During the reign of Constantine, the ‘church’ and Christianity was brought into the Roman empire. As highlighted in the letter to Pergamum, the ‘church’ of Christ had now been married to the State. But the Bride of Christ is espoused to one husband, that is Jesus himself!
Coming out of the demise of the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire emerged as a new force. In a period of over 1200 years, the regime under the authority and the ‘Papa’ – pillaged, stole land and property and killed mercilessly anyone or anything that stood in its path. As mentioned in the letter to Thyatira, Jesus says in Revelation 2:20, “But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants.” Jesus has a clear issue with Jezebel and the influence that she has over this church.
We see the character of Jezebel in the Old Testament as one who kills the prophets of God, she kills people who know the Word of God like Naboth, but then twisting the Word of God herself she then murders, confiscate property and acquires it into her kingdom. She lavishly provides for her false priests and is obsessed with outward appearances. Using her power of seduction, she is the image of a counterfeit bride. Whereas Jesus bride is a ‘pure bride’ for Christ, the ‘anti-christ’ will have a counterfeit bride that will deceive and continue to cause deception. In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus illustrates His kingdom, the church like a ‘woman, who hid three leaven into the dough, causing the whole dough to be leavened’.
The enemy has indeed put ‘leaven’ into this ‘church’ – the counterfeit with false idolatry of a self-appointed Head of the Church – the papa, false idol worship namely in the shape of a woman and child, that is the spirit of Nimrod and his wife Semiramis and son Tammuz, (Semiramis the previous name for Thyatira by the way!), and the third a deception as grand as the others. Deceiving millions and nearing a billion that they are worshipping God but in fact worshipping the ‘anti-christ’.
The true bride of Christ will have trouble in this world, but we do not fear, as Jesus says in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus will judge this ‘counterfeit church’ and in the end the ‘blood’ that was poured out by the prophets of old, the true Christians who stood up against this papacy regime and those since will be avenged! In Revelation 18:24 it says in summary of the great judgement upon the ‘woman’ on the beast – And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all who have been slain on earth.”
Jesus’ Bride, His true Church will be mightily attacked by satan, “but the gates of hell will not prevail.” (Matt 16: 18)
