Template:Burnincense

= Burning incense

Today, the average laborer in the United States works to pay off his corvee obligation to the government. Through the graduated income tax, and through "crafts of state" this can amount to more than 5 months of labor out of each year. The people no longer actually own their land, having a mere legal title, and pay an annual "use tax" just to remain in their homes. All the gold and silver is legally in the hands of the civil and commercial powers and the people use a fluctuating system of interest-bearing notes.

“Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.” (Jeremiah 11:12)

Romans would offer incense every year to the one they called the Son of God who was Augustus Caesar to make a record of their loyalty, allegiance, and comment to his system.

• How did all this happen and what is the hope of our redemption?

• Can we learn anything from history of Rome at the time of Jesus who was also called the Son of God?

They were very good at borrowing from other nations, including Egypt.

Rome had been a Republic, it also had strong commercial interests which had come to power after their major civil war.

Rome was doing much the same as Egypt after it had been invited into Judea by two brothers fighting over the kingdom. Rome had not conquered Judea, not yet, but they were spreading their commercial influence, civil methodology and system of corvee through commerce and trade. Rome had formed sort of an international peacekeeping force to maintain order in the world they created. Their presence in Judea was mainly to resolve civil and political disputes concerning who would be King. Their strong commercial interest, which always requires stable government and a compliant population, supplied their incentive.

Rome recognized Jesus as King and Jesus as king redeemed the people from their Roman involvement, if they would learn his ways. Jews and others who prescribed to the perfect law of liberty established by the government of servants appointed by Jesus became known in history as Christians while those who denounced Jesus as King and continued in apostasy were conquered and destroyed at the fall of Jerusalem. An exodus took place at the destruction of Jerusalem and during much of the persecution of the followers of Christ. These people who we call Christians were mostly Jews and Israelites as well as others who formed the political Kingdom of Jesus and therefore God on earth. His Kingdom was unique in history because it is not like the Kingdoms of the Gentiles or Nations. It is often over-looked because few know what the Kingdom of Heaven looks like. And there are factions that would not want you to truly understand God's Kingdom on earth and therefore they choose to keep it a “Mystery”.

Jews and others who prescribed to the perfect law of liberty established by this government of servants appointed by Jesus became known in history as Christians. While those who denounced Jesus as King saying they had no king but Caesar and continued in apostasy were conquered and destroyed at the fall of Jerusalem. An exodus took place at the destruction of Jerusalem. The followers of Christ who became known as Christians would eventually be persecuted when they refused to sign up with the systems of welfare run through the temples of Rome.

In Gibbon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, he praised "the union and discipline of the Christian republic." He also pointed out that, "it gradually formed an independent and increasing state in the heart of the Roman Empire."

Romans knew what a republic was having formed one in 500 BC after they drove our the Tarquinian Kings. They fashioned it after the early patriarch of Israel. The word Republic comes from the Latin idiom Libera Res Public, 'Free from Things Public'.