Evidence for Eras

Chapter VI

The Evidence
Of History 

Exhibit 6

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else;
I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
Isaiah 46:9-10

          Perhaps the greatest evidence for eras is found within the historical narrative. When these seven letters are compared with the actual chronology of the New Testament Church, we find that the historical account reveals a striking parallel to Christ’s message to the churches.
          Before comparing the history of the Church to the letters in Revelation, notice that Jesus addressed each congregation separately. Every assembly is referred to by the name of the city in which it was located. As the historical evidence is explored, the first thing we should realize is the great value embedded in the meaning of each of these names.
          As Christ addressed each church, He made a comparison with the name of the city and the predominate trait that the Church would display during its era. As He made this association, Jesus also described Himself as the one who remained faithful while experiencing similar circumstances. By this, the Savior conveyed a valuable lesson to each era.
          The following chart demonstrates this unique relationship, comparing the name of the church, its primary characteristic, Christ’s description of Himself, and the lesson to be learned.

The Church of Ephesus

          Born in the first century, this era was filled with the excitement generated by personal experience. These Christians were eyewitnesses to the arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. They saw the miracles of the apostolic age and the transforming power of God in their lives. They were on fire for God and took their calling seriously as they supported the apostles who preached the gospel throughout the empire.
          As the name of this church implies, Jesus had a great desire for them. One of the gifts arising from His love was that they were taught by two leading servants of God—Paul and John. However, as Christ addresses them, it is their waning love that becomes His primary concern:

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Revelation 2:1-7).

Losing Their First Love
          Inspired by the Holy Spirit after the day of Pentecost, the Church was electric with passion at the expectation of Christ’s return. However, as time moved on, they became disheartened. Jesus did not return during their age, and circumstances did not turn out as they expected.           
          It was during this era, in approximately 58-59 A.D., a sixteen year old, paranoid child named Nero ascended to the throne in Rome. During the first year of his reign, Nero’s paranoia led him to kill his mother. Then, in 64 A.D., with a desire to rebuild Rome, he set a section of the city on fire. The blaze burned viciously. Hundreds died, and thousands lost their homes and belongings. After six days, the inferno was thought to be extinguished, but it broke out once again and raged for another three days. Some of the soldiers were aware that Nero had ordered the fire to be set. Word began to leak out, and the Emperor had to do something to shift the blame. Christians became the perfect target.
          The Church had publicly taught that Rome was the seat of evil and that Jesus would return and burn the city with unquenchable fire. Some believed that this conflagration was the beginning of Christ’s prophesied punishment. Consequently, they refused to help extinguish the blaze. They were convinced that it was the work of God. In his book, Nero, Weigall relates the Christian sentiment during this tragic time in history:

Also, it was reported that during the blaze, when asked by their distracted fellowmen if, then they were glad to see Rome burn, they had replied that this was heaven's fiery vengeance for which they were waiting, nor would they raise a hand to extinguish the flames. The Lord's immediate return, in actual fact, was the main spring of their faith, the Second Coming being the supreme event which the elect were hourly expecting; and so great a disaster could not have been thought to be anything but the beginning of this tremendous advent. They thought Jesus was coming! The heavens would open now at any moment, and they would see Him riding upon the fiery clouds (p. 295-296).

Statuary of Nero
64 AD

          Because of their open discontent toward Rome, the Church became the perfect scapegoat for Nero. This emotionally disturbed child-king began to publicly blame the Christians for the fire. The persecution became so widespread that it resulted in horrific and sadistic entertainment for the pleasure of the perverted emperor. As the famous historian Tacitus wrote:

Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace… Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of a charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed (Annals, XV, 44).

          Christians became the subject of persecution throughout the empire. However, this was not the only difficulty that the new Church faced.

False Apostles and Nicolaitans
          Gnostic teachers began absorbing some of the Christian beliefs into their faith. They appointed themselves to the office of apostle and began preaching a perverted gospel. The propagation of truth mixed with error had a profound effect on the Church’s struggle to survive during this era. As the Church experienced this influx of Gnostic teachers, they resisted the intrusion, but ultimately the false teaching took its toll among the people.
          Chief among these heresies was that of the Gnostic teacher Nicholas. While he did not live in or attend the Church in Ephesus, it is certain that he was one of the first antinomians (a sect which taught against the law). This movement infiltrated the entire church; infecting many believers in the first century.
          Like other Gnostics, Nicolas came to believe that anything physical was evil. Therefore, he taught that Jesus did not actually come in the flesh, but was a spirit who left no footprints when He walked. He was also known to propagate the time-worn lie that as long as men had love in their heart they could perform any kind of wicked deed and it would not be imputed as sin. It was this sect the apostle John addressed when he said:

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us… If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (I John 1:8-10).

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God (I John 4:1-2).

          In addition to infiltration of such false doctrine, these believers witnessed the destruction of the temple. After hearing a miraculous voice telling them to flee Jerusalem, they escaped to Pella. By this move, the Church lost what had been their headquarters.
          They also experienced severe anti-Semitic persecution from Rome, and they saw all the apostles, except John, martyred. Even he was eventually taken prisoner by Emperor Domitian and banished to the island of Patmos.

The Last Apostle—the First Era
          While exiled, John could do little to combat the Gnostic heresy and the Church’s first love continued to diminish. However, some time after being given the incredible vision of Revelation, John was freed from the rocky prison of Patmos and returned to the city of Ephesus which became the headquarters of this last remaining apostle. The famous historian, Eusebius wrote:

But after Domitian had reigned fifteen years, and Nerva had succeeded to the empire, the Roman Senate, according to the writers that record the history of those days, voted that Domitian's honors should be cancelled, and that those who had been unjustly banished should return to their homes and have their property restored to them. It was at this time that the apostle John returned from his banishment in the island and took up his abode at Ephesus, according to an ancient Christian tradition (Church History, Book III, Ch. 20:10-11).

          It was from Ephesus that John served the churches in Asia Minor and when he died, the “disciple whom Jesus loved” was buried in this same town. The fact that John lived, worked, and died in the city bearing the name of this first era stands as further historical evidence for eras.
          John was the last living apostle personally trained by Christ. His passing brought an end to what historians call “the apostolic era.” In addition, the Church in this age left a record of initial passion followed by persecution, the influx of false teachers, and a let down in their devotion. Thus, the history of the first century Church conforms to Christ’s message to Ephesus.

The Church in Smyrna

          After the death of John, a notable transition took place. The Church that followed the last apostle was radically different from that which he had experienced. Making note of this dramatic shift, historian Jesse Hurlbut writes:

We name the last generation of the first century, from 68 to 100 A.D, “The Age of Shadows,” partly because the gloom of the persecution was over the church; but more especially because of all periods in the history, it is the one about which we know the least... for fifty years after St. Paul's life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul (The Story of the Christian Church, p. 33).

          As Hurlbut explains, the next Church era was “very different.” This difference was foretold by Christ as He addressed Ephesus and then Smyrna in Revelation chapter two. As the bishop serving from the city of Ephesus, before his death, the apostle John ordained a younger man who was to follow him. This new elder no longer served as the pastor ministering from Ephesus. Instead, he lived and worked in the city which carried the name of the next era—Smyrna. Eusibius writes:

At that time Polycarp, a disciple of the apostles, was a man of eminence in Asia, having been entrusted with the episcopate of the church of Smyrna by those who had seen and heard the Lord (Church History, Book III, Ch. 36:1).

          Thus, after John’s death, and the transfer of leadership to Polycarp, the Ephesian era came to a close. To the angel of the next era, Christ recorded a profound letter in which He explained the trials to occur in their time as well as what they must do to remain faithful. The Savior states:

Unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; these things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death (Revelation 2:8-11).

          Smyrna means bitter, and certainly it was a bitter time for God’s people living during this era. The Church had experienced great poverty, but perhaps the most devastating experience for them was the infamous heresies that shook the Church regarding the Sabbath and Passover. This era suffered great persecution over these issues and some of God’s people even lost their lives for standing firm in the faith.
          It may be that one of the bitterest moments these people experienced was to witness the apostle Polycarp being burned by a mob in his home city of Smyrna. After being miraculously unhurt by the flame, he was finally stabbed to death. Perhaps as a result of this horrific death of their leader, Christ encouraged this era by reminding them of the resurrection stating that He “was dead, and is alive.”
          During this time, the Church was called by the name “Nazarenes.” Originally this was a term that stemmed from Jesus having come from the city Nazareth, but eventually this name came to mean despised ones.
          Despite the great persecution, the Church endured. Many held fast to their faith—even to the end. The Encyclopedia Britannica documents the beliefs of these people, stating:

(The Nazarenes) …dated their settlement in Pella from the time of the flight of the Jewish Christians from Jerusalem, immediately before the siege in 70 A.D… They recognized the new covenant as well as the old, and believed in the resurrection, and in the one God and His Son Jesus Christ. They used the Aramaic recession of the Gospel according to Matthew, which they called the Gospel to the Hebrews, but, while adhering as far as possible to the Mosaic economy as regarded circumcision, Sabbaths, foods and the like, they did not refuse to recognize the apostolicity of Paul or the rights of heathen Christians (Eleventh Edition, p. 319).

Persecution Ten Days
          Perhaps the most dramatic evidence for this second era is found in a statement in which Jesus said that Smyrna would experience tribulation for ten days. There is no record of a ten day persecution in all of Church history. This being the case, what did Christ mean?
          It must be remembered that the book of Revelation is both prophetic and symbolic. Therefore, the book’s reference to ten days should be understood as a symbolic period of time. According to Ezekiel 4:6, a day is used in prophecy to represent a year. Therefore, this statement by Jesus revealed that this era would suffer persecution for ten years.
          As far as can be determined, the little congregation of Smyrna in John’s day did not suffer persecution for either ten days or ten years. However, there was a terrible persecution that came upon the entire Church for a ten year period. This occurred early in the fourth century and is known as the Diocletianic Persecution. The online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, states that:

At the conclusion of the Persian wars in 299, co-emperors Diocletian and Galerius returned to Syrian Antioch from the front lines in Mesopotamia. The Christian rhetor Lactantius records that, at Antioch some time in 299, the emperors were engaged in sacrifice and divination in an attempt to predict the future. The haruspices were unable to read the sacrificed animals, and failed to do so after repeated trials. The master haruspex eventually declared that this failure was the result of interruptions in the process caused by profane men: certain Christians…

On February 23, 303, Diocletian ordered that the newly-built Christian church at Nicomedia be razed, its scriptures set to flame, and the treasures of the church collected as treasure. The next day, Diocletian's first "Edict against the Christians" was published. This ordered the destruction of Christian scriptures and places of worship across the Empire, and prohibited Christians from assembling for worship (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diocletianic_Persecution).

Statue of Emperor Diocletianus, 284-305 AD
(Photo by Giovanni Dall’Orto)

          The widespread persecution of Christians at this time officially began with Diocletian’s edict in 303 A.D. and came to an end in 313 A.D. under the rule of Constantine. At this time, the new and powerful emperor counseled with emperor Licinius and published the Edict of Milan which stated:

When I, Constantine Augustus, as well as I, Licinius Augustus, fortunately met near Mediolanurn (Milan), and were considering everything that pertained to the public welfare and security, we thought, among other things which we saw would be for the good of many, those regulations pertaining to the reverence of the Divinity ought certainly to be made first, so that we might grant to the Christians and others full authority to observe that religion which each preferred; whence any Divinity whatsoever in the seat of the heavens may be propitious and kindly disposed to us and all who are placed under our rule. And thus by this wholesome counsel and most upright provision we thought to arrange that no one whatsoever should be denied the opportunity to give his heart to the observance of the Christian religion, of that religion which he should think best for himself, so that the Supreme Deity, to whose worship we freely yield our hearts) may show in all things His usual favor and benevolence. Therefore, your Worship should know that it has pleased us to remove all conditions whatsoever, which were in the rescripts formerly given to you officially, concerning the Christians and now any one of these who wishes to observe Christian religion may do so freely and openly, without molestation… (Edict of Milan, 313 AD; http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible/milan.stm)

Statue of Constantine I, 313–324 AD
(Photo by Markus Bernet)

          At this time, not only was toleration of the Christian religion declared throughout the land, it was written that all property and places of worship were to be restored to those professing Christianity. When considering the time frame of Christian persecution during this era of the Church, we clearly see that Christ’s prophecy of ten years of tribulation did occur.
          Consider the importance of this ten-year period in the light of Church eras. It did not, nor could it, occur in one single city. The city of Ephesus was about thirty five miles to the south of Smyrna, and Pergamos was forty miles to the north. Had this letter been written to the Church existing in the apostle John’s time, anyone experiencing persecution could have simply followed Christ’s instruction; “If they persecute you in one city, flee to another…” (Mat. 10:23). If a ten day persecution fell only upon the small congregation in Smyrna, these Christians would have easily escaped by moving to Ephesus or Pergamos where there was safety.
          This single example makes it obvious. Christ’s letter to Smyrna was prophetic. Therefore, the doctrine of Church eras is true. The prophecy that Smyrna would have persecution ten days was directed to the Church that would exist two hundred years after the apostle John transcribed this letter. This persecution during the Church’s second era encompassed Christians living throughout the entire Roman Empire, and it lasted ten years. In this respect, the letter to Smyrna stands as a powerful testimony for eras.

The Church in Pergamos

          The city of Pergamos was located fifteen miles inland and about seventy five miles north of Ephesus. The city was built on a steep hillside, terraced to accommodate the slope. Pergamos means “fortified,” and this city was fortified by virtue of its high position atop a hill. To this Church, Jesus states:

To the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it  (Revelation 2:12-17).

Satan’s Seat
          In Christ’s message to Pergamos, the Church is described as being located where “Satan’s seat is.” This may be a reference to the fact that the original city was the seat of the Roman government in Asia. In addition, Pergamos was once the center of the Babylonian mystery religion and Attalus III was the last god-king to rule there in 133 B.C.
          In 321 A.D. Emperor Constantine issued an edict stating that work should be done on the Sabbath and Sunday was to be the official day of rest. As a result, many true Christians were forced to move into the wilderness. These people migrated to areas within the mountains of Armenia and the northern Euphrates. This area was originally the location where Satan had led Nimrod to set up his seat of authority, and it was from this area that most false religion originated (Gen. 10). By this, the third Church era also fulfilled Christ’s statement that they would dwell where Satan’s seat existed.
          Is it possible that this is the location of Satan’s throne, even today? God has a seat of authority upon which He sits, and it is located in a specific place in heaven. As the god of this world, it is likely that the devil also sits on an invisible throne somewhere on this earth. From this location, he rules over a vast numbers of demons as he manipulates the kingdoms of this world (Mat. 4:8-9). Further, evidence indicates that that this wilderness could possibly have been in the vicinity of the once beautiful Garden of Eden. Could such a throne still be located in this area of man’s first sin? (Eze. 28:13)

The Paulicians
          Christ’s letter to this era coincides with the history of a people called Paulicians. While some believe this name originated from one of the sect’s earliest leaders, others are convinced that it came from the fact that they referred to themselves as followers of Paul. Notwithstanding, the origin of this group can be traced back to an individual named Constantine. This man had translated the text of the New Testament into the common language. He then taught the people the plain, simple truths expounded by Jesus. The famous historian, Edward Gibbon explains:

…these books of the New Testament became the rule of his faith and the Catholics who dispute his interpretation, acknowledge that his text was genuine and sincere. He attached himself with peculiar devotion to St. Paul. The name of the Paulicians is derived, by their enemies, from some unknown and domestic teacher, but I am confident that they glorified in their affinity to the apostle of the Gentiles (The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, pp 57-63).

          This group of faithful believers certainly stood out in the world that existed in their time. In his book, The History of the Christian Church, George Fisher wrote of these people, stating:
While the Christian world, as it has been the fashion to call it, was thus sunk into an awful state of superstition—at a moment when darkness seemed to cover the earth, and a gross darkness of the people—it is pleasing to contemplate a ray of celestial light darting across the gloom. About the year 650, a new sect arose in the east, under the name of Paulicians, which is justly entitled to our attention (p. 443).

Antipas My Faithful Martyr
          The Paulician leader, Constantine, taught the people that the trinity was false and that crosses were idols. He condemned the sprinkling of water for baptism and the observance of pagan holidays. This powerful leader vigorously resisted the idea that there existed an apostolic succession in the Roman church. For this he came to be known as one “against the Papacy.” Consequently, many believe that when Christ spoke of “Antipas my faithful martyr” that this term actually meant “antipope” and was a direct reference to the martyrdom of this sect’s leader.
          Because Constantine’s beliefs contradicted those of the Roman church, the Papal authority took measures to silence his voice. They sent a man named Simon to seek out and murder their leader. It is said that after finding these people, Simon threatened to kill them one at a time until they confessed the identity of their teacher. Finally, one of their ranks betrayed him, and Simon put Constantine to a faithful martyr’s death. However, Simon was so impressed with the faith of these people that he began to study with them. He became converted and eventually replaced Constantine as their new leader.
          It was Fred Coneybeare who discovered the last remaining book belonging to this sect. He translated their work entitled The Key of Truth. Afterward, he concluded that these people had kept the Ten Commandments and the Biblical holy days just as God’s people had done from the beginning. He writes:

There were no special Sunday observances…  Wednesday and Friday were not kept as fast days. Of the modern Christmas and of the Annunciation, and other feasts connected with the life of Jesus prior to his thirtieth year, this phase of the church knew nothing. The general impression which the study of it leaves on us is that in it we have before us a form of the church not very remote from the primitive Jewish Christianity of Palestine (p. 193).

          While these people did not deny Christ’s name, as Jesus had foretold, they eventually came to embrace the false doctrine of Balaam. But, what exactly is that doctrine?

The Doctrine of Balaam
          In the book of Numbers there is an account of Balak, the king of the Moabites. This leader feared the Israelites because of their military victories and called on a respected soothsayer known as Balaam for help. He desired Balaam to put a curse on Israel, and promised the seer great reward for doing so. The Almighty revealed to Balaam that he must not to do such a thing.
          Balaam adhered to God’s command at first, but because of his half hearted attitude toward the Almighty, he eventually compromised. Unable to curse Israel, he planned a means to circumvent God’s will. He eventually provoked the Israelites to sin by leading them to commit whoredom with the women of Moab. The ungodly worship of these foreigners polluted the Israelites. And by this, God Himself brought a curse upon Israel (Num. 22-25).
          Eventually, the New Testament era of Pergamos fell to the same sort of compromise prompted by Balaam. By attempting to blend in, many of these Christians began to join themselves to the practices of the heretical Roman church. To avoid persecution, some christened their children. Others attended mass to evade detection. However, by participating in such acts, these Christians fulfilled Christ’s words. They committed spiritual fornication.

The Doctrine of the Nicolaitans
          According to the words of our Savior, this era was also affected by the Nicolaitan heresy. It is believed that the Nicolaitans were a people who followed the deacon named Nicolas (Acts 6:5). After being ordained, this man set out to pervert the faith by infecting it with a form of Gnosticism. As stated earlier, this teaching professed that the thoughts of the mind were spiritual and that only knowledge and matters of intellect were important. This outrageous doctrine eventually led them to believe that if they simply had love in their heart, they could sin and it would not be imputed to them.
          By the influence of these Gnostics, the Paulicians were deceived into believing that they could compromise their religious practice. Armed with this mindset, many were lured into performing various Roman Catholic practices. They believed that God would not attribute this sin to them because, in their minds, they really knew the truth.
          Finally, in the 8th and 9th centuries, the Paulicians were forced to resettle. The Byzantine Emperors placed them in the Balkans where they became known as Bogomils. By this later date, they had strayed further from the truth. Arming themselves, they began to engage in war as a means of personal protection instead of relying on God. Once again God’s message to this era of the Church correlates with the circumstances found in secular history.

The Church in Thyatira

          The fourth era that is addressed by Christ was that of Thyatira. As we consider the portrayal of the Church in this letter, we again find that the historical record corresponds to Christ’s admonition. The apostle John records the message to these people saying:

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds (Revelation 2:18-22).           

          During the middle ages, God’s people migrated to Europe, spreading across the Alps, through France, and into Italy. As the Church expanded into these areas, several individuals rose up providing leadership to the scattered brethren. These men passionately encouraged God’s people to be diligent in holding fast to the truth found in the Bible. Waldo of Lyons was one such leader who stands out at this time.
          A successful merchant, Waldo was called by God to take up a profession in the Church. During a life changing experience, he was converted and began to teach repentance and adherence to the Word of God. He gave much of his wealth to the poor, and used the rest to translate the scriptures into the common language. He taught the truth through France, Italy, Hungary, and into Russia. Many were converted through his work, and became known as the Vaudois, Insabbati, Albigenses, and later, Waldenses. Historian Peter Allix wrote of these people in his work, The Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of Piedmont and of the Albigenses, saying:

…the Albigenses made the following confession: “That the Church of Rome was not the spouse of Christ, but the Church of confusion, drunk with the blood of the martyrs. That the polity of the Church of Rome was neither good nor holy, nor established by Jesus Christ…” The Albigenses expressly declared that they received the canonical books of the Old and New Testament, and that they rejected every doctrine that was not grounded upon, or authorized by them, or was contrary to any one point of doctrine that may be found there. According to which maxim, they confessed that they rejected and condemned all the ceremonies, traditions, and ordinances of the Church of Rome, which they declared to be a den of thieves, and the whore that is spoken of in the Revelation (1692, 1821 edition, p. 178, 194).           

          Henri Arnold, a Waldensian pastor, also wrote of their ancient origin. He claimed that these people had:

…descended from those refugees from Italy who, after St. Paul had there preached the gospel, abandoned their beautiful country and fled, like the woman mentioned in the Apocalypse, to these wild mountains, where they have to this day handed down the gospel from father to son in the same purity and simplicity as it was preached by St. Paul (The Glorious Recovery by the Vaudois, p. xiv of preface by the Author, translated by Acland. London: 1827).

          One of the main traits of true believers is keeping the Ten Commandments. This the Waldenses did, including the seventh-day Sabbath. Some have argued that these people did not keep the Sabbath, but a number of historians document their seventh day observance. For example:

Insabbati [they were called] not because they were circumcised, but because they kept the Jewish Sabbath (J.N. Andrews, History of the Sabbath p. 410).

Observance of the Sabbath by ceasing from worldly labours, is enjoined (Blair, History of the Waldenses, Vol. 1, p. 220).

They say that the blessed Pope Sylvester was the Antichrist of whom mention is made in the Epistles of St. Paul as having been the son of perdition. [They also say] that the keeping of the Sabbath ought to take place (Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of Piedmont, p. 169).

That we are to worship one only God, who is able to help us, and not the Saints departed; that we ought to keep holy the Sabbath day (Luther's Fore-runners, London, 1624, p.38).

In 1310, two hundred years before Luther's theses, the Bohemian brethren constituted one fourth of the population of Bohemia, and that they were in touch with the Waldenses who abounded in Austria, Lombardy, Bohemia, north Germany, Thuringia, Brandenburg, and Moravia. Erasmus pointed out how strictly Bohemian Waldenses kept the seventh day Sabbath (Armitage, A History of the Baptists, p.313).

For centuries evangelical bodies, especially the Waldenses, were called Insabbati because of Sabbath-keeping (Gui, Manuel d' Inquisiteur, Vol. 1 p.37).

          This era of God’s people were said to be peaceful, virtuous, and industrious in their work. Because of this, at first, they were tolerated and even protected by some civil authorities, and the Church flourished for centuries. However, as their numbers grew, their teaching became a threat to the Catholic Church. Rome then turned on them, using the military to hunt them down like vicious, wild animals.

That Woman Jezebel 
          Christ likens this era to the time of ancient Israel when Jezebel, using her power to control King Ahab, seduced him into leading Israel deeper into apostasy and idolatry. In like manner, during the time of the Waldenses, there was a church corresponding to this infectious Jezebel. As we have already learned, a woman in prophecy symbolizes a church. Thus, the woman who rides the beast is referred to as the “Mother of Harlots” (Rev. 17:5). It was the Roman Catholic Church, a spiritual Jezebel that corrupted members of God’s Church during this era.

Great Tribulation
          As a result of the corrupt influence of this false church, Christ tells these people that if they do not repent He will cast them into “great tribulation.” This statement does not refer to the great tribulation that comes on the entire world at the end of the age. Rather, it is a reference to the period of the inquisition and crusades. During this time, these people came head to head with the greatest, most ruthless religious power in the world. For example, after having lived peacefully in France for decades, Pope Innocent III wrote the following Papal Bull, stating:

Therefore by this present apostolical writing we give you a strict command that, by whatever means you can, you destroy all these heresies and expel from your diocese all who are polluted with them. You shall exercise the rigor of the ecclesiastical power against them and all those who have made themselves suspected by associating with them. They may not appeal from your judgments, and if necessary, you may cause the princes and people to suppress them with the sword (A Source Gook for Mediaeval History, Oliver J. Thatcher and E. H. McNeal, p. 210. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905).

          During this terrible age, the apostate church targeted God’s people for persecution. The Roman church began to mark these people so they could not buy or sell. Perhaps this was a type, or forerunner, of that which will occur in the end time. Regarding the treatment of these people, Professor Philippus van Limborch wrote:

It was the entire study and endeavour of the popes, to crush, in its infancy, every doctrine that any way opposed their exorbitant power. In the year 1163, at the synod of Tours, all the bishops and priests in the country of Tholouse, were commanded to take care, and to forbid under the pain of excommunication, every person from presuming to give reception, or the least assistance to the followers of this heresy, which first began in the country of Tholouse, whenever they shall be discovered. Neither were they to have any dealings with them in buying or selling; that by being thus deprived of the common assistances of life, they might be compelled to repent of the evil of their way. “Whosoever shall dare to contravene this order, let them be excommunicated, as a partner with them in their guilt. As many of them as can be found, let them be imprisoned by the Catholic princes, and punished with the forfeiture of all their substance.” Some of the Waldenses, coming into the neighbouring kingdom of Arragon, king Ildefonsus, in the year 1194, put forth, against them, a very severe and bloody edict, by which 'he banished them from his kingdom, and all his dominions, as enemies of the cross of Christ, prophaners of the Christian religion, and public enemies to himself and kingdom. He adds: “If any, from this day forwards, shall presume to receive into their houses, the aforesaid Waldenses and Inzabbatati, or other heretics, of whatsoever profession they be, or to hear, in any place, their abominable preachings, or to give them food, or to do them any kind office whatsoever; let him know, that he shall incur the indignation of Almighty God and ours; that he shall forfeit all his goods, without the benefit of appeal, and be punished as though guilty of high treason” (History of the Inquisition, pp. 88, 89. London: 1816).

Seducing God’s Servants to Commit Fornication
          Under enormous pressure from the great false church and Rome’s powerful armies, the Waldenses eventually began to compromise. At first, they practiced the truth in secret, hiding in caves or in the homes of members. As their lives became more unbearable, some would partake of the Catholic communion so that they would not stand out as being different. By such practices they committed spiritual fornication and partook of that which was clearly idolatrous.
          The reason such compromise is so destructive is borne out by the history of this era. Over the centuries, most of these eventually adopted Sunday worship. The remnant of the Ukrainian brethren held fast to the Sabbath unto this very day. However, other descendents of this era such as the modern day Moolikins did not.
          Because of their spiritual adultery, God allowed a time of tribulation to come upon this era. Christ boldly forewarned these people, explaining what would become of believers who would allow such heresies to creep into their lives. Jesus then follows with words of enormous comfort and great hope for those who would hold fast unto the end.

And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 2:23-29).

          It is interesting to note that some of the European Waldenses displayed an emblem that reflected their calling and work. The logo displayed a single candlestick with seven stars in a half circle at the top. The light from this candle coincidently pointed to the fourth star. Surrounding the logo were the words LUX LUCET IN TENEBRIS, which in English means, “A light shines in the darkness.”

The Waldensian Emblem

          Is it possible that the light from the candle pointing to the fourth star was inspired? Did they understand that they were the fourth era and that their light came through the fourth angel?

The Church in Sardis

          After the reformation, the Church of God began to emerge from their obscurity caused by the severe persecution of the middle ages. Thus began the fifth era of the God’s Church known as Sardis, and Christ’s letter to them is clearly reflected in the history of these people. As Jesus states:

Unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; these things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee (Revelation 3:1-3).

          By the 1500s several groups called Anabaptists had appeared. The historian Closeu notes their commitment to the Sabbath as well as the rejection of Catholic instituted holidays. In his book, Anabaptism he writes:

The Anabaptists not only rejected the traditional feast days as Catholic inventions but also advanced strange views concerning Sunday. Anabaptists in Franconia, Thuringia, the Tirol, and southwest Germany and the Hutterites in Moravia maintained that there was no difference between Sunday and the other days of the week (p. 148).

          In the latter part of the 15th century, a man named Andreas Eossi began teaching the truth. This led to a movement of Sabbath keepers known as Sabbatarians. Besides the doctrine of the Sabbath, they also taught God’s holy days, proper baptism, clean & unclean meats, and real repentance. In an article printed in 1890, Abrahams and Montefiore document the beliefs of the Sabbatarians stating, that:

About 1600, there was compiled 'the old hymn-book of the Sabbatarians,' probably by Eossi himself. This book is the most important source whence acknowledged of the doctrines of the sect may be derived; it is the oldest monument of their literature, and contains paraphrases of the Psalms and other poetical passages of the Bible, metrical renderings of a few extracts from the Jewish prayer book.... Of the 110 poetical compositions, which are to be found in three manuscripts of this old Sabbatarian hymnbook, no less than 44 relate to the Sabbath, which, on account of the special regard in which its celebration was held, gave the sect the name they bear. Five songs belong to the New Moon, 11 to the Festival of Passover, 6 to the Feast of Weeks, 6 to Tabernacles, 3 to the New Year and 1 to the Day of Atonement.

They did not celebrate Purim and Chanukah. But even the Mosaic Laws they did not observe in their entirety, for they kept the dietary laws only up to a certain limit, and circumcision not at all. The Sabbath played the most important part in their religions life… They called the Sabbath celebration a 'spiritual marriage,' and adorned themselves for it in wedding attire. The Sabbath service consisted of prayers and hymns, introduced and concluded by the sermon or 'instruction.' … they maintained that, in adhering to these observances, they were following the example and teaching of Jesus. 'He who keeps not the Sabbath will have no portion in the inheritance of Christ'; they celebrated 'the Passover of Israel, according to the command of our Christ.' They bound up with the Passover festival (in accordance with the views which they entertained regarding the millennium) the hope of the future redemption which Jesus will bring, in order to build up his millennial kingdom.

They declared the Christian festivals to be inventions of the popes, and even protested against the ringing of church bells. They regarded the Lord's Supper, not as a new institution of Jesus, but as an old Jewish custom. On the first night of Passover they ate unleavened bread, 'the bread of the Messiah,' calling to mind the Redeemer, who had appeared, and would one day come again (Jewish Quarterly Review, July 1890, #4, vol. II, by I. Abrahams and C.G. Montefiore,  p. 472-475).

          During this time, a Church member known as Steven Mumford came to America where he fellowshipped with a Puritan-separatist movement known as Baptists. Some of these people were converted and became known as Seventh Day Baptists. History reveals that several Puritan writers also became converted to the Sabbath and other scattered congregations emerged referring to themselves as the Church of God.
          Because these groups experienced a shortage of ministers, they sometimes mingled with the churches of this world. They believed that, because we are to have love for everyone, they could congregate with those who held different doctrinal opinions. In so doing, they compromised the truth and the Church eventually became contaminated with error.
          While in this divided state, during the 1800’s, some of God’s people began to associate with those who followed the powerful prophetic teaching of William Miller who was not a Sabbath keeper. This preacher studied extensively in the book of Daniel and believed He had found that Christ would return between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844.
          When his predicted date came and went, without any sign of Jesus, Miller went back to re-study his figures. He then produced another date based upon the Kararite calendar, teaching that Christ would return April 18th 1844. People sold their houses, and waited on the roof tops for Jesus to show up. When that time also came to pass, and Christ did not return, Miller apologized to his followers, saying:

I confess my error, and acknowledge my disappointment; yet I still believe that the day of the Lord is near, even at the door (Sylvester Bliss, Memoirs of William Miller, Boston: Joshua V. Himes, 1853, 256).

          The failure of Christ to come when expected became known as the “great disappointment” in history books. However, many of Miller’s loyal followers did not accept that they could have been wrong. They concluded that Christ must have come—they just couldn’t see Him. Armed with this conclusion, they created the doctrine of the “investigative judgment” in which they believe that Christ did come, but that He is now in the clouds going over the books before completing His return to the earth. Many of those who continued to hold this belief became known as Seventh Day Adventists, and this doctrine is still a part of that church’s teaching today.

I have not found Thy Works perfect
          After the “great disappointment,” those who had always believed in keeping the Ten Commandments, God’s food laws, the holy days, and who had rejected the world’s holidays retained the true name, Church of God (Eph. 3:15). They reorganized and became known as the Seventh Day Church of God; eventually publishing The Bible Advocate, and sponsoring hundreds of congregations around the world.
          As a result of their differing opinions, this era of the Church was unable to do a large or effective work of preaching the gospel. They left little in the way of a mark on the world. However, they did retain the name Church of God and taught the necessity of keeping the Ten Commandments.  The were alive, but it was as if they were dead (Rev. 3:1). Few of their remaining congregations keep the annual holy days; however, they do faithfully observe the Passover and the seventh day Sabbath. To those who remained faithful in this era, Jesus Christ said:

Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 3:4-6).

          Once again we see this amazing truth. The letter to Sardis is accurately reflected in secular history.

The Church in Philadelphia

          As we move closer to our age, it becomes obvious that the letter to the Church of Philadelphia also coincides with the record of Church history. As the ancient prophetic scroll to the sixth era is unrolled, we read:

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;  I know thy works: behold,  I have set before thee an open door,  and  no  man  can shut it: for thou hast a little strength,  and hast  kept  my word, and hast not denied my name (Revelation 3:7-8).

          Just as Christ had prophesied, the sixth era started small and with little strength. Mrs. Loma Armstrong, a quaint woman with exceptional character, was the first one to be called as this era began. Once exposed to the truth, her conscience was pricked. She was convinced that Christians were required to keep the Saturday Sabbath and that Christ would one day rule on the earth for a thousand years. Loma excitedly brought this wonderful understanding home to her husband, Herbert W. Armstrong.
          Convinced that mainstream Christianity could not possibly be wrong, Mr. Armstrong began a day and night study in an attempt to refute his wife’s new found beliefs. With the guidance of God’s Spirit, this intensive study led him to conclude that it was he who had been wrong! Instead, he found that the Bible made this subject very clear—Christians were indeed obligated to keep all of the Ten Commandments!
           Both Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong were eventually converted and Herbert Armstrong was soon privileged to serve in Christ’s ministry—ultimately being ordained the office of an “apostle” by the Conference of the Seventh Day Church of God. At this time, Mr. Armstrong could never have known that, from these small beginnings, his profound calling would become a radical departure from the previous era of God’s Church.
          As the Almighty God led this passionate man, his understanding of the Scriptures continued to grow. Mr. Armstrong then brought the truth regarding the annual holy days and the identity of modern day Israel to the attention of the Church, but the leadership of the fifth era was resistant to change. By refusing to accept the understanding God was giving him, the apostle felt compelled to separate from the parent body. In so doing, the Philadelphia era was born.
Mr. Armstrong then spent his life removing error and restoring God’s truth to the Church. This great leader revealed the identity of the true God of the Bible. He indicted counterfeit Christianity, and powerfully proclaimed the gospel message of the coming Kingdom of God!

In those days, ordinations were reissued annually.
This is a copy of the second one issued to Herbert W. Armstrong by the Church of God.

An Open Door
          This work was characterized by love, zeal, and a conviction for whole heartedly seeking to obey God. As a result of their dedication, this era was promised an open door to the Kingdom. In addition, another door would be open to this era—a means to fulfill Christ’s commission to powerfully preach the gospel to the world and teach those who would be called (Mat. 28:19-20).
          Mr. Armstrong first began using personal campaigns and radio to preach the gospel to the public in 1934. For this reason, the Church was first called the Radio Church of God. One year later, the first Plain Truth magazine was published as the beginning of an evangelistic outreach. In 1951 another magazine was published for members entitled The Good News. This first humble effort mushroomed into a powerful arm of the Church of God and for the next 35 years the Church grew steadily at an average of 30% per year.
          By the latter 1950s the World Tomorrow radio program was broadcasting seven nights a week and using more wattage than any program radio program on earth. The subscription list grew to a point that an incredible 7.5 million issues of The Plain Truth were being printed in seven languages every month.
          Over the next five decades, nearly 100 different books and booklets would be published, and over 1400 articles written. In order to prepare a people to be kings and priests in the Kingdom, a thorough Bible Correspondence Course was created for adults. In an attempt to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers, an introductory program for kindergarten through high school was also offered.

A Little Strength
          With very little money, but armed with monumental faith, in 1947, Mr. Armstrong opened Ambassador College in Pasadena, California as a means to train new ministers. In 1960 a second campus was opened in Bricket Wood, England, and in 1964 a third campus was opened in Big Sandy, Texas. The commission of the Church had become a worldwide endeavor and, as a result, in 1968 the corporate name was changed to The Worldwide Church of God to reflect the scope of the work. Soon after this, the Church became the largest purchaser of both radio and television for religious programming in the entire United States. Church membership grew to 470 congregations around the world, with nearly 140,000 people attending the annual Feast of Tabernacles. By the mid-eighties, the work had earned such positive recognition that Mr. Armstrong was given the opportunity to fly around the world and meet with various kings, ambassadors, and dignitaries, bringing God’s message of hope to millions.

Not Denied My Name
          As the Church became a powerful witness to the world, the money and power generated by this growth attracted individuals with a different spirit. While Mr. Armstrong was on various trips abroad, his absence created a leadership vacuum at headquarters. Liberal minded men eagerly filled that void, bringing with them such fruits as the “Systematic Theology Project.” This was a self appointed committee set up to review and publish doctrinal articles that brought in subtle changes which ultimately watered down the work and teachings of the Church. While summarizing events of this recent era, Mr. Armstrong wrote:

Late in 1971 many of our members became confused over propaganda reaching our people over a "sacred names" teaching. This purported that whenever the names of God or of Jesus are mentioned, they must not be spoken by their names in the English language, but in the Hebrew language…

At that time, it was suggested that a special Doctrinal Team be appointed to research the question more technically to verify the real truth. We wanted the teaching and doctrines of the Church to be verified beyond any room for doubts. I appointed A Doctrinal Research Committee to pursue an in-depth research of the subject…

The first committee I had assigned to research the "sacred names" error did reaffirm the truth on that question beyond doubt. But soon a few would-be scholars had established themselves into a "Doctrinal Team." What started as an honest effort to find and establish real TRUTH in due time turned into a group of "would-be scholars" not appointed by me, seeking to destroy the true doctrines of the Church.

This brought controversy into the Church. These self-professed "scholars," influenced by teaching in universities in which they were enrolling for higher degrees, were becoming more and more liberal. They wanted to skirt as close as possible to the precipice of secularism, falling off the cliff into Satan's world.

These were the years when my commission required that I be absent from Pasadena, and traveling overseas to almost all parts of the world as many as 300 of the 365 days of the year. This liberal group, small at first, came to be in executive positions at Pasadena, surrounding and influencing the one responsible for day-to-day administration at headquarters during my absence. Much of what they did was carefully kept from me…

Just before the January, 1978, (ministerial) conference I was determined to prevent doctrinal controversy. I was also due to leave on another 'round-the-world trip. I had decided to postpone the trip until after the conference in order to keep controversy out of the conference. But the one to be left in charge in my absence urged me to remain for the opening morning session, so that I could open the conference, and keep my departure at 12 noon, and he gave me his word no doctrines would be discussed in the conference, only administrative matters.

I agreed to this. I opened the conference, left immediately for the airport and had lunch on the plane… I had not gotten very far out over the Pacific Ocean that afternoon, until in the afternoon session of the conference a voluminous printed work called "Systematic Theology Project," or "STP" for short, was distributed to the ministry with specific instructions that this was a definite outline of basic Church doctrines, and no minister was to preach anything contrary to this treatise.

I knew absolutely nothing of this STP, or that it had been in preparation. It had been carefully concealed from me. It was a flagrant violation of the promise made to induce me to leave so this doctrinal change in Church teaching could be given to all ministers without my knowledge. I knew nothing of this STP in spite of claims made by others, until a copy was brought to me by some loyal ministers in late April or early May of 1978 when I then notified every minister in the world to return his copy immediately and ignore all its liberal doctrines and teachings…

Some of these liberal ministers who worked on and produced the STP and the one who was in charge of executive administration in my absence were disfellowshipped and others left the Church (The Worldwide News, June 24, 1985, p 2-3).

          The politics and power struggles that resulted from this liberal spirit ultimately led to an attack on the Church by the State of California.  As Mr. Armstrong continues:

At the time of the Feast of Tabernacles that fall, 1978… a conspiracy was hatched to attack and destroy the Church by the legal process of a class action lawsuit. Some six or seven liberals, former members, signed the suit against the Church. This resulted in an ex parte order by a judge. Secretly without prior notice, deputies on order of the Attorney General's office swooped down on the Church on the morning or Jan. 3, 1979. The ex parte order had been signed by a judge late the day before.

A very severe struggle for the existence and life of the Church ensued. Some months later the State dropped the case, and still later an appellate court judge issued a declaration from the bench that the lawsuit was groundless and should never have been filed… (p. 3)

          After these dramatic events, Mr. Armstrong suffered from cardiac arrest, but was miraculously brought back from death’s door to put the Church back on track.  He shut down the colleges for restructuring, and took over the television production himself. Under his renewed leadership, the Church was restored and its doctrines were put back in place. As this occurred, that liberal element seemed to disappear, but as Mr. Armstrong said:

For some years now, there have been some, like vultures, waiting for me to die. They would like to come back and take over the leadership of the Church in my stead. I have been deeply concerned about this… (p. 4)

The Synagogue of Satan
          By these events, the seeds for the birth of the next era were sown. After the death of Mr. Armstrong, just as he predicted, that same liberal element resurfaced. The new leaders began to use the resources of the Church to destroy everything that God had built through him. They formulated a plan to subtly remake the Church in the image of mainstream Christianity. The prophecy of a great falling had found its fulfillment (II Thes. 2:3; Jer. 23:1; Ezek. 34). The new liberal leaders disfellowshipped the faithful who protested these changes, but Jesus comforts them with these words:

Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee (Revelation 3:9).

          Those false teachers, who acted as if they were true Christians, infiltrated and infected the Church of God with liberalism. Christ reveals that in the Kingdom they will come to worship at the feet of those who remain faithful. However, before this takes place, God makes another promise to those who hold fast. He will protect them from the great tribulation that is to come:

Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 3:10-13).

          As the apostasy deepened, those who were faithful to the vital truths restored by Mr. Armstrong either left or were cast out of the church. Various splinter groups formed from the exodus. The once unified Church devolved into numerous scattered groups holding different doctrinal positions. The remnant of this monumental era would now have to hold fast within a confused and scattered environment.

The Church of the Laodiceans

          The apostasy occurring after Mr. Armstrong’s death rocked God’s Church, greatly affecting those who would find themselves in the last era. The shock wave it produced worked to create an attitude that would characterize the time in which we now live. As the apostle John wrote:

Unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; these things saith the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Revelation 3:14-17).

Lukewarm—neither Cold nor Hot
          Those who rejected the Protestant changes of the apostasy were either cast out or they withdrew from the parent body. However, many of the members, and some of the ministry internalized the new liberal spirit and doctrine. The membership watched as many in the ministry, whose job it was to protect God’s people protected themselves. Brethren felt like they had the rug pulled out from under them. Stunned and numbed by what God had allowed to occur, many lost much of their zeal.
          As these believers exited from the apostate Church, many formed new, independent organizations. To some, it was exciting and there was a sense of liberation. A kind of euphoria grew regarding what they were doing as an organization. However, individuals displayed little zeal in truly conforming to the character of Christ. As a result, the Church became half hearted toward Christ’s commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom and warn the world of the tragedy prophesied to come.
          As a result of the way the apostasy played out, enormous distrust developed among Church members. Of those who were the first to leave, many developed an attitude of superiority in which they became critical toward those members who came out later. Because of the relative failure of the ministry, people began to put more trust in their personal judgment regarding spiritual matters. They began to evaluate the leadership and other brethren, according to what they thought should be taught. Because of this judgmental attitude, today, many have little respect for authority and few are willing to take correction. Thus we see that it is no mere coincidence that the name of this last era fits its prevailing attitude.

What’s in a Name?
          God names things for what they are or the function they perform. In regards to this last era of the Church, the name Laodicea comes from a combination of two Greek words, “laos,” and “dikē.” The first of these is defined as “people.” The second part is a word that means “judgment, punish, or vengeance.” Putting the two definitions together we find a term that means “a people who judge” and “a people fit for judgment.”
          The definition of this name is not coincidental. In addressing this era Christ purposely chose a title that fits its prevailing attitude. This is a time when the people are judging others and are therefore fit for judgment.

In Need of Nothing
          This is the era in which we now live. No longer united in belief, we exist in an environment that is a blend of truth and falsehood. With no apostle, it is a time when personal preference has become the deciding factor regarding the meaning of Scripture.
          Some have created their own “pet” doctrines in an attempt to lead others to follow them. Other groups fear to make changes when they discover additional truth. This is because they are afraid of losing members and tithe money. Therefore, they will often cater to what the people want to believe.
          In addition, many Church leaders have become proud and arrogant. Thinking that they are superior, they condemn others who do not accept their teaching, or are not part of their work.
          Thus, numerous leaders and brethren alike, claim to keep the commandments, but do so according to their own personal biased instead of the clear teachings of biblical law. By this, we have become “sloppy” in our obedience or even selective in what we will or will not believe and observe. In fact, many have become independent. They harbor their own unique beliefs, no longer meet with others, yet are convinced that they are fully in the faith.

The time of warning has almost come to its end!
We are asleep and absolutely must wake up!

Be Zealous and Repent
          If we do not change, we may have to experience the fiery trial of the great tribulation. To those who must be corrected in this way, Christ admonishes them to endure such pain and suffering in order to purchase the golden character needed for His Kingdom. Jesus warns:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 3:18-22).

Conclusion
          Down through the ages, the Church of God has experienced exactly what was written in these seven letters. By this, we can be certain that the epistles in Revelation were recorded as an admonishment—a warning to the seven Church eras.
          From the historical record, we can be assured that we are now living in the last of these eras. There is a spirit of complacency and judgment that permeates the scattered Church. Thankfully, in and among the various congregations, there also exists a spirit of Philadelphia. This gives us enormous hope. If we will repent, we still have the opportunity to become pillars in the temple of God and rule with Jesus Christ at His return.

 Seven Church Eras

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