In the first part of this series, we discussed the time of the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, and the birth of the New Testament Church in 31 AD.
In the second part, we discussed events and developments in the New Testament Church and concluded with the first imprisonment of Paul in Rome, which ended in 62 AD.
To continue with the chronology of events, in 62 AD, James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, was killed during a brief period when there was no governor in Jerusalem. The high priest was subsequently deposed. James was condemned to death by the Sanhedrin. He was thrown from a high pinnacle of the Temple, but did not die from the fall, and was then stoned and beaten to death with a club.
In 63 AD, after his release, Paul wrote 1 Timothy and Titus. Around that time, Luke wrote the book of Acts, which ends with the imprisonment of Paul in Rome for two years.
In 64 AD, while Peter was still living in Babylon (1 Peter 5:13), Rome was set on fire by mad Emperor Nero, who blamed Christians for this crime.
Peter died around 67 AD or 68 AD, after having written his second letter (2 Peter 1:14). There is no evidence that he was ever in Rome.
In 65-67 AD, Paul was arrested again. While in prison, he wrote his second letter to Timothy. Paul was killed in Rome in or about 68 AD.
In 69 AD, Jerusalem was besieged by Roman armies; the Church fled to the city of Pella.
In 70 AD, Titus marched into Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, which had been built by Zerubbabel and restored and beautified by Herod the Great. Polycarp (see below) was born around 69/70 AD. It is unclear when his parents converted to Christianity; Polycarp himself was converted as a young man.
Around 70 AD, the heresy of Gnosticism had emerged, which claimed that Christ was not born of a virgin; that he was not truly God; and that He was not the Messiah.
In the book of Revelation, seven local church congregations are described, which also symbolize seven Church eras.
The first era is identified as the Ephesian era (Revelation 2:1-7). That era began under the apostles Paul and John and describes the Nazarenes. The Bible confirms that the first Christians were referred to as “the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5), since Jesus was called “the Nazarene.” Secular records tell us that the Nazarenes observed the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, did not eat unclean food, and practiced the “ceremonies of Moses.” In other words, they followed both the Old and New Testaments. Historians tell us that the Nazarenes and the Ebionites escaped the Roman destruction of Jerusalem by fleeing to the city of Pella in 69 AD. The Ebionites were not part of the Church of God, but they had joined converted brethren.
The Nazarenes are still mentioned in late records from the 5th century. It was they who preserved the Book of Matthew.
The Church members in Ephesus had grown weary, had lost their first love for Christ and His Truth, and no longer showed any zeal in resisting error (compare Revelation 2:4-5: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place–unless you repent”).
According to some commentators, the fact that this could happen at all is partly attributable to the constant persecution by the Romans under Emperor Domitian (whose statue was found in Ephesus, and who referred to himself as “God”).
In 90 AD, John wrote his letters to refute the false teachings of Gnosticism. Around 90 AD, during a persecution against all who called themselves Christians, he was arrested and banished to the island of Patmos where he wrote the Book of Revelation. He had previously taught Polycarp of Smyrna.
In 100 AD, after his imprisonment, John continued to teach Polycarp, who was now perhaps 30 years old. John died, approximately 100 years old.
The first era of Ephesus has disappeared—its lampstand has been removed—and no remnants can be found today.
The second era of the Church of Smyrna (Revelation 2:8-11) began with Polycarp around 100 AD. He became the head of the congregation in Smyrna.
For the next 50 years, Polycarp defended the Truth and opposed false doctrines in the Church. One false teacher, Marcion, claimed there was no resurrection of the dead. Polycarp described him as the firstborn of Satan. Polycarp ministered in the East, where the Truth about Passover and the Sabbath had been preserved. In the West, the Sabbath had been replaced with Sunday and Passover with Easter. The laws concerning clean and unclean animals had also been rejected. (Everything “Jewish” was to be eradicated.)
In 155 AD, a debate took place between Polycarp and Irenaeus regarding the Passover question—when and how to observe Passover—, but there was no resolution. The influence of the Church in the East steadily declined, while the influence in the West steadily increased.
In 156 AD, Polycarp was arrested during a major persecution by the Romans. His arrest took place during the Passover season, on the “Great Sabbath.” He refused to worship Caesar as a god and to curse Christ. He said: “I have served Him for eighty-six years, and He has never done me any wrong. How then could I blaspheme my King who saved me? Hear my confession: I am a Christian.” He was tied to a stake to be burned, but the flames did not harm him. He was then pierced with a dagger and died.
The Church of Smyrna was to endure persecution for ten days (Revelation 2:10). This persecution took place under Diocletian and Galerius from 303 to 313 AD. In Rome, it lasted only three years, but in the eastern Roman Empire, it lasted ten years. After this, in about 325 AD, the Church fled into the wilderness for 1,260 prophetic “days” or actual years (Revelation 12:6).
In 325 AD, Constantine banished all non-Christian churches from the empire, forbade the Passover, and in 365 AD, he forbade the Sabbath. Constantine declared himself a Christian and Christianity the state religion. Christian leaders were invited to witness mass baptisms of entire regiments of soldiers in Constantine’s army. Later, when nearly 400 bishops met, Constantine was carried in on a golden throne, and he presided over the council as the recognized head of the church.
The Church of Smyrna was confronted with the “synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9)—those who claimed to be “Christians” but were in reality those who followed the doctrines of Satan. This false Christianity, which already began at the time of Paul, has “conquered” the world ever since, as pictured by the first (white) horseman of the Apocalypse.
Christ has nothing bad to say about the Church of Smyrna. But He encouraged them to remain faithful until death, and undoubtedly, some would not heed that warning. We do not know of any remnants of the Church of Smyrna today.
In 650, the third era—the Pergamos era—began (Revelation 2:12-17). Christians were described as Paulicians (followers of the “unfortunate little Paul”). A key leader was Constantine of Mananalis. Originally, the Paulicians believed what the Nazarenes and Polycarp believed. Secular records tell us that they observed the Sabbath and the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, that they preached the Kingdom of God, and that they practiced baptism by immersion. Apparently, more than 100,000 Paulicians died as martyrs, as one author put it, “by hanging, fire, and sword.”
We are also told that some in Pergamos had begun to embrace pagan doctrines (Revelation 2:14-15). Later, and likely due to persecution, many abandoned the true faith and turned to violence. They became known as a militant sect; their preachers also served as generals.
Christ had warned in Matthew 26:52 that all who take the sword will perish by the sword. He repeated His warning later in Revelation 13:10. He warned the Church in Pergamos to repent “or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth” (Revelation 2:16). Apparently, His warning was not heeded. We do not know of any existent remnants of the Church of Pergamos today.
Around 1104, Peter of Bruys (Peter Waldo) established the fourth era—the Thyatira era (Revelation 2:18-29). In the 12th century, the Waldensians were present in approximately 22 European countries. In 1309, they appeared in the Netherlands, and a few years later, the Waldensian leaders Walter Lollard and his brother Raymond preached the Gospel in Great Britain. In 1315, records indicate 80,000 Waldensians in Bohemia. By 1539, their membership in Europe had grown to 800,000.
In Hungary, the Church observed the Sabbath and the annual Feast Days at the end of the 16th century. Waldensians had fled to Hungary between 1585 and 1623, as well as to Bulgaria and Russia.
The Waldensians observed the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, and they rejected pagan customs such as Easter, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and the veneration of the cross. They considered themselves the successors of the apostles. Luther wrote about the Waldensians that he had found something among them that was not present in the papal church, namely, that they set aside the doctrines of men while meditating on the law of God day and night, and that they were experts in the knowledge of the Scriptures.
Luther also stated that the Waldenses had the better arguments for keeping the Sabbath, but in order to avoid unnecessary uproar and disturbance, he recommended continuing to keep Sunday.
Originally, they called themselves “the Church of God.” Their official emblem showed seven stars (representing the seven churches in the Book of Revelation), and a candle light pointed at them as the fourth star–the fourth era. Officially, the Waldensian era came to an end in Europe in 1686. Only in England were there still descendants of the Waldensians. Descendants who keep God’s commandments will still exist at Christ’s return (Revelation 2:24-25), but probably not under the designation of “Waldenses” who have, as an organization, completely rejected God’s laws and even deny that the original Waldenses ever kept the Sabbath. Instead, they are thoroughly involved with paganism, falsely labeled as “Christian” (Revelation 2:20-21). In that regard, Christ warns them that they may have to suffer during the Great Tribulation (Revelation 2:22).
When the Waldenses of the fourth era were persecuted, many turned to violence—like the Paulicians—and began to forget the Truth and adopted false doctrines to save their lives (Revelation 2:20-23).
The year 1585 marked the end of the 1260 prophetic days or years of the Church in the wilderness (compare again Revelation 12:6).
The fifth era (Revelation 3:1-6)—the Sardis era—began around 1585 in England. Sabbath observance was reintroduced during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603). A famous leader was Stephen Mumford, who founded the Church of God in the United States in 1664 in Newport, Rhode Island. In the mid-19th century, true Christians became part of an Adventist movement, but separated from the Adventists in 1860/1861, due to doctrinal disagreements and false visions by Ellen J. White, and began publishing a variety of magazines and pamphlets, including “The Remnant of Israel,” “The Sabbath Advocate,” and “The Bible Advocate.” Preachers were sent from Missouri, Oklahoma, and Oregon to Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and the Philippines, and congregations in these countries began observing the Sabbath and the Holy Days.
Originally, the Baptists in America, under their leader Roger Williams, also observed the Sabbath in 1693. They called themselves “the Church of God.” According to reports from 1729, they also observed the Passover only once a year, taught the law of tithing, rejected Christmas and the Trinity, believed in the Ten Commandments, practiced water baptism, ordained elders by the laying on of hands, and anointed the sick with oil. In 1846, an article appeared with the title, “The Sabbath Controversy.” In 1864, another article appeared with the title: “The Resurrection Was Not on a Sunday.”
Remnants of the Sardis era, who keep the commandments of God, will still exist when Christ returns (Revelation 3:3). However, as an organization, Christ said that “you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1), and that He did not find their works to be perfect before God (verse 2).
In addressing individual members, Christ tells them to hold fast, repent and watch. Otherwise, “if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (verse 3), clearly referring to the time of the Great Tribulation and His Second Coming.
On the other hand, Christ said that “You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (verse 4).
The sixth era (Revelation 3:7-13)—the Philadelphia era—began with Herbert Armstrong in 1933. Mr. Armstrong had come into contact with the Sardis era (Church of God Seventh Day) in 1927 and was ordained as a minister in 1931. However, the Sardis era had lost much of the Truth. They still observed the Sabbath, but no longer the annual Holy Days. They no longer understood the gospel of Jesus Christ and called it the message of the third angel. They knew nothing of the prophecies concerning America and Great Britain and rejected them when they were revealed to them by God through Mr. Armstrong. Yet, these and many other truths were to be restored in God’s Church before the return of Christ (Matthew 17:11).
In 1934, the Truth was preached from a radio station in Oregon, and in 1953, radio programs began to be broadcast in Europe. The Church of God became known as the Radio Church of God and later as the Worldwide Church of God, with its educational institutions, Ambassador College and Ambassador Foundation, headquartered in Pasadena, California.
Shortly before his death in 1986, Mr. Armstrong, in a prayer in the presence of the Council of Elders, wondered whether he was passing the baton to the Laodicean era. The apostasy that followed has amply answered this question with a resounding “yes.” Since Christ promised the members of the Philadelphia Church protection from the impending events of the “great tribulation” (Revelation 3:10, Living Bible), remnants of this Philadelphia era must still exist and be active at the time of Christ’s return (compare Revelation 3:8; Matthew 24:45-47).
In fact, we read that the remnant of the Philadelphia Church will not have “gone through” even “the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes” (Matthew 10:23), let alone the cities of other nations. But it will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and the warning message of impending disaster and the coming of the Great Tribulation to all nations as a witness, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). However, most will not hear and repent; they will reject the message and persecute those who bring it. They may call themselves Christians, but being totally diluted and deceived, they will not recognize the Truth, “seeking” God but not finding Him. For them, there will be “a famine of the Word” (Amos 8:11-12; compare Matthew 13:14-15).
The final era (Revelation 3:14-22) —the Laodicean era—began after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, who died 40 years ago, on January 16, 1986. It will continue until Christ’s return. Eerdmans’ Handbook to the Bible, on page 650, states: “Of all seven churches, the worst case is a church so self-satisfied that it is completely blind to its true condition. Jesus stands outside, knocking at each individual’s door, asking for entry into the lives of those who call themselves Christians.”
We live today in the Laodicean era, but we had better not be Laodiceans. While those remnants of the Philadelphia era will be protected during the Great Tribulation at a place of safety (Revelation 12:14; 3:10), those with the Laodicean spirit will not be (Revelation 12:17). But even to them, Christ says in Revelation 3:19-20: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
They will have to go through the Great Tribulation, but they can be saved, after repentance, to be able to inherit eternal life when Christ returns.
Laodiceans can be found in all of the many Church of God groups, and the Laodicean era is not limited to just one organization. It is of course true that in some organizations, there can be found many more Laodiceans than in others. Still, the important thing to remember is that as individual Christians, we must strive to be filled with the Philadelphia spirit and to be involved in the commission which God has given His end-time Church to do.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link