Address—Robert Boulard
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Well, let's open our Bibles to Revelation chapter one just to read one verse.
Revelation chapter one and verse 19.
And we'll get the three really the major divisions of the book in a sense, in that one verse, Revelation chapter one and verse 19.
Write the things which thou has seen.
And the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. So John was told to write three things really. And he gives the division of the book in a broad sense, the things which thou has seen really take place in chapter one, the really division perhaps from verse 10 down to perhaps the end of verse 18.
And he introduces the judge. It's a book of judgment and we want to know who the judge is. He gives his glories, displays his glories as the his judicial glories in this opening chapter. And then in the second part of the book, chapters two and three, he gives us a brief history of those things that will take an outline of church history. But they were present. Those churches were actually.
Existing assemblies in the time that John lived. And so that's why he speaks of those things which are.
And then in the things which shall be hereafter. So historically, another has said that prophecy is history written ahead of time. And so it's just as good as happened. God has already written it, and it's going to happen just the way he said it was. And so he writes it here in this symbolic way, and he gives us his thoughts so that we might intelligently go through this scene and might recognize the time that we're in, in the day that we live in. So.
In these next two chapters, we're going to look at chapter 2 and chapter 3. They're foundational. They're pivotal is in understanding God's ways among men. And we know that there are three passages of Scripture that help us to understand the ways of God throughout the whole of the history of time. And the first is in connection with the Jews, the seven feasts of Jehovah and God takes up the history of this world really in connection from a Jewish standpoint.
And then he takes up, if we looked at the seven similitudes of the Kingdom, we know that there's 10 similitudes of the Kingdom. There's in chapter 13 of Matthew, there's six of them. And then we have one in chapter 21, in chapter 22, one in chapter 25, one in chapter 18. And so there's 10 similitudes as a Kingdom. If we understand those 10 similitudes of the Kingdom, it's really from a Christian perspective.
As to what the history of the Christian era will be, if you might put it that way. And then the last part of really understanding God's ways in this world are these last these two chapters in Revelation, the seven churches, the address of the the Lord he addresses. He writes a letter to those seven assemblies. And so we can understand his ways in the day that we live in and in the coming scene. And so in chapter 2. I'm not going to read the whole.
Of chapter 2, chapter 3. But we'll perhaps just spot read a few verses. We know the passages.
Reasonably well, I believe all of us, but I will read one little passage at a time and then comment on it. And so we have in chapter 2, verse one unto the Angel of the Church of Ephesus, right these things say, is he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden calmest candlesticks? I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil.
And has tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and has found them liars, and has borne, and has patience, and for my name's sake hast labored and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have really somewhat is not in the text. It says it should read this way. Nevertheless I have against thee, because thou hast left thy first love for thy best love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the 1St works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy Candlestick out of this place, except thou repent.
00:05:02
But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate he that hath an ear.
Let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. And so he speaks to the Angel of the church, or the assembly at Ephesus. Now Ephesus.
Really means desirable or amiable, and it's the picture of the bride of Christ really in the freshness of the.
Early part of the Christian era and we know that they followed the Lord wholeheartedly, just as in Joshua's day, you might say, and they.
Sought if we read in Acts chapter one or chapter 2, it's instead of trying to quote it, I'm sorry, it just turned to an Acts chapter 2 verse one when the day of Pentecost was fully coming. We're all with one accord in one place.
And that's what characterized the early church and there was devotion to Christ. But this first church, this first assembly, what characterized the history of it. And it takes place really from after the at the end of the Apostolic age, the apostles passed off the scene and then perhaps until approximately AD 167, until the era of Smyrna, until the Church of Smyrna began.
That period of time, So what characterized the time of period, the period of time after the apostles passed off the scene was a declension, a giving up of the heart for Christ. There was still here, it says in verse 2, works, labor and patience.
But let's just turn to.
First Thessalonians chapter.
Um, chapter one, verse 3.
We just point this out.
First Thessalonians chapter one, verse 3. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith.
And labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God our Father. That's First Thessalonians chapter one and verse three. You'll notice that there are six things there.
Work, faith, labor, love, patience, and hope.
And what's really left in Ephesus is labor or work, labor and patience. That's what he mentions, but he doesn't mention the faith, love, and the hope. And so there was a declension, there was a decline, but there was still a desire to go on for the Lord. There was still, you might say, the outward form, the heart was really distracted. And that's where the declension comes, is in.
When there's departure from the Lord in our lives, it's because our hearts are distracted from Him.
And he doesn't have what he desires in your life or mine if he doesn't have our affections.
He doesn't need our money, He doesn't need our time. He doesn't need.
What he gives us his resources, He doesn't want all those things. He wants the hearts affections. And if he doesn't have the heart's affections, he doesn't have what he desires. And so this is what he speaks of here. And what characterized the Church at the early period, during the early period after the apostles passed off the scene, is thou hast left thy first lover, the best love.
Remember in Luke's Gospel chapter 15 that the Father.
Said to this servants, he says, Put the best robe upon that sun. The best robe, that's really what it speaks of is the best. And what will really refresh the Lord's heart at the beginning of the church period was the the heart's affection is taken up with Christ. But now there was a declension. Remember therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the 1St works, or else I will come unto thee. It says, it says quickly, the King James, but it shouldn't be there.
And where else I will come unto thee, and will remove thy Candlestick out of this place, except I'll repent.
And so there was in the governmental ways of God. He had raised up a testimony to himself in this world was the assembly in Ephesus. We have these seven assemblies as a type of the whole of the Christian time period. And that assembly was to represent intestimony Christ in this world.
00:10:07
And they represented him very well.
In an outward way, but the heart was distracted. They did everything right. They.
Did their works, their labor and they had patience. They were waiting in a sense for the Lords coming. And but there were those that here he could he could just see what was taking place and he said the Candlestick, that testimony, that vessel of testimony would be extinguished if the heart wasn't set right.
And we know that there is no assembly in Ephesus today, and so the Lord extinguished that testimony.
That they are here it says in verse 6, thou hast but this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. And so he says that there were those that had a doctrine or the deeds, they had the deeds of the Nicolaitans. And it really speaks of those that sought to introduce the clergy into the church. And these Saints in Ephesus recognized that they would be displacing the Spirit of God in his work.
And they resisted, they exposed those and it says to that the in verse two that they had tried them, which say they are apostles and are not, and found them liars. Now what are the two qualifications for one that is an apostle?
I think we mentioned it last night is one of the very first things is to be an apostle. They had to have seen the Lord in resurrection. They had to see the Lord in his glorified body. And we know that the 11 apostles, they did see the Lord in resurrection. We know that Matthias did as well and some others 500 brethren at once. But the second qualification is that they had to be sent out by the Lord Jesus himself commissioned to go out and to do a work for himself.
The Lord appeared to Paul or Saul when he was called Saul in Acts Chapter 9 appeared to him from heaven. And Barnabas could say in Chapter 9 when he talked to the apostles in in Jerusalem, he could say Saul had seen the Lord and how the Lord had spoken to him. And so Saul saw the Lord. And then in chapter 13 of Acts he sent forth with Barnabas to do the work for the Lord. Those are the two.
Things that characterize or work conditions, qualifications for an apostle. And there were those that after the apostles had fallen off, passed off the scene that wanted a place of prominence among their brethren and they claimed to be apostles and the assembly and Ephesus tried them, judged them and said that they were false apostles. We normally have that brought out in Paul's ministry in First Corinthians.
I think it's Noah, Second Corinthians. He says that there were those that were false apostles among them. I think it's Chapter 11 of Second Corinthians.
I'll just point this out because.
Paul had the.
Head Opposition, Chapter 11 of Second Corinthians.
Verse 12. But what I do that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them, which desire occasion, that wherein they glory they may be found, even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel. For Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as ministers of righteousness, whose end shall be according to their works.
Well, it had begun during the Apostolic times, even when Paul was living.
There were those that claimed to be apostles and were not in an interesting Even today you'd drive down the street and you see such and such Apostolic Church.
Well, it's entirely false. It's not true at all. They take that place in that position. Well then the Lord is going to call to the whole assembly here, and He says he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit sayeth under the churches. To him that overcometh I will give to eat on the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. So there were going to be those that were overcomers and they wouldn't be characterized by the sin of the.
Indifference to the love of the Lord Jesus.
Lack of devotedness to Him. There were still those that clung to the Lord, still that devoted to him and characterized by giving Him the best of love in their lives. And so he looked to the overcomer and there was a special reward. Those that would overcome, not be overcome by the condition of things in the time that they live. I will give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Now that paradise of God really speaks of the garden.
00:15:24
Of delight, and it speaks of communion with the Lord in a place.
That would be a place of fruitfulness. They would have fruitfulness for God in their own lives individually. It may not be characteristic of a whole assembly, but there was a call to that assembly to repent and that there would be blessing if they did so there's a warning now we have in verse eight another assembly is is addressed and unto the Angel of the church in Smyrna right. These things say at the 1St and the last which was dead.
And is alive, 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. And to fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison.
That you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation 10 days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says under the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Well, here we have a progression of things, the church period, your early church period, where there was freshness of love.
Had passed and then the Lord sought to exercise the believers sought to exercise those that were in the assembly a part of the church and the allowed suffering. You know this name Smyrna means suffering means really.
Tribulation. It speaks of myrrh, I think the name is.
In connection with myrrh and to get myrrh, you take a tree. There's a tree and you slice the bark and and out oozes some of the.
Ointment of that tree and it just produces a sweet smell and so you know the Lord allows suffering in your life and mine and a little slit in the.
In the bark in our lives it causes pain, but there's a sweet odor, there's some fruit for the Lord, there's a north wind that blows upon his garden, and there's fruit for the Lord as he allows the suffering. Nothing occurs in your life or mine apart from what God allows. And so here he allowed a period of suffering to arrest the.
Declension in the time that they lived and so this really this period speaks of.
A time of persecution. It really began probably about 8064. Even during Paul's time, he he was martyred and Peter was murdered approximately 8068. And so there had begun a persecution at that time, but really there were 10 persecutions.
That took place during the time approximately.
From.
I've got some little notes here that some dates from 167 to approximately 313.
AD And so there was a little period of time that the Lord allowed, approximately 200 years, and there was suffering that He allowed ten different distinct periods of persecution. And the enemy, we know Satan, was behind the persecution. He sought to extinguish the testimony of Christianity.
And the Lord allowed the suffering and these people cried to him, and they were preserved in a sense because they were suffering and they were at their prayer meetings and in their homes and they were crying to the Lord for deliverance. And the Lord heard those prayers. They were delivered oftentimes, but many of them were martyred. And here it says at the end of in verse 10, he shall have tribulation 10 days. That really speaks of 10 different periods of time. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life and that nice.
It's really referred to the crown of life is often referred to as the Martyrs crown. And as you'll notice in the scriptures there are 7 crowns and each crown is given as an opposite, a blessing or a reward that's opposite to what was what the price was paid. So what price did they pay? They pray they paid in the persecutions with their own lives.
00:20:01
But what did they get? A crown of life.
And the Lord never is defeated by sin, her rebellion against himself. And when these dear ones left this scene, it looked like their lives were a total loss. It looked like as they were if you read Fox's Book of Martyrs. And it's hard to read some of those stories, perhaps some of them are embellished and so on. But it tells us of the suffering of the Saints and how they died.
And it looked like their lives were just a loss at just a total loss. They were cut off. But God gets a reward. They get a reward as it were, and they get a crown of life. And so the Lord delights to bless and to acknowledge their sacrifice. And he's, he has nothing to say in to this assembly during this period of time. He doesn't rebuke them and reprove them or call for repentance in any matter. It's one of the assemblies, one of the churches that he doesn't call for repentance often times, you know.
There was in our period of time in our lives that they're suffering. Oftentimes there's a degree of self judgment that is not evident in other times of our lives. And so the Lord blesses in a different way and may not rebuke us in a sense as we read the Scriptures because we walk in communion with him even though we suffer. And there's a nearness to the Lord as he seeks to bring us closer to himself. While he speaks here that he that heaven here, let him hear what the Spirit saith under the churches. He that overcometh shall not be heard of the second death.
And so they began to lose the.
Whole of the scriptures they began to the persecution they were.
Bibles were burnt.
They weren't all completed Bibles, perhaps at that time, but the books of the Bible that were in existence, the Roman Empire and the religious systems of the day sought to persecute the Saints and burn the Bibles and extinguish the truth of God and.
What we have is that there was really began to be an ignorance of the truth of God and even in the church. And so they began to wonder if they would be hurt by the second death. They began to be unclear about some doctrinal, some doctrines in the church. I believe that's really what's brought out before us in that verse 11. Then we have the next period of time in the church period, and it followed from 313, eighty 313.
Approximately to 8580. So there's another perhaps 250 years or so. So what happened in AD 13313? Three centuries. The church had been formed approximately AD 29, when the Lord rose from the dead, from among the dead, and then he ascended into the glory 10 days later. The church was formed on the day of Pentecost, and he or she'd be on the earth for 300 years.
And here we have in Pergamus the another trial that was going to face the church, and that was that there was going to be the temptation to compromise with the world. Let's just read it in verse 12 to the Angel of the church in Pergamus, right?
These things, says he which hath the sharp sword with two edges. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest even, and where Satan's seed is.
And thou holdest fast my name, and has not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, or my faithful witness who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication so hostile them.
Thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate, repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 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 we'll give him a whitestone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.
Well, we know that.
From the last time we were together and and spoke on chapter one and went over the the Book of Revelation in a very broad outline that the Angel really represents those that are in oversight in the assembly.
And they were to guide the assembly. They were to they were responsible and God doesn't hear the Lord Jesus doesn't address the the men, the women, the children, the young people. He addresses those that are in oversight. He says to the Angel right to the to the those that are an oversight in this assembly, He that hath.
00:25:18
The sharp sword with two edges, the word of God and the ability to exercise judgment, he says. I know.
In verse 13, it shouldn't say thy works, and I have a little bracket around it. In the King James it has I know thy works and I think it says it in each one of these addresses to the seven churches, but it's not there in Pergamus. He says I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. Well, where is Satan's seat?
His seat is in this world, His sphere of operation is in this world. He could say that when the Lord said to him, Where hast thou been? He said from walking to and fro, up and down in the earth.
And so he's in this world, he's seeking to destroy the fruit that God would have for himself and to destroy the testimony. And so here Satan Seat is really referring to the seat of government in this world. He's the God and the Prince of this world.
And Satan is behind and influencing the governments in this world. Now we know that God is supreme. He's powerful and he's overall, and it says in the Old Testament, says in New Testament as well, that he delivers to the into the kingdoms, into the government, and he appoints those whom he wishes to appoint and he allows those, he puts them into power and he ordains those.
To be presidents and and to be in the municipal governments and city governments and so on.
He's interested in the government and he allows those to be putting those places. But the one who is influencing the government, influencing man to set aside the Word of God, influencing man to set aside the principles of the Word of God in connection with government, really is Satan.
And Satan was trying to infiltrate the church, if I could put it that way, and he was trying to have the church.
Assimilated into the world. Married with the world. Pergamus means the name means perverted marriage or twice married.
And so they were married. They were espoused to Christ, but they married up with the world. And So what happened during Constantine's time is that his mother apparently was a believer and influenced Constantine, the emperor of Rome, to favorably be favorably disposed towards Christians. And they were good citizens and so on. They prayed for the emperor and they weren't rebellious and so on, not like the pagans. And they were good citizens. And so Emperor Constantine.
Passed an edict and he said that all of his subjects should be Christian, so they were all baptized.
He forced them sometimes at sword point to be baptized and to take Christianity, to take in an outward form to become Christians, but without real faith. And so the Christian Church became corrupted in this way, those that were saved and those that were lost going on together in an outward way.
And it was really this is what Antipas here is really a picture of. There were those that rose up and resisted this marriage with the world, and so they were murdered. There was persecution from within and there was persecution from without. We know that.
Within the church there were those that desire to escape the persecutions of the age.
And they said, you know, we just need to go along with program, just need to go along with this man Constantine and his program. But Antipas, it says, was my faithful martyr, my faithful witness. You know, what's striking to me is that in these, the address to these seven churches, do you read the name of any other man? Do you read the name of any other sister? Only this one man, Antipas. Do you know anything about him?
Nothing. We don't know where he was born. We don't know whether he had a family. We don't know anything about him. And his name means against all. And he stood against the current of the religious current of the day that he lived in. And he said, brethren, no, it's not right.
00:30:04
We ought not to compromise, we ought not to accept into fellowship those that do not know the Lord Jesus as Savior, those that have just been baptized and make a mayor profession of Christianity. There needs to be a better standard than that. Perhaps he took Christ part, as it were, and he was faithful.
He was full of faith and he was faithful, devoted to Christ, and it cost him his life if he paid for it. And he was a martyr. And the Lord mentions his name here. And so you may think that in a day that we live in, there are those things that dishearten us, perhaps those things that we see that are not right. And we live in a day when things are broken. They're never going to be put back right until the Lord Jesus comes, snatches out of this scene and brings us into his glorious presence. The church, the testimony is scattered and shattered.
But the Lord delights to bless and to notice those that are faithful. And so he says, I have a few things against me. He has a warning. They had those that had held the doctrine of Balaam, who taught ballots and Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel and to do 2 Things, each thing sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication. Those two things go together with paganism and idolatry. It's really idolatry and fornication.
Is that what we have coming in today in this world? Idolatry and fornication. Idolatry, you know, is worshipping of the work of man's hands. And I had a man working with us years ago. And on the Lord's Day morning, he lived in a place that was on our property, rented a little house from us. And on a Lord's Day morning, he'd be out with his Polish or he'd be polishing the wheels on his on his little Ford Probe, his sports car.
And he'd be polishing that little black car all day.
And we would be going to meeting back and forth, back and forth. And that's what he spent his Lord's Day doing.
And it says here fornication.
This is sin against God is really idolatry the sin against man and God as well as fornication taking of pleasure without any reference to God. So this is what began to take place even in a church and so he had it was characteristic of being allowed in the this this teaching of this kind of doctrine. So thou hast them in verse 15. So how the so hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I heard.
Hey, so there were those that taught the principles of clericalism, of a separate priesthood, of those that taught that it was all right to have one man that take the lead in the Christian Church and that there would be really a mimicking of the order in Judaism. And so This is why he speaks of the synagogue of Satan in a couple of different places.
He speaks of those in chapter 2 here, verse nine, he speaks of the synagogue of Satan. It's an imitating of.
The Jewish system and the Nicolaitans. The Lord says I hate this, repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them.
With the sword of my mouth. And so his word would be brought to bear upon this evil practice. He that hath an ear, let him hear with the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh I will give to eat of the hidden manner. That's fellowship with the Lord, food for the soul, and will give him a white stone.
And in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it. So it's a special privilege of communion with the Lord. And the whitestone was a picture of his approval, you know, in a court system in Rome.
And at that time there would be a jury, a judge in a jury. And when there was going to be a judgment pronounced or given, there was a Blackstone in the white stone. If man got a Blackstone, why his judgment was sure he was going to suffer death or whatever the penalty was. But if it was the jury delivered up a whitestone, he was acquitted and it was an acquittal. And you know at that time too, if if you went to a person's home and you were a special guest.
You came into the home and he would give you a whitestone, a sign of favor as you came into his home, and he would have your name on it and perhaps a special message, a special greeting. And it was just a little display of the favor of the one that you were going to be with. Well, there were those in this day in Pergamus, as the world was marrying up with the church and abandoning her pristine testimony as a heavenly, a divine.
00:35:21
Vessel of testimony in this world and becoming corrupted by worldly principle why there were those that walked in communion with the Lord there were individuals and there was perhaps the capability of recovery even at this late time but then we have these next 4 churches and there's no sense of a recovery of a recovery being presented there's only a remnant that's being spoken to and so let's read this Thyatira verse 18 under the Angel of the church entirety are right these things say it the son of God whose.
Path his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and my patience, and my works, and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have 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.
I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth reigns and hearts. And I will give unto every one of you according to your works, but unto you I say.
And unto the rest, in Thyatira, as many as I have, as have not this doctrine, which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you.
None other burden but that that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end. To him will I give power over the nations, 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, and I will give him the morning star. He that had an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. What we know, that this Thyra the name means a continual sacrifice.
And it speaks of the Mass. It speaks of the time of the Roman Catholic Church.
And the Roman Catholic Church was formed approximately 58080 And so these next 4 churches, the period of time begins at a certain point, and then it continues on right to the end until the rapture. And some just beyond the rapture, the Lord will judge the Church.
The remnants of the church, even at the end at the appearing whatever appears to have.
Continued in some form until the end. But this is the Roman Catholic Church. And isn't it remarkable how the Lord says, I know thy works? Charity, service, faith, patience works. Six things he mentions.
And it was characterized at the early point perhaps. And even today there are those that are connected with good works and charity and service and so on, and the Lord values, there are those that are simple and they have some love for the Lord, and he values that little work of service that they do for him.
And I have known different ones connected with the Roman Catholic system, and you talk to them and you just have the sense that they know the Lord.
Their savior, you just know that they're, they're trusting the finished work of the Lord Jesus there. There's all kinds of other things connected with it.
But they know the Lord Jesus as Savior, and we know that there was.
Just a corruption of the truth and what began with just the doctrines of Nicolaitans became the holding of the doctrine of the Nicolaitans wasn't.
In verse 15 so hast that thou hast also them that hold the doctrine, the Nick Leightons. Then it became full blown and was in practice in the Roman Catholic Church. There was a lady and there was a priesthood and they began to mimic Judaism.
And then to persecute those that were real. And the blood flowed during the dark ages.
As the Roman Catholic Church persecuted those that were real believers and that really wanted to follow the Lord. And so just as Jezebel had persecuted those that were of the faithful Israel in Ahab's day and in.
00:40:03
So the prophet Elijah's day, we know that she was persecuting those that were real believers. Well, it says really Speaking of the tribulation period in verse 22. I will cast her into a bed and then that committed adultery with her into great tribulation except they repented their deeds. And so we know that the Roman Catholic Church will go on right into the tribulation period and those that commit fornication with her those that.
Continue to.
An illicit relationship with the Roman Catholic Church are going to share in your judgments. And so he gets into that a little bit later in the Book of Revelation. I will kill our children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the reins and the hearts. And then it says here that he speaks in verse 24. But unto you I say the rest or the remnant in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine and which have not known the depth of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden. Isn't that nice? There were those that were remnant.
He speaks to the remnant here and he was going to call out a little remnant in each one of the next 4 churches, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphian, Laetissie, and he would encourage them. He doesn't scold them here, He doesn't reprove them. He seeks to encourage them. He says you just hold fast till I come. It's a little indication. In each one of these next 4 assemblies he mentions his coming. And so they would be looking for the coming of the Lord. Have you ever spoken to a Roman Catholic? Tried to give him a look of Opelousas, Talk about the Lord a little bit and you talk about the Lord's coming. Often times there's a response.
And it's a goodness of God. And here he says, Hold that fast, but that which you have already, hold fast till I come.
And really it speaks of holding fast is to hold something dear to the heart and also hold, hold fast with tenacity, and to hold it tight so that no one takes it. And then he says, here he speaks of those that will rule with him in verse 27. You shall rule them with a rod of iron.
Well, verse 26 at the end to him will I give power over the nations. Well, you know the Roman Catholic Church has wanted to rule the world.
And it will rule the world, the Western Empire, the United States of Europe, perhaps America will come under her influence as well. The Western Christian world will be ruled by the Roman Catholic Church. You know, in chapter 6, it's really the first judgment of the Western Empire that the Lord says, OK, you don't want the real Messiah. I'm going to allow the Roman Catholic Church to rule the United States of Europe. And that's what's the first judgment is. But.
He says to those that are remnant in Thyatira, he says you don't need to look to rule Western Europe, you're going to rule with me. And so you and I have a far better prospect as to rule what the Lord Jesus and then he gives them this little bright.
Scenario here, I will give him the morning star. Isn't that nice? Just the little viewpoint of the day coming. A little morning star. They would see the brightness of the coming of the Lord.
And he speaks to the individual, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Then in chapter 3 we have Sardis. It speaks of Protestantism.
We'll try to go through the next three really quickly here Sardis in verse one, chapter 3. These things say, is he that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know thy works, that thou has to name, that thou liveth and art dead. Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die, for I've not found thy works perfect before God.
Remember therefore how thou was received and heard, and how 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. 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. He that overcometh the same shall be white 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. He that hath an ear, let him hear what what the Spirit saith under the churches. Well, this time answers to what the what the Reformation fell into really from 1529 and on goes on to the end.
You know what speech of the coming of the Lord six times in the New Testament in connection with his comings of thief? Do you remember what it means when he comes as a thief? It means he comes at his appearing and he comes at his appearing at the end of the tribulation period. He comes as a thief. He comes that is appearing in great glory and honor. You know who's going to be with him? You and I, His Church. He'll come with 10 thousands of the Saints. All the Saints will be with him.
00:45:28
But those that went on in a religious way in Protestantism and.
Experience what they say baptismal regeneration or they were baptized into the church and so on. You know, I went to a wedding of one of my classmates and the preacher that.
Anglican minister that performed the ceremony.
I thought, you know, now let's talk to him about the Lord. He read his prayer. Janet told me that he read the prayer. I thought maybe he had. I thought maybe he was a man of God. And so anyway, I went to talk to him and I said.
Sir, you, you must know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. You must be a real believer. And he said I was baptized in the church, and he told me when and so on.
There was no affection for Christ at all. He had it all upstairs. He had everything written up in his book and so on, the Common Book of Prayer that he was using and so on.
No life. He had a name that he lived, but he was dead. And so there's a system of things religiously that has been raised up and influenced by Satan really to lull men to sleep. And this is what he's Speaking of here. the Reformation began in great power and they were, they sought to break the power of Rome. And the Lord allowed that they could break the power of Rome and escape the deadness of that religious system.
And so the gospel began to be preached. Not in its entirety, but they did recover the truth that the Bible is the sole source, the sole authority.
And the final authority in connection with the things of God. And the second thing is that they recovered was the salvation by faith alone in Christ, not by works. And so they came out of Roman Catholicism. But you know what happened as they ground to a halt because they began to.
Look to the governments of Europe for protection. And so we have the Church of England, we have the Scottish Church, which is the Presbyterian Church. We have national churches. The Lutheran Church really is a German church, isn't it? And so you have all these national churches and it.
They got ground down at just the the life of the whole system, just ground down. And so he speaks of those that were overcomers.
Face persecution in verse five. I will not blow to blot out his name out of the book of life and this is what the Roman Catholic systems told them said if you leave Roman Catholicism, we'll block your name out of the book of life. Well, they didn't have that power and it wonderful that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. Nothing can erase it. It's one of the verses of Scripture that's a help to us to explain eternal security. When God writes the name, we know it's figurative language.
But your name is written in the Lamb's book of life, not God himself could erase it. The work of Christ is accomplished. That work on the redemption and the cross of Calvary, it'll never be done, never be erased. And I will confess His name before my Father and before his angels. And so there were those that were faithful, and He speaks to them. Then we have Philadelphia, verse seven. I don't have time to read it, but I will just comment on a few of them, a few of these little points He writes to those.
That he says, He that is holy, he that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth. And no man shut us, and shut us and no man openeth. I know thy works. Behold, I have set before the an open door. No man can shut it. For thou hast a little strength or a little power, and has kept my word, and has not denied my name. You know this recovery of the truth that began approximately publicly in 1827.
And the Philadelphia era began then, and Philadelphia means brotherly love and God in his grace apart, in spite of the unfaithfulness of the Reformers and sinking the whole work that God by His Spirit had raised up and sought to bring them into the knowledge of the truth. It ground to a halt largely. We know that there were, there was a wonderful time of the preaching of the Gospel during the 1700s, sixteen hundred 1700s.
00:50:06
And into the 1800s there was real revival, but the truth of God, the truth that was once delivered to the Saints was recovered. And God in grace says that he delivered the key of David. They began to understand the prophetic scriptures, and that's really what it means. And they either open it and no man shutteth. They began to be able to open up the scriptures and read the scriptures and.
Recover the truth and no one was going to be able to stop it because God himself was behind the work. And he says here that I have set before the open door. Those are wonderful to have an open door to preach Paul's doctrine even today, to be able to minister the truth in connection with what it is to be gathered to the Lord's name. There's still liberty. No one can shut that door and until I believe the church is taken home, will still be able to talk about what it is to be gathered to the Lord's name.
And to enjoy the things of God together. And then he says, thou has a little power. There was still the same power that was evident at the beginning of the church period, but now it was diminished.
There was never recovered. The power of the pristine power and energy of the spirit that was evident at the beginning of the church period has never been recovered, will never be recovered. But there was a little bit of that power, the little bit of spiritual power evident during the beginnings of that period of time in Philadelphia.
And it continues even today. There's just a little power. The house kept my word. That's what characterized that testimony, the word of God.
And the brethren used to be called men of the Book, the people of the book, the word of God. Is that how it is today? Has not denied my name. They took the name of Christ. They acknowledged His authority. They delighted to take the name of Christ to be associated with it. And then it says here that because thou has kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world. That's verse 10.
To try them dwell upon the earth. It's really evidence that the Lord Jesus is going to keep his own. Those that are real, they've kept the word of his patience. They've been patient until his coming and He's going to keep them. He's going to keep us and we won't go through the tribulation period. This is really what He's Speaking of here and speaks of continuing right to the end. Are you patient?
You know, sometimes we're very patient. We're waiting. I was waiting. We were waiting in Bermuda for a bus. On this last trip. We did all kinds of running around on the bus and you buy a bus pass and so on. And it was raining and it was raining and raining and here we are waiting in a bus shelter, waiting and waiting and waiting for a bus. We figured well.
You know, just Jonathan and I and we just waited for 15 minutes or so. We thought, well, maybe the bus isn't running, it's not going to come here, so we better go and walk to another bus station, a bus stop. And so we just left the bus stop heading the last 30 seconds and here comes the bus and didn't see anybody waiting at the bus stop. So he went right by. So we had to wait at another, another 15 minutes for another bus at the other bus stop.
But isn't it like sometimes those that we sense some of our brethren that have left the Lord's table?
They left the bus stop just before the bus came and I trust that there's none of us that'll leave the bus stop just before the bus came. Leave the assembly, leave the Lords table and miss the blessing. The Lord delights to bless and he says, behold, I come quickly in verse 11. Hold that fast which thou hast that no man take thy crown. And so there is a little work of deceit that's going on even in the day that we live in individuals trying to in influence others.
To leave the Lord's table, a man trying to take the crown that's given for faithfulness. And so he speaks of overcoming in verse 12. Him that overcometh. Will I make a pillar in the temple of my God?
So there's going to be your life is going to be a monument. A pillar speaks of a monument or something that upholds a building architecturally. But here perhaps a monument, your life is going to be a monument and my, my life is going to be a monument. It's either going to be a monument for good, monument for failure. Perhaps. Now we have delays in let me just comment a little bit because that's where we're at the latest seeing this latest see it means the rights of the people.
00:55:03
Is really a picture of democracy and how it's influenced the Church. And he says, I know in verse 15, I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot. My wood thou art cold or hot. And he says in verse 17, because I'll say as I'm enrich and increase with goods and have need of nothing.
He just speaks here of those that had real complacency.
Mr. Darby said, and he's not the only one that wrote it and said it, he said, you know, legacy has started in 1848. It started in the Open Brethren division, that power and the strength, the golden era of the Philadelphian power and testimony was from 1827 or 1828 until 1848. And he said really after that, it was in decline. Philadelphia was in decline and legacy began.
And was indifference to the glory of Christ and a setting up of independent little assemblies and a system that mimicked the truth of God.
That was not the truth of God. And so it continues even today. And we have in the Christian testimony evidence of how the rights of Christ are set aside and the rights of men are those things that are really put forward as being.
What the church desires. And so he speaks here in verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will Sup with him and he.
With me. You ever notice that little expression in the Book of Revelation? It's in the Gospels, but it's in the Book of Revelation, that little expression with me.
Is there any other place you'd like to be?
The Lord Jesus says you could be with me.
And so he says, I will come in to him and will Sup with him, and he with me. We live in a day when the presence of the Lord is not really valued. But isn't it nice to come into the presence of the Lord and to be able to say, I was with the Lord today, I was with him, I spent some time in his very presence. He says this do in remembrance of me, and he says to that.
Or two or three are gathered together unto my name. They're my in the midst of them. Don't you want to be where he is? And so there's communion here. And he says in verse 21 to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and I'm sat down with my Father and his throne. Isn't that wonderful reward for those in the day of indifference to the glory of the Lord Jesus? His rights are set aside. The rights of men, their relationships and so on are valued more than a relationship with the Lord.
He said you could sit with me in my throne. And if you are faithful to the Lord in this day of declension, the day of giving up, the day of setting aside the rights of Christ, he says you can reign with me. If you're faithful, I'll give you a place to sit right beside me. You can reign and sit with me in my throne. And so he'll delight to bless if we're faithful and devoted to himself and suffer the reproach of Christ in the day that we live in.
We're going to be associated with them in a future day and we don't know exactly how the details, but He's going to see to it that you and I and any that are. I'm not saying specifically you and I are faithful and others aren't, but if there's any faithfulness and devotedness to him.
He's going to recognize that. He's going to reward it. He always rewards faithfully. Let's commend ourselves.