C. 9h,§89₁156
Boek Openbaring §8,9,11,15,16, Oordelen Uitgelegd: Bazuin en Schaal van Pergamus-Gemeentetijdperk (3)
Shalom!
1-2$1S: In 41 AD, emperor Claudius had expelled e.g. the Jewish believers from Rome. As a result, the local church in Rome had increasingly deviated from the truth and adopted all sorts of pagan practices. As for worldwide Christianity, the antichrist spirit had started to defile Western Europe in many ways (cf. Acts 18:2).
3-4$2S: From 312 to 1520, in the church ages of Pergamum and Thyatira, the antichrist spirit was embodied in the leading Roman Catholic chief bishops and popes, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication. It caused many religious persecutions, according to the secret of the second seal. This was the general state of affairs in many places.
Prayer of them who know, that our Christian civilization has not much time left (Dan. 12:4), Bert
3$s (also 6l§6(8)10): The revival of the Pergamean church age began in 312/313 AD. with the Edict of Nantes/Milan. Suddenly there was more religious freedom. However, churches/congregations as governed from Rome were not based on the full truth.
Locally, from that time on, all kinds of anti-Christian political leaders emerged, according to the black-horse seal secret.
3$3T: The last Pergamean revivals died out in 606, or shortly thereafter. Then the third trumpet was blown, Rev. 8:10-11, <Then the third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star burning like a torch fell from heaven and landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter like wormwood oil, and many people died from the bitter waters.>
It was God's judgment on believers who had not persevered in the spirit of revival.
¤ The streams and their sources, sweet fresh water, particularly represent God's Word (Eph. 5:26, 8c§89₁156).
In the same way, these spiritual streams and springs are part of God's land, with God's Word and promises as a basis (cf. 3c§12 and 4b§1317, Rev. 12:15-16).
¤ Jesus Christ had told the Samaritan woman that He could give her living water. It is a spring of water within a person, God’s word, which wants to spring up to eternal life (John 4:10-14; Rev. 22:17).
This water cleansed this sinful woman and turned into living water in her. But it was not yet a complete change. The baptism of the Holy Spirit had not yet occurred. The Holy Ghost had not yet been fully available.
3$: In the Pergamean revival similar processes had taken place. God’s Word had cleansed many believers. Sadly, they had heard only part of the Word. Many priests had preached an incomplete gospel. In a sense, it had been a gospel approved by the state. Therefore, the Lord Jesus had spoken to the messenger of Pergamum as the sharp two-edged Word of God (Heb. 4:12 and Rev. 2:12).
¤ The star messenger of the Pergamean church age, Martin, had been forever true to the Word of God. He fought organization. He withstood sin in high places. He championed the truth in word and deed. And he lived out a life full of Christian victory (6i§6(8)10, 1-7$).
¤ From the outside, the progress in this church age had been astonishing. With the sympathy of the emperor and the state, many and large groups gathered. But God knows which of the believers were fully surrendered and ready to receive the final Seal of the Holy Spirit, and who were not. Just as the star messenger had given an example to this (Eph. 4:30, 8c§89₁156).
At the end, a third of those waters ended up like into the salt sea water, like into multitudes of worldly people, without being born from above (cf. Rev. 17:15).
¤ God condemned these kinds of believers, because they had allowed the streams and springs of God's Word to become bitter and salty.
Because of bitterness and other iniquities, many believers fell away and died spiritually, cf. Heb. 12:15, <See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.>
¤
3B: An even heavier judgment awaited the so-called Christians, Rev. 16:4-7, <And the third {angel/messenger} poured out his bowl into the rivers and springs of water, and they turned to blood. 5. And I heard the angel/messenger of the waters say: “Righteous are You, O Holy One, who is and was, because You have brought these judgments. 6. For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.” 7. And I heard the altar reply: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just {are} Your judgments.”>
For these nominal Christians of the Pergamean church age, the streams and springs became utterly poisonous. In no way had they supported the revivals. On the contrary, they had participated in killing real saints and prophets, for which there is no forgiveness. Their future place is the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15).
¤ Outside of the revival had been Satan's throne (Rev. 2:13a).
Saints and prophets had fought amid the leaders of darkness. But in the name and faith of Jesus they had overcome (Rev. 2:13).