A Spirit of Lawlessness

By Hazel Holland

I painted this watercolor this afternoon to illustrate something I saw in the Spirit about twelve years ago. It was something that I didn't really begin to understand until today.

The Vision

In this vision I saw someone dressed up like Robin Hood, holding his bow and arrow, getting ready to take aim. All of a sudden he pulled back on the bow string, and an arrow went flying through the air beyond my line of vision.

Immediately, a large group of "spectators"who had been watching this "sports" event off to the right began to loudly cheer with seditious laughter as "Robin Hood" hit his target. Having successfully "hit" his intended victim, the marksman reached around to get another arrow out of his bag.

Just as he was about to release the second arrow, I heard the Spirit say, "Lift up the shield of faith!" Again the crowd of "spectators" applauded their "hero" as his second arrow hit its mark again.

I knew by the sound of the ugly laughter that this crowd of "spectators" was not human, but rather a gathering from the hordes of hell. I shuddered as I saw that they were unable to contain their demonic glee and their foul appreciation of seeing another human being fall prey to their trickery and lies.

But I was stumped as to why God was using "Robin Hood" as the archer, and his "merry men" as the hordes from hell in this vision. Although I'm well acquainted with the story of this character in English history, I will briefly share the gist of it in case some readers are not. That way you will get a better grasp of what the Lord may be saying through this word.

Robin Hood

Robin Hood was a man who lived in Nottinghamshire, England. He was discouraged that the forests near the king no longer belonged to the people. King Richard was away at the Crusades and his brother, Prince John, forbid hunting on his land and taxed the poor heavily. Land was stolen from rightful owners. Murders were committed, including Robin's own father.

So he fled to Sherwood Forest, and he and his band of "merry men" vowed to help the less fortunate who were Prince John's and the Sheriff of Nottingham's victims. To survive in the woods they would "relieve" rich travelers of their valuables, and they made suits to blend in with the forest.1

In a nutshell, Robin Hood, stole from the rich to give to the poor. He took the law of the land into his own hands in order to try and right the wrongs of a government with unjust laws.

Misuse of Law

I read an article to day that emphasized the facts that throughout history tyrants have used an extensive legal system to control their people. It has been through the instrumentality of the law that these rulers gained inordinate control over the lives and "loyalty" of their people. They held them in subjection and bondage through threats of punishment or death, and used the law to establish their dictatorship, event to the point of passing additional laws that outlawed opposition parties.

In essence, dictators demand a godlike obedience that not even God requires of his subjects. The irony is that tyrants use the laws of the land to justify their lawless behaviors. In other words, the law, or the power of law, is misused by tyrants to cloak evil behaviors. It is this misuse of the law, to make what is evil appear to be good, that is at the very heart of lawlessness.2

In a similar way the old covenant law, as well as the power of that law to condemn people, has been misused by the church down through the centuries. It is this abuse of the law, to make what is evil appear to be good, that is at the very heart of lawlessness. Since Paul says, "...the secret power of lawlessness is already at work..." doesn't that make legalism a trademark of a lawless spirit?

(To be continued...)
Notes:
1. http://www.robinhood.ltd.uk/society/members/Jessica%20Dodson%20and%20Richard%20Baker.html.
2. http://www.scholarscorner.com/eschaton/manlaws.html

*  You can scroll down to the bottom of this page to see a larger copy of this painting.