Part 11: Jewish leadership and Rome together against Christ.

Article series: INTRODUCTION – WHO IS JEHOVAH? – WHO IS THE REAL ISRAEL – THE SCATTERING – THE GATHERING: ONE-FOLD – ONE ISRAELTHE MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL NOT CHOSEN – DANIEL 9 AND THE PRE-TRIBULATION DECEPTION – JUDAISM ACE IS NOT A GODLY REPRESENTATION OF OT – THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL – THE DIFFERENCE (between Biblical Israel taking of Canaan and modern Israel taking of Palestine) – What side should we take in the Palestinian and Israeli conflict? – Jewish leadership and Rome together against Christ –

The Jewish leadership and papal Rome have together since the beginning of the New Covenant era been pulling the law away from Christ. They have both been working against Jewish converts to Christ and keeping Christians from the culture and laws of Jehovah. Separating what belongs together, the Jewish leadership has pulled the law from Christ, and the Roman papacy along with Protestantism have pulled Jesus away from His law and culture. This attack is all the work of the dragon, Satan himself. Although Roman Catholicism and Judaism are at odds with each other religiously, they both cooperate against God, only from two different angles, making the betrayal harder to spot as God’s people don’t immediately appear to be on one side, but in the middle. Christ warned us through the book of Revelation that the group Satan wanted to attack was the ones who kept the law and Christ together (Rev 12:17)  

The remnant is those who stayed true to this principle. From the very beginning, Rome, pagan and papal, and the Jewish leadership persecuted Christ and his followers together. Now the former protestant denominations, evangelicals, are helping to do the same. Claiming the law and the culture of the Lord is for Jews only. They slander and use scare tactics for anyone who keeps the original law as Christians. They don’t mind, however, those who keep the law with the changed sabbath commandment (Sunday instead of Sabbath). They only mind those who keep the original sabbath, which strangely shows anger towards the fourth commandment and not the others. 

Although the Jewish nation wanted to be free from Rome and saw them as an enemy, they were also willing to form an alliance with the Roman emperor if it meant they would get help to rid themselves of Christ and His followers. The Jewish council charged Christ with attacking their traditions and temple, and they asked the Roman governor to help them. Likewise, the Jewish leadership instigated the arrest of Peter, Paul, and many other followers of Christ. Stephen was the first they killed using their hands, the governor being away at the time. They got James killed. (Act_12:2-3)  They would rather see pagans live in peace than their Jewish brethren who believed in Christ: “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren” (Act 14:2). The greatest Jewish provocation was Christ as the Jewish Messiah. 

Zealously, they traveled between cities to stop the preaching of the gospel even in pagan lands. “And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead” (Act 14:19).
Originally, the Jewish believers continued to go to the synagogue, but they were driven out of them. The Jews realized that if they blasphemed Christ, they could drive the followers out of the synagogue:

“But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming” (Act_13:45).
Jesus said: “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.  And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me” (Joh 16:1-3). 

One of the offenses they wanted to kill Paul for was that he: “brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.” (Acts.21:25)

Although the Jewish persecution is well-known through the Bible, less is known of their tactics following this.

The great failing of the Jewish nation at the time of Christ, and still is, is the idea that they are a superior race to other races. Although Adolph Hitler and his party are criticized for the idea of the Arian race as superior, few realize that these ideas flourish among Jewish cultures as well. The idea is that they are more intelligent and more developed, and some even think they have a soul and gentiles do not. Although not the sentiment of all Jews, this faulty view has made them approach the truth gifted to them and turn it into a lie. They were called to be a kingdom of priests for all the world, they were called to represent God to the pagans, to bring them into obedience to God. To convert them from paganism and following demons, to be part of God’s family. Instead, they conserved what they had received and thought it was given to them because of their superiority and race, and it was a privilege for them only. So they felt jealous of the idea of Gentiles taking part in the culture entrusted to them.
“But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd” (Acts.17:5).
“I say then: Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid! But rather, through their fall salvation has come unto the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy” (Rom.11:11)
To this very day, they battle the idea that God wants all men to keep his law, and fight it. The concept of Noahide Laws are one of these attempts to prevent pagans from converting to God’s culture and becoming one with Israel. It claims the sabbath is for Jews only, and thus the Jews also fight against Christians keeping the fourth commandment. They too have little issues with Christians keeping the other nine, mostly it is the sabbath and the feasts they they take offense at if Christians keep just like the Catholic church and evangelicals today.

As Christians gained power in Rome and even Rome had Christian leadership, they wanted to unify the religious diversity in the empire to keep it strong and under control. They came up with an ecumenical Christianity where the costumes of the pagan religion intervened in the Christian observance to make it acceptable to both. This was the great Christian apostasy. 

The great falling away of the church is firstly a responsibility that will be placed upon the Jewish leadership as well as the later Christian leadership. It was the Jews who scattered the gospel from the laws and the prophets, but it was the Christian leaders who allowed their hearts to be pulled back to the pagan customs.

Paul explains that the coming of “the man of sin” is after “a falling away” (2.Thess.2:3)

After years of severe discrimination and persecution from both Jews and Romans, the Christian church started to become liberal and more “like the world” in practice. The “world” at that time was Roman religious, social, moral, and cultural practice. The more they sympathized with the Romans, the more power was given to the Christians. Until the “falling away” led to the placing of a Roman pope to control the church.

The Jewish hatred against the Christians remained, and a competition started between the two to establish a Judaism free of Jesus and a Christianity free of “Judaism”.

The result is seen among other places in the ancient city of Laodicea, where a church meeting condemned anyone taking part in Jewish feasts and the biblical sabbath. In an attempt to establish church laws instead of the biblical culture, severe penalties and even being cast out of the church were the punishment for anyone trying to “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” together.

“Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather honoring the Lord’s Day, and, if they can, rest then as Christians. But if any shall be found to be Judaizers, let them be anathema from Christ.” (Canon 29 from the Council of Ladiocea in the year 363–364)
“Not allowed to feast together with Jews or partake in anything tied to the feasts of the Jews. Not allowed to partake in the Biblical passover” (Canon 37 from the same Council)

The Jewish people were happy about this as well, not welcoming Christ’s followers to keep their God-given culture. This left those who were faithful to the original gospel and law without a “people” and without the rights the others enjoyed. No governmental protection, as they were constantly considered to be “outcasts” and no religious body’s child.

This apostasy on both ends helped Satan succeed in “casting down the truth to the ground” (Dan.8:12).

The dragon, Satan, seen in Revelation 12 persecuting those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, “stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born” (Rev.12:4)  In both cases, the rejection and death of Christ and the persecution of His followers were the result of the Jewish and roman leadership being allied together doing the dragons bidding. The first who tried to kill baby Jesus was Herod, who was raised a Jew yet appointed by Rome. When Jesus was handed over to be crucified, it was the Jewish leadership asking Rome to end his life. All the first persecutions against the Christians were instigated by the Jewish leadership, asking Rome to deal with the situation on their behalf. 
The dragon, therefore, worked through both the Jewish leadership and Rome to fulfill Revelation 12.

So it has been since Christ came, and until Christ will come again. When we see the “dragon” appear once again in Revelation 16 right before Christ’s second coming, this coalition might take place again. 

The Jewish leadership, and the apostate Christian leadership, have followed step by step the same behavior patterns. Now evangelicals and protestants have too followed that path.

We are going to look at three harlots and a harlot’s daughter. In the Bible, the two first harlots were Israel (northern kingdom) and Judah (Southern kingdom). The use of the word is in connection with them making covenants with pagans and taking part in their customs and seeking their protection. In the New Testament, there is a new harlot, this time “Christian” and she has daughters that have come out from her who continue in her path which are the protestants who never reformed all the way back to God’s way and instead did the sins of her mother, becoming a harlot too. 
The northern kingdom of Israel was the first “to sell out” and be unfaithful to God, mirroring the later Catholic church doing the same with the Roman empire and changing God’s law and culture for influence and protection. The fourth is similar to Judah who sold out later, who tried to reform but ended up doing as Israel had done. Let us compare the four.

The Christian walk is very comparable with both the time and chances given to Judah. Yet, they both seem delusional and do not understand when they have been left desolate, or they do not wish to accept it. When Christ warns His church about the last desolation if they do not repent, He describes it as to “spue thee out of my mouth.” The last church seems not to realize their danger and thinks of themselves as still being spiritually rich, and having Christ, although Christ is departing from them. Only those Christians who realize their condition and seek the remedy will be saved when Christ comes.

Abraham was called out of his homeland in UR and until the close of probation for the Jewish nation was approximately 2000 years. During this time, God renewed his covenant with them several times and there were several reformations. God’s temple was erected as a sanctuary on the move, then as the temple.
Within these 2000 years, it involved living as a stranger in another’s land, being subdued under Egypt, wandering in the wilderness, having judges, and kings, dividing into two nations, being taken captive, and the land left desolate for 70 years, and then the final probation.

Likewise, the Christian church has been given approximately 2000 years as well.

They, too, have lived with their homeland occupied, fed by God “in the wilderness”, struggled with their own Balaam and Jezebel challenges, their own pagan “kings” and so on (Rev.2:14.20; Rev.12:6, Rev.18:4)  The reform from apostate Christian popery and its doctrines has lasted approximately 490 years.

God is fair, but history has repeated itself and the Christian church has repeated all the biblical Israel’s mistakes with similar outcomes. God will not permit this another 2000 years with a third group. There is no third covenant. It is God’s people before Christ and God’s people after Christ. God’s point has been proven that His kingdom cannot exist on a rebellious planet. Every time, the “bad seed” first pretends to follow God and then ends up taking control over the truth-bearers. In our world, religious narcissists win. They can use dirty tactics, lie, be hypocritical, manipulate, and use force to get what they want. While the one trying to keep God’s principles has to be true to God’s principles.  This leads to the dark side of humanity achieving positions where they can suppress those better than them every time.

The Jews, the apostate Christian church, and “her daughters” as they have been left “desolate” for failing to choose God’s reign, have become tools in the hand of the dragon in his war against God. Although God has always had a remnant to represent Him, this remnant is outnumbered and their power is “scattered”. As the angel told Daniel: “When he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished” (Dan.12:7) That is how things will be when Christ comes back. The power that is said to be scattered here possibly should be translated into influence. God’s people were not meant to rule over others, but they were meant to be an influence for good by their words and deeds.

But their influence has been ruined by “the beasts” and “the false prophet” working against God.

This means that in the end time, the greatest Christian influencers are the apostate believers who claim to represent God but who are “desolate” (without God). 

With the powers seen gathering the nations against God in Revelation, we see the resurfacing of the dragon who previously used pagan states together with desolate Israel to fight God’s people, we see the dragon give power to the desolate Catholic Church as “the beast” and then to desolate protestant and evangelical churches as “the false prophet”. God is not in their “house” and their house is now filled with every “unclean and hated bird” (Rev.18:2, Luk.11:24-26). Trying to take by force what God has not given to them.

Just like Satan once did in heaven, when he saw he could not have his way, he made war against “Michael and his angels” to take the kingdom by force. He would have been a part of the kingdom if he had chosen to follow God’s directions, but instead of entering the gates of God’s kingdom by mercy and obedience, Satan decided to do it by violence. (Rev.12:7) He lost, and now he is here on earth taking housing in the houses left desolate because of their disobedience and false representation.
The great final battle is situated around those claiming to be God’s people, but are now enemies of God, deceiving the world in God’s name.

Noaittic laws for Christians:

Similar to the Pope, rabbis have claimed to be in the position to tell Christians what laws they can and should not keep. Surprisingly, they harmonize with Rome, where Christians are told not to keep the Sabbath. Here are the laws Jewish leadership tells Christians to keep instead:

Not to worship idols.[23] (1 & 2. commandment)

1. Not to curse God. (3^rd commandment)
2. Not to commit murder.[24] (sixth commandment)
3. Not to commit adultery or sexual immorality.[25] (seventh commandment)
4. Not to steal.[26] (the 8th commandment)
5. Not to eat flesh torn from a living animal.[27] (One of several dietary laws)
6. To establish courts of justice.[28] Of the ten commandments, 4, 5, 9 & 10 are missing making their change of the law even greater than that of the Pope, who only changed the fourth, removed the second, and divided the tenth.
   
   Both conflict with God’s word which claims all foreigners can come and keep the Sabbath and the gatherings (Isa.56:6-8). That all nations shall be instructed in His law (Isa 2:2-3, Mika 4:2, Rev.14:6-7.12, Rev.12:17, Mat 28:20)