Jesus begins His letter to the church at Pergamos with a subtle warning: “I am the One Who wields the double-edged sword”–God’s Word.  The Apostle Paul described His Word as “quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.  (It is a sword) that pierces even to the dividing of one’s soul and spirit, joints and marrow while discerning the thoughts and intents of one’s heart.” Paul warned that there is nothing that we think, say or do (our “walk”) that is hidden from Him (Heb. 4:12,13).  These statements make it clear that God compares our walk to His Word.  This is how He judges us during this life and how He will judge us when we come before Him.  As I have stated time and again: IT ALL COMES BACK TO GOD’S WORD.

The Lord expressed His pleasure with those in the Pergamos church who had maintained their faith when His faithful servant Antipas was martyred.  They had continued to uphold Christ’s name through that terrible ordeal.  They had also remained true to Him through much false teaching which held that sex outside of marriage as practiced by Baal worshipers and the Nicolaitans was acceptable.  Some in the church, He warned, had embraced such teachings and would be dealt with accordingly.  He commanded those people to repent and obey Him, reminding them that only those who overcome such temptations would be with Him in the future.  He stated that if they would repent and turn from their wickedness He would bless them.  If not He would curse them in this life and the final judgment.

Christ’s Words to the Church of Thyatira also contained a warning about illicit sex among church members.  He begins with positive words for some of those in the church concerning their works, charity, service, faith and patience.  He then confronts those in the church who were guilty of following a false prophetess named Jezebel who had led them to commit sexual sins and to eat food dedicated to idols.  He warned that He would judge Jezebel by killing her children and would award her, along with every person in the church, according to their works, whether good or bad. He then told those who believed and obeyed Him to hold fast to what they had until He returned.

To those who overcame Satan and his false prophets Christ promised to give power over the nations.  Those people, with Him, would rule the nations with a rod of iron.  They would, with that symbolic rod, symbolically break those sinning nations into pieces.  Christ also promised His faithful saints the morning star–Himself.  He ended the letter with the same message He would leave with all of the churches: “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  Few God seekers, He had told His disciples, would have ears to hear (Mat. 7:13,14).

The Lord’s removal of the Pergamosian and Thyatiran Churches proves that the majority within those churches failed to remain true to Him.  Satan had done to them what he had done to the churches (eras) that had come before them.  He had deceived them into following his smooth words, lies and deceits, just as he had during the days of the prophets (Isa. 30:9-11) and just as he has ever since.  Since Eden he has used false prophets to deceive God seekers.  For this reason Jesus warns us to: “Let no MAN take your crown.” Just as did Adam and Eve, salvation seekers have consistently rejected those Words, embraced Satan’s words and fallen into Satan’s religious trap known as Catholicism/Protestantism. L.J.