Charles Pack

Understanding Revelation Rev 2:8 - 29
By Charles Pack

CHRIST AMONG THE CHURCHES Revelation 2:8-17
This message is on the churches of Smyrna and Pergamum. is based on Rev. 2: 8-17. We begin with the message to Smyrna. This was a church under persecution. Prophetically, this represents the period from about 100 AD. to about 316 A.D. This was a period of great persecution. We will took at this verse by verse.
First it says, "And unto the angel" (or pastor or messenger who had come over to the isle of Patmos and was taking this letter back to the church to Smyrna.) That particular, local, church was suffering persecution. It typifies the entire period from about A.D. 100 to A.D. 316. So this pastor took the letter back to the church at Smyrna. Here is what the letter said- "These things saith the first and the last." Now, we know this refers to the Lord Jesus Christ" He is the first and the last - He is the Alpha and the Omega; He is the beginning and the end; He is the originator and the consummation of all things. He has many titles in Revelation 2 and 3 -"the first and the last, who was dead and is alive." Jesus literally died. He did not just swoon on the cross and then the disciples revived Him again - this is not true. And He did not just swoon, as some say ' and the disciples took Him down and took Him to their home and He got well. The Bible does not teach that. The Bible says that Jesus died. His wounds were terrible and great. When Thomas was invited to stick his finger into the palms of the Lord, s hands, the hole was so big that Jesus said, into my hands.
"Reach hither your finger and thrust it into my hands and reach hither your hand and thrust it into my side." Jesus had a hole in His side so large you could put your hand in it. Let me tell you, that is going to leave anyone dead. And that is why the Bible says that Jesus died. But, of course, a lot of liberal, anti-Christian groups that call themselves Christians say He did not die. But He says, and-the Bible says, that He was dead and is alive. Today Jesus Christ is alive; He knows the end from the beginning; He knows what is happening here today and in Israel and Egypt and Syria. He knows what the outcome is going to be.
Praise God, we have someone better than Jeanne Dixon and others who predict foolish things. I am so glad that Jesus knows all about it - if we keep the Word, and in prayer, and watch the newspapers, we can also know what is next on God's program. He says He was dead and is alive.
He says here, "I know thy works." The word "know" means I am intimately acquainted with-"I know all thy works." And Jesus knew all about the work of the church at Smyrna and He knows your church and any church on the face of the earth. He knows all about it and what they are doing.
TRIBULATION
" 1 know about your tribulation." Every church like every individual has a certain amount of tribulation -troubles, trials and testing. James said that this is to be our lot. There is a purpose in this. We do not like to be tried and tested. But turn to the book of James 1:2,4. Notice what James tells us as individuals. He says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials (or temptations)." Do you count it a time to be joyful and happy when you are going through a trial?
I talked with a pastor at lunch who was in need of a million, one-hundred thousand dollars in order to get out of a problem. I thought I had problems. Brother, I don't have any problems at all - not really. I could go home at night and go to sleep. A million, one-hundred thousand dollars! And as we talked back and forth together, he said, "You know, the other brethren that I know in this area do not have problems like this. But I have this consolation. They have not stepped out to trust the Lord like I have either. They do not know the intimacy and the faith and the trust that I have to have in Jesus Christ because they do not do the things that we are trying to do by faith. And we are really trying to do things." They have done great things in that church. Beloved, God is going to test our faith if we are doing anything, no matter who we are, individuals or churches. So James 1: 2 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. "
And look at James 1:4: "But let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing." Now, that is the purpose of testing-to develop you and bring you to maturity. That is what perfect means-it means grown-up, mature. So if you go through a trial or testing, that is to help you develop, to grow and become strong. We should not balk and complain when the Lord puts us through trials and testing.
Let's go back to Rev. 2:9 where He says, "I know thy works and tribulation and poverty." Some people go to churches where they do not have carpet on the floor. They do not have a Baby Grand Piano. They do not have a lovely organ. They do not have air conditioning. it is lovely to have all these things. But you know, these things in themselves do not make for spirituality. You can have a church that is spiritual without all these things. Often when you go to a church that has a huge steeple upon the top and beautiful stained glass windows, a beautiful and expensive pipe organ, and clarion bells on top of that peal out so many times during the day and night-you do not even feel the presence of the Spirit. It is a dead church. Sometimes if a church is poor, it may be more Spiritual than a church that has everything. Sometimes, a church that has to struggle - they do not know how they are going to make it during the next month - that church can be a real blessing to God. They have to trust in God. But a church that has all the bills paid- the property is all paid-is dead. I have seen some of those-just absolutely dead!
it may be the same with you as an individual. if you are struggling and working-you are poor and you just have to struggle all the time - remember what the Bible says: "The poor of this world are rich in faith." It is the poor people that are rich in faith-not the rich people. The poor of the earth are rich in faith and they are heirs of the kingdom He has promised to them that love Him. Oh, you could fix your life, where you did not worry about where you are going to get money for this tomorrow, and something else the next day. You could have money all laid out and saved up. But you could not know what it means to live by faith that way. Some do not know what it means to trust the Lord. He says to this church, "I recognize that you are poor, but really you are rich." You may be poor today; you may not drive a Lincoln Continental or a new Cadillac and you just do not know how you are going to make it through next week. Listen, God says you are rich-you have learned to trust Him. You have walked day by day with Him. You are rich and you may not even realize it. That is what He told this church at Smyrna. "I know that you think you are poor, but you are rich. "
TRUE JEWS
Then He says, "I know the blasphemy of them who say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan." There were some Jews in Smyrna at this time who were joining with those who were persecuting the Christians. They were saying that they were true Jews. Jesus says that they were not really Jews. Do you know what a true Jew is? A true Jew is described in Romans 2:28-29: "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, but neither is that circumcism which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly. And circumcism is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." A true Jew is a completed Jew. A male Jew is a Jew who has not only been circumcised physically, but he has had his heart circumcised as well. The Jews for Jesus keep telling us that we are real Jews if we have been circumcised in the heart. And I am-I am a real Jew. I am a spiritual Jew. You are too if you have received the circumcism in the heart. A Jew, born after the flesh, of the race of Israel is not a true Jew until he is completed-until he receives Jesus as his Messiah.
Back to Smyrna-there were people there who were saying that they were Jews. And He is saying they were not. They are really of the Synagogue of Satan. The reason that is said is they persecuted the Christians. And, of course, if you are a true Jew, you are not going to persecute the Christians.
TEN PERSECUTIONS
Revelation 2:10 says: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer." They were going to go through suffering. The word "Smyrna" is where we get the word myrrh. Myrrh is used as an embalming substance. The church at Smyrna was going through persecution. Sometimes persecution brings death. He says in verse 10: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer; Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison that you may be tried."
Have you ever been in jail for Jesus? I never have. As a matter of fact, I have never been in jail except to preach and teach the Bible. Beloved, a lot of things are happening in America today. It is very strange what is happening. There may come a day when you and 1, if we are faithful, may have to go to jail for our faith. I can believe that could happen before the rapture! What are you going to do when you are put to the test? Are you going to be like the ones during this period? The Lord said to them, "Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation ten days." What does that mean-ten days? To really understand this, we have to go to John 8:56.
in the Bible the word "day" is used sometimes for a 24- day and sometimes for a long period of time. And I believe that it is used here-in the book of Revelation-as Jesus used it in John 8:56. He said to the Pharisees there, "Your father, Abraham, rejoiced to see My day and he saw it, and was glad." What was He talking about? Jesus was saying to Pharisees, "Your father rejoiced to see the period of time when I was going to come and live here upon the earth." My day-My lifetime. That is what He is talking about.
I believe the Revelation here is talking about periods of time. That is, Smyrna shall have tribulation ten days. Now the people in that literal church may have had an extreme persecution for ten days. Secular history or Biblical history does not say that. But the prophetic application is unusual. I have Foxes' "Book of Martyrs." It was not written to prove the Bible. it is just a record of people who gave their lives for Jesus Christ. if you have never read it, you ought to. This will really put some iron in your spiritual blood when you see how our spiritual forefathers gave their lives because of their faith in Christ. I am awed as I look in this book. No scriptures are being quoted. During the church period we are studying here-the Smyrna period-it says: "The Ten Primitive Persecutions." Ten- exactly! Ten days-ten periods of time. The first persecution was under Nero and it tells all about it. The second persecution was under Domitian; the third persecution under Trajan; the fourth under Marcus Aurelius Antonius; the fifth (and incidentally that is when Polycarp gave his life) was commencing with Severus; the sixth was under Maximus; the seventh under Decius; and it goes on and gives all ten of the Roman rulers that persecuted the church. Now, how did John on the isle of Patmos, writing the book of Revelation, know that in the years to come there would be exactly ten Roman rulers who would persecute the Christians? There would be ten days, or ten periods of time, in which this was going to take place. How did he know that? The Holy Spirit told him what to write. That is how he knew it. And all you have to do is read this-or you could read secular history and it brings out the same thing. Beloved, that is how I know that the Bible is the Word of God. So He said to them, "You will have tribulation ten days."
CROWNS FOR CHRISTIANS
in spite of that, He says, "Be thou faithful unto death." How many Christians today would really die for their faith? He said there would be very few. And I believe that is true in America. I believe that if the average Christian in America would be put to the test-he either had to recant his faith and live, or else keep it and die-there would be very few who would keep their faith. They would recant their faith- I believe that. The reason I believe that is that you can not even get most people to live for their faith-much less die for it. That is very obvious! We are in the Laodicean period. But, nonetheless, there are always a few who are willing to pay the supreme sacrifice. So He says to those, "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
This is one of the five crowns the Bible talks about. Let us look at what it says. in the book of James there is a blessed verse that tells about the Crown of Life. In James 1:12: "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation "-testing, persecution -"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him." If you have to die for your faith, you will give the supreme sacrifice. Then, up there in Gloryland, living in that heavenly city, you will wear a Crown of Life. There are some who are dying today for their faith in Jesus Christ. They are going to have one of those five crowns and one of them is called the Crown of Life-that is the Martyr's crown, for those who are willing to die for their faith. Oh, beloved, they are not fools. They are not fools, because we are going to recognize them throughout all eternity. A serviceman visited our services; he had on a little ribbon. He was so proud of that little ribbon-he really was. And I asked him what it meant and he told me. if you are a serviceman, you are really proud of ribbons, I remember when I was a serviceman and how proud I was that I could wear three. But think of what it will be like in heaven! We will be able to wear those different crowns.
There is a crown for those who love His appearing. I know I am going to get that one. I may not get many; but I know I will get that one-for those who love His appearing. Praise God! I think I will get another too. it is called the Elder's Crown or the Pastor's Crown. That is two I expect to have. I may never get a Martyr's Crown-I am not anxious to have it. But we are going to recognize (throughout all eternity) those who have given their lives for the Lord. Beloved, they are not fools for doing this. Because it will be a permanent identification showing the kind of life we lived down here. it will be similar to that serviceman and his little ribbon. it stood for what he had done since he had gone into the service. God is going to reward us and identify us in Heaven.
Then look at verse 11: "He that hath an car, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." Now, what is the second death? Revelation 20:14 says: "This is the second death." Verse 15 says: "Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." So if a person is an overcomer, he is not going to be cast into the lake of fire. Who is an overcomer? 1 John 5:4,5 says that an overcomer is, "He that believes that Jesus is the Son of God." if you believe that Jesus is the Christ, you are not going to be hurt of the second death. You are not going to hell. You are saved for all eternity if you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Praise God for that!
THE STATE CHURCH
Let us now study the church at Pergamum. I have been there several times. Verse 12 says: "And to the angel of the church at Pergamum -- incidentally, that word means "marry" or "wedded." What had happened during this age, or the period of about 316 A.D. to 606 A.D., the church and the state were united-like some of the Lutheran churches in Europe. They have a state-church. And during this period, this was the thing that dominated the whole Christian world.
Constantine took his soldiers, had them line up six abreast on horses, and had them march by a reviewing stand. They would dip a tree branch into a large container of water and those soldiers would be baptized six abreast as they rode underneath. They would sprinkle water on them. All of the soldiers wore the insignia of the cross on their uniforms. He supposed he made Christians out of all of them. That is, he said he did! But you see, that is not the way a person becomes a Christian.
So what we have here is the marriage of the state and the church. This is one of the things to which Baptists are opposed. We are opposed to the church and the state being
united. We believe in separation of the church and state, because it is Biblical. And during this period when they had the marriage of the church and the state, it became a very licentious period. Let us look at it now:
"These things, saith He who hath the sharp sword with two edges (that speaks of the Word of God)." He says, "I know thy works. I know each and every one of them." He knows the works of each of these churches. He says, "I know where you dwell, even where Satan's throne is." If you Would have asked someone in that age, "Where is the devil's throne?", he would have said, "The Emperor of Rome-that is where the devil's throne is." So God is saying to the church during this period, "You are living during the period where the devil is really controlling things. The Emperor is the one who is in charge of things." Some of the emperors even deified themselves and had the people to recognize them as God. And so this is why He is saying, "Even where Satan's throne is. And thou holdest fast My name." These true believers were still holding fast. They had not denied their faith.
In those days there was a man by the name of Antipas who was a faithful martyr. The Greek word "antipas" comes from the Greek word "anti" which means against and "pos" which means all. Against all! What does that mean? That means they must have asked him, "Look, fellow, why do you not go along with the crowd in this town?" And he said, "I am Antipas. if you don't believe what I believe about the Bible, then I am Antipas - I am against all of them."
And there was another man who lived in this period by the name of Athinasaus. He was brought up before the Emperor and the Emperor said to him, "Athinasaus, there is nobody that believes in the deity of Christ any more. Everybody denies that. They are all against you, Athinasaus." And Athinasaus said, "They are not all against me. I'm against all of them." This he said to the Emperor.
Beloved, that is the kind of a period in which they were living. And it is getting almost that way today in many areas of the earth. But here was this one man by the name of Antipas - against all. He was a faithful martyr. He was slain for his faith. He died for his faith, where Satan dwelleth.
WORLDLINESS
But Jesus said, "I have a few things against thee, because you have there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication." You remember that they tried to get Balaam to curse the children of Israel but he could not do it because God would not let him. So then, being very subtle, he got them to worship idols. You see, this is a mixture of the spiritual with the worldly. And this is spiritual fornication! That is why in my churches, we did not have things that were worldly activities. We did not have raffles, and pie suppers, and auctions, as far as the church is concerned. We did not believe that was right. That is a worldly method of raising the money. But that is what they did in the period we are talking about now. They were eating things sacrificed unto idols and they committed spiritual fornication. The world getting into the church can really ruin the church and that is what happened.
In verse 15 it says, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Back in chapter 2, verse 6, the church at Ephesus was practicing the deeds of the Nicolaitans. By this period, several hundred years later, those deeds had become doctrine. When you begin to practice something, it becomes a part of what you believe or do not believe. That is why for example if a church says, "Well, you know, we do not have a baptistry and it is awful cold in the wintertime, let us not have any baptismal services until it gets summertime." So they begin to practice that--having baptismal service only in the summertime. Years and years go by and finally they decide to just discontinue it. Or they say, let us sprinkle people instead of baptising them. And that is how the Roman Catholics started sprinkling. Some of the others did and are still doing it today. You see, deeds become doctrine.
That is what happened in the Roman Catholic Church. They talked about the Assumption of Mary for a long time. it was a deed. They talked about it and talked about it and finally they made it a doctrine. You had to believe it. So you see, you had better watch what you do because it may become a doctrine or a part of your creed if you do not watch it. That is whathad happened at Pergamum.
Now, what was the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? The clergy over the laity Wear your collar backward and wear a robe like grandma sleeps in and you are a "clergy" and the rest of them are just "peasants." You are a lot better than they are. whereas Jesus said, "You are brethren." There is no Clergy and laity mentioned in the Bible. I see preachers with "Clergy" signs on the back of their cars. They hope a policeman will not give them a ticket, I suppose. There is no clergy or laity mentioned in the Bible. We are all brothers. That is why I wear a business suit when I am preaching instead of a collar on backwards and a gown-because we are brothers. I am a pastor - this is a Scriptural term. I am a shepherd. I believe in deacons-that is Scriptural. But there is no clergy and laity.
By this time, it had become a doctrine at Pergamum. Jesus said, "I hate this thing." He says, "Repent, or I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth." This is speaking the Word of God. The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God; and the Word of God is quick and sharp and more powerful than any two-edged sword. (Hebrews 4:12).
THE WHITE STONE
Verse 17 says, "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 (no doubt, referring to Jesus as the Bread of Life because He said, 'I am the bread of life.') and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth except he that receiveth it."
When I was in Pergamum, I took a little plastic bag and walked all around the city of Pergamum and I picked up black and white stones. I was so surprised to see so many thousands of stones. Many tourists had been there picking them up. For what did they use them? in the city of Pergamum when they voted they gave you a black stone and a white stone. You would take these two stones to vote. If you wanted to vote for someone, you would go in and you would drop the white stone in the urn. if you were against him, you would drop the black stone in the urn. You either voted for him or against him. And these stones are found all over the mountainside of the old city of Pergamum.
What He is saying is this: "I will give him (the person that overcomes, the person that believes Jesus is the Son of God) a white stone. I am going to vote for him." Jesus is saying, "I am for him. You are mine; I am yours; and My vote is for you." Beloved, praise God! I vote; the devil votes; then Jesus votes. That is two against one so I am going to make it. Praise God!
He is going to give me a white stone. Why? Because I am an overcomer. Are you an overcomer? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? If so, He is going to give you a white stone. He is not going to drop in a black stone. He is going to drop in a white stone for you.
THYATIRA - THE CHURCH IN IDOLATRY Revelation 2:18-29
Turn in your Bible to Revelation 2:18-29. The subject of this message is "Thyatira -the Church in idolatry."
The scholars tell us the word "Thyatira" means " continual sacrifice." As we look at Thyatira prophetically, it gives a picture of what this church period or age was like. it was the beginning of a great world-wide movement of a church that believed in the "continual sacrifice." That group is the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church says that the sun never sets upon the Mass. In other words, around the world, 24 hours a day, somewhere a mass is being said.
This began about A.D. 606 and continued to about A.D. 1520-this is the Thyatira period-the "continual sacrifice." This is also the period known in history as the "Dark Ages." Real, born-again, Bible-believing Christians were taken out and slaughtered. They were killed in so many different ways because of the opposition of the Church of Rome to real, true Bible- believing Christianity.
It was at the close of this period when Martin Luther, a Roman Catholic monk and priest, because of his study of the Word of God, rose up against Rome. We will see this as we come to the study at the end of this period.
TO JESUS THROUGH MARY
"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God." Now, it is interesting that the title used here about Jesus Christ is entirely different from that used in the previous three churches. The reason is that during the historical period which this chruch represents Jesus was no longer thought of by His particular title-as "The Son of God." Rather, during this period there was another person brought into prominence. In order to get to Jesus Christ you had to go through that person. Of course, you know who that was-Mary, the mother of Jesus. That is still being taught even until this day.
I was in a church down in Austin, Texas. As I walked into that church I noticed over the door, "To Jesus Through Mary." I went inside the vestibule and a sign over that door read, "To Jesus Through Mary." I went inside and looked at the altar and over the altar I read, "To Jesus Through Mary." This teaching began back in the Thyatira period and still goes on today.
So, the message to this church was from "The Son of God." You notice in the preceding three church periods, He is not mentioned as the Son of God. He is the first and last; He is mentioned by other titles, but here He is the Son of God. That is very significant and that is the reason for it. When you come to the last period, He is the "Amen." That is the end of the church age. So you see, all the titles are put in order for a reason-in the proper place. He is the Son of God.
Now, He is the "Son of God" because during this period things come into prominence which are not mentioned in the Bible. Let me just give you a few of them.
FALSE DOCTRINE
First, this was the period that baptismal regeneration began to be taught. The way to Heaven was different. You had to be baptized or you could not be regenerated. You could not be born again without baptism.
Another thing that came into prominence during this period was justification by works, whereas the Bible says it is not by works we have done, but by His mercy that He has saved us. So people began to be taught that they were justified by works.
During this period image worship came in and that has been THE CONFESSIONAL carried over even to the present day. You go into the average Lutheran church and what do you see? You see images in the church. That was carried over from this age. Many of the things we see in this period have been brought right down to the age in which we live. And then celibacy originated during this time. The Bible does not teach celibacy. The Bible says, "It is not good for a man to be alone. I will make an helpmeet for him." The Bible says, "He who findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favor of the Lord." So there is nothing wrong with marriage. Marriage is honorable in ALL. Priests, preachers - one of the qualifications for being a bishop or an overseer of God's flock is that he be the "husband of one wife." God intends that people should get married. This is God's intention for the average person. if everyone had the belief that nobody should get married, and that is the mark of spirituality, I would not be here. Neither would you, because the race could not be propagated.
During this period celibacy began for the priests and for the sisters who worked in the Roman Catholic Church. During this period, Maryolatry came into being-that is, the veneration of Mary. They say, "We do not worship Mary; we venerate her." But, why do they look at the statue of Mary when they pray? if they are just venerating her, why do they look at the statue and pray? if they are just venerating the saints, why do they look at them when they are praying? We are supposed to pray to God. We are supposed to worship God, not the statues. We are not to make any graven images or anything to use in connection with worship according to Exodus, chapter 20, and also in Deuteronomy, chapter 5. We are not to make anything to use in worship whether it is a picture or a statue. We are not to make anything to use as a means of worshiping God. God is a Spirit. They that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. And during this period came the confessional. I hate to share this, but I am going to do it. I am going to read to you just a little exerpt from this book by a converted Roman Catholic Priest. Here is what he says about the confessional. He says, "The second thing that I am bound in conscience to reveal is almost incredible; but it is nevertheless true."
The number of married and unmarried females heard by this particular priest was about 1,500 of whom he said he "had destroyed or scandalized at least 1,000 by questioning them on the most depraved things for the simple pleasure of gratifying my own corrupt heart." You see, this man, Father Chiniguy, was a priest who came out of the Roman Catholic Church and wrote booklets showing the error and the sin of some of the practices such as the confessional. He shows how in the confessional the priest is supposed to delve into the innermost secrets of people's married lives. He is supposed to pry into that. Because of this, it brought sin not only into his life but into the penitents' lives who came into the confessional box. Now, I did not write the book. You can read ,it. it is being sold publicly so you can read it. This is what happened during this period. The confessional came into being.
Someone may say, don't you believe in confession? Yes, I do. I believe in confessing to a priest, but there is only one priest to whom I confess and that is Jesus Christ, our Great High Priest. He is a living priest and we are to come to Him and confess our sin to Him. David said in Psalms 32:5, "1 will confess my transgressions unto the Lord." He is the One to whom we confess! You say, do you not believe in confessing one to the other? Yes, the Bible teaches this also. But it teaches that I ought to confess to you and you ought to confess to me. We should pray for each other. It does not say that you should come to me and say, "Pastor Pack, I have done thus and so." Then I would question you all about it. You would keep telling me all about it. There is nothing like that in all the Bible, i.e., this business of going to the confessional. This is something that began during the church period that we are studying: The Thyatira period, the period of the " continual sacrifice."
PURGATORY
The matter of purgatory came in during this period. There is nothing in the Bible about purgatory. The word purgatory is not even mentioned in the Bible. The word limbo is not even mentioned in the Bible. What is purgatory? It is something that men have conceived in their minds. It is not a Scriptural doctrine whatsoever. There is no purgatory in the Bible. We do know there is a Hell. That is very clear and obvious. Jesus spoke of that. But there is no temporary place of confinement until somebody prays you out of it. There is no such thing taught in the Bible.
TRANSUBSTANTIATION
And then during this period came transubstantiation. This means a priest, who has been property ordained, can say certain words over certain pieces of bread. That bread will literally change into the body, and the blood, and the hairs, of Jesus Christ. it is called transubstantiation. This is where it came in-during this period. We do not believe in this doctrine, but this is when it began.
During this period indulgences and penances were begun. Martin Luther raised his voice against them. They teach if you do so many "Hail Mary's" and so many "Our Father's", that this will do penance for your sins. This began during this period.
CHRIST KNOWS ALL
Back to chapter 2, verses 18-29 where it says, "These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine bronze (or brass). I know thy works." He knows all about this church. He is intimately acquainted with every individual church during this period and He is also intimately acquainted with this entire church period. "I know it," He says. "I know your charity (your love). I know your service and your faith." Even during this period, there were people who had faith in God. You will find this in every period-even in the last period, the Laodicean period. You who are living now also love the Lord Jesus Christ, or else you would not be studying the Book of Revelation with me. In every period we have a faithful remnant of people. There was one group in the Thyatira period. He says, "I know your service. I know your faith. I know your patience. I know your works. And (notice!) "the last to be more than the first." At the end of this period, men came on the scene like Wycliffe and Savanarola and Huss and Jerome and Luther. They began to stir up the Christians at the end of that church period. And, of course, at the last part of this period the works were more than at the first.
JEZEBEL
Now verse 20: "Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou allowest that woman Jezebel." Here was a woman who is a symbol of the things that went on during this period-this woman Jezebel. Who was Jezebel? When you turn back to First and Second Kings and read about this woman, you will find that she was a woman who led the people of Israel to worship idols; she led them into spiritual immorality. She led them into fasts which were done from a religious standpoint but were done for evil.
For example, there was a man by the name of Naboth who had a vineyard next to her husband's palace grounds. This man had lived there all his life. His father had owned it and his grandfather had owned it, and so Naboth wanted to live there. But Jezebel wanted her husband, Ahab, to have this vineyard; and so she said to him, "Why don't you try to buy it from him?" So King Ahab went over to Naboth and said, "I would like to buy your vineyard, or I will trade you something for it." And Naboth said, "No, I have lived here all my life; my father lived here; my grandfather lived here. I don't want to move. I want to stay here." King Ahab said, "Well, I would like to have this to make a vegetable garden out of it." Ahab went back home and was sulking; and Jezebel talked to him. Here is what she said, "Proclaim a fast and get two worthless men, sons of Belial, and have them to accuse Naboth. Say he is guilty of blaspherning God and the King and have him stoned to death." And that is what happened. Jezebel was a notoriously wicked woman.
During this Thyatira period, Jezebel in the Old Testament pictures what happened so far as Romanism is concerned. A picture of the Roman Catholic Church? You say, "How do you know that?" Because the culmination of it over in Revelation 17:3 and following says, "So He carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast full of names of blasphemy having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and bedecked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abomination and filthiness in her fornications and upon her forehead was a name written, 'Mystery.' " That sounds like baptismal regeneration, purgatory, and so on, doesn't it? Mystery! These are very mysterious.
"BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." How descriptive the next verse (6) is of the Roman Catholic Church during the Dark Ages! "And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus and when I saw her I wondered with great wonder."
Here is the culmination of the Jezebel, who began during this period and has come on down through the Dark Ages and down to the present day. it will go on until the true Church is caught out and then there will be a one-world church. Revelation 17 talks about that, and that one church will be headed up by the Church of Rome, I believe. Some of the church leaders, as the Methodist Bishops, are saying that we ought to recognize the Pope as the Holy Father of all Christendom. They are already making overtures toward the Protestant churches, so-called, to come into the Church of Rome. We see this on every hand.
Back to Revelation 2:20: "That woman, Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication," - spiritual fornication. And she did that -the Church of Rome did. I remember one evangelist who said that when the Church of Rome went into a heathen country, they would just take their heathen statues and move them right into the Roman Catholic churches and have business as usual. This is visible if you go into countries where Rome has the ascendancy.
"To seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols." And even today when you go into the chapels of the Roman Catholic hospitals or go into the Roman Catholic Churches, you see the statuary all around. One of the Ten Commandments forbids the making of a graven image or anything to be used in worship. We are not to fall down before them. We are not to worship them. We are not to even use them in worship. God is a Spirit-we are to worship Him in Spirit and in truth.
GOD'S CALL TO REPENT
Now verse 21 says, "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not." Yes, at the close of the Dark Ages, as they were coming into the 1500's, God gave them a chance to repent. There was the period of the Crusades. Men came on the scene like Wycliffe in England, the translator of one of our early Bibles. Men like Huss and Jerome; men like Savanarola in Italy; and men like Martin Luther in Germany tried to change the church-tried to get the church to turn around. Martin Luther was at the Diet of Worms (this is a town in Germany) when he came before that august assembly-the Emperor was there-they said to Martin Luther, "Here are all your writings. Will you recant what you have written in these books?" Martin Luther had a copy of the Bible. He said something like this, "My writings are based upon the Word of God. If you can prove from the Word of God that these things I have written are wrong, then I will recant. if you cannot, here I stand. God help me, I can do nothing else." And he took a stand. God was giving the church a chance to repent but she repented not. They went right on in sin. The Roman Catholic Church has millions of people-they say they have over 500,000,000 members in the Roman Catholic Church.
EXCEPT YOU REPENT
Verse 22 says, "Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation." In other words this church is going to go on down into the Great Tribulation period unless they repent of their deeds. The evidence that this is true is that they are still in existence today. They will go into the Tribulation period.
The woman sitting upon the beast in Revelation 17 is representative of Ecclesiastical Babylon. The ecumenical movement is getting them all together. it will be headed up by the Church of Rome. I believe you can see it today. They are not going to repent of their deeds. They are going into the Tribulation period. We will have a one-world church and the true church will be caught out first in the Rapture-praise God!
Look at verse 23: "And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He who searcheth the minds and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." it is the Lord Jesus who searches the mind, the reins, your innermost part, and He also searches the heart, and He will give unto everyone according to his works. The Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).
Jeremiah 17:10 says, "I the Lord search the heart. I try the reins (the mind), to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doing." God is going to reward us according to the way we live down here-the things we have done-our motives in doing the things we have done. He is going to judge every one of us according to our works. This is not being judged to be saved but for reward's sake. That is what He is talking about.
Verse 24 says, "But unto you, I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon you no other burden." Those who have not been involved in this doctrine we are studying about-they have not gone down into the depths of Satan-he says He will put nothing else upon them.
OVERCOMERS - HOLD FAST
But here is what you ought to do-verse 25: "But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come." And you know, that could be the message applied to the person that has cars to hear today. "Hold fast till the Lord comes!" if you feel like you are at the end of your rope today, tie a knot in it and hold on, for the Lord is coming, beloved. You may be having physical problems; you may have mental problems; you may have financial problems; maybe you are having spiritual problems; or problems with your relatives, or with your friends, or where you work. I want to tell you-we need to listen to the message that was given to this church. We need to hold on because the Lord is coming. Don't quit now! Don't throw in the towel now. Some are! Some are falling by the wayside. But, oh, beloved, now is the time to really hold fast, because Jesus is really coming. And that is the personal message from this church age to us.
Now look at verse 26 and 27: "And he that overcometh." Who is this person that overcomes? We have already studied this in I John 5:5: "Who is he that overcometh the world but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" Who is an overcomer? It is not a person that never sins. Do not let people try to tell you that you are going to get to a place where you will never sin. Don't you believe that! Do not believe that you can get to that place because you cannot do it! One group says you can be entirely sanctified. Another group says it is possible to have the old nature eradicated. You are never going to reach that. You can grow up in the Lord and get to the place where you do not habitually sin, do not continually practice sin. But occasionally you are going to slip and God says so in 1 John 1:8-10: "If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar and His Word is not in us, but, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." That is why every night before I go to sleep I bow my head and say, "Lord, search my heart. if there is anything I have done wrong today, I want You to forgive me." Before I take communion, I say, "Lord, search my heart for anything I have done that is wrong since I last partook of the communion and I will confess it. Sometimes I do a lot of confessing there; sometimes I do not confess much. Usually I try to keep "confessed up"- every night before I go to bed. I may miss occasionally, but not very often. That is what God would have us to do. We should continually be cleansed by confessing our sins to the Lord. And the Bible says, "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, (continually) cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)
REIGNING WITH CHRIST
Verse 26 says, "He that overcometh." (This is the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God) and keepeth My works unto the end . . . " (Does it say that he will be saved? It does not say anything about Salvation here-it says he is to be rewarded.) "To him will I give power (or authority) over the nations." What does that speak of? The book of Luke says, "We are going to rule and reign." Some are going to rule over five cities; some are going to rule over ten cities-during the millennial age- during the kingdom age. We are going to rule and reign with Jesus Christ. He is going to give us power over the nations-or authority over the nations.
Verse 27 says, "And He shall rule them with a rod of iron." Jesus Christ is going to rule the whole world with a rod of iron. "As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received My Father."
During the Kingdom Age I am going to be in a glorified body. Somebody may hate me and want to kill me, but they cannot kill me because I am going to have a body just like Jesus Christ had after His resurrection -just like He has today at the right hand of God. Nobody is going to be able to kill me during the Kingdom Age or any period thereafter because I am going to be like Jesus Christ. And you will too. That is why we are going to have world-wide peace. And, beloved, there is not going to be any world-wide peace until the Prince of peace comes and sets up His kingdom and rules this world with a rod of iron and you and I rule with Him in glorified bodies. This is exactly what is going to happen.
And it says, "As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of My Father. (28) And I will give him the morning star." Now what is He talking about here? Revelation 22:16, says, "I am the bright and morning star," speaking of Jesus. He is the bright and morning star. So what He is saying here is, "I am going to give myself." I praise the Lord that this refers to our Savior Himself.
Then He closes with this message to this church: "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Did you notice? it is plural here-to all the churches that were in existence during that period. This is also to the individuals in any of the church periods who have a listening ear-let him hear what the Holy Spirit says unto the churches. And so if you have the tendency to do some of the things that some of the churches did during this period, I hope that God will speak to your heart. I hope that you will not bow down before idols. I hope you will not get off into some of these false teachings that I have mentioned. It is so easy, in this age, where we have so little doctrine being taught, to be misled into some of these things that began during the Thyatira period.