The End of the Matter
The Churches of Revelation
Part 3
Leviticus 18:2-3: {Authorized King James Version}
”Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the Lord your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.”
This is part three of my article entitled “The Churches of Revelation”. This article is part of a larger series entitled “The End of the Matter”. The objective of these articles is to answer two questions which the disciples asked Yahoshua {Jesus}?
Matthew 24:3:
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?’”
They’re actually asking him three questions, but we’re only going to deal with that two that are highlighted. What will be the sign of His coming and the end of the age? We will be going through the prophecies of Daniel, Ezekiel, and the book of Revelations, to learn what the Holy Scriptures has to say about these questions.
In our last article we began going through the churches listed in the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3. We learned that each church had each been given a message from their High Priest, Yahoshua; each message being a prophecy as to their fate and spiritual condition while they are present upon this earth.
These messages are made up of a five parts.
1. The specific Church to whom the messages for.
2. The specific message to that Church.
3. The works the church does that Yahoshua loves.
4. The works the church does that Yahoshua hates.
5. The rewards for overcoming their sins.
For more review please refer to the last article “The Churches of RevelationPart One”.
So far our previous two lessons have covered the first four churches found in the book of Revelation; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, and Thyatira. The next church is Sardis.
When we left off in our last article we found a deception had taken over the world. The natural born Israelites had been taken into captivity and replaced in the land by Gentiles. The true church is now dominated by the Gentile converts. Satan has set up a counterfeit kingdom and a counterfeit church. The true church has been infiltrated by false teachings and doctrines. The church of Thyatira was warned by Yahoshua that a false prophetess, whom He called Jezebel, would lead them to destruction.
Revelation 2:20-22:
”Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.”
We learned that the sexual immorality which Yahoshua speaks of is actually the worshipping of other gods. We can find this in the book of Numbers.
Numbers 25:
”Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. “
Here we see the same sin being done by the people of Israel. Notice the scripture says the people committed harlotry, not just the men. Men and women are committing harlotry with the women of Moab. By sacrificing, bowing down, and eating the food which was sacrificed to their gods. This is why God declared Israel as the harlot.
Numbers 25:2:
“They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.”
It was because of this action that God said Israel had joined themselves to Baal.
Numbers 25:3:
“So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel.”
The Word translated as joined is the Hebrew word tsamad. It is pronounced tsaw-mad. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible defines the word as:
Gird; figuratively, to serve, (mentally) contrive to bind, join, fasten, frame, join self
This is the sin which Israel committed before God. It is not just that Israel is worshipping other gods, but they are using pagan worship and pagan rituals, to serve their God; the Creator of the universe, the God of Israel. We find an example of this in the book of Exodus chapter 32. This is the story of the golden calf which Israel fashioned at the foot of Mount Sinai. They had been led out of Egypt by God through Moses. While Moses was on top of the mountain communing with God, the children of Israel fashioned for themselves a golden calf.
Exodus 32: 3-4:
“And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, ‘These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.’”
Israel is worshipping an idol and claiming that it was this abomination which brought them out of the land of Egypt. They are not only giving this idol credit for their deliverance, but even worse Aaron calls it by the name of the Creator.
Exodus 32: 5-6:
“And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, ‘Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.’ And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.”
The word “Lord” in this scripture is translated from the word “Yahhovaw”. This is the name of the One who is speaking to the children of Israel, the One who John calls the Word, the One who becomes our savior Yahoshua. This is the name of the God of Israel in the Old Testament, and Aaron callously and sinfully gives this Holy name to their new idol.
Exodus 32: 7-8:
”And the Lord said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves: they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
This is the sin which Israel committed from the beginning, it is the sin which the Creator warned them not to do when they entered the land.
Exodus 20:1-6:
“And God spoke all these words, saying: ‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.’”
This is “the harlotry of Israel”, this is the sin since the beginning, and this is the state in which we find the church during the end of Thyatira and the beginning of Sardis.
Sardis
Revelation 3:1-6:
As always, in the beginning of the message, Yahoshua identifies Himself. He then tells them of the work they do that He loves. For this church I will be using The New International Version of the Bible.
Revelation 3:1: {New International Version (NIV)}
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘These are the words of Him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive...”
He knows they have a reputation of being alive, but what is their real condition?
Revelation 3:1: {New International Version (NIV)}
“…you are dead.”
This is very important we will come back to this in a moment; let us continue. Now let us look at the works they do that he hates.
Revelation 3:1-2: {New International Version (NIV)}
“I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. “
And just like the church of Thyatira He tells them to be diligent, and to watch for Him.
Revelation 3:3: {New International Version (NIV)}
“Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.
Revelation 3:3: {New International Version (NIV)}
“But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.”
Prior to the church of Thyatira; Yahoshua had never told the churches to wait or watch for His return. He then tells Sardis their reward for overcoming, and as with all the churches so far the reward is eternal life.
Revelation 3:4: {New International Version (NIV)}
“Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.”
What can we tell is happening during the time of this church? The first thing we must notice is that they have a reputation for being alive. So we must ask what one has to do to gain a reputation of being alive? It must be understood that when the Creator speaks of life, He is not speaking of this physical life, for this physical life is simply a mere shadow of the true eternal life that is to come. The church can only have a reputation for eternal life. It also must be remembered that Yahoshua is speaking to His church, His people. The only way they could be His people, His church, is if they have already accepted His blood, His grace, and His sacrifice for their sins.
John 14:6: {New International Version (NIV)}
“Yahoshua answered, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
When Yahoshua is speaking of a reputation, for being alive, He is speaking of their behavior. A person gains a reputation by the way he lives his life, and when it comes to being a disciple of Yahoshua we are known by our fruits.
Matthew 7:16-20:
“You will know them by their fruits. …… Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit……. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
If we bear good fruit we have a reputation for being alive, because we’re doing the things necessary for eternal life.
Deuteronomy 30:15-16:
“See, I have set before you today life and good… in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments….”
Proverbs 10:16:
“The labor of the righteous leads to life….”
Ecclesiastes 12:13:
“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”
John 14:21:
”He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
This is the behavior one must have in order to gain a reputation of life. The church of Sardis began as a commandment keeping church. This is how they gained the reputation of being alive, but alas just as every church before this one, they also do works that he hates.
Revelation 3:1-2: {New International Version (NIV)}
“…but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. “
Yahoshua tells the church they are dead, and just as there is behavior one must do to have a reputation of life there is also behavior that brings about death.
1 John 3:4:
“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
Romans 6:23:
“… the wages of sin is death…“
Deuteronomy 30:15-20:
“See, I have set before you today …. death and evil…But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish”
It must be noted that nowhere is the sin of the Nicolaitans or the worship of Baal mentioned. The church in Sardis had been cleansed of the false teachings. Thyatira had been overcome by the teachings of the woman Jezebel. The church was committing sexual immoralities, in other words they were worshipping other gods. The church in Sardis began as a commandment keeping church. There were probably some in Thyatira who left that church and began to worship on their own trying to bring back the true teachings. Somewhere along the line they begin to break the commandments and not repent of their sins. This is why Yahoshua admonishes them to hold fast on to what they have and to repent of their sins. In other words go back to keeping the commandments of God. He would not tell them to hold on to a false doctrine. He lets them know that if they do keep the commandments and remember what they have been taught they will not be taken by surprise when He returns.
Revelation 3:4: {New International Version (NIV)}
“Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.”
There will people alive in this church when the Savior returns. This makes two churches on the earth so far who will have members on this earth alive at the time of His appearance; the church of Thyatira, and the church of Sardis. Yet even though Sardis began strong, in the end it to will die and began to fade away. One church fades away and another is put in its place.
Philadelphia
Revelation 3:7-13
This brings us to the church of Philadelphia. This church is pivotal in understanding prophecy. Yahoshua begins His message to this church by identifying Himself. He then tells them of the works they do that He loves.
Revelation 3:8:
“I know your works….. for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”
The next part of the message normally would be the works they do that He hates, but there are no works this church does that He hates. Instead He tells them of the things He will do for them because of their good works.
1. Revelation 3:8:
“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”
2. Revelation 3:9:
“Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.”
3. Revelation 3:10:
“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
These are the things He is doing for this church because of the works they are doing while on this earth. He then gives them the same message that He gives to Sardis and Thyatira except that He does not tell them to watch for His coming, He simply states that He is coming.
Revelation 3:11:
“Behold, I am coming quickly!”
He then tells them the rewards for overcoming and once more it is eternal life in the New Jerusalem.
Revelation 3:12:
” He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more.”
To understand what is happening in this church we must start with why they are able to avoid the mistakes and the sins that the churches before them made. The key to this understanding is the word; strength. Yahoshua tells them, “for you have a little strength”, and it is because of this little strength they are able to do their good works.
In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Greek dictionary the word strength is translated from the Greek word:
dunamis: (miraculous) power, might, strength Phonetic Spelling: (doo'-nam-is)
Short Definition: might, power, marvelous works
From dunamai; force (literally or figuratively); specially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself) -- ability, abundance, meaning, might(-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle(-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (wonderful) work.
He is telling them that they have the ability for miracles. Why is this, what is it that they’re doing so that they are able to have these miracles during their time.
Luke 17:6
“So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.’”
Faith, this is the ingredient that allowed this church the ability to do their works, and faith is simply doing was God tells you to do. When you have faith in God you believe God at His word, and a when you believe God you obey God, and when you obey God you are showing faith. It is through this faith that miracles are achieved. Yahoshua says that the church at Philadelphia obeyed His laws, and followed His commandments and it is because of this they have a little strength and are able to avoid the sins of the previous church. It is because of their faith that he promises them three things:
Revelation 3:8:
“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.”
And what door is being spoken of?
Matthew 7:7-8:
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Revelation 21:25:
“And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.”
These verses are speaking of the Kingdom of God. He is letting them know that the door to the Kingdom shall be open for them because of their faith. He then promises them something that is very interesting,
Revelation 3:9:
“Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.”
Let us compare this with his message to the church of Smyrna.
Revelation 2:9-10:
“I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer.”
If you remember in our previous lessons it was during this time that the gentiles were beginning to call themselves the children of Israel and the gentile converts in the church were beginning to take it over. It was this deception that He calls the blasphemous lie.
God uses the gentiles to pass judgment on Israel. It was because of their sins that God cast Israel out of His sight and allowed this deception to take hold, but look at what He promises will happen during the time of Philadelphia. “I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” It seems the tables have turned. The punishment of Israel only lasts a certain amount of time. It shall come to an end when the fullness of the gentiles is complete.
Romans 11:25:
“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.”
The church of Philadelphia is an Israelite church. When this church appears it will mean that the time of the gentiles is over. The world shall be told of the lies that have been taken place. The world may not believe it, but that is not the point; the truth shall go out as a witness and all nations and peoples shall have a choice; to believe or not to believe. He shall then punish the gentiles for their abuses to Israel. “I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.”
Yahoshua then makes another promise.
Revelation 3:10:
“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
So we see that because of their obedience those who make up the church of Philadelphia will be kept from what He calls the hour of trial. This verse causes more confusion about prophecy than almost any other verse in the bible. We will not go into it at this time, but we shall refer back to it as we continue in the book of Revelations. It is after this that Yahoshua gives them a clear warning.
Revelation 3:11:
“Behold, I am coming quickly!”
Laodicea
Revelation 7:14-22
The last church to be mentioned by name is the church of Laodicea. Yahoshua begins this message by reminding them who He is.
Revelation 3:14:
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God.”
He then gives them His message.
Revelation 3:15:
“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
It seems that Yahoshua is not very pleased with the works of this church, so much so that usually the next part of the message would be the works the church does that He loves, but there is no such message. There is nothing this church does that Yahoshua loves, but remember it is still His church, they are just disobedient. He then goes on to tell them about the work they do that He hates; it is simple and to the point.
Revelation 3:17:
“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’”
He tells them their true condition.
Revelation 3:18:
“….and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”
After this revelation counsel is given to them.
Revelation 3:18-19:
“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.”
Yahoshua then says something strange; He tells them that He is the one knocking at the door waiting for someone to open it.
Revelation 3:20:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
It seems Yahoshua is begging this church to repent; personally coming to them, and as He puts it, knocking on their door so they will let Him in. The last part of the message to this church is their reward for overcoming their sins; once again it is eternal life.
Revelation 3:21:
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
What happened!!!??? The previous church, the church of Philadelphia seemed to have turned things around for the people of God. The great and blasphemous lie had been exposed, God’s people had been sheltered from the trial which was coming upon the earth, and Yahoshua was about to return. Now we have this church, the last church, and Yahoshua is warning them that He is about to spit them out of His mouth. Why?
Revelation 3:15:
“...because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, will I vomit you out of My mouth.”
It is because they are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. What does it mean to be lukewarm?
To make something lukewarm you must mix cold and hot together. When someone is zealous or committed to something they are considered hot for that thing. When someone doesn’t really care about something they are considered to be cold or frigid towards that thing. Whether you are cold or you are hot you have made a decision about how you feel, you have made a choice. Yahoshua is asking this church to make a choice; are they for Him or against Him? Israel has always been given a choice; from the very beginning the Creator has asked them to choose.
Exodus 19:5:
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people
This was the choice presented to Israel, and how did they choose?
Exodus 19:5:
“Then all the people answered together and said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do.’”
This took place at the foot of Mount Sinai just a short time after the Creator had delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians. He gave Israel a choice to obey His voice or not; they chose to accept His offer. This was the covenant or the contract between Israel and their God. If you read on in the chapter you find that they quickly broke their contract and began to sin by worshipping another god and calling that god by the name of the Creator. You can find that story in the book of Exodus chapter 32. It is because of this sin that they are forced to wander the desert for 40 years before they’re allowed to enter the Promised Land. After the 40 years He once again gives them a choice, and once again it is right before they are to enter the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 30:15:
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.”
Deuteronomy 30:19:
“ …. I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing;”
This is the choice He offers them; life or death, good or evil. His choices are simple; He even tells them the choice they should make.
Deuteronomy 30:19:
“….therefore choose life….”
From the very beginning Israel has had to choose, and it is no different with the churches. Yahoshua is asking the church of Laodicea to choose, and as always He is asking them to choose life.
Revelation 3:21:
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
What exactly is the sin of this church? Why is He so upset about the church being lukewarm? It is because of what causes a person to become lukewarm. What is it that put Sardis in this type of spiritual condition?
Revelation 3:17:
“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’”
This church has money, and with money comes power, and power corrupts. The previous church the church of Philadelphia was a small church it had a little power, a little strength, but its’ spiritual condition was righteousness. Somehow this “spiritual” richness turned into “physical” richness, and because of this the church is now in a spiritual state of limbo.
Yahoshua, during His ministry, specifically spoke about the dangers of wealth.
Matthew 19:23:
“Then Yahoshua said to His disciples, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Why?
Matthew 6:24 {Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)}
”No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can’t be a slave to both God and money.”
Romans 6:16:
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
And who are we to be a slave to?
Romans 6:22:
“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”
And how does Yahoshua feel about mixing money with worship?
Matthew 21:12-13:
“Then Yahoshua went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, ‘It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
Somewhere during the transition of the Philadelphia church to the Laodicean church riches were acquired and the church fell into a state of spiritual chaos, in short, they forgot who their Master was. Yahoshua begs them to understand the meaning of true riches and what it means to be truly clothed.
Revelation 3:18-19:
“I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed;….
Matthew 6:31-33:
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Sadly this church like other churches has forgot its’ first love. There is a mystery here; how did the church go from a spiritually strong but materially poor church, to a physically rich but spiritually weak church; where did this money come from? For these answers my friend we must wait until we meet again. The Laodicean church is the last church in this section mentioned by name. As we continue in this study of Revelations we will see that even though this is the last church mentioned by name there are more messages which Yahoshua has for these churches. As we continue in our study it shall be revealed to any who understand and who choose to see; that the entire book of Revelations is a message to these churches, and a warning to all.
Isaiah 40:3-5:
” The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’ “
Until next time my friends please take care, thank you for your support, and may peace be with you.
All scripture referenced comes from The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. unless otherwise noted. All emphasis added is mine. The name Yahoshua is added by me.