#003: Conspiracy in Scripture

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.”  (Søren Kierkegaard ~ 1813-1855)

Of course not all “conspiracy claims” are true for one of the documented psy-ops of the powers is to invent conspiracies with purpose: 1) to mock the dupes (for we humans are highly susceptible to fear and rumor); and 2) to camouflage real conspiracies. Lump real and fake together into “conspiracies theory” — thus mixing fact and fiction¹ so thoroughly that few can tell which part is true, which part if false.

As to those who quote Old Testament | Isaiah 8:12 (converting confederacy into conspiracy):

Say ye not, A confederacy [conspiracy], to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy [conspiracy]; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid,

let us be truthful: if read in context² Isaiah 8:12 means something else. God was always lamenting about the children of Israel (all 12 tribes) trusting in other nations for security, instead of trusting in Him. Isaiah has just warned Judah and Jerusalem that if the people associated themselves (made league) with Assyria on the one hand or with Rezin (king of Aram /Syria) and Remaliah's son (Pekah, king of Israel) on the other hand, they would be broken in pieces (v. 9). Many were crying to their fellow citizens / leaders that they should make a confederacy with potential protectors, but Isaiah was commanded to reject the idea: “Say ye not, A confederacy ...” Do not agree to what is being proposed. “Let [the LORD of hosts] be your fear, and let him be your dread” (v 13).²

Conspiracies by those pursuing and protecting power, gain, and glory have been a forever feature of history. Just read the references in scripture given below, which those quoting Isaiah 8:12 don't seem to be aware of. So, we ignore the reality of conspiracy at our peril. And for the many pastors perpetuating the “conspiracy theory” mantra to the immeasurable harm to their sheep, one wonders, if with all the history, witness, and ready access to knowledge in 2021, whether “They know not what they do.”

Conspiracy in scripture (Bold emphasis added.)

Old Testament | Isaiah 14:13–14 ~ For thou [O Lucifer] hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Old Testament | Genesis 37:18 ~ And when they saw him [Joseph] afar off, even before he came near unto them, they [his brothers] conspired against him to slay him.
Old Testament | 1 Samuel 22:13 ~ And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
Old Testament | 2 Samuel 15:12 ~ And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.
Old Testament | 2 Samuel 15:31 ~ And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.
Old Testament | 1 Kings 15:27 ~ And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.
Old Testament | 1 Kings 16:9 ~ And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him,
Old Testament | 2 Kings 9:14 ~ So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 10:9 ~ behold, I conspired against my master,
Old Testament | 2 Kings 12:19-20 ~ And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 14:19 ~ Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 15:10 ~ And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 15:15 ~ And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 15:25 ~ But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house,
Old Testament | 2 Kings 15:30 ~ And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 17:4 ~ And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 21:23-24 ~ And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house. And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon;
Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 24:21 ~ And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 24:26 ~ And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.
Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 25:27 ~ Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.
Old Testament | 2 Chronicles 33:24-25 ~ And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house. But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon;
Old Testament | Psalms 37:12 ~ The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 11:9 ~ And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Old Testament | Ezekiel 22:25 ~ There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.
Old Testament | Nehemiah 4:8 ~ And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

Daniel 10:10-14, 20 ~ invisible forces were clearly at work in Daniel's life and times, as also the conspiracy that got hi thrown in the Lion's den. 
 New Testament | John 5:16 ~ And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
New Testament | Acts 23:12-13 ~ And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.
New Testament | Ephesians 6:12 ~ For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high (heavenly?) places.
Book of Mormon | Alma 2:21 ~ And Alma sent spies to follow the remnant of the Amlicites, that he might know of their plans and their plots, whereby he might guard himself against them, that he might preserve his people from being destroyed.
Book of Mormon | Helaman 6:30 ~ And behold, it is he who is the author of all sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men.
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 84:16 ~ And from Enoch to Abel, who was slain by the conspiracy of his brother, ...
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 89:4 ~ In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation—
Doctrine and Covenants | Section 135:7 ~ They were innocent of any crime, as they had often been proved before, and were only confined in jail by the conspiracy of traitors and wicked men; 

These are the scriptures where the word conspiracy appears, but many of the scripture stories are also about conspiracy as in Korah et al., Balak & Balaam, the Hivite league, Haman in the book of Esther, Ananias & Sapphira, etc.

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1. https://dejavu-timestwo.blogspot.com/2017/11/mix-up.html
2. Old Testament | Isaiah 8:6-13
   6 Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;
   7 Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:
   8 And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.
   9 Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces.
   10 Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us.
   11 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,
   12 Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.
   13 Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.