Presents the Tell it like it is! series of studies:

Revelation 2:17  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.

John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

John 16:13-14
[13] Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. [14] He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

This Bible Study was originally written by Roger Christopherson, 
 published at http://www.theseason.org/ 

Without the leading by the Holy Spirit, there is no understanding of the truths, for all the truth of the Scriptures are revealed to us by God's Spirit.

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Now here is our revised study of: Christopherson's Revelation chapter 2

This was pointed out in the first chapter. 

The churches John saw, the "seven candlesticks", were right here on earth on the "Day of the Lord".

On that "Day of the Lord" the entire tribulation is over, finished, and the churches [candlesticks] are still on the earth.

My fellow Christian, if your looking for a "Rapture", for someone to fly you out of here before Satan comes to earth in his role as the antichrist, the false-christ, the spurious messiah, as many churches teach; it means you will have already worshiped Satan, as the spurious messiah at the time described in John's vision.

It means that you have already taken Satan's name, and that you have also taken his number; it means you have been deceived. 

This is why it is important that you should study all of God's Word, and not listen to the traditions of men that go against the Word of God, even if that is what is taught in your church.

It will save you a great deal of embarrassment when you stand before your Heavenly Father on "The Day of the Lord".  Don't be ignorant of God's Word. 

Not to mention that you will have missed out on the 
"First Resurrection to Eternal Life"

And now let's hear what Jesus has to say to the first church:

Revelation 2:1 "Unto the angel of the church of Eph'-e-sus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;"

This letter is written to the church of Ephesus. Here, the promises of blessings are not given to the church itself; but only to those few overcomers that are within it. These stars are the angels over each of these churches, and the "golden candlesticks" are the seven churches. This was established in the first chapter.

Jesus told John to write to the church at Ephesus first. The message is to Christians in all churches of these end times, and now especially to those who have doctrines and works that match that of the Ephesus Church.

Revelation 2:2 "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 [false]."

Christ continues speaking to the Church of Ephesus, and all churches with like doctrine and works. Jesus recognizes the good traits of this church and it's people, including the fact that this church even tests their members according to their fruits of their works and words. This church even has pinpointed the liars, or hypocrites that live and worship amongst them.

Revelation 2:3 "And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted."

This sounds like a pretty good church. They are trying; they have patience, they can't stand evil around them, and they are strong of the Lord.

Revelation 2:4 "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love."

Now what is the "first love"? If you love and are a follower of Almighty God, that isn't too difficult to understand. The first covenant is God, and Christ is "the living Word". There are many who have left Christ, and have gone to forms of godliness, but in doing so, they deny the power thereof [of God].

Remember, these are the seven types of Churches in the world that exist on "the Day of the Lord", or the Lord's day. That day is the day the seventh trumpet will sound, and our Lord Jesus Christ returns.

Does your church preach and believe in the "Virgin birth of Christ"? How about the death, and resurrection, and the ascension into heaven of Jesus Christ? Does your church believe that the only way to the Heavenly Father is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ? How about all those stories and parables in the Bible; how is your church teaching them? This is what tells you if your church has left it's first love.

To deny Jesus' virgin birth, His death and resurrection, and ascension into heaven, is to deny that Jesus Christ is our Savior. Many ministers today simply do not believe that the Bible is anything but a storybook. Their sermons are about everything sweet and lovely, but not of God's love and justice. Many of these pastors are locked into the traditions of their denominations that they learned in their seminary, and to sway from that could mean loss of job, and more important to many of these preachers, their pensions or livelihood. But for whatever their reason, the truths of God's holy Word has taken the back seat to their systems traditions.

Revelation 2:5 "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."

There are many churches that never study from the Old Testament. They leave their members in total ignorance and open to the deceptions that are coming upon us, that are increasing by the day. Jesus is warning this Church of Ephesus to repent, and get back into all of God's Word. Christ is the center of the entire Word of God, and He is the first love of all your study.

God is threatening that if you do not get back to your first love, He will tare your church up. If that candlestick represents your church it will be gone. What again was this church doing that was so wrong? They strayed from Christ and His teachings, and in their believing in the Word of God. The focus of their worship was not Christ, but on worldly matters. If you have strayed, repent and get back on track.

Revelation 2:6 "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nic-o-la-i'-tanes, which I also hate."

There are no written records of the Nicolaitanes, however this type are appearing in churches now, at the end of this earth age. They are hateful and disruptive people towards God. In the Strong's Concordance, their number is #3531, "Kebarah", and here we are referred to #3527. When we go there we see these people are called, "Kabar; to accumulate in large number, an abundance; to multiply." The church at Pergamos also practiced this.

The Dixon Bible Dictionary said of the "Nicolaitanes", "They had become established in the Churches of Ephesus and Pergamos; and taught that it was the right and liberty of Christians to eat meat offered to idols, and indulge in other forms of heathenism."

In modern day churches, most are taking in heathen forms of religious practices in their worship, and accepting heathen traditions as being from God. Doctrine and deeds which are contrary to God's Word are allowed and even promoted. This should cause you to draw attention to Romans 11:7, where Paul said, "Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded."

This is speaking to the time of our generation, and that obtainable thing that is the wisdom and knowledge within all of God's Word. Included are all prophecies, and the understanding that the spurious messiah comes first. This one world system spreading now over the earth will drag all religious orders to it, including Christian churches. The Nicolaitanes will try to convience the churches of the type of Ephesus and Pergamos to join them. And they will accept the heathen customs and traditions that fit into this godless "one world system", that has already been formed.

 John's Note: That would be "Mystery Babylon"

Have you read our study about "Mystery Babylon"?
(Live Link to)- Mystery Babylon

Revelation 2:7 "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."

The "Tree of Life" is Jesus Christ, and if you are an overcomer against these godless practices and doctrines, you will partake in Christ's Millennium Kingdom. This is discussed fully in chapter twenty two. You will either be in this "paradise of God" as an overcomer, or after judgment you will be sent to the lake of fire. Your church system might be leading you there.

American Wisdom Series Editor's Note:: We are going to stop here in this "Revelation of Jesus Christ" study to review some commentary from verses 1 through 7 in an earlier study we published on the "Revelation of Jesus Christ."  I don't believe you will find much difference in the general opinion of these 2 authors, but to read another person's perspective of events that did and will take place may prove helpful in our understanding of Jesus' revelation. Also, our introduction #9300 was taken from this earlier study so keep your eyes open for study tips and rules to help simplify your grasp of Jesus' end time revelation.

Our Lord speaks:

These good folks obviously have some degree of common sense. They can spot a "phony" preacher on the street corner or on TV, and after listening awhile (trying them) they find them to be liars, con artists! We need more people to be able to do that, i.e. to try these phonies and realize they are liars, and that they are not sent from God.

What is a Christian's first love? It is Jesus Christ, the Savior, the living Word of God. How is it then that they leave Him? By becoming involved in "church" and following the teachings of the church, the traditions of men, that make void the Word of God, which is Christ. They are wasting their time. Christ said so Himself!

Some people have a real hard time understanding how there will be Christians that do all these wonderful works and yet don't make it into the kingdom of heaven! Jesus addressed this issue.

What exactly is His will? His "will" is His "testament", both the Old and the New. If one doesn't do His will they are simply "kidding" themselves by calling themselves Christian! James 1:22 reads: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."

So Jesus says, when talking about the same time period where John is now, i.e. the day of the Lord:

Though they profess Christ, too often well meaning Christians turn their will and their lives over to the care of their "church", and their church actually becomes their "means to salvation". This is especially true when their church thinks that only they are God's "elect", a term they interpret wrongly to mean "elite". Then just "belonging" to this church gets them into the kingdom. Here's what Jesus will say to them:

Christ now continues to give His message to the church of Ephesus.

It is amazing how many church goers today do not believe in creation, but believe evolution took place in one form or another.

Jesus Christ has one more thing to say to all of us, not just to the church of Ephesus:

We will learn more about the tree of life in the final chapter (22) of Revelation.

What can we conclude about the church of Ephesus. Well, they appear to pretty "main stream" Christians, good hearted, well meaning church goers, who are definitely against sinful, lustful practices. The problem is that they are Biblically illiterate, they have left their first love, and so they don't have the seal of God, His Word, in their foreheads. Consequently, they will worship Satan when he appears first as the spurious messiah, i.e. they will believe that he is Jesus Christ Himself. That is not an opinion, for we will document this in the remaining chapters of the Book of Revelation beyond a shadow of doubt.

The truly sad part is, that when one worships Satan, even through ignorance, guess what? They can kiss their candlestick good-bye! Did you "hear" that?

Next we will see one of only two churches that Christ has nothing against. Hey, that's one to pay close attention to and become a part of what they teach.

Revelation 2:8 "And unto the angel of the church in Smyr'-na write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive [lived again];"

Here is the second church Jesus told John to write about. It is the church of Smyrna, and all those churches of today which are like it. This is one of the churches God is very pleased with. If your church is not like Smyrna, then you could be in trouble. The key to the church of Smyrna's form of worship is that they took and understood the entire Word of God.

Remember from the first chapter; "He that is first [first earth age], and the last [eternal] is our Lord Jesus Christ". "The Alpha and Omega" is one of the names for Jesus Christ, and it is He that is speaking to John. "Which was dead, and is alive;" is another description of Jesus. Jesus Christ's flesh body was crucified and dead, and in three days Jesus came alive again to conquer death. Jesus is the Messiah.

Revelation 2:9 "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."

This tribulation is the tribulation of the instead-of-christ. Remember, John is in the Spirit, on the "day of the Lord", or "the Lord's Day", which is the last day of this earth age. The seventh trumpet is about to sound. We are living in that generation and this writing is to you and me in our generation.

To the Christian, our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit of God.

The synagogues were, and still are the subsitute for doing it God's way.

It became the, "instead of the temple of God", when they came to worship.

Those of the synagogues of Satan were the cause for the changes made in worship in Jesus day, and they are the same ones who are causing many churches to worship and follow other ways today.

Do you know who these Kenites are?

Do you know what they do, or where they came from?

The Smyrna Church did.

Jesus is saying here, if the ability to identify and know these people of Satan is not taught in your church, He is not happy with you.

Jesus said you're rich if you understand the seed line of Satan. 

That understanding of the Kenites is the "Key of David", the truth. 

In Mark 13, Jesus makes it very clear, there is a tribulation coming; and that tribulation is a deception of the truth. 

While some Christians will be very ashamed, others that are not ashamed will be delivered up before these synagogues of Satan, and then the Holy Spirit will speak through them, as He did on the Pentecost Day.

We read of this in Acts 2.

Peter identified this in Acts 2:14-21, as that spoken of by Joel the prophet. [Joel 2:28-32]; This was a sample of how it will be in these end times. My fellow Christian, we are living in the end times. This "synagogue of Satan" is very active today, and putting up quite a deception before the churches of today, to draw them into their godless, "one world system", which is preparing the way for their father Satan's arrival as the false-christ.

The Church of Smyrna and those churches of like doctrine, know who these Kenites are, and God will bless them for this knowledge.

Revelation 2:10 "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.."

When you know exactly what the deceptions of these Kenites are and from the rest of Revelation, you know how these Kenites are working.

The purpose is how to identify them, and then you will have nothing to fear from them. 

God will protect you, for the entire tribulation is nothing but smoke and mirrors. 

It is deceptions, and tricks, and all sorts of supernatural wonders which  God is allowing to Satan [the Antichrist or instead-of-christ] to perform in order to test your faith and knowledge of His Word.

The Antichrist and his children, the Kenites, will use those powers to deceive you, into worshipping Satan, even if in ignorance as if he is the true Christ.

When you know who Satan is, and that he comes to the earth before Jesus Christ comes, you simply can not be tricked by Satan or his children. 

These Kenites are Satan's children through the womb of Eve.

The child born from that sexual union was "Cain", and all the offspring of Cain, to this generation are called the "Kenites". 

Though you my be unaware of this, rest assured that the Kenites know all about themselves.

This race of Kenites copy and mimic what ever group they enter into, 
And in this case it is the tribe of Judah.

I Chronicles 2:55 "And the families of the scribes which dwelt in Jabez [Jerusalem], the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab."

These scribes were the Sopherites that set out to write the "Textual Criticism" called the "Sopherim". Their purpose was to rewrite the Word of God, and teach is as their traditions, to replace the teaching of the Massorah of the Levitical priesthood. 

This is why they sought to kill Jesus from the day of the start of his ministry, Jesus knew the difference. 

I Chronicles 2:55 gives us the time that the Kenites took over the duties of the scribes, or keeping safe the true meaning of God's Word, and because of this we have a Massorah Text. Whereby, if anything is added to, or taken away from God's Word, it will stand out. These Kenites dominated the priestly duties of the Levites also, when the Jews came out of Babylon. This is quite obvious by Ezra's writing, in Ezra 2:43-65. It is this band of Kenites that sat in the seat of Moses, that Jesus referred to constantly through His ministry in the Gospels.

The nature of the Kenites is exactly as their father Satan is, thus when you understand how Satan infiltrates, and uses and twists the Word of God to deceive and confuse, you can see how these people will infiltrate your church, and lead you into their father's camp. 

We are told in Mark 13:11 that when you go against them, they will cause you to give an answer why you will not follow them.

That is why you are not to think ahead at this time of what you will say, but to, instead, let the Holy Spirit to speak through you.

It is because these people are wordsmiths, they know how to take words you say and twist meanings to accommodate themselves. 

Don't make plans to fight the Antichrist,

for you will lose.

Instead, study to prepare yourself to know about him, and what he will do.

 He will do exactly what God will give him the authority to do, and nothing more.

 When we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ and know we will not see Him while still in this flesh body that each of us now have, then the hardest step is out of the way.

For whoever claims to be Christ, simply cannot be Christ, if you are still in your flesh and blood body.

We see also in Mark 13:11, the total time of tribulation [testing] for the saints and faithful is for ten [10] days. For those who hold fast to the Lord for those ten days, God's reward [those that know the truth and remain true to Christ] is "the crown of Life", that is eternal life. 

This earth age is about over, and our minds should be set, and looking to the day of our Lord's return.

The only two that will lose their lives in the Antichrist's tribulation are the two witnesses. Their death marks the last three and an half days of this earth age. Then Christ will return. This is recorded in Revelation 11 and we will study it in detail.

Remember that the Church at Smyrna is still on earth when all this takes place.
No so-called "rapture" has occurred; However, all those who are looking for "the rapture" will have already served the Antichrist, and taken his name and his number, so they are lost and will have to spend the next 1000 years, during the Millennium, proving to Christ that they too now deserve to be awarded eternal life at the "Great White Throne of Judgment", i.e. the Second Resurrection to Eternal Life.  If not it is "The Second Death", i.e. eternal death for them also, just like for Satan and his angels.

Revelation 2:11 "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."

Here we see that beautiful saying again. Those in the church of Ephesus, except for the overcomers, are going to have their church [candlestick] smashed; 

However, those in the Church of Smyrna are getting ready to receive the "crown of life", eternal life. Those who receive this reward will not see the second death, the death of there soul.

American Wisdom Series Editor's Note: We are going to stop here in this "Revelation of Jesus Christ" study to review some commentary from verses 8 through 11 in an earlier study we published on the "Revelation of Jesus Christ."  I don't believe you will find much difference in the general opinion of these 2 authors, but to read another person's perspective of events that did and will take place may prove helpful in our understanding of Jesus' revelation. Also, our introduction #9300 was taken from this earlier study so keep your eyes open for study tips and rules to help simplify your grasp of Jesus' end time revelation.

Let's pay close attention to this next church, the church in Smyrna, for there are only two churches that Christ will find no fault with, this one and the church in Philadelphia. Hey, go with a winner! We will find that they share a common teaching, so whatever it is it must be very pleasing to Christ.

Now notice what identifies the church of Smyrna. They know who the blasphemers are that say they are of Judah, who run around claiming to be God's chosen people, while all along they are liars and are of the synagogue of Satan. Whew, that's pretty powerful stuff! You bet!

Jesus Christ identified these same imposters who lay claim to God's inheritance in John chapter 8. The scribes and the Pharisees were trying to "sell" their lies, deception, to Jesus Christ Himself (talk about bold).

Time for another pop quiz.

Note: We will be addressing the subject of the Kenites throughout the Book of Revelation, so just be patient if this is new to you. However, if anyone would like to be brought up to "modern times" concerning Rev. 2:9 and 3:9 then do some research on the subject of Khazars. Here's a quote from one paragraph in the Encyclopedia Britannica:

Now let's return to Revelation.

Of course, this is nothing new. Christ talked about these trials in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. Let's check it out.

Continuing in Mark 13:

Think carefully now. Remember the picture we were given? The message to the churches, and to the whole world for that matter, comes directly from the mouth of Jesus Christ (His Sword, the Word). Right? That's why God's elect are not to premeditate what they will say. They won't have to! It will be the Sword of Christ, His Word, the Holy Spirit of God, proceeding directly out their mouths to proclaim His Gospel to this world.

 Now back to our current 2013 study of the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" Here is verse 12

Revelation 2:12 "And to the angel of the church in Per'-ga-mos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;"

"Per'-ga-mos" is the type of another church existing in these latter days; compare it now to your Church. The reference to the "sharp sword with two edges", is because Jesus Christ is preparing to do some cutting on some dead wood. A pruning is going to take place. He is going to discipline the Pergamos church.

Revelation 2:13 "I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Sa'-tan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein An'-ti-pas was my faithful martyr [my witness, my faithful one], who was slain among you where Sa'-tan dwelleth."

The Pergamos Church is a very high-minded church. This church had a special high authoritative person they called "savior" [not Christ], and this church believed that you had to go through him, and please him to be saved and approach the Heavenly Father. The symbol of this "savior" was the serpent. This is because of his identification being related back to Ancient Babylonian worship. He was a follower of the serpent [Satan], even though the things he did and said appeared to be good.

Pergamos still carries the true name of Christ, with a strong faith. The time is fixed for us when this church claims to be Christ, but takes an identification with the "seat of Satan". "Antipas" in the Greek, is "Anti-father", or "Antichrist" in the spiritual sense. We are observing this Church of Pergamos in John's vision that takes place "on the Lord's day". This is looking back on the final days of this earth age.

As we will see in Revelation 12:7, Satan is now in heaven as our accuser, until the time when Michael casts him, and his fallen angels to the earth. The actual time of "Antipas" or Satan's coming is set in Revelation 9:1, when the fifth angel sounds the fifth trumpet. These events will be covered in detail in those chapters.

Satan is God's servant, just as Nebuchadnezzar was God's servant in Ancient Babylon. The seat of Satan will be in Jerusalem, and that is where he will dwell. Satan, the Antichrist, will dwell and live in Jerusalem, just as you expect the True Christ to come and reign. That is why we are told in Matthew 24, and Mark 13, that when you see him there, you had better get out of Judea [the nation of Israel today].

Revelation 2:14 "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the dactrine of Ba'-laam, who taught Ba'-lic to cast a stumbling block before the children of Is'-ra-el, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication."

God has something against this Church at Pergamos, and all the churches like it. What is "Balaam", and just what is the "fornication" that they are involved with?

We are talking about religious activities, and spiritual matters here. This "fornication" is a spiritual act. "Balaam" was a teacher who taught for money. He was so stupid that he couldn't hear when God talked directly to him. In fact he didn't even realize the difference when the ass he was riding spoke to him. This old boy still can't catch on, because all he can think of is preaching, and collecting his money for that teaching.

Where and how does money come into your church with respect to the Word of God? Is their a constant plea for money? When sermons are built around money, and programs are created for the purpose of generating money, then ultimately they are building your spiritual relationship to what you give [they get].

Then your church is comparable to the Church at Pergamos. Your preacher becomes a spiritual beggar at the pulpit.. When your pastor takes your offering, are you getting full value of the Word of God, or just spiritual crumbs from him? Scraps from the table of the Lord do not prepare anyone to stand against the "wiles of the devil".

Revelation 2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nic-o-la-i'-tanes, which thing I hate [in like manner]."

If you can't understand the importance of knowing the Kenites, you will worship Baal, and be subject to their salesmanship, as they peddle their distortions of God's Word. These Nicolaitanes are the same ones that plagued the church of Ephesus. There are very few churches today who teach as the Church at Smyrna taught.

Revelation 2:16 "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."

If you have money as the center of your life, and place it over the study of God's Word; Jesus is telling you to repent.

Revelation 2:17 "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 man'-na, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knowth saving he that receiveth it."

"Manna" is angel food for the spiritual body, it is what God fed the children of Israel while they were in the wilderness. The "manna" of today is the spiritual truth within the Word of God that feeds your spiritual body and mind. The "white stone" is a stone of victory, it is given to God's elect who are the overcomers. They overcame the deceit of the Antichrist, and the Kenites. If you have an ear to hear, you will understand what the spirit is trying to teach you. This instruction is given for us by Jesus, with John doing the writing.

Christ spoke in parables while on earth, so that many, including the Kenites, would not understand. Then Jesus gave the keys to understanding them to His disciples so His teaching would not be a mystery to them. After Jesus spoke in parables, His disciples asked him why He spoke in parables.

Matthew 13:11 "He answered and said unto them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."

Matthew 13:12 "For whosoever hath, to him shall it be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath."

Matthew 13:13 "Therefore speak I to them in parable: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."

Their is a reason for their not understanding, God did not want them to understand for a purpose. These Kenite people are the negative part of the entire plan of God, and it was for their own protection.

Matthew 13:14 "And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Exaias, which saith, `By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:"

Matthew 13:15 "For this people's heart [mind] is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

Just as the Key was the understanding that Satan had sexual relations with Eve, and bore the son Cain [not of Adam]. Cain's offspring [children] have plagued God's children throughout this entire earth age. They are not Jews, or from the tribe of Judah, but have taken it over, and assumed the duties of the priests and the scribes. These are the hidden ones who do the dirty work, killed the prophets and Christ, and they will call themselves by whatever name suits their mission. They lie, deceive and confuse wherever they are. When the Jews came out of Babylon of all those returning to Jerusalem to build the temple and reestablish worship, over half of their number were the Nethinims [those given to service], but not of the Levitical priesthood or even of Judah.

Ezra 8:15 "And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the People, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi."

Here over four hundred years before Christ, and the Levitical priesthood had been taken over by these Kenite Nethinims, for Ezra found not one of the sons of Levi were present with them returning to Jerusalem.

Today these Kenites control the four hidden dynasties [will be discussed later], and those dynasties are education, economy [commerce, trade and banking], religion, and politics. These people are the final authority in the "New World Order", [the United Nations], with it's 10 major world controlling agencies. Our national leaders have sold you and America to them, so you see we are now into the fourth seal and most Christians don't even know it. This will be discussed later in this book in detail.

The sons of Satan through Cain, are identified in the Strong's Concordance, #7014, "Qayin, kah'-yin; Kajin, the name of the first child, also a place in Palestine, and of an oriental tribe, Cain, Kenite." Today these Kenites are setting up the one world system, changing doctrine within churches, confusing the truth of God's Word through their well placed "higher critics", and laying the platform for your acceptance of their father, Satan, to be your God. When a Kenite comes to the saving knowledge of Christ and repents, they are no longer a Kenite, but a son of the Living God, Jesus Christ.

The word "stone" in verse 17 is #5586 In the Strong's Concordance it means; "a pebble worn smooth in counting." This is also part of Revelation 13, where we are told "to count the number of the beast." That number of the beast is the number of man. The word "count" is not like counting numbers 1, 2, 3, and so on; but comes from an outdated Greek word "Stigma". In the Greek, Strong's #5585, "Psephizo, psay-fid-zo; from 5586; to use pebbles in enumeration, to compute, to count".

Strong's #5586, "Psephos, psay'-fos; a pebble [as worn smooth in handling],i.e., to use as a counter or ballot, a verdict of acquittal or ticket of admission; by vote-stone". The Kenites use their skills in controlling the majority, in determining right or wrong, who is in power, and the bases of their world system through the United Nations. This is exactly how we are going to lose national sovereignty, and be brought under control of this satanic system, at the ballot box, by the polls, and through the Demotrcratic process of the numbering of the people.

In the "Song of Moses" , in Deuteronomy 32:30-31 it is clear that Satan is presented as a "rock", or stone. To the overcomers that are aware that; "this rock is not like our Rock", where most Christians do not know the difference between the two rocks. The Church of Pergamos did not know the difference.

Though in the English the words "stone", and "count" are far apart, however in the Greek they were not. They have the same prime root meaning. So by giving the number 666, that number has the same root meaning as counting and identifying stones, or rocks. The whole idea of taking a number, like the branding on ones body of a tattoo and have it commit you to Satan is out-right ignorance. For by force, anyone can be branded, and as such, not one child of God loses his or salvation. This will be discussed in detail in a later chapter.

Jesus is telling John that the Key to being acceptable to Him, is when you are able to know the difference between the two rocks; the true Rock being Christ, and the fake rock is the Antichrist. We are to be able to count those pebbles [666], and know those fakes [the Kenites]. The Kenites will deceive you if you lack the "hidden manna", the truths in God's Word.

 John's Note: We are going to stop here in this "Revelation of Jesus Christ" study to review some commentary from verses 12 through 17 in an earlier study we published on the "Revelation of Jesus Christ."  I don't believe you will find much difference in the general opinion of these 2 authors, but to read another person's perspective of events that did and will take place may prove helpful in our understanding of Jesus' revelation. Also, our introduction #9300 was taken from this earlier study so keep your eyes open for study tips and rules to help simplify your grasp of Jesus' end time revelation.

Keep that in mind as we now move on to the church in Permagos.

Historically the Permagosians (can that be a word?) were worshippers of Apollo to whom the title of soter, which means "savior", was given and whose emblem was a serpent. "Some even trace the Babylonian pagan priesthood as removing to Pergamos." (See note on Rev. 2:12 in the Companion Bible). In any event, they had adopted a great many pagan rituals into their worship. Ever see that in today's churches, easter eggs, bunnies, etc.?

However, remember where John has been taken to, the day of Lord, the first day of the Millennium, which is yet future.

Let's see what Christ has to say to them.

You should remember from kindergarten (or Sesame Street) that the number 6 comes before the number 7. It is at the 6th Trump that Satan is cast out of heaven onto this earth (Rev. 12:7-9), to play the role of the spurious messiah. We don't gather back to Christ until the 7th Trump, the very last one! The apostle Paul WARNS us what will happen before we gather back to Jesus at the 7th Trump.

Well, there will be one person in the church of Pergamos who will know the difference between the two and he will be martyred. His name, not doubt derived from his reputation, is Antipas which means "anti-father", and yet Jesus calls him His faithful martyr. He is faithful in telling the Biblically illiterate of the church of Pergamos that the dude who sits in the temple claiming to be God "Ain't the Father". Six comes before seven, don't you know?

Note: At the time of the crucifixion the people were given the choice to release one of two prisoners, Jesus, the Son of the Father, or Bar-abbas, which means "son of the father" (bar = son, abba = father). Two sons of two different fathers. Amazing, isn't it? They chose the latter.

Let's return to Revelation chapter 2.

1.) They've got the "Balaam Syndrome". Balaam was a true priest of Israel all right, but if one takes the time to read the account they will find he preached to Balac, i.e. the Moabites, for MONEY. Know any churches like that? Do you know any churches that concentrate on fund raisers, pledges of money, pass the plate, building funds, etc, etc.

In fact at one point Balaam had his ass so loaded with "donations" that God intervened with an angel and had the ass speak to Balaam to bring him to his senses.

You know, it seems like every time I hear a sermon on TV by certain "will readers", I learn how blessed I'll be if I send money to them. Balaam lives on!

Here is a word of wisdom! If there is one person in this universe you don't want to get into a sword fight with, it's Jesus Christ. I don't care if your name is Zorro or Luke Skywalker!

What is this manna spoken of here? Manna is the angel's food that our Father fed His children with in the wilderness of Sinai. It is symbolic of the truth, i.e. the bread of life, which our Father feeds His children in today's wilderness, during this time of the great famine spoken of in Matthew 24 and Mark 13.

"What?.. I don't see a great famine!" Maybe you also need "eyes to see". Look into the Book of Amos and "see" what is revealed concerning the famine of the end time.

Now, notice in Rev 2:17 that there is "hidden" manna, i.e. hidden truth. Some will ask, "Why is it that truth is hidden in the Bible?" The answer is, "So that when you go looking for it, you can find it!" Actually, all you need are "eyes to see" and "ears to hear" and it becomes revealed, uncovered, as it is right here in the great Book of Revelation.

We will address the white stone and the new name in a subsequent study. Meanwhile, here's some good advice, "Get out of Pergamos".

Let's review where we are in Revelation, this Book of the Uncovering. So far we've learned that the "Revelation" is from Jesus Christ and is written to His servants. He has transported John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, in the spirit to the day of the Lord, which is the Millennium, to record for those servants the things which must "shortly come to pass", at that time, not 96 A.D.

We then learned the simplicity of the use of symbology, which allows us to see in Picture Format that which Christ would have us know.  However, it only makes sense if we allow the Bible to do the explaining and not "mystify" what is being revealed with our own runaway imaginations.

Jesus Christ then began to address the seven churches and "reveal" their doctrines. This is a very serious matter, for if one finds himself to be a part of any church other than Smyrna or Philadelphia, he or she has big problems. Why? They don't align with His Word!

Let's check the scorecard of the first three churches:

 Now back to our current 2013 study of the "Revelation of Jesus Christ" Here is verse 18

[18] 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;

The church of Thyatira should pay particular attention to His eyes that "see" what they're doing and His heavy metal feet that could do some serious "stomping" when He returns.  Brass feet will be great for "treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Rev 19:15). Remember, He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords to rule with a rod of iron (and brass feet).

[19] 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.

I know your works,
And I Know your charity,
And I Know your service,
And I Know your faith,
And I Know your patience,
And I Know your works.

[20] 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.

Now let's back up and analyze what's being said. First, this is not, and cannot be, the Jezebel of 1 Kings chapter 16, though she certainly was a type.  Her name, Jezebel, means chaste, and so she gives the appearance of purity and holiness and goodness and truth (read as a Polysyndenton now that you know what one is), but we just learned that she is anything but those things. The problem is her church members are too deceived, too seduced and in love with her, to know that what she teaches is an abomination to our Father! (She is not an actual woman, but a "teaching" of the church).

What does it mean to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols? Do you mean she teaches people to have sex outside of marriage and eat food sacrificed to idols?  No, this is church doctrine that is being talked about. She teaches people to become idolaters by eating "spiritual food", i.e. doctrine and traditions, that are not Biblical, and so not from God. It comes from other gods, meaning the false god, Satan himself, but it looks and "tastes" so good!

An example would be the "rapture theory" taught in most Christian churches today. Margaret McDonald, a prophetess herself, originated this doctrine in the year 1830 in Glasgow Scotland. She herself wrote that at first it was evil and there was darkness about it. That should tell you right there where it came from, the dark one himself. It is not supported in anyway, shape, or form in the Bible, yet it "tastes" and "feels" very good to those who wish to "eat" of it and continue being "seduced".

But let's check out the type, the Jezebel in I Kings 16-19.  She had good old Ahab make groves that really angered our Father, more so than all the kings of Israel that were before him. That's pretty serious stuff!

1 Kings 16:33
And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

Well guess what? We just read in verse 17 of Rev. 2 that there is hidden manna, so henceforth we better all start looking a little deeper to uncover the truth.  Get a Strong's Concordance and look up "grove". The word is "asherah", from the root "ashar", to be straight, erect or upright!

Check out all the passages where this word is used and you will "see" without question it is not a grove like the folks of Thyatira think. For example, in 2 Kings 17:10 "they set them up under every tree" and in 2 Kings 23:6 "he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron...".

The asherah was a "thing", it was the Phallus image of  Isa. 57:8 and the "image of the male" in Ezek. 16:17. You guessed it, it was the image of the male upright organ of procreation. OK, it was a big carved penis, there I said it.

But you know what? It was a religious "thing". It was used in the spring sexual orgies honoring Ashteroth, the queen of heaven, from whom we get our word "Easter". Uh, oh! The church of Thyatira wouldn't bring symbols of fertility into the house of God, would they? Eggs, bunny rabbits?

"Oh, but those", we are told, "are just symbols of new life, after all it's spring time. And besides, it's so cute for the kids." (Doesn't Jezebel speak so sweetly?)  Sure, and grove means a clump of trees. How's it feel to be seduced by her? Do you know the origin of Easter eggs and Easter bunnies? What do they have to do with the Passover anyway?

It may offend some, but if that be the case, go ahead and try to find Easter in the New Testament. It ain't there! Surprised? (Note: Please don't send an e-mail saying you found it in Acts 12:4. The word is pascha, translated all 28 other times as Passover.)

[21] And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

[22] Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

Worshipping Satan, even if in ignorance, is not a very good thing to do if you claim to be a Christian, is it?  It is called the great falling away, the great apostasy.

[23] 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.

[24] 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.

[25] But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

[26] And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

[27] 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.

[28] And I will give him the morning star.

Rev. 22:16
I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

[29] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

To this point in our study of the book that uncovers and unseals the truth, Jesus Christ has addressed four of the seven churches, and so far three of the four have come up short of pleasing Him. In fact we find that only two out of the seven are pleasing to Christ, Smyrna and Philadelphia.

The question is, "Do you want to please Christ, or not?" That may sound like a "dumb" question to ask someone who professes to be Christian, but let's think about it?

Suppose you "hire on" as a contractor for an architect who has given you the plans to build a great, magnificent structure. You're all excited about your new position and you really want to do a good job and please your boss. But you never quite get around to reading the plans or studying the blueprints. Instead you go about erecting poles and walls the way you think they ought to be, the way you've seen other poles and walls built, "traditionally". You justify it in your mind thinking, "This must be what he wants, everyone else does it this way."

When the boss comes along and asks "What in the world is this mess? Where's the magnificent building I ask you to construct? This doesn't even resemble it. Haven't you read my plans?", you say, "But I thought this is the structure you wanted me to build". You're then hurt and crushed when he fires you saying "get away from me" because he has no use for you.

I'd like to quote two paragraphs from the work of one of the greatest Bible scholars of our modern era, E. W. Bullinger, in his work titled "How to Enjoy the Bible", American Christian Press, pg. 6.

When we come to ask ourselves, and say "Where did I learn this?" "How did I get this?" "Who taught me this?" it is astonishing to find how much we have imbibed from man, and from tradition; and not directly and for ourselves, from the Word of God.

All that we have learned from our youth up must be tested and proved by the Word of God. Where we find it is true we must learn it over again, from God. And where it will not stand the test of His Word we must be not only content, but thankful to give it up; and receive Divine revelation in the place of man's imagination.

The apostle Paul was able to sum it up in one short sentence that we all need to live by:

1 Thes. 5:21
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Revelation 2:18 "And unto the angel of the church in Thy-a-ti'-ra write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine [burnished] brass;"

Jesus is introducing John now to the "Church in "Thy-a-ti'-ra".

Revelation 2:19 "I know thy works, and charity [love], and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first."

This sounds like a good group of people, only their works are a lot stronger then their charity. God is commending them for their works. The problem here is also that at Thyatira is ignorant of who the Kenites are. Their works do not cover up their lack of knowledge of God's Word.

Revelation 2:20 "Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jez'-e-bel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."

This is not the "Jezebel" of the Old Testament, but it is the one taking hold of most churches today. This "Jezebel" is the Harlot of Revelation 17. It is the people, churches and system that will whore after the Antichrist. This Jezebel church, "calleth herself a prophetess" [not a harlot], and tries to answer all your spiritual problems, as she drags you into her whoredoms.

My fellow Christian, the Church of Thyatira will teach you all sorts of things that sound good, and just like a whore, she will work over your emotions. She will seduce you into all forms of heathen customs and religious practices and acts of fornication and idolatry.This fits many churches in America and around the world today.

With their works of love, charity, service, patience, and faith; they are totally unprotected against the spiritual war Satan is placing upon them. They are allowing themselves to be herded into Satan's camp. The true bride of Christ in no way will allow herself to be compromised as this Church of Thyatira and these kinds of churches are. The bride of Christ knows her husband [Christ] and looks forward to His return. The true bride of Christ will not fall for Satan's, "Instead-of-Christ" scheme.

Revelation 2:21 "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not."

Thyatira doesn't repent because she has sold herself to emotion, and false doctrine. The "Kenites" have convinced her that she is going to fly away before the destruction comes.

Revelation 2:22 "Behold, I will cast her into bed, and them that commit adultery with her unto great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds."

This is the tribulation of the Antichrist. The tribulation of the Antichrist is the only subject of Matthew 24, Mark, 13, and Luke 21. They give the most detailed prophecies concerning the time prior to the return of Christ, and our gathering back to Him. You, as an individual can be an overcomer, regardless of what your local church body does.

This great falling away that will happen just prior to our Lord's return is called the great "Apostacy". This is because when the false-christ, Satan, arrives on earth, many Christians will believe that the he is the true Christ, rather than the spurious messiah, and will follow and worship the him in ignorance. At that moment, they have been "seduced" by him.

Revelation 2:23 "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."

Once you have bound yourself over to the false-christ, God's grace by faith is not extended to you. Matthew 24:19 and Mark 13:17 gives us this warning; "But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days." "Suck" is a term used here, "to give your works". This is to nurture along the works of the Antichrist. Once you have done that, your in trouble with our Heavenly Father.

Revelation 2:24 "But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thy-a-ti'-ra, as many as have not this doctrine [teaching], and which have not known the depths [deep things] of Sa'-tan, as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden."

This is addressed to those who have not taken part in the Antichrist's deception. It is to those who are within the Church of Thyatira, or one like it, but have not joined in her Jezebel practice. These saints are not, and will not be judged with the others, nor held accountable for the actions of them. Jesus Christ will see that you are protected against all fiery darts of deception in Satan's spiritual warfare, if you only arm yourself with the spiritual armor. This is an individual thing, because the Church simply can not save anyone, for through Jesus Christ we are cleansed of our sins.

Revelation 2:25 "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."

Revelation 2:26 "And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power [authority] over the nations:"

Notice here that it does NOT say, keep my faith to the end. It says, "Keep my works to the end". It is quite common to hear, "All you need is to have faith". My fellow Christian, that will not be sufficient in these latter days, after Satan is already on earth ruling as the Antichrist. "Faith" is of value to us in this end generation, prior to Satan's arrival, for by faith we generate our actions into studying God's Word, and gain understanding and wisdom from the Scriptures, which in turn builds our confidence in Jesus Christ. The Scriptures teach us to tell the difference between what is Holy [Jesus] and what is profane [Satan]. The more wisdom we have from the Scriptures, the more passion we have to work and serve God. You simply do not have faith, if you have no commitment to serve Jesus Christ.

Revelation 2:27 "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."

The word "rule" is better translated in the Greek, "Shepherd". The Shepherd looks out for his sheep, and the "rod of Iron" is a scepter of iron.

If your Church is similar to this Church of Thyatira, consider it as " a bowl made of potter", with Christ taking His rod of iron and smashing it to pieces. It won't have a chance on the "the day of the Lord", at His return. All the instructions that Jesus Christ carries out on that day comes directly from the Heavenly Father. All judgments of God are given in love.

Our Heavenly Father doesn't like it when these shepherds prophecy that God said something, when it isn't written in his book. Their false words are lies, and they are Jezebel liar prophets. He hates it, see verse 15.

Revelation 2:28 "And I will give him the morning star."

There are two morning stars, and the first star to come in these end days will be the Antichrist. Isaiah 14:12; "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lu-ci-fer [day star], Thy son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"

How many teachers have been tricked into believing this morning star is Christ? Once God has sealed His "elect" and the 144,000 in their minds, the rest of mankind, including many teachers, will be given over to Satan, this morning star. see Revelation 9:1-5.

Revelation 2:29 "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Do you have an ear to hear what Christ is saying to the Churches? What does your church stand for and teach?

 John's Note: We are going to stop here in this "Revelation of Jesus Christ" study to review some commentary from verses 18 through 29 in an earlier study we published on the "Revelation of Jesus Christ."  I don't believe you will find much difference in the general opinion of these 2 authors, but to read another person's perspective of events that did and will take place may prove helpful in our understanding of Jesus' revelation. Also, our introduction #9300 was taken from this earlier study so keep your eyes open for study tips and rules to help simplify your grasp of Jesus' end time revelation

The church of Thyatira should pay particular attention to His eyes that "see" what they're doing and His heavy metal feet that could do some serious "stomping" when He returns.  Brass feet will be great for "treading the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (Rev 19:15). Remember, He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords to rule with a rod of iron (and brass feet).

Now let's back up and analyze what's being said. First, this is not, and cannot be, the Jezebel of 1 Kings chapter 16, though she certainly was a type.  Her name, Jezebel, means chaste, and so she gives the appearance of purity and holiness and goodness and truth (read as a Polysyndenton now that you know what one is), but we just learned that she is anything but those things. The problem is her church members are too deceived, too seduced and in love with her, to know that what she teaches is an abomination to our Father! (She is not an actual woman, but a "teaching" of the church).

What does it mean to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols? Do you mean she teaches people to have sex outside of marriage and eat food sacrificed to idols?  No, this is church doctrine that is being talked about. She teaches people to become idolaters by eating "spiritual food", i.e. doctrine and traditions, that are not Biblical, and so not from God. It comes from other gods, meaning the false god, Satan himself, but it looks and "tastes" so good!

An example would be the "rapture theory" taught in most Christian churches today. Margaret McDonald, a prophetess herself, originated this doctrine in the year 1830 in Glasgow Scotland. She herself wrote that at first it was evil and there was darkness about it. That should tell you right there where it came from, the dark one himself. It is not supported in anyway, shape, or form in the Bible, yet it "tastes" and "feels" very good to those who wish to "eat" of it and continue being "seduced".

But let's check out the type, the Jezebel in I Kings 16-19.  She had good old Ahab make groves that really angered our Father, more so than all the kings of Israel that were before him. That's pretty serious stuff!

Well guess what? We just read in verse 17 of Rev. 2 that there is hidden manna, so henceforth we better all start looking a little deeper to uncover the truth.  Get a Strong's Concordance and look up "grove". The word is "asherah", from the root "ashar", to be straight, erect or upright!

Check out all the passages where this word is used and you will "see" without question it is not a grove like the folks of Thyatira think. For example, in 2 Kings 17:10 "they set them up under every tree" and in 2 Kings 23:6 "he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron...".

The asherah was a "thing", it was the Phallus image of  Isa. 57:8 and the "image of the male" in Ezek. 16:17. You guessed it, it was the image of the male upright organ of procreation. OK, it was a big carved penis, there I said it.

But you know what? It was a religious "thing". It was used in the spring sexual orgies honoring Ashteroth, the queen of heaven, from whom we get our word "Easter". Uh, oh! The church of Thyatira wouldn't bring symbols of fertility into the house of God, would they? Eggs, bunny rabbits?

"Oh, but those", we are told, "are just symbols of new life, after all it's spring time. And besides, it's so cute for the kids." (Doesn't Jezebel speak so sweetly?)  Sure, and grove means a clump of trees. How's it feel to be seduced by her? Do you know the origin of Easter eggs and Easter bunnies? What do they have to do with the Passover anyway?

It may offend some, but if that be the case, go ahead and try to find Easter in the New Testament. It ain't there! Surprised? (Note: Please don't send an e-mail saying you found it in Acts 12:4. The word is pascha, translated all 28 other times as Passover.)

Worshipping Satan, even if in ignorance, is not a very good thing to do if you claim to be a Christian, is it?  It is called the great falling away, the great apostasy.

To this point in our study of the book that uncovers and unseals the truth, Jesus Christ has addressed four of the seven churches, and so far three of the four have come up short of pleasing Him. In fact we find that only two out of the seven are pleasing to Christ, Smyrna and Philadelphia.

The question is, "Do you want to please Christ, or not?" That may sound like a "dumb" question to ask someone who professes to be Christian, but let's think about it?

I'd like to quote two paragraphs from the work of one of the greatest Bible scholars of our modern era, E. W. Bullinger, in his work titled "How to Enjoy the Bible", American Christian Press, pg. 6.

The apostle Paul was able to sum it up in one short sentence that we all need to live by:

1 Thes. 5:21
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

In chapter 3, pamphlet 9303 we will procede with to our current 2013 study of the "Revelation of Jesus Christ"

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Rhine Publishing Co.
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