The Family Tree of the Great Whore

[Robert R. Higby]

Please study the attached document for a rather simple diagram of the manifestation of the Great Apostasy throughout Christian history. Commentary to follow. This should dispel the 3 great myths of the whore being merely one entity: Preterism (Judaism), Historicism (Roman Catholicism), and Futurism (a future apostate church).

[Robert R. Higby]

Commentary on the Whore’s Family Tree Root and Branches

APOSTATE JUDAISM is the foundation and root of all anti-gospel apostasy in the apostolic and post-apostolic era. The late second temple era manifestation was the organized religious entity of Jewish free-will philosophers (Pharisees and Sadducees) that killed Onias III, the martyrs of Heb. 11:35-38, righteous Zechariah, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ. It also included legalistic nonconformist groups such as the Essenes, Zealots, and Kabala devotees. The populist Judaism of the Talmud, rejected by God eternally for its rebellion against the truth (Mt. 21:41-46), will continue to thrive numerically until the final Advent of the Lord (Mt. 24:32-35).

PHARISAIC CHRISTIANITY was introduced by anti-gospel impostors who infiltrated the Jerusalem Way (Acts 15:5) and tormented both Jewish and Gentile early believers with their free-will and legalistic heresies. Closely associated to them were Gnostic philosophers who taught a synthesis of Jewish Neo-legalism and mystical religion based on the Kabala, astrology, and Greek mythology.

PATRISTIC ORTHODOXY resulted from a synthesis of Pharisaic Christianity and free-will sages who descended from the Gentile assemblies originally founded by Paul. The result was a Neo-nomian and sacramental heresy that was white-washed with a professed belief in apostolic scripture and the Deity of Jesus Christ. In Patristic Orthodoxy, the original Christian assemblies founded on the gospel were discarded and replaced by churches ruled by a single bishop having unbounded authority over the consciences of members.

EBIONISM and related sects also came out of Pharisaic Christianity--but were uncomfortable with the Gentile sages of Patristic Orthodoxy and their defense of Christ’s Deity and Paul’s apostleship. They formed their own sectarian religious movement and largely stayed in the Middle East.

CONSTANTINIAN ORTHODOXY originated with the exaltation of Patristic Orthodoxy as the official state religion of the Roman empire. There was no substantive change in fundamental teaching and dogma, however, the general morality of professed Christian church religionists (including that of bishops) suffered from the unholy alliance with government corruption.

APOSTATE NONCONFORMITY spun off from both Patristic and Constantinian Orthodoxy. Montanism and Donatism are the most well-known examples of this nonconformist movement. While retaining the same Neo-nomian and free-will heresies of the organized churches they were previously part of, these groups rebelled against immorality by Christian professors and demanded re-baptism of those who had committed serious sin or been baptized by ministers denying Christ’s Deity.

Various sects of apostate nonconformity have survived throughout all the centuries.

ARIANISM split off from Constantinian Orthodoxy over the issue of the full Deity of Jesus Christ and became a separate movement of organized assemblies. They were ultimately exiled to the East after losing a long battle (both theological and civil) with Trinitarians.

ISLAM was conceived as a Unitarian sect following a sage named Mohammed. He learned his doctrine of the oneness of God from sages descended from both Pharisaic and Arian religionists. He synthesized their doctrine with the ancient heathen superstitions of his region and invented a new religion to be territorially enforced with the power of the sword.

EASTERN ORTHODOXY was the territorial continuation of the long-standing institution of religion grounded in Constantinian orthodoxy. Over time, the anti-gospel doctrines within it increased and thrived. It remained strong after Roman Catholicism split off from it.

ROMAN CATHOLICISM originated after the bishop of Rome rebelled against the authority of Constantinople and other Eastern territorial bishops. The new organization of the West was ruled by one supreme bishop having unbridled authority to legislate anti-gospel doctrine to the consciences of his subjects.

APOSTATE PROTESTANTISM includes all sects of Protestantism teaching anti-gospel doctrine. Each one of them either split from the Papacy originally or later split from other movements that had split from the Papacy. Each apostate sect generally teaches at least one of the following heretical doctrines:

1. Sacramentalism (water baptism and the Eucharist as a means of conveying grace).
2. Sacerdotalism (the authority of an ordained ministry over the consciences of laity).
3. Sacralism (the union of church and state in all its forms).
4. Justinian free-will (Arminianism, Wesleyanism).
5. Anglo-Nomism (Sabbaths, tithes, church ‘membership’ & other Protestant laws binding on the conscience).
6. Evangelical ‘Fullerism’ in all its forms (Calvinist/Arminian synthesis commonly known as evangelicalism).
7. Pre-Millennialism (most forms, including all teaching Chiliasm).
8. Perfectionism (Keswick style).
9. Liberal Skepticism.
10. Pentecostalism (the binding nature of certain spectacular manifestations).
11. Postmillenial Reconstruction.
12. Conditional-time salvation (including the current ‘Federal Vision’ movement).

CULTIC PROTESTANTISM includes all sects with heretical views on the person of Christ that split from other Protestant movements.

Conclusion:
The True Congregation (EKKLESIA) of Jesus Christ has always been a Nonconformist and counter-cultural entity. It has only brief overlaps in history with any of the institutions or movements described in the family tree of the apostasy.

[Robert R. Higby]

I express my regrets to those who are not able to view the 'tree' because you have an Apple or don't have Microsoft Word. I will work on getting some type of common version out there.

I tried constructing this without tabs but a cut and paste into a thread post also destroys all embedded spaces. I will try some other means of getting this info available.

Thanks, --Bob

[Robert R. Higby]

I was able to do it by converting spaces to dots.

............*..........*......*......*.....*...... *...........................*
............*..........*......*......*.....*.....* ............................*
............*..........*......*......*.....*....*. ............................*
............*..........*......*......*.....*...*.C ultic...................*.........
............*..........*......*......*.....*...*.P rotestantism.......*.........
............*..........*......*......*.....*...*.( Mormon,.JW,.....*.........
............*..........*......*......*.....*...*.. SDA,.Unitarian..*.........
............*..........*......*......*.....*...*.. Sects)................*.........
............*..........*......*......*.....*..*... .......................*.........
............*..........*......*......*.....*...... ......................*.........
............*..........*......*......*.....*...... ....................*.........
............*..........*......*......*...Apostate. .............*
............*..........*......*......*...Protestan tism.....*
............*..........*......*......*....*....... ................*.......
............*..........*......*......*...*........ ...............*.......
............*..........*......*......*.*.......... ..............*......
............*..........*......*......*............ ..............*............
............*..........*......*......*............ .............*.......
............*..........*......*...Roman........... ......*.......
............*..........*......*...Catholicism..... ...*......
............*..........*.......*.....*............ .........*...................
............*..........*.........*..*............. ........*........
............*..........*...........*.............. .......*......
............*..........*.............*............ .....*........
............*..........*.............*............ ...*.......
............*......Islam....Changed.to...*.....
............*..........*.......Eastern........*
............*..........*.......Orthodoxy..*....... ...
............*......*..*..*..........*........*
............*.....*..Arianism..*........*...
............*....*..........*.......*.....Apostate ...
............*...*..............*..*.......Nonconfo rmity
............*...*...............*...........(Donat ism,.Montanism,
............*...*...............*............simpl istic.free-willism/
............*....*..............*...........*..... ...........legalism)
............*...*...Changed.to......*....
............*...*...Constantinian.*
............*...*...Orthodoxy....*.
............*...*...............*......*
............*...*...............*....*
............*...*...............*..*
............*...*...............*
............*.Ebionism....Patristic
............*....*..............Orthodoxy
..............*.....*........*.
................*.....*....*
..................*......*
....................*.......*...Pharisaic/
......................*......*...Gnostic
........................*.....*...Christianity
..........................*.....*
............................*...*
..............................*.*
.................................*
.................................*
.................................*
...........................Apostate
...........................Judaism

[Saint Nicholas]

Brother Bob........Thank you so much for preparing this wonderful chart. It is sooooooo true that to limit the identity of Satan's spiritual kingdom that is manifested in rebellion to God and His Christ through earthly entities ie. governmental/ecclesiastical, to just one periord of time (history/group), is to conceal the ever present and ongoing nature and workings of satan and his ministers.

From the beginning of history (Garden of Eden) to this present day, Satan has been at work to overthrow and decieve God's elect.

I'm unsure as to why you have not started the chart from the beginning of time. ie Satan's first appearance, and establishment of his influence in history. Although, I have some ideas as to why, I would like your assessment.

[Saint Nicholas]

In keeping within the framework of Bob's chart, I have posted a link below that may be helpful along these lines.

As a disclaimer, I want to make it known, that I do not support the author's premellenial position, however her research into the subject is quite scholarly and accurate from my view.

As I believe, the letter of James teaches a false Gospel, I must conclude that for the most part, the visable christian church as we see and know it today, has from it's earliest inception been infected with all sorts of judaised tendencies. Tendencies that have originated from apostate Israel and surrounding pagan nations.

http://www.watch.pair.com/mystery-babylon.html

Nicholas

[Robert R. Higby]

I'm unsure as to why you have not started the chart from the beginning of time. ie Satan's first appearance, and establishment of his influence in history. Although, I have some ideas as to why, I would like your assessment.

This would be a great addition! One issue is this: the form of apostate Judaism on the chart is clear to identify from the origin of the Pharisees early in the 2nd century B.C.E (around 180) but tracing the lineage of heresy before that is more difficult. We don't have a lot of extra-biblical writings for this purpose, however, what we do know from scripture might certainly be constructed into such a timeline!

One issue is the dating of the great Jewish apostasy. Was the teaching in Judaism relatively pure from the return from exile (456-444 B.C.E.) through the time when movements such as Pharisaism took hold around 250 years later? Not easy questions to answer!