Chapter 17

Warnings

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The 7 Churches

“. . . I heard behind me A LOUD VOICE, as of a Trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, what you see, write in a book and send it to the Seven Churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Symrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea’” (Revelation 1:10-11).

MYSTERY OF THE AGES, Mystery of the Church, Pages 282-299

By  

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong

“Seven Church Eras”

“The book of Revelation records seven messages to seven churches that existed in Asia Minor toward the end of the first century A.D. These churches – Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea – were located along one of the mail routes of the old Roman Empire.

Riders would follow the route – carrying messages from town to town. The messages to the seven churches have words of both encouragement and correction and they clearly show the dominant characteristics of each of the congregations at that time.

 But these messages were intended for a wider audience than the Christians in these small towns.

They are a series of remarkable prophecies, by which the future of the true Church was foretold in outline form, from the day it began on Pentecost, A.D. 31, until the Second Coming of Christ.

The history of the Church would fall into seven distinct eras -- each with its own strengths and weaknesses and its own special trials and problems.

Just as a message could pass along the mail route from Ephesus to Laodicea, so would the truth of God be passed from era to era.

 It was like a relay race – in which the baton is passed from runner to runner, each one doing his part, until the finish line is reached.

Sometime during the early decades of the second century, the baton was passed from the Ephesian era to the people that God had called to the Smyrna era of his Church.

Powerless, often persecuted, and rejected as heretics, the world lost sight of them. Instead, there emerged from the lost century a church that was steadily growing in popularity but growing further away from the gospel that Jesus taught.

Persecution continued at various times under the Romans until the fourth century, when Constantine recognized the degenerate Church of that period as an official religion of the empire.

But the Church that he recognized was by now very different from the Church that Jesus founded. The doctrines and teachings that he had taught his apostles were now buried amid the trappings, ceremonies, mysteries and rituals of a church that called itself by the name of Christ. It was essentially the Babylonian Mystery religion, now being called Christian, accepting the doctrine of grace but turning it into license. In other words, it was the old pagan Babylonian Mystery religion wearing a new cloak: "Christianity."

Once Constantine recognized them, this [Catholic] Church threw renewed energy into taking its message to the world. Teachers and preachers went to all parts of the Roman Empire with a message about Christ. Thousands – maybe millions – heard this gospel and believed it. But it was not the gospel Christ preached – his prophetic message of the coming kingdom of God.

Emperor Decreed Doctrine of False Church

What happened to the true Church during those centuries in which the gospel was suppressed?

Emperor Constantine died in A.D. 337, just over 300 years after Christ was crucified. He had given his blessing to a church that claimed to be the one that Christ founded.

 
Now that they were free from fear of oppression the persecuted became persecutors. Those of the true Church who dared to disagree with their doctrine were branded as heretics, worthy of punishment.  

In about A.D. 365 the Catholic Council of Laodicea wrote in one of its most famous canons: "Christians must not Judaize by resting on the Sabbath, but must work on that day, rather, honouring the Lord's Day. But if any shall be found to be Judaizes, let them be anathema from Christ." This was a virtual sentence to torture and/or death. The false church did not herself put true believers to death, but caused them to be put to death (Revelation 13:15). This decree of A.D. 365 definitely shows that there were true Christians observing the Sabbath.

 
The small remnant of Christians of the Smyrna era fled once more – to seek the religious freedom they needed to practice their beliefs.

 

They left few records. Occasionally they appear as a footnote of history, rejected as heretics, ridiculed, and hounded by their enemies. But their strongest testimony comes from Jesus himself, in his words of encouragement to the Church that was at Smyrna. "I know your works, tribulation, and poverty .... Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer ... Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life" (Revelation 2:9-10, Revised Authorized Version).

 
And so the baton passed from the Smyrna Christians to those of the Pergamos era.

 
These had been called to carry the truth through one of history's most difficult periods – the Dark Ages.

The power and influence of the great universal church [Catholic Church] spread far and wide, driving those who clung to the truth of God ever further into the wilderness.

 
But they were never far from threat of persecution and martyrdom.

 
And so very few of the Pergamos Christians remained faithful. One thousand years after Jesus had founded his Church, the exhausted remnant of the Pergamos era handed over the baton.

The Thyatiran era got off to a vigorous start, preaching repentance throughout the Alpine Valleys of Southern France and Northern Italy. Many heard and were converted.

The religious authorities quickly reacted to this challenge. Leaders of the true Church were arrested. Some were martyred. After the death of its first leaders, the Church went into a temporary decline – but emerged once more under the dynamic leadership of Peter Waldo. For several years in the 12th century, these Waldensians flourished in the Alpine Valleys, preaching what truth they had. Booklets and articles were written and copied by hand. This was still before the days of printing.

 
As Jesus prophesied of the Thyatiran era, they had faith and they worked hard. Their latter works were greater than the first.

 
But once again, persecution followed, as the full force of the Inquisition was felt in the peaceful valleys that had once provided a safe haven for the work of God.

 
Many that remained began to adopt the customs and traditions of the world around them.

 

Europe now had many scattered groups of people calling themselves Christians.

 

Meanwhile, the world was changing. Printing had been invented -- and knowledge began to be increased. The Protestant Reformation broke the monopoly of the Church of Rome.

 
As religious wars swept across the European continent during the Middle Ages, many refugees fled to the relative safety and tolerance of England. Among them were members of the true Church. They brought with them their doctrines and beliefs, especially the knowledge of the Sabbath.

 
The strict Sunday-observing Puritans resisted, but in spite of a rising tide of opposition, in the early 17th century, there were several small Sabbath- keeping congregations in England. Jesus was raising up the fifth era of his Church – Sardis.

 
Protestant England became increasingly intolerant of dissenters, including Sabbath keepers.

The true Church in England withered. But across the ocean, men were beginning to discover a New World.

 
Stephen Mumford, a member of a Sabbath-keeping church in London, left England for Newport, Rhode Island, in 1664. Rhode Island was the smallest of the American colonies, and had been founded by Roger Williams, a Baptist fleeing persecution from the Puritans of Massachusetts.

Rhode Island was the first place in the world to guarantee freedom of religion as a basic tenet of its constitution. Finding none who kept the Sabbath, Mumford and his wife began to fellowship with the Baptist church in Newport. He did not proselytize, but quietly maintained his own belief. Several members of the Sunday-keeping congregation became convinced that they, too, should observe the Sabbath.

 

They became the first Sabbath-keeping congregation in America. At first they met in private homes. In the historical museum at Newport, their record book is preserved containing names – their contributions – even records of their ordination services.

 
Also preserved is the simple, but elegant, meeting hall that they built in Newport in the early years of the 18th century. Others joined them in their belief, as God began to call more to his work in the New World.

A second congregation was established at Hopkinton. This soon became a thriving church of several hundred. A bridge today marks the spot where their meeting house once stood. Several thousand were baptized here on the banks of the Pawkatuk River. Then spiritual decline set in.

By the mid-1800s, vigorous new Sabbath-keeping congregations, raised up as a result of the preaching of William Miller, 1831-1849, could be found throughout the American Midwest.

At Battle Creek, Michigan, in 1860, many thousands were persuaded to accept the beliefs of the followers of Ellen G. White.

They departed from the true name -- the Church of God. Instead of the true gospel, the kingdom of God, they substituted doctrines of Ellen G. White, called "the shut-door policy," "the investigative judgment," a "2,300 day" doctrine and "the spirit of prophecy," identifying Mrs. White as the church's prophet who actually set the church's doctrine.

 
They adopted the name Seventh-day Adventists, by which name they are known to this day. But those who remained of the true Church of God refused to accept these teachings and doctrines and restored certain truths that had fallen into neglect in the previous century.

 
They moved their headquarters to Marion, Iowa, and then to Stanberry, Missouri. A magazine, The Bible Advocate, was published. Their efforts bore some fruit – small congregations sprang up across the nation.

 
And so it was that some time in the 19th century, a small congregation of the true Church of God was established in the peaceful Willamette Valley in Oregon.

 
They were farmers, without formal education. They lacked trained ministers to teach and guide them. But they had the name, Church of God, and they faithfully kept the Sabbath day.

 
God's Church had come a long way across the turbulent centuries since the day of Pentecost.

It was weak, and lacked influence. Years of persecution and compromise had taken their toll. Much truth had been lost. But they had stayed the course.

In the Willamette Valley, they waited. It was nearly time for the baton to change again – into the hands of those God would call to do his end-time work.” [My emphasis throughout]

Warning Words from Jesus Christ

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The Seven Church Eras

In view of the OVERVIEW of the above writings of Mr. Armstrong concerning the Seven Church Eras, it is necessary to go into greater detail in view of the warning words of Jesus Christ with the need to apply them in this day and time. 

Failure to heed those warnings brought about terrible problems on each of the four previous eras and will on the three remaining eras unless there is real vigilance and appropriate action taken in very much needed areas.

Though the same problems are not mentioned in each letter to the 7 Churches in Revelation 2 and 3, nevertheless the warning words of Jesus Christ are repeated in each letter to the 7 Church Eras making known the same problems to one degree or another would be found in each Church era; and unless there would be real resistance to those demonist pagan teachings and removal from them the members would be in grave jeopardy of losing their promised inheritance.

Notice this repeated warning from Jesus Christ to each of the 7 Churches:

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches" (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).

Having in mind this WARNING from Jesus Christ, we need to especially look at the deceptive teachings within the Ephesian, Pergamos, and the Thyatira eras for they reveal the very same teachings existing within the many Corporate Churches of God today!

Worldwide Church of God

Some of the various changes in doctrine that have been carried over into the corporate Churches of God from the apostate leader of the WCG, and his administration, make the hypocritical claim they are faithful to the teachings that Jesus Christ restored within His Church by Mr. Armstrong.

This is needful in order to attract and bring members into their churches.

This is a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde situation, making known how personalities can affect a human and how to incorporate the interplay of good and evil into their churches via of doctrinal teachings, both bad and good.  

They have retained enough of the true doctrinal teachings, with which they can agree, to lead the members to believe they are still being faithful to what was taught by Mr. Armstrong, while, at the same time, they are corrupting the true doctrinal teachings by elimination those with which they do not agree with the pagan demonic teachings of Baalism!

They skillfully explain these changes and enhancements are needed to complete what Mr. Armstrong failed to understand. And the members sleep.

These erroneous pagan teachings are posing a very serious and a real threat to God’s people just as it did with Israel being enticed to commit idolatry and eat from the sacrifices offered to demons. As the result twenty-four thousand men were killed by the LORD God (Numbers 25:1-5; I Corinthians 10:20).

Learn NOT the Way of the Gentiles

The prophet Jeremiah was used by God to sternly warn His people NOT to learn the way of the Gentiles, then, and now (Jeremiah 10:1-5).

It becomes easy for too many to forget the warning from God through His prophet as people enter the pagan holidays.

Satan has made the attractiveness of Christmas to be very enticing to join in with the world; seeing the display of the Christmas Trees, hearing the carols, seeing the many colored lights, etc.; and then join in the revelry with others on New Year’s Eve, and also to observe other pagan holidays.

The human desire is to be accepted by the world around us.

And Satan the devil takes advantage of this by making it very difficult not to want to be involved with his world over which he rules – a world that will soon end.

But just as surely as it was with the Israelites killed by God for committing idolatry and committing sexual immorality, so will all those who are caught up in this world’s ways face God’s wrath that will soon come upon them:

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, My people, LEST you SHARE in her sins, and LEST you receive of her plagues’” (Revelation 18:4).

This is a fate not one of us would want to face; yet many will be before much longer, unless there does come to pass repentance and a real change back to the FAITH once delivered to the saints.

Ambassador Colleges

With the desire to want to be accepted by the world, and its elites, please consider how a few of the faculty members of the Ambassador Colleges were used by Satan to begin bringing about the destruction of the Colleges and the Worldwide Church of God just as ancient Israel was used by the Gentiles to cause God to bring plagues on their nation and finally captivity and slavery.

 “But they MINGLED with the Gentiles and LEARNED their works; they SERVED their idols which became A SNARE to them” (Psalm 106:35-36).

Some of the instructors in the Ambassador Colleges, especially so in Big Sandy, Texas, were encouraged by leading faculty members to enroll in outside Universities to obtain Master and PhD degrees to enhance Ambassador College in the eyes of people they considered to be important to them. This would also begin paving the way to make possible the Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas to be approved as Ambassador University.

Their objective was in time achieved; however, Ambassador University was short lived for God was not in it! The higher learning from those Universities led to their disbelief of the standard that was established by Mr. Armstrong that was summed up by the MOTTO he had engraved in the House of God:

“The Word of God is the Foundation of All Knowledge.”

                                     

Some of these faculty members and ministers in the field took theology courses in Protestant Religious Colleges. There they learned from very skilled and well-educated false teachers who taught them the pagan teachings of the Babylonian Mysteries. Sadly, they came to believe them and brought those teachings within the College and the Church.

The apostate pastor general fully accepted the Protestant teachings as well. After having made known his acceptance of them virtually all of the ministers, if not all, taught those same teachings in their local Churches until 1995.  

The Apostate Pastor General and his administrative staff imploded the corporate Worldwide Church of God and left it in shambles! Many thousands of members followed them believing these heretical and destructive teachings— somewhat like the Pied Piper playing his flute and led the little children into the forest to slay them; while the true and faithful Church members scattered in different directions (Daniel 12:7; Ezekiel 34).

The Corporate Churches of God

Thereafter ministers began forming corporate Churches of God. As already stated, those same ministers carried over some of those pagan doctrines from the break-up of the Worldwide Church of God and Ambassador University into their newly formed Churches!

Some of those pagan teachings have been kept hidden from the members while others have come to be accepted and taught in some of the Churches by ministers who could not accept all of the heretical teachings (such as the doing away of the 10 Commandments, tithing, dietary laws), but did accept some of them.

And for the most part the membership appears to be totally oblivious to them, and further— do not seem to care one way or another; indifferent.

Please note the two quotes below that Satan has used his human instruments to use and has worked for them over and over again throughout history in nations, and even more tragically he has used the same in the recent history within God’s Church through wolves masquerading as sheep, particularly so in the colleges and in the Church of God:

Infamous Quotes from Leadership in Germany during World War II

"By clever and persevering use of propaganda [skillful lying] even heaven can be represented as hell to the people, and conversely the most wretched life as paradise." —ADOLF HITLER, MEIN KAMPF.

“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the state [in our case, the WCG Church] can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the state to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the state.” Joseph Goebbels.

Disfellowship of Ministers and Members

The apostate leader and his administration of the Worldwide Church of God dealt harshly with anyone who stood in the way of accomplishing their satanic goal just as did Hitler.

Once any of the dissenters came to be known, whether ministers, or members, they were disfellowshipped, unless they recanted and agreed to accept the fullness of the theological lies.

How did this come to be within God’s true Church? The answer has its beginning with the early apostolic Church Era, The Church at Ephesus.

The Church of Ephesus

In this letter that Jesus Christ wrote was both complimentary and at the same time made known A TRAGIC PROBLEM that developed in that Era that would travel through the next three Church Eras and because of it bring about the virtual death of the fifth Church Era, that of Sardis:

“And to the angel of the Church in Sardis, write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars, “I know your Works, that you have A NAME (Church of God 7^th Day) that you are alive (existing), BUT you are dead. . . .”   (Revelation 3:1-6).

The Major Problem

That ‘one major problem’ within the Ephesian Church Era made possible the wolves, who claimed to be apostles, while  masquerading among them clothed in sheep clothing, to reveal their teeth as the ravenous wolves they were and begin devouring the sheep through deceptive pagan teachings.

The Warning from Christ through the Apostle Paul

During those trying years for the true and faithful brethren, the Apostle Paul sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the Churches of God.  And when they had come he warned them of what would come to pass in their Church area after his departure:

“. . . I have NOT shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.  Therefore TAKE HEED to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you over seers, to SHEPHERD THE FLOCK among which He PURCHASED with His own blood.  For I know this, that after my departure (and not seeing his face anymore, verse 25) SAVAGE WOLVES will come in among you NOT sparing the flock. Also from among YOURSELVES men will RISE UP speaking perverse (margin: misleading) things to DRAW AWAY the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:17-32).

Can we not see the exact same parallel taking place after the death of Mr. Armstrong in 1986, and then again, shortly before and after 1995? This should be very clear to the wise (Daniel 12:10).

In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul also wrote of this spreading problem of heresy coming into the Church of God then and now:

“Now the Spirit (Jesus Christ) expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the FAITH, giving HEED to seducing spirits (Satan’s ministers- teaching) and DOCTRINES OF DEMONS (I Timothy 4:1).

Further, he wrote in a second letter to Timothy:

“For the time will come WHEN they will NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears (wanting to always hear of something new – even though wrong), they will HEAP UP for themselves teachers; and they will TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH and be TURNED to fables” (II Timothy 4:3-4).

Forsaking the True Gospel Message from the Messenger

A major change in doctrine had already taken place in the Churches of Galatia:

“I marvel you are TURNING AWAY so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Jesus Christ to A DIFFERENT GOSPEL . . . (Galatians 1:6-9).

They had changed the Gospel message about the coming Kingdom of God to a message about Jesus Christ.

Four of the larger corporate Churches of God have subtlety incorporated the Message about Christ as part of the Gospel Message! This Gospel message about Christ is NOT the Gospel! Mr. Armstrong more than once made very clear this is the teaching of the Protestant Churches and therefore is in error.

The Traveling Problem

What was that Problem in the Ephesian Church Era that brought about the problems in all of the Church Eras to follow, with the lone exception of the Philadelphian Church Era?

The Church of Ephesus

“To the angel of the Church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the SEVEN STARS (Revelation 1:20) in His right hand, who walks IN THE MIDST of the seven golden lampstands. ‘I know your Works, your labor, your patience, and that you CANNOT BEAR those who are evil (among them – masquerading as sheep). And you have TESTED those WHO SAY THEY ARE APOSTLES (TWO MEN OR MORE CLAIM THAT OFFICE TODAY) AND ARE NOT, and have found them LIARS, and you (the faithful) have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My Name’s Sake and have NOT become weary.

NEVERTHELESS I HAVE THIS AGAINST YOU, THAT YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE” (Revelation 2:1-4).

Jesus Christ then admonishes His true people:

“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. . . . He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. To him who overcomes I will give to EAT form the Tree of Life, which is in the Paradise of God” (Revelation 2:5, 7).

But the majority of them did NOT repent and the Lampstand was REMOVED from its place in the Ephesian Church Era.

Bible Study Course Lesson 49

Candlestick Removed From Ephesus!

The Pella congregation still called itself the Jerusalem church. Its chief elder was still pastor of "Jerusalem."

In the first 38 years, as congregations and conversions multiplied, the distant churches had very frequently appealed to the authority of the mother church in Jerusalem. But now a period of declining zeal set in for the whole Church.

This condition was foretold in the prophetic messages to the seven churches (Rev. 2 and 3).

1. Did Jesus Christ highly commend the first era of the Church for its labor and patience and goodness? Rev. 2:2, 3. Did He state it had EARLY to face false apostles -- men seeking to build up a following for themselves, whom Jesus Christ had not ordained? Same verse. Who were these people whom the True Church "canst not bear"? Verse 6.

2. But did He also have something against this church era? What is it? Verse 4. What did Christ threaten to do if this church did not awaken from its lethargy? Verse 5 compared with chapter 1, verse 20.

COMMENT: He would REMOVE IT OUT OF ITS PLACE! This was done physically, in type -- even before the prophecy was written, when the Jerusalem headquarters church was transferred to Pella. It was done spiritually when the authority and respect in which this mother church had been held was stripped from it in A.D. 135 after a second Jewish War with Rome.

At the time John penned these words, Jesus Christ already knew the performance record of the church at Ephesus. That church congregation was a type of the entire church in apostolic times. The Ephesus Church had let down. It had not continued its work after A.D. 69 to all nations (Mat. 28:19).

3. Did the apostle Paul before A.D. 68 find it necessary to warn even some ministers to be more diligent? Col. 4:17. Was even the Evangelist Timothy, his most faithful helper, in need of being stirred up? II Tim. 1:6, compared with Philippians 2:19-20.

COMMENT: The Church and most of its ministers seem to have acquired "lazy bones." Perhaps it was because they had decided Christ's return was not imminent (Mat. 24:48). Are you making the same mistake?

By studying the Church Eras to follow the Ephesian Church Era, one can discern the lack of “THE FIRST LOVE” in all of them, with the lone exception of the Philadelphia Era.  Sorrowfully this led to the virtual death of the Sardis Church Era.

The Philadelphia Church of God Era

Jesus Christ restored that FIRST LOVE in the Philadelphia Church of God Era. Philadelphia has the meaning of “BROTHERLY LOVE.”

In His letter to the Philadelphia Church Era, Jesus Christ restored that which was lost in that first Era.

However there is the same warning to this Church of brotherly love as can be seen at the close of it. The members must always be on guard for there is the imminent danger threatening from the problems of the previous Church Eras, and of Laodicea.

The Midnight Warning by Jesus Christ

It was in the early part of this past century that God’s prophesied end-time warning of the return of Jesus Christ was at hand.

God’s Church is to be preparing herself by making her bridal garments white while doing a last-ditch work of proclaiming the Gospel and sounding the Ezekiel warning message of the terrible times to befall the Church of God, Israel, and the world.

To prepare His Church, Jesus Christ raised up a special man that He had prepared to fulfill the responsibility and mission of the promised Elijah to come at the Midnight Hour:  

“And at MIDNIGHT A CRY WAS HEARD: ‘Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him” (Matthew 25:6).

“For then there will be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

And for over 50 years, from 1934 to 1986, this message was faithfully cried out to the Church, Israel, and to the world by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.

Below is a writing that gives an overview from God’s late apostle and the Elijah to come in his own writing of his mission to proclaim the end-time warning:

Restoration of God's Truth to Church

Taken from Chapter 6 of Mystery of the Ages by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong

“From the year 1931, exactly 1,900 years (a century of time cycles from the foundation of the Church), this small remnant of the original true Church of God began to take on new life as the Philadelphia era.

It had come to the "time of the end." A new spiritual vitality was infused into it. The time had come for Jesus' prophecy of Matthew 24:14 to be fulfilled "this gospel of the kingdom shall be [proclaimed] in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Such vital truth that had been lost was gradually revealed and proclaimed.

This Philadelphia era is described in verses 7 to 13 of Revelation 3. The Sardis era (Revelation 3:1-6) was by this time spiritually dying and had become impotent in spreading the true gospel of Christ. Indeed they had by this time lost knowledge of the true meaning of that gospel. They knew they were approaching the Second Coming of Christ, but they had no knowledge of what would happen during the thousand years millennium, further than the fact Christ would rule.

Of the Philadelphia era of God's true Church we read: "To the angel of the church ...." This word angel translated from the Greek aggelos means messenger or agent. This is not necessarily always referring to a spirit angel but can refer as well to a human agent. It is possible that God's principle of duality may apply here. It may apply to an actual spirit-composed angel that has been assigned as an overall agent or helper of this particular era of the Church. Or it may also apply to the human messenger or agent God has raised up to lead this era of his Church.

At the same time another principle of duality may apply to verses 7-13. It may apply to the Church of this era as a whole, and also it could apply to the human leader God had raised up to this era of his Church.

Continue with verse 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."

This era of the Church was to produce fruit. To this era – or to its human leader – God had set before it an open door. It is recorded in II Corinthians 2:12 and also Acts 14:27 how Christ opened the door for Paul to go into other countries to preach the gospel. This Church and/or its leader had but little strength. Neither were of great and powerful stature in Satan's world but those of this era were faithful to the Word of God. Though much of the original gospel truth, imparted to the original apostles by Jesus in person, had been lost, it was restored through the Bible to this era of God's Church who were faithful in keeping it.

It is revealed in Malachi 3:1-5 and 4:5-6 that God would raise up one in the power and spirit of Elijah, shortly prior to the Second Coming of Christ. In Matthew 17:11 Jesus said, even after John the Baptist had completed his mission, this prophesied Elijah "truly shall first come, and restore all things."

Although it is plainly revealed that John the Baptist had come in the power and spirit of Elijah, he did not restore anything. The human leader to be raised up somewhat shortly prior to Christ's Second Coming was to prepare the way -- prepare the Church -- for Christ's coming, and restore the truth that had been lost through the preceding eras of the Church. Also a door was to be opened for this leader and/or the Philadelphia era of the Church to fulfill Matthew 24:14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come."

It was to be at a time when, for the first time in the history of mankind, the weapons of mass destruction were produced that could erase all humanity from the earth (Matt. 24:21-22). This also was to occur just before the Second Coming of Christ (verses 29-30).

These prophecies have now definitely been fulfilled. The true gospel has been restored and has now gone in power into every nation on the face of the earth.

The Church has taken on a new Spirit-empowered life. All the technological advances and facilities are being employed.

 First radio was used, beginning on one of the smallest-powered stations in Eugene, Oregon. Then the printing press. This started with an old secondhand Neostyle, ancestor to the mimeograph. In due time the printing press was used. The advent of television came in 1945 – immediately after the end of World War II. The Church began using television in the summer of 1955.The true gospel, for the first time In 1,900 years, has finally been proclaimed and published into all nations of the earth. The Church has grown. For the first 25 years it grew at an average rate of 30 percent per year.

The first apostles would be astonished to see the size and scope of the work now. The means of communications the technology and the modern resources that God has given to his end-time work would indeed be strange to those men who first received the commission to take the gospel to the world nearly 2,000 years ago.

But some things would not be strange – the Sabbath and Holy Days, the name, the Church of God, and the gospel of the kingdom – these they would recognize – handed down through the ages from the time of Christ to the time of the end.” 

End of Quotes

The Existing Three Church of God Eras

With this in mind let us consider how this troublesome time came about in this present Church age – here at the close of this evil world.  First and foremost, they have taken place due to the ministers and members not listening intently to the warnings from Jesus Christ to all seven eras: 

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches” (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). 

Considering the problems of the early Church of God and knowing the same problems would surface in the end-time that would virtually decimate the Church of God (II Thessalonians 2:1-3 – the falling away), the apostle Paul took heart to realize there would still be the few in God’s Church, then, and would be in ours today, who would remain faithful to Jesus Christ and His true teachings, just as there were the few in Elijah’s time.

Seven Thousand Faithful Members

In comparison, the Apostle Paul made reference to the few during Elijah’s time who were not in Balaam’s camp with the ELECT people of God today.

“... I have RESERVED for Myself 7,000 men who have NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL. Even so then, AT THIS PRESENT TIME THERE IS A REMNANT according to the ELECTION of grace... What then? Israel has NOT obtained what it seeks; but the ELECT have obtained it, and the rest were blinded” (Romans 11:4, 7; I Kings 19:18).

As it was with ancient Israel, so it is today; there are many thousands who are blinded by Satan’s deception as the Apostle Paul makes known in verses 8-10 of that chapter:

Revelation 12:9 “... the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world ...”

The LORD God told Elijah this to encourage him for he was very despondent knowing his life was in peril and believing he was the only one left who followed the true God.

 

The apostle Paul did NOT quote all of what Elijah had said at that time to the LORD (I Kings 19:14, 18).  It is important that the ELECT people of God should know the rest of what was said for when we understand it we can realize why many thousands in the Churches of God are still in terrible danger (this will be touched on in the next chapter).

The Ravenous Wolves in Sheep Clothing

The following Scriptures warn of the ravenous wolves that are yet deceiving members; and unless there is an AWAKENING to this grave danger confronting them from leaders they trust; they will end up being tortured and murdered in the Great Tribulation, and worst of all, the possible loss of their salvation.

Before his death by martyrdom, the Apostle Peter prophetically wrote the following warning:

“But there were FALSE PROPHETS among the people, even AS there will be FALSE TEACHERS AMONG YOU [teachers of falsehood], who will SECRETLY BRING IN DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES, even DENYING the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.  And MANY will follow their destructive ways, because of whom THE WAY OF TRUTH WILL BE BLASPHEMED.  By COVETOUSNESS [The apostates taking over the entire properties and selling them – as did Balaam] THEY WILL EXPLOIT YOU WITH DECEPTIVE WORDS; for a long time their JUDGMENT has NOT been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (II Peter 2:1-2).

In his letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul further wrote of the ministers and members who would lack endurance in God’s way of life:

“For the time will come when they will NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE; but after their own lusts shall they HEAP to themselves teachers, having ITCHING EARS” (I Timothy 4:3).

To hear new things while doing away or changing doctrines with which they do not agree, such as: Born Again, Passover, Gospel, rejection of God’s Government, etc.; also eliminating the rulings concerning Makeup, Birthdays.

The warnings by God’s apostles should WAKE everyone up, but, sadly, the members are sleeping unaware of the grave danger confronting them.

There are approximately 700 corporate churches now existing – ministers and members who have departed from the apostle’s teachings that Jesus Christ restored through him within the Philadelphia Church of God Era; the Church of brotherly love.

In his first letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul spoke of members being seduced and accepting doctrinal teachings of demons:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that IN LATTER TIMES some will DEPART from THE FAITH, GIVING HEED TO DECEIVING (KJV: SEDUCING) spirits and doctrines of demons, SPEAKING LIES IN HYPOCRISY [meaning = knowing better and not doing it], having their conscience seared with a hot iron” (I Timothy 4:1-2).

Seducing Spirits

How does one seduce another spiritually? This is accomplished by use of flattering words from people of great influence often holding positions of high office and authority – such as Billy Graham being seduced by the presidents of America. 

Unlike the early years of his ministry, meeting with each of the presidents left him impotent – no more speaking against social problems – and he didn’t; saying, he would not touch those hot button issues.

Many thousands of members have also been seduced into accepting doctrines of demons by skilled and known ministers, such as:

1. Freedom from keeping God’s Commandments – no longer required
2. Going to heaven
3. Having an immortal soul
4. Born again now
5. Believing one is in the Kingdom of God now
6. Trinity
7. Passover
8. Physical Sin – Bread at Passover, etc.

The Thyatira Church Era

To understand more fully the problems being faced and accepted by the Corporate Churches of God there is the need of focusing on the Thyatira Church Era. 

This will be covered in the next chapter.

To be continued—

Your servant and friend,

Don Billingsley