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END-TIME PROPHECY E-NEWSLETTER ... an extension of www.prophecyfulfillment.com ...
ISSUE NUMBER 23
Last Day Churches: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
INTRODUCTION: A 1968 Clint Eastwood movie was titled, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. This movie title describes three church systems that characterize the world’s religious life during the last days. “Good” and “bad” churches exist now. The “ugly” church will not appear until the Tribulation.
I hope this newsletter serves as more than a prophecy history lesson. I hope that anyone who attends a “bad” church will be inspired to find a “good” church.
Jesus dictated to John a letter to each of seven churches. These letters form the basis of the Book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3. These churches were literal First Century churches in Roman Asia (today’s Asia Minor; more specifically, Turkey). John had undoubtedly worshiped and preached in all of these churches.
Of many First Century Christian churches, why would Jesus single out these seven churches? After considering the characteristics of these churches– those traits denoted by Jesus and evident from history– scholars have concluded that they mirror characteristics of the seven Christian church ages (periods). These church ages are:
1. The church in Ephesus: See Revelation 2:1-7. Often called “The Apostolic Church” because the Apostles worshiped at these churches, this church age extended from the Day of Pentecost, AD 33 until ca AD 100. Jesus loved this church, and it may have been the worship closest to His heart.
2. The church at Smyrna: See Revelation 2:8-11. Often called “The Persecuted Church” because Christians experienced persecution and martyrdom through the Roman Empire during this time, this church extended from ca AD 100 until AD 313 (the year Roman Emperor Constantine adopted Christianity as a state religion).
3. The church at Pergamos: See Revelation 2:12-17. Often called “The Indulged Church” because Roman Emperor Constantine stopped persecution of the Christians in AD 313, and incorporated the Christian faith into the Empire, this Christian Church became a state religion. Church leaders soon tried to please governmental leaders more than God. This church extended from AD 313 until ca AD 590.
4. The church at Thyatira: See Revelation 2:18-29. Often called “The Papal Church” because of the strong domination of the Popes (the Roman Catholic Church), leading to a union of church and state, this church extended through the Dark Ages, from ca. 590 AD until the Reformation (ca AD 1517).
5. The church at Sardis: See Revelation 3:1-6. Often called “The Reformed Church” because of the Protestant Church split from the Roman Catholic Church (the Protestant Reformation), this church extended from ca AD 1517, the year Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses of Contention on the Wittenberg church door (ushering in the Protestant Reformation), until ca AD 1790. The reformation churches still exist, but they are weak. I believe these churches in Europe may be swept into the False Prophet’s religion during the Tribulation, becoming comingled with other religions to form an ecumenical false religion.
6. The church at Philadelphia: Read Revelation 3:7-13 (reproduced below). Often called “The Missionary Church” because this age was characterized by worldwide evangelism (spread of the Gospel) through churches in Europe and later and especially through churches in America. There was great hunger among Christians in this age to spread the Gospel to all people, as Jesus had commanded. Even the name of the city signified the love of this church for people they had never before met– Phil- (love) and -adelphia (brother or fellow human). This church extended from ca AD 1790, with the first establishment of English missions in India, until the Twentieth Century (some say until ca 1900, others until ca 1950). This church is still alive, although in the minority of Christian churches, and will remain alive and important in spreading the Gospel until the Rapture.
7. The church at
Laodicea:
Read Revelation 3:14-22 (reproduced
below). Often called “The Apostate,
or The Ecumenical, Church” because
this church bows to a worldview
dominated by man, rather than
following Biblical teachings, this
lukewarm church is still existent,
and in the majority of churches,
began in the Twentieth Century,
especially the mid-part of the
century, and will extend until the
Rapture.
One church age is influenced by the ages which preceded it. Both good and erroneous practices are carried into a church age from earlier church ages. I will use myself as an example. As a boy, I was influenced by my parents, and I still hold onto many of these influences. My parents, in turn, were influenced by their parents, my grandparents. My grandparents, in turn, were influenced by their parents, my great-grandparents, whom I never knew. And, the influence continues back for generations. Each generation imparted some things to the next generation, which ultimately was imparted to me.
The world presently awaits the dreaded, despicable, completely evil church of the Tribulation. This religion will be founded by the False Prophet to promote and worship the Unholy Trinity– Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet– and to oppose the Holy Trinity– God the Father, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The False Prophet will not create his church from nothing on Day One of the Tribulation. Rather, he likely will cobble together bits and pieces of other religions. The world is now embracing apostasy and ecumenism, which will facilitate the transformation from Christianity to the False Prophet’s religion.
THE GOOD– the church with the characteristics of the church at Philadelphia: Scriptural background includes Revelation 3:7-12: [John was commanded to write a revelation from Jesus] “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the keys of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and who shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews but who are not, but lie– indeed I will make them come and worship at your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.’”
Present-day churches modeled after the Philadelphian church have the following characteristics: • The churches are commonly small, have little “power” in man’s eyes, and may be scorned by rich and powerful (Laodicean) churches. • The churches may lack many of the trappings of larger, more socially acceptable, wealthier (Laodicean) churches. • The churches know and keep God’s commandments. They are not ashamed of the name of God or of Jesus. • Church pastors preach from the Holy Bible, believing it to be the inspired, inerrant Word of God. • In keeping God’s commandments, these churches humbly try not to sin against Him, and they willingly go into mission fields begging to be harvested, with too few laborers for the harvest, to reap souls for God’s Kingdom (Luke 10:2).
THE BAD– the church with the characteristics of the church at Laodicea: Scriptural background includes Revelation 3:7-13: [John was commanded to write a revelation from Jesus] “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that they are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”– and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked– I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’”
Is it wrong to call a major church organization, a major part of the Body of Christ, “bad?” Jesus rebuked this church, and told it that He wanted to vomit it from His mouth. What is wrong with the Laodicean-type church? Consider the following:
• The church is lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. Jesus could work on a cold church, inspiring it to work harder for Him. Jesus would need to do little with a hot church, because it is already filled with the Holy Spirit’s fire.
• On the other hand, a lukewarm church is smug and complacent, and probably cannot be helped. Paul warned of people in the last days as (2 Timothy 3:5a) having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.
• In this type of church, pastors may be far too conscious of their theological degrees. They should remember that Jesus used fisherman and laborers, none of whom had formal education, and founded the Christian faith with their labor under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
• These churches are obsessed with programs and events. Jesus did not organize conferences and large multi-media events. He talked directly to people from His heart, and their lives were forever changed through His simple message of love and God’s grace.
• These churches are obsessed with numbers of congregants, reasoning that a 1,000-member church must be ten times greater than a 100-member church. Christianity was started with a few dozen people, sitting in a room which was filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit (Acts, second chapter).
• These churches are so conscious of “seeker friendly” political correctness that pastors preach a namby-pamby sermon loosely based on the Scriptures. “Thus saith the Lord….” is seldom invoked with conviction and authority. Young people flounder in confusion and sin, because no one loves them enough to preach God’s Word plainly and directly to them. Post-abortive women grieve because no one is brave enough to mention abortion and that God’s grace is sufficient for their forgiveness, healing, and redemption into fellowship with God and believers in the church.
• An evangelist told me this week that he is given a list of words he cannot mention from the pulpit in some churches to which he is invited to hold revivals. This list may include: blood, cross, sin, Hell, abortion, homosexuality, and so forth. The congregants might get upset, if they hear the bad consequences of sin or the suffering of Jesus on the cross.
Do these pastors not know that they will be judged for their failure to proclaim God’s Word to people living in darkness? They should read Ezekiel, chapter 33. God calls all of us to serve as watchmen on the wall, that we may warn others of coming danger (here, death without salvation). The prophet gave a clear warning (Ezekiel 33:6): [The LORD said] “But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, … his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.”
And the pastor should read another dire warning (Matthew 7:21-23): [Jesus said] “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
• Recent polls have shown that many pastors (a majority of pastors in some denominations) do not believe in the basic tenets of Christianity.
• Some present-day churches teach the heresy of replacement theology. This damnable lie, which is clearly contrary to the teaching of the Bible, holds that God has no further use for Jews because Christians have replaced Jews.
• Recall tea. Tea is delicious, whether iced or hot, but is unpalatable at room temperature. Jesus said He will vomit any lukewarm church or Christian from His mouth. (Yes, the word in Revelation 3:16 is “vomit,” from the Greek emeo [pronounced: e-ME-oh]– the same root from which we get “emesis”– and means “to vomit,” not “to spew” or some other sanitized word.)
In this letter to the Laodiceans, note Jesus’ change in emphasis. In the previous six letters, He appealed to the church (and people in that church) to improve. In the Laodicean letter, He appealed to individual persons. Had He given up on this church, wanting individual congregants to come out of the church and directly to Him?
THE UGLY– the False Prophet’s church in the Tribulation: Scriptural background includes Revelation 13:11-18: Then I saw another beast [the False Prophet] coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. And he exercises all of the authority of the first beast [the Antichrist] in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image of the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: his number is 666.
Also read Matthew 24:15a: [Jesus said] “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place”…. A similar statement is recorded in Mark 13:14a. These passages are further indication of the sinful false religion that will arise during the Tribulation.
The Unholy Trinity will realize that man is inherently religious. If the True and Living God is unknown, man will worship nature (sun, moon) or idols. When the Christian Church is raptured to be evermore with the Lord, the Antichrist’s religious stooge, whom we call the False Prophet, will create a religion.
Note John’s description of this beast. He has horns like a lamb (probably incorporating some of the teaching of our Passover Lamb, Jesus), but horns are present only on adult sheep (rams) not on lambs, indicating this beast is a false Christian; and his voice does not speak words of the Lamb Jesus, but words of a dragon (Satan). I suspect this false religion will incorporate teachings from several religions, even though distorted, including the Judeo-Christian faith, Islam, Buddhism, New Age nonsense, Satanism, Wiccan, and so forth, as well as introducing new ideas promoting Satan worship. This religion will likely be appealing to the masses, and may well permit or encourage unbridled sexual activity, substance abuse, and similar activities now prohibited by Christianity.
The purpose of this false religion is to worship the Antichrist and, ultimately, Satan.
The goal of the Unholy Trinity will be to make this false religion the one and only religion practiced in the world. Note that many churches’ loose interpretation of Christianity, which includes shocking apostasy and ecumenism, is paving the way for the False Prophet’s religion. The Laodicean church is opening the door for the False Prophet. There are Christian principles, which must never be violated. When leaders of a “Christian” church teach that there are many avenues to God, instead of belief in Jesus as the only route to salvation; when leaders deny the virgin birth of Jesus and His resurrection and second coming; when leaders teach that abortion on demand is acceptable in God’s eyes; when denominations ordain homosexual pastors, who openly practice homosexuality; when the Bible is considered just another good book, a book among many good books, which does not necessarily deserve a special place in Christianity; and when other denominations and pastors deny that Jesus is the only Son of God– well, much of the False Prophet’s groundwork has already been laid
The infamous mark of the beast is instituted by this church. This “mark” undoubtedly is an implantable microchip. By this “mark” the Antichrist’s government can track every action of its subjects and can locate them within a one meter (one yard) radius. This technology requires three components– an implantable microchip, a global-positioning satellite system, and high-speed computers. These three components have been developed, and can be bought “off the shelf” at this very moment. The only thing lacking is the political will to force citizens to be implanted. That political decision will come from the Antichrist during the Tribulation. Implantation of the microchip will apparently be accompanied by an oath to acknowledge the deity of the Antichrist. A citizen will be faced with a monumental decision. If the microchip is refused, he/she may be beheaded or cannot purchase food or anything else for his/her family. If the microchip is accepted along with the acceptance of the Antichrist as god, he/she can buy food and other necessities, but he/she will eternally spend eternity in the Lake of Burning Fire (Hell).
Avoid mushy theology. There is only One Way to Heaven. There is only One God and only One Savior. All other gods and messiahs are false and lead to eternal death. There is only One Holy Word of God, the Holy Bible, which reflects God’s commandments for His people. It is a sin to deviate from Biblical principles to incorporate man’s teachings.
HE WHO OVERCOMES: In all seven letters, Jesus has a recurring phrase something like, “he who overcomes will inherit New Jerusalem (Heaven).” See Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:26, 3:5, 3:12, and 3:21 and again in 21:7.
God knows we will sin. Sin alone will not keep us from Heaven. We must, however, overcome sin. We overcome sin by applying the Bible’s formula for being forgiven of sin by God.
CONTROVERSIAL? Of course. It amazes me how complicated many theologians and pastors try to make the Word of God. Any person who studies end-time prophecy interpretations will encounter a wide variety of views– pre-Tribulation, mid-Tribulation, or post-Tribulation Rapture; amillennialism; preterism; and so forth. Adherents hold their views defiantly and confidently, even though they contradict each other. Taking isolated Scripture verses here and there, one can “prove” almost any point of view. When one considers the entire Old and New Testament texts, it seems more plausible that there is a pre-Tribulation Resurrection and Rapture of Jesus’ church.
Some Bible students deny the seven church ages, as presented above. God gave humans an intellect and a free will. It is the prerogative of these scholars to be wrong. We need to try to get it right for ourselves, though.
Jesus had a purpose in dictating to John the messages in the second and third chapters of the Book of Revelation. Of hundreds of churches in the region, Jesus dictated letters to seven specific churches in this magnificent book. He surely sent a prophetic message to future churches. We are now witnessing the completion of His prophetic message.
IF YOUR CHURCH IS LIKE THE ONE AT LAODICEA: This newsletter is sent to subscribers throughout the world and can be read on a Website.
Some readers may worship in lukewarm, ineffective churches. Why would anyone stay in a Laodicean church? Why would anyone not worship in a Philadelphian church? Why would anyone tolerate a denomination or church that promotes the ecumenical designs of man, rather than the true faith of Jesus? Jesus did, in fact, desire that we Christians and Jews come together in Him, the One New Man. However, He did not tell us to join with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and others in a one-world religion.
You have only one life to live. Jesus commanded all of us to work for His Kingdom. Sow your spiritual seed in the fertile ground of an active, Bible-believing, soul-winning church.
There is one over-riding mission for a church in the last days: WIN AS MANY SOULS TO CHRIST AS POSSIBLE. Any other activity of a Christian or a church pales in importance to spreading the Gospel and winning souls to Christ. Prepare now for your Bema Judgment. Join with other Philadelphian Christians in this eternally important labor. Your Laodicean friends may enjoy better organs, thicker carpets, more accomplished soloists, and so forth on Sunday mornings, but none of these things will matter when a person– when each of us– stands before the Lord in judgment. He will probably ask something like, “What did you do with your life to serve Me and to serve others?”
INTERNET VERSION: Access this newsletter at: www.prophecyfulfillment.com/en023a.html .
DISCLAIMER: I cite only references that you, an email subscriber, can access– The Holy Bible and Websites. I believe information from these Websites is accurate, but Internet sources can contain errors. Exercise discernment, as you read these sites.
CONTACT ME: If you have questions, comments, or especially if you need to know how to become a Christian, please contact me. I will be honored to try to help you in any way possible.
Raymond Finney 2119 Middlewood Drive – Maryville, Tennessee U.S.A. raymondfinney@ymail.com – (865) 984.1424
Unless otherwise stated, Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version.
May God bless and protect you and your family. Maranatha! Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:20b)
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