Revelation 2:11 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches;
And by the way, that is a command. Even Jesus, when He used it in the Parable of the Sower, He says he that has ears to hear, let him hear. That's a command for people who have the heart to hear and want to listen. It's a command for them to hear.
The exhortation for the church:
He that overcometh, and again, that's not a challenge. It's a Present Participle. To the one who is overcoming, shall not be hurt of the second death. Later on, in the book of Revelation, we will learn that there is a death called the second death which is when people are cast into the lake of fire. That is the second death because all non-believers who have died are going to stand before the judgment of God, and they will be sent into the lake of fire.
There's an old saying that says "A believer is born twice but dies once!" I'm born physically, and I'm born spiritually. I will die once, and then I will live with Christ throughout eternity. A non-believer is born once but dies twice. They're born physically; that's it! They die physically, and then they have to stand before the throne of God and experience what the bible calls the second death.
Here, the promise is to the one who is overcoming, shall not be hurt of the second death.
Revelation 2:19 - I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
I know your works, and love. That's AGAPE, and your service, DIAKANOS, which is where we get our word Deacon from. And your faith, and your patience, which is the word endurance. And your works; the last more than the first.
They were a progressive church. They were busy laboring and working more at this point than at the beginning.
Revelation 2:23 - And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
As we read through the book of Revelation, we will find the great harlot who is an emblem of the false religious church, which has a woman as the head who seduces people into her beliefs.
Revelation 2:24 - But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
But I say unto you, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak;
One of the doctrines of Jezebel was "How do you know what sin is unless you experience it?" They put great emphasis on going out and committing sin, so you know what it is. And she says there's no harm in that because God will forgive us.
So as many as have this doctrine, and have not known the depths of Satan, as they say; I will put upon you no other burden.
I would like to touch on a couple of things in verses 14 and 15.
Revelation 2:14-15.
But I have a few things against thee, BECAUSE THOU HAST THERE THEM that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
SO HAST THOU ALSO THEM that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
It seems the deeds of the Nicolaitanes has progressed to doctrine.
But the what I would also like to point out is that the Lord is contending with them because because of "some" of them within the group holds these doctrines.
He says "BECAUSE THOU HAST THERE THEM that hold the doctrine of Balaam, and "SO HAST THOU ALSO THEM that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
It seems that the Lord upset that they were allowing or suffering these false doctrines to coexist along with the truth!
Likewise to the Church of Thyatira Vs 20.
"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, (BECAUSE THOU SUFFEREST THAT WOMAN JEZEBEL, WHICH CALLETH HERSELF A PROPHETESS, TO TEACH AND TO SEDUCE MY SERVANTS) to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
It seems that they are expected to do something about it but they are allowing it!
Thanks for bringing up those verses as I sort of skipped over those ones. Concerning the Nicolaitans, the Lord pointed out those who were in a position of leadership that were Lording or ruling over the flock, and that's what He says He hates. This, they should have taken heed to but continued to hold on to their authoritative ways instead of recognizing Christ as being the only authority and head over the church.
They had these two doctrines, the doctrine of Balaam, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. What is interesting about the doctrine of Balaam, is that it is referring to when someone puts a stumblingblock in front of God's people for either monetary or worldly purposes.
What happened was Balac, the king of Moab, he came to Balaam because Balaam was a prophet. And he said would you put a curse on this group of people that are heading our way because we've heard about them.
This is the children of Israel, so would you put a curse on them? We know that eventually Balaam had to come and say you can't put a curse on them because they're blessed by God. But I'll tell you what you can do. You can bring God's judgment on them if you send the Moabite women out to seduce them and cause them to commit sexual immorality. For that, God will judge them.
And so that's exactly what he did. Balaam gave him council as to what to do. Balaam says I can't do anything because God has blessed these people. And the reason why he did it was because he wanted the money that was offered to him to put a curse on the children of Israel.
So Balac gave him some money. And he emerged as a false prophet, and he wanted to do things for money. I think we have some of that going on in our day also!
So, a stumblingblock was cast before the children of Israel to get them to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. And also, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which again, is lording it over the people, which thing the Lord hates.
In Verse 20, we see the correction to the church in Thyatira. Some key verses to go along with Revelation 2:20 would be 1 Kings 16:30-32; 21:25-26; 2 Kings 8:18; Isaiah 47:10; and Nahum 3:4-5.
King Ahab fell to the seductions of Jezebel, and she got him to convert the various places of worship over to pagan worship.
She had 850 prophets available to her at any time. And she seduced the people to join her little private religious movement to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
We know from Verse 21 that she was given the opportunity to repent but did not repent.
So, were they expected to do something about it? My thoughts are that if the Lord had something against their church, they had better take heed and get themselves in line!
I've tried to retrieve any lessons that I may have missed while on vacation to no avail!
The discussion page that I normally pull them from apparently can only hold so many replies! It seems your many rebuttals outnumbered your posts! Your posts have been pushed off the pages.
I'm missing Revelation part 29-36. I have parts 37 - 45. Can you please post the links to those missing pages?
Revelation 9:5 - And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
It says, and to them it was given. So, it's still limitations and direction from God. And it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: It is interesting that 5 months is the lifespan of a locust, from May through September.
They should not kill them, but they should torment them for five months. And their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man. So, this is a locust striking a man like a scorpion. Some might say this is kind of harsh. Why not just have the locusts kill them? Why torment them? It's almost like God is playing games and wants to really cause pain for people.
But look at Verse 6:
Revelation 9:6 - And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
They can't die. They can't kill themselves. So, for five months they are tormented. It sounds pretty intense!
Revelation 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
This verse gives us the description of these locusts. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle. So, we don't have regular locusts here. And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
Revelation 9:8 - And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
And they had hair as the hair of women. Joel also saw these very creatures ( Joel 1:2-12). And their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
I should be finished up here soon and ready to post another section, hopefully within the next hour or so. We have our grandkids with us for the weekend so it's been quite busy as you can imagine. Right now, they are watching a movie which gives me an opportunity to work some more on Revelation. I hope you had a great Alaskan vacation!
I had a chance to fellowship with a brother while on the ship!
We both was on deck 5am reading, so after the second day I approached him and asked what he was reading.
He said he is a pastor of a Church and was reading a book titled, "The Doctrines that Divide" on the cover it reads, A fresh look at the Historical Doctrines that separate the Church! By Erwin W Lutzer.
We fellowshipped and went over the scripture and discussed several Doctrines over the next few days!
Revelation 9:2 - And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke from out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace;
And I alerted you already to these little words "as," and "like." Remember, John is giving us what is familiar with the human, in symbolic language what he's looking at in the spirit realm. Notice it says the smoke came out "as" of a great furnace. He didn't see a furnace. But this smoke coming up from out of the abyss reminded him of the smoke coming out of a furnace.
And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. The people in L.A. rejoiced several years ago when they said that for the first time in many years, the smog situation in L.A. is better air than it's been in years. Well, I got news for them. Smoke is coming!
And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke from out of the pit. So, you can no longer see the entrance anymore. All you can see is smoke billowing out of this pit.
Revelation 9:4 - And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
And it was commanded them (these locusts), that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; And that is their natural food. So, these are not normal locusts. Don't eat the grass, or the vegetation, or the trees, but hurt only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
So, it's interesting that these are demonic forces, and even they are limited. They can't touch the 144,000 who are sealed here upon the earth, but only the people that do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
So here is this star who had fallen from his position from heaven. And it is interesting that in Luke Chapter 10, when the Lord sent out His disciples and gave them authority over demons, and the ability to heal, and for people to be saved and freed from Satan, that when the disciples came back, they rejoiced over the fact that the demons were subject to them.
And it's just like what people do today, "Boy, the power of the Holy Spirit really got Satan down today!" But Jesus said don't rejoice over that, but rejoice over the fact that your names are written in heaven, salvation!
But he says I saw Satan falling like lightning out of heaven. So, what he saw in the spirit realm was the spiritual victory that these disciples had over Satan in freeing these people from Satan. So, this is a star which had fallen already unto the earth, already here! And at this time, he's given the key to the abyss. Abyss just means bottomless pit. It is a long shaft that goes down into the heart of the earth with no bottom, at least from the viewpoint of the earth.
Now when we get to Revelation Chapter 12, we will see that Satan still has access to the throne of God. But he is not omnipresent. He is before the throne of God, and Revelation Chapter 12 is going to tell us that he accuses the brethren day and night before the throne of God.
And you can see what actually takes place between him and God before the throne in Job Chapters 1 and 2. Satan came and accused Job to God and said let me at him. Satan was trying to show that Job really didn't love God, except for the fact that God blessed him with material things. So, God gave him permission to touch his possessions. In fact, his family, his animals, his land, and then after Job passed that test, Satan asked permission to touch his health. And he lost his health in all of that. But God said you can't touch his soul.
So, it is interesting that Satan can get permission to touch anything about a person's life, except for their soul. It could be the physical body. It could be health. It could be circumstances. It could be possessions, or family members.
And so, Satan lost his position in Isaiah Chapter 14. His final downcast to the earth won't happen until Revelation Chapter 12, when he will be cut off and given no more access to the throne of God to accuse the brethren.
Revelation 9:1 - And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Now when the fifth angel sounded, a star fell. Number 1, in Revelation Chapter 1, we know that the stars represent angels. A star fell from heaven! Secondly, the word fall is in the Perfect Tense. So, he sees a star which has already fallen. He didn't see it as it was falling. He saw a fallen star, a star that had already fallen from out of heaven unto the earth.
And to this angel (this fallen star), was given the key to the bottomless pit. Notice that it was given to him. He did not possess it. He did not have authority over it. We know in Revelation Chapter 1 that Jesus has the keys of Hades and of death. The Lord holds all the keys to all of these places.
Now the bottomless pit is the word abyss, ABUSSO in Greek. And it is interesting because it is believed that around where Babylon used to be, and in fact, it was the place where Saddam Hussein was caught, but they believed that there is a shaft that goes down into the heart of the earth. And this shaft is closed up on the top.
And this would be the place that Peter told us about in 2 Peter 2:4, that there are angels who are reserved in chains of darkness, ready to be revealed. And so, this star who had fallen was given the key to the bottomless pit. And we will see that this star is none other than Satan himself, and that the creatures that will be released from this pit are going to be two-hundred million demons unleashed upon the earth.
But concerning this star who had been fallen, back in Isaiah 14:12-15, we have recorded for us the rebellion of Satan. It is called the "five I wills," where Satan said I will be like the most high, where he expressed his rebellion towards God. And it is at that time that he lost his first domain. He lost his first position with God.
Revelation 7:4 - And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and it was 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel. There are several groups that claim to be part of the 144,000. But these are God's sealed servants which means that they are protected. It says right in the text that the 144,000 are from out of the tribes of the children, or sons of Israel. These are Jews, all 144,000 of them.
Revelation 7:12 - Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Saying, Amen, which means of a truth, of a certainty: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever, and notice that the word be is in italics in your bible.
It's actually a factual statement in the Greek text, (is) unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 8:11 - And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
And the name of the star is called Wormwood (APSINTHOS), which means bitter: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Revelation 6:6 - And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
A measure of wheat for a penny, which is a quart measure, a dry measure of wheat for a DENARIUS, one day's wage. And three measures of barley. Barley was the food of the poor. Barley was the food for the animals. And people would be able to afford three measures of barley instead of one measure of wheat for a DENARIUS.
And see you hurt not the oil and the wine. And this would be the consumption of those who are rich. The antichrist will have control over the world's food supplies, under the breaking of the third seal.
Revelation 6:8 - And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse. This Greek word for pale, CHLOROS, is where we get our word chlorine from, pale horse. And the name of him that sat upon him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth. So of the earth's population will die at the breaking of the fourth seal.
Revelation 6:10 - And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Just as a side note, and I think I've shared this before, but that little phrase "them that dwell upon the earth," it's actually a title. It's called the earth dwellers. All the people who are not Christians are called earth dwellers. As believers, we are citizens of heaven. And then there are the dwellers upon the earth. So, this crowd is saying "How long before you avenge the spilling of our blood?"
Revelation 6:2 - And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
For many years this was interpreted that this was the second coming of Jesus Christ, a white horse coming, the one who's sitting on it is given a crown, and he goes out to conquer, so it was thought to be Jesus Christ.
But this is not the second coming of Christ, but rather the representation of the antichrist, the false messiah who will come.
And here's the reasons why:
It says he comes on a white horse. It's the same as Jesus in Revelation Chapter 19. It's a white horse. But, this one who is sitting on a white horse has a bow. In Revelation Chapter 19, Christ has a sword.
A crown was also given to this one. And the word for crown in this verse is STEPHANOS. That's the wreath that is given to the victors at the coliseum games. This is a STEPHANOS. In Revelation Chapter 19, it says that when Christ comes at His second coming, He will be wearing many crowns, and the word for crown is in Chapter 19 is DIADEM, the royal crown.
And this one will come out conquering and to conquer. And that's the antichrist taking over the one world system.
Also, another point to make, it is the Lamb that's opening the seal. He's not coming back yet, not until we get into Revelation Chapter 19.
So, this one riding on a white horse with a bow in his hand, he was given a crown, a STEPHANOS, not a DIADEM. And he went out to conquer. This is the antichrist. This is the false messiah that Jesus said first would come.
Revelation 5:6 - And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb. The word stood is in the Perfect Tense. A Lamb had been standing, as it had been slain, the appearance of the Lamb.
The word slain doesn't mean killed. It means butchered or slaughtered. We're going to see the marks of crucifixion. In John Chapter 20, after Jesus rose from the dead, you remember the invitation to Thomas who doubted the resurrection story, and Jesus invited him to come and put his finger in the prints in His hands, and to thrust his fist into His side, and to come and see that it is me.
So here we have a Lamb that had been standing there as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. In Daniel Chapter 7, we see that horns represent power and authority. And of course, the eyes, Zechariah tells us that the Messiah has seven eyes ( Zechariah 3:9, 4:10). The word seven means complete. It means that He is in complete authority, and He sees everything fully and completely.
Revelation 4:2 - And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
So immediately, listen to this, I became in spirit:
That's how it literally reads. There's no definite article (the) with it. Immediately I became in spirit. So physically and geographically, he was still on the island of Patmos. But he was caught up in the spirit realm.
And he says behold, a throne was set, or placed in heaven, and one sat upon the throne. So that was the transition going from the seven messages to the seven churches. John is now transferred to heaven that he might see the things that God wants him to see.
Revelation 5:4 - And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
He says, and I wept much. The word wept is in the Imperfect Tense. It shows continuous action. He was weeping convulsively. He saw no hope, even in heaven, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the scroll, neither to look therein. So, he wept.
My further thoughts are that it seems it wasn't all of them in that church that held those doctrines as it's not all that hold them today, but the Lord is condemning them for suffering it.
He says to Pergamos "because thou HAST THERE THEM that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock ect.ect... and So hast thou also THEM that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
and to Thyatira "because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, Now in verse 24 he says But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, AS MANY AS HAVE NOT THIS DOCTRINE, AND WHICH HAVE NOT KNOWN THE DEPTHS OF SATAN, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
By the way I will be on vacation leaving tomorrow for Alaska, I will be periodically sending a short text here and there to store and save your postings to my account until I get back home to save them in my Docs.
It says here, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.
Now, I thought this would be something good to share. There was a movement several years ago where people would go around to the churches and say, "You know that God has a new name for you, and I have the special ministry to know what your new name is!"
And so, people would line up in these churches and some guy would stand up front and each person that came up, he would put his hand on them and tell them what their new name was. He would tell them that throughout eternity, this is what your new name is going to be. Can you imagine somebody having a ministry like that?
God says that the new name that He puts on His people is His name. So, if you read a little further, you'll save some money, plus some heartache. You stand before God and you say "Well, they told me that my names going to be Harry." No, it isn't. You're going to have God's name.
Revelation 2:17 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, again plural.
The exhortation to this church:
To the one who is overcoming, again, this is a Present Participle. It's not a challenge. It's a description. To the one who is overcoming, will I give to eat of the hidden manna. In John Chapter 6, Jesus presented Himself as the hidden manna. The Jews knew about the literal manna in the wilderness. This is the spiritual manna.
And I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except the one who is receiving it. Now the white stone in the Old Testament, in the judicial system, was a sign of not guilty, or innocent. In Luke Chapter 1, they used the same system. You remember Elisabeth and Zacharias; the lot fell on Zacharias to burn incense in the temple.
What they did is they took what looked like dark marbles, but one of them was white. And out of the thousands of priests that were in Jerusalem at the time, you would only serve two one-week sessions. And so, all the priests would gather around this bag and draw the marbles out, and the one who drew the white marble got to burn the incense before the altar. And a priest would be fortunate if he got to do it once in his lifetime. And of course, Zacharias, in Luke Chapter 1, he chose that white stone.
Revelation 2:12 - And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
Here is just some "gee-whiz" information I would like to share. We saw this back in Verse 16 of Chapter 1, and we'll see it again at His second coming. This is the large Thracian Sword that is used for cutting off the heads of opposing armies as the last event of winning a war. It was a common practice at the end of each war to take the opposing general and have his head cut off by this huge sword. You had to hold it with two hands because it was so big, and it was sharp on both edges.
Revelation 2:13 - I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
He says I know your works, and I know where you dwell, even where Satan's seat is. You see, Pergamos was the great religious seat of the old Babylonian system.
And that you hold firm my name. That was very important back then. When they came through and asked everyone who's Lord, Caesar or Jesus? And as a Christian, if you said Jesus, your life was taken, and if you said Caesar, you were spared. But they said we hold firm to the Lord's name, even in the midst of this headquarters of the old Babylonian system.
And you have not denied my faith. Notice what it says. It's in the Possessive Pronoun. The Lord says it's my faith. That's the Lord speaking. You have not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas, and we know nothing about him, other than then fact that he died a martyr's death.
Wherein Antipas, was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.
Revelation 2:11 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches;
And by the way, that is a command. Even Jesus, when He used it in the Parable of the Sower, He says he that has ears to hear, let him hear. That's a command for people who have the heart to hear and want to listen. It's a command for them to hear.
The exhortation for the church:
He that overcometh, and again, that's not a challenge. It's a Present Participle. To the one who is overcoming, shall not be hurt of the second death. Later on, in the book of Revelation, we will learn that there is a death called the second death which is when people are cast into the lake of fire. That is the second death because all non-believers who have died are going to stand before the judgment of God, and they will be sent into the lake of fire.
There's an old saying that says "A believer is born twice but dies once!" I'm born physically, and I'm born spiritually. I will die once, and then I will live with Christ throughout eternity. A non-believer is born once but dies twice. They're born physically; that's it! They die physically, and then they have to stand before the throne of God and experience what the bible calls the second death.
Here, the promise is to the one who is overcoming, shall not be hurt of the second death.
Revelation 2:19 - I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
I know your works, and love. That's AGAPE, and your service, DIAKANOS, which is where we get our word Deacon from. And your faith, and your patience, which is the word endurance. And your works; the last more than the first.
They were a progressive church. They were busy laboring and working more at this point than at the beginning.
Revelation 2:23 - And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
As we read through the book of Revelation, we will find the great harlot who is an emblem of the false religious church, which has a woman as the head who seduces people into her beliefs.
Revelation 2:24 - But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
But I say unto you, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak;
One of the doctrines of Jezebel was "How do you know what sin is unless you experience it?" They put great emphasis on going out and committing sin, so you know what it is. And she says there's no harm in that because God will forgive us.
So as many as have this doctrine, and have not known the depths of Satan, as they say; I will put upon you no other burden.
The letter to Pergamos
I would like to touch on a couple of things in verses 14 and 15.
Revelation 2:14-15.
But I have a few things against thee, BECAUSE THOU HAST THERE THEM that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
SO HAST THOU ALSO THEM that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
It seems the deeds of the Nicolaitanes has progressed to doctrine.
But the what I would also like to point out is that the Lord is contending with them because because of "some" of them within the group holds these doctrines.
He says "BECAUSE THOU HAST THERE THEM that hold the doctrine of Balaam, and "SO HAST THOU ALSO THEM that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
It seems that the Lord upset that they were allowing or suffering these false doctrines to coexist along with the truth!
Likewise to the Church of Thyatira Vs 20.
"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, (BECAUSE THOU SUFFEREST THAT WOMAN JEZEBEL, WHICH CALLETH HERSELF A PROPHETESS, TO TEACH AND TO SEDUCE MY SERVANTS) to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
It seems that they are expected to do something about it but they are allowing it!
What do you think?
Blessings.
Part 1:
Thanks for bringing up those verses as I sort of skipped over those ones. Concerning the Nicolaitans, the Lord pointed out those who were in a position of leadership that were Lording or ruling over the flock, and that's what He says He hates. This, they should have taken heed to but continued to hold on to their authoritative ways instead of recognizing Christ as being the only authority and head over the church.
They had these two doctrines, the doctrine of Balaam, and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. What is interesting about the doctrine of Balaam, is that it is referring to when someone puts a stumblingblock in front of God's people for either monetary or worldly purposes.
What happened was Balac, the king of Moab, he came to Balaam because Balaam was a prophet. And he said would you put a curse on this group of people that are heading our way because we've heard about them.
This is the children of Israel, so would you put a curse on them? We know that eventually Balaam had to come and say you can't put a curse on them because they're blessed by God. But I'll tell you what you can do. You can bring God's judgment on them if you send the Moabite women out to seduce them and cause them to commit sexual immorality. For that, God will judge them.
And so that's exactly what he did. Balaam gave him council as to what to do. Balaam says I can't do anything because God has blessed these people. And the reason why he did it was because he wanted the money that was offered to him to put a curse on the children of Israel.
So Balac gave him some money. And he emerged as a false prophet, and he wanted to do things for money. I think we have some of that going on in our day also!
So, a stumblingblock was cast before the children of Israel to get them to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. And also, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which again, is lording it over the people, which thing the Lord hates.
In Verse 20, we see the correction to the church in Thyatira. Some key verses to go along with Revelation 2:20 would be 1 Kings 16:30-32; 21:25-26; 2 Kings 8:18; Isaiah 47:10; and Nahum 3:4-5.
King Ahab fell to the seductions of Jezebel, and she got him to convert the various places of worship over to pagan worship.
She had 850 prophets available to her at any time. And she seduced the people to join her little private religious movement to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
We know from Verse 21 that she was given the opportunity to repent but did not repent.
So, were they expected to do something about it? My thoughts are that if the Lord had something against their church, they had better take heed and get themselves in line!
Again, thanks for bringing in those verses.
God Bless!!!
They/We allowed these doctrines to creep in.
Blessings
If there's any of the studies you miss, just let me know when you get back and I will be happy to re-post!
Safe travels!
I've tried to retrieve any lessons that I may have missed while on vacation to no avail!
The discussion page that I normally pull them from apparently can only hold so many replies! It seems your many rebuttals outnumbered your posts! Your posts have been pushed off the pages.
I'm missing Revelation part 29-36. I have parts 37 - 45. Can you please post the links to those missing pages?
Thanks, and God bless.
Revelation 9:5 - And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.
It says, and to them it was given. So, it's still limitations and direction from God. And it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: It is interesting that 5 months is the lifespan of a locust, from May through September.
They should not kill them, but they should torment them for five months. And their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he strikes a man. So, this is a locust striking a man like a scorpion. Some might say this is kind of harsh. Why not just have the locusts kill them? Why torment them? It's almost like God is playing games and wants to really cause pain for people.
But look at Verse 6:
Revelation 9:6 - And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.
They can't die. They can't kill themselves. So, for five months they are tormented. It sounds pretty intense!
Revelation 9:7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
This verse gives us the description of these locusts. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle. So, we don't have regular locusts here. And on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.
Revelation 9:8 - And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
And they had hair as the hair of women. Joel also saw these very creatures ( Joel 1:2-12). And their teeth were as the teeth of lions.
I'm all caught up! As you can see, these are well appreciated and dear to me.
God bless you.
I should be finished up here soon and ready to post another section, hopefully within the next hour or so. We have our grandkids with us for the weekend so it's been quite busy as you can imagine. Right now, they are watching a movie which gives me an opportunity to work some more on Revelation. I hope you had a great Alaskan vacation!
Blessings!
I had a chance to fellowship with a brother while on the ship!
We both was on deck 5am reading, so after the second day I approached him and asked what he was reading.
He said he is a pastor of a Church and was reading a book titled, "The Doctrines that Divide" on the cover it reads, A fresh look at the Historical Doctrines that separate the Church! By Erwin W Lutzer.
We fellowshipped and went over the scripture and discussed several Doctrines over the next few days!
BOY, WAS I GLAD WE SHARRED THE SAME VIEWS!! LOL
I'm off to bed Brother Jesse.
I'm tired and have to get back on my schedule.
Normally I'm already asleep by now.
Thanks again Brother.
So glad that your trip went well and especially that God brought about this meeting and fellowship with this pastor.
Revelation 9:2 - And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.
And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke from out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace;
And I alerted you already to these little words "as," and "like." Remember, John is giving us what is familiar with the human, in symbolic language what he's looking at in the spirit realm. Notice it says the smoke came out "as" of a great furnace. He didn't see a furnace. But this smoke coming up from out of the abyss reminded him of the smoke coming out of a furnace.
And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. The people in L.A. rejoiced several years ago when they said that for the first time in many years, the smog situation in L.A. is better air than it's been in years. Well, I got news for them. Smoke is coming!
And the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke from out of the pit. So, you can no longer see the entrance anymore. All you can see is smoke billowing out of this pit.
Revelation 9:4 - And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
And it was commanded them (these locusts), that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; And that is their natural food. So, these are not normal locusts. Don't eat the grass, or the vegetation, or the trees, but hurt only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
So, it's interesting that these are demonic forces, and even they are limited. They can't touch the 144,000 who are sealed here upon the earth, but only the people that do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.
Revelation 9:1 Continued
So here is this star who had fallen from his position from heaven. And it is interesting that in Luke Chapter 10, when the Lord sent out His disciples and gave them authority over demons, and the ability to heal, and for people to be saved and freed from Satan, that when the disciples came back, they rejoiced over the fact that the demons were subject to them.
And it's just like what people do today, "Boy, the power of the Holy Spirit really got Satan down today!" But Jesus said don't rejoice over that, but rejoice over the fact that your names are written in heaven, salvation!
But he says I saw Satan falling like lightning out of heaven. So, what he saw in the spirit realm was the spiritual victory that these disciples had over Satan in freeing these people from Satan. So, this is a star which had fallen already unto the earth, already here! And at this time, he's given the key to the abyss. Abyss just means bottomless pit. It is a long shaft that goes down into the heart of the earth with no bottom, at least from the viewpoint of the earth.
Revelation 9:1 Continued
Now when we get to Revelation Chapter 12, we will see that Satan still has access to the throne of God. But he is not omnipresent. He is before the throne of God, and Revelation Chapter 12 is going to tell us that he accuses the brethren day and night before the throne of God.
And you can see what actually takes place between him and God before the throne in Job Chapters 1 and 2. Satan came and accused Job to God and said let me at him. Satan was trying to show that Job really didn't love God, except for the fact that God blessed him with material things. So, God gave him permission to touch his possessions. In fact, his family, his animals, his land, and then after Job passed that test, Satan asked permission to touch his health. And he lost his health in all of that. But God said you can't touch his soul.
So, it is interesting that Satan can get permission to touch anything about a person's life, except for their soul. It could be the physical body. It could be health. It could be circumstances. It could be possessions, or family members.
And so, Satan lost his position in Isaiah Chapter 14. His final downcast to the earth won't happen until Revelation Chapter 12, when he will be cut off and given no more access to the throne of God to accuse the brethren.
Revelation 9:1 - And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Now when the fifth angel sounded, a star fell. Number 1, in Revelation Chapter 1, we know that the stars represent angels. A star fell from heaven! Secondly, the word fall is in the Perfect Tense. So, he sees a star which has already fallen. He didn't see it as it was falling. He saw a fallen star, a star that had already fallen from out of heaven unto the earth.
And to this angel (this fallen star), was given the key to the bottomless pit. Notice that it was given to him. He did not possess it. He did not have authority over it. We know in Revelation Chapter 1 that Jesus has the keys of Hades and of death. The Lord holds all the keys to all of these places.
Now the bottomless pit is the word abyss, ABUSSO in Greek. And it is interesting because it is believed that around where Babylon used to be, and in fact, it was the place where Saddam Hussein was caught, but they believed that there is a shaft that goes down into the heart of the earth. And this shaft is closed up on the top.
And this would be the place that Peter told us about in 2 Peter 2:4, that there are angels who are reserved in chains of darkness, ready to be revealed. And so, this star who had fallen was given the key to the bottomless pit. And we will see that this star is none other than Satan himself, and that the creatures that will be released from this pit are going to be two-hundred million demons unleashed upon the earth.
But concerning this star who had been fallen, back in Isaiah 14:12-15, we have recorded for us the rebellion of Satan. It is called the "five I wills," where Satan said I will be like the most high, where he expressed his rebellion towards God. And it is at that time that he lost his first domain. He lost his first position with God.
Revelation 7:4 - And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and it was 144,000 of all the tribes of the children of Israel. There are several groups that claim to be part of the 144,000. But these are God's sealed servants which means that they are protected. It says right in the text that the 144,000 are from out of the tribes of the children, or sons of Israel. These are Jews, all 144,000 of them.
Revelation 7:12 - Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Saying, Amen, which means of a truth, of a certainty: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever, and notice that the word be is in italics in your bible.
It's actually a factual statement in the Greek text, (is) unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 8:11 - And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
And the name of the star is called Wormwood (APSINTHOS), which means bitter: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
Revelation 6:6 - And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
A measure of wheat for a penny, which is a quart measure, a dry measure of wheat for a DENARIUS, one day's wage. And three measures of barley. Barley was the food of the poor. Barley was the food for the animals. And people would be able to afford three measures of barley instead of one measure of wheat for a DENARIUS.
And see you hurt not the oil and the wine. And this would be the consumption of those who are rich. The antichrist will have control over the world's food supplies, under the breaking of the third seal.
Revelation 6:8 - And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
And I looked, and behold a pale horse. This Greek word for pale, CHLOROS, is where we get our word chlorine from, pale horse. And the name of him that sat upon him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth. So of the earth's population will die at the breaking of the fourth seal.
Revelation 6:10 - And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
Just as a side note, and I think I've shared this before, but that little phrase "them that dwell upon the earth," it's actually a title. It's called the earth dwellers. All the people who are not Christians are called earth dwellers. As believers, we are citizens of heaven. And then there are the dwellers upon the earth. So, this crowd is saying "How long before you avenge the spilling of our blood?"
Revelation 6:2 - And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
For many years this was interpreted that this was the second coming of Jesus Christ, a white horse coming, the one who's sitting on it is given a crown, and he goes out to conquer, so it was thought to be Jesus Christ.
But this is not the second coming of Christ, but rather the representation of the antichrist, the false messiah who will come.
And here's the reasons why:
It says he comes on a white horse. It's the same as Jesus in Revelation Chapter 19. It's a white horse. But, this one who is sitting on a white horse has a bow. In Revelation Chapter 19, Christ has a sword.
A crown was also given to this one. And the word for crown in this verse is STEPHANOS. That's the wreath that is given to the victors at the coliseum games. This is a STEPHANOS. In Revelation Chapter 19, it says that when Christ comes at His second coming, He will be wearing many crowns, and the word for crown is in Chapter 19 is DIADEM, the royal crown.
And this one will come out conquering and to conquer. And that's the antichrist taking over the one world system.
Also, another point to make, it is the Lamb that's opening the seal. He's not coming back yet, not until we get into Revelation Chapter 19.
So, this one riding on a white horse with a bow in his hand, he was given a crown, a STEPHANOS, not a DIADEM. And he went out to conquer. This is the antichrist. This is the false messiah that Jesus said first would come.
Revelation 5:6 - And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb. The word stood is in the Perfect Tense. A Lamb had been standing, as it had been slain, the appearance of the Lamb.
The word slain doesn't mean killed. It means butchered or slaughtered. We're going to see the marks of crucifixion. In John Chapter 20, after Jesus rose from the dead, you remember the invitation to Thomas who doubted the resurrection story, and Jesus invited him to come and put his finger in the prints in His hands, and to thrust his fist into His side, and to come and see that it is me.
So here we have a Lamb that had been standing there as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. In Daniel Chapter 7, we see that horns represent power and authority. And of course, the eyes, Zechariah tells us that the Messiah has seven eyes ( Zechariah 3:9, 4:10). The word seven means complete. It means that He is in complete authority, and He sees everything fully and completely.
Revelation 4:2 - And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.
So immediately, listen to this, I became in spirit:
That's how it literally reads. There's no definite article (the) with it. Immediately I became in spirit. So physically and geographically, he was still on the island of Patmos. But he was caught up in the spirit realm.
And he says behold, a throne was set, or placed in heaven, and one sat upon the throne. So that was the transition going from the seven messages to the seven churches. John is now transferred to heaven that he might see the things that God wants him to see.
Revelation 5:4 - And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
He says, and I wept much. The word wept is in the Imperfect Tense. It shows continuous action. He was weeping convulsively. He saw no hope, even in heaven, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the scroll, neither to look therein. So, he wept.
They/We allowed these doctrines to creep in.
Blessings
My further thoughts are that it seems it wasn't all of them in that church that held those doctrines as it's not all that hold them today, but the Lord is condemning them for suffering it.
He says to Pergamos "because thou HAST THERE THEM that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock ect.ect... and So hast thou also THEM that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
and to Thyatira "because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, Now in verse 24 he says But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, AS MANY AS HAVE NOT THIS DOCTRINE, AND WHICH HAVE NOT KNOWN THE DEPTHS OF SATAN, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
By the way I will be on vacation leaving tomorrow for Alaska, I will be periodically sending a short text here and there to store and save your postings to my account until I get back home to save them in my Docs.
Thanks again Brother Jesse.
Blessings.
Revelation 2:17 Continued
It says here, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it.
Now, I thought this would be something good to share. There was a movement several years ago where people would go around to the churches and say, "You know that God has a new name for you, and I have the special ministry to know what your new name is!"
And so, people would line up in these churches and some guy would stand up front and each person that came up, he would put his hand on them and tell them what their new name was. He would tell them that throughout eternity, this is what your new name is going to be. Can you imagine somebody having a ministry like that?
God says that the new name that He puts on His people is His name. So, if you read a little further, you'll save some money, plus some heartache. You stand before God and you say "Well, they told me that my names going to be Harry." No, it isn't. You're going to have God's name.
Revelation 2:17 - He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, again plural.
The exhortation to this church:
To the one who is overcoming, again, this is a Present Participle. It's not a challenge. It's a description. To the one who is overcoming, will I give to eat of the hidden manna. In John Chapter 6, Jesus presented Himself as the hidden manna. The Jews knew about the literal manna in the wilderness. This is the spiritual manna.
And I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except the one who is receiving it. Now the white stone in the Old Testament, in the judicial system, was a sign of not guilty, or innocent. In Luke Chapter 1, they used the same system. You remember Elisabeth and Zacharias; the lot fell on Zacharias to burn incense in the temple.
What they did is they took what looked like dark marbles, but one of them was white. And out of the thousands of priests that were in Jerusalem at the time, you would only serve two one-week sessions. And so, all the priests would gather around this bag and draw the marbles out, and the one who drew the white marble got to burn the incense before the altar. And a priest would be fortunate if he got to do it once in his lifetime. And of course, Zacharias, in Luke Chapter 1, he chose that white stone.
Revelation 2:12 - And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
Here is just some "gee-whiz" information I would like to share. We saw this back in Verse 16 of Chapter 1, and we'll see it again at His second coming. This is the large Thracian Sword that is used for cutting off the heads of opposing armies as the last event of winning a war. It was a common practice at the end of each war to take the opposing general and have his head cut off by this huge sword. You had to hold it with two hands because it was so big, and it was sharp on both edges.
Revelation 2:13 - I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
He says I know your works, and I know where you dwell, even where Satan's seat is. You see, Pergamos was the great religious seat of the old Babylonian system.
And that you hold firm my name. That was very important back then. When they came through and asked everyone who's Lord, Caesar or Jesus? And as a Christian, if you said Jesus, your life was taken, and if you said Caesar, you were spared. But they said we hold firm to the Lord's name, even in the midst of this headquarters of the old Babylonian system.
And you have not denied my faith. Notice what it says. It's in the Possessive Pronoun. The Lord says it's my faith. That's the Lord speaking. You have not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas, and we know nothing about him, other than then fact that he died a martyr's death.
Wherein Antipas, was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.
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