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Scripture Reading: Rev. 2—3
There are seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3. These churches were seven actual churches in Asia Minor at the time John wrote the book of Revelation. At that time there were many churches in Asia Minor, but God chose only seven for prophetic representation. Revelation 1:3 tells us that this book is a prophecy. Therefore, God chose these seven churches as a prophecy to foretell the pathway the church takes on the earth.
Why must we spend time to study Revelation 2 and 3? A great and profound reason for studying these chapters is that these two chapters reveal the history of the church during the following two thousand years. They also show us what kind of church God condemns and what kind of church He approves. This is why it is imperative to read Revelation 2 and 3. Only through the study of these two chapters can we understand the pathway of the church, the kind of church we should be in, and the kind of person we should be to please the Lord. The subject of Revelation 2 and 3 is the way of the church. In particular, these chapters tell us what the church should do in order to please the Lord. We cannot be good and proper Christians unless we understand Revelation 2 and 3.
There are seven churches. The first is Ephesus. The church in Ephesus refers to the period of church history during the end of the first century, when the book of Revelation was written. When John wrote the book of Revelation, the condition of the church was like that of the first church — Ephesus.
The second church is Smyrna. The church in Smyrna is a picture of the condition of the church under ten periods of persecution in the Roman Empire from the second century after John's death to the early part of the fourth century. Smyrna depicts the condition of the church under persecution from the time after the apostles up to the time Constantine accepted Christianity. During this period of time, the church suffered great persecution. The church in Smyrna is a prophetic description of church history during that period of time.
The third church is the church in Pergamos. It began with Constantine's acceptance of Christianity as the state religion at the beginning of the fourth century in 313 A.D. The root gamos means "marriage." For example, the English word polygamy comes from the Greek root gamos; it means a marriage that involves more than one wife. Pergamos means "Attention! Now there is a marriage."
The first three churches have passed away. The fourth church and those after it still exist. The fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh are all with us today! The difference between the first three churches and the last four is that each of the first three churches appears only after the previous one has disappeared. Thus, the second church appears after the first one has disappeared, and the third church appears after the second one has disappeared. After the third church we have the fourth. But the fourth does not disappear before the fifth appears; both the fourth and the fifth exist simultaneously. The fifth church comes out of the fourth, yet the fourth one does not disappear. In the same way the sixth church comes out of the fifth, yet both the fourth, fifth, and sixth exist simultaneously. By the time the sixth produces the seventh, all four churches — the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh — exist simultaneously.
The seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 are divided into two groups. The first three have disappeared, but the last four are still with us today. They will continue until the second coming of the Lord Jesus.
With Thyatira, there is the prophecy, "Until I come." Revelation 2:25 says, "Nevertheless what you have hold fast until I come." This shows us that the church in Thyatira will continue until the Lord's coming. The church in Sardis will continue until the Lord's coming as well. Revelation 3:3 says, "Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and keep it and repent. If therefore you will not watch, I will come as a thief, and you shall by no means know at what hour I will come upon you." This tells us that the church in Sardis will continue until the Lord Jesus' second coming. The church in Philadelphia will continue until the Lord's second coming because verse 11 says, "I come quickly; hold fast what you have that no one take your crown." The church in Laodicea is the final church on earth. Verse 21 says, "He who overcomes, to him I will give to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne." This church is the final one and will naturally remain until the Lord Jesus' second coming. The first three churches did not receive any promise of the Lord's coming, but the last four all received a promise of the Lord's coming. They will surely remain until the Lord Jesus comes again.
Today we will consider these four churches carefully before the Lord. This will show us the pathway we should take as children of God. If there are four different kinds of churches on earth today and if all of them continue until the Lord comes again, what kind of attitude should a child of God have in regards to these churches? We must choose carefully from among these four churches. If we choose a church which is not well pleasing to the Lord and which the Lord condemns, we will suffer a great loss before the Lord. This is why we have to spend some time to look at the last four churches.
The fourth church is Thyatira. After the Caesar of Rome accepted Christianity as the state religion, he promoted Christianity and propped it up with his political power. Prior to this, the Roman Empire exercised its political power to suppress Christianity. Then it began to exercise its political power to support Christianity. Consequently, Christianity was not only married to the world but even exalted above the world. One meaning of the name Thyatira is "a high tower." The church has now become a high tower in the world, one that is seen, respected, and worshipped.
All Bible readers agree that the church in Thyatira signifies the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church is a union of the church with the world. The result is that the church is elevated in the world. One intrinsic problem with this is that a prophetess is produced out of this union. This woman is called Jezebel, who assumes the role of a teacher among God's servants. The church is turned over to her rule and control. The problem of the Roman Catholic Church is the problem described in the fourth parable in Matthew 13, where a woman takes the leaven and hides three measures of meal in it. In the Bible this woman signifies the Roman Catholic Church.
What does this woman do? Revelation 2:20 says, "But I have something against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, she who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and leads My slaves astray to commit fornication and to eat idol sacrifices." Jezebel has two chief sins: One is fornication, and the other is eating sacrifices offered to idols. These two are sins that are worthy of excommunication. The Lord rebuked the teachings of Jezebel.
Verses 21 through 23 say, "And I gave her time that she might repent, and she is not willing to repent of her fornication. Behold, I cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her, into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works; and her children I will kill with death; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the inward parts and the hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your works." The church in Thyatira and the teachings of Jezebel have two characteristics: One is fornication, and the other is idol worship. In the Bible fornication means mixture. For a man to be in a mixture means that he is involved in fornication. Here we see that the Roman Catholic Church is mixed up with the world.
Every religion of the world has its goddess. Buddhism has Kuan Yin, and the Greeks worship Venus. The Romans took this practice from the Greeks and worshipped goddesses. They could not find a goddess in Christianity, so they took the virgin Mary to be their goddess. In name they called her Mary, but in actuality she was treated like the Greek goddess. This is fornication and mixture.
Many Romans worshipped the sun and celebrated the birthday of the sun on December 25 every year. December 22 is the shortest day of the year. After December 22, days begin to grow longer and nights become shorter. The sun worshippers regarded December 25 as the birthday of the sun, and they had a great festival. After many of them were converted, they came up with an idea when they saw their unbelieving friends celebrating the festival with great alacrity, while they had no celebration. They claimed that the Lord Jesus was the true sun and that December 25 should be the birthday of the Lord. Consequently, they made this day Christmas Day. The only thing that is Christian about Christmas is the use of Christ's name in its name. In fact, it belongs to the sun religion. Please bear in mind that this is fornication before God; it is a mixture. The worship of the sun is mixed up with Christianity.
The church is the temple of God. In the Old Testament the temple of God was built partly with wood and mostly with stone. In the New Testament age God allowed the temple to be destroyed, not leaving one stone upon another. Where is the temple today? All those who believe in the Lord today are the temple of God. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Yet today the Roman Catholic Church has built tall and imposing buildings. The Greeks were skillful at fine architecture. The Romans continued the Greek tradition and devoted much time to the study of architecture. They were also very good at artistic edifices. They felt that all the gods had their own temple, and Christianity had nothing for the eyes to admire. They forsook the teaching of the apostles and built big and handsome buildings. No other edifices in the world can be compared to the cathedrals of Christianity. Men call these cathedrals the temples of God. The cathedrals in Milan, St. Paul's Cathedral in Rome, and Notre Dame in Paris are all high buildings that men call temples of God. Please bear in mind that this thought is pagan in its source. Men turned the pagan temples into temples of Christianity. They consider these buildings as Christian buildings, but in fact they are pagan edifices. Christianity has committed fornication and has followed after pagan people.
Every child of God in the New Testament is a priest. As long as he is a child, he is a priest. In the eyes of God all those who believe in the Lord Jesus are priests and all of them serve Him. But the Roman Catholic Church, realizing that the priests in Judaism effectively served as an intermediate class of people, divided the Roman Catholic believers into two classes and introduced the Old Testament Judaistic concept of the priesthood into the New Testament church. One class of people puts on priestly gowns and priestly caps. Everything that the Bible describes about the priesthood was applied by the Roman Catholic Church to their priests. Catholic priests dress themselves in the same way that Old Testament priests did. They also add much paraphernalia. They have not only borrowed from Judaism but also have brought many things from the Greek religion and Roman temples into Christianity. They have changed God's ordained way. This is fornication. In the Bible fornication means confusion.
This is not all. The Roman Catholic Church introduced things such as candles, lampstands, censers, etc., which belong to the Old Testament. Even pagan objects were brought in. This is altogether fornication. Paganism, idolatry, superstition, and Roman mysteries were all Christianized. This is not Christianity but a great confusion!
God rebuked Thyatira not only for its mixture but also for its idolatry. How strange it is that God would rebuke His own church for idolatry! The church was indeed involved with idolatry. In the Old Testament men worshipped the brass serpent. In the Roman Catholic Church men worship the cross of the Lord Jesus. Roman Catholicism claims that it has found the actual cross, and many small crosses have been made from the wood of this cross. Men worship these objects. The Lord Jesus is God, and God has no image. Yet these men made an image of God and worshipped it. They also made images of Mary, Peter, and Mark. Eventually, the whole earth is full of their images! Because of differences in culture, some idols are very sophisticated, while others are crude. Those in advanced civilizations create beautiful images, while those in more backward civilizations have only crude objects. But they are all idols. Their cathedrals are full of idols! When Catholics pray, they do not pray to God in heaven. Rather, they light candles in front of idols and make gestures in the form of crosses before them. They have images of the Father, the Lord Jesus, Mary, Paul, and Peter. They have images of all the suffering saints and the martyrs throughout the ages. Down through the ages, and even today, when prominent individuals in the church die, the Roman Catholic Church canonizes them and makes images of them. These idols are then manufactured and worshipped by all.
This is not all. Even the bones of many martyrs have become objects of worship. If anyone dug out a leg or a bone of a martyr, the Roman Catholic Church would gather around it and worship it. Unless one is well informed about the religion, he cannot guess how many idols there are in Catholicism. Those who are familiar with Roman Catholicism know that it is literally filled with idols.
The church in Thyatira signifies the Roman Catholic Church. The church in Thyatira has two fundamental sins. One is fornication, that is, the introduction of heathen things into the church. The other is idolatry, which is to make idols out of many things in the church.
This church is condemned by God. To those in the Roman Catholic Church the Lord says, "Come out of her, My people, that you do not participate in her sins and that you do not receive her plagues" (Rev. 18:4). God is not pleased with those who remain in Roman Catholicism.
According to Revelation 2 and 3, Thyatira is the fourth church. This church comes after Pergamos. Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos have all passed away. Thyatira appears after them and still remains. It will be with us until the Lord Jesus comes back. It is the fourth church, but it will continue until the Lord Jesus comes again. As believers and as God's children, we must not touch anything that has to do with Catholicism. Never touch these unclean things. You will be affected by them once you touch them. I remember D. M. Panton once said, "The errors in their books are so numerous that one hardly realizes that they are errors at all." It is hard for a person to distinguish right from wrong because so many things are wrong, that is, in item after item one finds nothing but error. This confuses the mind! Hence, we can never go the way of Roman Catholicism!
The fifth church is Sardis. Sardis is the recovered church or the church that remains. We can say also that this is the church which is left behind. This church comes after Thyatira, but Thyatira does not disappear. Sardis comes after Thyatira, but it does not replace Thyatira.
The condition of Sardis can be seen from the words, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are living, and yet you are dead. Become watchful and establish the things which remain, which were about to die; for I have found none of your works completed before My God....But you have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments" (3:1-2, 4). The characteristic of Sardis is that it has a name that is living and yet is dead.
Protestantism comes after Roman Catholicism. Sardis signifies all of Protestantism. Though Sardis includes the Reformation, she is not a picture of the Reformation but a picture of the whole of Protestantism.
At the zenith of its power, Roman Catholicism became an autocratic and evil system. The Reformation took place during a time in which the nations in Europe could no longer tolerate Catholicism's suppression. During the Reformation, however, two kinds of forces were at work: One was of God, while the other was of man.
In the part that was of God, there was Martin Luther. He stood alone against the priests, the bishops, the pope, and the entire Roman Catholic Church. At that time God gave men an open Bible and revealed to them the truth of justification by faith. Lovers of Christ rose up in all corners and brought in the Reformation. They sacrificed their own lives for the Lord as a seal to the word of their testimony. Although they were persecuted by the Catholic Church, they continued in their faith in the Lord's recovery work. They sacrificed everything to uphold the Reformation. The Holy Spirit moved in a prevailing way and produced many faithful servants. The Bible was opened up and men began to see light; men and women everywhere were enlightened about their salvation. They declared that they would no longer trust in their own work or in the priests for their salvation but would put their trust solely in God. This indeed was a great work of the Holy Spirit!
While Luther was struggling for the Reformation, many political powers, who were critical of the Roman Catholic Church, tried to take advantage of the Reformation and achieve their own political goals. The Reformation became a political reformation as well as a religious reformation. Part of the reason was that Roman Catholicism was armed with not only religious power but also political power. At that time the Roman Catholic Church ruled over the whole of Europe. The Reformation was originally a religious movement. However, kings, rulers, and politicians of many countries seized this opportunity to free themselves from the tyranny of Rome and to declare their independence from Rome. This is the reason behind the political reformation that took place. Formerly, both church government and civic government were under Rome. Now both church and nations freed themselves from Rome.
In the end the Reformation became a united front of the church and the world against Roman Catholicism. Not only was the church against Thyatira, but the political powers were against Thyatira as well. The two seized the opportunity to stage a simultaneous revolt against the Catholic Church. As a result, state churches were formed. In Germany and Sweden there is the Lutheran Church. In England there is the Anglican Church, and in Holland there is the Dutch Reformed Church, etc. All of these are state churches.
In the beginning of the Reformation, many of God's people came out of Catholicism because they wanted to be freed from its fornication and idolatry. But their reformation was fueled by political power. In their ignorance they accepted the help of outside power. By setting up new churches, they repeated the mistake of the Roman Catholic Church. In Catholicism we find a church where politics and religion are married. In setting up their own churches, the Protestants also combined politics with religion.
If the believers who left the Roman Catholic Church had turned back to the New Testament, they would have seen that the church is God's people and that it is a society that does not derive its support from anyone. But their light was not strong enough. Many forces around them tried to take advantage of them. As a result, they formed the so-called state churches. The believers in Germany formed the German state church, and all German citizens became members of this church. In England there was the Anglican Church. Anyone born in England was qualified to be baptized by an Anglican priest. According to the definition of the state church, the boundary of the church is the boundary of the state. Not only are believers included in the church, but all the citizens of the land are qualified to be baptized in the church as well. In name, the state church is living. Actually, it is dead. This is how the state churches came into being.
Protestantism is characterized by a mixture of the world with the church. Prior to this, the mixture was universal; then it became localized country by country. Originally, the Roman Catholic Church ruled the entire world. Then independent churches sprang up in each country, and every country had its own church. The church became identified with God's people as well as those who were not His people; it became mixed. In name it is living, and yet it is dead! This is the condition of Protestantantism.
Of course, this did not stop Protestantism from producing many great men. Many truly great spiritual men who were much used by God were found in Protestantism. This is why the Lord said, "But you have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they will walk with Me in white because they are worthy" (3:4). This is the history and characteristic of Protestantantism. On the one hand, it is living and yet dead. On the other hand, it produced many great spiritual men. Yet these men were all individuals; they were not a corporate man. Sardis has "a few names." There are always a few here and a few there. This is the characteristic of Protestantantism.
The history of Protestantantism began with the state churches. Later we see the development of independent churches through the so-called dissenters (those who held different opinions from the state churches). They began to realize that many joined the state churches through their so-called "baptism," not through faith. A man did not become a believer through faith but through baptism. Believers were not produced out of faith but out of baptism. Many people were awakened to this error in the state churches. They believed that a man becomes a child of God only after he believes in Him.
Some of them began to pay particular attention to certain new truths that they discovered. The state churches had no serious intention of doing anything except maintaining their state organizations; they were not serious about serving the Lord. God began to raise men up, a few here or a group there. They began to discover certain truths and condemn certain practices. They began the so-called independent churches or dissenting churches, churches which held different opinions. They suffered much persecution and opposition. The story of John Bunyan is one example of such persecution. There was also the persecution of the Presbyterians in Scotland. The Puritans set sail for America because of persecution. Among such men were John Wesley, George Whitefield, and their groups. God would raise up a person here or there and show him some special truths. He would stand up to condemn certain practices and dissociate himself from these sins. As a result, some separated themselves from the state churches.
At the beginning, when these dissenting ones separated themselves from the state churches, they were branded as divisive. Because they held different opinions, they were labeled divisive ones. Actually, they were not the ones who were divisive. The state churches had become too broad; too many categories of people were included. In order for God's children to follow Him, they had no choice but to separate themselves from these state churches.
We have to see that oneness is not based on tolerating sins but on judging sins. Today the oneness spoken of by some is based on tolerance of a certain sin. A sin is discovered, and one tolerates it and then another tolerates it. All those who tolerate such sins form a oneness based on tolerance. When everyone tolerates a sin, no one has any problem with anyone else. There are many things within the state churches which are not of God. A person may be touched by the Spirit in his conscience to reject such a sin, but others will not reject it. The one who rejects it then bears the name of a divisive one. Actually, the problem is not with the one who has seen something, but with the ones who have not seen anything.
If all of God's children would rise up to exercise judgment, they would be one. The oneness among God's children should not be based on their oversight. We must first be one with the Lord. If God's children are careless in judging sin, they may have a oneness among themselves, but they have certainly lost their oneness with the Lord.
The history of Protestantism shows that God is continually raising up men here and there to seek His heart and to exercise judgment on sin. Others may not see what they see, or they may refuse to see. As a result, the ones who see something are branded as divisive through their obedience to God. If every child of God judged sin today and dealt with everything that is not of God, they would be one with one another and one with the Lord. Please bear in mind that the judgment of sin is the real foundation of our oneness.
Another phenomenon among Protestants is this cycle: A person is raised up during a certain generation. This person receives much grace and blessing from the Lord; much blessing is manifested in his generation. After his generation passes away, the second generation remains somewhat good. But by the end of the second generation, men begin to pay attention to other things. They begin to say, "We have received so much grace from the Lord; we should think of some means to preserve this grace. We should form an organization to carry on and maintain this grace." By the second or third generation, organization comes in. Sometimes organization comes in even by the end of the first generation.
They believe that God is the Giver of grace, but they do not believe that God is also the Preserver of grace. They believe in God's blessing, but they cannot believe in God's continual blessing. As a result, human creeds, regulations, and ways and means are introduced in an effort to maintain the blessing. When the fountain is closed, the water in the pool dries up sooner or later; the water level no longer rises. By the third generation, the condition becomes quite dead, and everything reverts to the same condition as before, a condition which they originally came out of. Then God has to go to another person or to a few persons who will seek new vision, new blessing, new separation, and new grace. This will bring in another period of revival. This cycle repeats itself: blessing in the first generation, organization in the second generation, and degradation in the third generation.
At first, some left the state churches. Later, the ones who left were, in turn, left behind by others. Originally, those who left the state churches did so because the state churches were dead. Then those who left became dead themselves and were left behind by others. The entire history of Protestantism is a history of being living in name but dead in reality. It is a history that swings back and forth between life and death. Some became living, and some became dead. Not all are dead, for there are always a few who have not defiled themselves, who are the prominent ones chosen and used by God. These are the giants in Protestantism. They are worthy to walk with the Lord in white. This is the entire history of Protestantantism.
The church in Thyatira was rebuked. Sardis was rebuked as well. What is the way for the believers to go on?
Next comes the sixth church; it has the name Philadelphia. Phila means "love" and delphia means "the brothers." Phila- delphia means "brotherly love."
Among the seven churches, this is the only one which does not receive any rebuke from the Lord. The Roman Catholic Church was rebuked, and so were the Protestant churches. Only Philadelphia is not rebuked. One only finds praise in Philadelphia.
What are the characteristics of Philadelphia? Revelation 3:8 says, "I know your works; behold, I have put before you an opened door which no one can shut, because you have a little power and have kept My word and have not denied My name." This is the characteristic of Philadelphia. The characteristic of Thyatira is the teaching of a woman. The characteristic of Sardis is a union between the church and the world and a constant need for separation; it is a continuous struggle between life and death. But the characteristic of Philadelphia is brotherly love. Here is a return to brotherly love. There is no worldliness here because all are brothers. There is no need to struggle to separate oneself from death. It is a return to the original state of brotherhood. Here we find brotherly love.
Just as Sardis comes out of Thyatira, Philadelphia comes out of Sardis. The Protestants came out of the Roman Catholic Church, and Philadelphia came out of the Protestants. This was clearly a new move of the Holy Spirit. This new move attracted people from the dead Sardis and put them on the ground of brotherly love. In other words, they stood on the Body ground. They did not recognize any other relationship except the relationship of brothers. They did not recognize any other fellowship except the fellowship of love. This is Philadelphia.
Philadelphia had two characteristics: They kept the Lord's word, and they did not deny the Lord's name. Here was a group of people who were led by God to keep His word. God opened up the Word to them, and others were able to understand His Word through them. They had no creed, doctrine, or tradition, only the Word of God. At the time of Philadelphia, we find a group of people returning fully to the Word of the Lord, who did not recognize any other authority, doctrine, or creed.
A man can understand and even preach a doctrine, but this does not mean that he understands the Bible. He can memorize creeds and proclaim his faith in them, but this does not mean that he understands the Bible. The Lord would have given us creeds long ago if the church needed them. Today men analyze the Bible and condense its teachings into creeds. Creeds are limited, but the Bible is unlimited. Creeds are simple, while the Bible is complicated. A foolish man can understand creeds if he studies them. But a foolish man cannot understand the Bible. Only a certain type of people can understand the Bible. Only under certain conditions can a man understand God's Word. Creeds open a wide door and anyone can go in. But the door to God's Word is not that wide, and only those with life can enter it. The door of the creeds is so wide that a smart mind is all one needs to enter it. But God's Word is not that simple. Unless a man has life and is single before the Lord, he will not see or understand His Word.
Many people think that God's Word is too narrow. They want to broaden it so that they can bring more people into it. But those in Philadelphia rejected all creeds and doctrines. They turned back to the Word of the Lord. The Lord said, "You...have kept My word." In church history, there was never an age when men understood God's Word more than those in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia God's Word was given its rightful place. In other ages men accepted creeds and traditions. But Philadelphia accepted nothing other than God's Word. It returned to His Word and walked in it. In church history there was never a time when the ministry of the Word was as rich as that which we find in Philadelphia.
The Lord said, "You...have not denied My name" (v. 8). This is another characteristic of Philadelphia. In the long history of the church throughout the ages, the name of the Lord Jesus has always been last in importance. Men pay attention to names of saints, such as Peter and other apostles. They pay attention to names they like or to names of doctrines and nations. Many say proudly, "I am a Lutheran," or "I am a Wesleyan." Oh, the names of men! Many claim proudly, "I am a Coptic" (of a place), or "I am an Anglican" (meaning British). These are names of countries. These names have divided God's children into divisions! It is as if the name of Christ were not enough to separate us from the world.
If someone asks you, "Who are you?" and you answer, "I am a Christian," he will not be satisfied. He will ask again, "What kind of Christian are you?" I remember once when I was in another country, a man asked me, "What are you really?" I said, "I am a Christian." He said, "This is meaningless!"
To the Lord, His name is enough for His children. But we have to wait until Philadelphia before we see men who are satisfied with the Lord's name alone. There is no need to have so many divisive names. His name alone is enough! The Lord takes note that they "have not denied My name." This is what He cares for.
There was never a time in church history when men loathed other names as much as they did in Philadelphia. When one returns to Philadelphia, all other names are denied! Philadelphia has abolished all other names and has exalted only the name of Christ. Please bear in mind that the Lord cares for this one thing. This one thing is the basis for His praise. This is something pleasing to Him. Do not belittle this and do not be careless about it. The Lord takes the time to point out that they have confessed His name and have not denied His name. He pays attention to this and praises it!
Some brothers have asked, "What have the overcomers in Philadelphia overcome?" Do you see the problem posed by this question? The overcomers in Ephesus overcame forsaking their first love. The overcomers in Smyrna overcame the outward threat of death. The overcomers in Pergamos overcame the bondage and temptations of the world. The overcomers in Thyatira overcame the teaching of the woman. The overcomers in Sardis overcame spiritual death — the condition of being living in name and dead in reality. The overcomers of Laodicea overcame lukewarmness and vainglory. But what do the overcomers in Philadelphia overcome? The entire epistle to them shows only the Lord's pleasure in what they have done. Of the seven epistles, this is the only one which has the Lord's full approval. What is there to overcome if the Lord is fully pleased? It is a church fully approved and rated as the best; it is altogether according to the Lord's heart's desire. But the Lord has a promise for the overcomers in the church in Philadelphia. What do they have to overcome? There is nothing to overcome because there is no problem with this church.
But the Lord has a warning here. Verse 11 says, "I come quickly; hold fast what you have that no one take your crown." This is the only warning in the entire epistle. Those in Philadelphia are reminded to hold fast what they have. In other words, they have what is right, and they should not lose it. They should not be weary of doing the same things for a long time and should not ask for a change. They should not contemplate doing something new after all the years of doing the same things. They have to hold fast what they have and not let it go! This is the only warning for Philadelphia. The Lord has only one charge for Philadelphia — to hold fast what they have. What they have done is right and is blessed by the Lord; therefore, they should continue in it.
If Philadelphia does not hold fast what it has, God will raise up others to take away its crown. The crown has already been given to Philadelphia. But others will come and take its crown if it does not hold it fast. This is the only warning to Philadelphia. Philadelphia overcomes by not losing what it has. This is different from the other six churches. We must pay attention to the Lord's Word. There is only one church which meets the Lord's standard — Philadelphia. Her characteristic is keeping the Lord's word and not denying His name. We must not overlook these two matters.
Five of the seven churches were rebuked. One did not receive a rebuke, and one received only praise. The one which received only praise was Philadelphia. Catholicism, Protestantism, and Philadelphia will all remain until the Lord Jesus comes again. The last church, the seventh one, Laodicea, also will continue until the Lord Jesus comes again. Since Sardis came out of Thyatira and Philadelphia came out of Sardis, Laodicea naturally has to come out of Philadelphia. One begets the other.
This is where the issue lies today. Once Philadelphia fails, it becomes Laodicea. Do not think that Protestantism is Laodicea. It is altogether wrong to think this way. Protestantism is Sardis, not Laodicea. Protestantism can only be Sardis today; it cannot be Laodicea. No Bible reader should be so foolish as to think that Protestantism is Laodicea. No, Protestantism is Sardis. After Philadelphia has fallen, it becomes Laodicea. Sardis came out of Thyatira, and it was one step beyond Thyatira. Philadelphia came out of Sardis, and it was one step beyond Sardis. Laodicea, however, comes out of Philadelphia, but it is one step behind Philadelphia. These four churches will remain until the Lord Jesus comes again.
Laodicea is a distorted Philadelphia. When brotherly love is gone, Philadelphia immediately turns into the opinions of many. This is the meaning of the word Laodicea. Laodicea was a city whose name came from a Roman prince, Entiochus. He had a wife whose name was Laodios. He took his wife's name, dropped the os and added sea or cea to become Laodisea or Laodicea. Lao in Greek means "many people" and sea or cea means "opinion."
As soon as Philadelphia becomes degraded, the "brothers" become the "many people," and its "brotherly love" becomes "the opinions of the many." Love has degenerated into opinion. Brotherly love is something living, but the opinion of many people is something dead. When brotherly love is lost, the Body relationship is lost. The fellowship of life is cut off as well, leaving only the opinion of men. The opinion of the Lord is lost, and the only things left are the vote of the majority, ballots, and the show of hands. Once Philadelphia falls, it becomes Laodicea.
Revelation 3:15 says, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot." This is the characteristic of Laodicea. Verse 17 says, "Because you say, I am wealthy and have become rich and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." These are the characteristics of Laodicea. In the eyes of the Lord, the characteristics of Laodicea are lukewarmness and spiritual pride. It is bad enough for it to say, "I am wealthy," but it continues, saying, "and have become rich." The two statements are evil enough, yet it goes on to say that it has "need of nothing." In the eyes of the Lord it is "wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." Where does spiritual pride come from? It comes from history. Some were once rich and they think that they are still rich. The Lord was once merciful to them, and they remember their history. But now they have lost that reality.
There is hardly any person in Protestantism today who boasts of his own spiritual riches. I have met many Protestant leaders overseas as well as Protestant pastors in China. They all say, "We are poor! We are poor!" It is hard to find a proud person in Sardis. There is only one group of proud people — those who were Philadelphia and who had once kept God's word and not denied His name. Yet the life which they once had is lost. They still remember their history, but they have lost their former life! They remember that they were once wealthy and had become rich and had need of nothing. But they are now poor and blind! There is only one group of people who can boast of their riches — fallen Philadelphia, the Philadelphia which has lost its power and life.
Brothers and sisters, if you want to continue in the way of Philadelphia, remember to humble yourselves before God. Sometimes I hear some brothers say, "God's blessing is with us." God's blessing is with us, but we must be careful when we say this. As soon as we are not careful, we have the flavor of Laodicea: "We are wealthy and have become rich and have need of nothing." Let me say that the day we take this position, we have become Laodicea.
Please bear in mind that we have nothing that we have not received. Those around us may be full of death, but we do not need to be conscious of the fact that we are full of life. Those around us may be poor, but we do not need to be conscious of the fact that we are rich. Those who live before the Lord will not be conscious of their own riches. May the Lord be merciful to us that we may learn to live before Him. May we be rich and yet not know that we are rich. It was better for Moses not to know that his face was shining, even though it did shine! Once a person knows himself, he becomes Laodicea, and the result is lukewarmness. Laodicea means to know everything, but in reality to be fervent about nothing. In name it has everything, but it cannot sacrifice its life for anything. It remembers its former glory but forgets its present condition before God. Formerly, it was Philadelphia; today it is Laodicea.
Today I present these four churches to us all. The last three came out of Roman Catholicism, and all four will remain until the Lord Jesus comes again. Today every child of God has to choose the pathway he should take with regard to the church. Do you want to be a Roman Catholic? Do you want to be a Protestant? Do you want to follow the oneness of Roman Catholicism? Do you want to follow the many denominations of Protestantism? Or do you want to take the way of Philadelphia? Or were you once Philadelphia but are now living in the shadow of history and boasting of your former glory, thus becoming Laodicean? When a person becomes proud, forsakes the way of life, and neglects reality, while reminiscing on his history and his own riches, the only thing left will be the opinions of many. Among such ones there can only be discussion and consensus. It appears to be a democratic society but bears no resemblance to the Body relationship. If you do not know the binding, authority, and life of the Body, you do not know brotherly love.
These four churches will remain with us. We must be faithful to continue in Philadelphia. Do not be curious about Roman Catholicism. Those who are curious will always suffer loss. Do not touch the denominations in Protestantantism. This is not God's way. The Bible shows us clearly that the Protestant movement as a whole had God's blessing, but that there are also many things which the Lord condemns and rebukes. We do not need to delve into these things or ask about them.
We must learn to stand on the ground of Philadelphia. Always keep the Lord's word and never deny His name. Hold fast the brotherly stand and never be proud! Do not be proud in the face of Catholicism, Protestantism, or the denominations. Once you are proud, you become Laodicea and are no longer Philadelphia! As soon as you show your pride before them, you are no longer Philadelphia but Laodicea. Which way do you want to take? May God bless His children and may the brothers take the upright path with regard to the church.
The God-ordained pathway for the church is the way of Philadelphia. I may not have tens of thousands of cases to prove that the best of God's children speak the same thing and take this same way. But I have hundreds of cases to prove what I am saying. Once the general issue of Protestantism is settled, we need not nit-pick the minor issues. Similarly, once the overall issue of Roman Catholicism is settled, we do not have to be so concerned about its minor issues. The Roman Catholic Church has twenty-one different organizations in China. There is no need to involve ourselves with the Catholic Church, and there is no need to learn about the organizations of its different daughters. Once the overall issue of Roman Catholicism is settled, these twenty-one organizations are no longer a problem. Likewise, once the general issue of Protestantism is settled, we do not need to deal with all of its fifteen hundred denominations one by one.
The Lord's way is unique. It is the way of Philadelphia. Walk on this way, but be careful not to be proud. Once we take the way of Philadelphia, the greatest temptation is to become proud and say, "We are better than you are. Our truths are clearer than yours, and we understand them better than you do! We have only the Lord's name and we are different!" Once we become proud, we fall into Laodicea. Those who follow the Lord have no pride. The Lord will spew the proud ones out of His mouth. May the Lord be merciful to us! This is a warning to all of us: We must not be proud in our speaking! A person must live before the Lord continually before he can refrain from proud words. Only those who live before God continually will not consider themselves rich. Only they will not be proud!
Scripture Reading: Matt. 13:31-33; Rev. 17—18
In this appendix to the section on Thyatira, we bring up a subject which we call the heresy of confusion. Every reader of prophesy knows that Roman Catholicism will become more and more powerful, while Protestantism will become weaker and weaker. Revelation 17 says that the great harlot, which typifies Roman Catholicism, will ride on the beast and then be killed by it. Therefore, all genuine children of God must fully prepare themselves for this crisis in the last days. We do not know when Roman Catholicism will become a problem to us. It may be five, ten, or twenty years from now. Perhaps we will still be here; perhaps we will have passed away. We must be clear about this heresy and educate the brothers and sisters. It will be too late to deal with it when it becomes a problem to us. We who are the watchmen of the church must pay attention to this matter and deal with it before it becomes a problem.
The Lord Jesus spoke seven parables in Matthew 13. These seven parables show the history of the kingdom of the heavens on earth. They reveal the different stages that the kingdom of the heavens passes through on earth, beginning from the time when the Lord Jesus sowed the seed until His coming again. These seven parables cover the entire period from the time of His first coming, the time when the Son of Man came to the earth to sow the seed, up to His second coming, when He will come to judge and to gather the wheat into the barn. Many things happen between these two comings. The Lord uses these seven parables to explain them and to prophesy concerning them.
Two of these parables tell us that the kingdom of the heavens on earth will be corrupted. In Matthew 13:31-32 the first parable says that the kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed: "Another parable He set before them, saying, The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, and which is smaller than all the seeds; but when it has grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of heaven come and roost in its branches." We have to pay particular attention to the phrase the kingdom of the heavens is like. This phrase refers to the entire parable, not to the words immediately following the phrase. In verse 33 the second parable says, "The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened." This whole verse describes what "the kingdom of the heavens is like." In other words, the phrase the kingdom of the heavens is like does not refer to the words immediately after the phrase, but to the entire parable.
The Lord Jesus said, "The kingdom of the heavens is like a mustard seed." The mustard seed is His word, just as the seed in the previous section is His word. It is something that comes absolutely from God. The life of this seed and everything about this seed are of God. Concerning the seed verse 31 says, "Which a man took and sowed in his field." The preceding verses indicate that the field is the world. They also show us that the man is the Lord Himself. This means that the Lord sows the word of God into the world.
According to God's intention, this seed "is smaller than all the seeds" (v. 32). The mustard seed is very small; it is smaller than all the seeds. When God sowed His word into the world, His intention was for such a mustard seed to remain an herb when it grew up. God's ordained law from the beginning of His creation is for the mustard seed to grow according to its kind — into an herb. Everything must grow after its kind. It is right for the tiny mustard seed to grow into a mustard herb. This is God's original intention. God sent His own Son into the world to sow His word into the world. The result is the church which grows out of this earth. God expects the church on earth to be full of life, to bring forth fruit, and to be good for food. It must remain an herb, something temporal, small, unnoticed, and not big enough to shelter others.
God's intention is to sow, grow, and reap again and again. It is like a wheat crop, which is sown and harvested over and over again. Once the seed grows into a herb, it is taken away, and the ground is cleared for the next sowing. The ground must be cleared for others to come in to believe, to be begotten, to grow, and to be reaped. Others have to believe, grow, and be harvested by God. On the one hand, the church is always continuing on the earth. On the other hand, God's intention is to reap men group by group unto Himself. The church can be food to men, and it can feed men, but it must be reaped bundle by bundle, again and again, like crops of herbs.
Herbs are not meant for display; they are not supposed to be great. They are meant to be food for man. After man sinned in Genesis, God first gave him herbs for food. God gave herbs to man for food. The herb is not a flower, which is good for show, and it is not a tree, which is great in size. As an herb, it should remain weak, powerless, and fragile in the eyes of man.
However, the Lord prophesied that something unexpected would happen. When the Lord planted the mustard seed in the field, it was the smallest of all the seeds, "but when it has grown, it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree" (v. 32). The Lord had no intention that the church would become a tree and be rooted deeply in the earth. Now it is no longer growing and being reaped in bundles. Instead, it has become something lasting and remaining, something tall, big, and wide. It draws attention, respect, and visibility, and has become a shelter to others.
The God-ordained way for the church is one that is according to the footsteps of Jesus of Nazareth, the One who was hidden, lonely, and humble. The church should follow the footsteps of our Lord who walked on this earth in lowliness and humility. At the beginning of its earthly history, the church was persecuted and suffered much opposition. But one day it became rooted in the earth and began to grow. The Roman Caesars who ruled over the world, who controlled the destiny of the nations, suddenly became the church's partners and brothers. Christianity became a religion of kings, rulers, and commanders. The herb became a tree. It achieved a certain status in the eyes of the world. It became big. This was the beginning of Roman Catholicism.
The church in the New Testament is local in nature. It is scattered in every locality and is not united or organized in any way. Although there were centers for the work, the churches were never united into unified organizations. But with the passing of the apostles, the churches began gradually to unify themselves on the earth. Churches in big cities organized the churches in the smaller cities around them, and spontaneously the churches in the bigger cities took over the leadership.
At first, the bishops, or overseers, were the elders, and they were always plural in number. Later, a bishop from among the elders was appointed. Still later, the bishops began to oversee not only the church in their own locality but churches in several localities. The elders, however, continued to oversee one local church. As a result, the elders and the overseers became two separate classes! Originally, the overseers and the elders were one and the same group of people, but later, an elder was chosen from among all the elders to be a bishop. One elder bore the title of bishop, while the rest remained as elders but were no longer called overseers. The bishop was considered to be an elder of the elders; he presided over the other elders and ruled over the church in that locality. Still later, these bishops expanded their authority and began to cover other localities. Gradually, the condition of the church changed. The bishop of the capital of a province would rule over that entire province, and the bishop of the capital of a nation would rule over the churches of the entire nation. The bishop of Rome naturally ruled over all the churches in the entire Roman Empire. As a result, the church became something very big!
Originally, the church was a mustard seed, something very small. But then she became a big tree. Now we find something strange on the earth — united churches. These are institutions organized by men. The Bible shows us that God's intended union of earthly churches is a union of the Body. The fellowship of the churches on earth is the fellowship of the Body. But what do we see today? Men have cast aside this spiritual fellowship and spiritual union. The fellowship of the Body is spiritual, and the union of the Body is spiritual. Today, however, men replace this spiritual union with organizational unions. Beginning from the second century, the church gradually degenerated into a confederation of churches.
When Constantine accepted Christianity, he saw a church which by then had already become the Roman Catholic Church, a church welcomed by men. That church had become full grown; it was a tree. It was no longer made up of individual churches. It had become a united tree. When the Roman Empire accepted Christianity, many birds came and nested in its branches!
The birds in the second parable signify the principalities in the air. In the first parable, the Lord Jesus said that the seeds were snatched away by birds, and then He explained that it was the evil one who came to snatch away the seeds that were sown. Birds in this chapter refer to Satan and his evil principalities. This means that Satan is responsible for bringing many defiled things into the church.
Now the church has become a mammoth organization. However, this greatness is a false greatness; it is a deformed greatness. Originally, the church was despised by men. Now she has become a political asset in the hands of ambitious people. The church is full of people, and in politics the more people there are, the more it is an asset. Now every kind of defiled thing has crept into the church. The birds of heaven came and nested in its branches. The condition is like that of Pergamos — the church has become united with and married to the world. Today the church has become a big and worldly organization, and all kinds of people have come into it.
This tree includes the genuine church, but it also includes many things that should not be there. The seed is still a mustard seed. The trouble with it is that it has grown too big. This excessive greatness is manmade. The seed that was sown by the Lord is still there. On the one hand, the church has deviated. On the other hand, we have to admit that the Lord's church was still hidden within such a church. The only trouble is that something more has been added to it. It is no longer simply the Lord's church, but something greater. The world has crept in everywhere, and the church has become large. The mustard seed has grown into a big tree.
The One who sowed the seed was the Lord Himself. The woman represents the church. In the Bible women always represent the church. The position of the church in the Bible is that of the wife of Christ. Christ loved the church even as a husband loves his wife. Just as God made Eve out of the rib of Adam, Christ produced the church by His life. In the Bible the church is always represented by women. In the future, the church will be the wife of the Lamb. A man, not a woman, sows the seed. In other words, only Christ can sow the seed; the church cannot do this. The church cannot make any decision for herself. It does not have any authority of its own.
Yet one day the church on earth became like a tree whose roots were deep and whose branches were numerous. The church became worldly and powerful. All sorts of evil powers came into the church and took shelter there. Because Caesar was in the church, the woman became great and assumed much authority.
Matthew 13:33 says, "The kingdom of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal." This woman is Roman Catholicism, the degraded church. She began to exercise her self-assumed authority. Many sisters cannot understand why the Bible forbids a woman to teach. This is because the Bible forbids the church to teach. In typology the church has no authority to teach. The principle of forbidding the woman to teach shows us that the church has no authority to teach. Here the woman began to put leaven into the meal. This means that the woman began to exercise her authority. In other words, the church began to teach.
The Roman Catholic Church tells men that the Bible is God's Word, yet it also says that the church can speak for God. Of course, the church that it refers to is the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church has become very powerful and has brought many things into the church. If you argue that the Bible does not say anything about the practices of the church, the Roman Catholic Church will tell you that it decides the way things should be. If you say that there are no idols according to the Bible, it will say that the pope has sanctioned the idols. You may say that there is no such thing as the worship of Mary in the Bible, but it will say that the church believes that Mary should be worshipped. The woman has assumed the role of teacher.
Thyatira, which in God's eyes is Roman Catholicism, tolerates Jezebel, a prophetess. This woman brought adultery into the church, and she brought idolatry into the church. The symbol of the woman means that the church rather than the Lord is now making all the decisions. It is Jezebel, the prophetess, who is teaching, not the Lord. It would have been better for the church if it had received its teaching from the Head instead of assuming the role of teacher for itself. When the church assumes this role, it results in all kinds of heresies being introduced into the church. This is what the Lord means when He says that the kingdom of the heavens is like a woman who took leaven and hid it in three measures of meal.
Leaven refers to wrong doctrines. The Lord Jesus spoke about the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of the Sadducees. In Mark 8:15 there was the leaven of Herod. Thus, leaven in the Bible refers to wrong doctrines. It is quite clear that the fine flour in Leviticus 2:1 refers to the food of God's people. In particular it refers to the Lord Jesus. The Word of God shows us that the Lord Jesus is the fine flour, which is the food God gave to His people. Leaven is not allowed in this food. God commanded the people of Israel to eat unleavened bread when they came out of Egypt. In other words, putting leaven into fine flour spoils the Lord Jesus as our food! Originally, there was fine flour, but now leaven has been added to it.
What happens when leaven is added to fine flour? Without leaven, bread is coarse, tasteless, hard, heavy, and difficult to digest. With leaven, bread becomes light and easy to digest. Leaven makes the flour tasty and easy to digest. Many people feel that it is too hard to accept the Lord Jesus and His teachings; they find it hard to digest these things. Those who study the types of the Old Testament know clearly that fine flour refers to the life of the Lord Jesus. Some feel that such a life is too weighty, hard, and solid; they cannot take it. The woman in the parable introduces many heresies into the church. She leavens the fine flour, making it easier for many to accept the Lord! When the world and every kind of heresy and doctrine are brought into the church, it is easier for someone to accept the Lord Jesus and His teachings! This is what Roman Catholicism has done.
According to the truth concerning the church, the works mentioned above constitute a great mixture. The world is mixed with the church, grace is mixed with the law, and believers are mixed with unbelievers. The result is confusion. Moreover, righteousness is mixed with mercy, paganism with Christianity, and religion with politics. There is no greater confusion and fornication than that which is seen in Roman Catholicism! It mixes Christianity with Judaism and Grecian art with the worship of God. It brings in every conceivable thing from the world! The birds of heaven have come in. Leaven has been put into the meal, and it has become leavened. Now it is light and puffy, and everyone can accept it. A person can be a Catholic as long as he is baptized. If he sins, he can buy an indulgence, which will deliver him from the sins of this life as well as the future purgatory.
All kinds of heresies have come in! As a result, the meal is now leavened, and men can easily accept it. Roman Catholicism does not ask men to take the leaven; it only asks men to take the fine flour which contains the leaven. Roman Catholicism gives us heresies as well as truths. It believes that Christ is the Son of God and that the Lord Jesus died on the cross to accomplish redemption. These two basic tenets of faith are there, but the fine flour has been leavened.
Why does the Bible say three measures here? The number three is frequently used in the Bible. Abraham took three measures of meal and made bread for the angels. It seems that three measures can be easily held in our hands. This is a common measure, a common unit. It is like measuring flour or rice by packets or sacks. In the ancient days the most convenient unit was three measures.
The problem is that the woman has sown confusion into the food of God's people! She has destroyed their food! She has brought all sorts of heresies into the church. By introducing the heresies into the church, Catholicism has confused the Word of God.
This work of the Roman Catholic Church results in the world creeping into the church. The woman now assumes great authority. She has taken control of worldly affairs as well as spiritual affairs. She has not only established a large church on earth, but has even extended her dominion over the nations of the earth. In other words, the church has taken over political power as well as religious power. It has indeed become a big tree. At the same time, it has truly mingled leaven with the fine flour.
The word of the Lord here is quite serious. The second part of Matthew 13:33 says, "Until the whole was leavened." Please bear in mind that today, the lump of meal is not yet fully leavened. All orthodox students of prophecy agree that the power of Roman Catholicism has not diminished. The Lord says that this will go on until the whole is leavened. Today, Roman Catholicism has been leavened to quite a serious extent. It has been leavening for over a thousand years! But we cannot say that the lump is fully leavened yet. The Lord says that one day the whole will be leavened. The power of Catholicism will continue to expand. It will not stop until its end comes, when it is fully consumed by fire. The word of the Lord is quite serious here: "Until the whole was leavened." Here the Lord tells us that the power of Roman Catholicism will continue to expand.
How great has the Roman Catholic Church become! How numerous are the heresies found in it! The leaven has gained more and more ground. The Lord's supper has become the Mass, and the bread has become the flesh of Christ. Transubstantiation, the doctrine of turning the bread into the actual flesh of Christ as soon as one touches it, has prevailed. There are incense, crucifixes, and rituals. People put their trust in various organizations and names. The Catholic Church is more tightly controlled than any country or state in this world. There are all kinds of organizations within it, and one could not understand all of them even if he spent several years to study them. On the one hand, it has confused the doctrine of Christ. On the other hand, the tree has become very large.
Here I will quote some words from some of the popes. The popes call themselves universal overseers. Originally, an overseer was an elder of a local church, and the elders of the local churches were called overseers. Eventually, one of the overseers became a bishop and ruled over other elders of the church. Still later, the bishops began to take control over other churches, and then eventually, over the whole world. Thus, the pope called himself the universal overseer. One of the popes said, "I, the Pope, am the king of kings, and my laws precede all laws." This was the written declaration of a pope concerning his papal authority. Does this declaration sound like something that should come out of the mouth of one who follows the lowly Jesus of Nazareth? Not at all.
In the Vatican Conference in 1870, a decree read, "The Pope of Rome cannot change or improve on his own words." Imagine how great the authority of Roman Catholicism has become! Anything can be improved upon except the words of the pope of Rome! His words are the supreme command and cannot be improved upon. What kind of spirit is behind these words? Clearly, man's authority has usurped God's authority! The above statement applies to all proclamations by any pope. We can find numerous claims similar to this one.
One pope in Rome published a message called "The Scheme." At first, Roman Catholicism believed that only the church was infallible. But this message extended this claim by telling everyone that not only was the church infallible, but the pope was infallible as well. The pope could not be wrong in himself. The Chinese expression bu-neng-tzo-wu for infallible may not sound that strong in Chinese, but in Greek, Latin, and English infallible is a very strong word. Only God is infallible, but Catholics say that the pope is infallible as well. This is heresy and leaven.
What is God's attitude toward Catholicism? Revelation 17 speaks of a great harlot. She is not just an adulteress but a harlot. To commit a moral sin after one is married is adultery, but to commit a moral sin without a marriage at all is harlotry. Here the Bible calls Roman Catholicism a harlot.
Revelation 17:18 says, "The woman whom you saw is the great city, which has a kingdom over the kings of the earth." Verse 9 says, "Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are the seven mountains where the woman sits." Who is this woman? God shows us through John that this woman is the great city which rules over the kings of the earth. This city is built upon seven hills. The woman is sitting upon these hills. There is only one city in the whole world which bears the name The City of Seven Hills — Rome. Often great cities of the earth have more than one name. For example, Canton is also known as "Sui," and Shanghai is known as "Hu." The city of Rome has another name — The City of Seven Hills. Throughout the ages, there have always been many sporting competitions in the city of Rome. The medals won by the champions, be they silver or gold, were all engraved with seven hills in the background. The coins which Caesar issued had the same engravings. They had the image of Caesar on one side and seven hills on the other side. Keep in mind that The City of Seven Hills is another name for the city of Rome. Revelation 17 shows us that this woman sits on seven hills. She is the great city which rules over the kings of the earth and which is built upon seven hills. This shows us clearly that this woman is Rome.
It is clear that this woman is Rome. But the question is which Rome is she. Is she the political Rome or the religious Rome? There are two different Romes. Is this woman the Rome of Catholicism or the imperial Rome? We will find the answer to this after we consider the following explanations.
Revelation 17:3-4 says, "He carried me away in spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication."
Here are two things before us: One is a woman and the other is a beast. The woman is sitting upon the beast with seven heads and ten horns. The seven heads upon the beast are seven kings, and the ten horns are ten kings. The seven kings are the great kings, while the ten kings are the small kings. The two kinds of kings are different in the Greek text. One is a big king, while the other is a small king. Most Bible readers know that the beast is the Rome of the Roman Empire. If the beast is the imperial Rome, which includes seven kings and ten kings, the woman has to be the religious Rome. There are only two Romes — imperial Rome and religious Rome. One is the political Rome, whereas the other is the ecclesiastical Rome. The woman is sitting upon the beast, which means that the church is sitting upon the Empire. If the beast is the Roman Empire, clearly the woman is the religious Rome.
While the Spirit of God shows us Rome's past, how is she today and how will she be in the future? God's Word provides a clear answer to these questions.
Revelation 17:4 says, "The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet." Purple is the color of royalty. The pope has always claimed to be the king. At the same time, everyone who has ever visited Rome knows that scarlet is the color of Rome. What are the cardinals called? In Chinese they are known as the "Scarlet Robe" cardinals. Their robes, inner garments, and even socks, are all scarlet in color. The pope's carriage is scarlet as well. Three-quarters of his guards are dressed in scarlet. His carpets are scarlet. Wherever the pope travels, scarlet carpet is rolled out along the way. Rome is full of scarlet. On the one hand, the clothing is in purple. On the other hand, no other country has as much scarlet as Rome.
"Gilded with gold and precious stone and pearls." It is hard to find another place on earth that has as much gold and as many precious stones and pearls. The cathedrals in Rome, the idols in the cathedrals, and all the adornments and crowns of the pope are made of gold, precious stone, and pearls. For example, the pope has a diamond, the Kruger Diamond, which is worth 833,000 British pounds.
The pope must wear two crowns at his coronation, one signifying that he is the king of the church and the other signifying that he is the king of the world. One crown, the Miter, signifies the pope as the king of the church. When the pope receives the Miter, he claims headship over the church. Following that, another crown, the Tiara, is given to him. The Tiara is a crown with seven layers and is made of pure gold. This signifies that he is king of the whole earth. The Lord Jesus has not established His kingdom on earth yet. But here are men who have claimed the kingship for more than a thousand years. The kingdom is not here yet, but some have already assumed the kingship. The Tiara is embedded with 146 precious stones and 540 pearls. All of them are big and costly.
St. Peter's Cathedral, where the pope frequently appears, was built at a cost of nine hundred million pounds. This building was supposedly erected in remembrance of Peter, a fisherman by the sea of Galilee.
I have visited the Vatican. It is hard to estimate how much that city is worth, because everything there is precious. The entire ceiling of St. Peter's Cathedral is painted with eighteen- karat gold. Everywhere the city is shining with gold. The buildings in the pope's residence cause any palace of any king or emperor on earth to pale in comparison! One can hardly find another place that exceeds Rome in luxury and excess. Yet the pope claims to be the earthly representative of Jesus of Nazareth.
Thus, every word of the Bible is fulfilled!
"Gilded with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations." In the Bible the word abominations always refers to idols. For example, abominations in 2 Chronicles 33, Ezekiel 20, Daniel 9, and Deuteronomy 7 refer to idols. Abominations in the Bible only mean one thing — idols.
"Cup full of...the unclean things of her fornication." This means that the things of other religions have been brought into Christianity. This is indeed a defilement.
"With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and those who dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication" (v. 2). The power of Roman Catholicism is truly international in nature!
Those who dwell on the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Men have been converted to Roman Catholicism everywhere. She is indeed Babylon. Babylon means confusion and fornication, and that is exactly what she is! I have said that she has mixed the world with the church, paganism with Christianity, believers with unbelievers, grace with the law, the New Testament with the Old Testament, and God with idols. Everything is a mixture and everywhere there is fornication. This is what Roman Catholicism has done.
Revelation 17:6 says, "I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus." She was drunk with the blood of the saints! All readers of the Bible know that the persecution of the Roman Empire ended in 313 A.D. But the persecution of the Roman Catholic Church has never stopped. It is going on even today (1948). We do not have to read many books to find this out. Foxe's Book of Martyrs tells us about men killed by the Catholic Church and the Roman Empire. As a matter of fact, the number of people who have been killed by the Catholic Church far exceeds the number of those who have been killed by the Roman Empire.
Every student of history knows about the persecutions in Spain, the Spanish Inquisition. Believers were branded as heretics and 10,220 were burned to death within twelve months. As soon as a person confessed his faith in the Lord, he was put to death. All the judges in Catholic countries obeyed the order of the church. It was rare for the church to execute men directly. When the church wanted someone to die, it would request the courts to execute them. The church would not kill directly, but it asked the local authorities to do the killing.
The pope would pronounce twenty-seven anathemas every Thursday against all those who were considered heretics. Of course, when one adds up the finer points of the anathemas, there were more than twenty-seven items. The pope would curse all those who believed in the so-called heresies. After his pronouncement, he would kindle a torch and cast it down and quench it, signifying that everyone who believed in heresies would suffer eternal perdition. Please bear in mind that the heresies the Roman Catholic Church spoke of are what you and I believe in.
Since the time of Martin Luther, all bishops of the Roman Catholic Church had to make a solemn vow to persecute the heretics. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church is committed to persecuting those who hold the same faith as ours. St. Thomas Aquinas, a renowned figure in Catholicism once said, "Anyone who believes in heresies must be handed over to secular officials to be destroyed after being admonished twice." The Catholic Church would not execute the judgment itself, but it would hand the case over to local officials for execution. The Roman Catholic Church openly professes that the words of Thomas Aquinas are direct inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
Do not think that this persecution is over. No, it is still going on. Everyone who has eyes will see that Roman Catholicism will keep coming back.
Within the stated decrees of Rome there is a clause which says that secular kings must destroy all heretics within their realms or else be excommunicated or lose their thrones.
A few popes in Rome, such as Holonesis III, Ignas IV, and Alexander III, passed decrees which demanded all Catholics to fully destroy heretics. Gregory XIII told Charles IX that if he wanted to keep his country in godliness and religiosity, he must condemn all the heretics on the whole earth and fully destroy them. One of the pope's words was published in the British newspaper, Times, on July 13, 1895. It said, "If you assassinate a Protestant, it will absolve your sin of assassinating a Roman Catholic." These were the words of a pope! Another pope said, "To murder someone under the order of a priest is not considered murder." These were the laws and edicts of Roman Catholicism.
As late as 1809 there were still witnesses who saw Protestants, the so-called heretics, killed in Madrid, the capital of Spain. Some had been freshly slain, while others were left to decay. There were some who were half-alive, while others, both men and women, young and old, even men in their seventies, were among the victims. Some had been stripped naked and thrown into prison. The instruments of torture that were employed could only have been conceived of by Satan in collaboration with men. This was the condition in Madrid as late as 1809.
In 1848, during the Italian revolution, piles of bones were found in large buildings in Rome. Two furnaces were found in these buildings with bones not yet fully burned.
One way of dealing with the Protestants was this: "Hang a person by the legs with a pulley and tie him with a rope. Tighten the rope with a ratchet so that it cuts into the flesh. Then drop water from the ceiling onto the person's mouth. Cover his mouth so that he may not breathe or ventilate."
In 1540 the Jesuit Society was formed by the Roman Catholic Church to counteract the Protestants, and from that time more than 1.9 million believers were murdered in Rome alone.
In 1901 Pope Leo XIII published an article in Rome which said, "The church, that is, the Roman Catholic Church, has authority from God to confiscate all properties of heretics and imprison and burn them."
Please bear in mind that Roman Catholicism has been persecuting God's children down through the ages. I have read many such stories. Many martyrs suffered severe persecution in America, Germany, Spain, and other places. The Catholic Church calls everyone who puts his faith in Christ a heretic. It is a heresy to have faith in Christ; it is a crime punishable by death. The Scripture is indeed fulfilled: "I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus." This is the persecution of Roman Catholicism. It is still here with us today.
Revelation 17:1 says, "One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, Come here; I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits upon the many waters." Verse 15 says, "He said to me, The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues." The Bible shows us that this harlot sits upon many waters, which means that Roman Catholicism will expand tremendously. Verse 16 pronounces judgment on Roman Catholicism. Verse 15 shows us that Roman Catholicism will cover the whole earth before she is judged. This is the Lord's prophecy, and we cannot change it! She will sit upon peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues. She will spread everywhere and expand greatly.
Roman Catholicism is prospering not only in China but also throughout the whole world. I have always paid attention to statistics. For every Protestant in America, there are seven Catholics. The Catholics outnumber the Protestants sevenfold. Since 1920, after Mussolini made a pact with the pope by acknowledging the Vatican as an independent state, Roman Catholicism has greatly expanded. In 1913 fourteen countries sent their ambassadors to the Vatican. Five emissaries of Rome were stationed overseas. By 1922 there were twenty-five countries with ambassadors in the Vatican, and Rome had twenty-five emissaries overseas. Today in 1948 there are seventy countries with ambassadors in the Vatican, including China. The power of Roman Catholicism is continually expanding.
Today the woman is still with us. Someday she will marry Antichrist. This woman is riding on the beast. In verse 3, she rides upon the beast, which means Roman Catholicism will be directing Antichrist. Later Antichrist will destroy the woman; the ten kings will rise up and make her desolate and naked, eating her flesh and burning her utterly with fire (v. 16). This is her end, which will come to pass at the beginning of the great tribulation.
Please bear in mind that there are saved ones in Roman Catholicism. Do not think that Roman Catholicism is void of saved ones. There are two things which Catholicism still upholds — Christ as the Son of God and His death for mankind. God is calling us now: "Come out of her, My people, that you do not participate in her sins" (Rev. 18:4).
I am telling you these things to show you what will transpire on earth. Sooner or later the power of Roman Catholicism will be greatly expanded! Beware and do not be curious. Do not try to touch it. On the one hand, we should know about it. On the other hand, we should not touch it. This should be our attitude.
God forbids any of His children to touch the things of Roman Catholicism. He did not say that she is an adulteress but that she is a harlot. A person who sins in marriage is called an adulteress. But those who are not even married do not meet the requirement of being an adulteress; they are harlots. Roman Catholicism has nothing to do with God. Today a woman has stepped in and is teaching the church, putting leaven into the three measures of meal, and riding upon Antichrist, the Roman Empire. God calls this one the great harlot! A new believer must not be fooled. He must not think that since we and Catholics both believe in Jesus, we are therefore the same. We must be very clear that we should in no way communicate with Roman Catholicism. We must shut the door and not go in! Do not be led away by curiosity!
