Laodicea – From Angel to Any Man
John Thiel mp3
This study is entitled under the series of the seven churches ‘Laodicea – from Angel to Any Man’.
In this divine service we have arrived at the last period of God’s one church – Laodicea.
The term Laodicea is meant by the words – people of the Judgment. Laodicea – it this this city in the in the Middle East there was a city of courts of the of the Roman Empire and that’s where all the judgments took place in that city. From our study of Philadelphia and the hour of God’s judgment has come that was preached during that period, this is now the period in which the judgment, the day of atonement is taking place in heaven.
This is the period of 1844 through to the close of probation and as we apply ourselves to this meditation, we are to remember that we are studying not seven churches, but one church in seven periods of time. One church running through from the launching out of the Christian church that Jesus launched out in sending out his Apostles through to the very end.
We remember also that this church is comprised of overcomers in each period of time and we saw this in reference to that Laodicea is comprised of overcomers out of the Philadelphian period which was from 1833 to 1844.
It is the overcomers who overcame the terrible disappointment that took place in the Philadelphian period. They had expected Jesus to come but they were bitterly disappointed and as we had been reading, they had to preach again. They had to prophesy some more rather than having their work completed as they had anticipated. These overcomers after the disappointment that overcame their disappointment these overcame over comers were the pioneers of the Seventh Day Adventist church and these overcomers, these pioneers of the organisation that developed as the Seventh Day Adventist Church, their description is given in Isaiah chapter 58 because in this time of judgement, their work was to restore everything that had been neglected and had been lost over the centuries by false doctrines and teachings. That took place Isaiah 58:12 where it says:
Isaiah 58:12 They that shall be of thee…
Those that are of Jesus:
Isaiah 58:12 …shall build the old waste places Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.
These were the people that had that task to be the repairers of the breach, the restorers of the paths that had been left and were no longer being dwelt in. They are to be restored. To emphasise the fact that these are the people who have been benefited by the gospel of Jesus Christ, as He read that time from Isaiah 61:3 and 4 when he was at Nazareth, you remember He read this scripture where He said:
Isaiah 61:1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings.
This scripture he was reading to them.
Isaiah 6:3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning., the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified 4 And they shall build the old waste cities.
Who will build them? Those whom Jesus has redeemed. They are the people that will build the old waste places.
Isaiah 6:4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
This is not to be lost sight of that these people of Isaiah 58:12 are the people who have been affected purely by the gospel of Jesus Christ. They have walked with Jesus; they have entered into an intimate fellowship with Him. They are the ones in the period of Laodicea that are now called upon to restore everything that has been lost through the dark ages and you remember this was the winter where the canker and palmer worm and so on had eaten up the beautiful spiritual food. The wheat, the provender now it must be totally restored:
Here are given in this scripture there are given characteristics the characteristics of those who shall be reformers who will bear the banner of the third angel’s message. Those who avow themselves God’s commandment keeping people and who honor God and are earnestly engaged in the sight of all the universe in building up the old waste places. 4 Bible Commentary Volume 4 Page 1151 1,151.7
Who is it that calls them the repairers of the breach, the restorers of paths to dwell in? It is God. Their names are registered in heaven as reformers, restorers as raising the foundations of many generations. These were the overcomers out of Philadelphia those that launched out in the period as God’s church in the period of Laodicea. They were called by God as reformers/restorers raising the foundations of many generations. That is the church, the one church living now in the last days and indeed they ventured forth. Those disappointed people ventured forth in conquering their disappointment and studying carefully.
They were led by Jesus as we identified in Isaiah 61. They were healed, they were comforted and what did Jesus say as we read in our scripture reading? Lo I am with you right to the end of the world. That one church that now arrives at the end of the world 1844 onwards; Jesus says I’m right here with you and what was their great purpose? They wanted to answer the prayer of Christ to come into 100% unity. That’s what was in their heart as they were trying to get themselves into that pure truth that they were studying carefully.
The true workers of Jesus Christ are to cooperate with their brethren who have had an experience in the work from the very rise of the third angel’s message. Selected Messages Book 2 102.3
After the disappointment, these ones who came through the rise of the third angel’s message.
These followed on step by step, receiving light and truth as they advanced, bearing one test after another, lifting the cross that lay directly in their pathway, and pressing on to know the Lord, whose goings forth are prepared as the morning. Selected Messages Book 2 102.3
She’s writing to these ones who didn’t have that experience and she’s writing to us:
You and other of our brethren must accept the truth as God has given it to His students of prophecy, as they have been led by genuine, living experience, advancing point by point, tested, proved, and tried, until the truth is to them a reality. From their voices and pens the truth in bright, warm rays has gone to all parts of the world, and that which was to them testing truth, as brought by the Lord’s delegated messengers, is testing truth to all to whom this message is proclaimed. Selected Messages Book 2 102.3
Here they were developing point by point and being tested along the way to ask God for help in developing their experience. These pioneers of the Seventh Day Adventist church, that was God’s church in its launching there during that Laodicean period. What were they doing? They were being led point by point through all the truths that were developed. For how long did these truths come together point by point? For how long? The problem lies that there were many who were who were coming in wanting to change a few things.
Let none seek to tear away the foundations of our faith,—the foundations that were laid at the beginning of our work, by prayerful study of the Word and by revelation. Upon these foundations we have been building for more than fifty years. Men may suppose that they have found a new way, that they can lay a stronger foundation than that which has been laid; but this is a great deception. “Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid.” [1 Corinthians 3:11.] In the past, many have undertaken to build a new faith, to establish new principles; but how long did their building stand? It soon fell; for it was not founded upon the Rock. GW 307.1
These dear souls were making an experience point by point and it took the first the foundation and then building on that foundation, Sister White said there it was for over fifty years. It took fifty years to restore all that had been lost. Fifty years and there is that powerful quote:
Where shall we find safety unless it be in the truths that the Lord has been giving for the last fifty years? CW 53.
She wrote that in 1905. More than fifty years she said that. From 1905 it was fifty years prior, and it came to more than fifty years after 1844 if you add that altogether. That’s what she said were the foundations that were built as they came out of their disappointment and then built over fifty years that whole system of truth as they kept on seeking God to lead them step by step building up this this beautiful pure truth the restoring of paths to dwell in.
The church as it developed like that, grew and it was able to present truth against all the opposers of the Sardis church. The protestant churches that had fallen, as we’ve already studied, were opposed. They had to present the truths against all that and as they were opposed, they were defending the pure truth. There was a grave danger to these people a terrible danger. What was the danger of Revelation 3?
Laodicea in Grave Danger
In Revelation 3 we see that grave danger:
Revelation 3:14 And 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; 14 And 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; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 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:
What was the grave danger whereby are they lukewarm? They have come to a point of absolute truth and nobody could argue with them. They were defending the pure truth, and they were becoming endangered according to the following:
Christ looks mournfully upon his professed people who feel rich and increased in the knowledge of the truth and who are yet destitute of the truth in life and character. OHC 349.4
There is the terrible danger. You can have all the knowledge of the truth which God had led them step by step to gain that truth, but there is something very dangerous here that we concentrate on defending the pure doctrines, the pure truth and we begin to feel rich and increased in the knowledge of the truth while yet destitute of the truth in life and character.
That’s what Jesus is addressing to these people now as they were coming along through this assurance of absolute truth that they lost their focus on. That truth, what is it designed to do to? Change the truth in their heart so all that truth is going to produce what it is designed to produce. They were destitute of the truth in life and character and therefore they felt they were rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and were not aware that they were wretched miserable poor blind and naked.
There will be some terrible falls by those who think they stand firm because they have the truth but they have it not as it is in Jesus. 5T 540
The Atonement of Jesus
You may recall that the atonement is the great central truth around which all other truth’s cluster. They have the truth but they don’t have it as it is in Jesus. As it is in the atonement and that is a recipe for a terrible fall. As we are following this through very carefully, we see this:
Our doctrines may be correct. We may hate false doctrine and may not receive those who are not true to principle. We may labour with untiringly energy but even this is not sufficient. SM1 370.2
The truth that we labour in, that we untiringly communicate with people around us, while we may do that but we don’t have it as it is in Jesus, if we don’t have it in practice in our own life properly then we are in danger of a terrible fall. This message of Laodicea that Jesus is speaking to His church during the period of Laodicea, it says to the angel of the church if you recall the angel are the ministers that give the message, this message is making the ministers of the church proud that we have the truth. They are sure of themselves and they’re ready to fall by the things I’ve just read and that warning was given to them right from the early period of their building.
As I have of late looked around to find the humble followers of the meek and lowly Jesus. My mind has been much exercised many who profess to be looking for the speedy coming of Christ are becoming conformed to this world and seek more earnestly the applause of those around them more than the approbation of God. They are cold and formal like the nominal churches from which they but a short time since separated. The words addressed to the Laodicean church describe their present condition perfectly. EW 107.2
When did she write that? In 1852 right there in the early stages, the Laodicean message already began to be applied to them that they are neither cold nor hot but lukewarm and unless they heed the counsel of the faithful and true witness and zealously repent and obtain gold tried in the fire, white raiment, He will spew them out of his mouth. What a serious warning to the early Adventist people in1852. This was repeated again in 1856 and again in 1876.
The Laodicean message applies to the people of God who profess to believe present truth. 4T 86.1
She wrote that in 1876.
The greater part are lukewarm professors, having a name but no zeal. God signified that He wanted men at the great heart of the work to correct the state of things existing there and to stand like faithful sentinels at their post of duty. He has given them light at every point, to instruct, encourage, and confirm them, as the case required. But notwithstanding all this, those who should be faithful and true, fervent in Christian zeal, of gracious temper, knowing and loving Jesus earnestly, are found aiding the enemy to weaken and discourage those whom God is using to build up the work. 4T 87.1
By the time we get to 1876, the application of the Laodicean message is applied to the angel of the church. What did she just say there?
God signified that he wanted men at the great heart of the work. 4T 87.1
Those who are the angels of the church are to do this work but what did they do? It’s interesting that while they at the head of the work were doing the opposite to what they were meant to be doing, what did it say? They were weakening and discouraging those whom God is using to build up the work. In the development of this point by point over those fifty years, there were those who were building up the work understanding repairing of the breach and so on and their leadership was another class. Sister White was that class that was building and all those of the pioneer years, the newer ones that came in and were now in the leadership, they were making it hard for those who were faithful.
By the time we get to 1888, we all understand well the Lord was trying to do something for His church in giving that message of Christ’s righteousness because the danger was that they were presenting the truth but not as it is in Jesus. Jesus came to them:
The solemn question should come home to every member of our churches, How are we standing before God, as the professed followers of Jesus Christ? Is our light shining forth to the world in clear, steady rays? Have we, as a people solemnly dedicated to God, preserved our union with the Source of all light? Are not the symptoms of decay and declension painfully visible in the midst of the Christian churches of today?
Spiritual death has come upon the people that should be manifesting life and zeal, purity and consecration, by the most earnest devotion to the cause of truth. The facts concerning the real condition of the professed people of God, speak more loudly than their profession, and make it evident that some power has cut the cable that anchored them to the Eternal Rock, and that they are drifting away to sea, without chart or compass. RH July 24 1888.1
What was happening to the church? They were no longer rooted and bound to the rock Jesus Christ and they were drifting to sea as a ship with without chart or compass. What is to be done? The true witness points out the only remedy; repent and do the first works or else I come unto thee quickly and remove thy name and remove thy candlestick out of it’s place except thou repent. The candlestick, the seven churches, the seven candlesticks, here is the warning. If you don’t take hold of this message of the condition that you are in, your candlestick is going to be removed and indeed when He says because thou art lukewarm, you make me sick, I’m going to spew you out of my mouth. That’s what’s written there because thou sayest I’m rich.
Thou art lukewarm neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth. He gives them warning. Please repent, buy of me so that you can recover yourself. He was wanting them to recover themselves. What is meant with those words? I will spew you out of my mouth. What is meant? Notice this is a serious problem because the church will continue to think it’s doing God’s work.
To those who are indifferent at this time Christ’s warning is: “Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.” Revelation 3:16. The figure of spewing out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up your prayers or your expressions of love to God. He cannot endorse your teaching of His word or your spiritual work in anywise. He cannot present your religious exercises with the request that grace be given you. 6T 408
You have a church that is praying and expressing love to God. It is a church that is teaching His word and doing great spiritual work. It is a church that is exercising itself in religious exercises but none of those powerful things are coming to anything because He cannot endorse your teaching or your religious exercises with the request that grace be given you.
It means He cannot offer up your prayers or your expressions of love to God. Just meditate on this serious condition and the serious problem that comes out of this. Unless they repent, this is going to happen. They will continue to worship; they will continue to run their churches, and do all the efforts that they’re doing in missionary work and none of it can be helped by Jesus as He’s not there making it worthwhile. What a serious state and so while opportunity to repent was given them, this is the question.
In the period of Pergamos the Lord was speaking to them in a similar way. Repent because they were getting high and lofty. They were sure of their position. Did they repent? We are told in Thyatira ‘I gave her room to repent but she would not so she became Jezebel.’ Follow that thought through. Even now in this period of Laodicea, that this the call to repentance whether that was being responded to.
If you come to Revelation 3, notice a different of approach because Jesus is speaking to the angel of the church in in the beginning of the message. Who is He speaking to now after He had said all these things about the angel of the church?
Revelation 3:20 Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him and he with me.
Why is Jesus saying, ‘I’m standing at the door ‘if any man’? Why is he saying that? He just said ‘unless you repent, I’m going to spew you out. You’re not listening to me angel knock, knock. Anybody listening?’ If any man open the door I will come into Him.’
He turns from the angel and calls out to any man. Where does this come from? Behold I stand at the door and knock. Where does that come from in the Bible? Is he quoting past scripture. Ponder Song of Solomon:
Song of Solomon 5:1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. 2 I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. 3 I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them?
4 My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. 5 I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. 6 I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. 7 The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. 8 I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.
Can you see Jesus is there? I want to come in and what does the church say: ‘I have put off my coat. How shall I put it on?’ Can you see the lukewarm attitude? ‘I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them?’ She looks at the door and it’s the old-fashioned door where the lock was on the inside and there was a little hole and she saw His fingers coming through trying so hard to get in.
‘My beloved put His hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for Him. I rose up to open to my beloved and my hands dropped with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock.’
Can you see a sort of a languid procedure? ‘I’m just so slow, I open to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself and was gone. My soul failed when he spake. I sought him but I could not find him. I called him but he gave me no answer. The Watchman that went about the city found me they smote me. They wounded me the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me I charge you oh daughters of Jerusalem, if you find my beloved that you tell him that I am sick of love.’
What do they answer? ‘What is thy beloved more than any other beloved oh thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved that thou dust so charge us?’
Can you see the metaphoric description? Here the church, the woman, the angel of the church, was not opening their door and so Jesus withdrew from her and she couldn’t find Him. She comes and interchanges with the other churches, with the other women that they say well our Saviour is no different to yours. What’s the problem? What are we observing from prophecy? What are we beholding in the Laodicean period? We are observing a crystallisation of that one church that Jesus launched with the apostles down through the centuries.
As we’ve seen down through the centuries all the way through, we are seeing the same thing now that the church that once appeared to have fallen and the faithful ones continue, that’s the picture we’re looking at. We’re seeing the crystallisation of that one church and this crystallisation Jesus described in the period of Laodicea at the end of the world.
Matthew 24
As you compare scripture with scripture, you are looking at the experience of God’s church in the last days all beautifully described in other scriptures and here we are looking to Matthew chapter 24 onwards. In the period of Laodicea, you’ve got the faithful servant. The unfaithful angels were making it hard for those who were building up the truth.
Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant
He’s talking about the end. You know not what day the Lord cometh,
Matthew 24:45 whom his Lord has made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Can you see how that all fits in the pure truth that was being established?
Meet in Due Season
Matthew 24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Can you see this languid state, this lukewarm state; ‘I know he’s coming but oh I’m getting tired and the doors being locked and Jesus wants to come in.’ You can see it here verse 49 and what does he begin to do? He says in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming:
Matthew 24:49 And shall begin to smite his fellow servant and to eat and drink with the drunken. 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him
Here we have the description of the Laodicean church. The faithful servant and the wicked servant. He doesn’t stop preaching that Jesus is coming, he still runs the church but in his heart he says, my Lord delays his coming and begins to eat and drink with the drunken but the faithful servant can continues to build, continues to do the work that is given to him.
Here this description continues in chapter 25 because he says then while this is happening in the Laodicean period:
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
You know the story well in this parable. He is giving this parable to describe the membership in the church. Two companies – the faithful minister and the unfaithful minister. The foolish virgins and the wise virgins. At midnight a cry is made; behold the bridegroom cometh. Who makes the cry? The faithful servant. The faithful servant continues because the angel of the church is not opening the door fast enough and Jesus withdraws. If any man will open the door straight away, that any man He goes and feasts with, helps and this is the oil in the vessels.
The faithful minister giving the pure message to the people, the wise virgins and the foolish. As the message comes to the wise and to the foolish, the foolish haven’t got enough oil and so on you’ve got this Laodicean condition versus the any man who opens the door. It’s the same scenario and it’s interesting to see when Sister White came to this terrible experience and the condition of the leadership.
We’ve been reading the candlestick will be removed/spewed out. They will still keep on going but their work is not being blessed by Jesus. Sister White is despairing. This was written in 1889:
I was confirmed in all I had stated in Minneapolis, that a reformation must go through the churches. Reforms must be made, for spiritual weakness and blindness were upon the people who had been blessed… LDE 48.1
With all those beautiful truths.
with great light and precious opportunities and privileges. As reformers they had come out of the denominational churches, but they now act a part similar to that which the churches acted. The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 356, 357 (1889).
Can you see a repetition of what they’re doing? The same thing as the protestant churches were doing. Now notice what she says:
We hoped that there would not be the necessity for another coming out. [This is the only known statement from the pen of Ellen White indicating that she might have lost confidence in the Seventh-day Adventist Church organization. The doubt which she expressed here was never repeated during the remaining twenty-six years of her life.] The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 356, 357 (1889).
She could see the danger couldn’t she? We had hoped but I’m not going to go out unless the Lord does it so she goes on to say:
While we will endeavor to keep the “unity of the Spirit” in the bonds of peace, we will not with pen or voice cease to protest against bigotry.—The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 356, 357 (1889).
Which was happening in the church? We are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. Bigotry – isn’t that right? We’re not going to be silent if it’s going to cause a rift. We had hoped that that would not happen but we will keep on raising our voice and pen and it.
Of those who boast of their light and yet fail to walk in it Christ says, “But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you. And thou, Capernaum [Seventh-day Adventists, who have had great light], which art exalted unto heaven [in point of privilege], shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”—The Review and Herald, August 1, 1893. [The bracketed comments are by Ellen White.]
The church is in the Laodicean state. The presence of God is not in her midst.—Notebook Leaflets 1:99 (1898).
God had given the church their opportunities, but they would not repent just like Pergamos wouldn’t repent because it became Jezebel. What did we read? The unfaithful servant is doing what? Eating and drinking with the drunken. Jezebel, Babylon made drunk by the wine of her fornication. The intermingling of pure truth with the other mingling of error is here cited and so Jesus says alright, you’re not opening the door. If any man that opens the door, I will go into him.
This is continued that prophecy points to the sad picture that the angel of Laodicea is bypassed for the any man.
Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled from the hellish torch of Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful ministers will be removed from the people who think they know so much. “If thou hadst known,” said Christ, “even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” TM 409.3
In the period of Laodicea the church is falling apart into two companies. The faithful and the unfaithful. As we look at that history of the period of Laodicea, it encompasses the description of Revelation 12:17:
Here you have the woman that doesn’t open the door. It finally gets there and Jesus has withdrawn Himself. The any man that opens the door quickly enough, Jesus is with them the faithful ministers, faithful people and here is the description of the woman that comes through the whole seven periods that we’ve been studying. The woman from the beginning through to the end and at the very end the Laodicean description is enunciated here in:
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed. Which keep the Commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.
Here is another enunciation of the church of Laodicea because the church, the woman is being spewed out. The any man that opens the door. being received Jesus is feasting with Him and that’s the any man that comes. The seed that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, is what our study is about. Laodicea from the angel to the any man and arising of the any man develops towards the overcomer. That’s Revelation 3:20 – any man that opens the door and then verse 21:
Revelation 3:21 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.
Can you see Jesus? ‘I’m with you. I want you to overcome come as I overcame. I’ve given you the beautiful truth.’
Only those who are responding to the any man that opens the door is then finally led to the overcomer. What do we have in front of us here according to prophecy? What have we got? Here the angel Laodicea, right there is the angel that has been appealed to which is the woman. The angel is indeed the woman of Laodicea, the woman that Jesus is wanting to come into and she’s sleepy. Get the picture? This is none other than the third angels message given by these people but because she doesn’t open the door quick enough and Jesus withdraws himself, He turns to any man now.
Who is this any man according to Revelation 12:17? The woman that he’s angry with but he makes war with the remnant of her seed?
The any man becomes the woman’s seed and if you turn to Revelation 18, there is another angel. The third angel who is represented by the angel of Laodicea becomes tame and voiceless, careless and lukewarm so the Lord is turning to any man who is the seed of the woman. Who is the Revelation 18 angel? There is a restoration of the message of 1888. There is a preaching of that and a faithful standing in defense of the pure truth
Revelation 18:1 to 3 is a beautiful description of those who are the any man who permit Jesus to come in.
Revelation 18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
This is the empowering of the three angel’s messages because this angel became lukewarm. Here comes the seed, the any man which gives the message but then what was Revelation 3:21? He that overcometh, the overcomer will sit with Him.
The process of this experience in the period of Laodicea is the crystallisation of the of the pure church coming to its conclusion and that’s where we have the overcomer in the period of Laodicea which is the those that are left over. The overcomer of the seed or the remnant of that seed, that prophecy pictured here and that is revelation the very last message given to the world by the overcomer – the church triumphant. There it is, the remnant of the woman’s seed.
Revelation 18:4 I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my people that you be not partakers of her sins and that you receive not of her plagues.
We have seen in this study of the last church, the last period. We have seen a repetition of what has been in the churches of the periods of the past which is coming to its climax. Our meditation for next Sabbath is going to be entitled members of the church of overcomers. We are to be members of God’s pure church all the way through and here you see that in the period of Laodicea the repetition of overcomers are the faithful church and in the very last event in this period there stands a people. The faithful servant is going to be smitten by the wicked servant:
The opposition which Christ received came from his own nation, who would have been greatly blessed had they accepted him. Review and Herald August 28th 1883 paragraph 13
Didn’t Jesus come to the woman? I want to come in but she didn’t accept it.
In like manner the remnant church receive opposition from those who profess to be their brethren. Review and Herald August 28th 1883 paragraph 13
Don’t expect anything different. From Seventh Day Adventism is the period of Laodicea and in the Seventh Day Adventist church you have the faithful that are giving meat in due season and ultimately as we read, because the angel of the church doesn’t like it, he begins to smite his fellow servant. We read that from Sister White there how that the that the faithful ministers are going to be removed. They become the seed and finally if faithful, the remnant of the seed.
There’s prophecy and we can through prophecy and see Jesus with his church and you and I living right now are to identify ourselves with the prophetic picture of the faithful. Are you a wise virgin? Where is the true ministry? It’s all laid out for us in this subject of Laodicea which we will conclude next Sabbath.
May God add His Blessing to these meditations to us in Jesus name.
Amen
