Evidence for Eras

Chapter VII

The Evidence of
The Old Covenant

Exhibit 7

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples:
and they are written for our admonition
 upon whom the ends of the world are come.
I Corinthians 10:11

          The New Covenant is an agreement between God and His Church. In like manner, the Old Covenant was an agreement made by the Eternal and the nation of Israel, known as God’s Church in the wilderness.
          The word church is taken from the Greek word “ekklēsia.” In its most basic sense, it simply means a “called out assembly.” Because Israel was the assembly that God called out of Egypt, they were God’s Church during the Old Covenant. This fact is pointed out by Luke as he writes:

This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the Mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us (Acts 7:37-38).

          The fact that ancient Israel was God’s Church follows the pattern of duality found in Scripture. In God’s plan, the Almighty consistently provides a physical representation that is a forerunner of a spiritual reality that is to come later. For example, there was an Old Covenant and a New Covenant. There was a first Adam and a second Adam—Christ. There was physical Israel and there is spiritual Israel—the Church. There was a physical Jerusalem and there is a spiritual New Jerusalem to come.
          Within this duality, the record of ancient Israel also reveals seven distinct physical eras. Remarkably, those historical periods were like a mirror foreshadowing the spiritual eras that would occur in the in the New Testament.

Seven Golden Lamps
          Like the seven lamp stands displayed in the book of Revelation, these seven Old Covenant eras, were also symbolized by a lamp stand. This unique structure was built for the temple and constructed exactly as God commanded Moses:

Thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side… and thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it. And the tongs thereof, and the snuff dishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels. And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount (Exodus 25:31-32, 37-40).

          This magnificent lamp was made from a divine blueprint, reflecting that which is in heaven (Heb. 8:5). After this design was given to Moses, it was constructed and placed in the holy place opposite the showbread. This beautiful piece of art was symbolic, foreshadowing the light that was to shine forth through Israel. Like the set of lamps described in the book of Revelation, each lamp represented one of seven eras that occurred during the history of the Old Covenant.        

Eyewitnesses to Moses and Joshua—Ephesus

          The first era of the Old Covenant took place during the time of Moses, Joshua, and the elders. The great patriarch Moses had prophesied that one day God would send a prophet like himself to Israel (Deut. 18:15). By this, God made a direct comparison of the era of Moses to that of Jesus. As an instrument used to redeem Israel from Egypt, Moses prefigured the Savior who would one day redeem spiritual Israel—the Church.
          Likewise, those who assisted and supported Moses also foreshadowed the early followers of Jesus. They were eyewitnesses to the miracles performed by God through His anointed servant. As the Scriptures explain:

When Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord, that he did for Israel (Judges 2:6-7).

          Therefore, we see that the first Old Covenant era was comprised of those who witnessed the works that God performed through Moses and Joshua. They observed great miracles that generated awe and enormous enthusiasm. However, as this period came to an end, the people began to lose heart. The original leaders were no longer there to guide them. The people failed to continue to follow God, and this resulted in persecution from the inhabitants of the land.

The New Testament Parallel
          The Church in Ephesus paralleled the first Old Covenant era. The disciples witnessed the dramatic miracles that Christ performed with their own eyes. They experienced the birth of the New Testament Church as newly begotten believers received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. These new converts were witnesses to Jesus and followed His chosen leaders as they also performed miracles. The beginning of the New Testament Church was exciting!
          However, after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., these new converts found that they had to fight a constant stream of persecution from without as well as false teachers from within. The Kingdom did not come when they expected, and many lost their first love.
          The first Old Covenant era ended with Joshua who was the most faithful last eyewitness to Moses. The New Testament era of Ephesus ended similarly. It concluded at the close of the first century under the leadership of John, the last living apostle who was the closest eyewitness to Jesus.

The Period of the Judges—Smyrna

          The passing of those eye witnesses to God’s miracles performed through Moses signified a definite turning point in Israel’s history. Like the corresponding New Testament era, the next generation was dramatically different. As the book of Judges continues to document:

All that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim (Judges 2:10-11).

          After the first generation of Israel passed, zeal for God among the people also withered. They let down and lost much of the truth God had given them. The Israelites began to worship false gods and, as a result, they suffered persecution at the hand of their neighbors. Their enemies would run forays into their land, often stealing their produce. Thus, Israel was left in a constant state of fear and poverty. This began the second Old Covenant era—the time of the Judges. As the Scriptures testify:

And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. The anger of the lord was hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies (Judges 2:12-14).

The New Testament Parallel
          During this time, Israel suffered poverty as they were raided by their neighbors. They claimed to be God’s people, and they called themselves Israelites. However, they worshiped the false gods of the land. By this, they foreshadowed the New Testament era of Smyrna in which Jesus said:

I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, and the blasphemy of those which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. (Rev 2:10).

          After the death of the apostle John, a notable transition also took place in the New Testament Church. Because Rome was the capital of the empire, the Roman church came to believe it had the right to act as the official headquarters for the entire body. They claimed to be Jews, that is converted Christians, but the truth is—they were not (Rev. 3:9). They were deeply infected by Gnosticism and the influence of Rome’s paganism. Just like the period of the Judges, the Church let their loyalty for God slip and they experienced poverty and persecution as a result.

The United Monarchy—Pergamos

          The third era of the Old Covenant occurred during the united monarchy. Like the New Testament era of Pergamos, God’s people were protected and they prospered. Pergamos means "fortified," and during this time in Israel’s history the nation was strengthened.
          After the unification of Israel under the leadership of King David and Solomon, God’s promise was fulfilled. The nation of Israel had become the “promised land” they had always hoped for—a land of milk and honey. They were built up, enjoyed peace, and were generally well off. Regarding this period in Israel’s history, the chronicler writes:

Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal, Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he had peace on all sides round about him (I Kings 4:20-24).

          During this era, the nation experienced enormous affluence. However, like the corresponding New Testament era of Pergamos, ancient Israel also fell into the same apostasy—the doctrine of Balaam. Intermarriage with unbelievers became the driving force in the demise of this era of God’s people. Solomon entered into relationships with foreign women, and this led to the worship false Gods. As the Scriptures document:

But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites; Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father. Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father (I Kings 11:1-6).

          Desiring to cement relations with other nations, Solomon married the daughters of foreign kings. As these women came into Israel, he allowed them to retain their gods. At first, Solomon erected places for them to worship, but eventually he participated in their abominations. Ultimately Israel accepted and even welcomed this spiritual fornication. The monarchy began to deteriorate and Israel became divided among them selves as the third era of the Old Covenant Church came to a close.

The New Testament Parallel
          Like the third era of the Old Covenant, the corresponding New Testament era began with an age of fortification and expansion. Protected by the Taurus mountain range, the Paulicians were given a degree of safety that permitted growth. However, as the Roman church became more powerful and threatening, many felt forced to either go along with various aspects of the false church or migrate elsewhere.
          Under the influence of the Nicoliation teaching, some believed that it did not matter what a person does as long as they had the truth in their heart. Therefore, to avoid persecution, some conformed to Catholic practices such as christening their children. Others attended mass to avoid detection, fulfilling Christ’s words that they participated in spiritual fornication. Rather than seeking God’s protection, they resorted to war and suffered under the sword of the Byzantine Empire.

The Divided Monarchy and Captivity—Thyatira

          The fourth Old Covenant era of God’s Church existed during Israel’s divided monarchy. Because of their many sins, God removed the northern ten tribes separating them from Judah in a civil war. These northern tribes were led by Solomon’s servant Jeroboam who God had ordained to be their king. In the south, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin followed the leadership of Solomon’s son Rehoboam.
          Because the Temple was located in Jerusalem, the priestly tribe of Levi also allied with Judah. The result of this conflict led the ten tribes to pull away, eventually forming a nation of apostate believers to the north.       
          This fourth Old Covenant era corresponds to the New Testament Church of Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29). John was told to write that Thyatira would let Jezebel seduce them into fornication, and this is exactly what occurred during the time of the divided monarchy.
          When Israel separated from Judah, evil kings became worse in the northern ten tribes. During this time, Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, led her husband into false worship. As a result, his reign became one of the worst in Israel’s history. As a consequence of her manipulation, apostasy spread throughout the land. Not only did Ahab continue in the sins Jeroboam, he allowed the influence of his wife to lead all Israel to worship Baal. As the Scriptures explain:

And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him (I Kings 16:31-33).

          Because Ahab allowed Jezebel’s influence to introduce further false worship into Israel, God punished His people for their sins by taking the ten tribes captive. The brutal armies of Assyria transported the Israelites to Persia. Persians were then transplanted to the land of Israel where they became known as Samaritans.
          Nearly one hundred years later, Judah also sinned by breaking the Sabbath and committing idol worship. As a result, they suffered great destruction and were finally sent into captivity in Babylon. During this time, the practice of the true faith required the consent of gentile kings such as Nebuchadnezzar and later the Medo-Persian king Darius. Although the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was preserved during this period, it certainly did not flourish. As the Chronicler writes:

And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia (II Chronicles 36:19-20).

The New Testament Parallel
          The events of this time in Israel’s history are again reflected in the corresponding New Testament era of Thyatira. They also compromised their faith and had to suffer the consequences of disobedience to God. During this New Testament era, God likened the great whore of Rome to Jezebel who led the Church astray during the middle ages. During that time, Church members made concessions in their worship and, as Christ had prophesied, they experienced great tribulation.
          This era endured the horror of the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition. Church literature was burned and the gospel message eliminated. God’s people suffered terribly. Yet, they were not completely destroyed (Mat. 16:18). However, in the eyes of the world, they were no longer a visible entity; powerfully fulfilling the commission to preach the gospel to the world. Thus these New Testament events mirror what transpired during the era of the divided monarchy.

Return and the Diaspora—Sardis

          After conquering Babylon, the Persians took a dramatically different approach to their subject nations. They believed in cultural pluralism—a system of rule in which the inhabitants of occupied territories would be allowed to live in their land and worship their own gods. They believed that this approach would give them the favor of all the deities within the empire. As a result of this policy, King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to their land and once again worship the true God. Thus, the fifth era of the Old Covenant began as God’s people came out of their captivity.
          Once freed, a number of the hostages in Babylon decided to go back to their homeland. At this time, God used Ezra to lead His people back to Jerusalem and begin the task of rebuilding the temple and re-establishing true worship. These returning Jews were once again known as the people of YHWH. As such, they carried His name and the faith remained alive, but, for the most part, the work was weak and ineffectual. It seemed barely alive.
          Upon their return, the zeal exhibited by a relative few leaders, such as Ezra and Nehemiah, was not shared by the vast majority of the people. Instead, they wavered in their enthusiasm to support rebuilding the wall, the temple, and establishing God’s law throughout the land.
          While the return of Judah to Jerusalem was certainly God’s doing, the entire work was performed under the control and sponsorship of a gentile king (Ezra 5:13-17; 6:1-13; Neh. 2:7-9). In addition, most of the Levites had no desire to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:15-17). Making matters worse, the people intermingled with foreigners and married Canaanite women (Ezra 9). Many also seemed reluctant to complete the work. As a result, God had to chide them for caring more about building their own homes than constructing His temple (Hag. 1:6-10).
          When Nehemiah heard of the terrible state of the Jews and the rebuilding project in Jerusalem, he sought permission from the King of Persia to visit Judah (Neh. 2:1-6). When he arrived, he found unbelievers persecuting God’s people for their work (Neh. 4:6-8). Besides this, because the people were not fully committed to God, drought had occurred and many had to borrow from their neighbors in order to continue planting their land. Nehemiah was shocked to find that, during this time, wealthy Israelites had exacted usury from their poorer brethren, even selling some of them to strangers (Neh. 5:1-8).
          In his loyalty to God and Israel, Nehemiah convinced the people to take an oath of obedience to the Eternal. However, soon after this, the high priest had a great chamber built in the temple for Tobia, an Ammonite and friend of Sanballat. In so doing, the very leader of the priesthood broke God’s law (Deu. 23:3; Neh. 13:1-9).
          Worse yet, many of the people let down in supporting the Levites with their tithes and the priests were forced to go back to the fields in order to earn a living. As a result, God’s law was no longer publicly taught. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem a second time, he corrected these errors—chastising the people for not keeping the Sabbath and other laws of God properly (Neh. 13:10-31).
          Perhaps the attitude of these people was demonstrated by the two opposite reactions when the foundation for the second temple was laid. The younger ones who had never seen the first temple rejoiced in what they had accomplished, but for those who had seen the former edifice it was a bitter moment. Their mixed reaction reflected the spiritual state of this era of the Old Covenant. As Ezra writes:

And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off (Ezra 3:10-13).

          Those who had seen Solomon’s temple lamented. Not only was this sanctuary smaller in size, it was inferior in the quality of its workmanship. Further, upon gaining their freedom, many of the Jews chose not to return to Jerusalem. Instead, they used their new found liberty to spread out west in search of a better life. In order to preserve their culture and language, in these new lands, they built synagogues in the cities they inhabited.
          During this era, those who returned were restored as a nation. They survived and continued to carry the name Israel, but they were less then effectual in restoring commitment and passion for God in the land of Judah. No longer were there great exploits such as those done by the Judges. They won no significant wars, and produced no great fortifications or building programs like those of kings David and Solomon. Once again, a body of God’s people existed, but when it came to their works, it was if they were dead (Rev. 3:1).

The New Testament Parallel
          After the middle ages, the corresponding New Testament era arose. During the 1500's, God’s Church came out of hiding. The terrible persecution they had endured eased, and in a sense the Church came to life again. At first, some of these believers were called "Anabaptists," but in England, during the following century, they were dubbed “Sabbatarians.”
          While seemingly more free to practice their faith, like the returning Jews in Ezra’s day, they too received early persecution. People such as John Trask and his faithful wife were dragged out of church and jailed. Many fled such discrimination and, as a consequence, the Church experienced its own Diaspora. A man named Stephen Mumford was one such Christian who migrated west.
          Like the Jewish people who had built synagogues where ever they went, Mumford and others brought the faith with him to America. In the new land, several small congregations grew up calling themselves the "Church of God.” At this time, having few to fellowship with, the Church often mixed with other congregations—thus paralleling the Israelites intermarrying with Gentiles in Ezra’s time.
          Ultimately, under the leadership of Dugger and Dodd, many people came to believe in the seventh day Sabbath. The main body of these believers called themselves the Seventh Day Church of God, which is still in existence today.
          The Church once again became visible. They had the name Church of God, but were splintered, divided, and lacked enthusiasm for the full truth. They accomplished little in terms of a unified, visible work, and for this reason the general public knows little about them today. However, it was out of this work that the next New Testament era arose—one that would be noted for its zeal.

The Maccabees Restore the Faith—Philadelphia

          The sixth era of the Old Covenant began with a people who came to be known as the Maccabees. While this monumental era of Israel is not specifically mentioned in the canonized books of the Bible, there are four volumes of their history recorded in the book of Maccabees. Virtually all biblical scholars recognize these books as authentic documentation of Judah and the events of God’s people during the 2nd century B.C. For this reason, many publishers include them in their printing of the Holy Scriptures.
          Small in number, and having little physical strength, this movement rose to power and influence during a time of overwhelming dominance by the next beast power—the Greek empire. The first book of Maccabees tells the story of this era’s struggle for religious and political liberty under the leadership of Judas Maccabeus. This courageous man led his faithful family and friends in a heroic revolt against the powerful Greek army.
          In 167 B.C., Antiochus Epiphanies was the commander of the Greek war machine. This powerful general was a prophetic type of the future beast who will crush all its enemies during the last days of man’s rule on earth. In like manner, Antiochus brutally killed thousands of innocent men, women and children. He even went so far as to turn the temple in Jerusalem into a temple for Greek gods. Antiochus then forced the Jews to worship these heathen idols. Jewish history records the tragic story of the tyranny and barbarism of Antiochus as he attempted to unite the world under his rule:

Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that all should give up their particular customs. All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the Sabbath. And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane Sabbaths and festivals, to defile the sanctuary and the priests, to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and other unclean animals, and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, so that they would forget the law and change all the ordinances. He added, "And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die. In such words he wrote to his whole kingdom. He appointed inspectors over all the people and commanded the towns of Judah to offer sacrifice, town by town. Many of the people, everyone who forsook the law, joined them, and they did evil in the land; they drove Israel into hiding in every place of refuge they had. Now on the fifteenth day of Chislev, in the one hundred forty-fifth year, they erected a desolating sacrilege on the altar of burnt offering. They also built altars in the surrounding towns of Judah, and offered incense at the doors of the houses and in the streets. The books of the law that they found they tore to pieces and burned with fire. Anyone found possessing the book of the covenant, or anyone who adhered to the law, was condemned to death by decree of the king. They kept using violence against Israel, against those who were found month after month in the towns. On the twenty-fifth day of the month they offered sacrifice on the altar that was on top of the altar of burnt offering. According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their children circumcised, and their families and those who circumcised them; and they hung the infants from their mother’s necks. But many in Israel stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food. They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the holy covenant; and they did die. Very great wrath came upon Israel (I Maccabees 1:41-64).

          Before the revolt of the Maccabees, the Jewish resistance to this powerful beast was passive. It amounted to little more than prayer and patience. However, in time, a small cadre of Jews resisted with adamant resolve. Against all odds, Mattathias Maccabeus, a hero of the faith, led his five sons and grandchildren to a daring victory against the Greek army. This small band of believers exhibited such strength that they came to be called the “Maccabees,” meaning the “hammers” because they would not stop in their pounding of the Greek forces.
          After several successful forays began to break up the Greek ranks, Jewish resistance became much more active. Finally, this small but determined group drove out the Greeks and restored the temple, rededicating it on Kislev 25 (The Original Maccabees Bible, p. 16-17).
          Following this amazing victory, the Maccabees restored courage and great zeal for God among the people. Faith in God was given a monumental boost. The air was electric with an enormous passion and dedication to God’s law and His way of life. This ardent family revived enthusiasm throughout the land, and even though they were often outnumbered many times over, they overcame armies and nations much more powerful than themselves—maintaining control over the land of Judah and the temple in Jerusalem.
          Because of the renewed faith generated by this family, the Jews continued to overcome great obstacles. God’s people were once again a great nation in the midst of the promised-land. Their success was an obvious sign of God’s intervention as he gave them repeated victory over their enemies. God’s people even found favor and admiration in the eyes of surrounding nations. On a number of occasions, foreign nations would send Israel gifts along with documents of goodwill in an effort to promote peace.   For 100 years, these faithful people left a great mark on the pages of Church history. To this day the Jews celebrate their phenomenal success by the feast of Hanukkah—a celebration that pictures the eight days during which God purportedly continued the supply oil in the lamps of the brave soldier’s until they attained victory. The Maccabees ruled faithfully until 63 B.C. when Rome became the dominant empire in the area.

The New Testament Parallel
          There is an obvious parallel to this Old Covenant era with the recent era of Philadelphia. The sixth era of God’s New Testament Church is also characterized as having little strength. It too started small with one man and his family.
          Mr. Armstrong opposed the “paganization” of the Church of God and was the instrument the Almighty used to restore truth to the spiritual temple—the Church. He was uncompromising in this regard—with a strong arm he hammered the unbending truth of God’s law and Christ’s message of hope into the ears, minds and hearts of all who would listen.
          As this movement grew, many of the more nominal members of the Church responded with renewed zeal. Others were converted as a result of Mr. Armstrong’s efforts, and many wholeheartedly supported the work. Ultimately, this era of the New Testament Church left a monumental mark on the world and in the lives of thousands. The remnant of this work is still alive today and, in the end, those who remain faithful will not run out of oil—God’s Holy Spirit (Mat. 25:1-13).

The Pharisees—Laodicea

          About 100 years after the temple was restored by the Maccabees, General Pompey defeated all opposition, gaining control of the Middle East for the Roman Empire. During this time, two main groups formed within the ranks of those exercising leadership in Judea—the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Thus, as the sixth era of the Old Covenant waned, a new group of spiritual leaders arose out of the Maccabean successes.
          The Sadducees were aristocratic families of the priestly line who recognized only the precepts derived from the first five books of the Bible. They interpreted the law literally, denied the concept of the immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the body, and the existence of angels. It was this group of religious leaders who controlled the temple worship and its rites which included the sacrificial work.
          Because the Sadducees were primarily comprised of the upper class of society, they tended to be less popular with the common people. Thus, the Pharisees enjoyed the approval of the general populous. It was this Pharisaic sect of Judaism that dominated the 7th and final era of the Old Covenant.
          The Pharisees accepted the prophets and writings. Therefore they believed in an afterlife, taught a form of the resurrection of the dead, and believed that angels exercised influence in the affairs of men. However, this religious sect emphasized the oral law over the Scriptures and strictly adhered to their religious traditions rather than Gods commandments.           
          By the first century A.D., the Pharisees had come to represent the beliefs and practices of the majority of the Palestinian Jews. However, much of their doctrine was driven by the need for personal recognition and power. In time, their faith became a “show” of their perceived religious superiority, and they eventually came to believe their own facade. Armed with the idea that they were the most righteous, they felt justified in slandering and persecuting true followers of God in order to preserve their position and power base. Jesus identified them with the following words:

Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (Matthew 23:27-28).

          The Pharisees created various traditions that eventually became their rules for religious conduct in Israel. They believed that their sect’s opinion raised them to a higher spiritual plane, and they condemned others who did not accept their doctrines. Eventually, their oral rules became the focus of their religion; causing them to miss the spiritual point of God’s truth. While they had an appearance of righteousness, they were actually filled with sin. For this reason, they would suffer a type of the great tribulation. The beast of Rome would stamp them out, destroy the temple, and scatter the priesthood. This destruction would occur over approximately a three and one-half year period.
           
The ModernChurch Parallel
          Today, we see that there are several striking parallels between the last era of the Old Covenant and that of the New. For example, Christ came to the earth at the end of the last Old Covenant era and He will come again at the conclusion of last era of the New Testament Church. Further, just as John the Baptist was an Elijah figure before Christ’s first coming, Jesus explained that another Elijah was yet to come at the end time (Mat. 17:10-12: Mal. 4:5).
          It is likely that one of the two witnesses will be this Elijah figure, a prophet having the power to call fire down from heaven and start or stop the rain at will (Rev. 11). This powerful spiritual leader will restore all things to a divided and doctrinally confused Church just prior to Christ’s second coming.
          Another parallel lies in the fact that, like the Pharisees who were willing to kill Christ to protect their positions, most Church leaders today are more interested in protecting their status rather than God’s truth! Therefore, maintaining the status quo has become a major concern.
          For example, when the New Testament Church was faced with an apostasy taking place among the top leadership, ministers feared losing their jobs. Instead of speaking the truth directly to the brethren, the ministry preached “safe sermons” to protect themselves.
          At the same time, many who resisted the apostasy came to think that they had sacrificed a great deal. They came to believe that they had “held fast” as a result of their righteousness. An attitude of superiority developed among many, and as the doctrines were restudied, an atmosphere of intellectualism developed among many of the leaders.
          On the other hand, because of the great work done under the leadership of Mr. Armstrong, others came to believe that he could have done no wrong. They interpreted the Lord’s admonition to “hold fast” to refer to the teachings of Mr. Armstrong rather than the Scriptures. Ironically, like the Pharisees of old who quoted their favorite Rabbi, many cite his statements or writings rather than God’s Word. As a result of these varied paths, members began to judge one another and condemn those who would not follow their particular sect’s doctrinal choices.
          This is where we find ourselves today. In the last era of God’s Church, many have succumbed to the attitudes possessed by the people of this world. Today, vast numbers in the Church of God have a form of godliness, but deny His power to rule over their lives.
          In yet another set of remarkable parallels, the last era of the New Testament is warned that if they do not repent, they will suffer sever persecution during the great tribulation (Rev. 3:18-19). During this time, a man called “the Beast” will be allowed to scatter the power of God’s people (Dan. 12:7, Rev. 12:17).
          This also occurred during the last era of the Old Covenant—the Pharisees. Christ warned that a terrible tribulation would come upon them. He said, not one stone of the temple would remain (Mat. 24:1-3). Further, when some of the people lamented Christ’s crucifixion, Jesus explained:

…Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us (Luke 23:28-30).

          This prophecy is dual in its warning and fulfillment. It referred to both the end time as well as the end of the Pharisaic age when the Roman army would destroy the temple, its priesthood, and scatter the Jewish people. It was during its first fulfillment that Nero ascended to the throne of Rome. This young emperor was a type of the end-time “beast” during the age of the Pharisees. When written in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, Nero’s name is valued at 666; just as will occur with name of the end time beast (Rev. 13:8).
          In addition, as the record of history reveals, it appears that Jesus gave the people approximately forty years from the time of His ministry to repent. After this time a terrible tribulation came upon them. During the spring of 66 A.D., a revolt by a number of Jews broke out in Caesarea. Nero then ordered General Vespasian to put a stop to this uprising. By the spring of 67, the Roman military had begun their terror, and by the end of this year, Rome had taken Galilee. They viciously went on to destroy the Jews and their temple by September of 70 A.D.
          In a final parallel, just prior to the destruction of the temple by the Roman army, true Christians who kept the words of Christ were protected. As Josephus writes:

I suppose the account of it would seem to be a fable, were it not related by those that saw it, and were not the events that followed it of so considerable a nature as to deserve such signals; for, before sun-setting, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding cities. Moreover, at that feast which we call Pentecost, as the priests were going by night into the inner [court of the] temple, as their custom was, to perform their sacred ministrations, they said that, in the first place, they felt a quaking, and heard a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, “Let us remove hence” (Wars of the Jews, Book. 6, ch.5, par. 3).

          A small number were saved from this devastation. The vast majority suffered terribly until they were completely destroyed. By this we see amazing direct parallels between the era of the Pharisees and Laodecia.
          Christ comes to both of these eras. He preaches repentance to them. In each case, He is preceded by an Elijah type figure. The Savior teaches God’s truth, is rejected by most, and the people who repent and hold fast to the Scriptures are protected. Those who do not repent must suffer a terrible tribulation under the hand of the beast power.

Parallels between the Old and New Covenant Eras

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