Revelation Chapter 8
The First Trumpet
As we had briefly outlined in our previous posts the early church had the beginnings of the wrong attitude which eventually led to the oppressive false church state system, composed of the beast and the image. So for that reason we think that the very beginnings of the problems with the earth (society, earthly institutions both religious and secular) that led to the beast and the image already existed in the first church.
This was the same problem that we saw in the first seal where the rider was riding out to conquer with a bow and a crown. Even in the message to the first church we likewise saw the warning about the Nicolaitans. They were symbolic of those in the early church who were beginning to take power to themselves that they should not have or to oppress others. This attitude led to the great falling away, and eventually turned them into the oppressive church and state system that reigned for over 1000 years. The full church and state system is what is being punished in the first bowl, so we see the beast and the image being punished along with the earth or society that supported that system. In the early church we only saw the beginnings of the problem, so other than the earth or society, different symbols are used there.
The symbol of the earth that the bowl is poured out on would represent the Roman society, along with its civil power that existed in the time of the early church. This same civil power is later symbolized by the kings (nations, governments) who allied themselves with the harlot, or Papacy.
“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.” (Rev 13:3)
“All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev 13:8)
We would like to think that the early church didn’t have the problem of wanting power over others, but we know from the epistles of Paul, that they warned about this problem in several different places. See the notes on seal one for some examples of Paul’s statements on this problem as it existed already in his time. This lust for power started out small as most problems do, but as more and more people came into the church, there were eventually enough people that the government became involved with the church. One thing led to another and eventually we wound up with the Papal system where they thought they had the God given right to crown and un-crown the civil power.
We think we should view the symbols of hail (hard truth), fire (judgment), and blood (atonement doctrine), as being actually good symbols to start with. The problem we find is that they should not have been thrown into the earth where they eventually caused a third of the trees and all of the grass to be burned up!
Being thrown into the earth seems to indicate that some in the early church had decided that they needed to involve the church in earthly affairs. There was no problem with going out and trying to convert as many as could be convinced into coming into the church. But as we saw in the first seal, there evidently were some who went too far and who were using incorrect ideas and methods to do this. When they got the converts into the church they were also setting themselves up over the flock, when they should have instead been the servants of the flock. Some were even trying to live off the early church without working, which Paul warned them was not correct, and that he had supported himself by his tent making. That led to the money loving church system later on that lived off the people and oppressed them.
The early church should have used the truth and biblical knowledge to build and uplift the church, but it should not have been used to judge or threaten others. The church was to preach and convert with the wonderful message of good news, but not threaten and force conversion with distortions of the truth. As the problem got worse later on we even see the doctrine of hell being used to frighten not only their own members, but to force others to convert to the church.
Many were doing this for the feeling of power it gave them by being able to force their opinions on others. When the truth was used to force worldly people into the church, most of those who came in were not really of the Lord, but were TARES! That is why we see that many heathen doctrines were brought into the church during this early time. The heathen came in because they had to in order to survive or because it was the popular thing to do. They did not convert to Christianity fully but brought their heathen ideas with them, mixing them with God’s truth. A good book to read in this regard is Called “Two Babylon’s” by Alexander Hislop. Here is a short quote out of the forward.
“Now, while this characteristic of Rome has ever been well marked and defined, it has always been easy to show, that the Church which has its seat and headquarters on the seven hills of Rome might most appropriately be called "Babylon," inasmuch as it is the chief seat of idolatry under the New Testament, as the ancient Babylon was the chief seat of idolatry under the Old. But recent discoveries in Assyria, taken in connection with the previously well-known but ill-understood history and mythology of the ancient world, demonstrate that there is a vast deal more significance in the name Babylon the Great than this. It has been known all along that Popery was baptized Paganism; but God is now making it manifest, that the Paganism which Rome has baptized is, in all its essential elements, the very Paganism which prevailed in the ancient literal Babylon, when Jehovah opened before Cyrus the two-leaved gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.”
Continued with next post.
