Lesson 6
Matthew 13:11
He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near
Chapter 2
Ephesus The Loveless Church
On Paul’s second missionary journey (A.D. 52), he visited Ephesus after leaving Corinth, and evidently planted the church there
Acts 18:19
And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
The Church of Ephesus era occurred from 33- 100 A.D.
The word Ephesus means “to relax from effort, or permitted” which matches Jesus admonishment to them, to return to the first works of faith and love, with zeal and fervor.
Note: You will see a pattern of the church name corresponding to their spiritual state.
The Enemy They Faced: The Roman Empire
Christian Groups During This Era: The Early Church led by Peter, Paul and the Apostles.
Main Events During This Era: The great fire of Rome in 64 A.D. was blamed on Christians, and Nero executed thousands of Christians. They were killed in Coliseums by gladiators and lions by Emperor Domitian.
The Apostles spread the gospel in many countries and planted new churches, which required a lot of patience. They were burdened by opposition, and many were persecuted and killed.
All of the Apostles except John were killed by a violent death, which no doubt was disheartening to the church.
Many of them expected Jesus to return after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., so they may have relaxed their efforts.
You will find Jude write around 80 AD, exhorting them to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,
‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
Message to the Church!
Jesus walks in the mist of the candlesticks (Church).
Commendations
Works.
Labor.
Patience.
Discipline.
Forbearance
They expose sin and have not fainted or given up.
Convictions
They have left their first love.
The believers first love is for Jesus, AGAPE, the Greek word for the God kind of love, has been replaced by human works. Church programs and activities have taken the place of motivations by God’s love in most churches.
Cure.
Repent and do your first works over.
Reward.
Overcomers will eat of the tree of life.
Smyrna The Persecuted Church
The Church of Smyrna era occurred from 100-313 A.D
The name Smyrna comes from the word “myrrh” which is a tree resin with a bitter taste that was crushed and used in perfume, in incense, and as a preservative in burial. It’s a symbol of death, which is appropriate for this church era.
Jesus had nothing about which to reprimand the church; He had only words of encouragement and comfort in her sufferings at the hands of her persecutors.
The Enemy They Faced: The Roman Empire
Christian Groups During This Era: The Early Church, led by Polycarp and other church leaders.
Main Events During This Era: Satan empowered the Romans to persecute Christians, to try to stop the progress of the Gospel.
The church of Jesus was hated in the Roman Empire, and every natural calamity, whether flood, earthquake or drought, was blamed on the Christians and on their refusal to worship the Roman gods.
The church era of Smyrna endured eight persecution periods from the Roman Emperors:
The 3rd Persecution occurred under Trajan in 108 A.D.
The 4th Persecution occurred under Marcus Aurelius Antoninus in 162 A.D.
The 5th Persecution commencing with Severus in 192 A.D.
The 6th Persecution occurred under Maximus in 235 A.D.
The 7th Persecution occurred under Decius in 249 A.D.
The 8th Persecution occurred under Valerian in 257 A.D.
The 9th Persecution occurred under Aurelian in 274 A.D.
The most terrible, most prolonged persecution in the history of the early church occurred during the 8th Persecution, as Diocletian sought to root out Christianity from the very face of the earth, from 303-313 A.D.
Revelation 2:10, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
The “ten days” of tribulation that Jesus prophetically spoke of were 10 years of the Diocletianic Persecution where so many saints were martyred.
Under Maximin (Maxentius) this persecution reached its climax. Before the decisive battle, he vowed to Jupiter (Satan) that, if victorious, he would abolish the Christian name. The Lord caused the defeat and death of Maximin, which delivered the Church from the last and most implacable of her enemies. (History Unveiling Prophecy, Henry Grattan Guinness)
In 312 A.D, Constantine supposedly converted to Christianity, and then in 313 A.D., the Edict of Milan ended the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write,
‘These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life: 9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” ’
Message to the Church!
Jesus is the first and the last, who was dead and is alive.
Commendations
Works.
Has had great tribulation and poverty.
But is rich.
Convictions
Negative confessions based on natural circumstances
Cure.
Fear none of these things which you will suffer, including ten days of tribulations. The number 10 means extreme, but is also temporary.
Reward.
Overcomers will receive a crown of life.
The Compromising Church
The Church of Pergamos era occurred from 313-538 A.D.
The name Pergamos in Greek means, “Married to the tower.” Pagan worship originated in Babylon, where the tower represented their rise to become gods.
When the Medo-Persians conquered Babylon, the Babylonian priests moved to Pergamos and established a place of Satanic cultic idolatry, pagan worship, with various customs and deities.
So Pergamos is a perfect symbolic name for this church age, as Mystery Babylon, the Roman Catholic Church, who exalt themselves above all that is called God, rose to power during this time.
The Roman Beast They Faced: The Roman Empire as it collapsed.
Christian Groups During This Era: .
Main Events During This Era: Satan lost power over the Roman Empire, as it collapsed.
Satan couldn’t destroy Jesus’ church with ten persecutions from Pagan Rome, so he changed his strategy to destroy it from within.
Satan caused Constantine to unite Christianity with pagan idol worship and feasts, and fornication. Pagan Rome had many gods and idols, which they weren’t going to give up. So to make Satan’s Papal Church more acceptable to them, the church took the idols and simply gave them new names.
The Rome beast didn’t die, it simply changed its appearance and its approach, as Satan empowered the Roman Catholic Church to destroy Christ’s Church from within.
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. 17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’
Message to the Church!
Jesus has a sharp sword with two edges
Commendations
Works.
Holds fast Jesus’ name.
Does not deny the faith.
Convictions
Given to idolatry more than all of Asia.
Has evil associations.
Doctrine of Balaam (compromise)
Nicolaitanes (Nicolaitans abandoned themselves to pleasures like goats in a life of shameless self-indulgence)
Galatians 5:13
For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Cure.
Repent or suffer sudden destruction.
Reward
Overcomers will eat the hidden manna and receive a white stone with a new name written on it.
The Corrupt Church
The era of the Church of Thyatira 538-1514 A.D.
Thyatira means “ruled by a woman,” which is the perfect name because this era was ruled by the Mother church of Papal Rome, who is the Great Harlot of Revelation, the Whore of Babylon.
The Roman Beast They Faced: The Roman Catholic Church.
Christian Groups During This Era: The Early Church, led by people groups such as the Waldenses (named after Peter Waldo), the Albigenses, Hussites (named after John Huss) and Wycliffes (named after John Wycliffe)
Main Events During This Era: After the Roman Empire collapsed, Satan caused the Roman Catholic Church to be gain religious and civil power in 538 A.D., when Emperor Justinian issued a decree making the Pope head of all churches.
The Papal Church relentlessly sought to eliminate the Two Witnesses of the Word of God and the Church of Christ, and as this happened, the world became a very dark place where evil prevailed, called the Dark Ages.
During this church age and the next, Papal Rome tortured and killed over 50 million people they deemed heretics, most from Christ’s true church.
Jesus church eras of Thyatira and Sardis used the rod of iron, the Word of God, to know and testify about the pure gospel of Jesus, instead of salvation by works through the Papal Church.
They are the two lamp stands which stood as a witness against the Antichrist Papal Church during their 1,260 years of reign from 538-1798 A.D.
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,
‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. 24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
Message to the Church!
To the Church of the false prophetess, the Son comes with eyes like flames of fire and feet like fine brass.
Commendations
Works.
Love.
Service.
Faith.
Patience.
More works than when you started.
Convictions
You have that false prophetess Jazebel to defile the people.
the symbolic name of a woman who pretended to be a prophetess, and who, addicted to antinomianism, claimed Christian liberty of eating things sacrificed to idols
In some Christian belief systems, an antinomian is one who takes the principle of salvation by faith and divine grace to the point of asserting that the saved are not bound to follow the moral law contained in the Ten Commandments. Antinomians believe that faith alone guarantees eternal security in heaven, regardless of one's actions.
Cure.
Repent or your children will be destroyed along with Jazabel.
Reward
I will give him the morning star