Chapter One hundred-thirty
The
REVELATION
of Jesus Christ
Introduction and Story Flow
This introduction is taken from the NKJV Personal Study Bible,
Thomas Nelson publishers, 1990,1995.
The word "revelation" is a translation of the Greek term
meaning "apocalypse," which refers to an unveiling of God's
secret purpose.....An additional consideration in understanding
Revelation is the frequent use of visions and symbols. In
interpreting these, one should recognize that the author has
interwoven many echoes from the Old Testament.Attention to these
Old Testament settings may help us understand a given symbol or
vision....This book certainly had relevance to the situation that
surrounded its first readers. Yet its primary focus seems to be
on events associated with the return of Christ....
AUTHOR AND DATE
The tradition that John the apostle wrote Revelation was
almost unchallenged through the second century. Five time the
author names himself as John, but the term "apostle" is never
used....several ling-guistic evidences support the early church
tradition that John the apostle wrote the Revelation as well as
the Gospel and epistles of John.The Revelation uses some
vocabulary similar to the other books of John. also, the
Revelation, the Gospel, and the epistles of John are all fond of
contrasts.
Dating the composition of Revelation is complicated....
(Most give it as between 80 and 96 A.D. - Keith Hunt)
PURPOSE
In all this John's message is that God's victory has already
been won. The Lamb is the King of kings and Lord of lord.....
.................
I have not given a lengthy introduction as some Bible
Commentaries will do such as "Barne's Note on the New Testament.
It is not really relevant per se. and I will skip the "Outline of
Revelation" as presented in the above NKJV Personal Study Bible -
Keith Hunt.
REVELATION CAN BE UNDERSTOOD!
Let's make it very clear from the start, the book of
Revelation TODAY, CAN BE UNDERSTOOD! It is the REVELATION OF
JESUS CHRIST OF THINGS THAT MUST SHORTLY COME TO PASS, and He
bears witness by Himself and gave this prophecy to John to write
and who then bore witness to the Word of God, and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ, and to all the things that he saw.
There is a blessing for all who read and take head to the words
of this prophecy, and KEEP those things which as written in it;
for the time is near (1-3).
I want you to hang on to that phrase "for the time is near."
and we shall compare it with similar phrases. Some have or try to
understand this Revelation book as for the time shortly after the
life of John. The truth of the matter is the book is written
MAINLY in the time setting of the DAY OF THE LORD. That prophetic
time frame mentioned in TWO DOZEN OR MORE prophetic time frames
in the Old Testament, and the context of all of them is the
events of the last THREE AND one half YEARS OF THIS AGE. GETTING
EVEN MORE SPECIFIC, THE BOOK OF REVELATION IS PROBABLY TALKING
ABOUT "THE DAY" OF THE LORD, AS A DAY BEING ONE YEAR IN
FULFILMENT.
STORY FLOW
There is most clearly a STORY FLOW through the book of
Revelation. If we leave out what is not the story flow, but inset
passages that explain the symbols, or go back in an event to
bring you up to the overall present time we are in at that time
in the prophecy. So a certain amount of "drop back" scenes play
out in this mainly Revelation that is still yet beyond us.
Let me again state, this is A REVEALING OF WHAT MUST COME
SHORTLY BEFORE THE RETURN OF JESUS IN POWER AND GLORY.
Angels were sent to John to help him see many things and to
write about them, events that for the maim part of this book are
taking place in that section of prophecy called "the day of the
Lord" or "the day of God's wrath" or "the great day of His wrath
has come (chap.6:17).
Dr. Samuel Bacchiocchi - Departing from his church's general
understanding of this phrase, he disagrees with his Seventh Day
Adventist teaching on the phrase, as having nothing to do with
the 7th day of the week, or the literal day of the week (the
Lord's Day) some call "the Lord's day." It is correct to
understand that phrase as concerning the end-time period of the
last number of years at the end of this age. The phrase "Lord's
Day" is used in many of the prophetic books of the Old Testament,
and refers to that time period shortly before the Messiah comes
in glory and power to the earth (verses 1-3).
The OUTLINE STORY FLOW IS:
CHAPTER 1:9-19 John in the visionary Spirit see the glorified
Son of man.
CHAPTER 4. The setting of the vision continues in heaven at the
Throne of God.
CHAPTER 5. God hold a scroll in His right hand. No one is worthy
to open the scroll except the Lamb, the lion of Judah, the Root
of David, the Son of man, Jesus the Christ.
CHAPTER 6. The 7 seals and the opening of the first 6.
CHAPTER 7. The sealing of the servants of God. 12 thousand from
the 12 tribes of Israel and a great multitude. This part of the
vision does include a jump to where these servants or saints will
be with the Lamb of God (Christ) and the Father into eternity.
CHAPTER 7. The opening of the 7th seal. Seven angels with seven
trumpets prepare themselves to sound. FOUR trumpets are sounded
and various destruction come upon the earth. THREE trumpets
remain to be sounded (called Woe, woe, woe) - verse 13.
CHAPTER 9. The first WOE or 5TH TRUMPET sounds. The army from the
bottomless pit comes and torments people FIVE months (verses
1-12). The second WOE or 6TH TRUMPET sounds. The army from the
EAST of Euphrates comes and kills one third of mankind still left
on earth (verses 13-21).
CHAPTER 10. The vision continues and preparations words are given
to get ready for the third WOE or the 7TH TRUMPET, the LAST
TRUMPET, to sound.
CHAPTER 11: 14-19. The third WOE comes quickly - the 7TH TRUMPET
sounds. The time has now come for Christ to take the kingdoms of
this world and reign over them. The time of the dead to be
resurrected and given rewards. Jesus will come and destroy those
who are destroying the earth. The "temple of God" is opened in
heaven.
CHAPTER 14:1-20. Jesus is to come on the wings so to speak of a
white cloud. The harvest of mankind is to take place. Jesus will
make war and the wine-press of blood will be like a river.
CHAPTER 16. The 7TH TRUMPET WOE is made up of 7 LAST PLAGUES. The
6th vial is the gathering together of the armies of the Beast
power into the place called Armageddon. The 7th vial is a mighty
earthquake and hail, especially upon the prophetic "Babylon."
CHAPTER 19:11-16. Jesus' literal coming riding on a white horse
with armies from heaven. He takes rulership of the earth.
Destroys the "beast man" and the "false prophet" in the lake of
fire.
CHAPTER 20. Christ and the saints rule the earth for 1,000 years
(verses 1-6). Satan is chained and cast into the bottomless pit.
At the end of the thousand years Satan is loosed, another battle
takes place around Jerusalem. God is the winner.
The WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT (verses 11-13). Billions who lived and
were never called to salvation will be resurrected and offered
eternal life. They will have to live by the Bible, and receive
salvation exactly the same way as the saints already in the
Kingdom of God.
CHAPTER 21 AND 22. The NEW heaven and the NEW earth. God the
Father will come with the new Jerusalem from heaven, to live and
dwell with His children FOREVER MORE. We are given a small
glimpse into that eternal age, as it will be on this earth, as
the headquarters of the entire universe.
INSET CHAPTERS.
Basically the rest of the chapters and verses of the
book of Revelation are what we call INSET chapters. They tell us
VERY IMPORTANT things that effect the MAIN STORY flow. It is like
the Hollywood films that tell a story flow, but now and again
they go back in time, to different times and played out scenes,
that fill-in certain parts for our knowledge, to give us a better
and fuller understand of the main story flow events.
Example: Revelation 11:1-13. The inset is about the TWO
FINAL WITNESSES for God's truth living in Jerusalem for the 42
months that the Beast power exists at the end of this age. The 42
months include both the "great tribulation" and "the day of the
Lord." The Two Witnesses live and preach the truth of God during
that last period of time. They are killed and resurrected just
very shortly before Jesus returns.
Revelation 12 is an inset chapter. It is an overview of the
TRUE Church of God, going way back to Genesis 37 and up to the
coming GREAT tribulation, the wrath of the Day of God - last 42
months of this age.
.................
NOTE:
Many of the details of parts of the book of Revelation, such as
Chapter 13, are dealt with in detail in other studies ——
under "prophecy" and "end times." I will in this New
Testament Bible Story, when we get to those chapters, refer the
reader to those in-depth studies, and not expounded them over
again.
  Chapter One hundred-thirty-one:The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #2
Chapter One hundred-thirty-one
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ
CHAPTER ONE
The first point we need to notice is that this is not other
than the revelation of JESUS CHRIST, which He gave to the apostle
John to record, via an angel. John bears witness to the things he
SAW, to the WORD of God, and to the TESTIMONY of Jesus Christ.
There is a blessing to for those who read, and hear the Word of
God, and KEEP those things which are written herein (verse 1-3).
Another very important point to notice are the phrases
"things which must SHORTLY come to pass" and "for the time is at
HAND."
Some, because of those phrases, teach that the things in
Revelation have taken place, shortly after John's time, or others
will say they have taken place up to and including the "middle
ages."
They do not understand how God writes at times, and that He
often views "time" with much different eyes and mind than we
humans do. Here, within the book of Revelation itself is the
example of what I've just stated. Turn to chapter 22 and read
verses 7, 12, and 20. After all that Jesus reveals in this book,
He says THREE TIMES in one chapter, that He is coming QUICKLY!!
Obviously, to God, the span of time is often no where near
how we look at time. To us our life time, and many life times, is
long. How many have lived in the last 200 years WANTING and
THINKING Jesus would come in their life time, many indeed. We saw
in the writings of Peter that a thousand years to the Lord can be
but a day. That is a way of saying God often does not view time
as we do. When these prophetic events unfold (which are mainly to
do with the last 42 months, 1260 days, of this age, the prophetic
"Lord's day," then yes, Jesus will come QUICKLY! What is 2,000
years or so to God, since John recorded the events in Revelation?
In the eternal ages of the past and the future, they are but the
blink of an eye.
Someone tried to tell me once that the message to the seven
churches of chapter 2 and 3, were all fulfilled in John's day,
and have nothing to do with the future or "church eras" per se.
They pointed to those phrases in verses 1-3 about things "shortly
coming to pass." It is first of all disproved by the phrases I
pointed to in chapter 22 - "come quickly." Secondly, the whole
main prophetic story is "on the Lord's day" (verse 10). Thirdly,
somewhat less, but still true, is that the seven churches are in
a "prophetic" book. If they have nothing really to do with
prophecy, but only for "spiritual" lessons, then why have them in
such a book as Revelation. Being in this book would I argue
strongly indicate that there is a "prophetic message" intended.
Add to that the fact that these seven churches are
"represented" in HEAVEN with seven candlesticks and Jesus walking
in the midst of them (verses 12-13,20). This should tell us the
seven churches have MORE to play that JUST being seven literal
churches in the time of John. If they were only for seven
churches in Asia Minor, why those churches, which were hardly
well known even in John's day. Why not the church at Corinth, or
Rome? And to have SEVEN candlesticks in heaven, one for each of
those relatively unknown churches. I think there is more to it
all than something in the now distant past. Yes, of course they
can stand for seven different spiritual attitudes (and certainly
that is to teach us that lesson). But with verse 10 and the
"Lord's day" vision, the seven churches I believe are prophetic
in nature also. More on that when we arrive at chapter 2 and 3,
and one MORE IMPORTANT fact that adds weight to the churches also
being prophetic church ages.
John does write to the seven churches which are in Asia
Minor, grace and peace he sends them from the One is was, and is,
and is to come (God in Jesus the Christ is the one to come) and
from the seven Spirits which are before His throne. Verse 20
gives us the interpretation of the seven Spirits - they are the
seven Spirit ANGELS, the seven stars in Jesus' right hand are
(represent) the seven angels, one angel for each of the seven
churches. It would seem that God put a special work of an angel
over each of the seven churches, which are the seven
candlesticks, among whom Jesus walks (verse 4).
This letter also comes from Jesus Christ, a faithful
witness, and the FIRST BEGOTTEN (should understand it as first
BORN - see Col.1:15-18). When you understand it, Jesus was the
FIRST human person to ever be born into eternal life. No person
EXCEPT Christ has ever be glorified into immortal life from flesh
and blood. Enoch was not, Moses was not, Elijah, was not. That
truth is covered in detail in various studies on this Website.
John says Jesus is THE PRINCE of the kings of the earth, and
the one who LOVED US, and washed us from sins in His own blood
(verse 5).
In Jesus so doing He has made us also into kings and priests
unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever
(verse 6). The saints will rule with Jesus for 1,000 years
(chapter 20) on this earth. The saints born into the very Family
of God will function as a king - leadership; and priest -
spiritual guides, to the people living in that 1,000 year period.
Jesus will come with clouds (He said He would - Mat.24:30;
and so was Paul inspired to say the same in 2 Thes.4:13-16). You
may remember the angels saying He would come again in like manner
as He went, with clouds (Acts 1:9-11). Every eye will see Him.
This could certainly be possible as the earth turns. It could
also be a "general statement" - the majority will see Him when He
comes again in glory and power. They which pierced Him? Could
mean the Jews, will see Him and mourn for Him with repentance
(see Zech.12 through 13). It will eventually include even the
very persons that hammered the nails into His hands and feet, and
plunged the spear into His side. They will also one day be
resurrected and see Jesus, in that White Throne Judgment period,
spoken about at the end of chapter 20. All nations will wail
because of him, some with tears of joy, that He as finally come
back to earth, and others because the evil way of life with be
destroyed by Him, and the merchants will wail at the destruction
of there wealthy trading Empire as it is crushed and brought low
(see Rev.18).
Jesus proclaims He is the ALPHA and the OMEGA (the first and
last letters of the old Greek alphabet) - the beginning and the
ending. In other words from past eternity to future eternity. He
was the One which is now, was in the past, and will come again.
He is the ALMIGHTY!
ALL THE NAMES THAT THE FATHER HAS ARE ALSO THE NAMES THAT
THE SON HAS.
Once more there is no mention of the Holy Spirit as another
third separate personal being in heaven along side the Father and
the Son.
THE LORD'S DAY - THE 7 CANDLESTICKS -
WE SEE THE GLORIFIED CHRIST - WE ARE TOLD
WHAT THE SEVEN STARS ARE
John was as many of them were, partaking in tribulation, and
in the Kingdom and patience of Christ Jesus. He was exiled to the
isle of Patmos, because of the word of the God and the testimony
of Jesus Christ (verse 9).
He say he "was in the Spirit on the Lord's day" and hears a
voice, like as a trumpet. The "Lord's day" here in a prophetic
book was NOT a particular day of the week, but the prophetic
"Lord's day" mentioned in many places in the prophetic books of
the Old Testament. It may well be that as some prophetic passages
give, a day for a year in fulfilment. If so then this "Lord's
day" would be the LAST year of this age before Jesus comes again
(verse 10).
The voice John hears says:
"I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: What you see,
write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in
Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto
Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto
Laodicea."
John turns and sees seven candlesticks and the One in the
midst, like unto the Son of man. This indicates that the
candlesticks were INDIVIDUAL and Jesus can walk among them. As we
see in chapter 2 and 3 each candlestick can be removed, which
also indicates they are individual candlesticks.
Jesus says again He is the first and the last. He lives, and
was dead; but is alive now forever more. He has the keys to hell
and of death. Yes, Jesus said in the Gospels that He was the
resurrection and the life. He also said that all judgment had
been given to Him from the Father. It is only through Him that
death can be overcome with life. He does, He has, He IS, the key
for unlocking the grave of death.
John was to write the things he saw, the things which are,
and the things to be hereafter.
The seven stars in Jesus hand represents the angels of the
seven churches. The seven candlesticks represent the seven
churches (verses 11,12, 17-20).
THE GLORIFIED CHRIST!
If you want to know what Jesus looks like NOW, in His
glorified state of being, you will find it in verses 13-16.
He is clothed with a garment down to His feet. He is girt
about the chest with a GOLDEN girdle. His HEAD and His HAIR are
WHITE like wool, as white as snow. His EYES are like a FLAME of
FIRE. And His FEET like unto BRASS, as if burned in a furnace;
and His VOICE like as the sound of MANY WATERS. He held in His
RIGHT HAND seven stars, out of His MOUTH went a sharp TWO EDGED
SWORD; and His face was as the SUN shines in its full strength
(verses 13- 16).
While some of the description is somewhat visionary in
nature, like the two edged sword coming out of Jesus' mouth. Some
what like the "word of God" is depicted as a "two edged sword" in
other writings of the New Testament. There is still enough
description here to prove that Jesus (and hence the Father) are
NOT JUST UNSHAPED NOTHINGS, as, believe it or not, some Christian
religions actually teach. I do not know about you, but I
certainly do not worship ETERNAL BEINGS (God and Christ) that
have NO FORM or SHAPE, that have NO BODIES, but are just
NOTHINGNESS! This teaching by some, must be one of the craziest
theological teaching in all of Christendom.
I have proved elsewhere in other studies that Jesus and the
Father DO HAVE BODIES, do have FORM AND SHAPE. Moses we are told
actually saw the BACK-FORM of God in His GLORIFIED body. He was
not allowed to see His front form and face, because God told him
that no human man can look upon God's face and live.
THE SCENE IS SET IN HEAVEN
THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
Let me say this immediately. On this Website you will find
an in-depth study concerning the SEVEN CHURCHES. It is called
"The SEVEN Churches of REVELATION." It is either under the
"Prophecy" or the "End Time" categories. As the writer of that
study shows, of course these seven churches can present seven
attitudes of mind for all Christians, for all ages. All the
examples in the Bible can have spiritual meaning for all of us,
lessons can be learnt from any passage or passages in the Bible.
And yes, as this book of Revelation was written by John, it was
to be sent to those literal seven churches in Asia Minor. It did
have a lesson for each of them at that time in history.
With all that said, there is still evidence that the message
to the seven churches is PROPHETIC. That it was to address SEVEN
time ages from the start of the church in 30 A.D. to the very
coming of Christ.
The other very strong point to prove that is in chapter
2:10, and the second time age of the true church. The people of
the Smyrna time frame, were to have 10 days of tribulation. Would
this really have been ten literal days for a literal church in
Asia Minor, that was so very close by the other churches, and not
have tribulation in any of the other nearby churches, but only in
Smyrna? I think it is a little hard to accept that teaching.
I was reading through a "church history" book some years
back. It was one of the famous "classic" books of church history
that is still obtainable today, written by Philip Schaff (8
volume set). He had no "axe" to grind, he was not even dealing
with the book of Revelation. He was just stating what Christian
history has recorded. There were many persecution times for the
Christian church as a whole, but the GREATEST persecution was
from 303 to 313, exactly 10 years! Yes, that is a fact recorded
in the history of the Christian church. As I was reading this, I
immediately remembered Revelation 2:10. It all added up as we
say. The first age of Ephesus was well on its way out, and the
second church age of Smyrna had arrived and was under way by 300
A.D. That church time frame experienced the greatest Christian
persecution in the history of "Christian" (used in the widest
sense) church.
To me that is prove enough that there is a THIRD way to
understand the churches of Revelation 2 and 3. The third way
being general time frame ages for the Church of God.
My view of this time frame is NOT AS the Worldwide Church of
God taught it. I will explain as we proceed. Nobody should try to
set dates in time ages with Church of God history. Those who do
(as some have in the past) are going to find they are barking up
the wrong tree, they are out on a limb that is going to come
crashing down, and they are going to have mud all over their
face. Then, what most, who can see that the "churches" of
Revelation do have time ages in them, have not seen is that time
ages can and do OVERLAP each other. Jesus preached the New
Testament covenant and Kingdom of God, WHILE the old covenant was
still in operation. The "overlapping" of church ages can be a
period of hundreds of years.
EPHESUS
The city of Ephesus, was capital of proconsular Asia; an
opulent city on the West coast of asia Minor, located on the
banks of the Cayster and about forty miles SE of Smyrna. Its
harbor was ample. It was an ancient city. It came into the Roman
Empire in 133 B.C. Paul conducted the longest of his ministries
(two years and nine months, Acts 19:8,10). The city's importance
lay in its political prominence, its economical clout derived
from its position on major trade routes, and its religious
leadership as a center for the worship of Diana, or Artemis. The
temple of this godess was one of the wonders of the seven wonders
of the world. It was 180 feet wide and 377 feet long, and the
roof was supported by 117 60-foot columns. These were 6 feet in
diameter and 36 of them were sculptured at the base with
life-size figures. There were many Jews in the city who were more
or less influenced by Christianity (Acts 2:9; 6:9). Timothy was
the bishop of the church founded by Paul. According to Eusebius
John spent his last years in Ephesus. John opposed the doctrines
of Nestorius, and Paul opposed the idolatry of those who made or
worshipped shrines or practiced magic (19:13). His opposition
resulted in a serious riot. A small Turkish town today represents
the once noted city, which is called Ayasaluk (The New Unger's
Bible Dictionary, 1988, pp.366-367).
Here is the mention of the NICOLAITANS. A sect or party that
arose in the apostolic period of the church, they is mentioned
again in verse 15. The "nicolaitans" are compared to those who
"hold the teaching of Balaam." They were practicers of idolatry,
and the community of women was another doctrine which they are
said to have adopted, and their conduct seems to have been in the
highest degree licentious (Imperial Bible Dictionary, S.V.).
The word "nicolas" in Greek means "victor over the people."
The word "Ephesus" can mean "desirable."
Jesus, who holds the seven stars in His right hand, and who
"walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, speaks. He
knows they have good works, they have labor, and patience, and He
knows how they can not bear those who do evil; and they have
tried, tested them who were saying they were apostles, but were
not as far as God was concerned. They had found those individuals
to be liars.
The way to test any man who claims to be a minister of God
is by the Scriptures. Our wonderful example is Acts 17, when Paul
was tested to see if he was speaking according to the Scriptures.
Anyone can claim "anything." Words are cheap as they say. The
acid test is do their words aline with the words of God in the
Scriptures of the whole Bible, and does their life correspond
with their teaching.
Jesus knew what they had borne, what patience they had, and
for His name they worked hard, and did not faint. BUT, in time,
they had left their first love, their zeal for Christ's truth and
Gospel got colder. They are told to REPENT! If they do not, their
candlestick will be removed.
They did hate the ways and doctrines of the Nicolaitans,
which Jesus also hated. They are to listen to what the Spirit
says, "To him that overcomes will I (Jesus) give to eat of the
tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."
The paradise of God is explained to us in Revelation chapter
22:2,14. No private interpretation is needed, the Scriptures
interpret themselves. The paradise of God is to dwell at the
throne of God. It is to have enteral life in the very presence of
the Most Holy One.
The personal application and lesson of this church is very
obvious. Keep working hard for Christ's work of salvation and the
Kingdom. Stay with the faith once delivered to the saints. Do not
allow yourself to get complacent and having your love of God in
you starting to get cold. Continue to hate anything that is a
false theology.
This church of Ephesus fits right in with the time age of
the first few centuries of the Church of God, into the late
second century. We have seen in the letters of Peter and John,
that before they died, the faith once delivered was being
corrupted. Many anti-christs had come on the scene, some came out
from within the very Church of God, just as the apostle Paul had
predicted (Acts 20).
Many had remained faithful and had tested the spirits to see
if they were truly from God. In the second century, Polycarp (a
disciples of John the apostle) took the time and energy to travel
to Rome to debate with the bishop of Rome, the practice of
observing Passover and NOT Easter, as the Roman church was then
already adopting. Then later in the second century, Polycrates (a
disciple of Polycarp) also went to Rome to debate with the Roman
bishop the same truth. But the Roman church was adopting false
doctrines and would not repent or admit the truth of the matter.
By the time the Church of God was into the third century
A.D. it was getting a cold heart, and was beginning to get
apostatized. They did in the most part hate the teachings of the
Nicolaitans.
If we take the word "nicolas" as it means "to rule over
people" we see that the doctrine of the church government of
Rome, and what finally came to be called the "Roman Catholic
church" was swinging along into domineering the people. We saw
that back in John's day, before he died, in his third epistle, we
had one man taking over with dictatorial power one of the
churches of God.
The Church of God continued maybe for a couple of centuries
to get colder in heart and mind, to depart from the first love
zeal. They did not as a whole, REPENT. It was now time for faithful
people to move OUT and congregate as a body of people, that would
be the time age of Smyrna.
The candle-stick of Ephesus was removed, just as Jesus said
it would be if they did not repent!
...................
To be continued
  Chapter One hundred-thirty-two:The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #3
Chapter One hundred-thirty-two
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ
CHAPTER TWO
The SMYRNA CHURCH
Smyrna means "myrrh" - a rich and prosperous city of Ionia,
forty miles N of Ephesus, at the mouth of the small river Meles.
Anciently it was one of the finest cities of asia Minor and was
called "the lovely - the crown of Ionia - the ornament of Asia."
to its credit the church at Smyrna was still faithful, and
against her no word of reproach was uttered. It was Polycarp's
field of Christian usefulness, and here he suffered martyrdom,
around A.D. 169. (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary).
Jesus again reaffirms He was the first and the last -
eternal. He was dead once, but is alive forever more. Jesus, as
God in the flesh, did not exist for three days and three night,
He was as dead as a door nail, as the saying goes. If it was not
for the power of the Father to raise Him back to life, He would
still be dead, and we would have no salvation. we are saved not
only by His death, but also by His life (Romans 5:10).
Jesus tells the church at Smyrna that their works, their
tribulation and their poverty (but rich in the things that count)
He knows well. He knows also those who claim to be spiritual
Jews, but are indeed the synagogue or church of Satan, and what
they claim is blaspheming. He tells these faithful followers of
Him to not fear the things they may suffer: indeed the Devil will
have some of them thrown into prison, to be tried. They will have
tribulation ten days. If they will remain faithful unto death, He
will give them a crown of life. Those who overcome and stay
faithful, shall not suffer from the second death (chapter 20:14).
The second death is the lake of fire, which shall burn up
the wicked, as they become ashes under the feet of the righteous.
See the studies on "Death - then what?" which also covers the
subject of the second death, for the un-repentant wicked.
This is the church of ONLY TWO that have no reproaches said
against them.
The truth for our spiritual lesson is obvious. Remain
zealously faithful even unto death.
Church history shows that the largest and greatest
"Christian" persecution was under Diocletian from 303 to 313 A.D.
It was exactly 10 years. Using the prophetic day for a year, we
do then have a ten year great persecution against the truth of
the Gospel.
The time age of the first church had ended, when is not
known, but probably into the third century. False teachers had
come, many by this time. The church at Rome was gaining power in
numbers and doctrine. There was one last overall persecution of
anyone under the name of Christian from 303 to 313. It was
Constantine who adopted Roman Christianity, won the battles to
become Roman Emperor, and DECREED a stop to Christian
persecution, at least against Roman Christianity. It was
Constantine who brought in the Sunday laws in about 321 A.D. The
Roman church had been observing Sunday for some time, before
Constantine gave the Sunday official status in the Roman Empire.
Also the Roman church had been observing Easter instead of
Passover for about 200 years by 313 A.D.
So it was that by 313 A.D. there were MANY, not the few, who
claimed to be spiritual Jews, but God knew what they really were,
they were deceived by Satan the Devil.
After 313 A.D. the focus of the Roman Empire was on
persecution of those who differed with the Bishop of Rome, and
the Roman Catholic (the word "catholic" means "universal")
religion. For a number of hundreds of years the true Church of
God was indeed under mighty persecution as we find in the church
of Pergamos as the time of the age moved along.
PERGAMOS CHURCH
Pergamum, a city in Asia Minor, about 200 miles from the
sea. It had a vast library of 200,000 volumes at one time. In
this town was first discovered the art of making parchment, which
was called "pergamena." The city was greatly addicted to
idolatry, and its grove, which was one of the wonders of the
place, was filled with statutes and altars. Here was one of the
seven churches of Revelation 2:13. The wealth of the Attalic
princes had raised Pergamum to the rank of the first city in Asia
as regards splendor. It was a sort of union of pagan cathedral
city, a university town, and a royal residence, embellished
during a succession of years by kings who all had a passion for
expenditure and ample means of gratifying it (The New Unger's
Bible Dictionary).
Please read the above again. Let it sink in what you have
read. Now, think about the city of ROME, in the Roman Empire
until the Empire fell about 500 A.D. Even after that, think about
Rome and the mighty influence it had in the world of
Christianity, under kings and bishops that also wanted wealth and
splendor. The connection should be obvious. Rome was the Pergamum
of the Western world from the time of Constantine to the middle
ages and the famous Protestant Reformation battle under Luther.
The spiritual lesson is clear. Do not mix idolatry and any
stumbling block before yourself that will lead you away from
serving and obeying the way and life and laws of the true eternal
God.
Jesus, who has the two edged sharp sword, the Word of God,
says He knew His true followers in the Pergamos time age of the
Church of God. He knew their works, And He knew that many of them
lived where Satan's seat was. Now, was the old literal city of
Pergamum, at the time of the last years of the first century when
John was writing this revelation of Christ, the CENTER, the SEAT
of Satan? When you consider WHAT the city of ROME was becoming in
the way of so-called "Christianity" by the end of the first
century A.D. the city of Pergamum could not have been the SEAT of
Satan! When you consider what Polycarp and Polycrates did in
going to ROME over certain doctrinal issues, during the second
century, it is clear that ROME was the SEAT of Satan.
Anti-pas can be a derivation of Anti-patris "instead of his
father" - put in simple language, "instead of father" - against
the "father" in the Roman Catholic churches. There was as some
record the probability that a man by the name of Antipas was put
to death in the city of Pergamum. But the time setting of it all
could well fit the true church of God being against what the
Roman Catholic church was teaching. The idolatry, things tied in
with mystery spiritual fornication and idols, dressed up in
Christian names is fitting during the powerful rise and
domination of the Roman Catholic religion until the Protestant
Reformation.
This is again brought out in verse 15, where we again meet
the doctrines of the Nicolaitans - the rulership over people. The
true church of God, hated as Jesus did, the teaching that
individual people as pastors and bishops had FULL DICTATOR
RULERSHIP over the people.
Satan had a HUGE SEAT of POWER at ROME, the influence of the
Roman Catholic religion for a 1,000 years and more, was
staggering to say the least. It not only ruled the religious life
of people, it was also very political, and governed much of
secular life, such as claiming the earth was flat and other such
teachings. It persecuted people who said the earth was NOT flat.
It branded all who did not accept its teachings in theology and
otherwise, as HERETICS.
So for hundreds of years God's people fought the religion of
Rome. For the most part God's children remained faithful and
true, BUT as it is with time, eventually the people of God caved
in, got spiritually lazy, were slowly decaying. The church
history of Britain shows as recorded by the famous Bede, that by
700 A.D. the Catholic church had gained strong footing in
Britain. Again, the Passover as observed by John and Polycarp,
and brought to England, under the early apostles, was conquered
by the Roman Easter. The 7th day Sabbath observation in Britain
was finally destroyed by 1100 A.D. (The Welsh held on to it until
that century).
By and into the second millennium A.D. God's people had to
be told to REPENT, or that candlestick of the Pergamos time age,
was going to be corrected very harshly by the mouth of the Lord.
If the people of the Almighty would REPENT, they would then
overcome and eat of the hidden manna, the true bread of life
(Jesus in truth), be given a WHITE stone (white represents
righteousness - see chapter 19:8), and in that stone a NEW name
only known to that righteous person. Exactly what that "name"
subject is all about ... well I cannot know to tell you, for only
he that has receives it knows. Will it be such for all eternity,
I cannot tell you the answer to that either.
All so far said, fits very well with the historical record of
Church History up to the time of around about the Protestant
Reformation, up to some time BEFORE and then INTO that historical
time age is the church of Thyatira.
As mentioned before, keep in mind that true church time ages
can OVERLAP by sometimes hundreds of years.
....................
  Chapter One hundred-thirty-three:The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #4
Chapter One hundred-thirty-three
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ
The CHURCHES continued
THYATIRA
One of the seven churches of Asia Minor. It was situated a
little south of the river Lycusand at the northern extremity of
the valley between Mt.Tmolus and the southern ridge of Temnus.
The waters of Thyatira are said to be so well adapted for dyeing
that in no place can the scarlet cloth out of which fezes are
made be so brilliantly or so permanently dyed as here. So in the
Acts (16:4) Lydia, the first convert of Paul at Philippi. is
mentioned as "a seller of purple fabric" from Thyatira. The
principal deity of the city was Appolo, and a priestess of
Artemis is also mentioned in the inscriptions (The New Unger's
Bible Dictionary).
Ah, remember that important fact, a PRIESTESS is mentioned
in that city. The color "scarlet/purple" is also connected with
this city. Now read Revelation 18 and note the words "scarlet"
and "purple." then go back to Revelation 17 and read verses
1-3,4,6 (blood is scarlet). As most OLD Bible Commentaries tell
you, what you are reading in chapter 17 and 18, is the mighty
power of the state/church Roman Catholic Holy Roman Empire. And a
"woman" as most will agree, represents in prophecy A CHURCH (see
Rev.12 for that proof).
The Son of God, with eyes like unto a flame of fire, and
feet like fine brass, speaks to Thyatira. "I know they works, and
charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works;
and the last to be more than the first" (verse 18,19).
Jesus has a few things against them. There is a woman in the
equation. she is called Jezebel, who says she is a prophetess.
The Old Testament Jezebel comes to mind. Bottom line, she was
against God and the truth of God, she was outwardly appealing,
deck in her Sunday best as we say. But under it all was basic
evil and deception. The people of God in this time age had got to
the point where this "woman" was influencing them into spiritual
fornication and various practices of idolatry.
God had given and allowed much time for her to REPENT, but
she would not.
Note verse 22, there is a time coming when she will be cast
into GREAT TRIBULATION, unless she repents. And then note verse
23. This woman church in scarlet and purple, will HAVE CHILDREN!!
And unless they also repent, they will DIE! God will search the
heart and He will give rewards according to works - good
righteous works = good rewards; bad evil spiritual deceptive
works = death.
This mighty religious power DID HAVE CHILDREN born out of
her - they protested at their mother, and became the PROTESTANT
churches movement. They all have SOME spiritual fornications that
their mother has.
God gives encouragement to those who have not fallen for the
DEPTHS of Satan. Satan comes at times, maybe most of the time, as
an angel of LIGHT! It all looks good outwardly. The Roman
Catholic church looks nice and good - many of its leaders do good
works, with different less fortunate people around the world. It
speaks truth many times, it has an outward form that makes it
sound very "Christian" religious. She is somewhat MYSTERIOUS in
her form of religion, especially to those who are far from her
rites and outward dress and ceremonies.
This time age of Thyatira is from some hundred of years
BEFORE and some few hundred years AFTER the PROTESTANT children
were born to her. But unless mother and children REPENT they will
all come to nothing and will have to be killed.
Jesus tells the church of Thyatira, the people, to hold fast
to the true faith once delivered to the saints. And he that does
so, and keeps Jesus' works to the end, shall have rulership over
the nations, they shall share with Jesus the ruling of the
nations during the 1,000 year Kingdom of God on earth (verses
25-27).
They will also inherit the MORNING STAR! Again no need to
guess what that is. The Bible interprets itself. Turn to
Revelation 22:16. There it is. Now isn't it wonderful that the
Scriptures interpret themselves. The morning star is JESUS the
CHRIST! Those that remain faithful in the true ways of the Lord
will inherit JESUS HIMSELF, meaning they will be His brothers and
sister in ETERNITY. What could be more wonderful and splendid
than for all eternity to have Jesus call you His brother or
sister. Do you remember in the Gospels Jesus once said, "Who is
my mother, my brother, and my sister, but they who DO the WILL of
my Father in heaven."
It was a long time age for the people of the church of
Thyatira. They were persecuted and often killed for their stance
against the doctrines and the depth of Satan as he governed the
mighty Holy Roman Empire. That is why this woman "Jezebel" in
chapters 17 is said to have become DRUNK by the blood of the
saints and the martyrs of Jesus (Rev.17:6). And she also is said
to have made the inhabitants of the earth drunk by her spiritual
fornication. She is also in bed with the kings and rulers of the
earth, she is a political as well as a spiritual Jezebel.
The personal lesson is that the ways of Satan can be DEEP -
mentally understand them, but do not KNOW them in relation to how
you live and worship the true God.
SARDIS CHURCH
Sadris was a western Asia Minor city fifty miles E of
Symrna. It was located on important commercial routes running
east and west through the rich kingdom of Lydia, of which it was
the capital. It was also made wealthy by textile manufacturing
and jewelry making. Wealthy Sardis citizens took up with mystery
cults, notably with that of Cybele (The New Unger's Bible
Dictionary).
Jesus says He has the seven Spirits and the seven stars.
Yes, He is in charge of his church. He knows their works, they
live but yet are dead.
Probably during the Protestant Reformation and certain some
time after it, the Sardis church time age came into being. The
Protestant Reformation did do one thing for God's people. It
brought a new zeal of LIGHT into God's children, a new spiritual
age had come for the truth's of the Lord to be proclaimed loud
and strong BY SOME of the Church of God. The SEVENTH DAY Sabbath
was loudly proclaimed by SOME. A FEW even taught the keeping of
the Festivals of Leviticus 23 - the Feasts of the Lord. The truth
of who and where the House of Israel had wandered to, the truth
of the tribe of Joseph and who they had become, was proclaimed
loud and strong. The truth of water baptism by full immersion was
taught by many of God's people. The truth of the SECOND coming of
Jesus in glory, back to this earth, in literal form, was
proclaimed by some in the Church of God. The truth of the depth
of Satan and the mysteries of Babylon as found in the Roman
Catholic religion was shouted from the housetops by some in the
Church of God.
All of this and more, was done by SOME in the congregations
of the Lord. We had now entered the Sardis time age for the body
of Christ. God's people were SPIRITUALLY LIVE with zeal ...
WELLLLL some of them were. For a few hundred years or so,
(especially, and even to this day as it will be till Christ
comes) after the Protestant Reformation, God's people were ALIVE
yet DEAD.
The Lord Jesus tells them to be WATCHFUL, to STRENGTHEN the
things that remain, truths that remain, but yet are ready to die!
God has not found the works of wishy-washy Christians perfect.
There were and STILL ARE the descendants of God's people from the
Reformation period, who are barely hanging on to certain truths
of the word of God. They DID HEAR, Jesus says they did, they are
to get and HOLD FAST, to REPENT!
The lesson for us? Love the truth, love searching the
Scriptures, desire to grow in grace and knowledge, prove all
things and HOLD FAST to that which is good.
Now here's where many have not understood church ages. They
can OVERLAP each other, sometimes by hundreds of years. This age
of the Sardis church will STILL BE ON THIS EARTH WHEN JESUS COMES
BACK. If they do NOT repent and WAKE UP from spiritual slumber,
Jesus will come in an hour they think not, as a thief in the
night, unexpected. So this Sardis church time age IS STILL WITH
US, and will be right up to the coming of Christ!
In this body of people there are SOME who have NOT defiled
themselves. They were willing to LEARN, be CORRECTED, willing to
GROW in grace and knowledge. Some were still searching the
Scriptures and so were able to be led into MORE truth and light
by the Spirit of God. They were willing to buck the trend, swim
up-stream, when everyone else was going with the flow
down-stream.
Jesus says to those people, that they shall walk with Him in
WHITE, for they are WORTHY!
So from the Protestant Reformation or there-abouts have been
the Sardis people of God, and they will still be there at
Christ's coming, but only a relative FEW will walk with Jesus in
white.
For those who overcome that "dead" attitude of mind, they
will be clothed in white raiment, and their names will NOT be BLOTTED
OUT of the book of life. Their names Jesus will confess before
the Father, and the angels.
As we shall see in the last two church time ages. They also
will be in existence when Jesus comes again. We shall have
THREE ages of the Church of God in existence when the end comes and
Jesus returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.
And that all makes good sense for when the rubber meets the
road, there can only be THREE types of spirituality in the
overall world of Christianity concerning the true body of Christ.
The ones who are in the main spiritually DYING, they are not looking
to grow in grace and knowledge; the ones who are fully and zealously
remaining STRONG in all the truths of God, and willing to grow;
and the ones who THINK they are spiritually just great, but are
really SICK and have become BLINDED through their own
self-righteousness and affluent physical riches (they are sickly
luke-warm), not wanting to be shown any errors.
We'll finish with the last two churches of Revelation next
time.
..................
  Chapter One hundred-thirty-four:The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #5
Chapter One hundred-thirty-four
The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #5
THE LAST TWO CHURCHES
After the Protestant Revolution, it was getting much easier
for the true people of God, the Church of Jesus Christ, to openly
proclaim all truths found in the Bible, without being persecuted
even to death. The Church of God was then, as is put in
Revelation, "alive." But, as nearly always happens, over time,
the zeal FOR truth as well as the zeal to PROCLAIM it, starts to
dwindle. Whatever the time frame was (God knows) it was true that
the Church of God was alive, but yet they were in many ways
"dead."
And when this happens, Jesus, who is in charge of His
Church, moves SOME within His body the church, to move on out so
to speak and form other individual local groups and/or a work
that has many local groups co-operating together, to proclaim the
Gospel around the world.
So it was, no time date to pin-point it, but from what we
can see from church history, it was probably in the 1700 A.D. and
after, that the people who would be the 6th time frame, or the
church of Philadelphia came on the scene of the world.
I want you to take special note of the below, taken from the
New Unger's Bible Dictionary.
PHILADELPHIA
"brotherly love" - A city in Lydia of Asia Minor. It was
built by Attalus 11 Philadelphus, whose name it bears. It was
situated on the lower slopes of the Tmolus, about twenty-eight
miles SW of Sardis and 100 miles W of Smyrna. It has been several
times almost destroyed by earthquakes. Its name is now Alasehir,
"city of God." The town is an unimportant place of fifteen to
twenty thousand people.
Jesus says He is holy, true, and has the key of David, He
opens and no man shuts, He shuts and no man opens. Jesus is in
charge of His church. And He is the One to give it power to go
here or there and spread the Gospel in this manner or that
manner. The key of David? As David had the key to his house so to
speak, had authority and power over his house, so Jesus has
authority over His house, His church, and can execute whatever
judgement as He needs to for the keeping of His house. As Jesus
said, He would build His church and the gates of hell or the
grave would never prevail against it.
Jesus knows the works of this people in this time age of His
church. There will be an open door for them to proclaim the
truths of God and the Gospel, and until Jesus says differently,
no man can shut that door. Certainly the modern worldwide
INTERNET is maybe the greatest open door for teaching the truths
of God all around the earth. And it will for now only get more so
with the Internet, as modern space age technology develops.
If you noticed above about today's literal town of
Philadelphia in Turkey (Asia Minor), it is UNIMPORTANT, SMALL, IT
HAS THEN LITTLE STRENGTH as such. The true people of God have
always been the relatively SMALL unimportant, in the view of the
world, religious group of Christians. Jesus once said that His
followers would be the VERY LITTLE flock (as the Greek reads). On
the whole they would have very little strength, very little
compared to the Babylon Mystery Christian Catholic church. It
would be something like Elijah in his day, when he lamented that
to the Lord that he was the only person NOT bowing the knee to
Baal. God answered him by saying he was wrong, because God had
7,000 others out there, here and there, that had not bowed the
knee to Baal.
It is true, the VERY ELECT, are few and far between, they
are the SALT of the earth, the very little flock. A few here and
a few there, one here and two or thee there, scattered around the
world. So it has been for the last 500 years or so. But they have
been there, and the door to spread the Gospel has been open in
various ways, personal evangelism, written words of evangelism,
broadcasts over radio, TV, and now the Internet. The true people
of God have had an open door which no man can shut. At the
present that door remains open.
God's people in these end time hundreds of years, have NOT
DENIED His name, and have been willing to KEEP His word. They are
the faithful. They are the ones who strive for the faith once
delivered to the saints. They are willing to grow in grace and
knowledge, willing to be taught, be corrected, willing to be
humble and submissive to the leading of the Spirit of God.
We have had people in the last few hundred years who kept
the 7th day Sabbath, and who observed and proclaimed the keeping
of the Festivals of God. We had the black man working on the
trains in the late 1800s who just read his Bible and came to see
the Festivals of Leviticus 23 should be observed, and raised up a
good work among other black people. We had the Seventh Day
Adventist minister in the very early 1900s who came to see the
Festivals of God should be observed, had his study paper printed
in the worldwide Adventist magazine, and some SDA churches in
South America were willing to agree and observe those Festivals.
We had minsters in the 1930s in the Church of God, Seventh Day,
who came to admit those Festivals should be observed. Some formed
their own organizations and spread the word of God. We have SDA
ministers like Samuele Bacciocchi PhD. who admit the Festivals of
the Lord should be observed, and some in the SDA church DO
observe them.
So the word of God is not denied, the name of God and what
He stands for is not denied. They are few relatively speaking,
but they do have an open door. One day the world will have to
admit, come before those people made immortal, and actually
worship at their feet. Yes, those people will then be in the God
Family, and worshipping before them, will be natural, as they
will have the name of God in their character. All that I fully
explain in my study called "A Christian's Destiny."
Yes, the world, and the false Christianity in it, the
BILLION plus will have to one day admit, those few with outward
little strength WERE and ARE the very sons and daughter of God
the Father. They will KNOW THEN that God truly DID LOVE those
few!
And because they did KEEP the word of Christ's PATIENCE,
which is interpreted for us in Revelation 14:12 as KEEPING the
COMMANDMENTS of God and the FAITH of Jesus Christ, they will, a
part of them (this is another of those "general" statements used
in the Bible) be KEPT SAFE from the hour of TRIBULATION or
Temptation to come on the WHOLE world (see Rev. 12:14-16; Luke
21:36).
Jesus says, "Behold, I come quickly; hold FAST what you
have, that no man take away thy crown" (verse 11).
Yes, when the prophecy of this book of Revelation REALLY
starts to unfold, when we are down to the last 42 months, 1260
days of the close of this age, then Jesus WILL COME QUICKLY! The
point is when Jesus is ready to come quickly, there will be true
faithful people of God on this earth, doing the work of God,
going through the open door set before them to teach, to preach,
to expound the prophesies of Revelation and all the prophetic
books of the Bible. They will be spreading the Gospel and warning
the nations of this earth what will take place as the Lord has
declared. For a short while God will stop His word going but by
the Elijah to come and the two witnesses of Revelation 11. But
until then His children will have an open door set before them.
Those at this end time who do overcome the world and Satan,
will be some of the very "pillars" of glorified perfection in the
Temple of God. They will have the VERY NAME of GOD, and in type
symbolism the name of NEW Jerusalem, which will come down from
God eventually (as shown in Revelation 21,21). And they will
have, in what ever way Jesus means it, HIS NEW NAME!
All of this for the true faithful children of God at the
close of this age (which remember can cover a number of hundreds
of years).
LAODICEA
The town was located on a flat-topped hill. A wall (about a
kilometer long on each side of its four sides) surrounded the
crown of the hill. The Laodicean condition describes the
spiritual lukewarmness and worldliness that will prevail in the
professing church of Christ at the end of the age. Rich,
cultured, religiously ritualistic - this church will have become
so self-satisfied and worldly as to have ostracised Christ
completely. He is represented prophetically as standing on the
outside knocking for admission (Rev.3:20). The awful spiritual
condition, so utterly abhorrent to God, calls forth one of the
boldest figures used in the NT, "So because you are lukewarm, and
neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth" (Rev. 3:16
cf. 2 Tim.3:1-8 for the spiritual and moral condition at the end
of the church age) (The New Unger's Bible Dictionary).
As it happens so often, because of time and human nature
twisted by the help of Satan the Devil, there will be a people
during the whatever decades or more (maybe a few hundred years)
who will still be at the very close of the age, in a Laodicean
mind-set. Jesus says He is the Amen! The faithful and true
witness of His very own body - the Church of God. He is the
beginner (as it should be understood) of the creation of God.
Yes, Jesus was the ONE who DID the creating in Genesis chapter
one. All that subject is covered in various studies on this
Website.
Jesus knows their work, that they are neither hot nor cold,
they are resting with their feet up, in a self-righteous manner,
and so because of it, because they are "lukewarm" He will spit
them out of His mouth.
Look at their attitude. They say they are "rich and
increased with goods; and have no need of anything." They must be
saying, "I'm physically blessed so God must be rewarding me for
serving Him, in the way I do." Or "I have all I need, physically
and spiritually, I have the truth, so I'm just fine."
Jesus answers them, "You know not that you are WRETCHED, and
MISERABLE, and POOR, and BLIND, and NAKED...." What language
Jesus uses, He is really telling them the naked truth (excuse the
pun)! These people will not even come close to trying to see
WHERE and HOW they are short of the maturity of spirituality.
They have deceived themselves into thinking it's all over, just
hang on to what they have had, or what they NOW have as thinking
it is the better truth than what they had before, but in reality
it is going back into UN-truth. Either way, they have deceived
themselves, and they are really WRETCHED and BLIND and NAKED,
they have no white garment of the righteousness of God, in
reality, but they think they are wearing a spotless white robe.
When you loose the desire to LEARN, to be CORRECTED, to GROW
in grace and knowledge, when you loose the desire to HUNGER and
THIRST after RIGHTEOUSNESS, then you are Laodicean! The personal
lesson should be clearly evident.
Christ counsels them to buy of Him GOLD tried in the fire.
He wants them to have the REAL spirituality that makes a
difference, actually the difference of life or death. Then He
says they can have true riches, and a WHITE garment, so they are
then clothed in the correct outfit for His wedding (see
Rev.19:7-9). And so being clothed properly their spiritual
nakedness does not appear and does not bring them shame. Jesus
wants them to anoint themselves with EYESALVE, get their eyes
open and have true vision, so they can SEE the spiritual reality
and truth that is REALLY of God, and not manmade.
Jesus WILL CORRECT! He will REBUKE! He does it because He
loves people. He wants people to REPENT! He stands at the door of
our hearts and minds, wanting us to OPEN to Him, so He can come
in and have a FEAST with us on truth and righteousness. If people
WILL REPENT, admit the error, go the right way, do the correct
thing, be HUMBLE, then He can come into them. And those who will
open to Him, can sit with Him at His throne (during the
millennium age - Rev.20:1-4), just as He sat down with the Father
at His throne, when He went back to heaven after His resurrection
from death.
There will be, there already IS ... THREE church time ages
in existence today. They are overlapping each other, maybe by
hundreds of years. There is the walking dead, with only a few in
clothes of white and still have their names in the book of life.
There is the true faithful, who have found and are remaining true
to the faith once delivered to the saints, and there are the
"rich" in their OWN eyes, who will not see their wretchedness,
who will not admit error and sins and all that makes them
spiritually naked.
My prayer for you dear reader is that you will be a pillar
in the Temple of God, and have written on you the name of God,
and be given Jesus' new name (verse 3:12).
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Written November 2007
TO BE CONTINUED |
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