The Seven Letters

The Seven Letters

To the Seven Churches

Gary Primo

April 19, 2010

Introduction

The most compelling evidence of the paganization of the Christian church is the seven letters to the seven churches found in the Book of Revelation. These seven letters effectively debunk almost all of the Christian doctrines in use throughout the past 2000 years up until today. Here is a list of the doctrines we will be debunking in this study:

- the doctrine of “the Trinity”
- the doctrine of “once saved always saved”
- the doctrine claiming that “the Law has been done away with”
- the doctrine of “salvation by grace alone”
- the doctrine of “inheriting eternal life immediately upon death” merely because one is a Christian
- the doctrine that “the Old Testament has been done away with and has been replaced by the New Testament”

No wonder the Catholic Church wants to remove this most valuable book from the Bible. No other book in the Bible exposes and identifies the Roman Catholic Church as the apostate church as this one does.

Authorship

Even though the apostle John is accredited for physically writing the Book of Revelation, he was merely dictating what he was told and what he saw in his visions. The true author of this book is really Yahshua the Messiah, or ultimately YHVH.

Rev.1:1 - The Revelation of Yahshua HaMashiyack, which Elohim gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

2 - Who bare record of the word of Elohim, and of the testimony of Yahshua HaMashiyack, and of all things that he saw.

Literally speaking it was an angel whom John saw and talked to, but the angel (messenger) was really just delivering the message on Yahshua’s behalf. There was much dispute over this book being included in the New Testament back in the forth century and now the Roman Catholic Church is trying to have it removed. The fact that it was really authored by John the apostle is also the source of much debate. I believe that it really was John who had the vision, though it might have been someone else who took the dictation. John would have been quite old by then.

The Seven Spirits and Seven Candlesticks

John introduces the seven spirits that are before the throne of YHVH and bore witness of His word.

Rev. 1:4 - John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;

John is given an assignment to address the seven churches in Asia (Minor) and send them specific messages concerning their spiritual direction.

Rev. 1:11 - Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

John next introduces the seven golden candlesticks.

Rev. 1:12 - And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

13 - And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

John next introduces the seven stars.

Rev. 1:16 - And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Then he is given an explanation of what exactly these symbols are.

Rev. 1:20 - The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

These seven churches existed in the area called Asia Minor (mainly Greece) in the 1^st and 2^nd centuries. Many have tried to come up with theories that lend more futuristic meaning to these seven letters, but most are weak to say the least. Of course the one church that everyone wants to be is the Philadelphia church, and most who attach any meaning to these letters claim to be that church. The other six churches were in danger of losing their salvation. However, the author painted a much rosier picture of the Philadelphian church. My former church claimed that the seven letters represented seven eras of the church and that we were then living in the Philadelphian era, that we were the Philadelphian church and that the Laodicean church would follow just before the tribulation. Of course this was all just a theory mixed with some wishful thinking. Oddly enough, that church returned to their former pagan, traditional, Christian roots. That is when I saw the truth of their madness and left that organization. Many others left around the same time and for much the same reasons.

Rather than looking for a theory of futuristic interpretation, I see the letters as warning to all of the churches, for the things that they warn against are still being committed today by almost all of Christianity. Let’s take a good look at these letters and identify the problems.

The Seven letters

The Church of Ephesus

Background – (JF&B) Ephesus--famed for the temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the world. For three years Paul labored there. He subsequently ordained Timothy superintending overseer or bishop there: probably his charge was but of a temporary nature. John, towards the close of his life, took it as the center from which he superintended the province.

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

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:

3 - And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

4 - Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

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.

6 - But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

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 Elohim.

The author first points out that the good things that the church in Ephesus has done, then the bad, then the good again. They were first praised for their works, which is the keeping of the Law. Then they were praised for their labour, which is living what they preached. Living in a world that is predominantly evil takes a lot of patients especially when trying to convince people that their hopes for salvation while continuing membership in their pagan religions was hopeless.

By this time wolves had already hidden themselves among the sheep and were turning the congregations against the original 12 apostles, claiming to be apostles themselves. These imposters may well have been priests of Mithra posing as Believers to sway them over to Mithraic customs, traditions and doctrines. Such was a common practice among these priests. Roman Catholic Jesuits do the same thing today. The Ephesians saw through their lies because they were so immersed in the Law and recognized the liars immediately.

However, they are then accused of leaving their first love and not doing their first works. What would their first love have been? What was our first love when our eyes were opened? Our first love was likely the hope of salvation. Many today teach that we receive salvation immediately upon baptism. However, nothing could be further from the truth. At baptism we merely receive the hope of salvation, or the promise thereof. After that we must work for our salvation. Baptism is symbolic of re-birth. So we emerge from the watery womb as new born infants and must learn and grow into full spiritual beings. It is impossible to know and understand everything at once. We are clothed with layer after layer of the filthy rags of paganism. It takes time to strip off all of these layers. Some we may be reluctant to take off as they would change our lives so drastically. I don’t believe that any of us likes being different from the rest of the world. We lose our friends, our family and in some cases our jobs. At that time they also had the Roman law to deal with that forbade Judaising. They risked being imprisoned, tortured and fed to the lions. One could easily understand their reluctance to shed off some of those layers.

Their first works would have been learning all of the law, but somewhere along the line they chose only laws they were comfortable with and were content that they had enough truth to get them by and a backdoor pass into the Kingdom. I have seen this happen in many different groups, refusing to let go of some of their doctrines, and defending their stance vigorously. They do not want to leave their comfort zone. Brothers and sisters, do we really want to wait until the judgment to be told that we did not go far enough in coming out of the world? Don’t we want to rectify these problems now, so that we might stand totally innocent before Almighty Elohim on that day?

For most converts passion for the truth is never as high as on their baptism day. Perhaps we expect something extraordinary to happen on that day, such as speaking in tongues or hearing a voice from heaven speaking to us. Doubt may creep into our minds if the day passes uneventfully. Afterward we find our minds opened to the recognition of sin. Our hearts are laid bare for all to see. We are innocent babes, and Satan is quick to move in and prime us with all sorts of temptation. We realize quickly how entrenched in sin we really are. We take as naturally to sin as a duck takes to water. It takes a concentrated effort to resist sin. The more we resist the easier and more natural it becomes.

The author then commends this church for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitanes. What deeds was he talking about?

Easton’s Bible Dictionary

Nicolaitanes [N] [H]

The church at Ephesus ( Revelation 2:6 ) is commended for hating the "deeds" of the Nicolaitanes, and the church of Pergamos is blamed for having them who hold their "doctrines" (15). They were seemingly a class of professing Christians, who sought to introduce into the church a false freedom or licentiousness, thus abusing Paul's doctrine of grace (Compare 2 Peter 2:15 2 Peter 2:16 2 Peter 2:19 ), and were probably identical with those who held the doctrine of Baalam (q.v.), Revelation 2:14 .

Jamieson, Faccet and Brown

Rev. 2:6 - But--How graciously, after necessary censure, He returns to praise for our consolation, and as an example to us, that we would show, when we reprove, we have more pleasure in praising than in fault-finding.

hatest the deeds--We should hate men's evil deeds, not hate the men themselves.

Nicolaitanes--IRENÆUS [Against Heresies, 1.26.3] and TERTULLIAN [Prescription against Heretics, 46] make these followers of Nicolas, one of the seven (honorably mentioned, Acts 6:3 Acts 6:5 ). They (CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA [Miscellanies, 2.20 3.4] and EPIPHANIUS [Heresies, 25]) evidently confound the latter Gnostic Nicolaitanes, or followers of one Nicolaos, with those of Revelation. MICHAELIS' view is probable: Nicolaos (conqueror of the people) is the Greek version of Balaam, from Hebrew "Belang Am," "Destroyer of the people." Revelation abounds in such duplicate Hebrew and Greek names: as Apollyon, Abaddon: Devil, Satan: Yea (Greek, "Nai"), Amen. The name, like other names, Egypt, Babylon, Sodom, is symbolic. Compare Revelation 2:14 Revelation 2:15 , which shows the true sense of Nicolaitanes; they are not a sect, but professing Christians who, like Balaam of old. tried to introduce into the Church a false freedom, that is, licentiousness; this was a reaction in the opposite direction from Judaism, the first danger to the Church combated in the council of Jerusalem, and by Paul in the Epistle to Galatians. These symbolical Nicolaitanes, or followers of Balaam, abused Paul's doctrine of the grace of God into a plea for lasciviousness ( 2 Peter 2:15 2 Peter 2:16 2 Peter 2:19 , Jude 1:4 Jude 1:11 who both describe the same sort of seducers as followers of Balaam). The difficulty that they should appropriate a name branded with infamy in Scripture is met by TRENCH: The Antinomian Gnostics were so opposed to John as a Judaizing apostle that they would assume as a name of chiefest honor one which John branded with dishonor.

Another trait of Gnosticism is that they reject the mean old god of the Old Testament and raised up the Son as Elohim in His place. The separation of the Old and New testaments are an example of this. When the apostles were alive, there was no New Testament. They proved the messiahship of Yahshua by the Old Testament only. The New Testament was not officially created until the 4^th century. Today many possess the New Testament only, having been taught that the Old Testament has been done away with. How could the OT have been done away with when it was the only testament by which the original apostles proved the identity of Yahshua, otherwise known as the lowly carpenter from Galilee?

Check out this web site for more clarity. http://www.religioustolerance.org/gnostic2.htm

In ending the letter to Ephesus, the author gives them a goal to strive for – overcoming. What was it that they were to overcome? They were to overcome the world and all its pagan entrapments, AS ARE WE! How were they to do this? They were to do so by returning to their first love and their first deeds, which was seeking out the truth, writing the Law on their minds and their hearts and implementing the Law into every facet of their daily living.

The Church of Smyrna

Background – (JF&B) Smyrna--in Ionia, a little to the north of Ephesus. POLYCARP, martyred in A.D. 168, eighty-six years after his conversion, was bishop, and probably "the angel of the Church in Smyrna" meant here. The allusions to persecutions and faithfulness unto death accord with this view. IGNATIUS [The Martyrdom of Ignatius 3], on his way to martyrdom in Rome, wrote to POLYCARP, then (A.D. 108) bishop of Smyrna; if his bishopric commenced ten or twelve years earlier, the dates will harmonize. TERTULLIAN [The Prescription against Heretics, 32], and IRENÆUS, who had talked with POLYCARP in youth, tell us POLYCARP was consecrated bishop of Smyrna by St. John.

Rev. 2:8 - And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Once again a reminder of who the author really is.

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 was a church that suffered greatly from poverty and tribulation.

Jamieson, Facett and Brown Commentary says this:

blasphemy of them--blasphemous calumny of thee on the part of (or arising from) them.

say they are Jews, and are not--Jews by national descent, but not spiritually of "the true circumcision." The Jews blaspheme Christ as "the hanged one." As elsewhere, so at Smyrna they bitterly opposed Christianity; and at POLYCARP'S martyrdom they joined the heathens in clamoring for his being cast to the lions; and when there was an obstacle to this, for his being burnt alive; and with their own hands they carried logs for the pile.

synagogue of Satan--Only once is the term "synagogue" in the New Testament used of the Christian assembly, and that by the apostle who longest maintained the union of the Church and Jewish Synagogue. As the Jews more and more opposed Christianity, and it more and more rooted itself in the Gentile world, the term "synagogue" was left altogether to the former, and Christians appropriated exclusively the honorable term "Church"; contrast an earlier time when the Jewish theocracy is called "the Church in the wilderness." Compare Numbers 16:3 , 20:4 , "congregation of the Lord." Even in James 2:2 it is "your (not the Lord's) assembly." The Jews, who might have been "the Church of God," had now, by their opposition and unbelief, become the synagogue of Satan. So "the throne of Satan" ( Revelation 2:13 ) represents the heathens' opposition to Christianity; "the depths of Satan" ( Revelation 2:24 ), the opposition of heretics.

Another of the false claims of the Christian church is that circumcision was done away with. They claim that one needs only to become spiritually circumcised. Paul’s only contention at the council of Jerusalem was that new converts not be immediately circumcised upon conversion – that they be allowed to learn all of the Law first, so that they might understand the significance of circumcision and submit from a heartfelt desire to do so. No one argues the spiritual intent. The physical act might have been seen as a stumbling bloc by some who did not understand the spiritual nature of the act. Immediately after the counsel of Jerusalem Paul circumcises Timothy who was born of mixed Jewish and Greek parents. He did so because of the condemnation of the Jews. Timothy had certainly been in the church long enough to understand the spiritual intent of the act, but was reluctant to have the physical act performed. I doubt that physical circumcision is something that any man looks forward to, but it remains the sign of the covenant agreement between YHVH and His children. A covenant is like any other legal contract, where all of the stipulations of the contract must be met for it to be legal and binding. When even one stipulation is broken, so is the contract. The physical act, without understanding the spiritual intent is useless – as is the case with Muslims. Muslims are mostly Arabs who are descended from Esau, who is descended from Abraham the same as the Israelites. Both entered the same covenant with YHVH, but the Arabs violated the covenant in other ways (such as not keeping the 7^th day Sabbath). Both the physical act and the spiritual intent must be present together for either to be of any significance.

The Synagogue of Satan can also be any church that professes to obey and love YHVH but whose actions and words defy the covenant agreement. That would, therefore, include all of mainstream Christianity. Christians love to point the finger at all the shortcomings of the Jews, but in reality are no better and have nothing to boast about. Since they have polluted the covenant agreement with YHVH, which they were intended to enter into, and immersed themselves with all sorts of pagan doctrines instead, they have nullified the covenant – divorced themselves from the One True Elohim. Therefore, they too can be considered of the synagogue of Satan.

For many centuries YHVH struggled to keep Israel in line and they repeatedly went whoring after other gods. Finally He made the supreme sacrifice of sending His only begotten son as an example for them to follow. Rather than do YHVH’s will, they murdered His son and brought shame on themselves. These Jews had no remorse over what they had done, or the very great sin they had committed. Rather, they went into “cover up” mode and tried to erase any memory of the Messiah. They continued to commit murders and blaspheme against YHVH. They were warned years previously that Israel was like an olive tree. And that some day the Gentiles would be grafted onto the tree in place of unworthy Israelites. They were also warned that any branches that did not produce fruit would be removed. YHVH turned His attention and favour from the unrepentant Jews towards those who did believe in His son and the Gentile converts. Although it is impossible to prove, it is quite possible that a good number of these Gentile converts may have been descendants of the Northern ten tribes of Israel, who were taken into captivity in Assyria and were eventually transplanted in the area north of the Caspian Sea. From there they migrated in all directions, becoming a countless multitude as prophesied to Abraham. Unfortunately, they repeated the exact same mistake as they did while living in Israel. They went whoring after other gods, making Christianity the melting pot of all the world’s pagan religions that it is today.

Satan’s seat (the reference to verse 13) was, and still is, in Rome; which is also where the heart of Christianity is found (ie. the Vatican). The seat of “St. Peter” that is located at the Vatican, is really the seat of Satan. If this is where Satan sits, then does it not follow that the church where he sits is the synagogue of Satan?

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.

J.F.&B Commentary says this:

tried--with temptation by "the devil." The same event is often both a temptation from the devil, and a trial from God--God sifting and winnowing the man to separate his chaff from his wheat, the devil sifting him in the hope that nothing but chaff will be found in him [TRENCH].

ten days--not the ten persecutions from Nero to Diocletian. LYRA explains ten years on the year-day principle. The shortness of the duration of the persecution is evidently made the ground of consolation. The time of trial shall be short, the duration of your joy shall be for ever. Compare the use of "ten days" for a short time, Genesis 24:55 , Numbers 11:19 . Ten is the number of the world powers hostile to the Church; compare the ten horns of the beast, Revelation 13:1 .

unto death--so as even to endure death for My sake.

crown of life-- 1:12 , 2 Timothy 4:8 , "crown of righteousness"; 1 Peter 5:4 , "crown of glory." The crown is the garland, the mark of a conqueror, or of one rejoicing, or at a feast; but diadem is the mark of a KING.

The apostate church rules from Rome. It exists in opposition to the true assembly of Believers. Using the military might of the Roman Empire, they persecuted to extinction almost all true Believers. They are the true enemies of the assembly of Believers. The ten world powers are merely their dupes.

The assembly of true Believers was being persecuted from two fronts – the Jews and the apostate church in Rome. The Jews wanted to distance the Assembly from themselves and their sin. The church in Rome sought political power and freedom from Roman persecution. All they had to do to comply with Rome was to give up Judaising. This is exactly what they did. Like the former ten northern tribes of Israel, they took on the customs, traditions and doctrines of their former and later other pagan religions, while professing to honour the One True Elohim and His only begotten son. In reality they honoured (and still honour) Zeus. They changed their weekly day of worship from Saturday (the seventh day) to Sunday (the first day) of the week. Since the time of Nimrod, Sunday has been the day of sun worship. They also reverted to their former annual holy days (e.g. Christmas and Easter). They rejected the Elohim of the OT and replaced Him with their made-over Christ. Their Christ now embodies all of the attributes of their former false messiahs. Statues and pictures of their former messiahs were merely renamed and worshiped as Christ.

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.

Once again the members of the Assembly in Smyrna are warned to overcome till the end, even if that meant they had to give up their lives. They took comfort in knowing that they would be raised to glory in the last day – the day of judgment.

The second death is one that most traditional Christians have little understanding of. They have been brainwashed into believing that they receive eternal life immediately upon the first death. Though they throw the word “resurrection around a lot, they do not believe that they will have to experience it (since they already have eternal life). However, our brother in YHVH, Yahshua, showed by his example that even he had to suffer death and wait to be resurrected BEFORE receiving eternal life. Is it plausible that we should receive eternal life by any different means than our example (Yahshua)? Many of those who think so, will indeed suffer the second death, if they do not repent when standing before YHVH in the judgment.

The Church in Pergamos

Background – (JF&B) Pergamos - TRENCH prefers writing Pergamus, or rather, Pergamum, on the river Caicus. It was capital of Attalus the Second's kingdom, which was bequeathed by him to the Romans, 133 B.C. Famous for its library, founded by Eumenes (197-159), and destroyed by Caliph Omar. Parchment, that is, Pergamena charta, was here discovered for book purposes. Also famous for the magnificent temple of Æsculapius, the healing god [TACITUS, Annals, 3.63].

12 - And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

13 - I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

14 - But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

15 - So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.

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

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.

JF&B comments:

13. I know thy works--Two oldest manuscripts omit this clause; one oldest manuscript retains it.

Satan's seat--rather as the Greek is translated all through Revelation, "throne." Satan, in impious mimicry of God's heavenly throne, sets up his earthly throne ( Revelation 4:2 ). Æsculapius was worshipped there under the serpent form; and Satan, the old serpent, as the instigator (compare Revelation 2:10 ) of fanatical devotees of Æsculapius, and, through them, of the supreme magistracy at Pergamos, persecuted one of the Lord's people (Antipas) even to death. Thus, this address is an anticipatory preface to Revelation 12:1-17 ; Note: "throne . . . the dragon, Satan . . . war with her seed," Revelation 12:5 Revelation 12:9 Revelation 12:17 .

The Roman Pope sets himself up as “God on Earth”. His followers worship him as such. He is Satan’s human ambassador and faithfully guards Satan’s throne. He appears as an angel of light (at least to his followers) and flaunts his authority with a lot of pomp and pageantry. His followers flock to catch a glimpse of him and weep at the sight of him just as the temple virgins did when weeping for Tammuz. The seat of St. Peter sits empty within the Vatican walls. Although the RCC claims Peter as their first pope, I assure you that the real Peter would have had nothing to do with that church. In reality, the seat that sits empty is awaiting its true master to come and claim it – Satan the Devil.

JF&B

hold the doctrine of Balaam--"the teaching of Balaam," namely, that which he "taught Balak." Compare "the counsel of Balaam," Numbers 31:16 . "Balak" is dative in the Greek, whence BENGEL translates, "taught (the Moabites) for (that is, to please) Balak." But though in Numbers it is not expressly said he taught Balak, yet there is nothing said inconsistent with his having done so; and JOSEPHUS [Antiquities,4. 6. 6], says he did so. The dative case is a Hebraism for the accusative case.

Numbers 31:16 - Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against YHVH in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of YHVH.

The doctrine of Balaam is one in which a respected holy person teaches untruths to unsuspecting people. In Balaam’s case, he prophesied for cash. He was paid to prophesy what his customer wanted to hear. Only in the case of Israel did he prophesy the truth and only then because he knew that the prophesy actually did come from YHVH and he was afraid. Yet, not wanting to give up his cash award and or be put to death, he devised a plan to tempt the Israelites into committing literal fornication with the Moabite women thus gaining the disfavour of YHVH who then cursed them, which was exactly what the Moabite king wanted. Since he himself did not curse Israel, Balaam thought he was in the clear. But YHVH didn’t see it that way.

JF&B

15. thou--emphatic: "So THOU also hast," As Balak and the Moabites of old had Balaam and his followers literally, so hast thou also them that hold the same Balaamite or Nicolaitane doctrine spiritually or symbolically. Literal eating of idol-meats and fornication in Pergamos were accompanied by spiritual idolatry and fornication. So TRENCH explains. But I prefer taking it, "THOU also," as well as Ephesus ("in like manner" as Ephesus; see below the oldest reading), hast . . . Nicolaitanes, with this important difference, Ephesus, as a Church, hates them and casts them out, but thou "hast them," namely, in the Church.

doctrine--teaching people to idolatry.

which thing I hate--It is sin not to hate what God hates. The Ephesian Church ( Revelation 2:6 ) had this point of superiority to Pergamos. But the three oldest manuscripts, and Vulgate and Syriac, read instead of "which I hate," "IN LIKE MANNER."

In other words, the church in Pergamos had some members that were reverting to their former customs, traditions and doctrines (all of the things which YHVH hates) and perverting the minds of the weaker members of the assembly.

JF&B

17. to eat--omitted in the three oldest manuscripts.

the hidden manna--the heavenly food of Israel, in contrast to the idol-meats ( Revelation 2:14 ). A pot of manna was laid up in the holy place "before the testimony." The allusion is here to this: probably also to the Lord's discourse ( John 6:31-35 ). Translate, "the manna which is hidden." As the manna hidden in the sanctuary was by divine power preserved from corruption, so Christ in His incorruptible body has passed into the heavens, and is hidden there until the time of His appearing. Christ Himself is the manna "hidden" from the world, but revealed to the believer, so that he has already a foretaste of His preciousness. Compare as to Christ's own hidden food on earth, John 4:32 John 4:34 , and Job 23:12 . The full manifestation shall be at His coming. Believers are now hidden, even as their meat is hidden. As the manna in the sanctuary, unlike the other manna, was incorruptible, so the spiritual feast offered to all who reject the world's dainties for Christ is everlasting: an incorruptible body and life for ever in Christ at the resurrection.

white stone . . . new name . . . no man knoweth saving he--TRENCH'S explanation seems best. White is the color and livery of heaven. "New" implies something altogether renewed and heavenly. The white stone is a glistening diamond, the Urim borne by the high priest within the choschen or breastplate of judgment, with the twelve tribes' names on the twelve precious stones, next the heart. The word Urim means "light," answering to the color white. None but the high priest knew the name written upon it, probably the incommunicable name of God, "Jehovah." The high priest consulted it in some divinely appointed way to get direction from God when needful. The "new name" is Christ's (compare Revelation 3:12 , "I will write upon him My new name"): some new revelation of Himself which shall hereafter be imparted to His people, and which they alone are capable of receiving. The connection with the "hidden manna" will thus be clear, as none save the high priest had access to the "manna hidden" in the sanctuary. Believers, as spiritual priests unto God, shall enjoy the heavenly antitypes to the hidden manna and the Urim stone. What they had peculiarly to contend against at Pergamos was the temptation to idol-meats, and fornication, put in their way by Balaamites. As Phinehas was rewarded with "an everlasting priesthood" for his zeal against these very sins to which the Old Testament Balaam seduced Israel; so the heavenly high priesthood is the reward promised here to those zealous against the New Testament Balaamites tempting Christ's people to the same sins.

receiveth it--namely, "the stone"; not "the new name"; see above. The "name that no man knew but Christ Himself," He shall hereafter reveal to His people.

On his last day on earth before his crucifixion, Yahshua referred to the bread as his body and commanded his disciples to eat of it. Yahshua is indeed the hidden manna. The true meaning of this is that belief in him is the source of eternal life. The stone could be representative of the stone which Jacob slept on when he dreamt of the stairway to heaven. That same stone was saved and used in the coronation of the kings of Israel. That same stone, according to some, is the stone that lies under the coronation seat in the royal palace in England (food for another study).

The Church of Thyatira

Background – (JF&B) Thyatira--in Lydia, south of Pergamos. Lydia, the purple-seller of this city, having been converted at Philippi, a Macedonian city (with which Thyatira, as being a Macedonian colony, had naturally much intercourse), was probably the instrument of first carrying the Gospel to her native town. John follows the geographical order here, for Thyatira lay a little to the left of the road from Pergamos to Sardis [STRABO, 13:4].

18 - And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of Elohim, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Once again the author begins his address with praise for the good things that they do. Notice that “works” is mentioned twice, at the beginning of the list and at the end. Jamieson, Facett and Brown only says this:

JF&B

19. The oldest manuscripts transpose the English Version order, and read, "faith and service." The four are subordinate to "thy works"; thus, "I know thy works, even the love and the faith (these two forming one pair, as 'faith works by love,' Galatians 5:6 ), and the service (ministration to the suffering members of the Church, and to all in spiritual or temporal need), and the endurance of (that is, shown by) thee (this pronoun belongs to all four)." As love is inward, so service is its outward manifestation. Similarly, faith and persevering endurance, or "patient continuance (the same Greek as here, Romans 2:7 ) in well-doing," are connected.

and thy works; and the last--Omit the second "and," with the three oldest manuscripts and the ancient versions; translate, "And (I know) thy works which are last (to be) more in number than the first"; realizing 1 Thessalonians 4:1 ; the converse of Matthew 12:45 , 2 Peter 2:20 . Instead of retrograding from "the first works" and "first love," as Ephesus, Thyatira's last works exceeded her first ( Revelation 2:4 Revelation 2:5 ).

The first mention of “works” is referring to their first works and the last mention is referring to the “works” that they will do before the end (of their lives). They may be more in number, but they might also be more intense, more heart felt, etc. Whatever number of them that overcame the lures of the false prophetess likely became spiritually strengthened by the experience and more determined to serve YHVH exclusively, seeing more clearly than ever how easily even true Believers can be swayed by a charismatic, demonic personality. They likely took their spiritual calling much more seriously after that event.

The woman is compared to Jezabel, the wife of the evil king Ahab of Judah. JF&B says the following:

JF&B

that woman--Two oldest manuscripts read, "THY wife"; two omit it. Vulgate and most ancient versions read as English Version. The symbolical Jezebel was to the Church of Thyatira what Jezebel, Ahab's "wife," was to him. Some self-styled prophetess (or as the feminine in Hebrew is often used collectively to express a multitude, a set of false prophets), as closely attached to the Church of Thyatira as a wife is to a husband, and as powerfully influencing for evil that Church as Jezebel did Ahab. As Balaam, in Israel's early history, so Jezebel, daughter of Eth-baal, king of Sidon ( 1 Kings 16:31 , formerly priest of Astarte, and murderer of his predecessor on the throne, JOSEPHUS [Against Apion, 1.18]), was the great seducer to idolatry in Israel's later history. Like her father, she was swift to shed blood. Wholly given to Baal worship, like Eth-baal, whose name expresses his idolatry, she, with her strong will, seduced the weak Ahab and Israel beyond the calf-worship (which was a worship of the true God under the cherub-ox form, that is, a violation of the second commandment) to that of Baal (a violation of the first commandment also). She seems to have been herself a priestess and prophetess of Baal. Compare 2 Kings 9:22 2 Kings 9:30 , "whoredoms of . . . Jezebel and her witchcrafts" (impurity was part of the worship of the Phoenician Astarte, or Venus). Her spiritual counterpart at Thyatira lured God's "servants" by pretended utterances of inspiration to the same libertinism, fornication, and eating of idol-meats, as the Balaamites and Nicolaitanes ( Revelation 2:6 Revelation 2:14 Revelation 2:15 ). By a false spiritualism these seducers led their victims into the grossest carnality, as though things done in the flesh were outside the true man, and were, therefore, indifferent. "The deeper the Church penetrated into heathenism, the more she herself became heathenish; this prepares us for the expressions 'harlot' and 'Babylon,' applied to her afterwards" [AUBERLEN].

to teach and to seduce--The three oldest manuscripts read, "and she teaches and seduces," or "deceives." "Thyatira was just the reverse of Ephesus. There, much zeal for orthodoxy, but little love; here, activity of faith and love, but insufficient zeal for godly discipline and doctrine, a patience of error even where there was not a participation in it" [TRENCH].

We all like to think that we could not be easily deceived, but I have witnessed in my former church, just how easy it is to deceive those who are weak in the faith to begin with. What really opened my eyes to the deception was a booklet that was sent out about 3 years after the new administration took over, called “God Is”. What it really was was a cleverly worded document that gently introduced the doctrine of the Trinity to that church, even though they kept saying throughout the booklet that they were not supporting the Trinity. That church now supports the Trinity and all the other doctrines of traditional Christianity. The new leader of that church came from a Roman Catholic background. I now suspect that he was really a Jesuit who infiltrated that church and for years worked his way to the top and gained the confidence of the former leader and founder of that church. Before his death, the former leader appointed the Jesuit as new leader. Even the former leader was deceived by the new one. When the new leader died, his son took over the reigns and faithfully followed in his father’s footsteps. I was not the only one to see through the deception. About two thirds of the church left, all going in different directions, some closer to YHVH and some who gave up altogether. We may all like to think that no one can deceive us because we have the truth, but believe me when I say that we are never safe and must always be on our guard.

The key to exposing deceptions is to go back to the root of our faith (the OT) and compare what the deceiver is saying with what YHVH says. You can even check out what the Jewish commentaries say on the subject for clarification. Who understands the Hebrew faith better than a Jew? However, understanding the truth does not always equate to believing the truth, as was the case where the Jews did not believe that Yahshua was the Messiah. Yet the apostles used only the OT to prove the Messiahship of Yahshua. YHVH’s words must be our only guide. Anything else must be considered carefully as a possible deception. The Holy Scriptures interpret themselves. That means that instead of taking only one verse and trying to interpret it, one must search the whole book of Scriptures for similar verses to gain the proper interpretation.

Again the church is warned to overcome all the entrapments of this world, and to keep the works (Law) of YHVH till the end. What? Keep the works till the end? Why then does traditional Christianity teach that works are no longer required – that the Law is done away with? In this verse alone (never mind the number of others) clearly exposes this Christian lie which comes straight from Gnosticism.

The Church in Sardis

Background – (JF&B) Sardis--the ancient capital of Lydia, the kingdom of wealthy Croesus, on the river Pactolus. The address to this Church is full of rebuke. It does not seem to have been in vain; for MELITO, bishop of Sardis in the second century, was eminent for piety and learning. He visited Palestine to assure himself and his flock as to the Old Testament canon and wrote an epistle on the subject [EUSEBIUS Ecclesiastical History, 4.26]; he also wrote a commentary on the Apocalypse [EUSEBIUS, Ecclesiastical History, 4.26; JEROME, On Illustrious Men, 24].

Rev. 3:1 - And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of Elohim, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

2 - Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before Elohim.

3 - Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

4 - Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

5 - He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

6 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The first thing we notice in this letter is that YHVH does not start out praising them for ANY good works.

JF&B

name . . . livest . . . dead--( 1 Timothy 5:6 , 2 Timothy 3:5 , Titus 1:16 ; compare Ephesians 2:1 Ephesians 2:5 , 5:14 ). "A name," that is, a reputation. Sardis was famed among the churches for spiritual vitality; yet the Heart-searcher, who seeth not as man seeth, pronounces her dead; how great searchings of heart should her case create among even the best of us! Laodicea deceived herself as to her true state ( Revelation 3:17 ), but it is not written that she had a high name among the other churches, as Sardis had.

So Sardis had a reputation for spiritual vitality among all the other churches. That reputation somehow became sullied and YHVH pronounces them dead. The explanation is found in Verse 2 - “for I have not found thy works perfect before Elohim.” How can this be possible if there is no longer any need for works and if the Law has been done away with? Obviously those two Christian doctrines are lies. Here we have the church in Sardis being condemned by YHVH because their works were not perfect. Whose works in this day and age are perfect? We really need to examine ourselves regularly to ensure that we are inching closer and closer toward perfection. As far as I know there has only been one who was totally perfect, Yahshua, and that to achieve perfection in our own lives, we must model ourselves after him. Who out there is the mirror image of Yahshua, like he is the mirror image of YHVH? To do so, we have to become one with the Father as Yahshua was. Being one with the Father means that His thoughts are our thoughts. Our thoughts are His thoughts. His power is then allowed to flow through us, as it did with the 12 apostles. We will be filled with faith to command the elements and have them obey our commands. Like our brother Yahshua, we too will be able to calm the sea and the weather, walk on water, heal the sick with just a word or thought, and even raise the dead (back to physical life only, at this point). Until we reach that stage we all still have much perfecting to do.

Upon Baptism we receive Yahshua into our hearts and minds and from that point on, we strive to become like him. To become like him we must walk his walk and talk his talk. Yahshua was a Jew of the nation of Israel (all the tribes). In fact, in his pre-incarnate form, it was Yahshua who led the Israelites out of Egypt and GAVE to them the articles of their faith. It was he who established the priesthood, designed the temple and gave to them the 10 commandments to base their faith on.

After accepting Yahshua, we must hold fast to him and him alone, not allowing others to sway us in any other direction. Rest assured that most deception will come from within whichever group we attach ourselves to. All of Satan’s power stems from his ability to deceive. He does not deceive openly but subtly. He works just like an undercover cop, infiltrating whichever assembly is getting too close to the truth. Even amongst sacred name groups there is some deception. It always comes from within, not from without. We may stumble and fall along the way, but are responsible for getting ourselves back on track and repenting of the cause of our stumbling. No, it is not an easy road for a carnal mind to grasp all at once. However, YHVH is patient and has allowed us the remainder of our lives to attain a goodly measure of perfection. Even if we do not make it all the way, we will be rewarded for effort. We must never think that it is too high a goal for us to achieve and give up. It is a life-time battle, friends. We must be ever ready with all our battle gear on and our swords sharpened. Satan can only get through to us when our guard is down.

As bad as the church in Sardis is made out to be, there were still a small number who remained faithful and were accounted worthy. Still they had to take great caution to make sure that their names were not blotted out of the book of life. I’m sure that is not an event that any of us want. We must realize the seriousness of our calling and not take it lightly.

Yahshua promises them that if they overcome, he will proudly proclaim their names before YHVH and His angels. Won’t that be a wonderful thing? Can you imagine hearing Yahshua proclaiming your name before YHVH, and Him saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”? Of course, that is not the only reward. We are to be kings and priests in the world to come. Right now we are in training to become a king and a priest. This is not a light calling. Are you ready to be a king or a priest right now? If not, you have work to do, as do we all.

The Church of Philadelphia

Background – (JF&B) Philadelphia--in Lydia, twenty-eight miles southeast of Sardis, built by Attalus Philadelphus, king of Pergamos, who died A.D. 138. It was nearly destroyed by an earthquake in the reign of Tiberius [TACITUS, Annals, 2.47]. The connection of this Church with Jews there causes the address to it to have an Old Testament coloring in the images employed. It and Smyrna alone of the seven receive unmixed praise.

7 - And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

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.

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.

10 - Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 - Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

12 - Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my Elohim, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my Elohim, and the name of the city of my Elohim, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my Elohim: and I will write upon him my new name.

13 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

It was long known that the Messiah was going to come from the line of king David. Yahshua not only possess the key, but is the key. The door is to the path that leads directly to YHVH. What that means is that Yahshua opened a door for all new converts that they may have direct and individual access to the Father without the need of an earthly priest or temple. In truth the entire universe is the temple of YHVH and Yahshua is our one and only High priest. In the Book of Hebrews we are told quite plainly that “Way” of Yahshua is patterned after the order of Melchizadek. The order of Melchizadek is a system where the oldest living human was both the king and high priest of the entire world before YHVH and the oldest living member of each family was both an elder and priest. The hard hearted Israelites desired to have a religious/political system just like all of their neighbors, and that is exactly what YHVH gave them. This was to teach them a lesson. They never really learned from it and continually reverted to corruption of that system. It was hoped that they would see exactly how easily those systems can and will become corrupted and return to direct subordination to YHVH and Him alone. The nation of Israel made this wrong choice at Mt. Sinai.

Ex. 3:18 - And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

19 - And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die.

20 - And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for Elohim is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

The Angel of YHVH that led the people of Israel out of Egypt was the pre-incarnate Yahshua, then under the name Michael. Any direct interaction with the physical world was done through Yahshua, as the corruptible earth could not survive the presence of YHVH Himself. Corruption cannot coexist with the Father. Therefore YHVH sent His son Yahshua as His ambassador to interact with Mankind. Since Yahshua was the firstborn of all creation and therefore part of the creation, it would not be destroyed by his mere presence. Since Yahshua is the express image of the Father, and of one mind with the Father, his words and the Father’s words are one.

What YHVH (through Yahshua) was trying to do here was open the same door that was later opened to Believers. However, the Israelites were too afraid to enter through that door and it was they who closed it. The one and only reason to be afraid of such direct contact with YHVH is because sin still lives in our hearts as it did with these ancient Israelites. The earliest Believers and especially the apostles, entered unafraid through this open door with pure hearts. However, later generations became afraid since they still harbored the desire to sin in their hearts. They themselves closed the door. That is when the Christian church began. Once again the people wanted the same religious/political system as their predecessors. They repeated the same mistake as ancient Israel, desiring to be like their neighbors, and emulating their political/religious systems. They effectively closed the door of direct access to the Father and after demonstrating much patience, YHVH closed the door Himself, sending them into captivity. No man can close this door on us if we have truly prepared ourselves to step through it. However, if we allow ourselves to be deceived, we will soon develop the same fear as the ancient Israelites to step through that door.

The reference to the Philadelphians having little strength simply means that they remained a humble group, not exalting themselves in any way because of their special calling, exalting only Yahshua (the only one worthy of exaltation). They are praised for keeping the word of YHVH and not denying His name. Over one hundred years earlier, during the Greek occupation, the Jews decided to disguise and hide the name of YHVH so that so that the pagan Greeks could not defile it. However, YHVH wanted them to declare His glorious name before the nations. We glorify His name when we keep His commandments and do His will, setting a righteous example for others to follow. He also wanted Israel to be a perfect model for the other nations to follow, which they were not. YHVH expected the same of true Believers. Once again they started off in glory but ended in corruption, thereby closing that open door themselves. Once again they denied YHVH’s sacred name and committed the same sin as the Northern Israelites by covering the true Name with pagan names. This time instead of using the name of the Assyrian god, Baal, they used the names of the pagan, Roman deities to replace the glorious name of YHVH. The name “God” which is English, is directly rooted to Baal, or Baal-gad (gad was pronounced god or gaud). By using all these other names both the Israelites and Christians denied the name of YHVH and thereby failed in their duty to proclaim His glorious name before the nations. Also, since there is only one name under heaven by which we may be saved, when we use other names in place of Yahshua, we are denying the one name by which we may be saved. If anyone reading this has only been baptized in the name Iesous or Jesus, I would advise that you be re-baptized in the name of Yahshua as soon as possible.

Once again the understanding of the term “synagogue of Satan” is:

(JF&B)

I have highlighted four occasions where the angel who is speaking the words of Yahshua quotes him referring to the Father as “My Elohim”. If the Christian belief that their “Jesus” was “god” were true, why would Yahshua make these 4 references? It could have been that by the time John had this vision, there was already a version of the Trinity doctrine circulating amongst the churches. What Yahshua is implying here that YHVH is his Elohim just as He is ours. YHVH created Yahshua. Yes, he was the beginning of creation, but a creature nevertheless. Therefore he is subordinate to YHVH the same as we are. He certainly did not always coexist with the Father from eternity. He himself had to complete the salvation process to become perfect and become the firstborn of the new creation, just as he was the firstborn of the original creation. After his death and resurrection Yahshua became the firstborn of the new creation of beings who are “like” YHVH, but YHVH remains the supreme Creator and always will. That makes Yahshua the eldest living being and the only one of the creation worthy to be called a King and High Priest before YHVH. That is Yahshua’s role. It always has been and always will be. The belief in the doctrine of the Trinity is the prime identifying factor of a Christian, just as Judaising is the prime identifying factor of a true Believer. I suppose it might be considered one of the “marks” of the Beast if not “the” mark.

Yahshua now has a new name that we do not yet know. He will declare that new name when he returns and will write it on our hearts and on our minds. The reason for this is likely so his name will not be profaned. In the mean time, Yahshua will suffice.

The Church of Laodicea

Background – (JF&B) Laodiceans--The city was in the southwest of Phrygia, on the river Lycus, not far from Colosse, and lying between it and Philadelphia. It was destroyed by an earthquake, A.D. 62, and rebuilt by its wealthy citizens without the help of the state [TACITUS, Annals, 14.27]. This wealth (arising from the excellence of its wools) led to a self-satisfied, lukewarm state in spiritual things, as Revelation 3:17 describes. written to the Laodicean Church by Paul. The Church in latter times was apparently flourishing; for one of the councils at which the canon of Scripture was determined was held in Laodicea in A.D. 361. Hardly a Christian is now to be found on or near its site.

14 - And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of Elohim;

15 - I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 - So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17 - Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

18 - I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

19 - As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 - Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21 - To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

22 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

This is the church that absolutely no one claims to be. It is obvious that this church was very close to spiritual death. They took so much comfort in their material wealth that they let their spiritual health slide (similar to the Catholic Church, which is the richest organization on the face of the earth. They likely thought that because of their wealth that YHVH was blessing them over the other churches, so they relaxed their spiritual guard. Many of the TV evangelists today, brag about how “God” is blessing their church with money. They talk about the same old crap every week and get no closer to the truth. The healing ministries take glory that “God” is working through them because of the healings. At the same time, they preach the same lies that all of traditional Christianity clings to. Can these healings (if even authentic) truly come from YHVH? Remember, When the deceiver comes, he will be performing many miracles and lying wonders. He will resemble the real Messiah in all ways but one – his words and deeds will betray him. Is it too remarkable to think that these healings are of Satan not YHVH?

Despite their material goods this church was spiritually dead (or at least, very sick). They were in grave danger of being spewed out of the mouth of YHVH. Judging from the history of the church in that area that is exactly what happened to them. Therefore it can be assumed that they never repented. Neither has traditional Christianity. YHVH is about to spew them out of His mouth too. The Christian church has taken on all of the adverse characteristics that Yahshua warned the seven churches about – all the things that Yahshua had against these churches. I would love to hear how they sidestep around these letters that absolutely tear down all of their basic doctrines. If they were “once saved always saved” how could they be in any danger of losing their salvation? If the Law had been done away with, by what criteria would their works be judged? What purpose is baptism if one is allowed to continue to live in sin? If the law is done away, what is there left to repent of?

Gold tried in fire refers to the spirit being tried by fire. Only the righteous will survive the spiritual fire that is soon to purify the earth. Nothing that is corruptible will be left alive. Corruption cannot inherit incorruption. It should be spiritual wealth that we seek, not material wealth. That is why YHVH gives us trials, to strengthen us spiritually. When all the material goods are striped away, we have only YHVH to cling to. That is likely why Yahshua commanded his disciples to sell all their worldly goods and give the money to the poor. He knew that riches were a stumbling block to spiritual perfection. He also said that it was easier for a rich man to squeeze through the eye of a needle than to make it into the kingdom of heaven.

To the Laodiceans the church had become nothing more than a social club. They were more concerned with showing off their wealth and social position than growing spiritually. They likely used the poorer churches as examples of those whom YHVH did not favor. Yet Yahshua tells us here that they were really the ones that YHVH loved. The more He loves us, the more He tries us. He desires that we become incorruptible above all things.

Yahshua stands at the door right this very minute, knocking, wanting us to open that door. The only thing standing in our way is our own carnal nature. It is entirely our choice whether we open that door or hold it closed. Do we really want to share our physical shell with Yahshua? Do we really want him living inside us, guiding our every thought, word and action? Or do we prefer our privacy – to keep our innermost thoughts secret and hidden from YHVH?

I believe that our greatest hindrance to salvation is our trust issues. After a life time learning to be very distrustful of other humans, we tend to naturally distrust anything, including YHVH. We feel safer hiding from him, just as Adam and Eve tried to hide from Him in the Garden of Eden. Satan had taught them that, which, of course, was a lie. Man has preferred the lie ever since and therefore has been following Satan (the god of this world) instead of YHVH. Where YHVH’s desire is for the salvation of man, Satan’s desire is for the destruction of man. Since man would not knowingly seek his own destruction, Satan uses an intricate web of lies to deceive man. Therefore, we must always assume that we are deceived in some way, shape or form and continually seek to put off the deceptions and put on the truth. This is a lifelong quest my friends, for the deceptions are many.

This is the world that Yahshua was born into (speaking of his physical birth). In verse 21 where Yahshua says “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne”, he plainly says that he (Yahshua) had to overcome all things himself. Why would he have had to do this if he were already one and the same as the Father? Rather he compares himself to us as a fellow created being. Satan tried his best to deceive Yahshua as well, but Yahshua OVERCAME all the lies and persevered in the truth. If we are to make it to the place where Yahshua now reigns, we must follow exactly in his footsteps. He is our example. He showed us they way. In him is the ONLY WAY to salvation. Yahshua was a Jew of the nation of Israel. He followed the Jewish faith. He established the Hebrew faith before his physical manifestation. He lived by every word of his Father. He was faithful, true and obedient. But most of all he TRUSTED his Father implicitly. He had nothing to hide from YHVH because he had never sinned. Of course he knows YHVH better than any other being in the creation. They truly are of one mind. Yahshua told his disciples that they must become like little children. Small children have not yet learned not to trust. Their minds are fertile, virgin grounds ready and willing to receive the seeds of truth. The adult mind, in contrast, is hard and dry, difficult to plant anything in. Years of distrust has hardened their hearts and their minds and they have difficulty opening the door of absolute trust, even when it comes to YHVH. We have to work all the harder to put away all our inhibitions and walk into the waiting arms of YHVH without one ounce of distrust in our hearts and minds. We must not only open the door, but tear it right off its hinges so that it may never be closed again.

Conclusion

The seven letters where not only intended for these seven churches, but all the churches to follow. They give very clear instruction as to what to do and what not to do to attain salvation. They give very clear warnings of the consequences if we do not repent and overcome. Most have chosen not to heed these warnings. Most still love the lie and hate the truth. Indeed, I have been met with some passionate hatred and opposition because of my writings. Telling the world the truth certainly does not gain one any popularity, as the two end-time witnesses are about to find out. As the world hated Yahshua, so will they hate us. They will make up lies to imprison and kill us. They will root through our past looking for any evidence to convict us on. They will try everything to assassinate our character. Unfortunately the world will believe them and not us and clamor for our deaths, as they did with Yahshua. Ours is definitely not the popular road. There will be times when we question ourselves. There will be times when we doubt ourselves and even YHVH. At those times we must focus even more on the word of YHVH as preserved for us in the Book of Holy Scriptures. Believe no man, but search and prove all things for ourselves. For on the last day, we will be standing alone in the judgment before YHVH to give account for our works. There will be no church or individual to stand behind or point the finger of blame at. YHVH is going to want to know why we as individuals did not trust Him enough to let Him in through the door. He is going to want to know why we did not take advantage of the door Yahshua opened allowing us direct access to the Father. He is going to want to know why we did not love Him more than the world. What is our answer going to be?

YHVH Bless

Gary Primo