Anchor 2016 Class 2

Church and State in Revelation 13

Anchor 2016 Class 2

The following transcript comprises  the first few minutes of this Anchor 2016 Class 2 presentation by Pastor Stephen Bohr. I welcome you to this page and pray that you might find the videos in this series as enlightening and informative as I have found them.

Please take the time to watch this series and also to secure a copy of the study notes as they will help complete the course structure.

The study notes can be obtained at Secrets unsealed by clicking the following link. ‘Secrets Unsealed’

Pastor Stephen Bohr

Now we are going to go to page 9 in our syllabus ‘Lessons From the Jewish harlot of Christ’s Day’ and I’m going to be adding some material to this particular presentation.

I hope that this will illustrate the dangers of joining the iron with the clay, the danger of the church becoming a harlot by aligning itself with the political powers, with the secular powers of the world.

 

I’m going to begin by reading three statements from Ellen White that are not in your syllabus, so you might want to

write down the reference; the first is ‘Great Controversy page 382’, very short statement but very meaningful:

 

“It was by departure from the Lord, an alliance with the heathen, that the Jewish church became a harlot;…”
Anchor 2016 Class 2

How did the Jewish church become a harlot? By departing from the Lord; that’s #1; by departing from the Lord, and then what? By alliance with the heathen she became a harlot, and then she says this.

And Rome, (speaking about papal Rome) “… and Rome, corrupting herself in like manner by seeking the support of worldly powers, (When Ellen White uses the expression ‘Worldly Powers she’s referring to the secular powers of the State) receives a like condemnation.”

 

So how did the Jewish Church become a harlot? By linking up with the pagan nations. And she says Rome; same thing, by linking up with the worldly powers, with the secular powers also became a harlot.

Anchor 2016 Class 2

 

The second statement is in ‘Great Controversy page 568’; you might want to add that to your syllabus. This is amazing, if you really want to do a study which will be very productive, is compare the Jewish Church of Christ’s day with the Roman Catholic Papacy.

 

Anchor 2016 Class 2It’s amazing; have you ever noticed that the papacy uses all of these vestments, and alters, and they light candles, and you know it’s just like transitioning from literal Israel to the Roman Catholic Church. All these

Ceremonies, and you know the censer, and all these things, you know it’s like the Jewish religion continued in Roman Catholicism, this is what she says.

 

“There is a striking similarity between the Church of Rome and the Jewish Church at the time of Christ’s first Advent.”

 

What was she comparing? The Jewish Church with the Papacy, she continues saying.

 

“While the Jews secretly trampled upon every principle of the law of God, they were outwardly rigorous in the observance of its precepts, loading it down with exactions and traditions that made obedience painful and burdensome.”

 

Does the Roman Catholic Church add all kinds of traditions and Maxim’s to the Scriptures? Absolutely; then she continues saying.

Anchor 2016 Class 2

“As the Jews professed to revere the law, so do Romanists claim to reverence the cross. They exalt the symbol of Christ’s sufferings, while in their lives they deny Him whom it represents.”

 

The third statement is in ‘Great Controversy page 443’, where once again we’re dealing with the iron in the clay, that’s the central theme of every lecture that we’re going to deal with in this class, the dangers of joining church and state.

 

“Whenever the church has obtained secular power, she has employed it to punish dissent from her doctrines. Protestant churches that have followed in the steps of Rome by forming alliance with worldly powers have manifested a similar desire to restrict liberty of conscience…”

 

And then she gives an example.

 

“The Church of England gives an example of this in the long continued persecution of dissenters during the 16th and 17th centuries, thousands of nonconformist ministers were forced to flee from their churches, and many, both of pastors and people were subjected to fine, imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom. (here comes the key portion) It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy– the beast.”

 

Isn’t that a significant statement? Last part again:

 

“It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy– the Beast.”

 

Now we want to ask the question; how did Jesus understand this issue of the relationship between the church and the state? If we know how Jesus believed on this particular issue, then we’re going to know what God’s plan is in the end time.