Biblical Church History Following the Hand of God and the Hand of Satan

P e r g a m o s Revelation 2:8-11 c.325-500 A.D. “Much Marriage”

Satan’s desire to keep himself concealed

P e r g a m o s During this church period Satan pulls off the greatest, slickest, and smoothest scheme since the Garden of Eden During the 1st two church periods Satan’s face or garments were that of a roaring lion (II peter 5:8) But during this church period Satan changes his face to an Angel of Light or a Minster of Righteousness (2 Cor. 11)

P e r g a m o s I. The Commission Rev. 2: 8a

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

“Much Marriage ” Pergamos The marriage of the Church How Satan married the Church to paganism “Much Marriage ”

P e r g a m o s The 2 most powerful men vying for the job was Maxentius and a very important man as far as Church history is concerned- Constantine These men meet about 10 mile north of Rome in 312 A D It is know as the battle of Milvian Bridge

P e r g a m o s Constantine wins the battle and becomes the emperor of Rome At this time Constantine claims to be a Christian! All with the fact that almost every church historian writes about this time as his conversion to Christianity

“Much Marriage ” Smyrna Pergamos The marriage of the Church How Satan married the Church to paganism The effects of Constantine “Much Marriage ”

P e r g a m o s In 313 AD he sends out an edict called the “Edict of Milan” It grants Christian absolute religious liberty. It restores property that was confiscated during the former persecutions Pagan temples that were offensive to the Christians were destroyed

P e r g a m o s By 324 AD he is promising 20 pieces of Gold and a brand New white Baptismal robe for any one that would convert to Christianity To him “convert” meant to be baptized The 1st year in Rome 12,000 men were baptized (not including women or children)

P e r g a m o s What was really happening was that the “church” was being flooded with Paganism. All of the traditions and holidays and worship of the pagans was brought into the Church. The Church began to Christianize Pagan events

“Much Marriage ” Smyrna Pergamos The Christianized Pagan events The marriage of the Church How Satan married the Church to paganism The effects of Constantine Constantine’s aide to the church The Christianized Pagan events “Much Marriage ”

HAPPY EASTER

E. The Family tree of this marriage Smyrna E. The Family tree of this marriage “Much Marriage ”

TOWER OF BABEL

N I M R O D

Gen. 10-11 (Gen 10:8) And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth. (Gen 10:9) He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. (Gen 10:10) And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

Nimrod’s Commentary

P e r g a m o s Nimrod Commentary After listing one name after the other in the midst of this genealogy in Genesis10, you come to Nimrod, all of a sudden God stops to give you a commentary on him. (Gen.10:8-10) The same thing happens in the genealogy in I Chr 1:10 The point: There is something God wants us to see about this man.

P e r g a m o s The repeated adjective used to describe Nimrod: “Mighty” There are 4 times the name Nimrod is used in the Bible, and 4 time the word “mighty” is used to refer him. The first mention of the word “mighty” It is found in Gen 6:4, in reference to the giants that resulted in the cohabitation of the sons of God with the daughters of Men.

P e r g a m o s Gen 6:4 “The same (giants) became mighty men..men of renown.” Gen 10:8 “Nimrod: He began to be a mighty one in the earth.”

Nimrod’s Ancestry and name

P e r g a m o s H Nimrod’s Ancestry Nimrod’s Name His grandfather is Ham. (Gen.10:6) Ham is on of the three sons of Noah, and specifically the one on who came the curse. (Gen 9:20-27) Nimrod’s Name The name Nimrod means “Rebellion”

NIMROD’S SLOGAN

P e r g a m o s H Nimrod’s Epithet (Slogan) (Gen 10:9) He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD. “The mighty hunter BEFORE the Lord”(Gen 6:11)(Gen 13:13)

(Gen 6:11) The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (Gen 13:13) But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

P e r g a m o s H The mighty HUNTER before the Lord Obviously, Nimrod used his strength to hunt the many animals that were in the land of Shinar, but he was against the Lord because he hunted men! Men to become part of his Kingdom. The Jewish Encyclopedia says that Nimrod was “He who made all the people rebellious against God” Nimrod wanted to set up himself as a king over a kingdom in rebellion against God.

NIMROD’S KINGDOM

P e r g a m o s H Nimrod’s Kingdom (Gen 10:10) And the beginning of his KINGDOM was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. This is the 1st mention of a “kingdom” in all the Bible. In which we find a king who’s name means rebellion, who is seeking to establish a world empire The Theme of the bible is a battle over a kingdom Satan’s pursuit of a kingdom that he lost (Ezk.28) God’s pursuit to place his Son on the throne, on this Earth

P e r g a m o s H Nimrod’s Kingdom (Gen 10:10) And the beginning of his kingdom was BABEL… The 1st mention of Babel in the Bible   The Condemnation of Babel (Babylon) From this point forward in the bible, Babylon will always stand for that which is in opposition to God and His people Joshua 7 (Achan and the Babylonish garment) Rev.17:5

NIMROD’S TOWER

(Gen 11:1-9) And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

P e r g a m o s H Nimrod’s Tower Why a tower? (Gen 11:1-9) (1Th 5:2-3) For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

(Gen 11:1) And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. (Gen 11:2) And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. (Gen 11:3) And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. (Gen 11:4) And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

P e r g a m o s H The Worship at the Tower (Gen. 11:1-4) Self Worship What is the main subject that is being repeated? 6 times they refer to themselves The rebellion of Gen. 9:1&7 The name they are building The materials they are using.

P e r g a m o s H The Worship at the Tower (Gen. 11:1-4) Ecumenical Worship To establish a world empire Nimrod would need to unify the people, both commercially and religiously. (Gen 11:4) …let us build us a city and a tower… The City would be the commercial symbol The Tower would be the religious symbol They are unified in their language They are unified in the speech They are unified in Leadership

P e r g a m o s H The Historical Commentary of Nimrod Satan used NIMROD and his queen Semiramis to introduce this false religion to the world. According to the Jewish historian Josephus, Nimrod was punished for his rebellion by Shem, one of the sons of Noah. He cut Nimrod's body into many pieces and sent it to the surrounding people as a warning against idolatry. After his death, his wife had a baby and she claimed that Nimrod had become the Sun God (Baal) and that she conceived his child through a sun beam and that Nimrod was reborn in the person of her son. She called this son Tammuz. History shows that Semiramis was 1st married to Cush, Nimrods father therefore committing incest with her son.

S E M I R A M I S

P e r g a m o s H Nimrod’s Wife She was Semiramis (the First), the high priestess of Babel religion. When Nimrod died, the people of Babylon greatly mourned his death. Legend says that his body was cut into pieces, burnt, and sent to various areas. Ralph Edward Woodraw, Babylon Mystery Religion After Nimrod’s death, Semiramis claimed that he was now the sun god, and that she had conceived by a sun beam, having known no man. She gives birth to a son whose name was Tammuz, who supposedly Nimrod, come back to life.

P e r g a m o s H Nimrod’s Wife In this system, not only was the son worshipped, but so was the mother. That is why in all ancient religions, they all have as part of their worship a mother and child. Because God scattered the people all over the earth. (Gen.11:8)

Encylopedia of Religions, Vol 2 p.398 The Chinese had a mother goddess called Shingmoo, which means, “holy mother” She is pictured with her child in her arms, and rays of glory around her head. Encylopedia of Religions, Vol 2 p.398

In ancient Germany, she was the virgin Hertha, pictured with child under her.

In India, she was known as Indrani, also pictured with child in arms.

In Ephesus, she was known as Dianna. The temple in Ephesus dedicated to her was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Acts 19:27 says in reference to Dianna.. “Whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.” She was said to represent the generative powers of nature and so was pictured with many breast. A tower shaped crown, a symbol of the Tower of Babel adorned her head. Woodrow, Babylon Mystery Religion.

In Egypt, she was called Isis, and her son Osiris In Egypt, she was called Isis, and her son Osiris. (Osiris, however, was not only her son, but her husband.)

In Greece, she was known as Aphrodite, and her son Eros In Greece, she was known as Aphrodite, and her son Eros. (“Eros” is Greek word for romantic or sensual love)

In Phoenicia, the mother was known as Astarte, or Ashtar, and the son known as Baal. In the book of Judges, when Israel fell into apostasy, “They forsook the Lord and served Baal and Ashtaroth.” (Judges 2:13) (“Ashtaroth” or “Ashtoreth” was the name by which the goddess was know to the children of Israel..and sometimes the Son is referred to in the Bible as Baalim) This happened repeatedly in Israel history. Judges 10:6 I Sam 7:3,4;12:10 I Kings 11:5 II Kings 23:13 Sometimes this goddess was referred to by the title “the queen of heaven” (Jer. 44:17-19)

In Rome, she was known as Venus, and her son Jupiter or sometimes referred to as Cupid.