The Jerusalem Ecclesia – Part three

“The history of Christianity in the Holy Land during the first centuries is still somewhat obscure. It seems that the Christian inhabitants were but a minority, and religious controversy frequently disunited them…The Holy Land had its share of Christian martyrs, who declined to make obeisance to a heathenism that demanded sacrifices to the Roman gods. Persecution was most outrageous in the reigns of the Emperors Diocletian and Galerius. Eusebius has left us a grimly exact chronicle of the bloody events” (A History of the Christian Presence in the Holy Land, Saul P. Colbi).

Jerusalem before A.D. 135

We have knowledge of the early ecclesia at Jerusalem from the Acts of the Apostles. It continued for some time after the Acts to be a faithful community of believers. Included in its membership was the family of the Lord Jesus; his brother James was a leader of the flock until his death in about A.D. 62. In A.D. 70, when the Roman armies appeared, the disciples remembered the warning of their Master, and fled to Pella. After the destruction of the city some of them returned, and the Jerusalem ecclesia resumed its meetings. The ecclesia then continued and maintained its largely Jewish character until A.D. 135. It was at that time that the Jews, led by Bar­Kochba, lost their last revolt against the Romans and conditions in Jerusalem were greatly altered.

Aelia Capitolina

“…The whole nation from that time were totally prohibited, by the decree and commands of Hadrian, from even entering the country about Jerusalem, so that they could not behold (the city) of their fathers, even at a distance. The city of the Jews being thus reduced to a state of abandonment for them, and totally stripped of its ancient inhabitants, and also inhabited by strangers; the Roman city which subsequently arose, changing its name, was called Aelia, in honour of the emperor Aelius Hadrian; and when the church was collected there of the Gentiles, the first bishop after those of the circumcision was Marcus” (Eusebius: Ecclesiastical History, Book IV, ch. vi). Revelation 6:2 alludes to this general period in the words, “he that sat on him (the white horse) had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”

After putting down that final Jewish rebellion, the Romans decreed that no Jews would be allowed to live in Jerusa­lem, and they specifically included Hebrew Christians in that edict. Sources confirm that the bishops of Jerusalem were Jewish Christians until 135. As Eusebius indicates, the church from that time on was entirely Gentile. It would be some years before any Jewish presence would be allowed in Jerusalem.

We have no way of knowing how long the Jerusalem ecclesia remained faithful to its apostolic foundations. A note from Hegesippus relates that the unity of the church at Jerusalem was disturbed early in the second century. Up to that point, he comments, “they called the church as yet a virgin, for it was not yet corrupted by vain discourses.” He then lists the names of a number of schismatics who sowed tares in the early church. By the end of the second century, it is evident that Jerusa­lem followed the course of the other churches in the Empire. It became apostate.

What we cannot know is whether, in the case of Jerusalem or other churches, faithful remnants separated themselves and continued for some time as true ecclesias. We believe this did sometimes occur. Unfortunately, if any records were kept by these minority groups, they have not survived. Neither the mainstream church nor the Roman authorities would have taken much note of these small dissident communities.

Christianity in the Holy Land

Having followed the development of church teaching through its third century spokesmen, we are aware that it was losing touch with the Truth. There were exceptions. Several times Eusebius records contacts with remote groups of believers who still cherished the original hope. (In one instance, these believers held to the view that the deceased righteous are unconscious until resurrection. In another, the coming millennial reign of Christ on earth was being taught.) Eusebius reports with some satisfaction that the church leaders were usually able to bring these people into the mainstream of current teaching (Ibid, VI, xxxvii; VII, xxiv). Thus under the new “guardians” of mainstream Christianity, gospel truth was being eradicated wherever it was found.

The third century church

After A.D. 135, Palestine was inhabited mostly by Greek and Roman colo­nists. There, as elsewhere in the Empire, the church experienced a phenomenal growth in the third century. This was followed by a period of intense persecution. “Who could describe those vast collections of men that flocked to the religion of Christ, and those multitudes crowding in…they erected spacious churches from the foundation in all the cities” (Ibid, VIII, i).

Eusebius makes a telling comment, confirming our suspicion that the church, though now flourishing, was spiritually impoverished. The persecution had begun, he writes, “with those brethren that were in the army.” The compromise that had allowed Christians to serve in the Roman military service had created a problem. The refusal of those in the army to sacrifice to idols aroused the authorities, and the severe measures taken against the soldiers were extended to include all Christians.

“We saw our houses of worship thrown down from their elevation, the sacred Scriptures committed to the flames in the midst of the markets” (Ibid. VIII, ii). The Roman authorities vented their wrath against all who would not sacrifice to their gods. Many men and women suffered martyrdom before the end of this bloody period.

In the words of the Apocalypse, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse…And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger…” (Rev. 6:8 the 4th seal).

Peace without righteousness

The persecutors eventually tired of their excesses, and the blood-letting came to an end. Then the new emperor, Constantine, came to power, and the fortunes of Christianity were greatly altered. For Palestine and Jerusalem the change was dramatic. Eusebius welcomes the new age almost as if it were the millennium. “Moreover, those who held the supreme power, confirmed the privileges granted us by the divine beneficence to a still wider and greater extent by their constant decrees in favor of the Christians, and epistles of the emperor were issued, addressed to the bishops, with honors and super added donations of monies” (Ibid, X, ii).

This great change is described in Revelation 6:12-17 and all of chapter 12. The words of Eusebius are paralleled with, “And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down…” (Rev. 12:10).

Constantine and the later “Chris­tian” emperors lavished their attention upon Jerusalem and the Holy Land, erecting impressive church edifices and shrines. For several centuries in the Byzantine period Palestine was a “Christian” land. Gentiles, mostly Greek, found prosperity there, and it became a mecca for tourists. The coun­try was priest-ridden; it was filled with monasteries and “holy places.” While all this was simply part of the Gentile “downtrodden” period foretold by our Lord (Luke 21:24), it illustrated the spiritual darkness that had descended upon Christendom. Finally, in the seventh century the Arab conquest of the land diminished the “Christian” presence there. Except for a time during the Crusader period, the effects of Islam would prevail in the Land.

Revelation 9 describes the rise of Islam from the deserts of Arabia. They swept over the area riding horses and pulling a new weapon, cannons, behind them. “And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth…And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle…And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails…” (Rev. 9:3,7,10).

Palestine and the popes

From the time of Constantine the leaders of Christendom held it to be their right as Christians to control the Holy Land. During the closing years of the Empire, the Land was made the center of a morbid and superstitious interest. There was a great deal of merchandising of “relics” and souvenirs, supposed to be associated with Christ, his family and disciples.

The Muslim powers, who held the Holy Land from the seventh century, limited the access of Christians to their “holy places.” Beginning in 1095 the popes instigated the crusades with the object of “freeing” Palestine by force of arms. The crusades, though ill-conceived and bloody, were partially successful for a time; then the Land returned to Muslim rule. The conduct of the crusades illustrated the ignorance of Christendom with respect to the Land and the promises. Jews, as well as Muslims, were slaughtered in Jerusalem by the crusaders.

To this day, indications are that the papacy regards the Land as rightfully its own. The Vatican has not recognized the State of Israel, and it will one day reassert its claim to that Land.

Conclusion

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” The ecclesias in the Holy Land were not unlike those in Asia Minor. They would follow the same pattern: a drift away from the apostolic foundation, persecution (as the Lord endeavored through trial to bring them back to the Truth), followed by a temporary elevation. In the end these churches would suffer disintegration and extinction. In the entire area, Palestine, Asia Minor and North Africa, nominal Christianity would in time be largely replaced by Muslim domination.

Elsewhere in the Empire, apostate Christianity would continue to flourish, as the Apocalypse had prophesied.