I have just watched six of the nine episodes of Christophe Hanauer's series, "The Seven Churches of the Apocalypse." From an archaeological, historical, and cultural perspective, the result is very interesting. However, the same cannot be said for the in-depth understanding of the spiritual significance of the second and third chapters of Revelation.
I wondered why the series unfortunately overlooks essential elements of this powerful biblical text.
The first point is that the interviewees are Catholic and Orthodox clergymen, Protestant and Evangelical theologians, and professors of Jewish history. I didn't hear from any Messianic Jews. In chapter 11 of his Epistle to the Romans, Paul explains that Gentile Christians are like branches of a wild olive tree grafted onto a cultivated olive tree, which is Jewish Israel. "Do not be arrogant, but be afraid, because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either." Moreover, Paul adds in verse 24: "For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, according to their nature, be grafted into their own olive tree!" Well, that is precisely what Messianic Jews are. They have much better access to the sap rising from the roots of the native olive tree because these are their natural roots.
What is the Book of Revelation? It is a book in which someone called "He Saves," "Yeshua," addresses someone called "God Is Grace," "Yo Khanna." This alone would have deserved special attention, far more than wondering whether the John of Revelation was, in the flesh, also the John who wrote the Gospel and three epistles of the New Testament.
And this name, Yeshua, written in Hebrew, forms seven branches from four letters, and the whole thing is strikingly reminiscent of the seven-branched menorah in the Holy Place. In light of these elements that Judaism offers us, explanations concerning the symbolism of the number seven churches in the first episode are sadly inane. It is about Jesus Himself; it is about His Name; because, through the image of the lampstands, these churches bear His Name!
This is about the Body of Christ. If the goal had been simply to address messages to individual churches, John, like Paul, would have written an epistle to Ephesus, one to Sardis, one to Pergamum… But that is not the point. This is about a prophetic message to the Body of Christ as a whole until the end of time. The seven messages are expected to be read together.
The second reason is that the series does not dig into names. Five of the cities have names that carry meaning in Greek, either directly or through wordplay.
For a long time, I was frustrated by my inability to unravel the mystery of the name Ephesus. But I think the second episode provides the answer. Ephesus presents us with the image of a church that vanishes into non-existence and, consequently, into insignificance. Why? Because it has forgotten its first love. Who is this first love? It is Jesus. Who is Jesus? He is true God and true man: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders. And he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Do we truly grasp this? A child, a son, will be called “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father”!!!
But He has a third characteristic that most Christians forget: He is a true Jew! “Jesus left that place and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that region came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.’ He did not answer her a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, ‘Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.’ He replied, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.’ But she came and knelt before him, saying, ‘Lord, help me!’ He answered, ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she said, ‘yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’” And at that very hour her daughter was healed” (Matthew 15:21-28).
“Sir,” the woman said to him, “I perceive that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you people say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus replied, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; WE worship what WE know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet the hour is coming and is now here when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:19-24). Is the “WE” that Jesus uses here unclear?
To what extent do we truly know someone we love? Completely? Two-thirds? One-third?
Darkness has always attacked by amputating the identity of Jesus.
It has, of course, called his divinity into question. First came Arianism. And where Arianism took root, it subsequently fostered the establishment of antichrist Islam. This is blatant in North Africa, where Augustine of Hippo sought to enlighten the Vandals. But such heresies also flourished in the Middle East. Today, Jehovah's Witnesses proceed from the same errors and do not hesitate to distort translations of Scripture, thus revealing the true nature of the spirit that animates it.
The darkness also instilled doubt about the human nature of Jesus. It was primarily in Egypt and Syria that Monophysite churches survived. They offered little spiritual resistance to the antichristian Islam that dominated them.
But the darkness also attacks the Jewishness of the Messiah. The spiritual consequences are equally devastating, for it renders the churches barren, if not under the curse of Balaam (Numbers 22:24). They read—when they read at all!—words of the Bible filled with blessings for the people of the first covenant, but these blessings do not penetrate their hearts. When we sing hymns that proclaim Jesus to be the Lion of Judah, do we truly understand what we are singing, that Judah was a tribe and a country whose capital was Jerusalem? To then intercede on a equal footing for Israel and for a so-called "Palestine" is… tragic!
From the third episode, suffice it to say that we never once hear that "Smyrna" means "myrrh."
The fourth episode, however, really struck me. We are so steeped in atheistic materialism; it has so thoroughly permeated our way of thinking that we have become impervious to the spiritual foundations of everything around us. But some of us have received the Spirit of God, and He does not readily let us sleep in the presence of the spiritual underpinnings of our world. For a long time, I felt uneasy seeing the snake behind the windshield of doctors' cars during consultations. The same was true of seeing the snake on pharmacy signs. The details provided about the cult of Asclepius in Pergamon, about the importance of snakes, definitively reinforce my feeling that modern medicine is STILL under demonic influence, and this perfectly explains everything we have witnessed over the past five years. There are Christian doctors and caregivers, certainly, but they practice an art whose foundations are not at all Christian and which bears the fruits of its dark roots. This is a stumbling block against which every Christian should be especially vigilant: “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa’s feet became diseased, and he suffered greatly. Even while he was sick, he did not seek the Lord, but consulted physicians” (2 Chronicles 16:12).
Regarding the fifth episode, Thyatira, there is no need to elaborate. Antichrist Islam began with spiritual manifestations, the fabrications of a pseudo-angel Gabriel who came to reveal the true scriptures to Muhammad, on the grounds that the Jews and Christians had falsified them. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let them be accursed!” (Galatians 1:8). That is why there is something truly pathetic about listening to a Dominican wonder what the person of Jezebel might be at the end of chapter two of Revelation.
The sixth episode, Sardis, stays closer to the spiritual core of the message addressed to this church. I have known charismatic French Huguenots and I remember their dilemma when the United Protestant Church of France pushed its liberalism to the point of no longer questioning buggery. Any denial of Scripture is a denial of Jesus that can only lead to spiritual death. But these faithful Huguenots have not soiled their garments, and Jesus finds them worthy to walk with Him in white robes.
I copy below a reflection I have developed over thirty years.
CHURCH and Churches
There is the Church, and then there are churches.
With the New Testament, God reveals a new and decisive stage in his plan of salvation for humanity. After the Word of God took human form in Jesus, the Son, who is in the Father and in whom the Father is (John 14:10), God now unites to Christ the people he saves through the Holy Spirit. This people forms the body of Christ: the Church.
Today, the understanding of the word "Church" varies greatly. For many Christians, this word is synonymous with "denomination" when referring to the denomination to which they belong; other denominations are considered sects or heresies.
Is this really what Jesus had in mind when John said to him one day, “Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we wanted to stop him because he was not one of you”? And Jesus replied, “Do not stop him, for whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:49-50)? What, then, did Jesus have in mind when he spoke of his Church?
The word used in the original Greek text of the Holy Scriptures after the coming of Christ is “εκκλησία.” In the Romance languages of Western Europe, this word became “église,” “chiesa,” “iglesia,” “igreja.” However, it lost the meaning that its still-clear etymology preserved in Ancient Greek. The word "εκκλησία" is composed of the Greek prefix "εκ-", meaning "out of" or "from", and is related to the Latin "ex-", the German "er-/ur-", the Russian "iz-", the Polish "z-", etc. The root of the word "εκκλησία" comes from a very old Indo-European verb meaning "to call", in Ancient Greek "καλώ", whose aorist passive form is "εκλήθην". This verb is closely related to the English "to call", the Danish "at kalde", the Swedish "att kalla", the Welsh "galw", the Breton "galvet", etc.
Therefore, “εκκλησία” should be understood as a group of people called out of something. Applied to Christians, “εκκλησία” conveys the image of a group of people who, at God’s call, were rescued from the world—in the sense of the word in the Gospel of John—and from the darkness that had enveloped them.
EKΚΛΗΣΙΑ and EKΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΙ
« So I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hel will not overcome it ». (Matthew 16:18)
When Jesus tells Peter, in Matthew 16:18, that he is the rock on which he will build his church, he uses the singular form. Since the church is the supernatural link between God and the community of those who have heard his call, there can only be one church.
However, in Revelation, Jesus also speaks of churches, in the plural: seven churches. Apparently, the book of Revelation begins with letters addressed to seven churches in the province of Anatolia, formerly called Asia.
In these letters, Jesus addresses warnings and exhortations to certain churches, while encouraging others regarding his return. As we know, the passages in Revelation that follow these letters refer to prophetic visions of the end times. However, the end times described in Revelation have not yet begun, even though some signs foreshadow the imminence of the events announced in this book.
However, neither the province of Asia nor the seven churches in question still exist. The Christian communities in the interior of Anatolia did not survive the conversion to Islam "proposed" by the Seljuks during their conquest of the peninsula in the 14th century. With the fall of Byzantium in 1453, virtually no hope of salvation remained for the Christians of Anatolia.
Greek Orthodox communities were able to maintain a presence on the coasts for longer, particularly around Ephesus and Smyrna. However, they were expelled during the Greco-Turkish War of 1920–1923, so that the descendants of the Christians of Ephesus and Smyrna now live in the suburbs of Athens and Thessaloniki. In Ephesus and Smyrna, there are hardly any Christians left except for a few German communities, which can be counted on one hand.
When John received the great Revelation (the meaning of the Greek word “apocalypse”), he was on the island of Patmos, very close to the Anatolian coast. Anatolia lies to the east of Patmos. It is in this direction that “the bright morning star” rises (Revelation 22:16). From this perspective, one can imagine that the vision of the province of Asia was, in a sense, a scene from which Jesus wanted to show John a future state of the Church, using the existing churches as symbols. This future reality, which has emerged from the history of the Church over the centuries and become the reality we know today, is far too complex for John to have grasped directly. This is undoubtedly why the text so often repeats, as a call to heighten awareness, an invitation to look beyond appearances: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
SEVEN GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS
“I turned to look at the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands.” (Revelation 1:12) Before examining the message to the seven churches in more detail, let us focus on one detail of John’s vision: the seven golden lampstands. “You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand, its base, and its shaft shall be set back; its cups, its buds, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. Six branches shall extend from its sides: three branches of the lampstand on each side. The first branch shall have three cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and flowers; the second branch shall also have three cups shaped like almond blossoms, with buds and flowers. The six branches of the lampstand shall be like this.” The lampstand is adorned with four cups shaped like almond blossoms, buds and open flowers: one bud under the first two arms, another under the next two, and a final one under the last two, making six arms in total. The buds and branches will be set into the lampstand, and the whole thing will be made from a single piece of pure, stamped gold. You will then make its seven lamps. They will be placed so that they shine before it. Its shade and its ash pan will be of pure gold. You will make them with all their fittings and a talent of pure gold. Observe the pattern shown to you on the mountain and make it exactly as you did it.” (Exodus 25:31-40)
The Lord described to Moses with great precision how this lampstand was to be made. From a spiritual perspective, it is therefore an important object. It must be made of pure gold. This gold symbolizes the kingship of God: “When they entered the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11), but also the priesthood (cf. Exodus 28, verses 5, 6, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 34, 36).
The lampstand has seven arms, on which are placed seven lamps. Its base has four bowls. Two branches extend from each of the three lower bowls. This combination of the numbers four and seven gives us one of the keys to the meaning of the lampstand.
Four is the number of letters in the name revealed to Moses at Horeb: יהוה. And this is what you shall say to the Israelites: “He who is has sent me to you.” (Exodus 3:14) Four is also the number of letters that make up the name of Jesus: ישוע.
ישוע
Just as the lampstand illuminated the tabernacle where YHWH dwelt among the Hebrews, Jesus is, in a sense, the lampstand upon which the fire of the Spirit burns and which illuminates for us the face of the Father. Now, the Father desires to be worshiped in spirit and in truth (cf. John 4:23), or rather, in spirit, that is, through the Holy Spirit, and in truth, who is Jesus, “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Therefore, when John, at the beginning of the Book of Revelation, sees the seven Churches represented by seven lampstands (Rev 1:20), it must undoubtedly be assumed that each of the seven Churches bears the name of Jesus.
In any case, each of the Churches represents only one of the seven branches of the name of Jesus, or one of the seven members of the body of Christ. It follows that if they were united, they would more fully embody the name of Jesus, whose letters they together form, in the place God intended for each of them within the body of Christ.
It is also significant that the first and seventh branches share the same point of support on the column, as do the second and sixth, the third and fifth, with the fourth being isolated. Note also that the sum of the ranks of the two branches of each ark is 8: 1 + 7, 2 + 6, 3 + 5. Jesus is the son of David, and David was the eighth son of Jesse.
The total sum is 24 (not counting the central lamp of the fourth rank), like the number of elders mentioned in Revelation 4:4.
If we add the four living creatures together, we get 28, which also corresponds to the product of the number of branches of the name Jesus (7) and the number of letters (4).
Rather than briefly commenting on what the Book of Revelation reveals about each church in the order it is mentioned, it is more interesting to discover them gradually, arc by arc.
FIRST ARCH
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) The first and seventh lamps of the lampstand are placed at the ends. From this position, their light spreads more widely than that of the other lamps. Their specific purpose is to reveal the light of Jesus to a world shrouded in darkness.
EPHESUS
« Have you not suffered for my name, and not grown weary? » (Revelation 2:3) Ephesus is the first of the seven churches mentioned. Being in the first position holds special significance in all cultures. In the Bible, the firstborn are consecrated to YHWH: YHWH spoke to Moses and said, “Consecrate to me all the firstborn of Israel, whether of flesh or of beast; they are mine… When YHWH brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, you shall give to YHWH every fetus that comes from the womb, and all the firstborn of your livestock; the males belong to YHWH.” (Exodus 13:2, 11-12) The same will be true for Samuel and, of course, for Jesus.
Ephesus could be the Greek phonetic adaptation of a city with an Anatolian name. It could be "Apasha," mentioned in Hittite documents. However, even from Hittite, a language still poorly mastered, it remains very difficult to grasp the meaning of the city's name. If we venture to make associations, we might link the first element to the idea of "behind" or "to catch," and the second to that of "good," "field," or even, conversely, "shame," but all of this remains as uncertain as vague.
In any case, the historical biblical Ephesus appears clearly to us only through the Epistle to the Ephesians.
There were saints and believers faithful to Jesus Christ (1:1). They had believed in the word of truth, the gospel of salvation, and had received the Holy Spirit (1:13). They trusted in Christ and in brotherly love (1:16).
Paul told them that Christ is above all power, authority, principality, and every name that is invoked (1:21). He added that the infinitely manifold wisdom of God is revealed to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms through the Church (3:10). And above all, he emphasized that the struggle of God's children is not against other people, but against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (6:12). As is known, Paul lists the weapons of spiritual warfare in this chapter (14-18).
Paul clearly states that salvation comes by grace and faith, that it is a gift from God and not acquired through good works (2:8-9).
Paul also exhorts the Ephesians to unity, the unity of the one body of Christ, which is the work of his Spirit (4:3-4). He strongly emphasizes that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and one Father for all (4:5-6). What threatens this unity in the Spirit are, in particular, the teachings, deceptions, and cunning of men who lead them astray (4:14).
Paul concludes his exhortations thus: “The Ephesians must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking, in the darkening of their minds, and in ignorance and hardness of heart, alienated from the life of God” (4:17-18). However, the following verses give the impression that, among the saints and believers of Jesus Christ in Ephesus, lying, anger, slander, drunkenness, debauchery, and even theft persisted!
Of course, all of Paul’s recommendations apply to God’s children of all times. But could they have had a particular relevance for the Christians of Ephesus?
At this point, it is interesting to examine the other side of Ephesus, as presented in the Book of Acts, beginning in verse 23 of chapter 19, and to reread everything that precedes it in light of this excerpt.
We learn that Ephesus was a “religious” city, or more precisely, a city where a portion of the population derived its wealth from the trade in religious jewelry.
This detail is important. Among those who felt threatened by the growth of the Church in Ephesus was Demetrius. It is easy to guess that he was so named because his parents dedicated him to the goddess Demeter, whose name undoubtedly contains the word “mother.” Some interpret the first syllable as "earth" (dê instead of the usual "gê" of geography), because Demeter was a deity associated with agriculture, invoked for good harvests. However, it is also possible that, through the loss of the digamma sound « w », « dê » would stand for the Indo-European word for "god." Demeter was either the Earth Mother or the Mother Goddess.
The goddess who brought prosperity to the Ephesians (Acts 19:24) was Artemis, called Diana by the Romans. Who exactly was this goddess? Her main characteristic was her virginity. Associated with the moon, she was therefore a deity of the night and considered the sister of the sun god Apollo. There is little need to say more, except that by combining the symbols of Demeter and Artemis, one finds practically all the attributes of the Queen of Heaven, including the prosperity that the places where she appeared derived from the sale of religious jewelry.
It is interesting to note that in Acts 19:27, Diana is worshipped throughout the world. Of course, at that time, Diana/Artemis was known only in the Greco-Roman world. Consequently, the same entity was worshipped elsewhere under different names. Indeed, we know that the Anatolians, and therefore presumably also the inhabitants of pre-Greek Ephesus, worshiped the goddess Cybele, considered the "Great Mother," in whom the peoples of the Near East recognized their "Astarte," frequently mentioned in the Old Testament.
The account in verse 35 of the fall of the statue of Diana from heaven should not be taken lightly. In Sainte-Anne-d'Auray, the peasant who claimed to have seen "the Mother of Mary" asserted that she had led him to the place where a statue of her was buried. This statue was venerated until its final disappearance during the revolution. A similar story unfolded in Medjugorje, Bosnia: children displayed a rosary they said they had received as a gift from "Mary." Let us not underestimate the power of darkness.
Ephesus represents the first Church, the first Churches. Most, however, were absorbed by the later, larger Churches or disappeared under the influence of anti-Christian Islam. Does anything of this still exist today?
"The Lord will reveal himself to the Egyptians, and on that day they will acknowledge him. They will offer him sacrifices and gifts, and make vows and fulfill them. When the Lord strikes the Egyptians, he will strike them and heal them; They will then turn to him, and he will answer their prayers and heal them. On that day, a highway will open between Egypt and Assyria. Assyria will come to Egypt, and Egypt to Assyria. Egypt will work with Assyria. On that day, Israel will come, the third part, with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, a blessing that the Lord Almighty will pronounce: “Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria, the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance!” (Isaiah 19:21-24). The way that unites Egypt with Assyria is Jesus (John 14:6). Ephesus could therefore represent the Coptic Church and the Syriac Jacobite Church, non-Chalcedonian Eastern Churches. These churches share a stubborn refusal of union with the Byzantine Orthodox Church; the use of ancient liturgical languages predating the spread of Arabic beyond the Arabian Peninsula (the Copts use Coptic Egyptian, the language spoken in the time of the pharaohs, the Syriac-Jacobites Aramaic, the language Mary and Joseph spoke with Jesus, and which Jesus used with the twelve apostles); and, above all, their insistence, in reaction to the heresy of Nestorius, on the divine nature of Jesus, which, according to them, transcended his human nature. The heretical bishop Nestorius was, in a sense, a precursor to Islam. He vehemently denied the divinity of Jesus, asserting that he possessed only a human nature. He merely declared that Jesus was sometimes "possessed" by the Spirit of God, which explained his words of wisdom and his miracles. Nestorius involved a large part of the Church of his time in his heresy: the Christian communities that the apostles and their successors had converted to the Gospel in India, Persia, Mesopotamia, and Arabia—regions that would fall under Islam three centuries later. In reaction, the Coptic and Syriac Churches went to the opposite extreme, known as "Monophysitism" (one nature, but the divine nature). It is certainly for this reason that these Churches distanced themselves from the beliefs of other Churches that affirm the coexistence of the two natures, divine and human, in Jesus: Jesus is fully God and fully man. These Churches, however, remained within the Christian family by not rallying to the Antichrist, unlike the Nestorians, as it is written in 1 John 2:22: "Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? It is the Antichrist!" He denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either.” Jesus may be referring to their spiritual struggle against the Nestorian heresy when he says in verse 2 of the second chapter of Revelation: “I know your deeds, your efforts and your perseverance. I know that you do not tolerate evildoers. You have tested those who claimed to be apostles and have found them false.” Then came the encirclement by Islam, which continues to this day. These Churches, which could be represented by Ephesus, have suffered greatly for the name of the Lord, and great perseverance (cf. Rev 2:4) was necessary to continue bearing witness to Christ throughout the centuries in countries like Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, which had relegated Christians to the bottom of the social ladder. But over time, belonging to Christ became more and more a communal identity, and faith grew cold. “Return, therefore, and remember from where you have strayed; repent and return to your former ways.” Otherwise, if you do not repent, I will come upon you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Revelation 2:5) Does Jesus want this early Church to reclaim the place he gave it, that of a lighthouse on a hill, whose purpose is to bring to Christ all those—many—in the Middle East who do not know him?
LAODICEA
“I know your ways, that you are neither cold nor hot… You think that I am rich, that I have become rich and do not need a thing” (Revelation 3:15-17). The name Laodicea is composed, on the one hand, of the word “λαός,” which means “people,” but it should probably be understood here in opposition to the clergy, since this Greek word is the origin of French words like “laïc,” “laïque,” and “laïcité,” and on the other hand, of a root which, in Greek, meant law, justice, custom, and practice, and from which derive the verbs meaning “to enforce the law” and “to consider right, to think right.” Laodicea could therefore represent a Church where the laity have the power to decide and arbitrate. It is therefore tempting to see in this, as a powerful illustration, a Church in symbiosis with a Western nation: England. England is the cradle of parliamentarianism and the first great modern nation where the power of the crown was counterbalanced by an elected government. It is also a nation that, unlike revolutionary and rebellious France, long integrated God into its public life. Thus, England has carried the light of Christ wherever it has been able to take root in the world. Is this not the source of its economic prosperity over the last few centuries? Is it not the hand of the Almighty that preserved it from the forces of darkness during the Second World War? As for the Church of England, its head is the sovereign, that is to say, a layman and not a cleric, since Henry VIII took the initiative and decided himself on the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which the Pope opposed. This Church represents a blend of preserving Catholic splendor and rites, visible in the Upper Church, and incorporating a degree of Protestant reform in the Lower Church. This unique characteristic has made it a true bridge for ecumenical dialogue. However, it has also generated internal tensions throughout its history. Might this not have led to a tendency toward compromise in order to avoid the turbulence inherent in decisions made collectively? I know your nature: you are neither cold nor hot (Revelation 3:15). Jesus abhors compromise: “Because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Like other ancient churches, the Anglican Church has accumulated wealth over the centuries. The Lord knows perfectly well that riches can mask profound spiritual poverty. This is why he warns Laodicea emphatically: “You think, ‘I am rich; I have become rich; I do not want.’ But you do not realize it because you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). The Lord calls Laodicea to turn to true riches, spiritual riches. The gold mentioned in verse 18 of the third chapter of Revelation reminds us of the gold of the spiritual land of Havilah, where the spiritual river Pishon flows (Genesis 2:11-12). The white garments symbolize a purity incompatible with financial speculation and other worldly activities. The salve anointing the eyes represents the Spirit to whom Jesus opens himself in Laodicea.
However, we can also consider the more recently established churches that emphasize material wealth. One does not exclude the other, for these various Churches share above all a same "spirit" of the Church. Consequently, each of them has the same angel.
SECOND ARCH
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love comes from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8). “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:21). The second arch represents the love of Jesus. The second lamp evokes the couple, the Beloved, of the Song of Songs. The sixth lamp recalls the six points of the Star of David, a symbol of Israel, beloved by the Father. Six is the Hebrew letter “vav,” which means hook or nail. This is why it is associated with the crucifixion and is the third letter of the name of Jesus.
SMYRNA
“Do not be afraid of the sufferings that await you…” (Revelation 2:10) Smyrna represents a small church. The message the Lord addresses to it is the shortest of the seven. What could this small church be? Its name derives from myrrh, an aromatic plant used, particularly in ancient Mediterranean times, to slow the decomposition of corpses. It irresistibly brings about death… as the text of Revelation confirms. Smyrna is marked by suffering. It represents a particular form of profession of love for God: bloody martyrdom. Throughout the centuries, many Christians around the world have gone so far as to shed their blood rather than renounce their faith. But there is one people and its church that have endured this ordeal repeatedly throughout their history, in such an extreme way that it presents a parallel with the history of the people of Israel. This people has endured numerous invasions, occupations, deportations, and massacres. « Do not be afraid of the sufferings that await you. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison to tempt you, and you will be tempted for ten days » (Revelation 2:10). This people also seems to have received talents and material possessions similar to those God bestowed upon Israel. Could this be the reason why Jesus speaks of a particular jealousy among religious Jews toward Smyrna? “I know your afflictions and your poverty, yet you are rich. I also know the blasphemies of those who call themselves Jews, for this is a synagogue of Satan!” (Revelation 2:9). If we write the name of Smyrna in Hebrew characters, that is, if we consider only the consonants, we find that these, although jumbled, are identical to those of the Greek name of the nation in question in the genitive case: Αμενίας, Armenia. Smyrna, whose name appears only once in the genitive case in the text of Revelation, could it represent, in particular, the Gregorian Church?
PHILADELPHIA
“See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut…” (Revelation 3:8). Philadelphia has a very particular name: “φιλάει τον αδελφόν.” It is therefore a church “that loves its brother.” What a message! The passage in Revelation concerning Philadelphia clearly shows us that the warnings do not refer to a small rural church of the first century AD. For Jesus says, “My coming is near” (3:11), “because you have kept my commandment to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world, and which will test all who live on the earth” (3:10). How could these passages be separated from the rest of the book of Revelation? If a trial is to test the faith of all the inhabitants of the earth, it necessarily presupposes that the Gospel has been proclaimed to all, which was clearly not the case in the first century of Christianity. Jesus deeply loves the sixth Church; He addresses only words of blessing and encouragement to it. The door that remains open in this Church, and that no one can close, is the one through which the Holy Spirit breathes His breath into the world. The sixth Church is the Church of the Holy Spirit! Therefore, it is tempting to see it among the vast family of evangelical churches: the Baptists, persecuted in Europe during the Reformation by Catholics and Protestants; the Methodists of John and Charles Wesley; the Pentecostals; the Salvation Army, which so aptly illustrates the precept "love thy brother"; and the numerous evangelical churches of various denominations. These churches have experienced considerable growth in North America. It is worth noting that the Turks renamed the ancient Anatolian city of Philadelphia "Alasahir," while today a major city southwest of New York City, in the United States, bears the name Philadelphia. Is this a coincidence? If a charismatic revival has occurred in parts of various historic churches that were nearly extinct, it is through these churches that the Spirit is being reborn. The Spirit will never cease to blow in Philadelphia, for Jesus told them, “What he opens no one can shut” (Revelation 3:7)… “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut,” and although you have little power (indeed, from a temporal perspective, these are only small communities that do not possess the powerful organization of the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, the autocephalous Orthodox Churches, or the national Reformed Churches), you have kept my promise without denying my name. Philadelphia received a magnificent promise from our Lord: “I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to test all people on earth… Hold fast what you have, so that no one takes the crown from you. The one who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God” (Revelation 3:10-12). Finally, some evangelical churches are at the forefront of evangelizing the people whose salvation has come. The Messianic Jewish movement, through which Jews worldwide are currently turning to Jesus and recognizing him as the Messiah, is closely related to the evangelical church family. Jews are gradually entering the body of Christ and fulfilling the prophecy of Romans 11:25-29: “Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and fall down at your feet, and acknowledge that I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9).
Freemasonry is a synagogue of Satan that has deceived many Jews.
THIRD ARCH
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were made through the Word of God; without the Word of God nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3). “The words that I have spoken to you are full of the Spirit and life” (John 6:63). The third arch is connected to the Word of Jesus. This Word has been preserved intact and proclaimed with authority to all nations. The number three evokes the Trinity, but also the three days that separate the Passion from the Resurrection. It appears in numerous passages of the Bible: three years (Genesis 159, 2 Samuel 13:38), three days (Genesis 224, 31:22, 34:25, 42:17, Exodus 5:3, 8:23, 10:22, 19:15-16, Joshua 1:11, 2:16, 9:16, Judges 194, 20:30, 1 Samuel 9:20, 30:13, 2 Kings 217, 205, Nehemiah 2:11, Isaiah 385, Hosea 6:2, Acts 9:9, 10:30, 28:12, 28:17), three hours (Acts 5:7), three times (Genesis 26:19-22, Numbers (22:28), (24:10, Judges 16:15, 1 Samuel 3:8, Acts 10:16), three lodges (Ezekiel 40:21)... As for the number five, it evokes the five fingers of the hand, particularly the one that wrote on the wall of Belshazzar's palace (Daniel 5:5). Moreover, it is of course the number associated with the Law, the Torah, which consists of the five books of Moses. We also think of the five colonnades of the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:2), where God's healing power was revealed, and of the five wise virgins whose Torah was illuminated by the oil of the Holy Spirit, while that of the five foolish virgins was extinguished before the arrival of the Bridegroom. In Hebrew, five is the letter "heh," meaning breath, closely linked to the Spirit.
PERGAMUM
« I know where you live; there is Satan’s throne ». (Revelation 2:13)
Pergamum means fortress in Greek (think of « borough » in English, « Burg » in German). A fortress is a place of refuge and protection, provided it has not fallen into the hands of the devil.
Parchment was invented in Pergamum, hence its name in German, « Pergament ». Pergamum could be a church where the Word has remained intact, just as parchment has been for other churches. As everyone knows, the books of the New Testament were composed in Greek (without prejudice to Hebrew originals, see Claude Tresmontant). However, like the rest of the Bible, they were translated into various languages with varying degrees of compliance to the original, notably into Latin. Over time, the Western Church became accustomed to referring only to the Latin Vulgate and lost knowledge of the original texts. These were, in a way, rediscovered by the West after the fall of Byzantium. This return to the original texts would become one of the driving forces behind the Reformation in the following century. For these reasons, it is tempting to consider Pergamum as the Orthodox Church. Its destiny throughout history has been to be at the forefront of the struggle against the Antichrist. First, on a spiritual and doctrinal level, in the face of the Nestorian heresy; then on a secular level, with the Muslim encirclement; and finally, under the heavy yoke of the Ottoman Empire for several centuries. The spiritual capital of this Church is Constantinople. Today, the Orthodox “Rome” is not only in the hands of those who deny the Son, but they have also transformed the Hagia Sophia cathedral into a mosque. This could be partly why Jesus said, “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:13). After the fall of Constantinople, Moscow received the title of Third Rome. We now know that the Kremlin churches were desecrated starting in 1917 and became the headquarters of world communism: "There is Satan's throne." Who were the Nicolaitans? The most audacious editions of the Bible claim they were followers of a certain Nicholas, about whom little is known. Indeed, apart from the Book of Revelation, there are few historical documents that allow us to identify the sect to which it refers. But what if it was neither a sect nor a Nicholas? In fact, the name Nicolaitans contains the word λαός (people), which we have already encountered, and probably also victory. The name "Nicolaitan" could very well designate an ideology focused on the victory of the crowd or a victorious crowd (the crowd as opposed to the "oi hagioi," the saints). If Jesus had spoken to John about secularism and communism, he certainly wouldn't have understood either the words or the concepts. The Orthodox Church in Russia and many Eastern European countries is currently experiencing a moral crisis, as many Christians have turned away from it, unable to forgive its compromises with the communist regime. By seeking its survival through agreements with men instead of relying solely on God, it has, in a sense, sold its soul. It restricted the transmission of the faith to avoid a direct confrontation with the ungodly power. In doing so, it allowed the world's lies to spread and was even infiltrated by agents paid by the communists: "But I have a few things against you: You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality." (Revelation 2:14-15). But the communists are only one facet of the Nicolaitans. In the West and in countries that have not experienced a communist regime, they are advancing under the insidious guise of secularism, which, under the pretext of freedom of conscience, seeks to banish God from public life and confine Him to the private sphere of the citizen so that He is as invisible as possible. God desires our whole life and is not content with a brief visit on Sunday morning. This is probably why Jesus addresses this positive point in Ephesus: “But you hate the way of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” (Revelation 2:6)
Furthermore, Berlin is home to a Pergamum Museum, and the Ishtar Gate of Babylon was reconstructed there in 1927. One might wonder if this didn't open a gateway to hell for poor Germany, through which National Socialism burst in. “I know where you live: where Satan has his throne.” (Revelation 2:13)
SARDIS
“They look as if they are alive, but they are dead.” (Revelation 3:1) The etymology of the name Sardis is to be found in ancient Hittite. The Lydians, originally from eastern Anatolia, spoke a language derived from it. “Isparti” was a verb meaning “to rise up, to rule.” Through phonetic erosion, the root was reduced to “sbart-” in the Lydian dialect. Sardis was a fortress built on a hill. It served as a strategic point, controlling an important trade route between Europe and the Middle East through Anatolia. It was also a nearby town from which a gemstone known as sardonyx was mined. This gemstone typically displays striations and bands that radiate more or less concentrically from certain points, giving this brown mineral a heterogeneous appearance. The sardonyx is the first stone to appear on the high priest's breastplate (Exodus 28:17, 39:10). It was believed to represent the tribe of Reuben, Jacob's eldest son. Interestingly, Joseph is traditionally considered a precursor to Christ. However, of the ten brothers in question, only Reuben sought to protect Joseph from the jealousy of his elders (Genesis 37:22-30). The Church symbolized by Sardis could, like the gemstone, represent a Church united by a single substance, yet encompassing multiple centers. It also brings to mind the courageous reformers who opposed the largely apostate and unfaithful Church of the early Renaissance. The emblematic figure of Luther lived in Thuringia, at Wartburg Castle, which stands on a hill. Sardis embraced the apostles' teachings with great enthusiasm, as verse 3 of chapter 3 shows. But then, spiritually speaking, this church fell asleep (see verse 2). Like Sardis, the churches that emerged from the Reformation share a common essence: an unwavering faith founded exclusively on the Holy Scriptures. They have, however, several centers: the Lutheran Reformed Church in Germany, Scandinavia, Finland, Estonia, and Latvia; the Zwingli Reformed Church in Switzerland and the Calvinist Church in Geneva, France, and the Netherlands; and the Knox Reformed Church in Scotland. These churches have placed the Word of God back at the heart of the faith. All of Christendom owes them a debt of gratitude. If, after several centuries, so many Christians can finally read the Word of God as freely as the Jews in Jesus' time (cf. Luke 4:16-19), it is thanks to their example and, without a doubt, their intercession. They brought to light what the Roman Catholic Church, largely corrupted by simony, corruption, debauchery, and contempt for God, had concealed: salvation by faith, the central theme of Saint Paul's epistles (Romans, Galatians). However, the historical context of the Reformation meant that, in some countries, they were quickly co-opted by secular powers and, later, sometimes influenced by the spirit of the world. Knowledge of the Word of God was not systematically accompanied by radical practice. This explains why Christians less inclined toward worldly reason, such as the Anabaptists, were persecuted even in Protestant countries. "Wake up and revive the remnants of your failing life!" “No, I do not find your life complete in the eyes of my God.” (Revelation 3:2) Words without the breath of the Spirit always risk degenerating into a learned and bookish faith, but one that is cold and powerless. However, not all the Christians in Sardis fell into spiritual death, for the Lord adds concerning them: “Some of your people in Sardis have not soiled their clothes; they will come with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy.” (Revelation 3:4)
CENTER OF THE LAMPSTAND
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). The center of the lampstand is occupied by the sacrifice of Jesus, which represents the heart of salvation.
THYATIRA
“But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She leads my servants astray by prostituting themselves with food sacrificed to idols.” (Revelation 2:20)
Among the seven churches, Thyatira occupies the fourth place. It is the central place, the heart of Christianity. The particular importance of Thyatira is also manifested in the length of Jesus’ message, the longest of the seven. Thyatira has a very unusual name at first glance. Here we find the word τείρος, meaning "constellation," and the verb θύω, whose primary meaning evokes violent and shaky movements, the idea of "jumping, of having spasms," while the more recent, derived meaning is that of "sacrificing." Thyatira first describes "a constellation in the throes of shaky movements." There are many constellations in the sky, but none exhibits such a singular movement. Furthermore, it is interesting to draw a connection with another passage from Revelation: "And behold, a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman with the sun covering her, with the moon under her feet, and twelve stars in front of her head" (Rev 12:1). The rest of the text could explain why the constellation, the twelve stars, are subject to shaky movements: "She is pregnant and cries out in the pain and anguish of childbirth." “(Revelation 12:2) The woman who appears in heaven in Revelation, chapter 12, resembling Mary, the mother of our Lord, as depicted in Catholic iconography, is not Mary.
Indeed: 1) By the time John was in Patras, the birth of Jesus had already occurred several decades earlier. Biblical prophecies generally do not refer to events already having occurred.
2) While Scripture clearly speaks of the miraculous nature of Jesus' conception (Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:35, Matthew 1:18-20), the Catholic Church's confession concerning Mary suggests that the same was true of the Savior's birth, since a painful childbirth is a consequence of original sin (Genesis 3:16).” Therefore, Catholic theology cannot reconcile the dogma of the Immaculate Conception with that of Jesus' birth in pain: one must choose one or the other.
3) After Jesus' glorious ascension to the Heavenly Father, Mary did not retreat into the desert for 1260 days. These 1260 days correspond precisely to the period during which the two olive trees will prophesy before the end of time (Revelation 1:13-14). These two olive trees likely represent Israel and the Church, the wild olive tree and the cultivated olive tree mentioned in Romans, chapter 11, and probably also the two olive trees that supply the lampstand with oil in the book of Zechariah, chapter 3.
Let us return, however, to Thyatira and chapter 2. Jesus begins by praising her for her works, which undoubtedly bring him great satisfaction: “I know your conduct, your kindness, your faith, your devotion, your perseverance; your works are abundant” (Revelation 2:19). No other church has received such praise.
But there is a “but,” and a terrible “but”: “I have this against you: You tolerate Jezebel…” Who is Jezebel? She is revealed in verse 31 of chapter 16 of the First Book of Kings. Jezebel is a pagan, born into the pagan nation of Sidon. She married Ahab, king of Israel. But instead of making a covenant with YHWH through this marriage, she led her husband and a portion of Israel into the most abominable idolatry: the worship of Baal. Baal is the most frequently mentioned idol in the Old Testament. Baal is Satan, also called Beel-Zebul (Luke 11:19). The worship offered to him is shameful and includes child sacrifice (see, for example, 1 Kings 16:34, Isaiah 57:5, Jeremiah 7:31, 19:4-5).
Nothing has changed! Jezebel is possessed by a demonic spirit, one of the worst in Hell. What unfortunately characterizes this spirit is its religious nature. The spirit of Jezebel loves nothing more than to don the cassock and chasuble and enter places of worship. Its main goal is to take control of congregations and churches in order to destroy them from within. The spirit of Jezebel resorts to the darkest means to achieve its objectives, including murder. The Pharisees were possessed by the spirit of Jezebel. Jezebel is also the spirit of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre (the night of 1572 during which French Protestants were brutally massacred).
But those whom Jezebel hates most are the prophets.
On Jezebel's orders, the prophets of Israel were killed. Elijah then complains to the Lord in chapter 19 of the First Book of Kings (verse 14): “I am filled with bitter jealousy toward the Lord Almighty, because the Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword.” As for Jezebel's intentions toward Elijah, they were perfectly clear after the massacre of the prophets of Baal, following the great miracle on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-40): “May the gods inflict this disaster on me and add even more disaster, unless by this time tomorrow I make your life one of their lives!” (1 Kings 19:2). And this great prophet, who had stood against an entire nation, against the 450 prophets of Baal, and even against King Ahab himself, “was afraid” (1 Kings 19:3). Jezebel draws from the underworld an almost hypnotic power of intimidation. A liar, a manipulator, and a criminal, she is an unavoidable figure in the world. Thus, in chapter 21 of the First Book of Kings, we read that King Ahab wished to legally acquire a vineyard from his neighbor Naboth, but Naboth refused. The king expressed his frustration to his wife, Jezebel. Now, in Israel, only the king held royal power; his wife had no share in it. But Jezebel, without the king's knowledge, did the following: "She wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with the royal seal, and sent them to the elders and officials who lived with Naboth. In these letters, she wrote: 'Proclaim a fast and appoint Naboth as the leader of the people. Bring two wicked men before him to say, "You have blasphemed against God and the king!" Then bring him out and stone him.'" (1 Kings 21:8-10). What was written was done. Jezebel was an expert in forgery.
Let's return to Thyatira. Jesus accuses it of "tolerating" Jezebel.
Tolerance is considered the greatest virtue in the world today. But Jesus urges us not to tolerate Jezebel, not to condone her. We must denounce her, expose her clandestine activities and intrigues. Verses 20 and 21 of chapter 2 give us another essential key to the book of Revelation. Jezebel is a prostitute: "I gave her time to repent, but she refused to repent of her prostitution." The notorious prostitute mentioned in chapter 17 of Revelation is Jezebel, a Jezebel who has taken possession of Thyatira. According to verse 20 of chapter 2 of Revelation, Jezebel goes to Thyatira as a prophetess.
How tempting it is to think of a woman who appears to “seers” under various names—Immaculate Conception, Mother of Mercy, Queen of Heaven, Lady of All Nations, Queen of Peace—and reveals the future to them in the form of secret prophecies. Chapter 17 could be a dark prophecy for the Catholic Church. “And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had a blasphemous name, and it had seven heads and ten horns” (Revelation 17:3). This beast thus resembles the enormous fiery red dragon with seven heads and ten horns that, in verse 3 of chapter 12 of Revelation, seeks to devour the woman’s child. Verse 9 of chapter 17 clarifies this: “Here, subtlety is key! The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.” Who wouldn’t suspect that the city of seven hills could very well be Rome, the seat of the Roman Catholic Church? It even has its “sacred” seat on the hill of divination, since the name Vatican comes from “vates,” the fortune-teller, and gave us the English word “vaticiner” (to prophesy).
Verse 2 of chapter 18 says: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every unclean spirit, a haunt of every unclean and defiled bird.” This verse shows that the passage does not refer to the fall of ancient pagan Rome, as some complacent exegeses like to claim. This Rome had not become a dwelling place of demons; it had been so from the beginning. Thus, it is clear that Revelation refers to the end times, and we see no reason why chapters 17 and 18 should form an unrelated digression. Furthermore, the depiction of all sorts of unclean and repulsive birds inevitably evokes the monstrous winged stone gargoyles with which so many religious buildings of the Roman Catholic Church are inexplicably "decorated." Finally, in verse 6 of chapter 17, we find a clue suggesting that the Rome in question is the seat of the Catholic Church. In the preceding chapters, John has seen armies of angels, the triumph of the elect, great events accompanied by the sounding of angelic trumpets, and great signs in the heavens. Yet it is only in verse 6 of chapter 17 that John writes, "When I saw him, I was utterly astonished." How could the vision of a prostitute lying on a demon be more astonishing than all of that? John is astonished that the prostitute before him, who “drank the blood of the saints and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus” (Revelation 17:6), lives in the most powerful Church bearing the name of Christ. As the end times approach, the Catholic Church may have fallen so deeply under Jezebel’s sway that Heaven will call Christians to leave it: “Come out of her, my people, and leave her, lest you share in her iniquities and suffer her plagues. For her iniquities have gone up to heaven, and God has remembered her sins” (Revelation 18:4). This warning would be meaningless if it had referred to ancient Rome, which Christians had, on the contrary, occupied and conquered, as Paul’s letter testifies.
Indeed, Babylon the Great is also and primarily the entire corrupt system through which Satan continues to exert his oppressive power over humanity through money and all the bonds that hold humanity in spiritual slavery. But Jesus expects His Churches not to be part of this system.
CONCLUSION
“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to complete unity. And that the world may know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:20-23).
Christ’s lampstand is depicted as follows: at each end, the dim glow of a lukewarm lamp; in the middle, the space is shared with one of the worst demons of hell; the third lamp shines with a faint, compromising light; and the light of the fifth lamp is extinguished. The second and sixth lamps may enjoy good spiritual health, but two healthy arms cannot provide the best service if the rest of the body is sick! How did we get to this point?
The body of Christ has been divided into separate, even hostile and rival, churches, as theologians have clashed over dogmatic issues. Factions have screamed truths and lies at each other, churches have claimed a monopoly on salvation, and controversies have been "settled" with burnings at the stake and galley slaves, as befits pagans who do not know God. But a church can neither possess nor preserve the truth. Scripture teaches us that truth is a person, namely, the person of Jesus (John 14:6). A church can therefore only be in the truth to the extent that it abides in the person of Christ. Now, Christ is the Word made flesh. He is therefore the incarnate Word of God, the Bible.
The Churches have and can have no other source of truth than the person of Jesus and his Word, accessible through the Bible: “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with godly teaching, he is blinded by pride, an ignorant person who indulges in idle chatter and quarrels about words. From this come envy, dissensions, slander, malicious suspicions, and endless conflicts among people who are depraved in mind, deprived of the truth, and for whom godliness is gain.” (1 Timothy 6:3-6). “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not one letter, not one stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven… (Matthew 5:17-19) “And you nullify the word of God by your traditions. Hypocrites!” (Matthew 15:6-7)
The restoration of the body of Christ and its unity requires a return to the Word, for it is the Word that unites, and a rejection of vain human traditions: “[Father,] sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Jesus wants us to be solely workers of his Word and not of our own intentions, however good they may be: “But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that what they have done has been done in God.” (John 3:21) Added to this is a beautiful promise: “If you abide in my word, you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31)
When all the churches are gathered together in the truth, which is the Word of God, they will be fully ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit and radiate the light of Him who is: “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” (John 14:17)
The days of the enemy will be numbered, and the dawn of Christ’s return will soon appear on the horizon: “Yes, my return is near! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all! Amen.” (Revelation 22:20-21)
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