Chapter 18
The
Church Era
Of
Thyatira – and Jezebel
“Thyatira – the Compromising Church of God Era”
1104-1600s A. D.
R
evelation
2:18-28
“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: I know your works, and charity, and
service, and faith, and your patience, and as for your works; the
last are more than the first.
N
evertheless
I have a few things against you, because you allow [tolerate] that
woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to
beguile [seduce] My servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat
things sacrificed unto idols.
And I gave her time
to repent of her sexual immorality; and she did not repent. Indeed I
will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her
into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. And I will
kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I
am He who searches the reins and hearts. And I will give to each one
of you according to your works.
“
But
to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have
this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they
call them; I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you
have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the
end, to him will I give power over the nations— He shall rule
them with a rod of iron; as the potter’s vessels shall be
broken to pieces— as I also have received from My Father; and I
will give him the morning star.’ ”
Though Dead, Jezebel Symbolically Yet lives
It
is the Thyatira Church Era with its seductive prophetess, Jezebel,
which carried forward the divisive problems existing within the
Churches of God today.
Satan used this ghostly-like spirit, Jezebel, via of her diabolical pagan teachings, to enter into the Sardis Church Era
King Saul and the Witch at Endor
This could be likened to King Saul who sought out a medium at Endor to ask of her to conduct a séance for him and bring up the deceased prophet Samuel to advise him what he should do in view of the enormous armies of the Philistines coming against Israel in war.
The demon even simulated the voice of Samuel and told him what Samuel would have told him. God sometimes let demons know His plans (I Kings 22:22-23; II Chronicles 18:21-22).
T
he
medium then divined by a demon who worked through her to bring up
another demon in the exact likeness or form of Samuel the prophet who
was buried 60 miles away (I Samuel 28:3-14). She was the only one to
see it.
“Similarities”
When considering how the demon was able to simulate the deceased prophet Samuel, though the circumstances are exactly the same, one should be able to see how Jezebel has been embodied by an evil spirit into a woman prophetess in Thyatira, and has revealed herself by via the same demonic teachings in that era as in the time of Elijah.
As the result, the woman prophetess in Thyatira is named by Jesus Christ as Jezebel.
This is just another reason why the Elijah of the end-time was also to have the same name as the prophet Elijah in ancient Israel.
The
Seventh Day Adventists
In this
manner, Satan the devil used this ghostly-like specter, Jezebel,
via of her seductress powers of deception, to enter into the
leadership of what came to be the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
B
ased
on numerous writings that can be found on the internet under her
name, this self-styled prophetess, Ellen G. White was given many
erroneous visionary teachings. Leaders and members were so caught up
by her satanic teachings they wholeheartedly accepted them.
The Jezebel of that time carried away with her a very large group of members from that true Church Era [Sardis] back into the darkness of the world as she had done with ancient Israel.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Ellen Gould White (born Harmon) (November 26, 1827 – July 16, 1915) was a prolific author and an American Christian pioneer. She, along with other Sabbatarian Adventist leaders, such as Joseph Bates and her husband James White, would form what is now known as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Ellen White reported to her fellow believers her visionary experiences. James White, and others of the Adventist pioneers, viewed these experiences as the Biblical gift of prophecy as outlined in Revelation 12:17 and 19:10 which describe the testimony of Jesus as the "spirit of prophecy". Her Conflict of the Ages series of writings endeavor to showcase the hand of God in Biblical and Christian church history. This cosmic conflict, referred to as the "Great Controversy theme", is foundational to the development of Seventh-day Adventist theology.[1]
W
hite
was considered a somewhat controversial figure. Her reports of
visionary experiences
and her use of other sources in her writings comprise much of the
controversy. She received her first vision soon after the Millerite
Great
Disappointment. [2]
[3]
Historian Randall
Balmer has described her as
"one of the more important and colorful figures in the history
of American religion" [‘visionary
experiences’ – my emphasis]
A quote by an LDS Member: It is clear that Ellen White claimed that her book The Great Controversy was written under the guidance of i) God, ii) Holy Spirit, and iii) angels of God. She claims that this guidance was manifested in her visions, in which the scenes of the past were presented to her exactly as they happened, so that "they were fresh and vivid" in her mind while she wrote the book.
End of Quotes
Satan’s use of the diabolical teachings of Jezebel that are embodied in both the Catholic and Protestant Churches also brought about the virtual death of the Sardis Church Era. Not only did they not want to accept any new [admitted by Mr. Andrew Dugger to Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong] truth, but permitted some Protestant teachings to be accepted within their Church.
They have a Name (Church of God), but they are virtually dead.
The Worldwide Church of God
In the same manner Satan continued his deceptive work in the Corporate Worldwide Church of God after 1986.
Satan well knowing Jesus Christ was using Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, His apostle, with the Philadelphia Church of God Era, to preach the Gospel, while preparing its members for the coming of Jesus Christ, began infiltrating the Church of God, with its corporate name, Worldwide, with choice wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing, together with the pagan teachings of Jezebel, to destroy it.
“For
CERTAIN men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were MARKED OUT for
this condemnation, UNGODLY MEN, who turn the grace of our God into
licentiousness (freedom to sin – God’s
laws done away) and DENY the only
Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Jude 4).
These
wolves could have been likened to an implanted micro-chip waiting for
the right time to be activated by Satan.
Satan waited for the death of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. Immediately afterwards, Satan began activating the minister-wolves.
Knowing how unpopular the rulings that were made by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong regarding women’s use of Makeup and the celebration of Birthdays, the apostate pastor general made known his decision to disannul both of them.
Another popular decision was later made to change the belief in divine healing by saying there is no such thing as Physical Sin. This had a direct negative impact on eating the morsel of bread during the Passover service.
All these were met with enthusiasm by the majority of the membership. They rejoiced.
And at the same time this set the membership up to accept the beginning of major changes in the doctrinal teachings that were restored by Jesus Christ within His Church through His apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.
The
long-established doctrinal teachings began being removed and replaced
by Protestant teachings, slowly at first, but methodically with the
goal of the destruction of God’s Church in mind. And it
happened just that way over an eight-year period of time (1986-1994).
In
December 1994, these wolves were so sure of themselves they came
completely out into the open with their heresies by saying all of
God’s laws had been done away. They devastated the corporate
Worldwide Church of God taking with them many thousands of members
(II Thessalonians 2:1-3).
The true members fled and for the most part are yet scattered (Daniel 12:10; Ezekiel 34).
Like an empty shell that parent corporate Church only exists in name today. However some of the same destructive demonic teachings of Jezebel that destroyed it have surfaced within the many Corporate Churches of God that were formed taking with them many of the true teachings – enough to satisfy their members into believing they were yet following the truths that were taught by Mr. Armstrong.
Virtually all of them refuse to restore the rulings on Makeup, Birthdays, and Physical Sin
History
Repeating Itself
“And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did NOT [Margin: “willed not’] to repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. And 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.”
Please review chapter 16 for the needed understanding of the dual meaning of this part of the letter from Jesus Christ to Thyatira: In brief: Protestant churches borne from their mother, the Catholic Church, and the corporate churches of God borne from their mother, the Worldwide Church of God, after it became apostate.
Realizing this recent history, true ministers and members should be on HIGH ALERT to the present existing dangers of the use of Jezebel’s pagan teachings found in the Protestant Churches that are presently believed and some of them actually taught without fear by the leaders of the Corporate Churches of God.
The reason being: they well know the members are going to remain with them regardless of what they believe and teach as long as they do not go completely off-track as did the Corporate Worldwide Church of God.
Sad times indeed.
“Greatest Danger Lies Just Ahead”
H
owever
the greatest danger of deception lies just ahead when apostate
ministers will be given the power of miracles by Satan the devil to
try and deceive the ELECT into believing, they, and, they only, are
the true representatives of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:23-28 “Then IF anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets WILL RISE AND SHOW GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS TO DECEIVE, if possible, even the ELECT. See, I have told you beforehand . . .”
And those deluded by them will be led back into the darkness of Satan’s world! They will be martyred in the Great Tribulation (5th Seal – Revelation 6:9-11).
The cleverness of the deceitfulness of demonic teachings taught by skilled apostate teachers used and inspired by Satan the devil can be so attractive and seem so right that only the ELECT people of God can perceive the real difference.
A Question from the Internet—
“Magicians do some amazing tricks that truly defy logic. But they all just claim to be 'illusionists'. What if a really great magician [ministers] claimed they weren't illusions . . . What if he knew the bible inside and out, and said all the right words; would you follow him? How would you really know?”
“You
Shall Know Them by Their Fruits”
The answer: Jesus Christ said we would know them by their fruits, meaning conduct, faithfulness, belief, and teachings:
Matthew 7:15-23 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will KNOW them BY THEIR FRUITS . . . every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit . . . not everyone one who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall ENTER the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we NOT cast out demons in Your Name, and done many wonders in Your Name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who PRACTICE lawlessness.’”
To ancient Israel, the LORD God warned them of Apostates:
Deuteronomy 13:1-4 “If there ARISE AMONG YOU a prophet or a dreamer of dreams [saying God appeared to this person in a dream and revealed something to him or her], and he GIVES YOU A SIGN OR A WONDER, and the SIGN or WONDER comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods [he would not be saying this literally, but would in essence by his erroneous teachings]—which you have NOT KNOWN [wrong teachings] and let us SERVE them,’ you shall NOT listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God IS TESTING YOU to know whether you LOVE the LORD your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul [this is proved by remaining faithful to God and His true teachings]. You shall WALK after the LORD your God and FEAR Him, and KEEP His commandments and OBEY His voice; you shall SERVE Him and HOLD FAST TO HIM.” Isaiah 24:
Deuteronomy 18:20 “But the prophet who PRESUMES to speak A WORD in My Name, which I have NOT commanded him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.”
And hardly anyone realizes this grave danger to them!!!
The seriousness of the danger of deception even now cannot be overstated! Time after time, Jesus Christ, Himself, and through His apostles have warned repeatedly of what we are now witnessing with approximately 700 corporate churches, each one either having erroneous teachings, or refusing to accept the government of God with His chosen and faithful ministers at the head of it, while accepting Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong as God’s apostle, and the promised Elijah to come at this midnight hour.
“You Suffer (tolerate) that Woman Jezebel”
I
t
was during the Middle Ages, 1104-1600s, that Jesus Christ wrote of
the gravity of this danger to the Thyatira
Church of God Era by naming the ancient infamous Jezebel, and her
daughters, as being evident and witnessed in others during that time
by the very same diabolical teachings and practices.
“Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow (tolerate) that woman Jezebel [Experimental Commentary, volume 6, pages 664-665 (excerpts): “The symbolical Jezebel was to Thyatira, what Jezebel Ahab’s wife, was to him, powerfully influencing for evil that Church as Jezebel did Ahab, a woman of power and influence who corrupted the true religion and harassed the followers of God in that city as Jezebel did in Israel], who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to beguile [seduce to entice and lead astray by persuasive teachings, promises, flattery] My servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”
Clarke Commentary, volume 6, page 981, “Fornication, and eating things offered in sacrifice were matters of indifference, and thus they were SEDUCED from the truth. It is probable that by fornication here is meant idolatry which is often its meaning in the Scriptures.”
“And
I gave her time
[space
of time that is yet ongoing for now]
to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not (Greek:
“willed
not”
to repent of her fornication].
Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those that commit adultery
with her into [the]
Great
Tribulation,
except they repent of their deeds.”
“And I will kill her children with death [Protestant Churches and off-track and unrepentant Corporate Churches of God]. And all the Churches shall [come to know] know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts: and I will give to each one of you according to your works.”
This was not written for that Church Era alone, but written for all of God’s people then and now.
Jezebel Opens Wide Her Seductive Arms
To make the point on the above Scriptures: It is a known and admitted fact that ministers were allowed, accepted, in the larger Corporate Churches of God who had either preached, or believed, some of those pagan doctrines, such as the Trinity, Born Again Now, etc. One pastor referred to these ministers as having a rainbow of beliefs.
This testifies to the fact that virtually none of the almost 700 corporate churches of God have not focused on this grave warning from Christ, and as the result have been subtlety pulled into Jezebel’s charming seductive arms by accepting just enough of her teachings as to blind them spiritually.
Due to not heeding the warning by Jesus Christ at the close of this letter to Thyatira, they fail to realize the source.
Ancient
History of Jezebel and Israel
One can learn much about Jezebel and what she did by exploring the ancient history during the time of King Ahab and Elijah the prophet of God and then compare that time to what is taking place in our time today.
This is just another reason why Jesus Christ raised up another Elijah in the end-time to recognize this same evil symbolical woman who would reappear in the guise of the Catholic Church and her daughters with the same objective of seeking to massacre God’s people today as she literally did with the prophets of that ancient time (I Kings 18:4; 13).
Jezebel was not only a queen in Israel but also a priestess of Baal and Asherah. She not only led her husband into the depths of idolatry (I Kings 21:25), but all Israel as well, with the exception of 7,000 Israelites (I Kings 16:29-33; 19:18; Romans 11:4).
The
Sacrificial Offering of Babies to Molech
D
ue
to Jezebel’s diabolical teachings, among other abominable
practices, Israel offered their babies in sacrifice on the blazing
hot arms of the pagan god, Molech (II Kings 17:17).
From the Internet: www.biblehistory.net; Halley’s Handbook
THE MODERN DAY EQUIVALENT TO
ABORTIONISTS
“The Oriental Institute of Chicago, during excavations near Samaria, found the ruins of a temple built to Ashertoreth that stood during the reign of King Ahab. Near the site were found jars that JEZEBEL SEAL contained the remains of infants who had been sacrificed in this horrible temple.
This
find
verifies that Baal & Asherah worship was common in Samaria at the
time of Jezebel. 1 Kings 18:19 mentions that Jezebel surrounded
herself with the prophets of Baal and the prophets of Asherah.”
When she presided over worship and sacrifices, she would have worn the ritual make-up and clothing of a priestess.”
The
Practice Continues Today
As
already made known in earlier chapters, the house of Israel of today
legally practices the aborting of the unborn babies – killing
them inside the mother’s womb. In reality there is no
difference between that ancient time in the history of Israel and now
at this time.
Please review the writing in chapters 7 and 8 that explains this in detail.
Jezebel/Catholic
Church
Those same demonic murderous teachings were absorbed by the Catholic Church, which is the personification of Jezebel, in its infancy in about 33 A. D.
S
atan
the devil virtually incarnated the same spirit of Jezebel into the
very willing and able magician Simon Magus who was steeped in those
same Babylonian teachings (Acts 8:9-10, review chapter 16).
Satan led him into meeting with Philip a deacon in God’s true Church in Samaria and was baptized by him. After later meeting with Peter and John and trying to purchase an apostleship he went away claiming he was an apostle.
The Apostle Peter had perceived that evil spirit of Satan and refused to lay hands on him for the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit. At the same Peter perceived that Simon Magus was dedicated for the overthrow of the TRUTH of God (Acts 8:13-24).
The
Whore Riding the 10-Horned Beast
H
oly
Scripture also identifies the Catholic Church as the whore riding the
10-horned beast in prophecy (Revelation 17:1-18). This
prophecy will soon become reality.
While further considering Jezebel, Scripture records at that time she had 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah under her authority and direction. She used them to teach the pagan teachings and practices to Israel (I Kings 18:19).
It has not ended! This is why the grave warning that was given by Jesus Christ to the Thyatira Church Era; a warning intended to teach all those in God’s true Church today. Sadly, it is only the very few who are paying heed to it.
The
False Ministers of Satan Today
In
the recent history of the Church of God over 100,000 members were
beguiled by the pagan teachings of this symbolized woman
through her false ministers who fully accepted her pagan teachings!
False
ministers, as wolves in sheep’s clothing, usually carry a Bible
to appear authentic but in actuality do not believe what it really
says. --->
The false ministers slipped in unknowingly within the Church during the last few years of the life of God’s late apostle and the promised Elijah; just as prophesied by the Apostle Peter:
“
But
there were also false prophets (ministers) among the
people, EVEN AS THERE WILL BE FALSE TEACHERS AMONG YOU, who will
bring in DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES SECRETLY (did over a nine-year
period), even DENYING the Lord who bought them (How? By
turning away from the true teachings), and bring on themselves
swift destruction. And MANY (100,000+) will follow
their destructive ways, because of whom THE WAY OF TRUTH will be
blasphemed. By COVETOUSNESS 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 2:1-3; II Corinthians
11:13-15).
Jesus Christ makes known they are continuing to present a real danger to the ELECT people of God’s Church by adding the warning at the close of each letter:
“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches (Churches, plural!). To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat (the understanding of the bread or words of life …” (Revelation 2:17, 7, 11, 29; 3:6, 13, 22).
The Ever-Living ‘Name’ of Jezebel
It is interesting, that aside from Jezebel being named in the Church
of the Thyatira Era, this phantom woman, Jezebel, lives on today in
song, and even in some commercial enterprises, as can be seen by
placing her name on the internet.
Some years ago in America, there was a song written and entitled: "Jezebel." It is best remembered as sung by Frankie Laine. The lyrics speak of her devastating devilish charm; and in part that song describes the kind of woman she was in real life.
Songwriters: Wayne Shanklin
Jezebel.
Jezebel.
If ever
the devil was born,
Without a pair of horns
It was
you,
Jezebel, it was you.
If ever an angel
fell,
Jezebel,
It was you.
Jezebel, it was you.
If
ever a pair of eyes,
Promised paradise.
Deceiving me, grieving
me,
Leavin' me blue.
Jezebel, it was you.
If ever the
devil's plan,
Was made to torment man,
It was you,
Jezebel,
it was you.
'Twould be better I had I never known,
A lover
such as you.
Forsaking dreams and all,
For the siren call of
your arms.
Like a demon, love possessed me,
You obsessed
me constantly.
What evil star is mine,
That my fate's
design,
Should be Jezebel?
If ever a pair of
eyes,
Promised paradise.
Deceiving me, grieving me,
Leavin'
me blue.
Jezebel, it was you.
If ever the devil's
plan,
Was made to torment man,
It was you,
Night an' day,
every way.
Oh, Jezebel, Jezebel, Jezebel
History Continues to Repeat Itself
Though Satan was not fully able to destroy the ancient nation of Israel, he was able to bring about their demise as a nation and the survivors were carried away into slavery in Assyria (II Kings 17:6).
W
hat
took place then will soon be repeated with modern day Israel. Their
demise as nations will soon take place with slavery to follow
(Ezekiel 5:12), only this time it will be far worse! Matthew
24:20-21.
Why cannot we see when we study the Holy Bible that this evil priestess, Jezebel, symbolically, has been involved in the Churches of God almost from its infancy through Satan’s use of Simon Magus and continues to this very time today through the erroneous pagan teachings of the Babylonian mysteries? Acts 8:9-23.
Satan is using this evil woman, Jezebel, in symbolism, through her false deceptive teachings to try and send all of us into the Lake of Fire and perish in the second death!
And short of that taking place, his effort is to make all of us to have to try and win our salvation thorough the horrors of the Great Tribulation. It is that serious!
Sermon by Dr. Herman L. Hoeh
I
n
a sermon given in Pasadena, California, in the early 1980s, Dr.
Herman Hoeh made the following comments about the Church in Thyatira
paralleling it with this present Church at the time of the sermon:
The 7 Churches of Revelation, Dr. Herman L. Hoeh
“... To the Congregation of Thyatira it says that here is one that had love and faith and service, and patient endurance and in so doing, its later works were even greater than the first. It kept doing more and more and thinking of new ways to do it. Yet, despite the fact that this Church had LOVE, and faith, and service, certainly in terms of taking care of their own, and patient endurance, and carrying out the work as NO other Congregation did up to this time, Yet, God says, ‘You TOLERATE that woman JEZEBEL, who calls herself a prophetess.’
“JEZEBEL beguiled His [God’s] servants to PRACTICE immorality, and eat food sacrificed to idols.
“We have here a similar promise that God WOULD DEAL with this problem.
“If I may be plain, THE PROBLEM OF IMMORALITY – PORNEA [spiritual and physical] – has been A MAJOR ROOT that destroyed the SPIRITUAL STATE of those who ALLOW this sin to exist.
“The fundamental problems discussed here as you note, are NOT doctrinal problems. Did you notice that, Brethren? The BIG ISSUES here are NOT the nature of God, the nature of the World Tomorrow, the doctrine of this or that or something else.
[Doctrine did come to be a problem later, but was always restrained while Mr. Armstrong was alive for he was the restraining force to keep any wrongful changes from being implemented in the doctrinal teachings of the Church; this was tried but never took place (II Thessalonians 2:7). However after his death the problems of doctrinal changes did fully took place in the WCG; and since that time to one degree, or another, doctrinal changes have taken place within the many corporate Churches of God.
Sadly, Dr. Hoeh refused to leave the Worldwide Church though it had fully apostized; he also was caught up in doctrinal error by teaching a form of the erroneous Trinity teaching—‘the Thinker’— trying to support the apostate pastor general!]
“The primary problems that MUST BE FOCUSED ON PERTAIN to a LOSS OF LOVE [for Christ and His true teachings], PERTAIN to TOLERATING immorality, and COMPROMISING with the world’s practices. [These three major problems exist today in the larger Churches.]
“It seems as you look at these letters, that since this is the Church, that the issue is NOT the difference in doctrines like you might find with other Congregations [as it was at that time before the death of Mr. Armstrong], it is the SPIRITUAL state of mind or morality that is a fundamental issue. Sometimes it is attitudes.
“To the rest of you in Thyatira who do NOT hold this teaching, who have NOT learned what some call the DEEP THINGS OF SATAN, to you I say, I do NOT lay on you any other burden; only hold fast what you have TILL I come.
“He doesn’t say that He’s coming quickly to that Church. All He says here is that we AVOID what may be called the deep things of Satan.”
End of Quotes by Dr. Hoeh
A Summary Review of the Origin and the Ongoing Problems
To try and make this present-day condition known, it seems necessary to briefly review the problems and their beginning roots.
In this writing, the problems that existed at the time of Elijah and
of today have been traced back to their roots to the tower of Babel
and to Nimrod and Semiramis, husband and wife (Genesis 10 and 11).
Satan used those two people at that time to establish the Babylonian Mysteries that has permeated all nations and religions through mankind’s ongoing history.
And it is through those Mysteries Satan has kept the world locked up in the power of spiritual darkness.
Notice once again a short excerpt from the writings of Alexander Hislop: THE TWO BABYLONS, pages 4-5
"The Chaldean Mysteries can
be traced up to the days of Semiramis, who lived only a few centuries
after the flood, and who is known to have impressed upon them the
image of her own depraved and polluted mind. That beautiful but
abandoned queen of Babylon was not only a paragon of unbridled lust
and licentiousness, but in the mysteries which
she had a chief hand in forming, she was worshiped as Rhea, the great
‘MOTHER’ of the gods with such atrocious rites as
identified with Venus, the MOTHER of all impurity, and raised the
very city where she had a bad eminence among the nations, as the
grand seat at once of idolatry and consecrated prostitution. T
hus
was this Chaldean queen a fit and remarkable prototype of the ‘Woman’
in the Apocalypse with the golden cup in her hand, and the name on
her forehead, ’Mystery, Babylon the great, the Mother of
harlots and abominations of the earth." [Revelation 17:1-6]
A note in passing: In 1974 a conference was held in Big Sandy, Texas with the ministers of that regional area. One of the speakers from headquarters in Pasadena, California, told all of us who were assembled not to put any historical emphasis on the writings of the ”Two Babylons” by Alexander Hislop for it was considered not to be historically accurate.
From that time this Book has been put down! Looking back from where we now are it is easy to see they did not want any connection to be made between the past and what was even then the effort of making changes in the doctrinal teachings in the Church by the liberal doctrinal committee who were in reality espousing the pagan doctrines of Semiramis and Jezebel! They did not want this Book identifying the changes in doctrine they were attempting to make within the Church.
For further identification of this fallen woman, please note the following quotations:
HALLEY’S HANDBOOK, 24th Edition, Pages 731, 733
"This description of Babylon the great harlot, Seated on the Seven-headed Ten-horned ... exactly fits Papal Rome. Nothing else in world history does fit. [He added:]
‘Babylon the Great Harlot’ may be Heaven’s Name for Apostate Christendom as a Whole.”
UNGER’S BIBLE HANDBOOK, pages 869-870
"The harlot represents ecclesiastical Babylon (personified religious revolt against God) in its final form, ripened for judgment (1) she stands for corrupt religionism a ‘great harlot’ (Nahum 3:4): denoting a religious system that compromises truth for world power. ... She rides into power on political Babylon, the Beast’s kingdom, the final form of Gentile world governments. ... She represents in fullest scope all apostate religious movements from their inception in the ancient Babylon of Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-10) to their terrible consummation in apostate Christianity, and other religions forces of the last days. ... The woman (ecclesiastical Babylon) has her headquarters in the Beast’s capital, which is the seven-hilled city of Rome.”
Jezebel Seduced by Semiramis
It was through the eagerly accepted teachings of the Babylonian Mysteries that Jezebel was symbolically seduced by Semiramis!
S
he
became a priestess and prophetess of both Baal and Astarte,
and worshiped Semiramis under the names of Astarte and Asherah and
followed exactly the pattern of worship established long before by
Nimrod and Semiramis.
At the time, God’s chosen nation Israel was at the crossroads of a life or death decision due to their forsaking God and their evil idolatrous worship of demons. To make the effort of turning them around from the worship of Baal and back to Him, God sent Elijah to announce a famine to come upon their land.
A note in passing: Unlike the miracles God performed through Elijah in that time and those of healing and even raising some from the dead that were necessary in the beginning and establishing of the early Church, we do not find those same kind of miracles being performed in the ongoing history of God’s Church from that time or even in our time due to the fact that they would have captured the attention of the public at large and that would have inhibited the Work Christ did through the leaders to keep His Church alive during the very heavy persecution brought on His people by the Catholic Church and civil authorities. The reason for this has already been explained earlier in these writings.
This can also be thought of in a similar manner when toward the close of Christ’s mission on earth it became necessary to keep a low profile so He would not experience death from the Jews before the time and in the manner He was to die (John 11:53-57).
The members of God’s Church, Spiritual Israel, are children of faith, and are to live by faith, not by sight! And though God does perform miracles within the Church and always has from its beginning for His true people, they are not essential to affirm our relationship with God for He makes known to us that He will never leave nor forsake us and we are to believe Him fully just as Scripture makes known:
"Now the just (righteous) shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in Him" (Hebrews 10:38; 11:6).
Based on what we now see from Scripture regarding the Church being scattered, along with God’s purpose of testing and purifying His future Bride, it seems unlikely that God will begin using obvious miracles that would attract and capture the attention of the world until He begins using the Two Witnesses.
Israel and God’s Church
Living in Babylon, Today!
Please note once again the following comment that further makes known
that Israel in our time is still steeped in the pagan beliefs and
practices of the Babylonian Mysteries:
SATAN’S GREAT DECEPTION, Dr. C. Paul Meredith, Pages 34-35
"We, today, are in ‘Babylon’ or in ‘Egypt’ which continued Babylon’s pagan practices just as Israel was! Jezebel ... served Baal and worshiped him (I Kings 16:31). You have heard of her. In modern Israel – the United States not worshiping Baal (Nimrod) by observing his birthday, Christmas? ..."
"We, today," – includes God’s Church as well as the Tribes of Israel! Not just physically alone for the Church began entering spiritually into the teachings of the Babylonian Mysteries after the death of God’s late apostle in1986 and fully accepted them nine years later!
The Sinister Anti-type of Jezebel Lives Today
Scripture makes known that a person reaps what he or she has sown (Galatians 6:7-8). True to this Scripture, sooner, or later, the instruments of Satan meet untimely and often terrible deaths due to their sowing evil against God’s true people.
A Few Examples
King David’s close friend and counselor, Ahithophel, conspired
against King David; upon seeing he would be found out by David he
set his house in order and hanged himself (II Samuel17:23)
Judas Iscariot, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, betrayed Him. Afterwards, he hung himself (Matthew 27:5.)
King Herod who had John the baptizer’s head cut off died a horrible death—God struck him and he was eaten by worms (Acts 12:21-23).
Experimental Commentary, “After five days of torture he died in his 54th year.”
Mr. Armstrong said in a sermon in early years that all of his enemies had died with cancer.
Mr. Joseph Tkach, Sr. died a horrible and painful death with colon and bone cancer.
Jezebel was killed and eaten by d
ogs
some 2800 years ago (II Kings 9:30-37), but the devastating
impact this murderous woman had on Israel and the prophets of God at
that time through her forcible pagan religious practices lives on
today in Israel, and in part within the Church of God.
Though Semiramis was used to begin the Babylonian Mysteries it is interesting to note that it is not her name that is remembered, but that of Jezebel!
Encyclopedia Britannica 11th Edition, volume 15, Jezebel
“
Her
name is often used in modern English as a synonym for an abandoned
woman or one who paints her face.” 1I Kings 9:30.
To make the point, it is Jezebel’s name contained in the letter to the Church at Thyatira, not Semiramis.
The Loss of the First Love
All the Church Eras were to learn from the lack of love for Christ as
made known to the Ephesus Church Era. This loss of love carried
through all of the Church Eras until the Philadelphia Era (Revelation
2:4; 3:7-13).
This led to a lack of vigilance, works, and beliefs of heresies within each one. This is in evidence from what can be seen within the corporate Churches, and paralleling them with the Scriptures of that time.
The Apostle Paul wrote of the great danger of being seduced by Satan’s instruments:
II Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit explicitly says that in latter times some will DEPART (Greek: APOSTATIZE – departing from the restored teachings of Christ’s apostle) from the faith, giving heed to SEDUCING spirits (human instruments of Satan) and teaching doctrines of DEMONS.”
I
t
needs to be emphasized that Jesus Christ led the apostle John
to place the name of Jezebel in
the letter to the Church in Thyatira
because she was a corrupting influence
on God’s people through the acceptance of her pagan teachings!
Further, Christ had her name placed there for the understanding of God’s people today! He knew she would also cause members to spiritually commit sexual immorality with her in the same manner in this end-time—just as she did at that time! And it has happened, and continues!
With these things in mind, it is worth noting the following quotations about this evil woman:
ADAM CLARKE COMMENTARY, volume 6, page 981 Revelation 2:20:
"That woman Jezebel] ‘There is an allusion here to the history of Ahab and Jezebel, as given in II Kings 9; 10; and although we do not know who this Jezebel was, yet from the allusion we may take it for granted she was a woman of POWER AND INFLUENCE in Thyatira, who corrupted the true religion and harassed the followers of God in that city, as Jezebel did in Israel ... She called herself a prophetess, i. e. set up for a teacher; taught the Christians that fornication and eating things offered to idols, WERE MATTERS OF INDIFFERENCE, and thus they were seduced from the truth. But it is probable that by fornication here is meant idolatry merely, which is often its meaning in Scripture.
“The messenger or bishop of this Church, probably her husband, suffered this [from his wife as did King Ahab, I Kings 21:25]; he had power to cast her out of the Church, or, as his wife, to have restrained her, but he did not do it, and thus she had every opportunity of seducing the faithful. This is what Christ had against the messenger of this Church, verse 21."
EXPERIMENTAL COMMENTARY, volume 6, page 664 Revelation 2:20:
"The symbolical Jezebel was to Thyatira what Jezebel, Ahab’s ‘wife,’ was to him some self-styled prophetess (or, as the feminine in Hebrew often collectively expresses a multitude, a set of false prophets), as closely attached to the Church of Thyatira as a wife is to a husband, and powerfully influencing for evil that Church as Jezebel did Ahab.
"As Balaam, in Israel’s early history, so Jezebel . . . was THE GREAT SEDUCER in Israel’s later history. With her strong will she SEDUCED the weak Ahab and Israel beyond the calf-worship ... to that of Baal and worship of Astarte.
"Her spiritual counterpart at Thyatira LURED God’s ‘servants’ by PRETENDED LIBERTINISM, fornication, and idol meats, as the Calamites and Nicolaitanes (verses 6, 14, 15). By false spiritualism these led their victims into gross carnality, as things done in the flesh were outside the man AND THEREFORE INDIFFERENT!"
Same Problems Exist Today in
the Churches of God
It should do us well to focus on these two words,
‘LIBERTINISM’ AND ‘INDIFFERENT’,
and take note of the definition of each one for they can be well seen
within the Church of God today:
LIBERTINISM = Freed from slavery; a person, esp. a man, who leads an unrestrained sexually immoral life; a free thinker. Freedman.
INDIFFERENCE = a) A lack of concern, interest, or feeling; apathy b) lack of importance, meaning or worth (neutrality esp. with reference to choice, unconcerned, anxiety to remain unconcerned in a time of danger, detached, disinterested."
If we will read carefully God’s letter of reproof to the Church at Laodicea, in the next chapter, we should be able to see the same problems existing among the thousands of the membership of the scattered Laodicean membership.
To be continued—
Your servant and friend,
Don Billingsley
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