| In our last Bible study we
covered about 1,000 years, and looked at some
snap shots, or hit some of the high points,
during the period of time from 965 BC to 30 AD
... from the reign of King Solomon, to the
Kingdom Divided (Judah and Israel) and
backsliding, destruction, bondage, the return of
a remnant, a revival followed by 400 years of
silence separating the Old & New Testaments,
when there were no real prophets in the land, up
through and including the birth, life, ministry,
death, burial and resurrection of the Incarnate
Christ and the end of the "ceremonial"
law, and need for the intercession of a priest
... AND the birth of the "Original" New
Testament Church and God’s New Covenant Plan
of Salvation (Acts 2:38). Now, we’re going
to pick up from there and cover from then to the
day in which you and I live ... a very exciting,
but perilous, time.
1st Century AD
(about 2000 years ago) Severe persecution spreads
gospel & the Bible is completed
During
the first century, the New Testament, which
describes the life and teachings of Jesus Christ
AND what His foot print followers preached,
practiced and taught, is completed. And, the
compilation of the Holy Bible (the Old Testament
and the New Testament) is complete. The Book of
Genesis was written during the time of Moses,
about 3400 years ago. And, the Book of Revelation
was written by the Apostle John in about 95 AD.
The Bible covers the time from the Creation ...
the beginning of time ... through the destruction
of the world and the catching away of the Bride
of Christ ... the end of Time. Throughout the
Bible, God’s love and His desire to dwell
among His People, and the prophecies and the
fulfillment of the promised Messiah, restoring
the lost relationship between God and man, and
bridging the gap, caused by sin, is the main
theme. From its pages, you and I can find
EVERYTHING we could ever possibly need to know
about God, what He expects of us, our
interpersonal relationships, living a victorious
and an overcoming life, as well as spending
eternity in the presence of our Creator in a
place where there will be no more sorrow,
sickness, suffering, tears, pain, death or sin.
37-39
AD Stephen, 1st Christian martyr. Conversion of
Saul of Tarsus (Paul) Acts Chapters 7-9
43-45
AD James the brother of John was beheaded. Peter
was led out of prison by an angel of the Lord.
Acts Chapter 12
68 AD Paul,
who was also delivered from prison ... with Silas
... was beheaded at Rome.
* * * * * * * *
John the Baptist
died a violent death. The Incarnate Christ died a
violent death. And, although history doesn’t
document all of the dates during this time, nor
all of the details, for all of the Apostle, the
following is found in the book, Foxe’s Book
of Martyrs regarding the deaths some other
Apostles ...
Thomas was slain
with a dart. Mark was drawn with ropes into the
fire, and burnt. Bartholomew was beaten down with
staves, then crucified; and afterward, beheaded.
Andrew was crucified. Matthew was run through
with a spear. Philip was crucified, then stoned
to death. James the less, the brother of our Lord,
was thrown down from a pinnacle of the temple,
but survived the fall, then, was stoned and hit
in the head by an instrument used to beat and
purge cloth, and died. Peter was crucified with
his head downward, because he said he wasn’t
worthy to be crucified like our Lord.
* * * * * * * *
70 AD - Rome
destroys Jerusalem and the Second Temple ... According
to the historian Josephus, about 1.1 million Jews
were killed. Others were taken as slaves.
98 AD -
According to some, after surviving being boiled
in oil, and being exiled on the Isle of Patmos a
number of years, and writing the Books of John
and Revelation, the Apostles John dies ... the
oldest and only Apostle known to have died an old
man. And, the First Century AFTER Christ comes to
an end.
Regardless of the
accuracy of history or traditions regarding the
deaths of the Apostles, the journey and the love
story spanning 6,000 years did NOT stop in the
First Century. It continues on to the day in
which you and I live. However, we left off at
about 4,000 years after the Creation. Now,
we’ll look at some more snap shots, and hit
some high points of history, covering the next 2,000
years ... up to today. And, let me add, the
enemies of God, as well as multitudes of
deceivers, compromisers, skeptics and critics,
have come and gone. But, God has preserved, and
protected, His Word down through the centuries
for us, to this very today.
Rome began as a
small town in about 750 BC (about 200 years after
the reign of Solomon), and just before the
Assyrians over threw Samaria in 721 BC, and took
captive the 10 tribes that made up the northern
kingdom of Israel, that faded into obscurity.
However, centuries later, Rome rose to rule the
world as a massive military power. And, from
about 50 years before the birth of Christ until
about 180 AD ... about 230 years ... it was in
its heyday. Instead of a king, its leader was
known as an emperor, but later became known as
"Pope". At any rate, it began its
decline in about 180 AD. And, in about 395 AD the
Roman Empire split into the East and the West.
The West fell in about 476 AD. And, the Eastern
empire fell in about 1453 AD. However, it could
be argued that old Roman Empire is still in
existence today in the form of the Roman Catholic
Church ... or "Papal Rome". Its seat of
power is known as the Vatican, a small piece of
land which is treated like its own sovereign
country. And, its leader is known as the Pope ...
or Holy Father. And, although not the military
power it was at one time, Papal Rome still has
far reaching power and influence throughout the
world. Also, it could be argued that the "woman"
riding the beast with the seven heads and ten
horns in Revelation Chapters 13 and 17 is none
other than the very powerful, world-wide geo-political
and religious system ... Papal Rome. In addition,
the daughters of this woman in Revelation
Chapters 13 and 17 could be argued is none other
than the various protestant denominations which
came out of the mother church, but still embrace
her very basic and fundamental, core doctrine ...
the trinity.
As a former
trinitarian, myself, I very diligently and very
extensively researched and studied this subject
over a period of several years. And, I can say
unequivocally ... and with conviction ... that
the following is the truth ... in its entirety:
The theory of the trinity can be traced no
further back than the writings of Tertullian in
about 200 AD ... which is at least 100 years
AFTER the passing of the foot print followers of
Jesus Christ and the "Original" New
Testament leaders. Furthermore, it was only after
the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, convened by
Emperor Constantine ... who was, or became, the
Head of the Church of Rome ... that the theory of
the trinity became the "official"
doctrine of Rome’s "universal"
church (see Nicene Creed). And, even then, the
theory of the trinity wasn’t fully defined,
as it is, and remains until this very day, until
several centuries later.
Excuse me! But if
anybody had it right, the foot print followers of
Jesus Christ, and the "Original" New
Testament leaders of the First Century, had it
right. And, neither Jesus, nor any of them ever
even mentioned a "trinity", or used
these phrases, "One God in three persons"
or "God the Son" or "God the Holy
Ghost". Furthermore, Jesus did not leave His
followers with only part of the story ... or a
bunch of pages with blanks which would have to be
filled in several hundred years later. No way!
They had it right! And, to drive this point home
AND to challenge people to search things out in
the Scriptures I’ve been offering a $ 10,000.00
Reward since 1986. It can be seen on this web
page: http://www.impact-ministry.com/acts2/reward
...
$10,000
Reward:
Offered to anyone
who can find one scripture in the authorized King
James Version of the Holy Bible text:
(1) with the word
"trinity" in it;
(2) where the
term "persons" (plural) was ever used
to describe God or the Godhead; OR
(3) where anyone
was ever baptized with the TITLES "Father,
Son and Holy Ghost" pronounced over them. (These
"titles" are quoted by virtually every
religious denomination today among BOTH Catholic
and Protestants, regardless of whether they
baptize by sprinkling or by immersion).
At any rate, it
is no wonder why John ... knowing what he knew
about the Apostles One God Monotheistic Doctrine
... was blown completely away by the vision he
had, recorded in Revelation Chapters 13 and 17.
And, while this is NOT an indictment against the
multitudes who have been indoctrinated to believe
the Doctrine of Rome, if I have an ax to grind,
it would be with any ministers or workers who
resist and fight against the Apostles One God
Monotheistic Doctrine. Having said that, I have
no problem with sceptics. I once was a sceptic,
myself. But, what I try to do is to get people to
lay aside their theories, traditions, opinions,
preconceived ideas and indoctrination and go into
the Word of God with an open heart and an open
mind. **IF** I can get them to do that, there is
not a doubt in my mind that God will reveal the
Truth in its entirety to them. Furthermore, while
I truly love the people, I no longer embrace the
doctrine of Rome. And, I know for a fact that
many, if not most, of them believe in the theory
of a trinity because of some very effective
indoctrination. And, knowing what I know, and
coming from where I came from, it is my position
that honest hearts want Truth IN ITS ENTIRETY.
And, genuine truth seekers will lay aside their
theories, opinions, preconceived ideas,
indoctrination and traditions, and allow God ...
and the Word of God ... to be true, and all men
liars ... **IF** and when someone gets their
attention with the right attitude and spirit.
At any rate,
we’ve seen how this journey and love story
has spanned 6,000 years ... up to the day we live
in. In addition, we’ve seen kingdoms come
and go. A closer look into the Scriptures will
reveal how, down through the ages, prophecies
were some times made sometimes hundreds ... or
thousands ... of years before they came to pass.
But, the bottom line is, God’s Word is true,
and ALWAYS comes to pass. God has had His hand in
the affairs of man ... from the time the of the
Fall in the Garden, all the way down through the
ages, through the Old Testament, the birth of the
Original New Testament Church, the emergence of
the world’s "universal" (mother)
church of Rome centuries later (with its core
doctrine based on the theory of a trinity),
through inquisitions, crusades, revolutions, wars,
the holocaust ... the fall of the Roman Empire,
the Dark Ages, the discovery of America, the
Reformation, the birth of the United States,
civil wars, world wars AND the rebirth of Israel
as a sovereign nation. I am convinced God will
continue to have His hand in the affairs of man,
to the end. Daniel 12:4 speaks of a knowledge
explosion in the last days. And, we are living in
the time of that knowledge explosion. There are
people are alive today who have seen technology
go from horses and buggies to walking on the moon.
As a matter of fact, if people who died 100-150
years ago came back to life today, they would
probably think they were on another planet.
Throughout this
study, it has been my aim to share with you a
brief over-view of the Bible from Creation to the
day in which we live. Hopefully, I have succeeded,
and you realize the seriousness of the hour in
which we live, and the nearness of His return.
We’re living in the time described in 2
Timothy Chapter 3. Many things have been
fulfilled, and are being fulfilled, before our
eyes. In closing, I would like to mention:
Although there are many end-time prophecies AND
prophecies about the New Birth. The prophecy of
Joel Chapter 2 mentions the "former rain"
and the "latter rain" and the baptism
of the Holy Ghost. Well, my dear friends, the
"former rain" is exactly what the Day
of Pentecost, in Acts Chapter 2, was all about.
And, you and I are living in the time of the
"latter rain", right now. The signs are
all around us. **IF** your Spiritual house is not
in order, my prayer is that you get it in order
before it is too late and/or that your
relationship with God, doing His will and staying
in His Word will remain at the top of your list
of priorities. God bless!
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