He Who has Ears to Hear

	Chapter Eleven He who has Ears to Hear Part Three Pergamus - The marriage with the pagan world - 313 to 452 AD: “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 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. 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. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 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.” Revelation 2:12-17 The Word of God stands firm throughout all of time despite Satan’s most dubious plots against the Lord and His anointed. “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;” The Lord Himself speaks unto this church and foretells what the instrument of His vengeance against this pagan, sun god religion located atop the seven hills of Rome will be: the Word of God alone. FIRST PERIOD A.D. 30-500 . . . “15. So under the leadership of Emperor Constantine there comes a truce, a courtship and a proposal of marriage. The Roman Empire through its emperor seeks a marriage with Christianity. Give us your spiritual power and we will give you of our temporal power. (Emphasis added) 16. To effectually bring about and consummate this unholy union, a council was called. In A. D. 313, a call was made for a coming together of the Christian churches or their representatives . Many but not all came. The alliance was consummated. A Hierarchy was formed. In the organization of the Hierarchy, Christ was dethroned as head of the churches and Emperor Constantine enthroned (only temporarily, however) as head of the church. 17. The Hierarchy was the definite beginning of a development which finally resulted into what is now known as the Catholic, or "universal" church. It might be said that its indefinite beginnings were near the close of the second and beginning of the third century, when the new ideas concerning bishops and preacher-church government began to take shape. 18. Let it be definitely remembered that when Constantine made his call for the council, there were very many of the Christians (Baptists) and of the churches, which declined to respond. They wanted no marriage with the state, and no centralized religious government, and no higher ecclesiastical government of any kind, than the individual church. These Christians (Baptists) nor the churches ever at that time or later, entered the hierarchy of the Catholic denomination.” The history by the early church “fathers” and secular history books alike list Constantine as the first “Christian” king. In 313 AD, the forces of Satan combined together from those of the religious establishment with those of the political establishment against the Lord and His anointed. Their hidden agenda that they kept secret from the world is openly revealed through the Word of God alone for those that have ears to hear and eyes to see. First, the place of the church of Pergamos is where Satan’s seat is. In Revelation 13:2, the dragon gives his power and seat and great authority to the beast. In Revelation 17:12-13 we read: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” In Revelation 13:2, it is the *“dragon”* that gives its power and authority to *“the beast.”* And in the above verses it is the *“ten kings”* that give their power and strength unto “the beast.” Interestingly, the words authority and strength have a single common meaning as “legal and moral or rightful power.” Therefore, this prophecy regards passing the strength and authority of the law from the “dragon,” which is represented in Revelation17:13 by one of the two legs of iron of the Roman Empire. The comparison to the dragon is completed by the gift of his *“seat”* which comes from the second leg of iron, the *“woman”* which sits on many waters (Rev.17:1). This is the *“woman”* that sits a queen (Rev. 18:7, Jeremiah 7:18, Jeremiah 44:18-25). This is that “great city” which rules over the kings of the earth (Rev.17:18). This is the *“dragon,”* the Devil and is where Satan’s seat is (Rev. 2:13). Therein, by his gifts we know the dragon, the Devil, Satan and where he dwells with his people in Rome. (Please see the complete discussion of this subject in chapter three: The Dragon and in the slideshow: The Dragon) In 1825, Pope Leo XII issued a papal coin with the writings “SEDET SUPER UNIVERSUM” which means the universal *“seat”* of authority over the entire world. Pope John XXIII on the bottom of this coin shows the woman with her cup filled with the abominations of the sun god worship which is universal over all the earth. (Please see slideshow: The Dragon, slide 113) Therefore, by their own testimony, the Vatican itself confirms that it is the *“dragon”* of Revelation. It is this power and authority and seat that shall be given to the antichrist at the start of his reign. A close inspection of Saint Peter’s Throne viewed upside down reveals a serpents head on the left and a dragons head on the right. Satan himself has declared where his seat is. By his pride he has marked his area and his seat as his own. The Bible tells us this in a literal sense and Satan by his pride confirms it. (Please see slideshow: The Dragon, slide 116) “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.” Therefore, the first marker of the age of the church of Pergamos is Satan’s seat. It is a real place and it is defined by multiple biblical witnesses to be in Rome and specifically in the Vatican known otherwise as “Saint Peter’s Throne.” The second marker of this age is the true understanding of the “doctrine of Balaam:” “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.” (Revelation 2:14) This verse is an example of the test of the truth of “apocalyptic” writing in unveiling or actually “disclosing” the hidden knowledge that God has revealed only to those who have an ear to hear and who keep those things that are written “therein.” The story of Balaam and Balak is from Numbers chapters 22-24 where the king of Moab summoned the prophet Balaam to place a curse on Israel. The full answer of how Balaam taught Balak to place a stumbling block before Israel is only completely revealed in Revelation 2:14. This is the only verse in the Bible that declares that the doctrine of Balaam is to entice the children of God into sin and then God Himself will curse His people. This was seen in the plague of Baal-peor where the children of Israel committed fornication with the woman of Moab and ate things sacrificed unto idols. Twenty four thousand died in this “plague.” (Numbers 25:9) Balak recognized that he could not overcome Israel by the strength of armour and fleshly might. He thus engaged Balaam in a spiritual battle against the Lord. However, the Lord commanded Balaam to utter only what the Lord said and not to go beyond the commandment of God. The Old Testament account does not record how Balaam taught Balak to overcome Israel, it only records the result of his teaching. Thus, the full account is completed in Revelation 2:14 where a pagan king learned from a false prophet how to entice the children of God to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. The prophetic application for this verse comes only from understanding what the *“doctrine of Balaam”* is. Therefore, at the time of Constantine, he recognized as did Balak, that you cannot overcome the Lord God of Israel and His children by the strength of armies. Nor can God be overcome by persecution, afflictions and suffering. Constantine never repented of his sun god worship even after his so called conversion. He continued to honor the sun god and other pagan deities on his coins throughout his entire reign. He rested his hopes of salvation in the false doctrine of baptismal regeneration thus commanding his servants and priests to baptize him at the very moment of his death. This pagan king assembled gainsaying clergy who taught him how to entice the children of God, the Christians, to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit spiritual fornication (idol worship) so that he could stem the tide of true Christianity in his kingdom. Thus came from the marriage of a pagan sun god worshipping king and with gainsaying Christians that we now call the Roman Catholic Church. FIRST PERIOD A.D. 30-500 . . . 19. When this hierarchy was created, Constantine, who was made its head, was not himself at that time a Christian. He had agreed to become one. But as the erring or irregular churches which had gone with him into this organization had come to adopt the error of Baptismal regeneration, a serious question arose in the mind of Constantine, "If I am saved from my sins by baptism, what is to become of my sins which I may commit after I am baptized?" He raised a question which has puzzled the world in all succeeding generations. Can baptism wash away yet uncommitted sins? Or, are the sins committed prior to baptism washed away by one method (that is, baptism), and the sins committed subsequent to baptism washed away by another method? 20. Not being able to settle satisfactorily the many questions thus arising, Constantine finally decided to unite with the Christians, but to postpone his baptism until just preceding his death, so that all his sins might thus be washed away at one time. This course he followed, and hence was not baptized until just preceding his death. . . 22. Up to the organization of the Hierarchy and the uniting of church and state, all the persecution of Christianity has been done either by Judaism or Paganism. Now comes a serious change. Christians (in name) begin to persecute Christians. Constantine, desiring to have all Christians join with him in his new idea of a state religion, and many conscientiously opposing this serious departure from New Testament teachings, he begins using the power of government to compel. Thus begin the days and years and even centuries of a hard and bitter persecution against all those Christians who were loyal to the original Christ and Apostolic teachings. (Emphasis added) 24. One of the first of its legislative enactments, and one of the most subversive in its results, was the establishing by law of "infant baptism." By this new law, "Infant Baptism" becomes compulsory. This was done A.D. 416. Infants had been infrequently baptized for probably a century preceding this. Insofar as this newly enacted law became effective, two vital New Testament laws were abrogated--"Believers Baptism" and "Voluntary personal obedience in Baptism." (Emphasis added) The Catholics enacted these laws and made the commandments of God of none effect. This is a fulfillment of the warning that the Lord gave his disciples against the “leaven of the Pharisees” and is specifically an illustration of Matthew 15: 3b-9: “. . . Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” 25. As an inevitable consequence of this new doctrine and law, these erring churches were soon filled with unconverted members. In fact, it was not very many years until probably a majority of the membership was composed of unconverted material. So the great spiritual affairs of God's great spiritual kingdom (Emphasis added) were in the hands of an unregenerate temporal power. What may now be expected? 26. Loyal Christians and churches, of course, rejected this new law. "Believers baptism," of course, "New Testament baptism," was the only law for them. They not only refused to baptize their own children, but believing in the baptism of believers only, they refused to accept the baptizing done by and within the churches of this unscriptural organization. If any of the members from the churches of this new organization attempted to join any of the churches which had refused to join in with the new organization, a Christian experience and a rebaptism was demanded. 27. The course followed by the loyal churches soon, of course, incurred the hot displeasure of the state religionists, many, if not most of whom, were not genuine Christians. The name "Christian," however, was from now on denied those loyal churches who refused to accept these new errors. They were robbed of that, and called by many other names, sometimes by one and sometimes by another, "Montanist," Tertullianists," "Novationists," "Paterines," etc., and some at least because of their practice of rebaptizing those who were baptized in infancy, were referred to an "Ana -Baptists." The Nicolaitanes have now at this time come full circle in the control of the people through a state sponsored religion: *“So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.”* Revelation 2:14. Thus, the pagan king Constantine together with the church hierarchy caused many to err against the pure gospel of Christ and to commit spiritual fornication. This church age is marked by the false doctrine of Balaam and the false doctrine of the Nicolaitanes in the place where *“Satan dwelleth.”* Rome is the place, Constantine is the pagan king, and gainsaying Christians are those that taught Constantine how to overcome the spread of Christianity in his empire. Consequently, by the deeds that Constantine alone perpetrated, he is named in person by his exploits here in the book of Revelation. No other earthly king can fulfill the deeds that were done by this pagan, sun god worshipping king. He alone is prophesied in these verses. This is the start of the Roman Catholic Church and his evil fruits remain unto today. God sent a warning to this false church to repent: “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Revelation 2:16) This warning was fulfilled at the time of the second king that is mentioned in the Revelation by the deeds that he alone did during the period of time defined by the church of Philadelphia. This king is King James I of England who *“kept”* God’s Word and gave the Bible to all the people of England, spreading the gospel throughout the world when Jesus fought against them that hold the doctrine of Balaam with “the sword of my mouth.” Therefore, in this third letter to the churches, by the word of the “Faithful Witness,” Jesus Christ Himself, he establishes by four separate witnesses the beginning of the church age delineated by the church of Pergamos. By the Word of God alone we see: 1) The witness against the false doctrine of Balaam. 2) The witness against the false doctrine of the Nicolaitanes. 3) The witness of where Satan’s seat is. (Rome) 4) The witness of the pagan king Constantine mentioned by his deeds. All of these false doctrines were set in motion through the agreement between Constantine and gainsaying Christians. The clergy in this age gained significant power over the people. This letter ends with a promise to those who overcome: “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.” Revelation 2:17. The Lord promises us that He has overcome the world and He prayed for His church in the garden of Gethsemene pleading that the Father would keep us from evil. The greatest evil of the age of the Pergamos church is that of the false doctrines of men that make the commandments of God of none effect. The prayer for the saints in the garden was to keep His Word and to obey His commandments. We are to remain separate from the world and thus to keep ourselves from evil. Satan enslaved all those who disobeyed God’s Word into a false MYSTERY BABYLON sun god religion with false promises of salvation. This is the greatest of evils as the doctrine of men cannot save its unwary followers from the pits of hell. May the Lord keep us from the snares of false doctrines!! Thyatira - The adulterous church - 452 to 1229 AD: “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; 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. 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. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Revelation 2:18-29 This letter unto the churches comes from the *“Faithful Witness”* who in this passage is described as “the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;” For we must all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account of all things that we have done in our body whether good or bad. This is God who will judge the world for its sins and all of its evil works. The Lord so states to this church that He will come in judgment if they do not repent: “Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For this reason, the Lord has warned “that woman Jezebel” to repent of her evil ways or else he will cast her and all those that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. Who is this *“woman”* that calls herself a prophetess and seduces God’s servants into adultery? The hidden wisdom of these verses can only be found by adhering to the rules of interpretation given from the Holy Word of God alone and not that of the wisdom of man. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” (I Corinthians 2:12-13) For this reason, we must search the Scriptures for illumination of the hidden meaning that the Lord will freely reveal to all who keep the things that are written “therein.” Thus, the Lord speaks of His judgment against *“that woman”* who commits adultery and seduces the servants of God. The Bible in actuality leaves no doubt as to the identity of this woman (Revelation 17:1-2): “And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” This is that *“woman”* who is the great city that reigns over the kings of the earth. It is a city that sits atop seven hills and is filled with “MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” The *“woman”* can be none other than the mystery Babylon sun god religion situated in Rome where Satan’s seat is. This is the Vatican in all the earthly glory of the Chaldean priesthood which started in Babel in the fourth generation after the flood. The Lord promises that he will cast them into great tribulation if they do not repent of their deeds. This is also the same woman as in the parable of the woman who leavens three measures of meal until all is leavened: “Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.” Matthew 13:33 In the book of Revelation there are three separate entities that are at odds with each other: the true church, the “mother “church (i.e. The Roman Catholic Church) and the “reformed” or “protestant” churches (her “children” that have committed fornication with her). As will be shown throughout J.M. Carroll’s book, all current “Christian” churches can be categorized in a broad sense by these three simple designations. Applying the symbolic representation of the whore of Babylon as the sinful women with the leaven, we now can see that the literal interpretation is quite simply a warning from God to avoid the snare of the MYSTERY BABYLON RELIGION that resides in Rome. Rome has spread the leaven of paganism (the doctrines of men and of devils) with such rites as weeping for Tummuz (lent and “Holy week, see Ezekiel chapter 8) and participating in the winter solstice rites of the birthday of the sun god on December 25th. For any believer that will honestly question where the traditions of the Easter egg and of Christmas come from, the evidence points directly to the *MYSTERY BABYLON RELIGION* that started in the fourth generation after the flood. In fact, anyone who does not understand these issues, will not be able to understand Baal, the queen of heaven and Tammuz mentioned throughout the Bible and the insidious manner in which it has infested every aspect of our lives. For example, consider the days of the week: “Sun Day, Moon Day, Tiw’s Day, Woden’s Day, Thor’s Day, Friga’s Day, Saturn’s Day.” No one will have any difficulty recognizing the English version of the seven days for worshipping the pagan gods that have infested our culture. Yes, the *“woman”* (Revelation 17:18) has leavened three measures of meal, (The Catholic and Orthodox churches, the Protestant churches, and the independent churches that have never been part of the “mother church”) and even the most fundamental churches of our land are often influenced by the pagan holidays just as the rest of the world follows. Can we really justify in any manner “Sweet heart’s banquets” on Valentines Day? Yet, it should not be so. We are commanded to be separate and to come out of this mystery religion lest we share in her plagues. (II Corinthians 6:17; Revelation 18:3). As a result, the *“woman”* refers specifically to Papal Rome and is in itself a prophecy of when the religious rulers of Rome overcame the secular governmental rulers of Rome. Most “dispensational” writers place the beginning of “Papal Rome” at 590 AD with Pope Gregory the “Great” who reigned from 590-604. However, history records that the real power of the papacy began instead nearly 150 years earlier with Pope Leo the “Great.” FIRST PERIOD A.D. 30-500 . . . “29. It was early in the period of the "dark ages" when real Popery had its definite beginnings. This was by Leo II, A.D. 440 to 461. This, however, was not the first time the title was ever used. This title, similar to the Catholic church itself, was largely a development. The name appears, as first applied to the Bishop of Rome 296-304. It was formally adopted by Siricius, Bishop of Rome 384-398. Then officially adopted by Leo II, 440-461. Then claimed to be universal, 707. Then some centuries later declared by Gregory VII to be the exclusive right of the papacy. (Emphasis added) The beginning of the real power of the papacy is revealed in the history of the encounter of Pope Leo the “Great” with Attila the Hun in 452 AD: Prosper: Account 1 Prosper, a Christian chronicler, writing about 455, gives the following simple account of Leo's famous interview with the king of the Huns three years before: “Now Attila, having once more collected his forces which had been scattered in Gaul [at the battle of Chalons], took his way through Pannonia into Italy. . . To the emperor and the senate and Roman people none of all the proposed plans to oppose the enemy seemed so practicable as to send legates to the most savage king and beg for peace. Our most blessed Pope Leo -trusting in the help of God, who never fails the righteous in their trials - undertook the task, accompanied by Avienus, a man of consular rank, and the prefect Trygetius. And the outcome was what his faith had foreseen; for when the king had received the embassy, he was so impressed by the presence of the high priest that he ordered his army to give up warfare and, after he had promised peace, he departed beyond the Danube. (c)Paul Halsall Jan 1996 halsall@murray.fordham.edu “As the legions of Roman soldiers moved eastward, the barbarians became bolder. In 410 A.D. they attacked Rome and Rome was sacked and the citizens slaughtered. The disaster shocked the entire world because the holy Roman Empire was viewed as the manifestation of God's kingdom on earth. It shook everyone's view of Christianity. Again and again Rome was attacked and sacked. In the year for 440 A.D., the job of defending Rome fell to the new bishop of Rome, Leo. At the time he steped in to the power vacuum and assumed the papal throne, the Roman Empire was again split into East and West. The eastern half of the Empire spoke Greek and the western half of the Empire spoke Latin. The bishop of Rome and the bishop of Constantinople began to quarrel over who was the religious head of the church. The bishop of Rome considered himself the successor to St. Peter and the patriarch of Constantinople felt that since he was at the capital city of the Roman Empire, that he should be the Pope. Constantine wanted to keep the western part of the empire from splitting away so he confirmed that the bishop of Rome was the Pope. This set a process in motion which eventually split Christianity into two parts. In 452 A.D., Attilla the Hun (called the scourge of God) who had been ravaging many different countries was camped outside of Rome ready to attack when Leo showed up in Attilla's camp alone. The story is told that Attilla had a vision in which the apostles Peter and Paul dressed like bishops and with out stretched swords threatened Attilla with death if he didn't obey Leo' s commands. Regardless of the accuracy of this story, after the visit from Leo, Attilla withdrew his army. Then, three years later, Leo again was forced to negotiate with barbarians after Rome was looted for 14 days. By the time of Leo' s death in 461 A.D., Rome depended upon the Pope for defense rather than the emperor. A new power structure developed in the form of the Pope. (Emphasis added) Shortly thereafter, the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was removed from the throne by a Roman soldier and replaced with the king of the Goths. This was 476 A.D., the date of the fall of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was gone but Christianity lived on.” http://www.spiritsites.com/non-fiction/church_hist_part2.htm Return to Home Page (www.kjv1611revealed.com)