![]() ![]() ![]() For the city which became the center of the king's cult, the special honor was being neokoros meaning "temple keeper." This meant they were the imperial center which brought added power, status and money to that city. The self declared king would honor the city where he was worshipped with variety of benefits, from enhanced status to money for building projects. The cities realized significant gain from the practice as well. Who would disagree with the rule of a god? Because they were considered divine during their lifetime temples and altars were built for them and regular festivals held in their honor (3). This added legitimacy to their rule among the common people. After he died his empire was divided among his commanders each of whom continued the practice of declaring themselves divine. The cities he conquered were delighted to consider him one of their gods and honored him with statues, festivals and regular sacrifices including offerings to Alexander himself. He declared that he was the descendant of Heracles and Zeus and therefore divine. Alexander the Great, came to Asia in the fourth century. The Asian (2) culture came under Greek influence in the millennium before Jesus time and adopted the practice of the people of the area. They bore titles such as Soter (Savior) or Epiphanes, (God Manifested) and were worshipped regularly including a festival on their holy day, often their birthday. Here the rulers of the city were honored as gods, a practice which legitimized their absolute power of the king and his dynasty. A Heroon, a sacred enclosure and temple, where the cult of the ruler was celebrated occupies a prominent place on the acropolis of Pergamum. ![]() Croesus, king of Sardis (550 BC) was honored as king as were the kings of Pergamum. The people of Asia minor had always viewed their kings as divine in some way. The roots of the deification of the Emperor go back to eastern practice long before Rome arrived on the scene. The Eastern Beginning of Emperor Worship' What happened between the writing of Acts and Revelation to cause such a change? The answer? The Deification of the Emperors! Nowhere was Emperor worship more radically enforced than Asia Minor. Regardless of future implications of passages like these (and there are many), the readers in Asia would have seen the demonic hatred of Rome for them reflected in these words. This demonic force was "drunk" with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. 17:5) and Rome was built on seven hills (17:9). The phrase "Babylon" was frequently used by Jewish communities to describe Rome (Rev. Revelation is a difficult book to interpret but certainly some references are to the power of Satan as it was unleashed through Rome. The book of Revelation is written to people undergoing great suffering at the hands of the Roman authorities for their practices. By the time the movement Jesus' began had reached 50 years the Roman government had unleashed its furious hatred against the Christians. 13:1-7 1 Peter 2:13-14) "For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong." (Rom. Those followers of Jesus wrote letters to the church communities urging obedience to the God ordained authorities (Rom. In the name of peace and law, the Roman overlords defended the believers against unjust attack. Significantly the Roman authorities were often a refuge for the believers who attempted to live and speak for Jesus among the gentile pagans. The Jewish king Herod Agrippa l, who was sympathetic with the Sadducean Temple leaders persecuted the new movement as well (Acts 12:1-19). 17:14)The Christian faith began with antagonism between the Jewish Temple authorities in Jerusalem and the believers (Acts 4:1-21 5:17-42 6:8-7:60). ".the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings - and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers." (Rev. ![]()
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