REVELATION ITS GRAND CLIMAX AT HAND!/Chapter Six - The Great Apostasy -Continue

 How the congregation in 96 C.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 the 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 and 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. 

Jesus' words to the seven congregations were completely ignored by the apostatizing  Christians.  Jesus had warned the Ephesians to regain the love they had at first.  (Revelation 2:4) Nevertheless, members of the Christendom no longer  being  united in love for Jehovah, fought vicious wars and persecuted one another horribly.  (1 John 4:20)  Jesus had warned  the congregation in Pergamum against sectarianism. Yet, sects appeared even in the second century, and today, Christendom has thousands of squabbling sects and religions. - REVELATION 2:15.

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