in the public interest, published by the a.r.k. of god...the great red dragon & the third of the...

This booklet is not to be sold. It is a free educational servicein the public interest, published by the A.R.K. of GodFoundation. ©March 17, 2015. Scriptures in this publicationare quoted from the King James Version, unless otherwisenoted.

"The second and third chapters contain the messages tothe seven churches. These represent the Church in itsseven successive stages through the age, and also theseven characteristics to be found in the Church allthrough the age—the Ephesian condition dominating atthe beginning, the Laodicean condition at the end… Youshould study, and apply to yourself, these messages.”

- Herbert W. Armstrong-

CONTENTSChapter 1

The Great Red Dragon andThe Third of the Stars………………………………………….1

Chapter 2

Pergamos Era…………………………………..….…………….8

Chapter 3

Casting a Stumbling Block………………………………….20

1______________________________________________________________

The Great Red Dragon &The Third of the Stars

In part 1 of the Revelation 12 article series, we have

discussed about the WOMAN or God’s Church beingclothed with the SUN. She was seen “being with childcried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.”(verse 2). Yet there is another wonder in heaven which theapostle John saw – the GREAT RED DRAGON, Satan thedevil.

“And there appeared another wonder inheaven; and behold a great red dragon,having seven heads and ten horns, andseven crowns upon his heads.” (Revelation12:3)

As previously thought, verse 3 describes Satan and theHoly Roman Empire. But even as we go further in thewhole chapter, there is no mention of the beast or ascarlet-clothed woman (a great false church) as describedin Revelation 17. Notice that the description “seven headsand ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” has beenassociated with A GREAT RED DRAGON, while in chapter17, it is connected directly to the BEAST. Why is it so? Isthe GREAT RED DRAGON of chapter 12 also the BEASTof chapter 17? Of course not. Again, the GREAT REDDRAGON is Satan the devil while the BEAST is the HolyRoman Empire. So why did God inspire the apostle Johnto write this “seven heads and ten horns, and seven

2 THE GREAT RED DRAGON & THE THIRD OF THE STARS

crowns upon his heads” description alongside Satan thedevil; while nowhere in chapter 12 did he mention theBEAST as he did in chapter 17?

Because God designed this prophecy in verse 3 to point usto a specific time setting – the time of the Holy RomanEmpire when this beast having “seven heads and tenhorns, and seven crowns upon his heads” has been riddenby the scarlet-clothed woman (Revelation 17:3-4). This isa coded message that is meant to be understood only inGod’s appointed time. And that time is NOW.

The Third of the Stars

We have been taught previously that this “seven heads andten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” actuallypertains to the “four world-ruling Gentile empires.” But ifwe will consider the exact time when John wrote the bookof Revelation around A.D. 85 to 95, the time frame has tobe from that time during the Ephesus era (of which hisdeath was coterminous to the end of that era) up to thetime of the Day of the Lord and Christ’s Second Coming.

Notice that this vision of the apostle John has been datedprecisely: Consider again the key phrase “seven heads andten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads,” this pointsus to a prophetic time line which has to take placespecifically during the reign of the beast of Revelation 17:

“(I)n 527, Justinian assumed the Easternthrone in Constantinople. It was hispersonal dream to restore the RomanEmpire to its full former glory—under hisrule. Justinian saw himself as the rightfulruler of the Roman world. By 554, he hadsuccessfully and completely smashed thebarbarian hold on the Western empire. Hequickly reunited the empire—both East and

The Great Red Dragon & The Third of the Stars 3

West came under his control. Historyimmortalized Justinian’s achievement,calling it the “Imperial Restoration.” TheRoman Empire was revived, as prophesied(Rev. 13:3).

Justinian also fully understood that youcannot have a united empire without aunited religion. He worked stealthily tounify Christianity throughout the empire. In554, Justinian issued a document known asthe Pragmatic Sanction which confirmedand increased the papacy’s temporal powerand gave specific guidelines for regulatingcivil and ecclesiastical affairs in Rome andItaly.

The events listed above are just somehighlights from one of the most crucialphases of world history. All of these eventstook place during the Pergamos era.Remember, it was during this era thatSatan’s seat of government and religion wasfinally, thoroughly and completelyestablished.” (Church History—Part Five,The Sword of My Mouth, The PhiladelphiaTrumpet, May 1996)

Justinian revived the Roman Empire in A.D. 554 makingit the 1st head of the beast that was ridden by the scarlet-clothed woman thus making it the Holy Roman Empire.Mr. Armstrong wrote in his booklet, Who or What Is theProphetic Beast?, that there will be seven revivals of theHoly Roman Empire with the 7th and final head having 10rulers under one supreme EU leader.

God only used that specific description of “seven headsand ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” to directus to a precise time frame. Actually, God just wanted toemphasize only the two main characters in Revelation 12


– God's Church and Satan the devil! Yet, God through theapostle John made sure to accurately depict the exact timeelement of the fulfillment of this vision concerning the twoentities. As we will prove, this time element is directlyconnected to the next verse:

“And his tail drew the third part of the starsof heaven, and did cast them to the earth:and the dragon stood before the womanwhich was ready to be delivered, for todevour her child as soon as it wasborn.” (Revelation 12:4)

Let us consider the word “third part” which in Strong’sConcordance is G5154 and from the Greek word “tritos“:

“From G5140; third; neuter (as noun) athird part, or (as adverb) a (or the) thirdtime, thirdly: – third (-ly)”

Even in Thayer’s Lexicon it is defined as “the third.”Notice that the original meaning is intended to be “THETHIRD” and NOT necessarily a “third part” of somethingas it has been translated in the King James Version of the


Bible. So if we will substitute the word “THE THIRD” inverse 4, we will have:

“And his tail drew THE THIRD of the starsof heaven, and did cast them to the earth:and the dragon stood before the womanwhich was ready to be delivered, for todevour her child as soon as it was born.”

What are the “stars of heaven” being mentioned here thatwas cast to the earth? According to Mr. Herbert W.Armstrong, stars are a symbol ofangels; and they are sometimesused as a symbol of humanleaders, or human messengers.Now does the word “stars” inverse 4 refer to the fallen angelswho rebelled against God prior tothe recreation of the earth inGenesis 1? Or is it talking aboutanother entity? To betterunderstand this, let us consideragain the context of the timelineof when this prophecy has beenwritten.

“Mr. Armstrong talkedabout all of John’s books—his Gospel, hisepistles, and the book of Revelation—being written around A.D. 85 to 95.” (p.9, Royal Vision, September-October 2012)

It was in the 1st century when the apostle John wrote thebook of Revelation, which means, when he saw the visionin chapter 12, it has NOT HAPPENED YET. Thus, “THETHIRD OF THE STARS” being mentioned there HAS YETTO HAPPEN after he finished writing that prophecy!

SEVEN ERAS

“The book of Revelation is the only book of


the Bible that gives us the time sequence ofwhen a prophecy is to occur. Revelation 2and 3 tell us the true Church history fromthe time of Christ’s first coming to HisSecond Coming. The critics sometimeschallenge this belief. But even commonsense tells us THIS ACCOUNT IS IN THEBOOK OF REVELATION BECAUSE IT ISPROPHECY FOR THAT 2,000-YEARPERIOD. There were to be seven Churcheras in that 2,000 years. Most eras wouldturn away from God. Each time thathappened, He would raise up another era, orChurch.

The “Rock,” or Foundation, of all those erasis Jesus Christ. “I was in the Spirit on theLord’s day, and heard behind me a greatvoice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alphaand Omega, the first and the last: and, Whatthou seest, write in a book, and send it untothe seven churches which are in Asia; untoEphesus, and unto Smyrna, and untoPergamos, and unto Thyatira, and untoSardis, and unto Philadelphia, and untoLaodicea” (Revelation 1:10-11). Here we seethe name of each era. Christ started the NewTestament Church—the Ephesus era. “And Iturned to see the voice that spake with me.And being turned, I saw seven goldencandlesticks” (verse 12). The seven eras weresymbolized by golden candlesticks, or lamps—lamps is a more accurate translation. THELAMP WOULD BE THE ONLY LIGHT IN AVERY DARK WORLD. God’s people clearlysee this glorious light. The world is oftenoblivious to it.

“And he had in his right hand seven stars:


and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was asthe sun shineth in his strength. And when Isaw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And helaid his right hand upon me, saying unto me,Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am hethat liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I amalive for evermore, Amen; and have the keysof hell and of death. Write the things whichthou hast seen, and the things which are,and the things which shall be hereafter; themystery of the seven stars which thousawest in my right hand, and the sevengolden candlesticks. The seven stars are theangels of the seven churches: and the sevencandlesticks which thou sawest are theseven churches” (verses 16-20).

God placed an angel over each Church era.The angels are called stars. Jesus Christ is inthe “midst” of each era (verse 13). Thatmeans each era would be doing the dynamicWork of God, IN PROPORTION TO HOWMUCH IT RELIED ON THIS POWERFULCHRIST!” (pp. 14-15, The Royal Book ofRevelation, 2011 edition)

Since the vision in Revelation 12 is all about the WOMANwhich is comprised by the seven successive eras as writtenin chapters 2 and 3, therefore, “THE THIRD OF THESTARS” among the seven stars, apparently points us tothe Pergamos era – THE THIRD ERA of God’s Church!

2_________________________

Pergamos EraWhy the Pergamos era? As we shall see without any

shadow of a doubt, that it was during THIS THIRD ERAthat Satan was able to successfully infiltrate God’s Churchand implement his counterfeit doctrines (the MOON asexplained in part 1) – the doctrine of Balaam andthe doctrine of the Nicolaitans! What is even moreinteresting is that the Pergamos era Church has dweltwhere Satan’s seat was! “I know thy works, and wherethou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is” (verse 13).

It is interesting to note that this prophecy of the Pergamosera is very much like what the PCG through the leadershipof Stephen Flurry brought the supposedly last phase ofGod’s work to Edstone, Warwickshire, England which isknown to be the Kingdom of the WITCHES, a place rich inwitchcraft and paganism!

Can you see the parallel prophetic significance of the“THIRD among the seven stars” Pergamos era with that ofthe present fulfillment during this Laodicean era whereinthe Philadelphia Church of God did exactly the samething, i.e., they are now dwelling where Satan’s seat is! Letus consider further the history of the Pergamos era:

“Although the Pergamos era works wereexemplary at times, this Church epoch wasnot without some very serious spiritualproblems. Christ warned this era, “But Ihave a few things against thee, because thou

http://thelastendbookofremembrance.com/2014/10/18/the-transgressors-are-come-to-the-full/




hast there them that hold the doctrine ofBalaam, who taught Balac to cast astumbling block before the children ofIsrael, to eat things sacrificed unto idols,and to commit fornication. So hast thou alsothem that hold the doctrine of theNicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; orelse I will come unto thee quickly, and willfight against them with the sword of mymouth” (Rev. 2:14-16). Some had alloweddoctrinal errors to creep into the Church.

Christ names these doctrinal errors as the“doctrine of Balaam” and the “doctrine ofthe Nicolaitans.” Christ warned of “them”who held to these doctrines. Not everyonewas holding to these doctrines. Only them.Some were holding to these doctrines, somewere not. The Greek word for “hold” means“prepared, made ready, or in readiness.” Inother words, some from Pergamos were insuch a sad spiritual condition that they wereready for such doctrinal error…” (ChurchHistory—Part Six, The Sword of My Mouth,The Philadelphia Trumpet, June 1996)

Again as explained in Part 1, the true doctrines of Christ issymbolized by the SUN while the counterfeit doctrines,the MOON (Revelation 12:1-2). Satan was planning a veryvicious attack on God’s Church using the MOON with itsBRILLIANCE and this is the reason why God inspired thevision in verse 3: “BEHOLD a great red dragon, havingseven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon hisheads.”

“BEHOLD”, meaning w e are urged TO LOOK and SEE,TO KNOW and BE AWARE. Be aware of what? That theGREAT RED DRAGON, Satan the devil, will do somethingto God’s Church coinciding with the time of the Holy

Pergamos Era 10

Roman Empire beginning in 554 A.D. which evidently wasconcurrent to the time of the Pergamos era!

“And his tail drew THE THIRD of the starsof heaven, and did cast them to the earth:”


(verse 4)

The word “drew” is G4951 in Strong’s Concordance fromthe Greek word “suro“:

Probably akin to G138; to trail: – drag, draw, hale.

From the dictionary here is the meaning of “hale”

hale – to cause to do through pressure or necessity

The word “hale” is synonymous to the word “coerce” and“terrorize”

coerce:

1. To pressure, intimidate, or force (someone) into doing something 2. To bring about or gain pressure, threat or force

terrorize – coerce by violence or with threats

Now just look closely at how precise the fulfillment of thisprophecy has been – Satan the devil was able to coerceand terrorize the THIRD ERA of God’s Church. He wassuccessful in giving pressure and intimidation to thePergamos Church. He was able to force them into doingsomething that which is contrary to the pure doctrine ofGod – the end result was more violence andthreats(emphasis mine in bold):

MILITANT PAULICIANS

“In love, Jesus Christ warned the peopleof Pergamos to get back to the puredoctrine of the Bible. If they would

Pergamos Era 12

not, then He would send a physicalsword after them. They had a choice.They could either faithfully follow therule of Christ’s sword or die by thesword. It is interesting to note that inthe latter years of this era they werecontinually hassled by the sword.

The Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course states: “In the end, multiple thousands did perish by the literal sword, because the Church did not repent of its error—which grew and grew.

“Ever since the Arabs began to contest theByzantine power over Armenia, about 650A.D., persecution had driven somePaulicians to hide in Moslem territoryAbout 750, the Emperor ConstantineCopronymus reconquered the upperEuphrates region from Armenia andremoved many Paulicians to fill the desertedcities of Thrace. The day of the swordhad begun!

“From this time on Paulicians were split intoparties. Violence flared among them atMananali between the followers ofZachariah, son of Gegnesius, and Josephwho took the name of Epaphroditus. Josephled his people across the border, where hewas received by other Paulicians. Underattack there by a local ruler, he led them oninto Pisidia….

“Elsewhere, divisions multiplied. Half-Jewish [leader named] Baanes gained greatlocal influence [among Paulicians] with amilitant doctrine of retaliation! They had


forgotten—or never knew— that Christ wasthe one to wield the sword!…

“The Empress Theodora (829-867)continued the persecution withunabated zeal. Furious and desperate,they reconciled the use of Bible and sword.Revolting from the dominion of Theodora,they submitted to the Caliph of Bagdad.

“Armies of Moslems and carnal-mindedPaulicians combined ranged through theheart of Asia Minor. But trusting in theirworldly alliances with the Arabsinstead of relying on Jesus’protection, the Paulicians werebetrayed and slaughtered. Onehundred thousand perished!

“The sword had prevailed!” (Lesson 50,p. 15). (Church History—Part Six, The Swordof My Mouth, The Philadelphia Trumpet,June 1996)

The GREAT RED DRAGON was successful in dragging theTHIRD ERA of God’s Church; what do you thinkhappened to the Pergamos era that Satan was able tofulfill the prophecy in verse 4?

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamoswrite; These things saith he which hath thesharp sword with two edges; I know thyworks, and where thou dwellest, even whereSatan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast myname, and hast not denied my faith, even inthose days wherein Antipas was my faithfulmartyr, who was slain among you, whereSatan dwelleth. But I have a few thingsagainst thee, because thou hast there themthat hold the doctrine of Balaam, whotaught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before

Pergamos Era 14

the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificedunto idols, and to commit fornication. Sohast thou also them that hold the doctrine ofthe Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”(Revelation 2:12-15)

Some in the Pergamos era have compromised the truedoctrines of Christ and held to the doctrines of Balaamand the Nicolaitans. Who are Balaam and theNicolaitans? For a better understanding of their identitiesand their false doctrines, let us continue reading fromthe Trumpet article about Church history:

THE DOCTRINE OF BALAAM

Let’s learn more about these two doctrines.If Christ held such strong emotion againstthem, so should all true Christians. What isthe doctrine of Balaam? Christ gives usinsight into this false doctrine in verse 14.Christ states that Balaam caused thechildren of Israel to eat things sacrificed toidols and to commit fornication.

To understand the doctrine of Balaam weshould review some of the details of whatBalaam did to ancient Israel historically.The events concerning Balaam’s link withIsrael is found in Moses’ book of Numbers.Who’s Who in the Bible shows that his namecomes from the Hebrew word bilam andmeans ruin. What Balaam caused inancient Israel certainly was ruin. Christwarned Pergamos that if they continued inthe error of Balaam they would surely cometo ruin. The name Balaam could also betranslated as “conqueror of thepeople.”Nicolas is the equivalent Greekname.

Balaam was a Mesopotamian soothsayer.


Numbers states that Balaam was the son ofBeor. He lived at Pethor. He was a well-known magician—a pagan priest. Somescholars believe he was a prophet of God.Both Peter and Jude show that he was afalse prophet (II Pet. 2:15; Jude 11). In fact,Mr. Armstrong showed that Balaam was the“Pontifex Maximus of the pagan world—thechief oracle of paganism” (Good News, Jan.1982).

Balaam was Nimrod’s successor. Thenames Balaam and Nicolas were oftenused to denote the office Nimrod held.Nimrod was one of the first human leadersto rebel against God’s government and lawsafter the flood. Nimrod established man’spolitical and religious systems based on falseprinciples. Pethor, near the Euphrates river,was the seat of the Babylonian MysteryReligion. As high priest, Balaam useddivination and enchantments. Mr.Armstrong believed that he may have evenbeen possessed by Satan the devil. Balaamheld a position of considerable status andinfluence with his people…

Balak devised a plan to destroy Israel. Hesent men of high rank and great wealth toentice Balaam to help them. He intended touse Balaam the magician, to curse theIsraelites… But eventually Balaam did helpBalak get to Israel. He greatly desired thewealth offered to him. Greedy for materialgain, he counseled Balak to entice theIsraelites into idolatry and whoredom. Hemanipulated God’s law against Israel.Moses recorded Balaam’s advice to Balak inNumbers 31. “Behold, these caused the

Pergamos Era 16

children of Israel, through the counsel ofBalaam, to commit trespass against the Lordin the matter of Peor, and there was a plagueamong the congregation of the Lord” (Num.31:16). The Israelites fell prey to their owntemptations. As a result, God caused asevere plague to fall upon the Israelites…

The doctrine of Balaam is simply Baalworship. Baal worshippers follow theBabylonian Mystery Religion. Baalworshippers lived a life of licentiousness.When one follows the doctrine ofBalaam, one is following paganreligious practices…

Some in Pergamos were also falling prey tothis same error. For true Christians,following the doctrine of Balaam isallowing pagan practices and beliefsinto our worship of Christ. Christwarned the people of His day against suchpractices. Jesus said, “This people drawethnigh unto me with their mouth, andhonoureth me with their lips; but their heartis far from me. But in vain they do worshipme, teaching for doctrines thecommandments of men” (Matt. 15:8-9)…

THE DOCTRINE OF THE NICOLAITANS

What is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans?Jesus Christ states that he hates thisdoctrine. The word “hate” in Greek is miseoand means to detest. This was no small issueto Jesus Christ—He detested the doctrine ofthe Nicolaitans!…

What were the deeds of the Nicolaitans? TheCatholic Encyclopedia states : “[these


Nicolaitans] led lives of unrestrainedindulgence.” This sect traced their roots to aman named Nicholas. The CatholicEncyclopedia states that they “claimed tohave derived from Nicholas the doctrine ofpromiscuity.” In other words, theNicolaitans believed that they could be bothreligious and promiscuous

Who was this Nicholas? Some scholars haveconfused him with one of the original sevendeacons listed in Acts 6:5. But this is a grosserror. Hastings’ Dictionary of theBible identifies a Nicholas of Antioch as“Bishop Nicholas of Samaria,” a hereticassociate of Simon Magus.

The Ambassador College BibleCorrespondence Course states, “But whythen was he called Nicholas ‘of Antioch’?Eusebius gives us a clue. Before SimonMagus went to Rome—probably a.d. 42—he was in Antioch for a while. Eusebius tellsus that Jesus’ Apostle Peter was sent toAntioch (Gal. 2:11—a.d. 42) to counteractthe poison of Simon Magus.

“From there [Antioch] he [Simon Magus]went to Rome. It is possible that the twonames refer to the same man and Nicholasof Samaria was Simon himself or Nicholaswas Simon’s successor after Simon left forRome. The Nicolaitans, at any rate, areidentified with the counterfeit ‘Christianity’founded by Simon Magus.

“The doctrine of the Nicolaitans, too, wasone of no law—‘unrestrained indulgence,’‘promiscuity.’ Their doctrine and thedoctrine of Balaam sprang from the same

Pergamos Era 18

source. In fact, as we have already noted, thename ‘Nicolaitans’ might well be translated‘Balaamites,’ and vice versa, for bothBalaam in the days of Moses andSimon Magus in the first century A.D.occupied the ‘office’ of Nimrod”(Lesson 50, 1968, p. 10)…

The doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine ofthe Nicolaitans appear to be very similar.Why did Jesus bring charges that Pergamoshad members holding to both. TheCorrespondence Course states, “Thedoctrine of Balaam was the original,universally received religion of the region.Asia Minor (where the city of Pergamoswas), with the Tigris-Euphrates valley andArmenia, comprised the very heartland andstronghold of Nimrod’s religion throughoutall history to that time. The Pethor ofBalaam was right at the center of this area.

“And now the Church of God was centeredthere. Naturally, unconverted ‘members’who sat in the congregations of God’sChurch were influenced by that doctrine!They were just local people who had neverreally given up the common doctrine of theirancestors.

“Significantly, the Armenian church tomodern times practiced, or allowed, animalsacrifices for sin—and the eating ofsacrificial flesh! Could Revelation 2:14 bemore specific? (Church History—Part Six,The Sword of My Mouth, The PhiladelphiaTrumpet, June 1996)

Notice that Simon Magus‘ name has kept on beingever present even during the Pergamos era because as it


appear, “both Balaam in the days of Moses andSimon Magus in the first century A.D. occupiedthe ‘office’ of Nimrod” – the office which is actuallySatan’s.

3______________________________

Casting a Stumbling BlockSatan the devil through Balaam and Nicolas, who

apparently were Nimrod’s successors, was able to ruinGod’s people through their influence. Their doctrines wereable to crept in to Pergamos era which gave way for Satanto drag some of God’s people in that era into ruin. Yetthere were still faithful Christians who held on to God’struth.

CHRISTIANS KEPT THE PASSOVER

“Jesus Christ kept the Passover. So did theApostle John. And so did some Christians inScotland even until the 7th century A.D.

This information comes from no less anecclesiastical authority than the churchhistorian Bede. His Ecclesiastical History ofthe English Nation would astound manywho have assumed that Christ and the earlyapostles all kept Easter.

He writes that “John, following the customsof the Law, used to begin the Feast of Easter[actually the Passover] on the evening of thefourteenth day of the first month, whether itfell on the Sabbath or on any other day” (III,25)…


Bede thus reiterates what the Bible itselfplainly tells us — that Christ partook of theold Passover and then substituted the NewTestament symbols of the bread and wine onthe 14th of the first month.

The custom of keeping the NewTestament Passover, after the example ofChrist and John, persisted among isolatedgroups for centuries. Bede tells us that somefaithful were still keeping it in Scotland inthe 7th century! (II, 19.) (p. 19, The PlainTruth About Easter)

But something tragic happened during the 7th centurythat drove God’s Church into the wilderness. What tookplace was like a death blow to the third era of God’s

Casting a Stumbling Block 22

Church. THE SYNOD OF WHITBY (AD 664)

As historians have rightly observed, “thereseems to be no reasonable doubt but thatthe cleavage between Roman and CelticChristians was very wide, and could not bebridged without one party’s giving way tothe other.”

This, then, was the reason and setting forthe Synod of Whitby. There were gravedifferences in many areas of doctrine andecclesiastical polity between the CelticChristians and the church of Rome. Theprevailing mindset of the day was that theall those who were called by the name ofChristian should agree on all things. Sincethe differences between the twoorganizations were of such a gravity andnature as compromise was not a possibility,it was certain that either the Celts or theRomans would have to give way entirely tothe other; so the Synod of Whitby was calledto settle the matter…

The Significance of the Synod for theCeltic Church and Roman Church

“With the declarations of the Synodhanded down by the king, a process ofRomanization began, which wouldtake centuries to finally complete butwhich was immediate in its impact.The significance of the agreementshould not be underestimated.Formerly, “wherever and whenever these(contacts between Celtic Christians and therepresentatives of the bishop of Rome)initially took place there was conflict,” but


now, for the most part, there was peacesince the Roman way was accepted by most.One significant impact that must not beoverlooked, then, is simply the resolution ofconflict. Where Christians had formerly notbeen able to be civil with each other, or eveneat with each other, now there was mainlypeace.

Everything in the church’s structureand theological life would begin tochange from this point; even itsgeographical centre moved as a result of thisSynod. “York supplanted Lindisfarne asnorthern England’s spiritual center, and theconformist discipline of the Romanorganization was at last supreme in all ofEngland.” Lindisfarne, which had beenidentified with Irish-Celtic spirituality hadbecome outmoded overnight with therejection of Bishop Colman, and the muchmore easily Roman affected York becamethe hub of theological and ecclesiologicalthought and activity…

Life after Whitby was not nearly aseasy as it sounds, however. Theresolution of the conflict was far frombeing absolute. Many Scots, forexample were forced to adjustimmediately or move. Centuries ofdebate would follow on the heels of Whitby,and the Celtic Christians continued tooppose Rome until the eleventh centurywhen they were finally assimilated into theRoman religion.

Following Whitby, the Roman missionin the Celtic world prospered andgrew in force and influence. Wilfred’s


achievements have been recorded thus: “Heintroduced into the English churches manyCatholic customs, with the result that theCatholic Rite daily gained support, and allthe Scots remaining in England eitherconformed to it or returned to their ownland.”

Though the Roman victory was far fromcomplete in AD 664 at the conclusion of theSynod of Whitby, King Oswy’s decisionhad indeed signalled the beginning ofthe end for autonomous CelticChristian spirituality and the comingto power of the Roman church inCeltic lands. In short, “the Synod ofWhitby...confirmed the Romanizationof British Christianity.”

Source: http://julianfreeman.ca/articles/synod-whitby-ad-664

This is a VITAL TURNING POINT for God’s Churchthen – “Many Scots, for example were forced to adjustimmediately or move“ – they were driven into theWILDERNESS! The true Church of God during thePergamos era started to VANISH from this point onward,and the true doctrines of Christ including the knowledgeof the true gospel of the kingdom of God suffered a deathknell.

“Synod of Whitby, a meeting held by theChristian Church of the Anglo-Saxonkingdom of Northumbria in 663/664 todecide whether to follow Celtic or Romanusages. It marked a VITAL TURNINGPOINT in the development of the church inEngland.”

Source: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/641992/Synod-of-Whitby

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/641992/Synod-of-Whitby

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/641992/Synod-of-Whitby


We must remember that this time period was still verymuch into the Pergamos era which Christ has this to say:

“But I have a few things against thee,because thou hast there them that hold thedoctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to casta stumbling block before the children ofIsrael, to eat things sacrificed unto idols,and to commit fornication. So hast thou alsothem that hold the doctrine of theNicolaitanes, which thing I hate. (Revelation2:14-15)

During this 664 A.D. debacle over the Easter and Passoverissue, it was Wilfred, holding to the doctrine of Balaam,who taught King Oswy to actually cast a stumbling blockbefore the true Church of God then. To emphasize the

seriousness of the impact, let us considerthis again: “With the declarations ofthe Synod handed down by the king,a process of Romanization began,which would take centuries to finallycomplete but which was immediatein its impact. The significance of theagreement should not beunderestimated.” – this is the specificactual fulfillment of the prophecy inRevelation 2:14-15!

The declaration favoring Easter overPassover at the Synod of Whitby in 664A.D. was a massive stumbling block thathad a ripple effect up until the Sardis era

that almost caused its very life (Revelation 3:1-6). But asfor those few in Pergamos who remained faithful, theywere forced out and driven into the wilderness:


“And so the baton passed from the SmyrnaChristians to those of the Pergamos era.These had been called to carry thetruth through one of history’s mostdifficult periods—the Dark Ages.

The power and influence of the greatuniversal church spread far and wide,driving those who clung to the truth ofGod ever further into the wilderness.But they were never far from threat ofpersecution and martyrdom. And so veryfew of the Pergamos Christians remainedfaithful.” (p. 220, Mystery of the Ages, 2009edition)

The wilderness being discussed here does not necessarilypertain to a specific place but it describe a conditionwherein God’s people were scattered all over; and whilethey were there God gave them the HIDDEN MANNA anda WHITE STONE:

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what theSpirit saith unto the churches; To him thatovercometh will I give to eat of the hiddenmanna, and will give him a white stone, andin the stone a new name written, which noman knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”(verse 17)

The word “hidden” from Strong’s Concordance istransliterated in the Greek as “krupto” which means:

to conceal properly by covering: hide self,keep secret, secret

While in Thayer’s Lexicon, it is defined this way:

1. to hide, conceal, to be hid2. escape notice3. metaphorically to conceal (that it may not be known)


And the word “manna” as we know is the word ofGod or instructions from Jesus Christ (John 6:31-35).

As for the word “white” in Thayer’s definition, it can alsomean, “white garments as the sign of innocence andpurity”; while “stone” in Strong’s means, “verdict ofacquittal or ticket of admission”

Apparently, as the faithful few of the Pergamos era wereforced and driven out into the wilderness, God has giventhem an escape notice or a secret instruction onhow to conceal and hide themselves properly. Theseovercomers were obviously cleansed from the filth thatwas spreading at that time which was brought about bythe doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans; theywere also forgiven by God as they repented toward Him,much like starting with a clean slate.

Now what is the relevance of this prophecy about thePergamos era, the THIRD of the seven stars, for our timetoday? Why did God withhold the understanding for solong and rather chose to reveal it precisely during thisLAST END? Because the GREAT RED DRAGON, Satanthe devil has done another masterful job in injectingthe doctrine of Balaam to God’s own Church – thePhiladelphia Church of God!

Those inside the PCG may argue, “That prophecy aboutthe Pergamos era has come and gone. We are already inthe Laodicean era, so it is no longer applicable to us.” Ohreally? Then let us consider what Mr. Gerald Flurry wroteabout such a dangerous mindset:

“Under Herbert W. Armstrong andthe Philadelphia Church today, wehave written a lot about the Churcheras discussed in chapters 2 and 3 ofthe book of Revelation. But we havenever gotten it right! And there is areason why. Our writers have neverbuilt on the foundational teaching of


Mr. Armstrong! In this message, wewill correct that error…”

In his booklet The Key to the Book ofRevelation, Mr. Armstrong wrote, “Thesecond and third chapters contain themessages to the seven churches. Theserepresent the Church in its seven successivestages through the age, and also the sevencharacteristics to be found in the Church allthrough the age—the Ephesian conditiondominating at the beginning, the Laodiceancondition at the end.”

He then wrote, “You should study, and applyto yourself, these messages.” Each of usshould take that advice to heart.

In a World Tomorrow broadcast, Mr.Armstrong said that the seven churches,which anciently were congregations that layalong a single mail route, “formed a perfect


… pattern.” In addition to being aprophecy of seven successive eras ofthe Church, they were also “typical ofthe general conditions among God’speople anywhere and at any time.”That means we should be very attunedto all of these messages.

In these messages, Christ givesencouragement and praise, as well as a lot ofcorrection. Christ does correct His people,and sometimes it can get to be prettydifficult to do the Work of God! But it allleads to the Second Coming, and that shouldkeep us inspired forever.” (The True Historyof God’s Church, Royal Vision, September-October 2012, pp. 1-2)

For emphasis, Mr. Flurry reiterated what Mr. Armstrongsaid: “In addition to being a prophecy of sevensuccessive eras of the Church, they were also‘typical of the general conditions among God’speople anywhere and at any time.’ That means weshould be very attuned to all of these messages.”Let’s ask ourselves, ARE WE VERY ATTUNED TOALL THE MESSAGES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHERAS? As he further wrote: “THE GREATESTWARNING IN THE END IS GIVEN TO GOD’SPEOPLE – not the world” (p. 100, Malachi’s Message)

Are we now ready to listen to what the Spirit says to theChurches? Satan knew how effective his strategy wasduring the Pergamos era by infusing the doctrines ofBalaam and the Nicolaitans into God’s Church. Now he is


using that same strategy AGAIN with the PhiladelphiaChurch of God resulting in the same success that heachieved from the third era. Here are some of the list:

DOCTRINE OF THE NICOLAITANS

- “unrestrained indulgence def. ( indulgent – given to permissiveness)- promiscuity def. (promiscuous – indiscriminate in the ) choice of sexual partners

· Stephen Flurry told his son Jude not to worryabout the Sabbath while they are in the midst of an Irishdance elimination round competition which wasscheduled on a Friday. Jude had some hesitation toproceed because he might be called to perform during aFriday sunset. (from Stephen Flurry’s December 2014sermon titled, “Tip of the Iceberg”)

· Turnabout – is an opportunity for the women tostop doing the waiting and start doing the asking… (T)heweekend is designed to give ladies the opportunity to “takeon the responsibility of planning for and asking men ondates.” It was actually rooted from “Sadie Hawkins Day”

DOCTRINE OF BALAAM

- allowing pagan practices and beliefs into the worship of

· Irish dance – “There are only vague references tothe early history of Irish dancing, but there is evidencethat among its first practitioners were the Druids, whodanced in religious rituals honouring the oak tree and thesun. Traces of their circular dances survive in the ringdances of today.”

· Mother’s Day – image of Astarte (or Ishtar fromwhere the name Easter came) “one of the titles of Beltis,the queen of heaven….”


· Cremation – In Leviticus 18:21 it is written: “Andthou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire toMolech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: Iam the LORD.”

— “who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before thechildren of Israel”

· the EDSTONE work in Warwickshire, Englandwhere it was once a part of the Kingdom of Hwicce orwitches and the seat of paganism

How was God able to correct the error of Balaam then?Through Phinehas, the son of Eleazar!

“And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, theson of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose upfrom among the congregation, and tooka javelin in his hand; And he went after theman of Israel into the tent, and thrust bothof them through, the man of Israel, and thewoman through her belly. So the plague wasstayed from the children of Israel.”(Numbers 25:7-8)

Phinehas rose up from among the congregationbecause he took particular notice of the officers’ hesitancyin punishing the high ranking offenders – Zimri andCozbi. He executed God’s judgment even though he wasnot an official (Psalms 106: 30). Balaam’s heart was full oflust. Moses’ and the judges’ heart were partial and werenot right before God. Phinehas’ heart was zealous for Godand he made the ATONEMENT for the children of Israel.(vv. 11-13)

When Satan infused the doctrine of Balaam to thePergamos Church, how has God dealt with this problem?Through the HIDDEN MANNA and the WHITE STONE!(Revelation 2:17)

Now that the same error of Balaam is being proliferatedamong the membership of the Philadelphia Church of


God, how is God dealing with this problem in this lastend? He is doing it through another Phinehas andanother hidden manna and white stone, which is writtenin the prophesied BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE!

ADDITIONAL READINGThe A.R.K. of God Foundation produces many informativeand interesting publications that you may want to request.

Here are a few you might consider:

When Christ delivered the Book of Revelations to John, the messageis entirely for the seven eras of the Church of God. This is the keyaspect that Bible scholars and critics failed to grasp! The message isgiven to the Temple Priests, to Jesus Christ's bride - the Church.Today God has revealed the true meaning behind the symbolism ofthe woman clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet foundin the 12th chapter of the Book of Revelation. A prophecy between astruggle of deception and truth in the Church of God.

Global distress has increased in dramatic scale. Satan's wrath wreakedhavoc in world affairs but he has also been more vicious to his maintarget - the Church of God. The Philadelphia Church of God'sheadquarters in Oklahoma is now the World's Capital ofEarthquakes. God is sending a very important message to thisLukewarm Church to turn away from Paganism and executerighteous judgment. Are you willing to listen? Now you canunderstand.

REVELATION 12: A WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN

REVELATION 12: SATAN'S GREAT WRATH THE GREAT TRIBULATION

CONTACT INFORMATION

To reach the A.R.K. of God Foundation, to order literature or to request additional information.

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