I was recently shown this bible verse: Revelation 18:23 – "For by thy sorceries (pharmakeia) were all nations deceived."

That got this Homeopath thinking!

Recently, I was shown a Bible verse that has sparked plenty of discussion over the years:

“Revelation 18:23 – "For by thy sorceries (pharmakeia) were all nations deceived."”

The interesting thing is that the original Greek word translated as “sorceries” is pharmakeia, which is where we get the modern words pharmacy and pharmaceutical.

Now before anyone gets too excited, I think it’s important to be careful with interpretation.

Was Revelation talking about modern pharmaceutical companies? Clearly not. They didn’t exist at the time. The word pharmakeia was used in the context of potions, drugs, poisons, and magical practices associated with the ancient world.

But I do think it’s worth asking questions.

What does it mean that all nations were deceived by pharmakeia?

What lessons, if any, might still apply today?

And how much of our health system is built around genuine healing versus symptom management?

You might come to a completely different conclusion than I do, and that’s okay. I think we’re all responsible for thinking critically, asking questions, and not simply accepting someone else’s interpretation because it sounds convincing.

My own view is that modern medicine has achieved incredible things, particularly in emergency care, trauma, and surgery. At the same time, we cannot ignore the reality that the pharmaceutical industry is one of the most profitable industries in the world.

When billions of dollars are involved, it’s reasonable to ask whether profit and healing always sit comfortably alongside each other.

For me, one of the things that drew me to Homeopathy was its simplicity.

Homeopathy doesn’t rely on patented drugs.

It doesn’t require lifelong prescriptions.

It doesn’t generate billions in shareholder profits.

Its purpose is not to suppress symptoms but to stimulate the body’s own healing response.