Tattoos/Piercings: Defilement of the Body/Temple

Tattoos

When I was stationed in Turkey( while in the Air Force) in 2003-2005, prior to my walk with Messiah, I went to a local shop to get a tattoo.  I had been planning on getting this particular tattoo for sometime, and is called the “Eye of Horus”.  I had a profound interest into Egyptian culture, and was very fascinated with the Eye of Horus, and thought it would give me protection, so I had the tattoo placed  on the base of my neck.

Prior to this, I had already got 4 tattoos, beginning at age 18, and from that point on, another one every year, and no complications. For me, it became another addiction, just to mask the pain that I was truly in.  The pain I felt from the tattoo was a physical affliction that temporarily masked over the pain within, and was fleshly gratifying. However, like all sin,  it has consequences.

As the tattoo artist was about half way through, I started to feel nauseous, and I broke out in a cold sweat. My eyes began to blur, I felt like I wanted to throw up, and then I felt a presence come into my body, of which everything went black, and I passed out.  I came back a few minutes later, as my nose was assaulted with salts. My eyes refocused, and I finished the tattoo. I walked away from the tattoo shop with a fresh tattoo and a demon host to go along with it.

Years later, I repented of my tattoos, however, about 5 years ago when I came to the knowledge of what and who the Eye belonged to, as the Eye of Satan, I anointed my tattoo with oil, and broke off all curses associated with it. As I was praying and anointed it, it started to burn….only this one, as I had went through and anointed all the other tattoos.

There is a reason why Yah has prohibited us from doing such things to our body(Lev 19:28, Deut 14:1), as not only is it mutilation of the flesh, and a root of self-hate, but it is a form of idolatry and witchcraft, and you allow demons into your body when you do. Whether you want to call it possession or oppression, regardless, if you get tattoos on your body, you will give demons legal right to operate within you, and through you. This is a practice of the occult, for that EXACT PURPOSE!

Tribal tattoos are designs that bear serious symbolic mystical and occult meanings. Tribal tattoos, especially, are possible channels into spiritual and demonic possession.

“When the designs are chosen with care, tattoos have a power and magic all their own. They decorate the body but they also enhance the soul.”
(Michelle Delio, Tattoo: The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, p. 13)

“The reasons why puncturing the skin should be regarded with some degree of awe are not far to seek, for in the first place, there is the drawing of blood, which to the savage world over is full of significance as a rejuvenating and immortalizing factor. There is in addition to the opening of numerous inlets for evil to enter. . .”
(Hambly Wilfrid D. 1925. The History of Tattooing and its Significance, p. 233, cited in Gilbert, Steve, Tattoo History: A Source Book, p. 162)

“These tattoos act as protective and empowering talismans for the wearer. There are even some body artists who perform ritual tattoos, piercing, brandings and cuttings. They may suggest you consult your astrological chart to pick the right time to get your body art. They will burn incense, light candles, . . .”
(Jean-Chris Miller, The Body Art Book : A Complete, Illustrated Guide to Tattoos, Piercings, and Other Body Modifications, p. 29)

Did you catch that last one? “THESE TATTOOS ACT AS PROTECTIVE AND EMPOWERING TALISMANS FOR THE WEARER” I was wearing a high level occultic talisman embedded into my neck!

This is why understanding not only why tattoos are prohibited, but also the occultic symbols used is very important as they are considered an accursed item, and even if you do not get tattoos, but bring an occultic thing into your home, you will bring oppression into it.

♦Joshua 6:18And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, LEST YE MAKE YOURSELVES ACCURSED, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. (KJV)

♦Deuteronomy 7:26 DO NOT BRING A DETESTABLE THING INTO YOUR HOUSE OR YOU, LIKE IT, WILL BE SET APART FOR DESTRUCTION. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

Walking into a tattoo shop is no different than walking into a brothel, as you are spiritually fornicating with demons.  The Spirit has shown me that tattoos are especially abhorrent as it desecrates His creation and temple. When the Israelites desecrated His temple, and carved/etched things on it, it was an abomination:

♦Ezek 8:9Then He said to me, “Go in and see the wicked abominations they are committing here.” 10So I went in and looked, and ENGRAVED ALL AROUND THE WALL WAS EVERY KIND OF CRAWLING CREATURE AND DETESTABLE BEAST , along with all the idols of the house of Israel.(BSB)

♦Ezekiel 5:11Wherefore, as I live, saith Lord GOD (YHWH Elohim); Surely, because thou hast DEFILED MY SANCTUARY with all thy detestable things, and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.(KJV)

So what has changed if you defile the temple of God?

1 Cor 3:16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man DEFILE THE TEMPLE of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.(KJV)

Not much.

Piercings

Along with my tattoos, I had accumulated a few piercings as well.  Over the years, the Spirit had me repent and remove all of my piercings, to include my earrings. It was in 2014 that the Spirit spoke to me pertaining to my earrings and I remember looking in a mirror and my eyes being drawn to my ears.  Then He spoke to me saying, “You have removed all of your other piercings, but one remains”.  I was immediately convicted, went over to my jewelry box, took all of my earrings out and dumped them in the trash.  When my husband had come home from work and saw them in the trash, I explained to him what the Spirit had shown me, and said I will not be wearing anymore earrings, and he was in agreement with me.

Ear piercing is one of the oldest forms of body modification and Websters Dictionary defines body piercing as:

“the practice or an instance of adorning the body with jewelry or ornamentation that penetrates the flesh”

Throughout history both men and women can be seen adorning themselves with earrings through archaeological evidence. Generally it became more of a feminine adornment, however, as some cultures became more effeminate, such as Rome, many men would be seen with them. It is typical in pagan cultures and tribes to do ritualistic piercing of the ears, and other parts of the body, also including tribal tattoos.

In other cultures earrings were only for slaves and prostitutes. We see pierced ears shown as a mark of slavery within the Bible, as bond servants had their ears pierced through with an aul/awl, which was a type of boring instrument:

♦Exodus 21:17Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.(KJV)

♦Deut 15:15Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today. 16But if your servant says to you, ‘I do not want to leave you,’ because he loves you and your household and is well off with you, 17then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.(BSB)

In Egypt, it was a common practice for young children, both male and female to have their ears pierced, however from my research seems that as the boys became men, they no longer wore them, but the women did. Archaeological evidence from Tutankhamun’s tomb seems to have also supported this.  When the Israelites came out of Egypt, many had earrings, however, only women and children are mentioned. They then had used the earrings to make the golden calf:

Exodus 32:2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

An earlier story in the Bible shows that earrings were considered idols, and were removed. During a time after God had spoken with Jacob to return to Bethel, Jacob instructed his household to get rid of their idols; which included all the earrings that they wore in their ears:

Gen 35:2Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: 3And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. 4And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

Then we see that the Ishmaelites wore earrings(may have been possible nose rings due to translation) as the enemies defeated by Gideon:

Judges 8:23But Gideon replied, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son. The LORD shall rule over you.” 24Then he added, “Let me make a request of you, that each of you give me an earring from his plunder.” (Now the enemy had gold earrings because they were Ishmaelites.)

Indeed Yah Himself made this reference in Ezekiel:

Ezek 16:11I adorned you with jewelry, and I put bracelets on your wrists and a chain around your neck. 12I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head. 13So you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothes were of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful and rose to be a queen

However, within the above passage, it is used in a figurative language, and signifies that Israel belonged to YHWH as His Bride, however as you can see within the following passage,  with the outward beauty, Israel played the harlot(prostitute):

Ezek 16:15But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.

Many will use such a passage as to justify their earrings, nose rings or other piercings. However,  I have to truly wonder what the motivations were behind a person for doing such in the first place, as it is an adornment of the flesh; which is primarily found in vanity.

Prov 31:30Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

The Spirit showed me that as a piercing of the flesh, not just the physical flesh of the body, but the carnally minded/appealing to the fleshly desires. When I got my ears pierced, I was about 10 years old and I had chosen to get them for my birthday, even though I had hesitations on getting them the years prior, and even remember how much it hurt. It certainty had nothing to do with Jesus, nor was I even walking with Him at that time. The other piercings I got solely had to do with the thrill of body modification and attention; again, nothing to do with Jesus.

So, while these are indeed my experiences, you would definitely be hard pressed to convince me that the Spirit of Messiah influenced you to get a body piercing, when I have been shown and convicted otherwise.  I don’t think a person can justify one piercing in that of another and be a good witness to others; however with that being said, I do also believe that we need to exercise righteous judgement in where a person may be at in their walk, as Yah has to get at the heart first, as He did mine.

Yah showed me that my piercings represented slavery of the world, and the removal of them became freedom in Him.

♦Galatians 4:7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God. 8Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.(BSB)

♦John 8:35A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

I believe that the only type of ‘piercing’ we should have in our ears, is spiritual circumcision.  In likeness to having our hearts circumcised through the hands of Messiah(Col 2:11), we are to also have our ears ‘circumcised’ in order to Shema, (hear, understand and obey) the voice of our Master, Yeshua/Jesus, through His Spirit.

♦Jeremiah 6:10To whom can I give this warning? Who will listen to me? LOOK, THEIR EARS ARE CLOSED, SO THEY CANNOT HEAR. See, the word of the LORD has become offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it. 11But I am full of the LORD’s wrath; I am tired of holding it back. Pour it out on the children in the street, and on the young men gathered together. For both husband and wife will be captured, the old and the very old.(BSB)

♦Acts 7:51You stiff-necked people with UNCIRCUMCISED hearts and EARS! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did.