The Mark and 666

I was reading in John and John 6:66 caught my eye, and considering the meaning of the verse, along with it's number, and knowing that John wrote both John and Revelation, it left me with some intriguing thoughts...

John 6:66 —From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. *

Revelation 13:18 —This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666. *

In John 6:66, in the original language, it suggests that their leaving was decisive and final. It wasn't a spur of the moment thing that they might change their minds about later. We all know that the one unforgivable sin is the sin of rejecting salvation through Jesus' sacrifice. (The Unforgivable sin is found in Matthew 12:32 —Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. *   Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit happens when we know that the claims of Christ are true and reject them anyway, because it's the Holy Spirit who testifies to us about Christ and makes the Truth known to us. Paul rejected Christ before his experience on the road to Damascus - he sinned against Jesus.  If he hadn't accepted the Truth  when it was presented to him on that road, it would have been a sin against the Holy Spirit because at that point, he then knew it was true.)  That's what the disciples in John 6:66 had just done.

In Revelation 14:9–11 we're told too that any who take the Mark won't be forgiven. Often people fear that this is some kind of second unforgivable sin, but it's not. Because of that, there's been all kinds of fear and concern about having any kind of mark or number given to us or put on us. But this is still the same sin of rejecting salvation through Christ. The only difference is that they've also chosen to state publicly at the same time, who they are accepting as their savior instead, which of course is the Antichrist. That's why taking the Mark is unforgivable. It has nothing to do with the mark itself or with the number or anything else.  Let me repeat that:  The only unforgivable sin is rejecting Christ when you know His claims are true. Taking the Mark of the Beast (the AntiChrist) is unforgivable only because they will know that Christ is the True Savior and that they are choosing to worship someone else instead. .

Many Christians fear the Mark and are concerned about the possibility of unsaved loved ones taking the Mark unaware of what they're really doing. This simply isn't possible though, for two reasons. First, as we just said, the sin isn't in the mark itself, the sin is what taking the mark means - that the person is rejecting Christ in favor of the Antichrist. Remember, all through the Bible, God reminds us over and over again, that it's what is in our hearts that concerns Him, not what's on the outside. Secondly, God Himself will make sure that every human being alive during this time, will have heard the Gospel and will know what the meaning of taking the Mark really is and what will happen to them if they take it. God will not allow anyone to take the Mark unknowingly. (This is explained starting at Rev 14:6 among other places.) Therefore there can be no chance of anyone taking the Mark that won't know what they're really doing.  If you read the Left Behind books you saw how they handled the idea of someone being forced to take the Mark against their will. As the authors showed, this would not be an unforgivable sin, since it was done against the person's will, even if that person was unconscious.  We tend to think that God is out to get us and is just waiting for us to "mess up", at least that's how we often act.  The Truth is though that He loves us, and wants to help us, not hurt us!

With that out of the way, let's go back to John 6:66 and how it might relate to the Mark. In John, this takes place right after Jesus had again explained that He would have to die for us and told us to drink His blood and eat His flesh. Meaning of course, as the Jews of that day understood, that they were to identify with Him, His life and sacrifice, make His life, theirs. In other words, they were to submit to Him, or as He said another time, deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Him, etc. The people, who knew scripture and knew Jer 31:31–34 quite well, would have understood the concept of receiving His Word and making it part of their inner beings.

That's what caused many of the disciples to turn away from Him. Up till then, they'd been willing to play the game, but now it was starting to get dangerous. Now He wasn't just telling people to be good and play nice with each other, but was demanding that they go against the crowd, be different, and stand up for the Truth. They didn't want anything to do with that. They liked their lives just fine. While it had been fine to follow Him and be able to tell their friends they knew Him and had heard this famous man talk etc. they for sure didn't want to irrevocably separate themselves from everyone else! So they rejected Jesus. They rejected Him as their Messiah. They rejected His offer of Eternal Life in Him. Instead they chose to live for themselves and this world.

During the Tribulation, the choice about the Mark will be similar. People will be choosing to reject Jesus and live for themselves and the Antichrist who they think will be able to provide them with all they want in this life. Among those who choose the Mark, will be people who were supposedly interested in the gospel. They will probably have been meeting with real believers who have been trying to teach them the Truth. They may even have pretended to accept it for awhile. But now, knowing the Truth, they reject it. As the popular game show would say, that is their "final answer", and that is why they are condemned to Hell.

I found it very interesting and instructive though that those particular words in scripture would have been labeled as 6:66. Words that speak of those who have decisively determined to reject Jesus once and for all time. They have turned their backs on God's Truth and His Son and live for themselves. Isn't that really what Satan did, and what we all tend toward? Isn't that really why we sin even after we're saved? We want what we want when we want it, regardless of what God says. The number that has always described mankind is 6 - one less then God's number which is perfection.

Rev 13:18 seems like an additional warning, a warning not to be taken in by lies and that this man is not what he appears to be. A warning that not everyone is what they appear to be, that looks and words can be deceiving. Interestingly verse 17 links the number with his name too, and that's not the first time names are mentioned in this chapter. The whole chapter seems to be dividing people between those who truly follow Christ and those who don't, and warning folks that soon they will have to give their final answer.

Obviously the warning is for those living during the Tribulation but I think it can also be a warning to us as well. We're constantly seeing signs showing that the Tribulation is near. We know that because the Lord told us these signs would become more numerous and more destructive as time went on. Having studied the judgments during the Tribulation, we know that the signs we're seeing are like milder mini previews of what's to come. I think it's the same way with the both the deceptions of the AntiChrist and with the defection of so called Believers and followers of our Lord.

We see these milder, mini previews of the Antichrist in a number of political figures, including Obama, to the point that many have wondered if he might not be the AntiChrist. If we look back, we can see how these mini previews have intensified and happen closer together, just like the other signs. There's no doubt too that we've all seen the previews of John 6:66 and that it's getting worse and worse. God has drawn a line in the sand and many have turned back to the world, no longer following Christ. As it gets more dangerous to be linked with Christ, more are abandoning ship. They'd rather lose Him then the good will of their friends.

We've been told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and that it's the Lord who gives true understanding, yet this beast, the antichrist, will tell people that he is wise and that he can give them the answers and save them from all that's happening. Isn't that what some are already saying and what everyone is already clamoring for? 

I fully realize that there were no verses or verse numbers in the original manuscripts and that the numbers were put in much later to help us. However, I also know that God is in control of everything and that especially goes for His Word. Therefore I don't believe it is a "coincidence" that this verse has that number, nor any other verses number for that matter. However, I do not make a habit of looking for things like this as I believe that wouldn't be correct or what the Lord intends for us to do. I do believe that it was the Lord who brought the fact of the so called "coincidence" to my attention and that it was He who guided my study about it as well. That certainly doesn't mean that all my conclusions are always correct by any means, only as I said, that the Lord guided me. I still have a great deal to learn and I know the Lord will teach me as I'm able to receive it.

The Lord teaches us that He is always in control. There is no such thing as "coincidence". And that, because the Bible teaches it, I firmly believe. I hope others are able to get something helpful from this.

 

 There's certainly a lot to reflect on with these verses!

John 6:66 —From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. *

Revelation 13:18 —This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man’s number. His number is 666. *

 

Proverbs 9:10 —“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. *

I'm starting a new Women's Lib movement!

I've decided that it's way past time to start a new women's movement. I was thinking about this last night when the news was on and I suddenly heard a story about a woman (some kind of star I think) who people were all upset at because she said women needed to submit to their husbands. I had to laugh then because that showed me I wasn't alone. There are other women who believe God's Word. So let's start our own "Women's Lib" movement!

Here's what our Women's Lib movement will be standing up for:

1. We want the right to be wives and mothers without having others looks down on us or ridicule us.

2. We want the right to have husbands who:

• love the Lord and aren't ashamed of letting the whole world know that they do.
• aren't afraid to cherish us and aren't ashamed of letting the world know they do.
• are intelligent, who want and accept our ideas and opinions but are not afraid to be the head of our family and make the final decisions.
• aren't afraid to be the man God made them to be; who want to protect us and provide for us as God intended.
• aren't afraid to treat us with gentle respect and open doors for us, carry things for us, stand when we rise, assist us when we want to cross the street, or any of the other many ways that true godly men showed respect for women in the past.
  
• knows the Lord and wants to help and guide us into an ever closer relationship with Him; who's greatest desire is to see us become more and more like Christ, every day until we are perfectly conformed to Him at last.
• submits Himself to Christ, endeavoring to obey Him in all things
• are involved with their children, teaching them to know the Lord and His ways.
  

3. We want the right to submit to our husbands, as we endeavor to obey our Lord in all things, recognizing that this is for our good and has nothing to do with "equality".

4. We want the right to have as many children as we want and the Lord feels pleased to grant us without being ridiculed for it

5. We want the right to stay at home and take care of our husbands and children the way the Lord intended without being ridiculed or put down for it.

7. We want others to acknowledge that

• there is no harder job then raising children, whether you have one child or 10.
• and no job in this world that's more important then raising children.
• there is no job more fulfilling or more noble then being a wife and mother.
  
• There is no higher position that any woman could possibly want or have then that of being a wife and mother.

8. We want the right to dress modestly without having others laugh at us or ridicule us.

9. We want the right to have the beauty of a quiet and gentle spirit that leads by example.

10. We want the right to raise our children the way we see fit, without government -town, city, state, or federal - interference, including homeschooling them if that's our desire.

That should be enough to get us started...what do you think? Anyone want to join me? What should we call our Women's Lib movement? What else should we add to our list?

Why God doesn't want us to know when the rapture will be

We hear all kinds of stuff about when the rapture is or might be; whether or not we're supposed to know and if so how much we're supposed to know etc. It's pretty clear to me though that God doesn't want us to know exactly when He's going to call the Church home. Tonight I was considering the reasons why He doesn't want us to know exactly when it will happen.

First I was thinking about when He first left. Remember the scene? He was standing on the Mount of Olives and talking to His followers. It's covered in several different places so we have a couple of different views, but here are two different things that He said to them just before He left:

Matthew 28:19–20 (NIV) — Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Acts 1:6–11 (NIV) — So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Can you imagine what was going on in their minds at that time? We know from the Gospels that the disciples assumed that Jesus would be starting His Kingdom very soon. As of this time, they had no idea that another whole age would pass before that would happen. I've tried to put myself in their shoes and can only imagine what they must have been feeling then. Here they've walked with the Lord for 3 years learning from Him; and what they learned in 3 years takes many of us a lifetime! Then He dies and they're crushed, but then He rises from the dead and they're thrilled! He again walks with them for another 40 days, though not constantly apparently....popping in to teach them or encourage them when they needed it, and finally toward the end (though they don't know it) He tells them to meet Him on the Mount of Olives. So they all gather there...none knowing what He's going to do or say this time. I'm sure that at least some of them thought THIS would be the momentous day that the Lord would begin His Kingdom and they were probably more excited then we can imagine thinking of it. When He didn't, and the meeting seemed to be winding to a close, they couldn't stand it anymore and asked Him about it.

Instead of telling them when it will happen, He tells them basically that it's none of their business and that they should instead concentrate of the job He's given them. He also gives them a tiny hint, that He will be with them always, even to the end of the Age. I bet they all thought about every word He said, many times over the years, trying to figure out when He'd return and when the Kingdom would start. I know I would have been! And then He was gone again, only this time to Heaven! What a roller coaster their emotions were on for those last couple of months!

Bek has read the books in the Mark of the Lion trilogy that starts with A Voice in The Wind so I know she's aware of how the early Christians, including the apostles, thought that the Lord would return for them literally any time, any day. One of the many things I liked about those books was that they showed what it would look like if Christians lived as though they really thought He might return at any moment. That was very revealing and convicting! Remember, these people had seen Jesus die, come back to life and then pop in and out of their lives at the drop of a hat, through locked doors even, for the next 40 days, so it wasn't a stretch at all for them to think He'd return yet again for them at any moment. As Bek can attest, I'm quite sure that the Christians of that time, lived quite differently then we do, and one of the big reasons they did was because they thought He'd be coming back at any moment.

I remember at first when reading that book and realizing the ramifications of it all, I felt like it was kind of mean of Jesus to lead them on that way and not let them know that it wouldn't be in their life time. But the more I read of the book, and of course the more I read His Word at the same time, I realized that instead of being mean, He was actually being loving.

It reminds me of when I was a child and would do something wrong... I'd immediately look around quickly to see if my Mom or especially if my Dad was around cause if they were, I knew I was really gonna get it, and I'd immediately apologize; and when I knew they were home and could walk in my room at any moment, I was careful not to do do or say anything that they'd disapprove of. If another child started to do something we weren't supposed to, I'd quickly tell them not to because my Mom or Dad would catch us. I guess because I was obviously so sure that we'd be caught, they'd believe me and stop.

This is how the early Christians lived. They didn't "believe" He was coming back soon. They KNEW He was coming back soon! That complete and total assurance they had that He would be back any time, colored everything they said and did. They figured that they might have days at most to clean up their lives and live the way He told them too and to learn all they needed to learn, so they didn't put anything off. When they sinned, they dealt with it. When someone told them they'd sinned, they blessed that person and rejoiced because now they could confess it and repent of it before the Lord returned! When they were tempted to sin, within seconds they'd remember that He'd be returning any moment and what if they were sinning when He did??? They were horrified at that thought so temptation didn't have the pull it does on those who don't know He could be here at any moment. When they were horribly persecuted, and when they went through severe trials, they could sincerely rejoice because they KNEW it wouldn't be long and Jesus would return and everything they went through till then would be repaid to them 100 times over when He did! So they knew exactly what Paul and Peter meant when they said to "Rejoice in the Lord always" Philippians 4:4 and that they should "rejoice even though "for now" they're going through trials and suffering".

1 Peter 1:6–9 (NIV) — In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Everything they did and said was colored by their knowledge that their Lord would be returning shortly and that got them through the good times and the horrible times of being martyred even. It helped them overcome temptation, it increased their faith and helped them be obedient to the Lord's commands. It helped them to discipline themselves for godliness because they knew that time was short and it helped them tell others, warn others, because again, they knew there wasn't much time. So the Lord wasn't mean to let them think that, He was being kind and loving and because they thought that, they lived their lives in such a way that their lives were testimonies to Him and a guide for us as to how we should live. (1 Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17;)

I honestly believe that this is the main reason the Lord doesn't want us to know exactly when the rapture will happen. I don't think He's pleased when we try and figure it out and say things like "it can't happen for another 20 years" or whatever. When someone really believes that, they're not going to live as though it could happen today and that's the problem. He wants us to KNOW that it will happen, to see the signs and KNOW it will happen SOON, and so live our lives in such a way that reflects that knowledge. Interestingly, in many ways the Church has come full circle and we are now back in very much the same situation that the early Christians were in, and this is yet another way we've come full circle. I know that I constantly feel the pressure of knowing that the Lord will return soon and that it could be any moment, and I'm quite sure that at least some others do as well. That's why I'm always begging people to study their bibles, to admit their sins, to reconcile, to love, to help others, etc, because there really isn't much time left. I honestly don't just believe that. I feel that deep in my soul and Know that with my entire being. It's like I can hear that clock ticking and I'm just waiting to hear His call.

I heard a song the other day that said exactly what I feel. It said the signs were happening all around us all the time but that they weren't looking for signs anymore; instead, because they knew the Lord would be returning soon, they were listening for His call. That's what I'm doing too. There really isn't much time left and I desperately want everyone I know, and myself too, to not just be ready, but to be at their best when He returns! Honestly, everything I say is colored by that, so if you ever wonder why I've posted something, that's the reason.

Heavenly Father, I pray that the truth & power of the scriptures will be revealed in each of our lives, & that Your Word will penetrate deeply into each of our lives, making us each ready & fit for the coming of our Lord Jesus. I pray that we will be continually controlled by the life-transforming knowledge of Your will, which the Holy Spirit imparts as we prayerfully study and reflect on Your Word. I pray also that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened in order that we may know the hope to which You have called us and live lives worthy of Your calling. In the Name of our great Savior, Jesus, I pray. Amen



 
(originally written a couple of years ago) 

I feel like I'm reading about the US!

Wow!  As I read Judges 10, I really feel like I'm reading about the US and the rest of the world as well right now! Even the commentary which was written in the 90's is like they've somehow read today's news headlines. I can't post all of Judges 10, but let me post a few verses and a bit of the commentary for you which will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. It's amazing and scary and it makes a lot of sense out of what's happening around the world and in the US!  This is from Wiersbe's, Be Available commentary.  Just replace the word "Israel" with "the United States" and you'll see what I mean.

 
Judges 10:11–14 —The Lord replied, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, *the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? *But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. *Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” *

A nation in decay (Jdg. 10:1–18)
There were three deficiencies in Israel that gave evidence that the nation was decaying spiritually.
 

1. Israel’s lack of gratitude to the Lord (vv. 1–5). For forty-five years, the people of Israel enjoyed peace and security, thanks to the leadership of Tola and Jair. We know little about these two judges, but the fact that they kept Israel’s enemies away for nearly half a century would suggest that they were faithful men, who served the Lord and the nation well. Tola was from the tribe of Issachar, and Jair from the Transjordan tribes, the area known as Gilead.

The people of Israel, however, didn’t take advantage of these years of peace to grow in their relationship to the Lord. After the death of Jair, the nation openly returned to idolatry and once again invited the chastening of the Lord. They enjoyed forty-five years of peace and prosperity but didn’t take time to thank the Lord for what He had done for them. The essence of idolatry is enjoying God’s gifts but not being grateful to the Giver, and Israel was guilty.

Thanksgiving glorifies God (Ps. 69:30) and is a strong defense against selfishness and idolatry.

2. Israel’s lack of submission to the Lord (vv. 6–16). If the people had only reviewed their own history and learned from it, they would never have turned from Jehovah God to worship the false gods of their neighbors. From the time of Othniel to the days of Gideon, the Jews endured over fifty painful years of oppression from the enemy. By now they should have known that God blessed them when they were obedient and chastened them when they were rebellious. (See 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1.) After all, weren’t these the terms of the covenant that God made with Israel, a covenant the nation accepted when they entered the land? (Josh. 8:30–35)

The Lord had given Israel victory over seven different nations (Jdg. 10:11–12), but now Israel was worshiping seven different varieties of pagan gods (v. 6). No wonder God’s anger “was hot against Israel” (v. 7). What foolishness to worship the gods of your defeated enemies!

For the people to abandon God was one thing, but for God to abandon His people was quite something else. The greatest judgment God can send to His people is to let them have their own way and not interfere. “Wherefore God also gave them up.… God gave them up.… God gave them over” (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28). This was too much for the Jews, so they repented, put away their false gods, and told God He could do to Israel whatever He wanted to do (Jdg. 10:15–16).

Their hope wasn’t in their repenting or their praying but in the character of God. “His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel” (v. 16). “In all their affliction He was afflicted” (Isa. 63:9). “Nevertheless in Your great mercy You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them; for You are God, gracious and merciful” (Neh. 9:31, NKJV). “Yet He was merciful; He atoned for their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time He restrained His anger and did not stir up His full wrath” (Ps. 78:38, NIV).

3. Israel’s lack of adequate leadership (vv. 17–18).
The people were prepared to act, but from all the tribes of Israel, there was nobody to take the lead. Whether in a nation or a local church, the absence of qualified leaders is often a judgment of God and evidence of the low spiritual level of the people. When the Spirit is at work among believers, He will equip and call servants to accomplish His will and bless His people (Acts 13:1–4).

In his book Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy wrote, “We, the people, are the boss, and we will get the kind of political leadership, be it good or bad, that we demand and deserve.” What’s true of political leadership is often true of spiritual leadership: We get what we deserve. When God’s people are submitted to Him and serving Him, He sends them gifted servants to instruct and lead them; but when their appetites turn to things of the world and the flesh, He judges them by depriving them of good and godly leaders. “The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart” (Isa. 57:1, NIV).

When I was a young Christian, I heard an evangelist preach a powerful sermon on the text, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” (2 Kings 2:14) “We know where the Lord God of Elijah is,” he said; “He’s on the throne of heaven and is just as powerful today as He was in Elijah’s day.” Then he paused. “The question is not so much ‘Where is the Lord God of Elijah?’ as ‘Where are the Elijahs?’ ”

Indeed, where are the Elijahs? Where are the spiritual leaders who can rally God’s people and confront the forces of evil?
Wiersbe, W. W. (1994). Be available. “Be” Commentary Series 

 

(originally written over two years ago) 

Coming Full Circle

I've been studying in Revelation again recently, specifically the letters to the churches. As I studied today I was struck yet again at how we as believers, the Church--the body of Christ and the world in general have come full circle since it started. Of course it makes sense that would happen at the end of an age, and I see this as yet another sure sign that the rapture is indeed very close. I've only studied about the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, and Thyatira so far today but even that is more then enough to show how much like them we've become today.

There's a lot about false teachers from within the church itself leading the people astray, and as we know that is certainly very true today! What's more amazing is that the things these false teachers taught is the same that's being taught today; it just has a different name now.

Today pastors preach for monetary gain because they're greedy and con people out of their hard earned money. They teach that God wants you to be wealthy and of course the first thing you have to do to be wealthy is give them your money. If this wasn't done under the guise of religion, they'd be locked up instantly as con artists and no one would believe them! God says they're just like Balaam and makes it clear that they will be judged as will their followers.

Today they teach people that immorality is perfectly ok, that you're still saved even though you practice it regularly and that there's no need to repent of it. Makes me think of the many threads in the Today's Teacher's forum about today's pastors doing sermons and writing books about sex and having disgusting public displays to promote it. It reminds me of the homosexual pastors teaching that homosexuality is perfectly normal and ok.

Balaam also got the Israelites to start eating food sacrificed to idols by getting them to marry aliens and accept their customs. When the Jews did that, they became tolerant of sin and began doing it themselves, because "it wasn't a big deal after all". So it is today as well. I don't know how many pastors we've posted about that claim we're to be tolerant of evil and sin and that it's even ok to do it ourselves at least to a certain extent, after all, just like the Jew's thought before God killed 24,000 of them because of it, they were just being "good neighbors" and that's what the false teachers tell us today.

The false teachers told them it was perfectly ok to light incense, affirming your loyalty to Caesar, after all, we're supposed to obey the government and we really don't worship Caesar, we worship God; it's not an actual lie because we're not actually saying that we think Caesar is a god...and God wouldn't want us to lose our jobs and not be able to work anywhere and go hungry would He? What purpose would that serve? God wants us to be able to worship Him and give money for the poor but we can't do that if we're the poor ones...and that's assuming they don't kill us for not doing it! Sound familiar to you? It sure does to me! I can't even begin to count how much as been posted here about pastors who teach that today.

In Thyatira, the Lord commends those who have not fallen for the false teachers and tells us something important about those teachers too. He says they teach the "so called" deep secrets of Satan. To me that says these teachers hooked people into what they taught by telling them that they would learn the "deep secrets about God" which is what the Gnostics taught then and still teach today. On the other hand, God tells us that everything we need to know is in His Word and that if we're obedient He will reveal His secrets to us. We don't need to go anywhere else, join any organization or listen to any teacher to learn them. The Lord tells us Himself, quite freely in His Word if we will but study it with Him.

Another similarity hit me hard too and that's was about Pergamum. That's where the great medical school was and it's symbol is still used today for doctors and hospitals: It's the symbol of a snake curled around a staff. The snake is also a symbol for Satan but it was used there for the god of healing, Asklepios. What struck me about it was that then medicine was mixed in with a lot of superstition and the superstition was all centered around the false gods which we know were and are demons. Medicine eventually cleaned up it's act, thanks in large part to God and Christianity, but today it is once again become greatly mixed with superstition surrounding the demons still worshiped by eastern religions. Those "superstitions" have gone from being consider cultist and on the outside of real medicine to being fully accepted by the medical field today.

Like I said though, God wasn't happy about it then, and He most certainly isn't happy about it now either. Another thing that struck me as interesting was the way God said He would destroy the false prophetess and her followers. He said He would give them a bed of sickness and kill them. The word used actually means "pestilence" and is also translated as "plague" in some verses. God said He wasn't going to wait to judge this particular false teacher and her followers, that it would happen soon if they didn't repent. From what we know of history, they obviously didn't repent because the city is no longer there. God indeed removed their lampstand. The point I'm getting at though is that we are seeing this again now too. It reminds me of Aides right off the bat as well as other things that even now the doctors are beginning to call a plague--like that skin eating disease or the super infections etc.

So today like in Ephesus we have people who are zealous for the Truth and doctrine but who don't have a close relationship with Christ; they've lost their first love. Like Pergamum and Thyatira, we have people who have plenty of love for Christ, but have no discernment and so go along with and are tolerant of evil. Thankfully we also have people like those in Smyrna who love the Lord and His Word, know it well and stand up for the Truth, even though it means suffering for them here and now. And last but not least, we have the Lord's assurance that He is in control and that He is coming soon! Because things have so very obviously come around full circle, it tells me that the rapture cannot be very far away!

(originally written over a year ago)