By Nick Bibile
The living God is the Creator, but an image is made by the creature. God is Spirit and therefore invisible, but an image is visible. God is eternal, yet when people attempt to represent Him with an image, they reduce the eternal holy God to something worldly sinful earthly.
Image worship brings down the glorious and eternal God of heaven to the level of created things. For this reason, it is an abomination before God. It's an insult to who God is.
The Second Commandment is not a suggestion. It is a clear and binding command from God Almighty.
Exodus 20:4–6
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.”
God is serious, only God is to be worshiped.
God's enemy, Satan wants worship. He and his demons use images to receive worship. (Revelation 9:20:1 Corinthians 10:20)
Read Psalm 115:4-8
There is widespread idolatry in the Roman Catholic Church through the use of statues and images in worship. Some Roman Catholic priests attempt to defend this practice by appealing to certain Old Testament passages where God commanded images to be made.
However, Scripture must never be taken out of context. Satan himself is known for twisting Scripture (Matthew 4:6). Likewise, some attempt to twist the Word of God in order to justify image worship.
Two passages often quoted are the following:
Exodus 25:18–20
“And you shall make two cherubim of gold… The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings.”
And:
1 Chronicles 28:18–19
David gave Solomon the plans for the temple, which included the cherubim that covered the Ark of the Covenant.
These passages clearly show that images of cherubim were made. However, the context is extremely important.
These images were not objects of worship. They were part of the tabernacle and temple, which were earthly symbols representing heavenly realities.
Hebrews 8:5
“They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven.”
God specifically commanded these images as part of the tabernacle system, and they were placed in the Most Holy Place, where only the high priest could enter once a year.
The people of Israel did not gather around these cherubim to pray to them, bow to them, or worship them.
Furthermore, if you visit a Jewish synagogue today, you will not find statues or religious images used in worship. The Jewish people have historically understood the Second Commandment correctly.
The images in the tabernacle were:
•
Strictly
commanded by God
•
Limited
to a specific place
•
Not
objects of worship
•
Hidden
in the Most Holy Place
This is completely different from the widespread use of statues in many churches today.
God never commanded the Roman Catholic Church—or any church—to make images of Christ, Mary, saints, or angels for religious devotion.
To introduce such practices into worship is to go beyond what God has commanded.
Under the New Covenant, the entire temple system has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 8:1–2
“We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.”
Hebrews 9:11–12
“Christ came as high priest… through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands… He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”
Jesus Himself is the true tabernacle.
John 1:14
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
The word “dwelling” in the Greek carries the idea of tabernacling among us. Christ is the true dwelling place of God with man.
Hebrews 9:24
“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself.”
Because Christ has fulfilled the temple system, we no longer need:
•
an
earthly temple
•
human
high priests
•
symbolic
images or representations
Christ Himself is our High Priest who intercedes for His people.
Since God is Spirit, He must not be represented by physical images.
Jesus clearly taught this:
John 4:24
“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
True worship is not centered on statues, icons, or physical representations. It is spiritual worship directed to the living God.
Scripture repeatedly warns against making and worshiping images.
Deuteronomy 27:15
“Cursed is anyone who makes an idol—a thing detestable to the Lord.”
The prophet Isaiah mocks the foolishness of idol-making.
Isaiah 44:15–17
A
man cuts down a tree.
Half of it he burns for firewood to cook
his food.
With the other half he makes an idol and bows down to
worship it.
The absurdity is clear—people worship the work of their own hands.
Habakkuk 2:18–19
“Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman… Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’”
The idol cannot speak, guide, or save.
When the apostle Paul saw Athens filled with idols, he was deeply troubled.
Acts 17:29–30
“We should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.”
Even angels themselves refuse worship.
Revelation 22:8–9
When John fell down to worship the angel, the angel immediately stopped him:
“Don’t do that!… Worship God!”
If even angels refuse worship, how much more should people reject the worship of statues and images.
Some Roman Catholic defenders argue that if making images is sinful, then taking photographs or selfies must also be sinful.
This argument shows a misunderstanding of the Second Commandment.
The commandment does not forbid all images. It forbids making images to represent God for the purpose of worship.
There is a major difference between:
•
ordinary
images (photographs, paintings, art)
•
religious
images used in worship
Having family photographs or artwork in a home is not a violation of the Second Commandment.
What God forbids is making images to represent Him and then using those images in worship.
The Roman Catholic Church has led many people into error by promoting the use of religious images in worship.
Instead of holding firmly to the Word of God, they have elevated church tradition above Scripture.
Jesus warned about this very danger:
Mark 7:8–9
“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions… You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions.”
True worship must be governed by God’s Word, not by human traditions.
God has clearly commanded:
Do
not make images of Him.
Do not bow down to them.
Worship
the living God alone.
Below is an image of Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. Here you see Ignatius Loyola holding the Jesuit Constitution while trampling underfoot a Christian holding a Bible
If you look at the history of Israel, what was the cause of idolatry and corruption? It was image worship. Roman Catholic churches are filled with graven images: pictures and statues made to represent the Lord, Mary, the apostles and the saints, what really caused the protestant reformation? Rome's idolatry was at the heart of the Reformation.
2 Corinthians 6:16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I
will live with them
and
walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and
they will be my people.”
17 Therefore,
“Come
out from them
and
be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and
I will receive you.”