Avengers: Infinity War - The Winning Strategy

I visited Aaron recently and we went to the theater to see Avengers: Infinity War. We weren't disappointed. It was entertaining and engaging in many ways, but for our purposes that's of little consequence. We were there to see whatever it was the Lord would reveal and what we perceived was mind boggling. These Marvel/Disney productions are typically some of the most timely and bean-spilling. If you haven't seen it, you can search IMDB and wikipedia and read reviews to your satisfaction.

What makes this film worth our time to blog about is how the winning strategy employed by the Most High God in these last days is just put right out there! While still more detail remains hidden from us, we'll explain what we do understand about how the plan is hidden in plain sight.

* Spoiler alert *

The plot is complex and there are several themes. This is the 3rd film of 4 in the planned set and it might be considered as a part 1 of a 2 part climax, as suggested by this pre-release movie poster. There's so much we could say about this significant and timely film but we're going to limit our focus. The theme of sacrifice appears throughout the film, and the kinds of sacrifices that are made by several characters take different forms. The key is in how the sacrifices made are strategic. In the film, it is explained that each one of the six Infinity Stones embodies and controls a fundamental aspect of existence. There is a Time Stone that is, not surprisingly, the key to victory. It's not just the possession of the Time Stone that proves to be critical but rather the strategic use of it and the willingness to make the sacrifices required along the way.

The films and TV shows in "the Marvel Universe" cross-reference and build upon each other. The Avengers: Infinity War film draws heavily upon the 2016 film titled, Doctor Strange, and this excerpt from Wikipedia offers some useful background.

"Time Stone (Green): The Time Stone was encased in the Eye of Agamotto by Earth's first sorcerer, Agamotto. A Master of the Mystic Arts can use the Stone to alter and manipulate time. Thousands of years later, in Doctor Strange, Dr. Stephen Strange learns to use the Eye and uses it to save the Earth from Dormammu by trapping the demon in a time loop until he abandons his plans for Earth. The Masters of the Mystic Arts retain possession of the Eye in their secret compound Kamar-Taj in Kathmandu, Nepal. During the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Strange uses the Time Stone to look into future timelines; viewing millions of possible outcomes of their conflict with Thanos. Strange later surrenders the stone to Thanos in exchange for him sparing Tony Stark's life."

When Thanos receives the Time Stone in trade he goes after the last remaining Infinity Stone. He's a little too late because it's in the process of being destroyed. So, he uses the power of the Time Stone to rewind time just enough to un-destroy it and complete his collection. With all 6 stones, Thanos snaps his fingers and half of the population of the universe is wiped out - mission accomplished. That's what the Avengers were hoping to avoid. With many of the Avengers included in the numbers of the lost, it's not a great result.

Why didn't Strange use the power to rewind or reset time while he still had the Time Stone? Why would he just let Thanos have it, knowing its power - especially when combined with the other Infinity Stones? In the 2016 film, Doctor Strange, the titular character was able to save earth from Dormammu with a strategic use of the Time Stone. The writers of fiction make up the rules and plots as they go along for the sake of drama, and they're not going to reuse the same strategy twice, so Strange can't use the looping time reset to lock his adversary into a stalemate as a bargaining chip. For our benefit, they are going to spill even more beans about the unfolding of this very real war of the last days! The willing forfeit of the Time Stone was a strategic sacrifice that was so significant that it gave the appearance that the battle that decides the war had just been lost.

Here's a video with an explanation that is very useful, so I scripted part of it below.

Infinity War - WHAT WAS DOCTOR STRANGE'S PLAN? (Eric Voss and "New Rockstars" channel)
"... so, Strange bargains with Thanos, trading the time stone if Thanos spares Tony Stark's life. ... Tony asks Strange, why? And Strange says, "We're in the end game now" ... Strange intended on Thanos getting the time stone. He knew it had to happen. This was all part of the one possible successful outcome he envisioned. ... See, by "end game" Strange was referring to chess. The end game of any chess match is marked by the moment both sides start to make major but necessary concessions to close in on their opponent. You give up your queen or that knight you've always had a soft spot for, so that you can move forward in leading the other side to their inevitable defeat. Now, these aren't random losses by oversight or bad tactics. These are planned strategic sacrifices that hurt but you've got to make them to get to the W (win). So that is what Dr Strange is doing by giving up the time stone. He knew from the moment he flipped the pages to the end of this choose-your-own-adventure book that Thanos would end up with all 6 Infinity Stones no matter what they tried - but - but - but - he needed to make sure this battle went a particular way."

What Eric Voss referred to in the video above as Doctor Strange's flipping the pages to the end of this choose-your-own-adventure book was a meditation session where Strange viewed the future and considered the possible outcomes of their conflict with Thanos. That was a brilliant strategy for the use of the Time Stone because Strange can subsequently use this knowledge as a guide to the victorious outcome. We're told that only 1 of the 14,000,605 possible outcomes is a winner, but 1 is sufficient. Strange foresees the future and is able to map out the critical path to ultimate victory and, very importantly, his adversary does not exploit the power of the Time Stone to gain this advantage.

The wisdom Doctor Strange exhibits in his limited use of the Time Stone appears in this key passage of scripture.

8 Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. 9 Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; ~ Isaiah 46:8-10

God can declare the end from the beginning because He knows the end from the beginning. His purpose will be established. You can punctuate that with a period or an exclamation mark. There are no other "possible outcomes" - only what will be. In contrast, the Adversary is a created being. He has knowledge of the future but this is limited in ways that result in his only ever serving the Sovereign God's purposes. This is being modeled to us in the allegorical plot of the Infinity War film. In the conflict where Doctor Strange and the Avengers fight to defend the universe against the conquering Thanos with his evil minions, the ever familiar good vs evil plot is crafted to put a strategic secret of the real end game on display.

Here's the message that we receive. When things look bad for the Most High God and those who are His, you should see past the appearance. Even if it looks like Satan has seized control of time. This compares to how Thanos took possession of the Time Stone. Things look bad already, and they really are bad. The Mandela Effect touches even on the changing of the biblical text! The schedule of biblical prophecy has been skewed in such a way that judgment has been deferred or skirted entirely! Things will look much worse (some examples will be offered), and they will be much worse - even and especially after time will have been reset! But yet, appearances are deceiving. Take comfort in the awareness of the truth, that these are strategic moves. The sacrifices made must be weighed in view of the greater context! (Scriptures to follow - so stay with us here.) God knows the end from the beginning and still He made the being we know as Satan. Maybe He knows something you don't know about how this all unfolds. It may be said that Satan is a servant construct. Do you trust the Creator's goodness, and that he is both sovereign AND just? That's a combo that few ever get their minds wrapped around. All is not yet manifest in this age, but there are ages to come through which God's goodness will manifest to His glory!

Whether the Adversary realizes that he has crafted the story of the secret of his own demise, well, you would think he would know, wouldn't you, with him being so incredibly smart. And here we are, even highlighting what we know of it for special attention! Can he not perceive the truth of the matter and use this knowledge to change his tactics and thwart the plan? In a word, no. Here's a comforting scripture about strategic sacrifice and the guarding of foreknowledge of the end game.

6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; ~ 1 Corinthians 2:6-8

They did crucify the Lord of glory and in doing so their defeat was assured. They cannot understand what is not given them to understand - not then and not now! Friends, have confidence in the Lord's ability to watch over his valuable secrets. He is the concealer and He is the revealer. These are disclosed only to the trustworthy on something of a need-to-know basis - and some of us are trustworthy and we do need to know!

We're going to show that there is knowledge of ancient truth underlying the film. We're going to present Thanos as the Enemy Satan and the Enemy Death in this allegory. But first, you should know there is no purity in the depiction of Dr Strange and the Avengers as God and His agents.

Dr. Strange is a wizard who practices magic, which is forbidden in the holy scriptures. The Eye of Agamotto that is the receptacle of the Time Stone is as the All-Seeing Eye that is honored by the Illumined of this age, which counterfeits the genuine. "In designing the Eye, Ditko drew inspiration from the real world charm The All Seeing Eye of the Buddha, known among Buddhists as The Amulet of Snail Martyrs, a Nepali symbol meant to protect its wearer against evil." (Wikipedia) Buddha is not the true God or His agent of truth. Each one of the Avengers has likable traits and character that is noble, of course, but every one of them is fundamentally modeling antichrist and the agents of evil. These things are overlooked in the seeing through the smoke and mirrors and flips and spins of twisting symbolism to discern the valuable modeling.

The name of the villain is Thanos, which may be seen as a contraction of the Greek word for death, thanatos. THAN(at)OS models Death, or is a god of death, something which was recently played up in the 2017 Marvel film, Thor: Ragnarok, where Thor's older sister was the goddess of death. But this identification of Thanos of Titan is not overt.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:26

14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. ~ Hebrews 2:14-15

Thanos models the devil, Satan himself- which should be no big surprise.

The concept of the Infinity Stones has a legitimacy to it. Consider that the 12 stones set in array in the breastplate of the Aaronite High Priest of Israel were not merely ornamental. The number 12 is recognized as a time number and these were worn on the occasion of the annual meeting with the Most High God at the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple's Most Holy Place.

The following scripture offers insight into the basis for the allegorical Avengers' plots.

11 Again the word of the Lord came to me saying, 12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “You had the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 “You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The ruby, the topaz and the diamond; The beryl, the onyx and the jasper; The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald; And the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, Was in you. On the day that you were created They were prepared. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers, And I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked in the midst of the stones of fire. 15 “You were blameless in your ways From the day you were created Until unrighteousness was found in you. 16 “By the abundance of your trade You were internally filled with violence, And you sinned; Therefore I have cast you as profane From the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the stones of fire. 17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, That they may see you. 18 “By the multitude of your iniquities, In the unrighteousness of your trade You profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, And I have turned you to ashes on the earth In the eyes of all who see you. 19 “All who know you among the peoples Are appalled at you; You have become terrified And you will cease to be forever.”’” ~ Ezekiel 28:11-19

See also Revelation 21 and Enoch 18.

Thanos had to acquire all 6 Infinity Stones to complete his mission. If this meaning was veiled at all, it represented his ascension to the throne of the Most High God.

"The Infinity Gems, originally referred to as Soul Gems and later referred to as Infinity Stones, are six immensely powerful fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Whoever holds and uses all six Gems gains omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience. The six primary Gems are the Mind Gem, the Soul Gem, the Space Gem, the Power Gem, the Time Gem and the Reality Gem. In later storylines, crossovers and other media, a seventh Gem is sometimes added." ~ Wikipedia

Thanos as Satan is a wannabe God. Compare his role in Infinity War to the following passage.

12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ 15 “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. 16 “Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms, 17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’ 18 “All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb. 19 “But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse. 20 “You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever. 21 “Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.” ~ Isaiah 14:12-23

We note that the one love of his life was an adopted daughter named Gamora. She was green skinned (like Osiris), and green is accepted by many in the occult as Satan's color. Gamora - think, Gomorrah, the sister city of Sodom, consumed together in a judgment of fire and brimstone. (Genesis 19) Thanos, the god of the sodomites, the one true love of his life being Gamora-Gomorrah. Think Superman and his great loves: Lois Lane (anagram soil-dirt road) and Lana Lang (anal "anal" and anal g(c)nal)

There are some legends that bear mention that offer more insight into what's behind the story of Infinity War.

The Time Stone is green, like a fiery emerald. There is a legend that an emerald fell to earth from the crown of Satan during the war in heaven. Adam is claimed to have possessed the stone in Eden, being forced to leave it behind after his expulsion from the garden. Seth, the son of Adam, is claimed to have recovered it and brought it out but its whereabouts are unknown. How much truth there is in any of that, or what might be based on truth, I don't pretend to know. It does seem relevant, especially when you link the gauntlet (special glove) with Satan's crown. The Infinity War film made a big point of how the gauntlet had been forged by a dwarf in the fire of a dying star. When you consider how Cain (Eve's but not Adam's son) may have been a miner instead of a farming kind of tiller of the earth, and a master jeweler and metal smith, some things may begin to make a lot more sense.

When you consider the worship of things that fell from heaven, you really can't dismiss the Kaaba and the legendary meteorite in Mecca.

In closing there are a few things we encourage you to give thought to. As stated earlier, things look bad now and they are going to look far worse. But this is strategic and these things must be so. Do not be deceived by appearances.

3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5

A pretender sitting on the throne in the temple of God? Really? Yes! It's more than "just a show" but again, it is necessary in the strategy that will culminate in the greatest salvation possible.

Consider these passages of scripture.

12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.” 13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14 But the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, so that she could fly into the wilderness to her place, where she *was nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 And the serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, so that he might cause her to be swept away with the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and drank up the river which the dragon poured out of his mouth. 17 So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. ~ Revelation 12:12-17

The river of time. A refuge that is a pocket universe. The devil does not yet know that he has only a short time - but he will!

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? 19 Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right. ~ 1 Peter 4:12-19

10 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. 13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” ~ 1 Peter 1:10-15

16 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. ~ Romans 8:16-25

God is in control of His creation yet it will appear that He is not. His people will suffer grave consequences and it will seem to many that hope is lost. The adversary will have the illusion of victory for a season. But while the losses are substantial, the Creator knows the end from the beginning and what looks like loss and defeat and humiliation will ultimately be revealed as gain and victory and glorification.

Hang in there, folks. God has a work in progress that is succeeding! The pending reset of time is part of the plan. Your efforts are not in vain. We thank you for supporting us and this work of the hour. We love you!

Bob and Aaron