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

Revelation 2:8-11 c A.D. PergamosPergamos “ Much Marriage ”

Satan’s desire to keep himself concealed Satan’s desire to keep himself concealed

PergamosPergamos  During this church period Satan pulls off the greatest, slickest, and smoothest scheme since the Garden of Eden  During the 1 st 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)

PergamosPergamos I. The Commission Rev. 2: 8a

Pergamos (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;

Smyrna A. The marriage of the Church “Much Marriage ”

PergamosPergamos Maxentius Constantine  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

PergamosPergamos  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

Smyrna C. The effects of Constantine “Much Marriage ”

Smyrna D. The Christianized Pagan events “Much Marriage ”

HAPPY EASTER

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

TOWER OF BABEL

NIMRODNIMRODNIMRODNIMROD

Gen

Nimrod’s Commentary

PergamosPergamos  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.

PergamosPergamos  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.

PergamosPergamos  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

H PergamosPergamos  Nimrod’s Ancestry  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

H PergamosPergamos  Nimrod’s Epithet (Slogan) it is said  (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)

before (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.

H PergamosPergamos  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

H PergamosPergamos  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 1 st 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

H PergamosPergamos  Nimrod’s Kingdom  (Gen 10:10) And the beginning of his kingdom was BABEL…  The 1 st 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

H PergamosPergamos  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.

H PergamosPergamos  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 direction of the travel.  The rebellion of Gen. 9:1&7  The name they are building  The materials they are using.

H PergamosPergamos  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

H PergamosPergamos  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 1 st married to Cush, Nimrods father therefore committing incest with her son.

SEMIRAMISSEMIRAMISSEMIRAMISSEMIRAMIS

H PergamosPergamos  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.

H PergamosPergamos  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)

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. (Osiris, however, was not only her son, but her husband.)

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.