"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

In the final book of the Word of God we have "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw." (Revelation 1:1-2) The word Revelation comes from the Greek word apokalupsis, which means the revealing or the unveiling. In times past, the full revelation of the Word of God was not made known unto man. The Bible tells us that the O. T. "prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." (1 Peter 1:10-12)

The Bible also tells us that "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven". (Psalm 119:89) From this we can understand that the Word of God is eternal and the Lord has been slowly transmitting it down to us through the ages. The writer of Hebrews says, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son". (Hebrews 1:1,2) The final Revelation of God is Jesus Christ. The Word of God has been progressive but now he says that he will tell us all.

The Book of the Revelation ends with this warning, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Revelation 22:18,19) Solomon says, "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:6) There are now no more Revelations. The Lord has given us all that we need to know as recorded in his Word, the 66 books of the Bible. He "hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him". (2 Peter 1:3)

One of the things that mankind has always wondered is what will tomorrow bring? What will be the course of events that mankind will travel? Can I know my destiny in relation to the events that are now taking place? Is there anything or anyone that I can rely on for the sure answer to all these questions? The answer is yes! And there is only one source for all the answers. Is it by reading your daily horoscope? No! Is it by going to the local teacup reader? No! Is it by listening to one of the modern day prophets? No! Or is it by phoning the psychic hotline? No! It is by looking to the Word of God, in particular, the Book of the Revelation.

We are told of the threefold division in the book of the Revelation. John is told to "write the things which thou hast seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter". (Revelation 1:19) Firstly, John is told to write the things which he has seen. Up to this point in the Revelation, what did John see? He saw Jesus Christ in all His glory, walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, judging His Church. He is the one with the eyes as a flame of fire. "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." (2 Chron. 16:9) We are told the reality of who Christ really is, He is the Ancient of Days,  the Alpha and Omega, the Almighty God. He is the one who liveth and was dead, and is alive forevermore. He is the one who loves us and has washed us from our sins in his own blood. And today, He is our great High Priest who is tending to the lampstand. He is inspecting it to see that it produces good light. He is the one who has the tongs and the snuffer in hand. He is the one who trims the wick. He is the dispenser of the oil of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who lights the lamp. And He wants the church to produce light for his glory in this dark world.

Aaron was a type of Christ in the office of High Priest. He was appointed to the office of High Priest and had certain duties that he performed which were a shadow of the true. It was the High Priests duty to tend the lampstand. He trimmed and he dressed the lamps, snuffed those that were ready to go out, lighted those that were gone out, supplied them with oil and wicks, and cleared the snuff dishes. He used tongs, snuffers and snuffdishes to carry out these duties.

Secondly, John was told to write the things which are, that is, the progressing of church history up until this very day. In my opinion we are given 1900 years of church history in a prophecy.

Thirdly we are told of the things which shall be hereafter, that is, after the church age, after the church has been taken out of this world to be with the Lord. We see the Great Tribulation. We see the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, the Thousand year reign of Christ, the Great White Throne Judgment, the eternal blessedness of the righteous and the eternal damnation of the wicked. We see the New Jerusalem, and the New Heaven and New Earth. These things the Lord wants to show His servants "which must shortly come to pass."

Just for reading the Book of the Revelation we are promised "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein" (Revelation 1:3) The Revelation is a prophecy, and John is told to "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." (Revelation 22:10) "The prophecy of this book" was not for some time in the far future, the time was at hand. In the book of Daniel, which goes hand in hand with the Book of the Revelation, Daniel was told that "the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end." (Daniel 12:4, 9) Now we find ourselves living in the latter days, and the Revelation is not to be sealed, but rather unveiled, that we might know God's marvelous plan of the ages.

The portion of the Revelation that we would like to draw our attention to, is the message given to the seven churches, in chapter two and three. I believe that there may be several ways of looking at these seven churches. Historically speaking, these were seven churches that existed in Johns time. I would like to suggest that the messages to the churches may also apply to any individual or assembly in any given age. I would also like to suggest that there may be even another way of looking at the message to the seven churches, and that is, as representing the successive church ages down through history to this present time. Remember, the book of the Revelation is a book of prophecy,  it is an unveiling of what God wants to show his servants, and the time of this prophecy is now at hand. At the time that John had seen and wrote these things, around 96 AD, the Revelation of Jesus Christ was already unfolding. John was living in the church age, the "age of grace", and was seeing for himself the beginning of the "things which are".  The Revelation is progressive, so we will continue our walk down two thousand years of church history and on into eternity. Behold, He cometh.

G.N.C.
 

The Church of Ephesus
The Apostolic Age -  30 AD to 100 AD

 
"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of  the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." (Revelation 2:1-7)

In verse one we see that it is Christ who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, which John was previously told "are the seven churches." (Revelation 1:20) This reminds us of our Saviors words "where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them [and] lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world."  (Matthew 18:20; 28:20) Also the comforting words "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Hebrews 13:5) Through the history of the church, the Lord is always there guiding, protecting, and loving us through all our trials and blessings. He is the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand. Just as stars bear light in the darkness of night, so the Christian is to shine the glorious light of the gospel of Jesus Christ in this dark world. The seven stars are the seven angels or messengers of the seven churches.

To the church of Ephesus, which is representative of the Apostolic age, Christ mentioned that he knew their works and labour and that they carried their load with patience, and how they persevered in the gospel for the Lords name sake. We read from the Acts of the Apostles how the church was accused of  "filling Jerusalem with their doctrine" (Acts 5:28), and of  "turning the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). This was a time when they were aggressive in the preaching of the gospel. They "reasoned" (Acts 17:2), "disputed" (Acts 17:17), and were "persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God" (Acts 19:8). Because of their testimony "the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith." (Acts 6:7) Their labor was untiring as they brought forth the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ to the uttermost parts of the world.

We may remember that in Ephesus was the temple of the goddess Diana, which was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was a stronghold of idolatry (Acts 19). It was there that the people there cried "Great is Diana of the Ephesians" in protest to the preaching of the cross. But through the faithful witness of Paul the Apostle, many came to saving faith in Jesus Christ and burned their idolatrous books. So moved was this city by the preaching of the cross that those who thought it foolishness, felt it a threat to their idol making craft, and they caused such an uproar, that Paul thought it best to leave town, lest they come to the place where they would be guilty of his death.

This was a time when there was a jealousy for the truth, and the church could "not bear them which are evil." There were those who claimed to be apostles and when put to the test were found to be liars. If one professed to be a Christian you had to believe the right thing. At one time they were known for their  "faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints" (Ephesians 1:15), but as the years went by, many began to wax cold and indifferent. They lost their missionary zeal, and love for the lost. They were falling away from that love relationship with the Lord. They were losing that joy and passion that they first had when they met the Saviour. So Jesus reproves them, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." The candlestick was not producing the light that it should, so our Great High Priest takes the snuffer in hand and is watching to see if there will be repentance. Notice it says "thou hast left". You see, Christ will never leave us nor forsake us, but we may turn our back on Him. Many a Demas has left Him for the world, many a Judas has betrayed him with a kiss, many a Peter has denied Him with an oath, But He is the One who is faithful and true, the One who is always there for us, the One who will never turn his back on us, who longs for our return when we go astray. He longs for those tender kisses that we had for Him when He first saved us, and those sweet conversations we had with him into the wee hours of the night.

Maybe those of you who are married can remember when you first met your spouse, how you always wanted to be together, and when you were together your heart would beat a little faster, and there seemed to be electricity in the air, and you would often embrace one another with a passionate kiss. You had many kisses for your lover. But after several years together the electricity disappears and things begin to mellow. To this the Lord says "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works". This was, I believe, the beginning of the gradual decline to apostasy which is a characteristic of the last days.

The Ephesians were departing from their first love (the Lord). They began to turn their eyes from their True Love, and it immediately opened up the back door for wolves to enter in. In Paul's charge to the elders at Ephesus he stated "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among  you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch , and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." (Acts 20:29-31) They were forewarned to watch.  Our Lord said, "For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.  Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.  And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch."  (Mark 13:34-37)

 In the church of Ephesus, they were yet commended in that they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans which Christ also hates. Who were the Nicolaitans?  There has been a variety of views as to who these Nicolaitans were, but may we consider one view which seems to be most fitting. One view is that these are the "grievous wolves" that Paul was referring to in Acts 20:29. A party within the church that was trying "to draw away disciples after them", to establish a "Priestly Order" modeled after the Old Testament order of Priests, Levites, and common people. This might be seen in the meaning of the word Nicolaitans [Gr. Nikolaites], which is derived from two words: "Niko", which means to conquer, or have victory over; and the word "Laos", which means the people or laity. "Victory over the people", or rather, "the subjugation of the laity by the clergy". Christ created a universal "holy priesthood" (1 Peter 2:5) where every believer is a priest. The Nicolaitans object was to establish a "holy order of men", a hierarchy, and elevate, or place them over the laity, which was foreign to the New Testament plan. They wanted to draw people away after them, rather than the Lord. A separation of the Clergy from the Laity, this is a thing that God "hates". The Bible says "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim. 2:5) Such men sought the sole right to interpret the Scriptures for other Christians. The church at Ephesus was not deceived, but recognized them as false apostles, and liars. Centuries later, after Emperor Constantine's conversion, this Nicolaitan heresy produced the Babylonian hierarchy of priests, leading to the spiritual "Dark Ages" of the medieval period. The Lord professed that he did not hate these people, but their deeds.

 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches". Not everyone can hear the Word of God. Yes, they can hear the audible sound, but they miss the message. Christ often used the expression, "they have ears to hear but they hear not." Have you heard him today? Is he speaking to you? Rather than the Laity hearing what the Clergy says, the individual is called to listen to the voice of the Spirit, for He is the true Teacher of the church.
 

"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. 2:11-14)

Each letter to the seven churches ends with an exhortation and a promise,  "To him that overcometh..." The Bible tells us "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4-5) To the church of Ephesus, the overcomer is granted to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. The tree of life was forbidden to Adam and Eve because they had sinned, and their sin had separated them from their God, and brought death to the human family. But now everlasting life is offered to all who put their faith in the Son of God, our LORD JESUS CHRIST. Today, we are freely offered to come and eat of the Bread of Life, to come feed on Jesus Christ the Living Word. "Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live . . ." (Isaiah 55:2-3)
 

Church in Smyrna
Age of the Martyrs    100 AD to 312 AD

 
"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." (Revelation 2:8-11)

Christ addresses the Church in Smyrna by saying that he is "the first and the last". He also declares that he is the "Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending". In the Greek alphabet, Alpha is the first letter and Omega is the last letter. In the English language this would be like saying AZ. Just what is this signifying? In the first sentence of the Bible it states, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) In the Hebrew language the center word in Genesis 1:1 is translated from two Hebrew letters, the Aelph and Tahv. Aelph is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and Tahv is the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. These seven words in Genesis 1:1 are like a seven candlestick Menorah, and who is at the center of it all? It is the Aleph and Tahv, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. In essence Christ is stating that he is God the Creator, for "by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:16,17) Jesus Christ is the master of the universe. He is in control, "upholding all things by the word of his power". (Hebrews 1:3) In the OT, it is Jehovah, the Lord of Hosts who says that he is the First and the Last, the Creator and Redeemer, the King of Israel, the Saviour of the world, and that besides him there is no other God. (Isaiah 41:4, 44:6, 48:12-13) Jesus openly reveals his deity, that He is the Almighty. He is the "author and finisher of our faith" (Heb. 12:2), and He who has begun a good work in our lives will bring it to completion, for He is able, He is the Living God.

We have seen that those of the church in Ephesus had lost their first love, now the Lord is about to chastise them that they might return to Him. He is our High Priest, and He now takes the tongs in hand and proceeds to trim the smoldering wick, for "smoking flax shall he not quench" (Mt. 12:20). As many as He loves, He rebukes and chastens. The church in Smyrna (100 AD to 312 AD) is representative of the suffering church, or the persecuted church under the Roman Empire. The word Smyrna is derived from the word myrrh which has a bitter taste but a sweet smell, and is used in embalming dead bodies (John 19:39). Perhaps you have read Foxes Book of Martyrs, or The Martyrs Mirror, where we read about many horrendous accounts of persecution in the early church. We may find it impossible to believe that man could be that terribly cruel, but history has proven that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked, and left unrestrained knows no bounds as to the depths of depravity it can sink.  Tertullian, a bishop who came out of this age said, "The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church." The Lord says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints". (Ps. 116:15) He addresses this church saying  I am he "which was dead, and is alive". Jesus said "because I live, ye shall live also." (John 14:19) "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." (1John 4:9)

We find that this church is exempt of reproof from the Lord. The Lord said he knew of their tribulation and poverty. He told them to "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death". In the Smyrnian Period of the church, it is generally accepted by historians that there were ten outbursts of rage and fury against the Christian Church which started with Nero. The last persecution was  directed under Diocletian, and lasted ten years, from 303 AD to 313 AD which ended with the accession of Constantine to the throne of  Caesar.  The ten persecutions under their emperor and their duration are as follows:
 

Nero---64-68   (Paul was beheaded under his reign)
Domitian---95-96   (John was exiled to Patmos during that period)
Trajan---104-117   (Ignatius was burned at the stake)
Marcus Aurelius---161-180  (Polycarp was martyred)
Severus---200-211
Maximinius---235-237
Decius---250-253
Valerian---257-260
Aurelian---270-275
Diocletian---303-313   (The worst emperor of all)

We can also see who is the real entity behind the persecution of the Church, for we are told "the devil shall cast some of you into prison". There was much pain and suffering for the church throughout this period of history.  Tacitus, a historian of that day records:
 

            "Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populaces. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberus at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired."

Christians were rooted out of the general public and were required to bow down to pagan deities or to idols of Caesar who was declared to be a god. They could either bow down to Caesar and recant of their faith, or face an unpleasant death. But Christ says "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." The overcomers in this period are promised that they shall not be hurt of the second death, which is to be cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Those who partake in the first resurrection will never die again but have eternal life. The second resurrection is for the lost, for those who have not been born again, who will be resurrected unto eternal damnation. A preacher named D. L. Moody summed it up like this, "He who is born once will die twice, but he who is born twice will die once." In the Encyclopedia Britannia, we see further the persecution of the church during the Age of the Martyrs, which lasted until the legalization of Christianity by Emperor Constantine:
 

"In AD 64 a fire destroyed much of Rome; the emperor Nero killed a "vast multitude" of Christians as scapegoats. . . Nero's persecution was local and short. Soon thereafter, however, the profession of Christianity was defined as a capital crime, though of a special kind because one gained pardon by apostasy (rejection of faith once confessed) demonstrated by offering sacrifice to the pagan gods or the emperor. . . . The governor of Bithynia in AD 111, the younger Pliny, told the emperor Trajan that to his surprise he discovered the Christians to be guilty of no vice, only of obstinacy and superstition. Nevertheless, he executed without a qualm those who refused to apostasize. . . At any time in the 2nd or 3rd centuries, Christians could find themselves the object of unpleasant attention. A pogrom could be precipitated by a bad harvest, a barbarian attack, or a public festival of the emperor cult. . . In 248-250, when Germanic tribes threatened the empire, popular hostility culminated in the persecution under the emperor Decius (Reigned 249-251): by edict all citizens were required to offer sacrifice and to obtain from commissioners a certificate witnessing to the act. . . Under Marcus Aurelius, the difficulties of the times often caused the Christians, who refused to sacrifice to the state gods and to participate in the imperial cult, to be accused of provoking the wrath of the gods: martyrs appeared in the East, in Rome, in Gaul, and in Africa."

There is yet a day coming when history will repeat itself and another Roman Caesar (antichrist, the beast) is going to arise  "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thessalonians 2:4) There will be an image made unto the beast (antichrist) and "as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed." (Revelation 13:15) This is what is known as the abomination of desolation which will take place at midpoint of the seven year tribulation. (Mt. 24:15, Dan. 9:27, 11:31, 12:11)

The church in the Smyrnian Period endured many trials. They were so consumed with the Lord, that in their minds, their present sufferings were nothing compared with the glory that should follow. This was the attitude of the early church. Paul would say, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).  Today we are not promised a bed of roses, for "In the world ye shall have tribulation". Peter said, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:  But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.  If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." (1Peter 4:12-14) If you are a Christian, this is the fact of the matter, that you will suffer persecution. If you are not ashamed of our Lord, if you confess him before men, you can count on some degree of persecution in this world.

Paul would say, "Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:  Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.  Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not,  yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." (2Tim. 2:8-13)  Paul would say of the churches of Macedonia, "How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality." (2Cor. 8:2)

Even though the church at Smyrna was in deep poverty, Christ said "but thou art rich". Jesus said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves  break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where  thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your  heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21) Their treasure was in heaven. That is where our inheritance is. They would not make friends with the world, but counted themselves as pilgrims upon this earth. They were looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. They were so heavenly minded, that they were thought to be no earthly good, and they suffered as did their Lord at the hands of wicked men, of whom the world was not worthy.

In that day and age, Jesus knew "the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." Who  then is a Jew? "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and  circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Romans 2:28,29) Abraham was the first Jew, and he is recorded as being the father of the faithful, for he believed God, and his faith was counted to him for righteousness. (Romans 4) The outward Jew may characterize the religious person who has a "form of godliness, but denying the power thereof". (2 Timothy 3:5) The Bible tells us that "the gospel of Christ...is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth". (Romans 1:16) Do we see the gospel being denied today in the name of religion? Where the gospel is cast aside for the sake of ritual, or ceremony and false unity? Where material things and the rituals themselves become the object of worship, rather than God and His Son? We see this all throughout history. In Jesus' day, he said that these "shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." (Mt. 23:13) That is the tragic end of religion without Christ.  He characterized the religious Pharisees as "like unto whited sepulchers, 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) They were Jews outwardly, but to these the Lord says, ye "are the synagogue of Satan."  Their makeup was but a shallow covering to the all seeing eye of the Lord.
 

The Church in Pergamos
The State Church   312 AD - 590 AD

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Revelation 2:12-17)

The Sword of the Lord

In the Bible a sword is symbolic of judgment. We find that this is the sword that shall smite the nations at the battle of Armageddon. "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." (Rev. 19:15) That this sword comes out of His mouth signifies that it is the Word of God, for "the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12) Jesus said, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him the last day." (John 12:48)

It is this very same weapon which is part of the Christian soldiers armor, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God". (Ephesians 6:17)  This great sword is to be that by which we live (Luke 4:4), speak (Acts 4:31), preach (2Tim 4:2), teach, and glorify (Acts 13:48). The weapon of our warfare is "not carnal (physical), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds" (2Cor. 10:4-5) The great truths of God, however, do no good sheathed between the covers of our Bibles. It is with this weapon that we may save lost souls against the forces of the wicked one, for "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17) As Christians, we need to take out our swords, open our mouths, and preach the Word!

He who rejects the pardon of sin that God has offered us through his Son Jesus, will find himself under the judgment of the Word of God which they have rejected. They will be judged for sin which is the transgression of the law. But by the grace of God, Jesus Christ was judged in our place on Calvary's cross to atone for our sins. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5:8-9) His blood was shed in the place of ours. How important it is to let the world know what fearful judgment awaits for those outside of accepting  Jesus Christ by faith as personal Lord and Saviour.

Prophetic Mystery

We might remind ourselves once again that the letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor were not only to seven historical churches, which existed some 1900 years ago, but may also be viewed in the prophetic sense, as representing the successive "church ages" down through history, which are characteristic of the seven churches, up to this very present time. "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Rev. 19:10) The Revelation is the unveiling of what God wants to show his servants.

In the New Testament we find what are called the "Mysteries of God". A Mystery in the New Testament sense is not something that cannot be understood, but is some plan or purpose of God that has been known to Him from the beginning, but which He has withheld from the knowledge of men until the time came for Him to reveal it. Within the book of the Revelation we find "The mystery of . . . the seven golden candlesticks. . . .and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches." (Rev. 1:20) In my opinion the Mystery of these Seven Candlesticks lay in the fact that the Seven Churches mentioned are representative Churches, whose history was typical of the history of the Christian Church for the past 1900 years. This Mystery could not be understood until the present time, or until the correspondence between the character of those Churches and Church history should be revealed.

Historical Periods

We have examined the church at Ephesus that was representative of the Apostolic Age, which covered the church from it's birth at Pentecost up until approximately 100 A.D. During this period the mystery of iniquity was already at work. The church did try them who said they were apostles, and were not, but found them to be liars. They had a zeal for the truth, but, the church at Ephesus was rebuked for having lost their first love. There was very little manifestation of the Spirit of Love. A cold hard censorious devotion to doctrine can never make up for a tender Christ like brotherly love for one another. The church was in danger of loosing its testimony so Christ gives the solemn exhortation, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."  It is because the Love of  God is shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that the world will hear the gospel message, not mere doctrinal correctness. A church without love will cause the world to turn in scorn from its message. Unless they repent they stood to have their candlestick removed, and their testimony in this dark world would be no more.

During the next period we find the Lord chastening his people that they might repent and do the first works. The church at Smyrna represented the suffering church or Age of the Martyrs. During this period there were ten great outbursts of rage and  persecution against the church of God, which was signified by the "ten days" of tribulation. Remember the Lord "sent and signified" His Revelation, by his angel, to John, to us. Smyrna is derived from the word myrrh, which was a spice used to anoint the dead. It had a bitter taste but a sweet smell. Christ told his disciples, "If they [the world] have persecuted me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20), and that the time would come "that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service." (John 16:2) They were true to Christ despite persecution and poverty. This period lasted up until the "Edict of Milan" in 312 A.D. which permanently established religious toleration for Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.

This is the beginning of the third period in the history of Christendom, which is represented by the church in Pergamos. Pergamos is derived from two Greek words, Per, which means "altogether" or "indeed", and the word Gamos, which means "married". This was the period in history in which the church married the world. Satan attempted to destroy the church from outside during the Smyrnian period, which effect separated false brethren from the true. It separated those who having put their hand to the plow were more than willing to look back, from those who were willing rather to die than deny their Lord. It became a sanctifying period for the church, which purified their faith through their many trials and tribulations. But now, in the Pergamos period, Satan's new attempt to destroy Christianity, is to try and destroy the church in its true character and testimony from within, using religious men and teachers to accomplish his deadly work.

The State Church

In 312 A.D. Constantine became the emperor of Rome. It was Constantine who stopped all persecutions against the Christians and legalized Christianity. He himself professed to be a Christian, but was not baptized till just before his death. Although he claimed to be a Christian, Constantine retained the title of Pontifex Maximus, which was the title of the chief priest of the pagan priesthood. Constantine also became known as the Vicar of Christ and the Bishop of Bishops. These three titles, the popes, and his successors retain to this day. For several hundred years people would only become a Christian after a deep conviction from the Lord, as it would undoubtedly lead to their persecution and possible death, but when Christianity was legalized, it became the popular thing to be a Christian. Now that it was an honor to be a Christian, many people who were still idolaters began to join the church without repenting of their evil deeds. Their hearts and lives remained unchanged. Encyclopedia Britannia states:
 

"Thanks to Constantine the new religion triumphed more rapidly; his official support led to the conversion of numerous pagans, although with doubtful sincerity because they were indifferent in their moral conviction. . . The church, so recently persecuted, was now suddenly showered with favors: the construction of magnificent churches (Rome, Constantinople), donations and grants, exemptions from decurial duties for the clergy, juridical competence's for the bishops, and exceptional promotions for Christian officials. Pagans were not persecuted, however, and Constantine retained the title of Pontifex Maximus. . . The link between church and state was expressed in the civil dignity and insignia granted to bishops, who also began to be entrusted with ambassadorial roles. By 400 the patriarch of Constantinople (to his avowed embarrassment) enjoyed precedence at court before all civil officials. In the writings of Ambrose (bishop of Milan, 374-397), "Roman" and "Christian" are almost synonyms. . . . most Christians thought of the church and empire as virtually coterminous (united)."

Christianity was then tolerated as one of the many other religions of the empire. But by 324 A.D., Constantine wanted the whole of the empire to become "Christian" and began to issue edicts against paganism. Pagans were banished from the courts and Christians advanced to posts of honor. The church that was called to be separate from the world, was slowly beginning to embrace it. Gorgeous heathen temples were consecrated for Christian service. Where Christian buildings were destroyed during the persecutions, they were given back and new and expensive church buildings were put up. The bishops were paid much money and began to grow rich.

In order to reconcile the priests, and the people of ancient superstitions, to the new order of things, many pagan rites and ceremonies were adopted by the church, thus falsifying the churches character as a witness for holiness and truth. These effects remain until this day. Worship and veneration of idols which came from paganism was melded into Christianity. Statues of Isis and Horus, the mother goddess with child, had their names changed to Mary and Jesus. The names of Romulus and Remus which were Rome's protecting patrons were changed to Peter and Paul. Constantine thought that he would make the world more Christian, but all he really did was to make the church more like the world. After a while it became hard to distinguish the difference between the Christian and the idolater. Much of paganism was melded into the church to entice the pagans to accept Christianity. Baptismal regeneration, justification by works, penance as a satisfaction to God's justice, the unbloody sacrifice of the mass, extreme unction, purgatory, and prayers for the dead, were all adopted into the church from paganism, of which can be proven to have derived from Babylon.

Many pagan festivals also were adopted with their names being changed. Saturnalia which was celebrated on December 25 in honor of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven, was changed to Christmas.  The festival of Astarte or Ishtar, the Chaldean goddess, was observed by pagans, also known as Easter. At this time of year, Christians observed, what was in the third or fourth centuries called Pasch or the Passover, and though not of Apostolic institution, was very early observed by many professing Christians, in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Christ. Easter and Pasch were melded into one celebration. Many other pagan festivals had their titles changed to feasts of various saints. To reconcile the pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome, pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan festivals amalgamated, and, by a complicated but skillful adjustment of the calendar, it was found no difficult matter, in general, to get Paganism and Christianity, now far sunk in idolatry, in this as in so many other things, to shake hands.

This idolatrous adoption of pagan rites, festivals, ceremonies and rituals is so contrary to scripture. The Bible tells us, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."  (2 Cor. 6:14-18)

It was during this period that the title of Pontifex Maximus was transferred from the Roman Emperor to the Bishop of Rome. In 376, the Roman Emperor Gratian, apparently for Christian reasons, refused the title of Pontifex Maximus. He also ordered the pagan statue of Victory removed from the Roman Senate. But in 378 the title of Pontifex Maximus was bestowed upon the Bishop of Rome, Damasus I. Damasus was  the first to refer to Rome as the "apostolic see", to distinguish it as that established by the apostle Peter, and claim was made from here on, as to the primacy of the Roman Church over all other churches, with the Roman Pontiff as its head. During this age, it was also decreed that all other bishops should obey the bishop of Rome. This title of Pontiff or pope, which means father (Mt. 23:9), remains as the Bishop of Rome's title to this day. He also willingly accepts the title of "Holy Father", which Jesus called His Father in heaven. As time went on the Bishop of Rome's power kept increasing. Clarence Larkin gives us an excellent rendition of the historical aspects of the Pontifex Maximus. Speaking of Babel, He states:
 

"This was the origin of nations, but the nations were not scattered abroad over the face of the earth until Satan had implanted in them the "Virus" of a doctrine that has been the very source of every false religion the world has ever known.
   Babel, or Babylon, was built by Nimrod. Gen. 10:8-10. It was the seat of the first great apostasy. Here the "Babylonian Cult" was invented, a system claiming to posses the highest wisdom and to reveal the divinest secrets. Before a member could be initiated he had to "confess" to the Priest. The Priest then had him in his power. This is the secret of the power of the Priests of the Roman Catholic Church today.
   Once admitted into this order men were no longer Babylonians, Assyrians, or Egyptians, but members of a Mystical Brotherhood, over whom was placed a Pontiff or "High Priest," whose word was law. The city of Babylon continued to be the seat of Satan until the fall of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian Empires, when he shifted his Capital to Pergamos in Asia Minor, where it was in John's day. Rev. 2:12, 13.
   When Attalus, the Pontiff and King of Pergamos, died in B. C. 133, he bequeathed the Headship of the "Babylonian Priesthood" to Rome. When the Etruscans came to Italy from Lydia (the region of Pergamos), they brought with them the Babylonian religion and rites. They set up a Pontiff who was head of the Priesthood. Later the Romans accepted this Pontiff as their civil ruler. Julius Caesar was made Pontiff of the Etruscan Order in B. C. 74. In B. C. 63 he was made the "Supreme Pontiff" of the Babylonian Order," thus becoming heir to the rights and titles of Attalus, Pontiff of Pergamos, who had made Rome his heir by will. Thus the first Roman Emperor became the Head of the "Babylonian Priesthood," and Rome the successor of Babylon. The Emperors of Rome continued to exercise the office of "Supreme Pontiff" until A. D. 376, when the Emperor Gratian, for Christian reasons, refused it. The Bishop of the Church at Rome, Damasus, was elected to the position. He had been Bishop 12 years, having been made Bishop in A. D. 366, through the influence of the monks of Mt. Carmel, a college of Babylonian religion originally founded by the priests of Jezebel. So in A. D. 378 the Head of the "Babylonian Order" became the Ruler of the "Roman Church." Thus Satan united Rome and Babylon In One Religious System.
   Soon after Damasus was made "Supreme Pontiff" the "rites" of  Babylon began to come to the front….."

Alexander Hislop , in his excellent exposition, "The Two Babylons" states:
 

   "Still the Sovereign Pontiff of Rome, even after the Etruscan idolatry was absorbed into the Roman system, was only an offshoot from the grand original Babylonian system. He was a devoted worshipper of the Babylonian god; but he was not the legitimate representative of that god. The true legitimate Babylonian Pontiff had his seat beyond the bounds of the Roman Empire. That seat, after the death of Belshazzar, and the expulsion of the Chaldean priesthood from Babylon by the Medo-Persian kings, was at Pergamos, where afterwards was one of the seven churches of Asia. There, in consequence, for many centuries was "Satan's seat" (rev. 2:13). There, under favour of the deified kings of Pergamos, was his favorite abode, there was the worship of Aesculapius, under the form of a serpent, celebrated with frantic orgies and excesses, that elsewhere were kept under some measure of restraint. At first, the Roman Pontiff had no immediate connection with Pergamos and the hierarchy there; yet, in course of time, the Pontificate of Rome and the Pontificate of Pergamos came to be identified. Pergamos itself became part and parcel of the Roman Empire, when Attalus III., the last of its kings, at his death, left by will all his dominions to the Roman people, B. C. 133. For some time after the kingdom of Pergamos was merged in the Roman dominions, there was no one who could set himself openly and advisedly to lay claim to all the dignity inherent in the old title of the kings of Pergamos. The original powers even of the Roman Pontiffs seem to have been by that time abridged, but when Julius Caesar, who had previously been elected Pontifex Maximus, became also, as Emperor, the supreme civil ruler of the Romans, then, as head of the Roman state, and head of the Roman religion, all the powers and functions of the true legitimate Babylonian Pontiff were supremely vested in him, and he found himself in a position to assert these powers. Then he seems to have laid claim to the divine dignity of Attalus, as well as the kingdom that Attalus had bequethed to the Romans, as centering in himself; for his well-known watchword, "Venus Genetrix," which meant that Venus was the mother of the Julian race, appears to have been intended to make him "The Son" of the great goddess, even as the "Bull-horned" Attalus had been regarded. Then, on certain occasions, in the exercise of his high pontifical office, he appeared of course in all the pomp of the Babylonian costume, as Belshazzar himself might have done, in robes of scarlet (Dan 5:7, 29), with the croiser of Nimrod in his hand, wearing the mitre of Dagon and bearing the keys of Janus and Cybele. Thus did matters continue, as already stated, even under so-called Christian emperors; who, as a slave to their conciences, appointed a heathen as their substitute in the performance of the more directly idolatrous functions of the pontificate (that substitute, however, acting in their name and by their authority), until the reign of Gratian, who, as shown by Gibbon, was the first who refused to be arrayed in the idolatrous pontifical attire, or to act as Pontifex."

Satan's Throne

As Christianity began to embrace the world, Jesus told the church at Pergamos, "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is". Where is Satan's throne? First, let  us remember what Jesus said regarding his kingdom, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36) Today Christ is seated at the right hand of His Father till his enemies be made his footstool. But the Lord gave us an example to pray, "thy kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (Mt. 6:10), and we can be sure that this prayer  shall be fulfilled.

In the mean time, the Bible tells us that "the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not" (2 Corinthians 4:4), and that it is "Satan, which deceiveth the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). He is the "prince of the power of the air" who "as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour." We are told "be not conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). We are told "the whole world lieth in wickedness." (1John 5:19) And "that the works thereof are evil." (John 7:7) Therefore we are told "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life (world); that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." (2 Tim. 2:4) A church which calls itself Christian and yet courts alliance with the godless system of this world commits spiritual adultery. The apostle James says, "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." (James 4:4) Jesus said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:18,19) Therefore, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15)  It is Jesus "who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father" (Galatians 1:4) "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2).

I believe we can safely say that Satan's throne for the time being is on planet Earth. He is "the prince of this world". (John 12:31) When Satan offered the kingdoms of this world to Christ (Mt. 4:8-10), he could rightly do so. When Adam sinned he sold out his right to the rulership and dominion of this world that God had given him, somewhat like when Esau sold his birthright for a pot of porridge to Jacob.

Christ said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). During the tribulation we find an angel pouring "out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness." (Rev. 16:10) Another angel sounded, and there were great voices from heaven saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever." (Rev. 11:15) Jesus Christ is indeed going to set up his kingdom on this earth and reign for ever, but His kingdom is yet to come. For now, He is gone "into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." (Luke 19:12) One day he will return and sit upon the throne of his father David. When He sits upon the throne He will "put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet." (1Cor. 15:24-25) May our focus be on Jesus Christ and His coming, and not preoccupied with the things of this world, which are but chaff in the wind.

If we could learn from history, we see that trying to mix Christianity with the world system, the Church and State, results in apostate Christianity. If only Christendom could see, that getting involved with the affairs of this world, only result in the Christian becoming more like the world, not the other way around. The Apostle Paul would tell the carnal Corinthians, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame." (1Cor. 15:33-34)

But all throughout history there was always a faithful remnant who would stand up for the truth of the gospel and counted themselves as "strangers and pilgrims on the earth", who "desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:13,16) Abraham, the father of the faithful, did not look to this world for a kingdom. "By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:  For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:8-10) The Bible tells us that " we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:18)

Antipas

During this period we find one known as Antipas, who was known as Jesus' faithful martyr. The word Antipas is derived from two Greek words, anti, and pas, which means "against everything". He was the one that stood up in the midst of this apostasy and said, "I do not agree with the ecumenical intercourse that is taking place with the world, and the direction that we are heading", and they killed him among them where Satan dwelleth. There may come a time if you do not go along with the system of things, you too might find yourself an outcast and among the persecuted. You may find yourself cast outside of the circle of your so called friends because of your stand for the truth, and your unwillingness to go along with the flow. Antipas was against everything. Why? He could see that the world had so infiltrated the church, that he could no longer be silent, but they had the greater voice. While Antipas would not tolerate that which was contrary to the Word of God, or to compromise the faith that we are called to earnestly contend for, they would not tolerate him, and they killed him, Christ's faithful martyr.

Balaam

"But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." Who was Balaam? He was a man  who was regarded as a prophet (although he was a false prophet, 2 Peter 2:1, 15-17), and it was thought that whoever he would curse would be cursed, and whoever he would bless would be blessed. (Num. 22:6) He was one who had some knowledge of God but dwelt among the idolaters, and it was through his council that Israel committed trespass against the Lord. (Numbers 25:1-4, 31:16) Although he professed that the Lord was his God (Num. 22:18, Mt. 7:21-23) his true motives found him out. Balaam ended up fighting against Israel, Gods chosen people, and was slain (Num. 31:8). The "way" or the "error of Balaam" may be summed up as religion for money, for Balaam sought to give council for a price (Jude 11).

But, the "error of Balaam" is different from the "doctrine of Balaam", which is here mentioned in the letter to Pergamos. It says that Balaam "taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." What Balaam taught Balac, became his teaching or his doctrine. Balaam taught Balac that if he could break down the walls of separation between the wicked Moabites and the nation Israel, God would fight against his own people. What Balaam could not do in cursing Israel, Balac accomplished in the iniquity of Baal-Peor. Israel committed not only physical fornication with the daughters of Moab, but spiritual fornication as well, in that they joined themselves with the Gentiles in their false religion. They joined themselves to that which was forbidden. Israel was to be a distinct and separate nation. The Bible says of Israel, "Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly."  (Deut. 7:3-4)

The church too is guilty of having illicit intercourse with the world when the things of this world become the object of her affection. The same may be true when she tolerates an ecumenical courtship with the religions of this world, or apostate Christianity, casting aside the doctrine of separation, as laid out in God's Word. Balaam's doctrine of ecumenism is contrary to the Biblical teaching of separation. In the Pergamos Period, evil things were tolerated and unholy alliances formed. Biblical separation was tossed aside for the sake of ecumenical unity. The Lord says to "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." The Lord will not tolerate iniquity in his professed people. This is a message that is desperately needed for today, as the church in many places are dwelling comfortably on Satan's throne, settled down in the world, with no thought of separation to Christ. What a sad thing when the Lord has to take sides as it were, against His people, but he will not tolerate iniquity in his saints. Surely we all need to heed the call to repent.

The Nicolaitans

" So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."  The church was also guilty of having them which held the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Who were the Nicolaitans? I believe that the only way that we can find out who the Nicolaitans are today, is by looking to the meaning of the name. The name Nicolaitans is derived from two Greek words, nikao, which means victory, and laos which means the people. The Nicolaitans had victory over the people. Also, the word laitan, is where we get the word "laity" which means the people collectively, apart from the clergy. So when you see the clergy ruling over the laity by their own set of traditional doctrine and rules, you have the Nicolaitans. Contrary to this, Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and said that they (apostles) did not "have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand." (2Cor. 1:24) Peter would say, "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." (1Peter 5:3)

We might note that in the letter to the church at Ephesus, it was said, "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." At first  the church was commended for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans. But in time, we see that the deeds became the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. They turned their false traditions into church doctrine, and taught it as the rule for practice. In the church at Ephesus, the false traditions of the Nicolaitans, as well as the false apostles, were not tolerated. But in time, the church at Pergamos was reproved by the Lord because they were tolerating within the church them who held the doctrine of the Nicolaitians and of Balaam. The sin of the church was the toleration of evil and evil men within. To this the Lord says "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." Repentance or judgment.

To compromise doctrine and the faith as to not offend others for the sake of unity, will most assuredly result, rather, in one offending God.

The only true unity within biblical Christianity is that within the body of Christ. When we repent of our sins and receive Christ as Saviour, we become one in Christ. Unity within His body subsists in His truth with those members whose wills are bent in obedience to that truth.
 

Church in Thyatira
The Papal Church   600 AD to 1517 AD

 
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 2:18-29)

"I know thy works . . . and thy works; and the last to be more than the first." In verse 19 we have an interesting saying that seems to indicate that the works of the church were quite intense. I have wondered about this saying,  how works are so emphasized. Could it be possible that works in this church became so important, that it was thought they were necessary for salvation? And that the works themselves ("their deeds", v. 22) became the basis of salvation? Which Jesus contrasted to "my works" (v.26), which is to believe on Him (John 6:29). Today this is the case in many of the religious denominations, and cults, where salvation is by works. But the Bible tells us "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us". (Titus 3:5) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."  (Ephesians 2:8,9) "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." (Romans 4:5-7)

In the letter to the Church in Thyatira, we learn of a spiritual prophetess called Jezebel. The Lord said he had something against the church, in that, they tolerated that woman Jezebel. In the address to the church of Ephesus, they were commended for not being able to tolerate them which were evil. But now, the church of Thyatira was tolerating that wicked woman Jezebel. Who was this woman Jezebel? Jezebel is well known in Biblical history.  She was married to king Ahab, an apostate king of Israel. Their matrimonial union made  her a queen.  Her main accomplishments lay in seducing king Ahab, and corrupting the Jewish religion by introducing into Israel the religion of Baal. (1 Kings 16:30-33) She was a persecutor and murderer of the saints (1 Kings 18:4,13, 19:1-3, 2 Kings 9:7), and sought to do away with the worship of the one true God. She was an idolater, and was known for her whoredoms and witchcraft. (1 Kings 18:19, 2 Kings 9:22)

By her is meant the apostate church of Rome. As Jezebel sought to lead Israel from the true worship of God, so the Roman hierarchy has led the church of Christ away from the simplicity of the gospel. From Christ to Mary. From the one Mediator, Christ, to the dead. From the one offering of eternal value, to the sacrifice of the mass. From the Word of God, to the traditions of men. From Christianity in general, to paganized Christianity. Like Jezebel, they have led the Lord's people into idolatry, and have usurped the authority of God.  This church claims to be God's only true representative on earth, but in reality she seduces God's servants "to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."

As Jezebel was a persecutor and murderer of the saints, so too the papacy has been guilty of the murder of thousands of the saints through her Inquisitions and Crusades. Jezebel's religion goes back to Babel and started with Nimrod.  It is said that Nimrod's wife believed her son, Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14), was born without a human father.  She became known as the Queen of Heaven and was worshipped as such (Jer. 7:18, 44:15-30).  Jezebel introduced this teaching into Judaism, likewise, the papacy has carried it over in their worship of Mary. As Jezebel strongly influenced her husband Ahab, so it is that this spiritual Jezebel strongly influenced the Church in Thyatira.

This woman called herself a prophetess, to "teach and seduce", or rather, to deceive and mislead God's "servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." Fornication and Idolatry, the two errors of Pergamos, are here, more settled and intensified. The wafers of the Roman mass are said to be "transubstantiated" by their priesthood into Jesus, and are then bowed down to, and worshipped as God. The wafer god is then sacrificed on the Roman altar for the sins of the people. The sacrifice is never over, but goes on day in and day out, denying the eternal efficacy of the once for all finished sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the altar of the cross. This denies the Word of God that says "Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." (Heb. 10:18) "Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;  For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Heb. 9:25-26) "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;  Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." (Heb 7:26-27) "It is finished". (John 19:30)

"No blood, no altar now,
The sacrifice is o'er;
No flame, no smoke ascends on high,
The lamb is slain no more;
But richer blood has flowed from nobler veins,
To purge the soul from guilt, and cleans the
reddest stains."

 
That she is tolerated to teach shows the corruption from within.  She is the one who proclaims to have an infallible interpretation of scripture, and an abundance of unwritten traditions which are regarded as the infallible rule of faith and practice. She concludes that she is the authority rather than the Word of God, and that she is the teacher rather than the Holy Spirit.

She was given opportunity "to repent of her fornication", for the Lord is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance,  "but she repented not." She is therefore cast into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her will go into the great tribulation unless they repent of her deeds. Those who commit adultery with her, in turn produce offspring, and Christ says he will kill her children with death, that is, the second death. They have succumbed to the "depths of Satan". This is the sad end of her spiritual siblings and the followers of her teaching. Jesus says "all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reigns and hearts".

Those who partake of her sin's will be cast into "great tribulation" unless they repent of their deeds. The phrase "great tribulation" is mentioned two other times in the Bible (Mt. 24:21 Rev 7:14), and both refer to the time of God's wrath on an unrepentant mankind, after the true church is caught up to be with the Lord. This indicates that the characteristics of this apostate church will run its course right on through to the Great Tribulation and to the Second Coming of Christ. We see the full blossom of this apostate church in Revelation 17 & 18. She is identified as the "great whore", the "mother of harlots", but says in her heart, "I sit a queen". And a cry comes out from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins".

In this age the power of the government became less and less, and the power of the pope became more and more. This trend continued until the pope became the most powerful ruler in the world. This period in history is referred to by some as the Dark Ages. The general population were ignorant of the Word of God, for they did not have any copies of the Scriptures to help them. There were also very few who were educated to read.  By 700 AD, the worship of idols was a great evil in the church. There were schisms in the church by some Christians to stop this. There were even two emperors in the east who ordered all the images to be taken out of the church buildings and destroyed. There were many arguments about this but finally the idolatry prevailed. The pope eventually became more powerful than the emperors and claimed the right to make kings and remove them. They claimed supreme authority over the church and that all were to be subject unto them. Some of them became the most corrupt and wicked people of that time in history.

During this age there was a remnant who loved the Lord, who preached the gospel and would not tolerate the false teachings of the Roman church. Some of these were known as the Waldenses, Albigenses, Lollards, the Wickliffites, and others. These would not succumb to the depths of Satan and rejected the doctrines of the Roman church. Many of these were greatly persecuted and even killed for their faith. The pope hated them because they would not obey him. In 1232 AD the Roman church started what is known as the Inquisition, and sought out those who did not agree with the Roman church's teachings, and many thousands of the saints were persecuted and killed as Satan tried to snuff out the light of the world. These centuries were indeed dark because an apostate church had arisen to a position of awesome power and made every effort to keep truth and salvation from the people.

To the little flock of the Good Shepherd, He says, "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."   The Lord will not tarry for ever, His love is eternal but His patience is not. In the midst of such an apostate hour he bids us to hold fast that which we have; do not let it slip out of our hands; be on guard that we do not succumb to the depths of Satan, when false teachers seem to have all the prominent positions in "Christendom". But one day the Bright and Morning Star will come in great glory and power, and we will enter into that eternal rest and reign with Him. In contrast to the great power that the ecclesiastical hierarchy of Rome has had, Jesus says, "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father." (Rev. 2:26-27) The apostle Paul explained this to the Corinthians "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" (1Cor. 6:2)
 

CHANGES WHICH WERE MADE IN THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH DURING THIS ERA.

(2nd century)  Presbyters first called priests by Lucian.
(3rd century) Sacerdotal mass instituted by Cyprian.
(3rd century) Infant baptism.
(A.D. 300) Prayers for the dead.
(A.D.300) Making the sign of the cross.
(A.D.320) Wax candles.
(A.D. 375) Veneration of angels and dead saints and use of images.
(A.D. 378) Damasus I, bishop of Rome, takes title of Pontifex Maximus when Emperor Gratian refuses the title.
(A.D. 394) Mass became a daily ritual.
(A.D. 431)  Beginning of the exaltation of Mary, the term "Mother of God" first applied to her by the Council of Ephesus.
(A.D. 500) Priests began to wear special clothing, differently from laymen.
(A.D. 526) Extreme Unction (Last rites).
(A.D. 593) The doctrine of purgatory by Gregory I.
(A.D. 600) Latin used in worship.
(A.D. 600) Prayers offered to Mary, dead saints and angels.
(A.D. 610) Boniface III, First man to be crowned universal pope.
(A.D. 709) Kissing the pope's feet.
(A.D. 750)  Temporal power of popes, conferred by Pepin, King of the Franks.
(A.D. 786) Veneration of the cross, images and relics authorized.
(A.D. 850) Holy water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by a priest.
(A.D. 890) Veneration of St. Joseph.
(A.D. 927) College of Cardinals begun.
(A.D. 965) Baptism of bells instituted by Pope John XIII.
(A.D. 995) Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV.
(A.D. 998) Fasting on Fridays and Lent.
(11th century)The mass developed gradually as a sacrifice, attendance made obligatory.
(A.D. 1079) Celibacy of priests declared.
(A.D. 1090) The rosary adopted from pagans by Peter the Hermit.
(A.D. 1184) The Inquisition instituted by Council of Verona.
(A.D. 1190) Sale of indulgences.
(12th century) Seven sacraments, defined by Peter Lombard.
(A.D. 1215) Transubstantiation, defined by Pope Innocent III.
(A.D. 1215) Auricular confession of sins to a priest instead of God, instituted by Pope Innocent III.
(A.D. 1220) Adoration of the wafer (host), decreed by Pope Honorius III.
(A.D. 1229) Bible forbidden to laymen, placed on the index of forbidden books by the Council of Valencia.
(A.D. 1251) Scapular invented by Simon Stock of England.
(A.D. 1414) The cup forbidden to the laity at communion by Council of Constance.
(A.D. 1439) Purgatory proclaimed a dogma by the Council of Florence.
(A.D. 1439) Doctrine of seven Sacraments affirmed.
(A.D. 1508) The Ave Maria approved (Hail to Mary).
(A.D. 1534) Jesuit order founded.
(A.D. 1545) Tradition declared of equal authority with the Bible by the Council of Trent.
(A.D. 1546) Apocryphal books added to the Bible by the Council of Trent.
(A.D. 1854) Immaculate Conception of Mary proclaimed by Pope Pius IX.
(A.D. 1864) Syllabus of Errors proclaimed by Pope Pius IX and ratified by the Vatican Council; condemned freedom of religion, conscience, speech, press and scientific discoveries which are disapproved by the Roman Church; asserted the pope's temporal authority over all civil rulers.
(A.D. 1870) Infallibility of the pope in matters of faith and morals proclaimed by the Vatican Council.
(A.D. 1950) Assumption of Mary proclaimed by Pope Pius XI.
(A.D. 1965) Mary proclaimed Mother of the Church by Pope Paul VI.
 
 

The Church in Sardis
The Reformation Church   1517 AD to 1750 AD

 
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which  remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. (Revelation 3:1-6)

"He that hath the seven Spirits of God". It is Jesus Christ who has the seven Spirits signifying the completeness or fullness of Christ in the Holy Spirit. "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Col. 2:9) "God, hath anointed (him) with the oil of gladness above thy fellows." (Heb. 1:9) And "God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." (John 3:34) There is only one Holy Spirit, and it is Jesus Christ who sent Him into the world, for when he ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men. "And of his fulness have all we recieved, and grace for grace." (John 1:16) "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." (Eph. 4:7) Paul would say that we "are complete in him" (Col. 2:10), yet at the same time, we are told that grace is given in measure to every believer in Jesus Christ. "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith [and] gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us" (Romans 12:3, 6). The church in Sardis represents the Protestant church, and what the Protestant church needs today is the Spirit of God working in it.

"He that hath . . . the seven stars." The seven stars cannot be separated in relation to Christ, for they are the angels or the messengers of the seven churches, which void of the Spirit of Christ would only result in a cold, carnal, and humanly ordained ministry. The stars are to be the light bearers of the churches and are to shine for Christ in the absence of the King. Through the ages, Christ has sent various men into the world to shine the light of the glorious gospel for him. They were instruments in his hand, and none were able to snatch them from Him. They were kept by his power, and used mightily for his glory.

It was an Augustinian monk by the name of Martin Luther who came to the realization of the many errors that were present within the church of his day.  He discovered the Pauline doctrine of "justification by faith", which became the watchword of the Reformation. He stood on the ground that the scriptures alone were the sole authority by which man must live. One heretical doctrine of the church that he first could not reconcile with, was the sale of indulgences for the building of  St. Peters Basilica. The idea that man could purchase an indulgence from the church for a set amount of money for his immediate release from purgatory, or for the remission of sins, resulted in Luther launching his Ninety-five Theses. He took these and nailed them to the door of the chapel of the church in Wittenburg, on the eve of All Saints Day, October 31, 1517. They included three main concerns. First of all, financial abuses. For example, considering the poverty of the German people, he would rather see St. Peter's Basilica in Rome lay in ashes, rather than being built out of the blood and hide of his sheep. Secondly, doctrinal abuses. For example, the pope had no jurisdiction over the fictitious place of purgatory, and if he did, he should empty the place free of charge. Thirdly, religious abuses. For example, the treasury of the merits of the saints was denied by implication, in the assertion that the treasury of the church was the gospel.

What could have been reduced to a local incident, due to the invention of the printing press, got wide publication. This resulted in the papacy pronouncing Luther a heretic, and a papal bull excommunicating him from the church. Luther countered by denouncing the infallibility of  the popes and their councils and declared Scripture to be the only basis of authority for the church. As the eyes of the people began to be opened to the truth of the gospel, Luther gained much support. Because of this, it was insisted that Luther be given a fair hearing. So it was that Luther stood before the Diet of Worms (secular tribunal in Worms, Germany) in the spring of 1521 and was given opportunity to repudiate his books. Given this opportunity he acknowledged them all and stated his famous words "Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason--I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other--my conscience is captive to the Word of God, I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. God help me. Amen."

They were told to "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain and are ready to die". There were many things that were not perfect in this age of Reformation, and what they had was in danger of dying. Today, it is sad to say that much of what was recovered during the reformation has since died. The authority and the inerrancy of the Word of God has been denied by liberal Protestantism. Justification by faith alone has been added to by the works of man. The imminent return of Christ has long since been forgotten, and much more.

"I have not found thy works perfect before God." Although there was the discovery of the long forgotten truth that the just shall live by faith, and the exposition of a great number of heresies, to the all-seeing eye of an omnipotent God, their works were not perfect. Although Luther denied the doctrine of transubstantiation, he did believe that the body of Christ was physically present upon the altar in some unexplainable way.  Luther spoke in the most contemptuous terms of the epistle of James, because he foolishly thought that James clashed with Paul in the presentation of the doctrine of Justification.  Luther also believed that baptism was to be administered but once only and to babies on the ground of their dormant faith. They also had a defective understanding of the Church as the body of Christ and they commenced the system of building churches instead of searching the Scriptures, from which alone they could learn what the Church of God is. Although the Reformers succeeded in breaking the yoke of bondage from the papacy, they had a defective understanding of the presence of the Holy Ghost in the Church, and in the individual believer (1Cor. 6:19-20).

What began as a mighty move of the Spirit soon began to lapse into a cold, lifeless, and Orthodox thing. The church at Ephesus had lost their first love and were told to "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works".  Likewise, the church in Sardis  was told to "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast and repent."  They were to remember what God had recovered for them through the Reformation, how He had called them out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Jesus said, "Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead."  The reformed churches had a name for spiritual living, Jesus Christ, but people slowly began to rely on the name Protestant, which came to be a public position taken up in opposition to the papacy, which system in and of itself is one of moral death. It was at the famous Diet of Spires in 1529 that the Lutherans stood in protest against the usurpation of the papacy under Clement the VII, and all who stood out in opposition to the papacy were termed Protestants from that time forward.

Today we would have to agree, that while many of the thousands of denomination's that fly the Christian banner, have a name that they live, they are yet dead. They are dead in sins and trespasses, they have not yet come to a knowledge of saving grace, they have not yet been regenerated by the Spirit of God, and they know not Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Saviour. Spiritual death is reminiscent with this church. It is represented by cold formalism. It was not always like that though, for the Lord says, "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." They are called to remember the former days when revival had brought them up out of the pit of darkness, when they did hear the truth of the gospel, and how they with joy did recieved Jesus Christ as their Saviour. There was a time when they were passionate with love towards the Lord Jesus Christ and towards the lost. My how we need such revival again in our day, which will only come in the wake of sincere repentance.

The Lord  throughout the ages did always have a remnant. No matter how alone we may feel, even as Elijah who thought he was the only one left, but the Lord said there were yet 7000 who had not bent the knee to Baal. Even so, the Lord could say that there were yet "a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments". To them the Lord says "they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." They were trusting in Jesus Christ who alone is worthy, and their faith in Christ was counted to them for righteousness. They shall walk with Him, even as did Adam and Eve before their fall, and "the same shall be clothed in white raiment".

They overcame through faith in the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. So the Lord testifies saying, "I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." Because they have not been ashamed to confess Jesus Christ before men, He will not be ashamed of them before His Father. Every soul that descended from Adam is written in "the book of the generations of Adam" (Genesis 5:1), which is the book of death. But there is another book mentioned in the Scriptures, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ" (Mt. 1:1), it is the "the Lamb's book of life." (Rev. 21:27). Those who have their iniquities blotted out by the blood of the Lamb, will have their name written in His book. Once written therein will never have their name blotted out, for he "is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).
 

The Church in Philadelphia
The Church of Brotherly Love   1750 AD to the Rapture

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth  I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.  Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.  Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (Rev. 3:7-13)
 
The meaning of the word Philadelphia is Brotherly Love. It covers a period of time from about 1750 AD to this present time. It is a remnant from this church who is alive and remains unto the coming of the Lord. The Lord says of this church "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev. 3:10) What is this hour of temptation which shall come upon the whole world? In my opinion, it is the Great Tribulation, the wrath which is to come. Today, man is treasuring up "wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the righteous judgment of God." (Romans 2:5) Our Lord said "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved." (Mt. 24:21-22) But we who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ are to "serve the living and true God;  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come." (1Thes. 1:9-10) The church shall not go through the Great Tribulation but shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. He will keep us from that hour of temptation which shall try the whole world.

In the early part of this period there was a great move of the Spirit. We see our great High Priest putting a fresh portion of oil in this lamp which resulted in much missionary and evangelistic activity that resulted in revival in many different parts of the world. They had a love for God and a love for lost souls. They were the church of Brotherly Love. Their love was not only in word and tongue, but "in deed and in truth" (1John 3:18). This was because God, who is love, made His abode in their hearts. This produced something in their lives through the outworking of the Holy Spirit, and the love of God was shed abroad to a Christless world. This love that was manifested in their lives was first internal and then external. It produced action. But first they realized the love of God for mankind, in that He did something. He sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins, that we might be forgiven all our transgressions, by virtue of His shed blood on Calvary's cross (1John 4:9-10). By His great love for us we were reconciled back to Him through Jesus Christ, and in turn have been given this ministry of reconciliation.

The Lord Jesus says of them, "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." (Rev. 3:8) It is the Lord Jesus Christ who "openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth" (v. 7), He is the one who has been given authority to do so, for has the key of David. He is the sovereign ruler of the universe. The angel told Mary, "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:32-33)

Why did Christ open the door of opportunity for this evangelistic movement? They had kept the Word of the Lord and had not denied His name. The fact of the matter is, they were not ashamed of their beloved Saviour. "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 10:11) Their hours where not spent slothfully entertaining themselves with the affairs of this life, but they "Stud[ied] to shew [themselves] approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2Tim. 2:16) They were transformed by the renewing of their mind. As they studied they came to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and came to know what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. They had compassion one toward the other, and their love for the Saviour was the motivational factor that moved them to obey His command, to go out into the highways and the byways and compel the lost to come in.

Many men could be cited out of this period who fanned the spark of the Reformation Period and turned it into a flaming torch. The Lord said "thou hast a little strength" (v. 8), as one who was coming back to life and was still very weak. The Reformation Period brought life from the dead through the rediscovery of the life-giving doctrine of "Justification by Faith". Once the breath of life was blown into the nostrils of the church, she began to come alive once again. They were once again returning to their first love. Some of these men were George Whitfield (1714-1770), John Wesley (1703-1791), William Carey (1761-1834), who went to India, Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) who went to China, Robert Moffat (1795-1883) and David Livingstone (1813-1873)who went to Africa,  Charles G. Finney (1792-1875), D. L. Moody (1837-1899), Johnathan Edwards (1703-1758), John Gill (1697-1771), Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), J. N. Darby (1800-1881), and many many more. These men went out as with the midnight cry (Mt. 25:2) before the Lords return for His Bride. Those who respond to the Lord's call to "repent and believe the gospel" will be those who will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, contrary to those of the Laodicean church who will be spewed out of His mouth, and enter the Great Tribulation.

"Him that overcometh . . . I will write upon him the name of my God". This speaks of ownership.  "And the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God". This speaks of our new address, the place where we will dwell for all eternity, the place that Christ has been preparing for us for the last 2000 years. "And I will write upon him my new name." Saul of Tarsus was so changed by Christ, that he even changed his name to Paul. He did not want to identify with the old man. When the Lord returns, we shall be changed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everything earthly about us will be changed, that includes our names. Not only shall we put off this body of sin, but we shall be removed from the presence of sin, to be with Him for all eternity. We will be made  "a pillar in the temple of  . . . God, and he shall go no more out". Once in the presence of the Lord, all other things that we may have thought to be of importance on this earth, will  fade away in the light of His glory and grace, and we will not want to be anywhere else. Come quickly Lord Jesus.
 

The Church of the Laodiceans
The Apostate Church    1900 AD to the Rapture

"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (Rev. 3:14-22)

The Church at Laodicea may be characterized as the Lukewarm church. They were neither hot nor cold, and what is sad is, they were passing from hot to cold and not the other way around. It is a state that is easy to fall into. As the flame goes out in the oven, things have the natural tendency to cool off. It takes much energy to bring the kettle to a boil, but no effort to cool it off. It only needs to be removed from the energy source. The sad fact of the matter is that they had moved away from the only energy source in the whole universe, the Light of Life, who lighteth every man that cometh into the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.

They are the self deluded church for in their own eyes they say "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing". But the Lord reproves them and reveals to them their true state. To the one whose eyes are as a flame of fire, nothing is hid. He sees them as "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" (Rev. 3:17). Solomon says "There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." (Proverbs 30:12) This they knew not for they have not the eyes to see. They had backsliden to the point that they had lost all spiritual perception, and knew not that they were walking in darkness. They were out of fellowship with Him whose banner they flew. Only when we are walking in the light of God's Word do we truly have fellowship with Him. The Lord says, "to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." (Isaiah 66:2) Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:23)

The early NT church was on fire for the Lord. They "continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (Acts 2:42) But many in the church today are typical of the Laodicean church, lax and lukewarm. The apostle Paul spoke of these days saying "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  For men shall . . . [have] a form of godliness, but [deny] the power thereof" (2Tim 3:1-2, 5)  They are "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (v. 7). He says that the times will not get better "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (v. 13) The prophet Jeremiah lamented over the apostate state of Israel saying "they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 9:3) These are tragic days indeed when Christ is outside, and they say that we have need of nothing. Conditions are worse than we know. We have been desensitized by previous generations compromise and toleration of evil. The earnest call of the Lord is to be zealous therefore and repent. Repentance is the latch on the inside of the door that this church needs to earnestly lay hold on and let Christ come in.

"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." The Wonderful Counselor is the one we need to hear, whose counsel is good and right and faithful and true. While this church was rich in earthly goods, they were lacking in the spiritual. It is in Christ that all the unsearchable treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." (2Cor. 8:9)  He took on our humanity and our sinful nakedness, and gave us His own lovely white raiment, that the shame of our nakedness might be covered. When he did this he anointed our eyes with the salve of the Holy Spirit that we might get a glimpse of  how truly rich we are in Christ Jesus. But in the ages to come he will show us all the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Meta Tauta

John was told to "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter" (Rev. 1:19). This concludes the "things which are". The final division of the Revelation is "the things which shall be hereafter". The word hereafter comes from two Greek words, "meta tauta", and they simply mean, "after this", or "after these things". The question that arises is, After what things? The answer is, After the "things which are", the church age. When Christ is finished with His address to the seven churches, John says, "After this [Meta Tauta] I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter [Meta Tauta].  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne." (Rev. 4:1-2)

John was "caught up" into heaven. He heard the voice of Jesus Christ saying, "Come up hither", and he was translated into heaven. John said, "immediately I was in the spirit". He found himself before the throne of God and of the Lamb. This is signifying, I believe, the rapture of the church. Perhaps you will remember the Parable of the five wise, and foolish virgins. The ten of them all had lamps. Five had the oil of the Holy Spirit, the oil which is from above, and five had no oil. And it came time for the Bridegroom to come and receive to himself his Bride, and "the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.  Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not." (Mt. 25:10-12) The sad end of the foolish virgins is to hear the voice of the Bridegroom saying "I know you not" (Mt. 7:21-23). They had not responded to the proposal of the Lord, and therefore received no engagement ring, the earnest of the Spirit, which is the pledge of our inheritance.

John saw a door opened in heaven, and he heard the voice of his Lord calling to him, and he was caught up to be with the Lord. Now safe in the arms of his Beloved, the door was shut, and the Day of Grace is over, and night will now settle over the world. Those who have not entered into the ark of salvation through the door, will face the flood of God's wrath down below. BUT, Today is the Day of Grace. The door of salvation is still open to whosoever will come. Jesus said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved" (John 10:9).

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:14-18)

If you have not yet believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and taken Him as your very own, you can do it now. He has made his proposal to you,  he wants you to be his very own, that he might lavish his love upon you for all eternity. He loves you, He died for you. That He died for you, means that you were worthy of death. All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death. We are all in that same sinking ship. You must acknowledge your sins as did the publican. "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." (Luke 18:13) We must repent and believe the gospel, the good news that Christ died for the ungodly, that he might bring them into heavens glory. The soul that lays hold on Jesus Christ, trusting in His finished work on the cross, His shed blood for you, is given the most marvelous gift of eternal life. The answer to the Philippian jailers question, "What must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30), is simply, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (v. 31).

"When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you" (Exodus 12:13).

"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Romans 3:24-26)