Mystical Clues of the Supernatural - John, Paul, and the Scythians (that would be a cool band name!)

Weird Stuff and Friday Wrap Up 5-23-2025

May 23, 2025

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”(1 John 4:1).

Test: to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals. to recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy

Sarmatia bordering Scythia and the Roxolani (north), Caspian Sea (east), Colchis, Albania and Iberia (south), and Palus Maeotis and Cimmerian Bosphorus (west)- Wiki.(image source)

Examining the Scythians

“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”(Colossians 3:11).

This week, we’ve continued looking back at ancient history around the time of the prophet Isaiah, and the Assyrian invasion in Israel (700s BC). The story took us to just before the Babylonian captivity of Judah in the brief years of King Josiah and the prophet, Jeremiah ( 600s BC/ 2 Kings 22).

Through the study, we discovered a murderous, nomadic culture - the Scythians - that were a potential threat to Jerusalem that - if they had invaded - would have likely destroyed the remnant of the Jews in Judah. But because Josiah repented and reestablished the Covenant, for a brief time God’s mercy prevailed.

The Scythians were mentioned by name just once in the New Testament letter to the Colossians. Paul wrote this letter around 62AD - around 30 years before John wrote Revelation on the Isle of Patmos when he named a prophetic, mysterious enemy from the North: Gog and Magog.

Somehow these Scythians were known in Paul’s day - either directly, or by reputation - over 800 years after they first seem to appear in history. These tribes came from “the north” and they were important enough for Paul to make this reference.

But why?

North is mentioned many times in Scripture. And there are places in prophecy - like in John’s Revelation - that speak of some kind of mystical terror “from the far reaches of the north,” that possibly tie into prophecy - specifically of Gog and Magog who many (but not all) prophecy teachers believe to be Russia.

Do the Scythians tie in with Russia, Gog, Magog, and the end times? What - if anything - is going on between the prophetic North and these northern nomads, the Scythians?

Those questions began a journey of discovery to see who these nomadic warring tribes of the Steppes were, and why they were included in this enigmatic verse. Why would God tell us that even the Scythians were equally deserving of the Gospel message? And the comparison (Barbarians to Scythians) points to them as humans even more uncultured and wild than Barbarians.

Within the context of the study, I realized there seemed to be some kind of tie between these ancient warlords, and potentially something in the supernatural realm (from a prophetic standpoint).

I mentioned in a prior week how important it is that we, Christians, see the world from both the natural, and the supernatural, because the unseen is where the really big story is in the Bible. It is the metanarrative over of all human history.

With this in mind, all of these clues - Gog, Magog, the Sycthians, the North - are taking us on a hidden path that seems to be pointing to something important in prophecy.

We also need to take note of certain signs indicating the Sycthians’ presence in history. Humans use icons to announce intent, reputation, ideologies, possession, allegiance, alliances, and so much more. The Nazi flag, for instance, is a symbol of horror and reputation in German history; the Scythians have their calling cards as well.

We tend to miss a lot of historical clues (leading to the real truth) when we ignore the importance of these kinds of signs. It’s these puzzle pieces that will likely lead us to much more than just a brief history of some evil tribe who pillaged during the time of Josiah.

Were these nomads simply evil humans or was something else driving their destruction?

Let’s take a moment to examine and note some of their calling cards because, as we move forward, these will be some of the signs to look for as we try and determine who these people really were and where they originated from and when.

Warrior Burials & Trophy-Taking

Decapitated skulls used as drinking cups: Herodotus (4.64-65) describes how Scythians scalped enemies and fashioned their skulls into gold gilded cups. Archaeological finds (for example Pazyryk burials) confirm this.
Mass graves of sacrificed servants: Kurgans (burial mounds) contain slaughtered horses, concubines, and warriors to serve the dead in the afterlife (Herodotus 4.71-72).

Weapons & Skilled Horseback Warfare

Composite bows & poisoned arrows: Scythian archers used reflex bows (Herodotus 4.46) and dipped arrows in venom from vipers and human blood (Hippocrates, On Airs, Waters, and Places 19).
Battle-axes (sagaris) & scale armor: Depicted in Greek art (e.g., Scythians on the Vix Krater) and confirmed by finds in Ukraine (Solokha Kurgan).

Tattoos & Animal, Occult Style Art

Tattoos of mythical beasts: Frozen mummies from Pazyryk (Altai Mountains) show elaborate tattoos of griffins tearing prey apart (The Ice Maiden by Natalia Polosmak).
Gold plaques depicting predatory evil: Common motifs include wolves ripping throats, stags being devoured—symbolizing their predatory worldview (Metropolitan Museum of Art collections).

Psychoactive Rituals & War Frenzy

Cannabis vapor baths: Herodotus (4.75) describes Scythians burning hemp in tents to induce frenzied states before battle similar to Shamanism in other cultures.
Drinking enemy blood: Strabo (Geography 7.3.9) claims they drank the blood of their first kill in battle.

Scalping & Skinning Enemies

Human-skin cloaks: Herodotus (4.64) reports Scythians skinning their enemies (much like the Assyrians) and stitching human skins into cloaks or arrow quivers.
Trophy belts of scalps: Similar to North American Indians, these warriors collected scalps to hang from bridles—the more scalps, the higher their status (Histories 4.64).

Weapons - Bows & Archery

Composite bows: Made from wood, horn, and animal sinew, capable of piercing armor at 600 feet (Herodotus 4.46).
Poisoned arrows: Tips coated with a mix of snake venom, rotten blood, and feces to induce sepsis (Hippocrates, On Airs, Waters, and Places 19).
Gorytos (bow case): Combined quiver and bow holder for rapid mounted archery (seen in Greek vase art, e.g., Eurymedon Vase).

Close-Combat Weapons

Akinakes (short sword): Double-edged iron dagger, ~40–60 cm, worn on the right hip (finds in Ukraine’s Chertomlyk Kurgan).
Sagaris (battle-axe): Iron-headed polearm for crushing skulls and splitting shields (depicted in Persian reliefs at Persepolis).
Lances & spears: Used for horseback charges, some with barbed tips to maximize wound trauma (Pazyryk burials).

Armor & Shields

Scale armor: Overlapping iron/bronze plates sewn onto leather (Scythian warriors depicted on the Solokha comb).
Spangenhelm (helmets): Conical iron helmets with cheek guards (found in Kelermes Kurgan).
Wicker shields: Lightweight but reinforced with rawhide for mounted combat (Herodotus 4.58).

Metallurgy & Craftsmanship

Iron & Gold Mastery

Bloomery furnaces: Used to smelt high-carbon iron for weapons (archaeological evidence in Tuva, Siberia).
Gold casting: Granulation and filigree work seen in pectorals (for instance in Tolstaya Mogila, Ukraine).
Lost-wax casting: Produced intricate animal-style gold plaques (Hermitage Museum collection).

Alloy Knowledge

Bronze arrowheads: Arsenic-bronze alloys for harder, deadlier projectiles (studies by Renate Rolle).
Iron vs. steel: Some akinakes swords show deliberate carburization for edge retention (metallurgical analysis by S. V. Khavliuk).

Complex Knots & Practical Skills

Horse Tack & Warfare

Turkshead knots: Used to secure reins and lariats—critical for controlling warhorses at full gallop.
Hobble knots: Enabled rapid immobilization of enemy horses during raids (described in Strabo’s Geography).
Lasso combat: Herodotus (4.9) notes Scythians using rope nooses to drag enemies off horseback.

Torture & Ritual Binding

Prisoner restraints: Complex knots tied around captives’ wrists/ankles before scalping (Herodotus 4.64).
Sacrificial bindings: Mummies in Pazyryk show leather thongs tightly knotted around the deceased’s limbs (Polosmak, Siberian Ice Maiden).

Next week we will continue searching for answers about these horse riders from the north to see if they did indeed just show up on the scene in the 800s BC.

Also we will continuing trying to answer whether or not they are tied in some way to Gog and Magog, or prophecy. Is there any indication that their history is more important than a mere mention in Paul’s letter to the Colossians? And what did John know about them?

To be continued…

Today’s Question

Today’s Prayer

Father I pray today that you help us see through the eyes of your Spirit. We have been given your Holy Spirit as the gift that Jesus promised us. I am so very grateful that a day will come that we all get to be home with you because of your gracious and merciful gift of Salvation. I’m also thankful that we have your Spirit to guide us to the truth while we are here on earth living in the flesh. It’s easy to see people and events through our natural eyes, but we can’t see into the supernatural without your gift to us. As we continue to study your Word, and look for what may be going on in our day that your Prophets long ago spoke of, keep us walking a straight path. Reveal to us the things that will help us find answers to our questions. And also guide us in our daily lives as we make decisions about how we are to live in the here and now. Thank you for this great gift. We pray our lives bring you honor and glory as we praise your Holy Name. Amen.❤️