There is not much difference between the Church today and ancient Israel. The history of Israel is for the Church’s benefit, and Christ makes such comparisons when addressing the churches in Revelation.

There was one rebuke that I kept going back to: eating food sacrificed to idols, mentioned in Revelation 2:14 and 2:20. This phrase stayed with me, almost like a background app running in my spirit, and I sensed the Holy Spirit urging me to understand its meaning. Having been in church all my life, I had never received teaching or heard a sermon specifically on eating and drinking food sacrificed to idols. I searched various Christian sites, but nothing resonated in my spirit as the definitive interpretation. I kept praying and wrestled with the text until the Spirit yielded a blessing.

In the first-century Greco-Roman world, eating food sacrificed to idols often involved participating in feasts held in pagan temples. These gatherings were not just social but religious acts, tied to the worship of false gods. Sacrificial offerings were made to idols, a portion was consumed by temple priests, and the rest was shared with participants or sold in markets (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). For early Christians, eating such food posed a spiritual dilemma: it wasn’t merely about food; it signified participating in idol worship, even indirectly.

In Revelation 2:14 and 20, Christ rebukes the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira for tolerating teachings that led believers to eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. These actions symbolized compromising with the surrounding culture. The eternal principle behind these verses remains relevant today: participating in anything that glorifies false gods or aligns with ungodly systems is a form of spiritual adultery.

The challenge today is that many believers struggle to see how this ancient warning applies to our time. The concept is often reduced to a historical problem, dismissed as irrelevant to modern life. However, the principalities and powers of darkness Paul describes in Ephesians 6:12 are highly adaptable. They continually develop new methods of deceiving and enslaving humanity, methods that God wants us to recognize and resist.

In the past, worship was tied to fertility gods, rain gods, or war gods—deities that promised to meet physical or survival needs. Today, the “gods” manifest differently, appealing to desires for power, pleasure, and self-fulfillment. These modern gods take the form of technology (e.g., AI and innovation), entertainment (e.g., pleasure and distraction), and self-empowerment (e.g., individualism and relativism).

Today’s equivalent of ancient temples can be found in casinos, strip clubs, party districts, and similar venues, where people engage in unrestrained pursuits of fleshly desires. Just as ancient pagan temples offered sacrifices to their gods, these modern venues operate with similar spiritual dynamics. The “services” offered—gambling, explicit entertainment, substance abuse, and sexual exploitation—become forms of “food sacrificed to idols”, feeding the flesh while enslaving the soul. These offerings aren’t just services; they are sacrifices to modern idols of pleasure, fortune, escape, and lust.

The ancient pattern of pagan temples has found a new expression in the digital age. What once required physical buildings and geographical locations now exists in virtual spaces, accessible through screens and devices. These digital temples maintain the same spiritual dynamics while offering unprecedented access and anonymity. Profits and assets generated through these platforms are dedicated to perpetuating dark purposes, just as ancient temple treasuries supported idol worship.

Modern comparison:

Offerings made: Time, money, attention.

Worship given: Dedication, obsession.

Bondage created: Addiction, dependency.

Territory claimed: Mental space, time.

Community impacted: Relationships strained or broken.

Unlike traditional temples or entertainment districts that require physical presence, digital temples are accessible from anywhere, 24/7, making their strongholds particularly dangerous. The territorial battles once fought over physical spaces have expanded into virtual realms, creating unprecedented challenges for spiritual warfare.

Understanding these parallels helps us recognize why certain venues—both physical and digital—carry spiritual significance beyond their surface appearance and make us uncomfortable. The Holy Spirit draws believers out of the world, and as He does, we can better sense the opposition in our spirits. This is why we often say, “I don’t go to the places I used to go or do the things I used to do.” But have we connected such places and activities to the warnings in Revelation 2:14 and 20?

Believers must recognize these spaces as cultural strongholds, just like the temples in biblical times. They are spiritual battlegrounds, not merely places of entertainment or commerce. The Church has an opportunity—and a responsibility—to engage these strongholds through strategic evangelism. Outreach to people trapped in these industries, whether patrons, workers, or victims, can be a powerful testimony of Christ’s love and freedom. To do this effectively, the Church must address the root causes that draw people to these spaces.

As believers, we are called to live set apart and engage in the battle for the souls of those trapped in these temples. Let’s begin by asking the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of compromise in our own lives and to guide us as we shine His light into the darkest corners of our world. The good news is that there is a blueprint for conquering such territory that we will address in Part 2. For now, let us reflect on the spiritual dynamics of these modern temples and ask the Holy Spirit to help us discern how we can reclaim these spaces for Christ.