Revelation

Chapter 2

Part 10

  

The dispensation of  Pergamos  (312 - 606 A.D.)

 

            Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea (263-339 A.D.) 

 

          1.  Called the great compromiser

          2.  Especially favored by Constantine

          3.  Commissioned by the empire to copy 50 parchment bibles to

                be circulated throughout the churches of Constantinople

          4.  10 volumes of Church History

 

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;  --  Rev 2:12 (KJV)

I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.  --  Rev 2:13 (KJV)

 

 

 

The historical city of Pergamum

 

          1.       Became the capital of the Roman province of Asia

                   a.  Satan's seat ??? 

                   b.   Emperor worship - principal centre of imperial worship

 

          4.       Religious center of the worship of Zeus.

                   a.  Athena,

                   b.  Dionysos,

                   c.  Asklepios (serpent god)

                        1.  people came from all over the world to be healed

                        2.  a great world wide acknowledged shrine

 

 

 

When Belshazzar was slain (Dan 5:30) and the Chaldeans defeated by Darius the Mede, those with authority and power to continue Babylon's idolatrous "mystery" worship, fled to the city of Pergamos.

 

There for many centuries Satan himself brought about the worship of Aesculapius, the child of the "incarnate sun." This worship was celebrated in frantic excesses of evil as Babylon's "mystery" idolatries were perpetuated in their exile.

 

 

Pergamos means Married

 

          Constantine's marriage of imperial Rome with the Church

 

 

          1.  Movement of throne from Rome to Constantinople

The second Rome at Byzantium

 

 

                   2.  Roman Empire Divided

 

 

Some say Christianity conquered Rome by defeating the Roman gods,

and pagan worship throughout the empire,

others say that by Christianity swallowing the pagan rites, festivities, and polytheistic ceremonies of the old Roman empire, Christianity itself had been conquered by Rome.

 

The truth:  Both had given way to a new creature having the attributes and characteristics of pagan Rome and Christianity.  The creature is described as a hybrid beast.  How fitting.

 

 

          3.  Conversion of Constantine

 Constantine's Vision

 

            1.  Did Constantine actually become a Christian as a result of the vision?

            2.  As Emperor of Rome, he continued to honor the Unconquered Sun god

                 as well as the other pagan deities of Rome. 

            3.  Constantine never established Christianity as the State religion, although it

                  would appear that he favored the religion for political reasons alone. 

            4.  Constantine handed the imperial scepter over to the Bishop of Rome.

                  The Bishop became his pawn to assist him in ruling over the empire,

                  giving him complete authority to handle any disputes throughout the Christian

                  world during his reign.^[1] 

            5.  Pontifex Maximus of religions.

                        a. Apostolic Canon 35 - each province had its own bishop

                        b.   Church hierarchy as recognized (set up) by Constantine

                                    1.  Bishop of Rome - Chief Bishop

                                                (Pope Silvester sat at his right hand)

                                    2.  Bishop of Alexandria

                                    3.  Bishop of Antioch

                                    4.  Bishop of Aelia (Jerusalem)

                        e.  Churches enjoyed relief from taxation. 

                        f.   The Bishops were handsomely rewarded with great wealth. 

                        g.   The people of the empire were heavilly taxed instead.

`                       h. Bishop of Rome was given authority by the emperor, not by the church.

                        i.  Constantine began to rule over the church. 

                                    1.  1st ecumenical council  (325 A.D.)

                                    2.  indepenent voice was now dead

                                    3.  churches must agree with the council or be forced underground

                        j.  Council of Gangra presided over by the emperor Constantine

                                    1. matter of canon law that if

"anyone should hold private assemblies outside of the Church, and, despising the canons, shall presume to perform ecclesiastical acts, the presbyter with the consent of the bishop refusing his permission, let him be anathema."^[2]  No longer was the layman allowed to hold private assemblies or gatherings in his home.  Everything would come under the eye of scrutiny so that they might readilly detect any amount of unconformance.

           

                        k.  Synod of Antioch in Encaeniss (A.D. 341)

                                    1. forever written in Canon I

 

 "Whosoever  shall presume to set aside the decree of the holy and great Synod which was assembled at Nice in the presence of the pious Emperor Constantine, beloved of God, concerning the holy and salutary feast of Easter; if they shall obstinately persist in opposing what was then rightly ordained, let them be excommunicated and cast out of the Church; this is said concerning the laity."^[3]

 

Truly it might be said that  "he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed" (Rev. 13:12  KJV), that first beast being of course the Roman Empire. 

 

 Although Constantine forbade idolatrous worship in the Christian church throughout the empire, he promoted the recognition of the commemorative days of the martyrs.  Constantine also passed a statute which demanded the observance of the "Lord's day" (Sunday) throughout the empire.^[4] 

 

 

But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.  --  Rev 2:14 (KJV)

 

Balaam taught Balak to invite the Israelites to take part in the licentious feasts of Baal-Peor. 

 

And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.  --  Num 25:1 (KJV)

And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.  --  Num 25:2 (KJV)

And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.  --  Num 25:3 (KJV)

 

So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.  --  Rev 2:15 (KJV)

 

Nicolaitans  

                        1.  unrestrained indulgence 

                        2.   indifference to adultery

                        3.   indifference to eating things sacrificed to idols 

 

 

Trying to establish a new priesthood

 

          Niko - to conquer and overthrow

          Laos - the people or laity

 

 

          Clergy:  The appointment of

                   Bishops, Archbishops, Cardinals, Popes

 

1st real Pope was Leo the Great (440-461)

            a.  strong alliance with emperor Valentinian III

            b.  Spiritual Director and Govenor of the one universal church

            c.  he alone was to be regarded as the divine interpreter

            d.  him alone had God invested with privilege and responsibility

                 of the universal faith

 

Pope Gregory the Great (590-604)

            a.  issued an formal declaration assuming complete jurisdiction over the

                 Western world

            b.   merged together the office of the Christian Bishop and Emperor into one

            c.   Worship of Saints, images, and especially the Virgin Mary encouraged

 

Saint Augustine of Canterbury,  (died 604?),

            a.  Pope Gregory The Great, sent him to England to convert the

                 Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.

            b.  Savage barbarians which existed in England?

            c.  Augustine made bishop, given authority over all future English bishops.

 

Masacre of the Celtic Christians by Rome

            a.  Celts permited the clergy to marry

            b.  Refused to use Rome's Latin Vulgate translation of the scriptures

            c.  Honored the 7th day as the Sabbath.  Refused to accept "Sun Day"

                 as the new sabbath.

            d.  Refused to honor the Pope.

            e.   Celts fled to Ireland, North-East of England, sent many missionaries

                  to Northern Germany establishing many churches.

            f.    Celtic christians would eventually be bruttaly masacred in Germany

                   several years later by the Roman church.

 

Birth of Mohammad (569-570)

           

 Post - Millenialism ushered in

 

Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.  --  Rev 2:16 (KJV)

 

Sacred Eucharist - Bread from heaven ?

 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.  --  Rev 2:17 (KJV)

 

For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.  --  Zec 3:9 (KJV)

 

And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.  --  1 Cor 10:4 (KJV)

 

 

 

 

The dispensation of  Thyatira  (606 - 1520 A.D.)

 

Thyatira means lax

 

          1.       Most obvious peculiarity - Trade Guilds

                   a.   Religious beliefs.

                         1.  Tyrimnos (Apollo grk.) was patron of the guilds

                         2.  Guild members must keep the pagan feasts

                         3.  Gulid dictated accepted norms and lifestyles

 

Masons ?   Lodges ?  Illuminati ?

 

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;  --  Rev 2:18 (KJV)

 

I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.  --  Rev 2:19 (KJV)

 

 

Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.  --  Rev 2:20 (KJV)

 

 

          2.       Jezebel taught it ok to be christian and belong to guild

                    a.  Prophetess of the goddess Sambethe

                         1.  uttered the oracles of the goddess.

                         2.  Oracle of Delphi - prophetess of Apollo

 

 

                     b. whoredoms and witchcrafts    2 Ki 9:22

 

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.  --  Rev 18:2 (KJV)

 

For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.  --  Rev 18:3 (KJV)

 

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.  --  Rev 18:4 (KJV)

 

                          1.  Magic and the Priesthood

 

                                       Eucharist gave the priest the power to expel demons, heal

                                       diseases, raise the dead, make protective amulets, magical

                                        potions or luck charms by way of his blessings, and skillful

                                        usages of the eucharist etc.

                          2.  White Priestly Magic against the Black Arts

 

                     c. worship of the Virgin as Divine Mediatrix

                          1.  754 A.D. Council of Constantinople

                                       all who refuse to acknowledge her supreme power

                                       by merely refusing to seek her intercession on their

                                       behalf was to be anathematized

                     d. the seventh day was to be a day of honor and worship

                         to the Virgin Goddess of Heaven (1095 Urban II)

                             1.  The day was to be kept as a fast day with bread

                                          and water especially sacred to the worship of

                                          the virgin

                             2.  It was taught that Virgin herself had a special power over

                                           Christ to enforce his forgiveness upon the sinner which

                                           she alone interceeded for.

                             3.   Mary was the only real hope of reconcilliation for

                                            mankind, according to the Pope.  It was the Virgin alone

                                            who could quite the pains of Purgatory.

 

And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.  --  Rev 2:21 (KJV)

 

Byzantine and Persian empires had critically weakened each other allowing the unified Muslim tribes to easilly conquer the Eastern world.

North Africa subdued (665-709) followed by the conquering of the

Goths (711).

 

Charles Martel (The Hammer) and the Christian Knights (732)

   the force that opposes the Muslim world domination

 

Saint Boniface,  (675-754)

Slaughter of the Celtic Christians (British Church [not English]   Irish and Scottish)

            Saint Boniface,  (675-754),  known as the Apostle of Germany.

            Pope Gregory III named him archbishop and primate of all Germany, with power

            to establish bishoprics.

 

 

Holy Roman Empire (800 A.D)

        Charles the Great

 

Charlemagne, in Latin Carolus Magnus (Charles the Great) (742-814), king of the Franks (768-814) and Emperor of the Romans (800-14)

 

In the Saxon campaigns he imposed baptism by the sword, and he retaliated against rebels with merciless slaughter.   

 

In other words, he continued the slaughter of christians who opposed the papacy.

 

Tens of thousands massacred in the name of Christian Evangelism

   this method of evangelism made Europe a Christian world.

 

Same practice was afterwards carried on by the Teutonic Order of Knights (1230-1280)

during the crusades.

 

Crusades

        1010 A.D.

  Hakam, mad Sultan of Egypt attempted to destroy Christianity in Jerusalem.  Jews begin to be persecuted throughout Europe.

        1085 A.D.

  Pope Gregory VII calls Christians to unite for war against the Muslim infidels to liberate the Holy Land from Islam

        1086 A.D.

Pope Victor III promised remission of all sins to whoever would partake in the crusade

        1096 Crusade#1 free the Holy Land from Muslims

        1099 Jerusalem captured

                Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem established

                   - Many Jews and Muslims slaughtered

                      beginning with the Jews in Europe

 

 

        1145 Crusade#2 protect Holy Land from Muslims

                   - Greek Emperor distrusted the Pope's attention

                   1187 A.D. Jerusalem captured by Saladin, Saracen ruler

 

        ???  Crusade#3 try to regain Holy Land              -                            Emperor Barbarossa, Richard of England,

                   French King Phillip Augustus

                   True solidified with Saladin.

                   Jerusalem remained under Muslim control

 

 

        1204  Crusade#4 try to regain Holy Land           -                            Pope Innocent III secretly desired to regain control

                   over Constantinople

                   Formed new Latin Empire of Constantinople

                   Russian Orthordox church pulled farther away from Rome.

 

 

 

 

Dark Ages  and the Inquisition (1200 A.D.)

 

        claims about 68 million victims