Upon This Rock

Force of Hades

There is a local Seattle controversy around the Mars Hill Church. I was hearing about it via my mom, who’s best friend’s son is a pastor and minor cog in the wheel of the mega church. This only became personally interesting after reading Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons, because he places the “Satanic”, Illuminati anti-matter canister upon the tomb of St. Peter, deep in the catacombs underneath the Vatican.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of Hades will not overpower it. ~ Matthew 16:18

It is curious that the catacombs contain the Necropolis, AKA The City of the Dead, and what a better description of Hades? But what is really interesting is that this tomb of the rock is built on “Vatican Hill”, while The Areopagus (Romanized to “Mars’ hill") is the composite form of the Greek name Areios Pagos, translated "Ares Rock”. Paul is said to have preached to the heathens there, and was inspired by their temple to the “Unknown God”.

The Unknown God was not so much a specific deity, but a placeholder, for whatever god or gods actually existed but whose name and nature were not revealed to the Athenians or the Hellenized world at large. ~ wikipedia

I like that the Athenians actually had a temple dedicated to that sense of wonder or spontaneous “knowing” that is at the core of true spiritual experience, showing a sense of humility within a city founded upon the Goddess of Wisdom. And then in marches Paul to explain it all for them. Much like the Mars Hill Church likes to think of itself now. What a bunch of Assholes! (to paraphrase Marty McFly.)

Perhaps the anti-matter canister is the “Unknown God”, or the Fifth Element, or the DeLorean. She’s exploding over the seven hills of Seattle, and the greater Pacific NW region.

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NOTES:

In Back to the Future 1, Marty McFly (representing Pluto or Hades) crashes the DeLorean directly into the ASSEMBLY OF CHRIST upon his return to the Twin Pines Mall (now Lone Pine Mall) in 1985.

Mars Hill can also mean Man Hill, Ego Hill, War Hill, Red Hill, Blood Hill, DNA Hill and Iron Hill. Also... pyramids on Mars.

Driscoll “is Chris Rock,” said former Mars Hill member Rob Smith. “He has told us in the pulpit and in private that he admired comedian Chris Rock and learned a lot from him.

In the months that followed, Mefferd and a handful of bloggers would uncover more questions about Driscoll’s books. A Christian magazine would discover Mars Hill paid a company $25,000 to buy up and distribute his latest book in a scheme to vault the title onto best-seller lists. - I've often wondered if a similar scheme wasn't behind the uncanny success of Dan Brown's books.