The Great Apostasy

When John wrote Revelation, Christianity was upwards of 60 years old. At the outset, it had survived 40 years of constant opposition from Judaism. Then the Jewish system received a mortal blow i n70 C.E. when the unrepentant Jews lost their national identity and what was to them virtually an idol-the temple in Jerusalem

Nevertheless, the apostle Paul had foretold that there would be an apostasy among the anointed Christians, and Jesus' messages show that in John's old age this apostasy was already developing. John was the last of those who acted as a restraint on this all-out attempt by Satan to corrupt the seed of the woman. (2Thessalonians 2:3-12; 2 Peter 3:1-3; 2 John 7-11) So it was the appropriate time for Jehovah's Chief Shepherd to write to the elders in the congregations, warning of developing trends and encouraging right-hearted ones to stand firm for righteousness.

How the congregations in 96C.E. responded to Jesus' messages we do not know. But we do know that the apostasy developed rapidly after John's death. "Christians" ceased to use Jehovah's name and substituted "Lord" or "God" for it in Bible manuscripts. By the fourth century, the false doctrine of the Trinity had infiltrated the congregations. During this same period, the idea of an immortal soul was being adopted. Finally, Roman Emperor Constantine made "Christianity" the State religion, and this gave birth to Christendom, where church ans state joined forces in ruling for a thousand years. It was easy to become a new-style "Christian." Whole tribes adjusted their earlier pagan beliefs to versions of this religion. Many of the leaders in Christendom became oppressive political tyrants, enforcing their apostate views by the sword.

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