S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The word heathen is an older translation of the Hebrew word goyim in the Old Testament. The word goyim literally meant "nations" and could refer broadly to all the nations of the world. In other co...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Ezekiel Kimosop Supporter

Who are the heathen?

In the Old Testament, the heathen were nations and tongues apart from the nation of Israel and specifically those who worshipped strange gods. They had no revelation of the true God and were often listed as the enemies of God's people.

The Philistines, Amalekites, Moabites and the Ammonites were among the ancient Middle Eastern heathen kingdoms who persistently fought against Israel and from whom the Israelites borrowed their detestable acts of idolatry such as the worship of Baal and Chemosh or the Ashera Pole.

Ahab, one of the most wicked kings of Israel, married Jezebel, a heathen Sidonian princess, who introduced official idol worship in Israel and expelled the and persecuted the true prophets of God. Ahab's marriage to this heathen woman was itself in defiance of God's law. Jews were forbidden from intermarrying with the heathen.

Ezra 9:12 says "Now therefore give not your daughters unto their sons, neither take their daughters unto your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever."

1 Kings 16:31-33 says "And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him." 

King Solomon married foreign heathen women who turned him away from the worship of the true God of Israel. 1 Kings 11:4-9 says "For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father. 7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. 8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 9 And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice"

In todays terms, heathen people are Gentiles who walk in disobedience to the revelation of God's truth. We have a mandate to reach out to them. 

Ephesians 2:2-4 says "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us"

May 30 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report