Rev. # 6-Pergamos -The Compromising Church Series

REV.#6~2:12-17 PERGAMOS {about 350 to about 590 A.D.}

Today we’ll continue our study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, this is our 6th study of this great book, this is the only book of Prophecy in the New Testament, there are many prophetic references in the N.T., but this entire book is prophecy. John penned it down as he was exiled on the small Island of Patmos at the hand of the Roman Emperor Domecian, but in reality God had foreordained this to be, for the spaciveice purpose of giving the Revelation to John, in order that you and I and all man kind could have a look at what was certain to come.

We’ve come now to the church of Pergamos, the 3rd church of the 7 that the Lord Jesus writes about in chapters 2 & 3.

The time period of this church is from about “350-590 A.D.

Again let me remind us in case there’s some listening for the 1st time, that these 7 particular churches was selected by God for the purpose of reviling the entire Church age, from Pentecost, when the True church was born, until the rapture, the rapture takes place as the last church period is at its peak, the church period known as the Laodician period, and without a doubt we’re there now. So the True Church has been building now for over 2000 years.

Let me give you the names of the 7 Churches once again; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

Ephesus was the Apostolic church period, and already they were rebuked by the Lord Jesus, Who is the Head of His True church, for leaving their 1st love.

From time to time I use the phrase,” the true church” simple because every assembly, or organization that calls its self-Gods church, is not Gods True Church at all, these are under the big umbrella of Christendom, but are really not real Christians according to measure that God has set forth. These dear people have religion minus salvation.

And then the 2nd church, the church of Smyrna, this was the most persecuted period of the True church, many gave their life for the testimony of Jesus Christ

And so that brings us to the 3rd church that we read about here in Chapter 2:, the church of Pergamos, this, as we’ll see, is the church period when the church begin walking arm and arm with the world. –THE WORLDLY CHURCH-- church and state, arm and arm.

~ Pergamos, the Compromising Church, Called “the greatest city in Asia Minor,” Pergamos had the first temple dedicated to Caesar.

Persecution was terrible in the Smyrna period, but then Constantine comes on the scene. He became Emperor of Rome and he also became a so-called “Christian.”**

Since he needed the Christian religion in order to control the majority of the people, he stopped the persecutions that took place as we considered Smyrna believers; Christianity was looked upon now with great favor. After all now the Emperor was a “Christian”.

Pergamos means “marriage”, Constantine married the Church & State, and Christianity was made the State religion.

Pergamos was known chiefly for its many religions. There were temples erected in honor of many gods. Some of its chief deities were Zeus, Aphrodite, Aes-cula-pius, Aes-cula-pius being the god of medicine who was worshiped under the form of a serpent ***

In 312 A. D. Constantine the Great as he was called, the emperor of Rome, was carrying on his conquests of the world. He was having many military problems, and then one day he announced that he had seen in the sky a giant cross, and over it were these words: “In this sign thou shalt conquer.”

The pagan king took this to mean that if he would embrace the Cross he would be victorious, and so in what probably was an act of desperation he professed to become a Christian and decreed that the religion of the Roman Empire must henceforth be Christianity.

Seeing his victories, he made the religion of Christianity the state religion, he ordered all his armies to be baptized, and began a time of Church history, which many historians said “was a great blessing”, but in reality became a curse.

The Church became the ward of the state, and the Roman Empire began to patronize and subsidize the Church. Church and state became one.

The Church was supported by the state and the wealth of the empire was placed at the disposal of the Church officials. --Soon the emperor also became the head of the Church and so the union of Church and state was complete.

Ø The Church then as it were, married to the state soon began to dictate not only the powers of religion but also the powers of government.