Wrath Of The Lamb: The Revelation Of Jesus Christ

Revelation Chapter 3:

Sardis: Advent / Evangelical / Protestant Churches

    See Also: Fifth Seal | Fifth Trumpet | Fifth Plague

    "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)

    • That thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead: Evangelical Churches tend to be named according to their doctrine of spreading the Gospel. From the first advent evangelicals, Seventh-Day Adventists (Adventist being a name implying the action of preaching the Gospel), to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Both of these churches, and others, have reduced responibility of their members for lay evangelism, becoming more like mainstream churches. They have largely become service organizations for their members. Much of this behavior has been a result of "persecution" by the judicial branch of government and non-believers.

    • Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: The evangelism of these Churches is failing to revitalize Christianity, mostly due to long-held immovable doctrine based on prophecy. For example, Seventh-Day Adventists evangelize with interpretations of prophecy that are more than 150 years old. A lot has happened in the last 150 years. Scholarly interpreters of prophecy need to apply the latest world history to the prophecies of the Bible.

    • Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard: Revive and renew with the Holy Spirit, which is how Advent and evangelical Churches "received and heard" to begin with. Some received new truths through prophets with the Holy Spirit, a Holy Spirit which has been largely been repressed because of these church's attempts to please government and member concerns.

      Some have, in the past, allowed bigotry and intolerance into their churches, and doing so inevitably led to a backlash, with members leaving the churches for atheism or other religions.

        "He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the [twoedged] sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints." (Revelation 13:10)

    • Hold fast, and repent: Continue with the works you believe in, but repent and recover the Spirit. Restore faith to the discouraged, welcome sinners, and help the poor.

    • 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: Evangelical churches were founded as a result of the Great Second Advent - the hope of Jesus' soon return.

      Important: Here Jesus is sending advent churches a clear message:

      If they don't watch, He will arrive as thief - unexpectedly. However if they do watch, His coming will not be a complete surprise to them. These are the churches that have the light necessary to discern the Signs of the Times he has taught them to watch for - if they will revive themselves, wash their eyes with eyesalve, and observe that those signs have come to pass.

      Jesus said:

        "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." (Matthew 24:36 KJV)

      We will not know the day and hour, but if we watch, we will know when He is ready to come and how to prepare His way before Him - by following His Revelation message left to them through John.

    • 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: This defines advent and evangelical churches, which believe in witnessing Jesus personally to people everywhere (confessing His name), and all believe in His Robe of Righteousness - salvation through His Grace.

        "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10:32 KJV)

Philadelphia: The Scattered Children of God, World-Wide

    See Also: Sixth Seal | Sixth Trumpet | Sixth Plague

    "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." (Revelation 3:7-13)

    • Philadelphia, The Church of Brotherly Love: This message is to those who love and inwardly know the true character of God despite religious doctrines that claim He is otherwise. These are those in captivity within religion, those who have left religion, changed religion, or never had a religion. Many atheists left religion because of persecution and/or recognition of unsound doctrine, yet kept Jesus in their hearts.

      The members of the Church of Philadelphia are the scattered sheep of "Spiritual Israel" today, the result of the apostasy of Christianity, as described below:

        "For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

        "And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD." (Read Ezekiel 34:2-15 KJV)

      From this Church come the 144,000 with palms in their hands who are ready to welcome Jesus - just as it was the poor, the rejected, the sick, the scattered, and the sinners who welcomed Him the first time He came - not the Pharisees, who were the 'saints' of that time.

    • Key of David: The "Key of David" (Isaiah 22:22) represents a change in how Christ's message is given, and also points to Psalms as where much of the symbolic metaphor use in Revelation and the prophetic books of the Bible can be resolved. See the Short Prophetic Dictionary of Metaphor for examples.

    • I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: The new messenger is the "open door", the knowledge of God available with computers and the Internet. Previously God's truth was largely restricted to publishers of expensive books, churches and evangelists - most of whom are now simply profiteers making money from the Word of God.

    • The Synagogue of Satan: Satan's Synagogue in this message refers to Babylon: or Apostate Christianity, who, because of the nature of doctrine itself, judge and persecute by refusing membership to upright people who have God's law and love written on their hearts, yet may not fit that religion's mold.

      This judging and persecution is wickedness. Churches that take upon themselves the angels' job of separating the wheat from the tares are snared in God's snare.

    • Hold fast that which thou hast: He knows you are a sinner but He died for your sins, remember? Repent, and follow Him. You will be fine, He wants you as you are:

        "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still." (Revelation 22:11 KJV)

      Be among those with enough faith to put on His White Robe of Righteousness, the guile-less who acknowledge their inability to be perfect without Him, yet who still follow their Shepherd wherever He goes.

    • I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world: The biggest 'hour' mentioned in Revelation is the prophetic hour it takes for the Harlot of Babylon to be judged, when people must decide who they will follow, Babylon with the mark of the Beast, or Jesus. That is my sense, but I don't know for sure what this hour of temptation will be.

    • Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall go no more out: This coincides with the description of the 144,000 in Chapter Seven:

        "Therefore are they (the 144,000) before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." (Revelation 7:15 KJV)

      As pillars in God's Temple (inside of us) who go no more out: These are "non-regressive" followers of Jesus who serve Him day and night through study, prayer, and good works. They have recognized their inability to live up to the commandments on their own, and rely on Christ's Robe of Righteousness. They "hold fast that which they had" when Jesus called them.

      Many of these are people with integrity who have refused to compromise His laws and principles just to get ahead - which is nearly required of Christians living in today's society. Many simply love mankind and follow the teachings of Jesus. In Ezekiel the sealing of the 144,000 is described thusly:

        "And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof." (Ezekiel 9:4 KJV)

      Does this describe you? Do you sigh and cry for the terrible things taking place in our world? Pray for the Bread of Life, and follow your Shepherd.

        "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." (Revelation 22:17 KJV)

    • And I will write upon him the name of my God: Another indication that this church is the 144,000. When sealed, these people are portrayed as standing upon Mount Zion with the Lamb:

        "And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads." (Revelation 14:1 KJV)

    • And I will write upon him my new name: Learn His new name by answering His knock as I did.

Laodicea: All In and Out of Established Religions, Babylon

    See Also: Seventh Seal | Seventh Trumpet | Seventh Plague

    "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." (Revelation 3:14-22)

    • These things saith the Amen: This church is represented by the Seventh Trumpet - the "last trump".

    • This Final Church is made up of all Churches founded by Man: This message is plainly read by all. Because of the impossible state of our world, where materialism and discouragement are unavoidable, and lead to apostasy through comfort, we turn from God and end up oppressing people without acknowledging the fact until it's too late.

    • I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: When we know we're being hypocrites, how can we be HOT for Jesus and His teachings? Yet we continue claiming to be Christians, going through the verbal motions - so we're not really COLD.

    • I will spue thee out of my mouth: Note that Jesus says he will spew Laodicea out of His mouth, it's not a warning. There is no fixing these doctrines, but His people must come out of these religions.

    • Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing: At what time is history has this statement been more true? Lucifer has succeeded in entangling most American Christians with mortgages, insurance payments, credit card payments, bills, taxes, and retirement savings. We have no time for Christianity, our time is taken up with work and entertainment - politics - we have schedules to keep.

    • And knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: When Jesus comes it will all be meaningless. Yes, He's coming.

    • I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire... and white raiment: Repent! Put on His Robe of Righteousness. Drop meaningless doctrine, pray to God and study His Word following Jesus' teachings. Look to His true Character, not the mumbo-jumbo doctrines of rationalization that allow the piling up of riches, holding of hidden hatreds, and ambitious self-exaltation.

      We're all, as Christians, responsible for the apostasy of the Religions of Christianity that has become the Harlot of Babylon.

      To head off further disasters at this time (I fervently pray), we buy "gold tried of fire" from Jesus through repentance and sanctification - and love - as we understand our true heroic place in the Plan of Salvation. And as we see where our prejudices and hatred have brought us.

    • Anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see: Look around you. Society is in terrible shape. No amount of laws will make it better. When Jesus healed the blind man, the first time he tried the blind man said he saw men as trees, but the second time he saw clearly.

    • 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.

 

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