One of the co-founders of the South African Satanic Church (SASC), Riaan Swiegelaar, has renounced his involvement in Satanism and become a Christian, CBN reports.

Swiegelaar made the announcement in a video posted on Facebook on July 4, 2022, after several people asked why he had left Satanism.

Swiegelaar said:

“I’m doing this live video because many, more than 100 people, on WhatsApp and almost 200 on Facebook, are sending me messages wanting to know why did I leave the South African Satanic Church as well as why did I turn my back on Satanism.”

Swiegelaar, who was involved in Christian ministry decades earlier, had left the ministry, become an atheist and later found himself drawn to Satanism.

In his video, which has been viewed over 212,000 times, Swiegelaar explained what happened:

“I got involved with Satanism because at the time it resonated with me, being very broken and sad without realizing it. I think the reason a lot of people resonate with Satanism is they come from a very broken place. I have met thousands of Satanists over the last three years and I’m not saying the intentions are bad, they are extremely broken and extremely hurt … that’s the one thing we all have in common.”

Swiegelaar said that his journey to Christ started after an incident that took place at a Cape Town radio station, where he was being interviewed about the Satanic church.

A Christian woman at the station came up to him after the interview and demonstrated an unconditional love by giving him a huge hug, which genuinely impacted him.

Then a few days later, Swiegelaar was performing a personal Satanic ritual to gain more demonic power, when Jesus appeared to him in a vision.

Sarcastically, Swiegelaar said, “if you are Jesus, prove it.”

Moments later, Swiegelaar’s body was flooded with love and spiritual energy. He knew this was Jesus because it was similar to the unconditional love demonstrated by the woman at the radio station.

Swiegelaar’s departure from SASC was confirmed by a post on its website.

We shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus revealed Himself in the midst of a Satanic ritual because the Bible reports a similar thing happening.

When we look at the events surrounding the birth of Christ, one of the stories involves three kings from the East (according to a popular Christmas carol) bringing gifts of gold, myrrh, and frankincense to Christ.

We have no idea how many there were, but traditionally it’s believed there were three because of the number of gifts.

But in some ways, there has been an attempt to cover-up who these men really were, as other Bible versions have referred to them as wise men or scholars.

In fact, Matthew uses the Greek word, ‘magos’, to describe these men (Matthew 2:1). They were, in fact, magicians or sorcerers.

Thayer’s Greek Dictionary describes ‘magos’ this way:

“The name given by the Babylonians (Chaldeans), Medes, Persians, and others, to the wise men, teachers, priests, physicians, astrologers, seers, interpreters of dreams, augers, soothsayers, sorcerers.”

A derivative of this Greek word, “mageos,” is used to describe the activity of Simon the magician, a sorcerer who converted to Christ in Samaria (Acts 8:9), and the Jewish sorcerer (magos) on the island of Cyprus who was trying to turn the governor of Cyprus against the gospel (Acts 13:6).

All these magi were involved in the satanic or occultic arts.

The ones that showed up at Christ’s birth demonstrated God’s power over the satanic realm, as God used their occultic arts to reveal Christ to the magi.

While the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas stems from the gifts that the magi brought to Jesus, this may also not be correct.

More accurately, some have suggested that the gold, myrrh, and frankincense should be looked upon as tribute, monies paid by a defeated kingdom, to the conquering one.

But Swiegelaar’s testimony reveals how believers need to genuinely love everyone, including those we may consider our enemies.

READ: South African Satanist Co-Founder Meets Jesus in Supernatural Encounter, Turns to Christ After Experiencing God’s Love AND South African Satanic Church co-founder steps down after experiencing the love of Christ