End Time Study--Pt. 3

Let us continue our look at the seven churches of Revelation. The next letter to the churches with its message to the end-time church is written to the church of Smyrna (Rev.2:8-11). This church was in a region that was very hostile toward Christianity. Many martyrs would die here. The majority of the believers here were from the lower classes of people. They were poor by the world's standards but were rich in grace. Christianity held on here better than any where else in Asia. This church is the only church that survived among the seven churches of Asia. They may have been economically poor, and even persecuted, yet they had a strong faith. As it was then, so it is always, when it cost something to serve Him it proves our love for Him and strengthens our faith.

It would appear that today's church is largely prosperious economically, yet it is poor in spirit, holiness and righteousness. But as the church enters a time of persecution, tribulation and judgement, I believe we will see a call for and a return to holiness and a right relationship with God. Peter expressed this mindset in his first letter in chapter four verses sixteen through nineteen which states, "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. For the time has come for judgement to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end to those who do not obey the gospel of God? Now if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator." When persecution comes to the church in the U.S., as it has already come in some other nations of the world, will we bring glory to the Lord by our faith or will we dishonor Him by our murmuring and complaining? Rest assured judgement is coming to the church. In fact I believe that it has already begun. God has already begun to expose the hidden sins of the church. It is as though God is drawing an imaginary line in the sand of time to see where the church will stand when sin is exposed. God is allowing ministers and their families to be sifted by the enemy that they may see what He sees--their hearts. Ministers are being exposed as adulterers, fornicators, frauds and thieves, not only that they may have the opportunity to repent and be restored, but also to see how the church will react to the sins of the ministers. Unfortunatly, for the most part, churches are failing miserably. Ministers can stand in their pulpits one Sunday and confess adultery, fraud, divorce, or any other sin, and be right back in their pulpits the next Sunday. The ministers have disregarded what the Bible says about sin and the congregations have lost their sin consciousness.

Many ministers no longer speak out against sin because they want the congregation to be programmed to overlook, or at best, excuse sin so that when the minister's sins are revealed the people will overlook them. The money keeps coming in. The requests for speaking engagements continue pouring in. The numbers increase as people realize that this minister is just "one of the guys;" he is just like them. Everyone is happy! Yet all the while God is grieved as His ministers and His people fail the test of loyalty to God and His Word. Judgement will reveal the phony ministers and the compromising congregations.

We are not only ill-equipped for the suffering of the end times but we have bought into the doctrine that we will be raptured before anything bad begins to happen. The church will go through the majority of the Great Tribulaton, but the true church will at the same time be like the church of Smyrna. It will be full of faith while being persecuted. God is bringing judgement to His church to test us. The hard times that await us will prove our faith. If our faith is in man or the things of this world, it will fail. If we are trusting in religion, denominations, the doctrines of man,the traditions of man or programs of man we will fail. Suffering for Christ is a privilege. If standing up for the gospel's sake brings persecution to us, then so be it. We will not be ashamed of the gospel. After all Jesus has already said here in this letter that the believers will be persecuted, put in prison and go through tribulation, yet if they remain faithful a crown of life awaits them. The church is growing up and maturing through the chastening rod of trials and persecutions that she may be ready for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. A glorious church refined by fire(ICor.3:9-15).

One other observation in this letter deserves our attention for the subject matter of our study, that being verse ten of chapter two which says, "---and you will have tribulation ten days---." These are prophetic days like the days spoken of in the Book of Daniel. Prophetic days stand for years. With this knowledge we understand that this verse means that the end-time church will endure ten years (ten days) of tribulation. This would imply that the church will begin to experience persecution at an accelerated rate three years before the Great Tribulation even begins. There is coming a time in the very near future when being called a Christian will expose you to excessive abuse. All of this will be setting the stage for the anti-christ to rise to power.

Historically, the churches of Asia suffered grievious affliction for ten years while under the reign of Diocletian. One Hebrew meaning of the number ten is frequency. For a decade the Christians of Asia frequently suffered persecution and abuse. And so it will be with the end-time church. For a decade the true church will suffer persecution and abuse with these ending at the last trumpet of God and the church being gathered in the clouds. Thus we see another Hebrew meaning for the number ten, that being completeness in divine order or fulness of time. God has a plan and He is working His plan. When the fulness of time is complete, according to God's plan and timetable, God will gather the saints of all the ages and then pour out His wrath upon the earth. But if the true church continues in faith and overcomes the trials of this life, she will not only receive a crown of life, she will "not be hurt by the second death," the lake of fire(Rev.20:14,15). Let's be overcomers.