BDS - What Are They Really After?

This post may seem like it is political in nature, but bear with me. I will connect the dots biblically, I promise.

Perhaps you are already familiar with the BDS Movement against Israel.  Or perhaps you have no idea what I am talking about. If not, it is time to unpack this movement so you can understand what is going on today.

BDS stands for Boycott, Divest, and Sanction.  It is merely a continuation of 4000 years of hatred that is inspired by satan himself, who knows his time window for mischief is short.  This time, it is wrapped in "justice for Palestine" packaging, but when it is seen for what it is, you can see that there is nothing new under the sun.

The early boycott movement began before Israel was a nation, when the Arab League voted on December 2, 1945, to boycott Zionist goods in the British Mandate of Palestine.  When Israel became a legal nation in 1948, the Arab League broadened the boycott to include all companies throughout the world that do business with Israel, as well as their business partners. 

The objective was to isolate the Jewish state from the international community, as well as to inflict economic harm.

Drats.  It didn't work, as Israel became one of the most successful and prosperous nations in the world, despite being the size of a postage stamp and being surrounded by hostile enemies.  

In 2001, a new approach was begun by those who wished to destroy Israel as a nation.  Trying to legitimize their boycott, they adopted human rights language and falsely accused Israel of "ethnic cleansing" and "apartheid."  

Let's just stop right there and look at several facts.

• Arabs living in Israel with full citizenship:  about 1,500,000.  
• Jews living with full citizenship (or no citizenship) in Jordan (formerly 77% of Palestine): 0. 
• Jews living in Saudi Arabia:  0.  (They are not even allowed in)
• Jews living in Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Iraq, Iran, etc:  Maybe a handful.

After Israel became a nation, Jews that were living in these various Middle Eastern countries had to flee due to persecution, many with just the clothes on their backs.  The postage-stamp-sized country of Israel took them in and gave them citizenship.

Who cleansed who?  Who really practices apartheid?   SMH.   (That means Shakes My Head, in case you are like me and didn't know what it meant until I asked my children).

The BDS movement picked up steam in 2005 when a group of Arab Palestinian organizations formed a coalition (ironically, the same year that Israel vacated Gaza, which did NOT lead to peace but to the launching of many rockets into Israel and two wars).

Here are the stated goals and objectives of the BDS movement against Israel:

1. Ending its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantling the Wall
2. Recognizing the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality
3. Respecting, protecting and promoting the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.

Well, number 2 has already happened.  See above... remember the 1,500,000?  Some of them are members of the Knesset and one is even a judge on Israel's Supreme Court.

Numbers 1 and 3 have nothing to do with land or justice and everything to do with wiping out the Nation of Israel.  

Regarding number 1:  God gave Israel this land as an everlasting possession (Genesis 17:7).  It is only right that Israel should "occupy" their God-given land.  The wall was erected as a protective measure, after the second Arab Intifada (uprising) in the early 2000s.  It cut down on the suicide bombers by at least 90 percent.  I travel frequently through Tijuana and see a similar wall to the one I saw in Bethlehem.  Nobody accuses Mexico or the United States as being "apartheid."  Also, that little blurb in number 1 about "All Arab lands"?  They don't just mean "the West Bank and Gaza." When you hear them at the rallies chanting "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" they are referring to the Jordan River and the Mediterranean sea.  They mean all of Israel.

Regarding number 3:  The Arabs would have you believe that Resolution 194 is simply a call for the return to Israel by the Palestinian Arab people who fled when the surrounding Arab leadership initiated the war against Israel.  It's not.  Out of the 15 paragraphs of Resolution 194, only one paragraph dealt with the return of refugees.  One of the stipulations of that paragraph stated that the returning refugees be willing to live in peace with their neighbors.  There are numerous things that are very interesting to note about Number 3:

• Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen all voted against Resolution 194. 
• Israel is not mentioned at all by name in resolution 194.
• There is no call for justice for the many Jewish refugees that were forced to flee Middle Eastern countries after 1948. 
• No Arab country will offer citizenship to the Palestinian Arabs that were displaced by the war.
• 50,000 displaced Palestinian Arabs HAVE returned to Israel and gained citizenship.
• When they mean "refugee right of return" they do not mean the original 500,000-700,000 people who fled during the War of Independence.  They mean the 5 million descendants of them as well.  Goodbye Jewish demographic.

Moving on... Do you know about the BDS-sponsored Israeli Apartheid Week in colleges and universities?  In its own words, "Israeli Apartheid Week  (IAW) is an international series of events that seeks to raise awareness about Israel's apartheid policies towards the Palestinians and to build support for the growing Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign."

So there you have it.  This campaign takes place annually in Feb/March at colleges and universities across the US, Canada, Britain, South Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.  They bring in speakers and have all sorts of events and rallies that try to delegitimize the nation of Israel.

One of the saddest things about this insidious BDS malarkey is that CHURCHES have believed this nonsense and jumped on board.  Some of the churches that have voted to boycott Israel are Presbyterian USA, Church of Scotland, the worldwide United Methodist Churches, and most recently, the United Church of Christ.  In addition, many para-church organizations have jumped on board as well.

Do they not understand Genesis 12:3?  Isaiah 40:1?  The heart of our Lord in Matthew 23:39 as He WEPT over Jerusalem and His brethren?

So how does this connect to the Bible?  I alluded to it earlier when I said that satan knows his time is short (Revelation 12:12).  He has been trying to destroy the Jewish people since they became a nation thousands of years ago in Egypt. 

Revelation 12:17 gives us a little insight as to satan's order of attack (which incidentally parallels God's order of things... to the Jew first):  

And the dragon was enraged with the woman (Israel), and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  (That's us).  

Satan hates it that he just can't seem to win against Israel. 

In Revelation 3, the church at Philadelphia, the sixth of the seven churches, was commended for its faithfulness and was promised protection within the sphere of danger.  Maybe this is a stretch, but could that prophetic church example be connected to the sheep in Matthew 25, who blessed "the least of these my brethren?"  Brethren in Greek is adelphos, and literally means close kinsmen.  Philadelphia means loving the brethren.  Could this be why very few churches are actively blessing Israel and most are turning away from them... because it was prophesied in Revelation? One church in seven loving the brethren??

Psalm 83 gives us further insight into the motives of Israel's enemies.  It really isn't about land, or justice, or "apartheid."  It's about hatred.

You can read the Psalm on your own and see for yourselves the long list of Israel's surrounding enemies, but let me highlight two verses. 

Verse 4:  They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,

That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

Verse 12 (in referring to punishment for Israel's enemies)  Who said, “Let us take for ourselves
The pastures of God for a possession.”

Do you wish to stand firmly with Israel?  We need a BDS alternative!

How about this:  Bless, Defend, and Support!

Love the Lord Your God With All You've Got

What is the greatest commandment?

Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  This is part of the Hebrew shema... Hear O Israel!

The gospels add yet another word:  mind.  (See Mark 12:30).  The Greek word is dianoia, which means understanding. 

Both of these covenants are telling us to love our God with everything we've got.  I find it interesting that the new covenant adds the idea of understanding.  Knowing that salvation would be offered to the Gentiles, and that many movements and denominations within the faith would arise, God has given us provision to love Him to the best of our ability within the realm that He has placed us. 

But that does not mean, stop studying.  He gave us His word so that we can gain greater understanding as we learn more and more about Him, thereby enabling us to love Him more and more as our understanding increases!

Mark 12:31 continues and says the second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves.  I just love what the scribe says to Yeshua after that in verses 32 and 33:  So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.  And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

I have been studying the letter to the congregation at Ephesus in Revelation 2.  The congregation was commended for its commitment to truth, and for doing good works.  It also hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans (nico means ruler and laitans means people - they didn't allow their leadership to be controlling of the people).  The rebuke they received was that they had lost their first love and were told to return to the first works.

What does this mean?  In today's terms, Ephesus had great church programs, and were busy, busy, busy.  Awesome Youth Group.  Divorce Recovery Group.  Senior Citizens Fellowship.  Women's Ministry.  Men's Ministry.  Awana.  Amazing Music and Drama Teams.  But the time they spent worshipping at the feet of Yeshua was, um, lackluster.  Too busy for that!  They had flip-flopped the greatest two commandments, serving the needs of the people first and giving God whatever was left (if there even were any leftovers).

Now, there is nothing wrong with all those programs.  People have needs, and it's great that there are ministries that can help.  BUT, unless it is done in the proper order as set forth in the Word, it will fail.  What happened at Ephesus?  The Romans came and cut down all their trees.  Erosion caused Ephesus to turn into a desolate place - their lampstand was removed.  A congregation can learn a lot from this:  Put God first, and all the loving-your-neighbor business will follow naturally.

Don't we pray this way too sometimes?  We approach God with our laundry list of things we or others need, instead of simply lavishing Him with praise and adoration. 

Matthew 6:9 gives us our model:  Our Father in heaven,  hallowed (Holy, set apart) be Your name!  Your kingdom come, Your will be done...

The Letter to the Congregation at Laodicea

The final letter to the seven churches is to Laodicea.

And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:  “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.  Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—  I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.  
  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

The word Laodicea means customs or judgements of the people. The time represented by this church began in around the 1900s and will continue until the Lord returns.  Remember that there is some of each church present during each time period, but the letters outline the main happenings of each era.

Laodicea was a very wealthy city – famous for gold and banking, located between Colosse (known for its refreshing ice cold water) and Hieropolis (famous for hot springs). The city was also known for its special breed of black sheep, which produced wool for the expensive black fabric that Laodicea was known for.  The city had no defenses – armies would take over and they would succumb to them.  Finally, Laodicea had a medical clinic in the city that was well-known for its eye salve.

Laodicea had no water of its own; it had to be piped in from the neighboring cities and was nasty - lukewarm.  So many commentaries say that this was a lukewarm church, and that God would wish them to be hot or cold instead.  As if being cold in your faith was a good thing?   Both hot and cold in this letter were good and refreshing.These were not passive believers, these were religious unbelievers.  They had not been born again.

It is stressed in the beginning of this letter that He is Faithful and True - unlike the church.  It was a false church, succumbing to the "armies" around it.  It is interesting to note that the creation of God is mentioned.  One of the great heresies of the end-times church denies the creation and promotes evolution instead.  Today's politically correct church does not want to mention the atoning blood of Yeshua as being the only way to God.  Many churches today have succumbed to many other liberal ideas as well - such as the Bible is obsolete, inviting Muslims to prayer meetings (claiming that we serve the same God), ordaining homosexuals (claiming they were born that way, so it's fine), etc.

2 Timothy 3 says:  But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:  For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  having a form of godliness but denying its power

The good news is that God loves the people of Laodicea!  He gives them three appeals.  He says they are poor, naked, wretched, and blind (in the midst of wealth and gold, expensive black clothes, falsehood, and eye salve).  But He loves them and wants to give them a white robe, which represents salvation (Revelation 7).   He knocks at the door.  Notice the picture below - there is no doorknob on the outside.  It must be opened from within.  This church is ruled by people, with God on the outside.

The church of Laodicea will be refined during the end.  It will be a tough time - many will fall away, but others will heed the warning.

In Zechariah 12, God says: 

I will bring the one-third through the fire,
Will refine them as silver is refined,
And test them as gold is tested.
They will call on My name,
And I will answer them.
I will say, ‘This is My people’;
And each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God.

The Letter to the Congregation at Philadelphia

Ahhh, the church at Philadelphia.  Finally!

They, along with Smyrna, did not get a bad report.  And Philadelphia and Smyrna are the only two cities of the seven that still stand today, even though they now have different names.

The modern Turkish city of Alasehir began as Philadelphia. It was established in 189 B.C. by King Eumenes II of Pergamos (197-160 B.C.). Eumenes II named the city for the love of his brother, who would be his successor, Attalus II (159-138 B.C.), whose loyalty earned him the nickname "Philadelphos", literally "one who loves his brother".  Today’s church in Alasehir is underground due to persecution from Islam.

Here is the letter, Rev 3:7-12:

 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:  “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.  Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.  Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.  He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.   

Holy and true - This church upheld that the Messiah is completely holy.  Once can respect someone who is completely holy, and they respected God. They recognized the magnitude of being in a relationship with Someone so completely holy.   He is True. The Greek word means real, genuine, which is the opposite of“religion.” - not a set of rules, or a code, or a god taught by the Romans. 

Key of David – This section is quoted from Isaiah 22, where you can read the account of Shebna.  His authority was taken away and given to Eliakim - the key of David is given to him. Shebna had controlled access to the king.  The key of David represents the Lord opening the way and inviting us into His presence. Shebna means He came near. Eliakim means God will raise up. 

Is 22:22  The key of the house of David
I will lay on his shoulder;
So he shall open, and no one shall shut;
And he shall shut, and no one shall open.       

The open door is an important feature of this letter.  The city of Philadelphia was a gateway city to Asia– it became a missionary center heading into Asia in the first century.  Thus the mention of the open door – the gateway city. 

The main era of history that this church represents is mainly 1800-1900s and probably continuing to the Lord’s return.  Philadelphia replaced a church that was dead with one that is alive.  This is the great missionary movement!  The end of the 1700s saw an explosion of people becoming missionaries… going and sharing the love of Yeshua with the world. Not crusades or inquisitions or state churches. It was motivated by love... love of God and love of people, just like the two greatest commandments tell us.

  

Here are a few examples:  William Carey in 1792 established the Baptist Missionary Society.  This was followed by the London Missionary Society, focusing on the South Pacific and Africa.  Hudson Taylor founded the China Inland Mission in 1865.  Other well-known missionaries of this era were David Livingstone, Amy Carmichael, and Gladys Aylward.

The world was turned upside down by the work of these early missionaries.  Most of the believers before then had been in the west, but today, the church is spreading like wildfire in the 10/40 window of Asia and on the continent of Africa.   The door is closing to outside missionaries in many of these countries, but now indigenous missionaries are being raised up to reach their own people.

Moving on… regarding the synagogue of satan, the church did suffer some persecution from the unbelieving Jewish community there (who eventually became believers, according to writings by Ignatius, pastor of Antioch). 

Isaiah 60:14 gives us a picture: 
Also the sons of those who afflicted you
Shall come bowing to you,
And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate at the soles of your feet;
And they shall call you The City of the LORD,
Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 

Also, remember the letter to Smyrna, regarding those who said they were Jews and were not? The era of the Philadelphia church saw a correction made to Replacement Theology - which is the idea that God is done with Israel and “the church” is the new Israel. People began to rise up and take notice of the scriptures reflecting God’s promises of salvation to Israel. They began “loving the brethren” of Yeshua... the very meaning of the name Philadelphia.

The scriptures go on to say that they have a small amount of strength (the Greek word means power), and they have not denied His name. We all may be asked to deny His name in the near future.  Be ready!

The church at Philadelphia kept His Word – it was a time of restoration of Bible truth.  Truths are still coming forth -spiritual revelations from God.  Nobody talked about end time prophecy before 1948.  Today there are so many learning tools available - lexicons, interlinears, commentaries, Dead Sea Scrolls.  In the era of Sardis (the Reformation), many things were not yet restored.

The church at Philadelphia was promised that they would be kept from the hour of trial facing the whole earth. They will obviously receive protection from something that is bad… could this be special protection during the great tribulation or is it protection from the wrath of God, which follows the great tribulation?  I believe it could be either one.  However,  I do not believe it is a catching away prior to the great tribulation.  Too many scriptures show the presence of believers on earth during this time frame.

Let no man take your crown – Apparently they already had it - had earned it.  Why would the Lord caution them to hold fast to it?  Laodicea is on its way – the lies and deception.  Click here for the last stop in the seven churches series.

The Letter to the congregation at Sardis

The town of Sardis, founded in 2000 BC was one of the greatest and wealthiest cities.  Gold coins were first made there in 600 BC.  The legendary King Midas (everything he touched was gold) was from Sardis.  His mother was the goddess Cybele – who is none other than the Babylonian goddess Semiramis. 

 It sat on a cliff 1000 feet high and was considered unconquerable, so they didn’t guard it.  Cyrus the Persian finally conquered the city, and then it was conquered again 300 years later by Antiochus IV, again, because they didn’t guard it.  The city was great and then became dead.

 I have been trying to figure out what Sardis means, and I just can't seem to find any information on it.

 Here is the letter:

 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.  Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.  You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.   “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Sardis represents the era of the Reformation, which brought the church out of the dark ages.  The Reformation was a major necessary step to correct the corrupt church of the previous age, but the letter says that the work was not perfect (meaning not complete). 

So why is there no good report in Sardis?  The Reformation was a good thing, was it not?  The letter says they had a name - a reputation - that they are alive, but they were dead.  Could it be that the church of Sardis, representing the Reformation church, had to be like a seed that was dropped to the ground to die, before it could be born again?

In a nutshell – what the Reformation started out to do, it stopped way too soon.  To whom much is given, much is required.  Justification by faith was taught, but the Holy Spirit was not.    The church became filled witth people trusting in a name, but were never born again.  The Spirit gives life, and they were dead.

They also did not correct the anti-semitism or the Replacement Theology (the idea that the church has replaced Israel in God's plan) that had been prevalent in the previous church ages.  Too much false doctrine from the Catholic church remained and was not corrected.  Reformationists even began persecuting Anabaptists because they didn’t baptize infants. 

Additionally, they too became state-run churches – Lutheran in Germany – Calvinism in Switzerland, Anglican in England, etc.

Reformation churches in general were trusting in their name and reputation.  I think of the time my children spent in a Lutheran school.  Reformation Sunday was a huge celebration in late October.  I remember being bothered by how much they focused on Martin Luther. It was all about being Lutheran!  Other mainline protestant denominations are similar.  We joined a Methodist church many years ago, before we were even believers, and we were asked to promise to be loyal to the United Methodist Church.  Really?  Even as an unbeliever, that didn't sit well with me.

The city of Sardis was conquered twice by the spirit of false trust, while they were sleeping.  The Lord will come like a thief, lest they watch, similar to how Sardis was conquered.  Today, the Lord may say to the church, "Wake up!"  But we know that the Lord will not come as a thief to the believers - hallelujah! 

And there is hope offered to those few in the dead church, who have not defiled their garments.  They will be clothed in white and walk with Yeshua, who will confess their names before His Father and the angels - and their names will remain in the Book of Life!

Next up: Philadelphia.

The Letter to the Congregation at Thyratira

The letter to the church at Thyratira is the longest, with the longest rebuke.  Another long post.

What has happened in Pergamos is now full-blown.  It represents the dark and middle ages (approx 600 to 1500), and is what happened when Catholicism became the government.

Thyratira means daughter or it can also mean continual sacrifice.  The previous name of the city was Semiramis – the queen of heaven – the original pagan goddess. 

Here is the letter:

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,
‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
27 ‘ He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—
as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.
29 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

This letter begins with a description of the Son of God:  Eyes – like fire.  Feet – fine brass (which doesn’t melt in fire).  This letter is about judgement.  One thing to note:  this church did have some good things said about it, unlike the one to follow.  The church at Thyratira was credited for their love, service, faith patience, and works, which were increasing. 

Thyratira was known for its dyes – purple and scarlet. Tuck that piece of information away for now.

This was a terrible time in church history.  It happened because someone tolerated Jezebel.  There is a spirit of Jezebel which was operating in Thyratira, and they were allowing it to happen. 

Here's the first part of the story:

1 Kings 16

Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. ³¹ And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. ³² Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. ³³ And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

It is Jezebel behind the scene who was running the show.  She came from Phoenicia, which means land of purple – the dye that made it famous. . In Revelation 17, we read about a harlot who is also dressed in purple and scarlet.  Jezebel was the daughter of the king of Phoenicia, and a Baal worshipper  (Baal represents the head honcho of many little gods).  The mother of Baal is Asherah (or Ishtar, or Oestre, or Semiramis – same thing).  This marriage between Ahab and Jezebel was to produce a trade alliance between Israel (Northern kingdom) and Phonecia.

Israel was mixing its holy calling with paganism by forming an alliance with the northern country.   The time of Jezebel was the darkest in Israel, and this letter represents darkest in church history.  Jezzy also killed the prophets (1 Kings 18:13)  She was stopping the Word of God.  And she was murdering, and Ahab allowed it, just as the church in the middle ages was allowing it.

The next part of the story is the account of Elijah on Mt. Carmel, the challenge between Elijah and the prophets of Baal.  He made fun of them, they cut themselves and bled on the altar.  Then Elijah threw water on it.  Verse 21 – And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.  Just like in Thyratira, there was a mixture going on between worship of God and paganism, and they were not choosing.   Elijah called on the Lord, who sent down fire and burned up everything.  He killed all the false prophets and there was revival in Israel. 

Jezebel’s other great sin was in 1 Kings 21 – the vineyard sin.  Ahab wanted to buy Naboth’s vineyard and was told no.  Jezebel plotted to get it for him and usurps the king’s leadership.  She hired two witnesses to testify against him falsely and had him murdered.   In verse 23, God told Ahab that Jezebel was going to get eaten by dogs.  She did.  Read 2 Kings 9 - it's pretty gross.  She was trampled and then eaten by dogs – destroyed like dung, so that none could make a shrine for her. 

Ahab was rotten because he was urged on by his wife.  Believe it or not, Ahab actually repented – so God relented and said that He would visit the judgement on Ahab’s son instead of Ahab.

The vineyard account tells of Jezebel murdering to get land and possessions.   The church of 500 – 1500 murdered and murdered to get land, possessions, and power.

In the late 300s, Emperor Theodosius made church membership mandatory.  The church was made into the image of the Roman Empire and took a nosedive into 1000 years of papal abominations.  It featured outward ceremony and splendor, just like the heathen temples.  In 395, the empire was split into East and West.  Pope Leo I in 440 proclaimed himself Lord of the whole church and exclusive papal authority.  Resistance to his authority meant a "road to hell" and the death penalty for those who disagreed. 

In 742, Charlemagne helped the popes to become world powers.

The “midnight of the dark ages” was full of bribery, simony (the purchase of church office or pardons with money), corruption, fornication, murder, etc.  Here is a sad and horrible list of examples - by no means exhaustive - from 900 to 1500: 

• Pope Innocent declared the doctrine of transubstantiation, ordered two crusades, papal infallibility, condemned the Magna Carta, forbade reading of the bible, and instituted the Inquisition, among other things.
• John the 23^rd was a fornicator, he bought the papal office, and openly denied life after death. 
• Paul II sanctioned the Spanish Inquisition, and he also made the declaration that money would deliver souls from purgatory. 
• Leo X regarded the papal office purely as a source of money.  Under him, Rome massacred multitudes during the Reformation.
• Overall, the church killed more people than the Holocaust did.

Hitler justified his Final Solution by pointing out that the church had oppressed the Jews for centuries.  More than 100 anti-semitic documents were published by the Catholic church.  Hitler was a Catholic in good standing and had hoped at one time to become a priest.  As a child, he attended a Benedictine monastary for a year.  The abbott was involved in the occult and Hitler first encountered the ancient Hindu swastika there. 

The “ratlines’ of the catholic church helped WW2 war criminals - like the SS - escape. 

There exist today many false teachings.  You may not agree with me on this, especially if you are a Catholic, and it is not my purpose to offend.  (I was one until about age 21).  If you believe some of these things, I hope you will prayerfully consider why.

• Infant baptism wipes original sin away and now one can earn one’s way to heaven,
• ,Grace is not available directly by God but through sacraments, Jesus, and finally through Mary, and the worship of images. 
• Rome says there is power in statues and relics to work miracles, and as such they are devoutly worshipped from the pope on down
• Mandatory celibacy of priests

• Mary remaining a virgin her entire life in spite of the scriptures that speak about the siblings of Jesus,
• confession to a priest instead of directly to Jesus,
• Existence of purgatory prior to heaven so that the priest can control the people and make money through indulgences. 
• Transubstantiation - the literal eating of the body and blood of Christ through the daily repeating of the sacrifice, and worshipping the wafer -  the idea that every time they have communion, they are crucifying the Lord all over again.  Remember the second meaning of Thyratira – continual sacrifice? But Jesus was crucified once and for all. 
• Mariolatry – salvation depends on favor from and intercession by Mary – goddess worship.  Modern popes call her “the queen of heaven.”  Where have we heard that before?  Go check out the words of Jeremiah 7 and Jeremiah 44.

In Revelation, there are tough warnings of intense suffering for those of mixed religion, unless they repent.  God is not happy and he will destroy those responsible and strike dead their offspring (future generations). 

Verse 28 offers the overcomers the gift of the morning star – contrasting sun worship.  It comes up before the sun.  Jesus is the Morning Star.

Next stop: Sardis

The Letter to the Congregation of Pergamos

This one is a tough one.  And it will probably be long.

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:  “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.  But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.  Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”’

Pergamos/Pergamum means “Mixed Marriage” and also “Harlot.”  This letter represents the time period from Constantine (beginning in the year 312) to about 900.  Satan is switching tactics – persecution was making the church stronger.  He is going to interject paganism into the pure worship of Yahweh.  

The two-edged sword is God’s word and the Holy Spirit. 

Regarding satan’s throne – When Cyrus conquered Babylon, he formed the new city of Pergamos – a Babylon worship center, which was eventually transferred to Rome.  Babylon the Great is also in Revelation.  Babylon is the source of all paganism, starting in Genesis 10:8 with Nimrod – a mighty hunter before the Lord.  He built Ninevah and the Tower of Babel, which was going to be for astrology.  They wanted a unified empire, just as Antichrist will try to unify the world in the end. 

So who was this Nimrod?  Ancient Jewish writings call him the mightiest rebel in the earth.  He was a hunter of the souls of men. His wife was Semiramis – she was called the Queen of Heaven. When Nimrod died, he was elevated to the status of Sun god. Legend says that Semiramis becomes miraculously pregnant, and gives birth to the son of the Sun god and names him Tammuz. Tammuz is killed by a boar while hunting, and she weeps for him 40 days (this is the origin of Lent). Then he rises and declares that he and his father Nimrod are one. 

The death of Tammuz was celebrated on winter solstice, and his resurrection was celebrated on December 25. To celebrate, they trimmed a tree (See Jeremiah 10) and burned a yule log. Mistletoe represented the fertility of Semaramis to get pregnant by the sun ray.  When the nations were scattered when the Tower of Babel was destroyed, the legend of the goddess Semiramis and her risen son were taken all over the world.  In Egypt, they were Isis and Osiris.  In Greece, they were Aphrodite and Eros.  In Babylonia, they were Ishtar and Tammuz.  In Rome, they were Venus and Cupid.  Similar deities were found in every culture on the globe, all of them featuring a mother goddess of fertility, along with her child.

The following came from a pagan website, describing the Babylonian goddess:

Babylonian scriptures called her the "Light of the World, Leader of Hosts,  Opener of the Womb, Righteous Judge, Lawgiver,  Goddess of Goddesses, Bestower of Strength,
Framer of All decress, Lady of Victory (Yikes! I went to a Catholic grade school by the name Our Lady of Victory)
Forgiver of Sins, Torch of Heaven and Earth.

Can you see the counterfeit religion that the devil has created? 

Anyway, I digress. 

What is this about the doctrine of Balaam?    Balaam tried to curse Israel but couldn’t.  So he came up with another plan that worked –  we read in Numbers 31:16 that he counseled Balak how to get Israel cursed - basically he said, “Put your prettiest girls on the border to entice them, and they will marry with them, fall into idol worship, and then God will curse them.” 

In Numbers 25:6, right after the first part of the Balak and Balaam story, we have the account of the Israelite and the Midianite woman.  Her name was Cozbi, which means falsehood, and his name was Zimri, which means praise.  The result of this mixing of falsehood and worship was death - they were thrust through with a spear by the priest Phinehas.  Did God rebuke him for this action?  No, he blessed him! It seems that YHVH is not a fan of falsehood being interjected into our worship of Him.

Look at Jeremiah 7:16-19 and see God's reaction to idolatry in Judah:  "Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.  Do you not see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?  The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.  Do they provoke Me to anger?” says the LORD. “Do they not provoke themselves, to the shame of their own faces?” 

Now visit Ezekiel 8.  Read the whole thing, but see what the Israelites were doing in verses 13 and 16.  In 13, the women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.   In  verse 16, they were worshiping the sun toward the east.    Here is part of God's reaction in verses 17 and 18:  ... Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? ...Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

Ok, so having said all that about paganism, what in the world is represented in the church at Pergamos?

In the year 312, the Emperor Constantine had a vision of a chi rho - a type of cross, before an important battle, which he then won. He declared Christianity the new legal religion of the Roman Empire, repealed the persecution of Diocletian, and made himself head of the church. Heathen religion was “Christianized” – heathen temples became Christian churches, heathen festivals became Christian holidays, and pagan priests became Christian ones. A change in name only. Eventually it became a law NOT to be a Christian.

Teachers in Pergamos taught that it was ok to mix paganism into the church.

There is also an admonitian regarding the doctrine of the Nicolaitans – the ruling over the people by the church leadership, which God hates.  Yeshua washing the disciples’ feet was the example for the church leaders to follow.  The clergy was just getting warmed up during this time period - it will become full-blown in the next letter.  (You'll see more on my next post). 

To the overcomers, then, is promised hidden manna, white stone, and a new name.

What is the hidden manna?  It represents communion with Him.  The white stone with the new name that only you and God know  is a picture of intimacy with God.  Names are important and you will get a very special one – something that He loves about you, a special treasure with you.  This is something to be greatly desired!  The manna, which was white, and the white stone symbolize purity (un-mixed faith).  They are hidden – holy – set apart!

There was a black stone in Pergamos, thought to be a meteorite, worshipped by the pagans.  There was also the custom of voting with a white stone or a black stone in their juries – guilty or not guilty.   What a beautiful picture - to be given a white stone by Yeshua and declared Not Guilty!

In 204 B.C., the great mother goddess of Pergamos moved to the city of Rome, along with the black stone.  Sometime between 610 and the death of Muhammad, the black stone was moved from Rome to Mecca. Muhammad had all the 360 idols thrown out of the Kaaba, and replaced them with the black stone, which is worshipped and kissed by millions of Muslims today.  They believe it came from the moon. To this day, a crescent moon can be found at the front of every mosque, acknowledging that Allah was and is still their moon-god.  The next time a well-meaning Christian tells you that we worship the same god as Islam, please correct them. 

Worshippers at the Kaaba in Mecca, with the black stone at its center.

The bottom line is this:  God's word says that He hates mixing.  So what do we do with such things as the holidays of Christmas and Easter?   I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I'll tell you what I have done.   Our family has gotten rid of the mixed things.  To me, God's Word is way more important than tradition.  The Feasts of the Lord that are outlined in scripture are way more fun, anyway.  And they paint a complete mural of God's dealings with mankind through His Son, Yeshua.

To continue on to Thyatira, click here.

The Letter to the Congregation of Smyrna

This is a continuation of a study on the Letters to the Seven Churches in Revelation.  Today, I am taking a look at the letter to the congregation of Smyrna.

Some Background Information About Smyrna

Today Smyrna is a city of about 300,000 and is called Izmir.  Along with Philadelphia, they were the only two churches without rebuke in the letters, and they are the only two cities that still exist today.  Smyrna was a very rich city, and was fully paganized – there were gods all over the place.

The name Smyrna means embalming.  The name stems from myrrh – a spice that releases the scent when crushed.  Myrrh was used by priesthood for making anointing oil, and for embalming the dead.  This letter is about death.

Remeber the gifts to Yeshua given by the magi?  Frankincense represents the priesthood, gold represents kingship/diety, and myrrh represents death.  It is interesting to note that in Isaiah 60:6, only gold and frankincense are brought to the Messiah in the future kingdom, but no myrrh.  He has overcome death!

The Good:
Revelation 2:8-11 says, 

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.  I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.  Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

In Smyrna, the emperor had to be worshiped by a pinch of incense once a year; then you could go on to worship your own gods.  The believers wouldn’t bow down, and they were persecuted and martyred - about 5 million of them during the time period, which was from about 100 AD to the time of Constantine.  Christianity had become illegal due to outbreaks of disease and floods being blamed on them. 

“Be faithful, even to death.”  Yeshua never promised escape. It is not clear what the ten days represented, but one possibility is that during the 200+ years represented by this letter, there were many emperors; but only ten of them persecuted Christians, beginning with Nero.

In spite of persecution, Yeshua says “Do not be afraid.”How is this possible? I believe that it is because He will be there with them, and will give them the supernatural ability to endure the persecution. Read Foxe's Book of Martyrs and see for yourself.

Crowns in scripture represent rewards.  These believers who overcome are given the Crown of Life (to counteract death)  from Yeshua Himself - they will avoid the second death.  Coins in Smyrna had crowns on them.

Regarding the people who say they are Jews but are not... I believe that this represents the rise of Replacement Theology. Some of the early church fathers declared that God was finished with Israel, thus kicking off centuries of animosity toward (and persecution of) Jews by the church. This synagogue of Satan is mentioned again in the letter to Philadelphia, so watch for this idea to play out in a future post.

The Bad:
There was no rebuke other than the mention of the synagogue of Satan - Yeshua had no words of admonition for them.  The church at Smyrna is a picture of the church today in places such as China., Sudan, India, Nigeria, etc; where persecution abounds, yet the church thrives in those places.

Satan figured out that he was losing the battle by persecuting the believers - it just made the church stronger!  So he began plotting to work in a much more sinister way.  Pergamum is ready… Click here to read it .

The Letter to The Congregation of Ephesus

Some Background Information About Ephesus
Ephesus was the largest city in the times of the New Testament.  It was known as the Queen of Asia:  it was a wealthy city located on a beautiful harbor, which was the center of life in Ephesus.  The city was centrally located, with roads going all over Asia.  Ephesus was home to a beautiful theater that seated 25,000.

One of the ancient wonders of the world was the Temple of Diana (aka Artemis - daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo).  Worship at this temple was full of orgies.  Artisans made a lot of money selling idols of Artemis, and Paul got in trouble for taking business away from them in Acts 19.  Goddess worship was a cornerstone of Ephesus. 

Ephesus was also a center for the study of magic.  The scrolls that were burned in Acts 19 were scrolls of sorcery!  Scripture records that they were valued at 50,000 drachma.  The value of a day's wages was about a drachma.  So you can see that the value of the scrolls was equivalent to millions of dollars.

The Good:
Revelation 2:2-3 says, I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 

The Ephesians in Revelation were praised for their hard work, perserverence, and discernment of false teachers. They had a strong church, probably with great messages and lots of programs from all their hard work.  Regarding the false teachers, look at Paul's warning to the Ephesians in Acts 20:29-31:  I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.  Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.  So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.  The Ephesians took this to heart and were diligent in discerning the false teachers, thus earning the praise for it in Revelation.

Then in verse 6: But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  The Nicolaitans were clergy that ruled over/controlled the people, and the Ephesians were commended for not allowing it.

The Bad:
Revelation 2:4 tells us, Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.  They were so busy working hard and building a strong church that they had forgotten their intimacy with the Lord.  This was a very strong warning!

I believe that this letter is first because it is the most important thing.  Love!  It is the first fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians.  It is the first command in the Shema, and the basis for the greatest commandment:  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength.  One of the main themes of Paul's letter to the Ephesians was about love and marriage.  The very name Ephesus means darling, as in spousal love. 

The Warning and the Outcome
The Ephesians are told, If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.  So what happened to Ephesus?  The Romans eventually cut down all the trees which caused erosion and destroyed the harbor.  Ephesus eventually became a deserted swamp. 


The Promise
But to him who overcomes (this is to the individual) will be given the right to eat from the Tree of Life.  The Tree of Life represents a love relationship with the Messiah.  Don't lose your First Love!  Don't get so caught up in churchianity that you lose focus on the Most Important Thing. An acronym for BUSY is Being Under Satan's Yoke!  Spend intimate time with your Savior, first and foremost.

Click here for a journey to the next congregation, Smyrna.

Overview of the letters to the Seven Churches

The letters to the congregations are contained in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation.  Within this short section of scripture, we find many nuggets of truth!  These are the last quoted words of Yeshua in scripture.  The letters were sent to the visible congregations - all seven of them were physical congregations in Asia Minor that existed at the time (proven by archaeology).  Within each congregation is the spiritual church - the congregations include both believers and unbelievers, just like today.  These letters had application then, and they have application today.  They are written both to congregations and to individuals.

The seven letters actually line up with church history, following the book of Acts and continuing on through today.  I also find it fascinating that the very name of each congregation actually relates to what is going on with them.

Let's take a look at what each letter contains:

• Destination (which congregation) and who it is from (the Messiah)
• The good reports
• The bad reports
• The exhortation - telling them what to do
• The warnings to those with ears to hear (addressing individuals instead of congregations)
• A promise (again addressing individuals)

Revelation 1:19 tells us that the churches are the seven lampstands - they are bearers of the light.    In 2:1, we see that Yeshua (who IS the light) walks among the congregations. The oil in the lampstands represents the presence of the Holy Spirit. What an encouragement, to know that He walks among us!

My next post will be up close and personal with the congregation at Ephesus. Click  here to read it.

Coming Up: The Seven Churches

You don't hear too much teaching these days on the seven churches of Revelation. Usually when there is teaching from the book of Revelation going on, the focus is on subsequent chapters.

However, I have been doing an absolutely fascinating study on the Seven Churches in Revelation, and I am anxious to share some of the things that I have learned from that study. They are there for a good reason, as you will see.

Stay tuned!