END TIME: Part 4, More Promises for Overcomers

It should not be a surprise that the messages of chapters two and three of Revelation warn about the consequences of following harmful religious ideas. That is the message of both the Law and the Prophets. The context of religious thought, including the religions of atheism and the secular, has stood in the way of preventing individuals from truly walking with our Creator from the time of Adam to today.

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One reader wrote and was very upset that I did not teach from the Latin Vulgate translation that Jerome, commissioned by the Pope, created. But this fourth century translation caused more confusion and corruption of the Scriptures than any other document.

The Vulgate turned the meaning of the Scriptures on its head. “Faith” [fides] became a belief system taught by, guess who, the church. If a person was “faithful” [fidelis] they were “loyal” to the church. If you didn’t have this “faith” you were considered a “heretic.” “Oh, come all ye faithful [adeste fidelis],” sung every year at Christmas time, implies that if you are NOT one of the “faithful,” (as defined by the church) then “stay away.”

However, the Greek word “pistis” is a character trait that says that your “word is good” and you can be “believed or trusted” because what you say you will do, you will do. That character trait we can and should all live by. But it means far more when it applies to Eyahuwah/Eyahushuah and to the Elahim.

The major theme of the Law, the Writings, and the Prophets, upon which these Bible studies are based, is that Eyahuwah declares time and again throughout the Scriptures what He will do: “I will do this, and that, and the other.” And declares to us that we are to believe Him and not take His words lightly. “See, I have spoken it, and I will do it. I am Eyahuwah, your Elahim!” We are told to know Him by listening to what He says and prepare to watch when it happens. It is upon His word and His promises that our future lies. If He promises to raise us up from the grave, then who are we to question?

Continuing on with the promises made to the groups of called-out people written about in the Book of Revelation: In the prior post in this Bible study series I set the stage for what is promised to come in the next age. I also wrote about the first three cities and we found that each of them had spiritual problems as a result of living in the middle of religious deceptions. I will now move on to the next groups of people to see what their problems are and what is promised to those who “overcome” or “conquer” the situation.

Some call these “church eras” and then try to position themselves with what they consider the best of the seven. These are not “eras,” but instead are spiritual conditions that existed then, exist now, but will not exist in the next age. In some cases here, they give clues as to what was really going on with false apostles and deceptive teachers, whose “offspring” are active today — the final time of the Era or Age of Apostasy written about in Enoch’s vision of the “weeks.”

To the Group at Thyatira, from Revelation 2:18-20 (The Scriptures)

And to the messenger of the assembly in Thyatira write:

This says the Son of Elahim, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like burnished brass:

I know your works and love and service and belief and your endurance. And as for your works, the last are more than the first.

But I hold against you that you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and lead my servants astray to commit whoring and to eat food offered to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her whorings, and she did not repent.

Now some immediately jump on this and assume that what is said refers to sexual immorality and eating some kind of food. Sex was a part of Baalism and still is today. The Catholic church is shelling out millions of dollars in reparations to those whom the leaders molested. What would have happened if they didn’t fall under the power of public condemnation. Obviously, the practice would have continued. But what is written above also condemns spiritual adultery. In other words, the teachings cause the followers to be unfaithful and commit adultery and to treat as naught the relationship they have with Eyahuwah.

They also feast on the kind of spiritual food that destroys their spiritual life. This is the deadly state that traps those steeped in a religion. They eat spiritual food offered to idols (non-living deities,) and they get in bed spiritually with those who lead them astray. This situation has continued for centuries and many today, who had been called by Eyahushuah/Eyahuwah have allowed themselves to be taken in by these awful spiritual practices. They would rather trust what their religion and leaders tell them than to seek to become clean and pure and feast on the food that leads to eternal life.

See, I am throwing her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her in great affliction, unless they repent of their works. And I shall slay her children with death. And all the assemblies shall know that I am the One searching the kidneys and the hearts. And I shall give to each one of you according to your works.

Elijah (El~Eyahu) confronted Jezebel and her priests of Baal. She ran this powerful church and kept the people of Israel in subjection to her teachings and to Baalism, a religion that is still functioning today. Elijah had the priests of Baal killed, “Take all the prophets of Baal. Let none of them escape you. Take them all and slay them!” Baalism is a religion where the power is vested in the political structure, and is called a mystery religion of Overseers.

And to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not possess this teaching, and who have not known the depths of Satan (the adversary), as they call them, I am not putting on you another burden. But hold fast what you have until I come.

Because of its religious fascination and power many have allowed themselves to be convinced that this “Baalism” will save them. If they continue in this mistrust of Eyahuwah/Eyahushuah and do not come to the knowledge of the truth, they will suffer along with the leaders who subjugate them.

Now the promise:

And he who overcomes, and guards My works until the end, to him I shall give authority over the nations, and he shall shepherd them with a rod of iron, as the potter’s vessels shall be broken in pieces, as I also have received from My Father. And I shall give him the morning star.

To “guard His works” one must know what they are. And this can only come after prayer and fasting with humility coupled with a willingness to be taught the things of the Spirit. Notice that these promises are all end-age and next-age oriented. One must “keep My works” until the end. This is very similar to the admonition in Daniel 12 about the 1,335 days, and the other statements of endurance and patience we hear from the book of Revelation. Virtually all prophecies from Enoch through the book of Revelation are focused on this time in history: the end time of the first seven ages of deception, tribulation, and testing, and the coming time of the Eighth age of right-doing, truth, peace, and eternal life.

The message to Sardis (Revelation 3)

And to the messenger of the assembly in Sardis write:

He who has the seven Spirits of Elahim and the seven stars, says this, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before Elahim.”‘

Although many fall under the problems of the first four groups, this is no doubt the saddest group of all. To have a name (like Christian or Jew), that tells others that you are “alive,” and then find out that your are really dead, is tragic. These people, perhaps the largest group of all, need to wake up, spiritually. What little remains is also about to die. Considering that we are in a time of transition between the ages. this is like the time of Noah just before the flood. People had their religion. They thought they were doing good “religious” works, only to find out too late that these really account for nothing. These have “incomplete works.” These have not gone far enough into the realm of spiritual life. Instead, they have rested upon their religious works: ceremony, rituals, catechism, litanies, Sunday school, church programs, Wednesday night Bible study, Sunday morning services, Sabbaths, choir practice, daily devotionals, perfect attendance, tithing, Christmas, Easter, lent, baptism, and more.

But they have forgotten the important things:

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you, so that you become sons of your Father in the heavens. Because He makes His sun to rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? … And if you greet your brother only, what do you do more than others? Matthew 5:43-47 (The Scriptures)

These do not take their religion into their daily lives, other than to appear more religious. What they do behind the closed doors of their meeting places means nothing when it comes to interaction with their coworkers and neighbors in the day to day tests of life. What good are these “programs” and services when the participants don’t bless others. Those who do these things wonder about the outsiders who complain about the futility of such waste and hypocrisy. Those of “Sardis” loathe missing a prayer or worship services. Then they also loathe the lives of those outside of this cloistered existence.

“Remember, then, how you have received and heard. And watch and repent. If, then, you do not wake up, I shall come upon you as a thief, and you shall not know at all what hour I come upon you.”

It is sad that those involved in religious efforts do not have a clue about what the Scriptures really say. As far as the truth of the prophecies and the Law, they are asleep. They even substitute imagined prophecies for the true prophecies of Scripture, and they make up their own laws or follow those who made up laws for them. So when the time comes, it will be a surprise to them and they will wonder why these things happened to them. Were they not religious all their life?

Nevertheless, you have a few names in Sardis, who have not defiled their garments. And they shall walk with Me in white, because they are worthy.

It is not that those in this group did not have garments. What they had, they defiled, by doing unclean and dead works. According to the Law, touching a dead body makes one unclean. This is a spiritual concept. The dead body in this case is their own because they killed the spiritual life they could have had in exchange for a “dead” spiritual life.

When I speak about these things, I find a few people who understand. After I returned from a trip to Israel, a pastor of a church near where I live requested that I come and speak to his group. I spoke to them about the book of Revelation. Out of about 100 people, only five gave indications that they understood. They would come to me afterward and ask questions and showed their desire to be clear in their thinking. The others only wanted to “feel” good. Feeling good is not what this is all about. Before a real change happens, one may not “feel good” about his or her situation in life. Letting go of the old to achieve the new can be a painful and fearful experience.

The promise to the overcomers:

He [or she] who overcomes shall be dressed in white robes, and I shall be no means blot out his [or her] name from the Book of Life, but I shall confess his [or her] name before My Father and before His messengers. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

Overcoming this situation is difficult. The “garments” they have must be exchanged for the white robes of a clean and purified life. The Book of Life contains the names of those works, during the first seven ages,qualify them for being among those who will receive eternal life at the resurrection at the beginning of the next age. The “blotting out” means that these will need to qualify for eternal life after being raised to a physical life and living a long life with good works, wisdom, and understanding. There are only a “few” in this group who qualify to receive the promise, and even those may not be on fire spiritually. The best choice for the few is to not be part of this group.

“Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”

To be continued …