giving heed to it all. They are also having their minds taken off of Jesus Christ and placed upon fleshly carnal actions. Along with that they are not redeeming the time, they are wasting the time that God has given them.
To give heed to seducing spirits is to pay attention to the unclean spirits and let them enter your mind through the hot iron medium of a cell phone, computer, tablet, or television. There are other ways this can be done as well, but the most common method of searing the conscience of people on the earth today is through the medium of digital entertainment. And digital entertainment uses hot iron.
While I’m here let me also say that the majority of entertainment is fictional, but do you know what the definition of fiction is? Fiction is untrue or also known as a lie. So most of what Christians are watching are lies, and those lies are being propagated by unclean spirits. Christians are being willfully seduced by spirits which causes them to give heed to doctrines of devils and deadens their discernment and conviction of right and wrong.
Entertainment and movies are the pulpits of the world that propagate lies and doctrines of devils. Pastors are 99% of the time represented as weird psycho sissies. The bible is disdained and trashed. Christian churches are maligned. Right is portrayed as wrong, and wrong is portrayed as right much of the time in modern movies and games.
Now let me give you an example of what I am writing about.
I am going to assume that you are familiar with Batman and Robin. If you are not familiar with them and do not know who they are you are very blessed. But when I was a kid and would come home from school I would eagerly wait for the Batman series to come on the TV. Now there has been a series of movies made. One of those movies is called The Dark Knight. I have not seen the movies, and have only seen a few clips of The Dark Knight, including the ending.
I did notice in the movies that Batman is dressed in black, with a black hood with a cape, and when he spoke his voice was low. He had a helper by the name of Robin and the story takes place in a city named Gotham City.
Eccl. 1:9 ¶ The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
Now, what I am going to quote is from court testimonies from the 1600’s. These are not sensational fiction, but actual court testimonies given under oath, with multiple witnesses. You may find the following interesting.
Remember - “…giving heed to seducing spirits…”
The following quotes are taken from a book titled:
Saducismus Triumphatus by Joseph Glanvil, late chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty, and Fellow of the Royal Society. Third Edition with Additions. Printed 1700
Page 68 - (I will copy it as it is printed. Capitals and spelling will be preserved, though it may look or seem strange. It is not typing error on my part.)
Relat. III - Collection
Which containeth the Witchcrafts of Elizabeth Style of Bamford, Widow.
This Elizabeth Style of Stoke Trister, in the County of Somerset, was accused by divers Persons of Credit, upon Oath, before Mr. Hunt, and particularly and largely Confessed her Guilt her self, which was found by the Jury at her Trial at Taunton; but she prevented Execution, by dying in Goal, a little before the expiring of the term her Confederate Daemon had set for her enjoyment of Diabolical Pleasures in this Life.
Page 73
5. Exam. Elizabeth Styles her Confession of her Witchcrafts, Jan. 26 and 30, and Feb. 7, 1664, before Rob. Hunt Esq; She then confessed, That the Devil about 10 years since, appeared to her in the shape of a handsome Man, and after of a Black-Dog… (Hello Harry Potter?)
That when she hath a desire to do harm, she calls the Spirit by the Name of Robin, (Emphasis added) to whom when he appeared, she useth these words, O Satan give me my purpose ! She then tells him what she would have done.
…The man in Black took it in his arms, anointed its forehead, and said, I Baptize thee with this Oyl, and used some other Words.
Page 75
The Man in black, sometimes plays on a Pipe or Cittern, and the Company dance. At last the Devil vanished, and all are carried to their several homes in a short space. At their parting the say [ A Boy! Merry meet, merry part.]
(Marry meet, and merry part is still used today in meetings of witchcraft. My comment)
Page 81
She saith, That when the Devil doth any thing for her, she calls for him by the Name of Robin,(Emphasis added) upon which he appears and when in the Shape of a Man, she can hear him speak, but his Voice is very low. He promised her, when she made her Contract with him, that she should want nothing, but ever since she hath wanted all things.
Page 84
That in all those Meetings, the Devil hath been present, in the shape of a Man in Black-cloaths: At the first coming, he bids them Welcome, but always speaks very low.
Page 88
Farther, she saith, That on Thursday Night before Whitsunday last, about the same Place, met Catherine Green, Alice Green, Joan Sims, Mary Warberton, Dinah and Dorothy Warberton, and Henry Walter, and being met, they called out Robin,(Emphasis added) upon which instantly appeared a little Man in Black-cloaths, to whom all made Obeisance, and the little Man put his Hand to his Hat, saying, How do ye? Speaking low but big: Then all made low Obeysances to him again.
So you have a devil, whom they claim is the Devil, that shows up in black clothes when they call out the name Robin. And he speaks low but big. That’s how Batman speaks in the movie The Dark Knight.
Do you know what the name Robin means? It means bright fame, or shining fame. My my!
Robin is a unisex given name and a surname. It was originally a diminutive masculine given name or nickname of Robert, derived from the prefix Ro- (hrod, Old Germanic, meaning "fame" and berht, meaning "bright"), and the suffix -in (Old French diminutive).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_(name)
2Cor. 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
Now there is one more thing that I must mention which has to do with the city Gotham. Do you know what Gotham means? It means goat home!
The meaning of “Gotham” in Irving’s satire was not chosen from a phone book like Gotham City. Irving’s depiction of Gotham’s residents as “self-important and foolish people,” according to Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace in Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898, actually parallels the simpleminded and idiotic residents of the medieval village of Gotham in the English county of Nottinghamshire. The meaning of Gotham is actually “goat home” in Old English, and the village still exists today, a home to approximately 1,600 people. (https://untappedcities.com/2020/01/31/why-is-new-york-city-called-gotham-a-nickname-with-a-millennium-of-history/)
So all over the USA there are shrines being erected to Satan, and guess what is used to depict old Lucifer? It is Baphomet, the goat headed man.
Now, all over the world born again Christians have watched The Dark Night. 2 hours and 32 minutes long Christians give heed to seducing spirits and have their consciences seared a little more.
That is just one movie, but I use it as an example to show how movies, and modern entertainments are searing the consciences of Christians, as well as all people who give heed and watch those things. And there is one thing that is needed in order to do so…hot iron!
Revival? I hear Christians pray for revival. Who are you kidding? There will be no revival unless God’s people repent of their wickedness, and that is not likely. In the age in which we live now, God’s people for the most part do not even like the word repent, let alone apply it to theirselves.
Rev. 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
Rev. 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Rev. 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.