ISRAEL JOINS WITH PAGANISM

The Joining of Israel with Paganism

 

Apparently the guilt of Balaam lay in the fact that he counseled relations, close and intimate with the pagans, which meant ultimately the pollution of Israel.

This is also the very thing that was practiced in the Pergamos church and later during the Pergamean period. It led to the loss of clear lines of demarcation.

The Practicing of Fornication with Pagans

The breaking down of lines of distinction led to unholy relations. The people joined with Moab in the worship of pagan deities and actual fornication as a part of the worship. This was the stumbling block.

Quite evidently this resulted in a plague that wiped out thousands of the Israelites. The plague was probably venereal disease.

Through the medium of God-given passion, the Israelites were led into idolatry, apostacy, and judgment. This is the subtle way the devil uses to destroy the church from within. This will always act as a stumbling block. It leads in but one direction (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3-4).
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;" "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

There are Some in it Who Hold the Doctrine of the Nicolaitanes

"So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."

This is the desire for personal power over the people. The deeds of the Nicolaitanes of the Ephesian church have now developed into a doctrine (2:6 and 15). What was true in this local congregation became the atmosphere and order of the day during the period between 300-500. The whole Roman Catholic hierarchy was developed during that period and persists to this very day.

This was hated by the Ephesian church but was accept­ed by the Pergamos church. But God's attitude did not change. He still continues to hate it. What was only here and there accepted during the first three hundred years of the church is finally accepted from 300 A.D. on until the time of the reformation.

After these 400 years it is now becoming the order in Protestantism also.

"So hast thou also." Note carefully the words "so" and "also." This means "in the same manner also." This means that there is a relationship between the doctrine of Balaam and the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.

Both doctrines are designed to satisfy personal selfishness. One seeks after material gain. The other seeks after official power. Both seek to gain their ends by a very subtle method. Each works through the lusts of the flesh in people. Balaam did this to get material reward. The Nicolaitanes did this in order to get official power. Both groups lead the people into sinfulness of the flesh, into libertine practices of the grossest kind. They do this by associating the practices with religion and getting the approval of religion.

Both finally lead the people into apostasy, from the faith into idolatry, away from the true God, out into darkness.