Chapter 2

Ekklesia

Out-Calling

Revealing Letters...

This voyage of discovery through Yahuweh's prophetic Scriptures has led us to places and revelations I had not suspected. In that light, you may be surprised to learn that by keeping our eye on prophecy we are going to skip from the formation of the Ekklesia/Called-Out Assembly detailed in the last chapter and head directly to its demise. Hopefully, I will live long enough to compose a work dedicated to exposing the commonality of the Renewed Covenant teachings with the Old, but that is not the purpose of this book. We are going to continue to learn from prophecy. Chronologically, that brings us to the opening chapters of Revelation where the risen Yahushua predicted what lay ahead for His newly created ekklesia.

The study of prophetic Scriptures was a closed tome until the mid-nineteenth century. Luther was so puzzled by the book of Revelation he expressed reservations about its canonicity, remarking, "Even if it were a blessed thing to believe what is contained in it, no man knows what that is."

Yahuweh is aware that we only understand a portion of what He has given us. Like a father sharing good things with his children, He knows that timing is everything. Detailed knowledge of His plan for the end of the age would not have done Clement of Rome or Martin Luther much good. But as the day approaches when understanding becomes vital, the Set-Apart Spirit opens our eyes and our minds to the truths that have been there all along.

The "Church" has been in existence so long, some have come to believe that this is it; there is no more - that God's promises to Israel have been transferred to it. This view sees the Church as righteous and marching triumphantly ever forward, gaining converts and civilizing nations until the whole world is under "Christ's" (i.e., their) control. Granted, it was easier to hold this position in the nineteenth century, before we fought a world war in which the "Church" supported the wrong side (or coroneted a pope who served as a Nazi anti-aircraft gunner). It was easier to hold this position before the "Church" was bypassed in size by the religion of man, Secular Humanism, Socialism, and Communism - doctrines that have obliterated the lives of over 100,000,000 souls over the past century. This position was easier to hold before Islam, Satan's religion of submission and terror, outpaced Catholicism in its race for converts - now poisoning 1.3 billion souls who are ready to follow Gog in Magog's (Islam's) attempted conquest of Israel - something made possible by a ignorantly and immorally meddling United States. It was easier to hold this position before man invented the means to destroy all life on this planet, making the Scripture's end time's prophecies possible, even probable. It was easier to take this position before Israel rose from the ashes of two millennia of persecution and exile to be reborn as a sovereign nation. So now, the "empowered, righteous, and ultimately triumphant Church" isn't so credible any more.

Besides, to take this position, called "replacement theology," you have to ignore, deny, or explain away huge chunks of divine writ. It becomes necessary to build an elaborate system of substitute realities to deal with the obvious discrepancies. But the minute you do this, the minute you start trimming Scriptures to fit your own preconceptions, nothing fits anymore.

The name "church" does not appear in Scripture. Nothing close to it exists, although there is a mighty condemnation of what it has come to represent. There is no papacy, cardinals, monks, or nuns. There is no seat of St. Peter, although there is a "Seat of Satan" and they are one in the same. According to Scripture, Mary is dead and cannot hear prayers. Based upon what can be deduced from Yahuweh's Word, every festival celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church is Satanic. They are all based upon the Whore of Babylon. Christmas, Easter, Lent, the Assumption of Mary, St. Valentine's Day, and All Hollow's Eve are derived from the sungod religion of Ba'al. Moreover, Lord is Ba'al, not Yahuweh. Jesus is the name of the Horned One in the Druid Mother Earth religion - a derivative of Ba'al's Babylonian counterfeit. Christ means drugged and whitewashed in Greek. It isn't a last name. There is no Christian religion discussed in Scripture and the only Jewish religion is Babylonian. So according to God, Christianity did not replace Judaism. And speaking of Scripture, Yahuweh did not reveal Old or New Testaments or inspire a book called the Bible. Men have created these things and men have no authority.

The prophets predicted and Yahushua confirmed that the ekklesia/called-out assembly would serve as a temporary witness. We are Yisra'el's understudy, not her permanent replacement. This is confirmed throughout the prophecies we have studied. It is reestablished in Revelation, where in the opening chapters the risen Yahushua directs John to write open letters addressed to seven ekklesia/called-out assemblies - all but one of which were relatively minor establishments.

These open letters in the beginning of Scripture's last book should be analyzed the same way we reviewed Genesis one. Three perspectives are evident in the one account. First, there is the obvious historical context. Seven actual assemblies, located within a relatively short distance of each other, all in the Roman province of Asia, in today's western Turkey, displayed seven different spiritual profiles. By cracking open our history books we will discover why these specific, and otherwise insignificant, assemblies were called-out for examination.

Second, as with all of Yahuweh's prophecies, there are important lessons for every local ekklesia, and indeed every called-out individual. The conditions praised and scorned can and do coexist side by side. We all need to examine our lives in the light of these letters, to assess whether we are being commended or chastised. Within these passages we find mercy, encouragement, guidance, calls for repentance, and warnings of dire consequences. Each message contains the admonishment, "He who can hear, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the ekklesia." That's us. We dare not miss these messages. There is too much at stake.

Third, there is a powerful prophetic element to every verse. Each Asian assembly represents a broad period of history. The actual conditions and Yahushua's commentary on them exemplify the most salient manifestations, good and bad, of the ekklesia during these past 2,000 years as we have struggled to be Yahuweh's witnesses. For example, we can date the Smyrna era precisely because it speaks of "ten days" of persecution, a condition that began under Nero in 67 CE and culminated under Diocletian in 303 CE. The epoch concludes nine years later with the emergence of General Constantine in 312 CE as he established the "Seat of Satan."

On the subject of dating, the internal evidence suggests that Revelation was written in 68 or 69 CE, after the suicide of Nero yet before the destruction of the Temple. A thoughtful unraveling of Revelation 17:9-11 (see Ken Power's "Whore of Babylon" chapter of Future History if you're curious) not only confirms this dating, it also provides us with a detailed historic portrait of what the Antichrist will be like. Further, the passage and those surrounding it, implicates the Roman Catholic Church, identifying the religious establishment as an essential component of the Satanic system touted by the False Prophet. From the standpoint of the reliability of the text the Apostle John wrote, archeologists have found five Greek manuscripts covering the bulk of Revelation dating to as early as the late first century.

Of particular interest in this review of the seven assemblies addressed by Yahushua, four received commendation as well as condemnation. But two were not rebuked at all, and one - the last, Laodicea - received no praise of any kind. Most "Christians" today are Laodicean. Yahshua calls them "vomit."

The eras overlap and coexist. There are echoes of each of these assemblies in evidence simultaneously throughout the age, just as there were in John's day. Therefore, we need to be mindful of what Yahshua said to every ekklesia, not just the one in whose age we are living. And, as we examine the history of "Christianity" in light of these letters, we begin to realize that we are very near the end of the final age. As time goes by this realization becomes more and more obvious.

By way of introduction, here is a listing of the seven ekklesia Yahushua spoke about in His open letter. They are presented in the order these general themes became prevalent in Christendom but there are elements of every assembly in every age. That is why there is no ending date for any of them. For example, if you are a Christian in the Sudan or in the People's Republic of China, you are living under Smyrna style persecution. The Roman Catholic Church, born in the Pergamos period, remains the seat of Satan. They have neither changed nor gone away. The prevailing "church" today is comprised of unsaved and self-reliant Laodiceans, but there are still some Philadelphians around. We know this because Yahshua said that the Philadelphians would be kept out of the Tribulation while the Laodiceans endure it.

The Ephesian assembly couldn't have begun before the Miqra' of Weeks in 33 CE, when the ekklesia was born, and it probably came to a close as John was writing Revelation, which was in effect the end of the Apostolic age. Smyrna is easy to date as it covers the ten eras of Roman persecution, all of which are well documented. And that means we know exactly when the Pergamos period came into being, 312 CE, and thus who to blame for it. But from that point on the dates are approximate and debatable. Ages don't so much open and close but instead wax and wane with considerable overlap on both ends of the bell-shaped curve. As a case in point, an argument can be made that the Jezebelian Thyatira era came to a close twenty Yowbel/Jubilee after Yahushua's Passover sacrifice, in 1033, during the reign of Benedict IX, the occultist pope. But there were other low water marks during this time. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox split in 1054 under Leo IX and the first ill-conceived Crusade in 1095 under Pope Urban II are also significant events in Christendom. Some scholars have the time of Thyatira running all the way through the Dark Ages. So I see our attempts to date these epochs as less important than recognizing that Yahshua laid out the future history of the "church" in broad, but accurate strokes, and in so doing, told us precisely what He values and what He detests.

I have listed the most salient characteristic of each of the seven ekklesia. And yes, there are seven of them. The entirety of Yahuweh's prophetic message is based upon seven, so He is consistent to the end. His preference for seven started predicatively in Genesis with the seven days of creation, it developed prophetically with the seven Miqra', and it concludes with the future history of seven ekklesia.

Assembly Name		Inception	Characteristic
1.	Ephesus:	33 C.E.	"Apostolic"
2.	Smyrna:	67 C.E.	"Persecution"
3.	Pergamum:	312 C.E.	"Universalism"
4.	Thyatira:	606 C.E.	"Whorish"
5.	Sardis:	1054 C.E.	"Death"
6.	Philadelphia:	1522 C.E.	"Loving Family"
7.	Laodicea:	1882 C.E.	"People Legislate"

Geographically, the seven assemblies were separated by a little over a hundred miles. Patmos, the island where John was exiled when he received the vision of Revelation, was just off the coast of Ephesus - the first city on the list, and the place where the apostle had served as a witness for many years. I have been in the cave many believe served as his isolated home.

At the time, Ephesus rivaled Rome as the world's most magnificent metropolis with a population soaring beyond 500,000. But the city was resolutely pagan. Artemis was god. She was a mother earth fertility deity along the lines of Babylon's Ishtar - the goddess from whom Easter and Earth were named. Her temple in Ephesus reflected her stature. Railing against her is what got John exiled. Politics, religion, culture, and business were intertwined, as they are today, and what John had to say was hostile to their interests.

Ephesus' grand library, of which only the façade remains, rivaled Rome's, Athens', even Alexandria's. This was a city for "enlightened" men if there ever were one. But, as usual, it was all for show. A secret passage led from the library's entrance underground, and into the town's extravagant row of brothels - which still remain intact, replete with graphic advertisements. It was the kind of place where there was a world of separation between those who were called-out and those who were not. And speaking of the ekklesia, keep in mind that at the time of this writing (probably forty years after the resurrection), the assembly was more Yahudim than Gowyim. Religious and political leaders aside, the ordinary Jews who were eyewitnesses to Yahushua's miraculous life, were more inclined to accept their Messiah than reject Him.

The full meaning of the word Ephesus reflects the nature and history of its assembly. Its primary meaning is: "full-purposed and desirable." The secondary meaning is "to let go and relax." The ekklesia in Ephesus had been built under John's care. Only Corinth occupied more of Paul's time. In other words, these folks enjoyed some rather impressive sermons. They were born evangelical, and were nourished on sound doctrine, but following the Apostles' deaths, they relaxed and slid away.

John was told to write of the assembly of which he had been pastor: "To the messenger (aggelos - envoy who brings tidings, angel, a being who serves God) of the called-out assembly (ekklesia - a gathering of people who are called-out of their homes usually for the purpose of deliberation; an assembly duly summoned; from ek, meaning out, a preposition denoting origin, and kaleo, meaning calling; thus literally "out-calling") of Ephesus (Ephesos - the capital of Ionia under the Greeks then Romans) write (grapho - record using alphabetic characters to memorialize and describe): 'This (hode) relates and affirms (lego - says, maintains, teaches, exhorts, advises, and instructs) He who has the power to hold and retain (krateo - the might to rule as master, to take hold of and hold fast, powerfully and faithfully) the seven sources of light (aster - stars as sources of illumination) in His right hand (dexios - place of honor and authority), who walks (peripateo - who makes His Way in the midst of, who lives with and for, who prevails opportunistically) in, by, and with (en) and among (mesos - in the midst of) the seven golden lamp stands (luchnia - candelabrum, illuminations, implements for radiating light in the darkness):..." (Revelation 2:1)

Let's examine Yahushua's greeting. An aggelos is just a "messenger." The recipients of these letters could well have been, and probably were, the humans who were pastoring these assemblies. As such the opening line destroys the myth of Catholicism - that Peter was head of the Church. By 70 CE there were many "churches," not one, and Peter only pastored the Jerusalem assembly, an ekklesia which didn't even make Yahshua's list.

There are only two honest ways to deal with the Greek term "ekklesia." When it is being used as a word it must be translated "called-out," "assembly," "called-out assembly," or "out-calling." When it is being used as a title it must be transliterated "ekklesia." There are no other valid or rational options. The word/title "church" is erroneous as it is neither a translation nor transliteration of the Greek ekklesia/called-out assembly. Worse, the only linguistic basis for "church" is the name of the Anglo-Saxon sungoddess Circe, the daughter of Helios. Her name was pronounced "Chirch," and it gave rise to the English words "circle" and "circus." Circles are symbols for the sun and circuses were known for acts of magic. Also, keep in mind that when determining the legacy of ancient words, it's the consonants which count, not the vowels. "Circe" and "church" are based upon "crc" with the "h" being silent and thus optional.

Circe is a goddess with an illustrious past. In Greek mythology, Circe was "the daughter of the Sun." She wore a nimbus or disc of light around her head, identical to the ones Catholics place above Mary's likeness. Homer speaks of the sungoddess in the tenth book of the Odyssey. Circe tells Homer that he must descend into the house of Hades and seek the ghost of the blind Theban prophet Teiresias whose reason, she claimed, was unshaken. Thebes was the religious center of Egyptian sungod worship and considered to be the city of the dead. I dare say, the substitution of this satanic rubbish for the essential truth conveyed by "out-calling" is but one of many "Christian" abominations.

Ekklesia communicates an important truth which church hides. We are called-out not in. Speaking of the Whore of Babylon, upon whose myths the Catholic Church was based, Revelation says: "Come out of her My people." The called-out assembly has been summoned by Yahuweh for the purpose of deliberating - that is to think rationally and discuss carefully His Word so as to provide life-giving advice to mankind. That's hard to do when we muck up His Word with words of our own.

The references to aster and luchnia are defined in the preceding verse. John wrote: "The secret of the seven aster/sources of light which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden luchnia/lamp stands are the messengers of the seven ekklesia/who are called-out and the seven luchnia/implements for radiating light in the darkness which you saw represent the seven ekklesia/assemblies." (Revelation 1:20) Simply stated: the aster are symbolic of Yahuweh's messengers who bring illumination to a dark word. Any person who teaches what the Scriptures actually say qualifies as an aster in this sense. The luchnia are the ekklesia/called-out which and whom, through the Spirit, individually and collectively radiate Yahuweh's light.

And that brings us to dexios. As one of Yahuweh's messengers (albeit flawed, weak, and horribly imperfect), through His grace, I am dexios: "faithfully held and securely retained in the powerful hand" of Yahushua. I can't imagine a better place to be. It is an honor because He is the authority.

By using peripateo/walks, in this passage, we have returned to the beginning. Yahshua is reminding us that the Renewed Covenant is the restoration of the Old. In His introduction to the beriyth/covenant in Genesis, Yahuweh asked Abraham to "walk by His side, be conversant with Him, be at ease with Him, and be straight with Him." Now Yahushua, the human manifestation of Yahweh, is walking with His ekklesia/assembly and by the side of those He has ekklesia/called-out. But en also means "in." And that tells us that Yahushua's Spirit, the Set-Apart Spirit, lives within us. We are the lamp stand and the Spirit is the light.

Introductions made, here is the first message. In that Greek sentences are long, I suggest you read the bold through first and then go back a second time and consider the full implication of each word.

"I have seen (oida - have perceived, have known, and recognized; I am aware of, and have considered) that which occupies you (ergon - your business, employment, labor, undertakings, works, and deeds), your grief and sorrows (kopos - difficulties and laborious toil), and your steadfast consistency and endurance (hupomone - cheerful loyalty, load carrying capability, perseverance, and patience). I know that you cannot possibly accept, tolerate, or endure (ou dynamai bastazo - haven't the will, ability, or state of mind to take up with, walk along side of, lift up or carry forward (i.e., advance or promote)) those who think errantly, those who are wrong, injurious, pernicious, destructive, or baneful (kakos - are bad, incorrect, worthless, wicked, depraved, evil, harmful, noisome, morally corrupt, diseased, culpable, derelict, vicious, mischievous, guilty, rotten, demonic, or hurtful). And you have observed and objectively tested (peirazo -  scrutinized, examined through enquiry, tried, and pierced through) those who maintain (phasko - say, affirm, assert, profess, declare, promise, or infer) they (heautou) are (eimi) messengers (apostolos - one who is sent forth with Godly orders, teachers, special ambassadors, delegates, or apostles) but are not, and have found them (heurisko - examined, scrutinized, come to understand them, and discovered through observing them that they are) false, deceitful liars (pseudes - untrue, erroneous, deceivers). And you have (echo) loyal steadfastness and enduring consistency (hupomone) and have endured (bastazo - carried forward by having been provided for, accepting and experiencing) through (dia - actively and continually effecting by reason, that which intervenes) My name (onoma - title, character, person, reputation, and authority; from oninemi, meaning to bring notoriety, pleasure, and joy). You have worked hard (kopiao - labored with wearisome effort) and have not grown tired." (Revelation 2:2-3)

If this passage had been plastered on the door of every church, there would be no corruptions today. Our world would be so different, so much better, it would be unrecognizable.

Let's examine the words our Creator selected in His first open letter to His ekklesia. First we have, oida, meaning "to have seen and become aware of." It destroys the myth of the Deist position - that of the unengaged deity held by the Illuminati and their most famous disciple Thomas Jefferson. Yahuweh isn't an absentee landlord. When Jefferson composed his book containing the sayings of "Jesus" removed from their context while holding the position of a Deist, he was irrational.

Second, in this temporal life, time is our most limited asset. God is concerned with how we invest it. He is aware if there is an intersection between our business (taking care of our family) and His business (exposing lies and witnessing to the truth). If the former consumes most of your time, there is good news: the Sabbath is a day set-apart to do God's work.

Third, Yahushua knows that it's hard to be a faithful witness. He tried it and it cost Him His soul. Yahshua can empathize with us.

Fourth, God appreciates loyalty, consistency, and endurance. Those who cheerfully and patiently bear burdens and persevere earn Godly accolades. The Jews were dismissed and banished for disloyalty, inconsistency, lack of perseverance, and of course, for pride. I'm not being anti-Semitic; this is one of the most repeated messages in the Old Covenant.

The fifth lesson is the most important - especially today.  By not understanding or applying "ou dynamai bastazo" Christians have become worthless - just as Jews had become in the parable of the wine grower. Pastors have told us that "tolerance" is a "Christian virtue" yet, according to God, intolerance is preferable - even praiseworthy. The Ephesus assembly was commended for their unwillingness to "accept or endure" false teaching. Today's church wallows in it. Deception is so pervasive, truth is hard to find. It's so bad, that when I share what Yahuweh had to say, Christian's ruthlessly attack me and the message.

To say that kakos means "bad or evil" devalues the word. Its primary connotation is "unserviceable and incapable." Kakos' synonyms agree. "Pernicious" is "something that is highly injurious and destructive, wicked and noxious, to the degree that it is deadly." As such, kakos is similar to shav', the Hebrew word for "desolation and lifelessness" that forms the basis of the Third Commandment. There, Yahuweh makes the same point, saying that we must not nasa', "lift up or carry, i.e., promote or advance, thus tolerate or accept, anything that leads to death and destruction." Consistent with that thought, "baneful" means "to produce or promote something that is seriously harmful or poisonous." Yahuweh hates this stuff and so should we. He doesn't want us to accommodate any false teaching no matter how vociferously it is justified or how hallowed be the justifier.

The sixth instruction is related to the fifth. Yahushua is so desirous of us rooting out and condemning deceitful lies and liars, He tells us how to do it. We are to peirazo: "observe and objectively test, scrutinize, examine through enquiry, try, and then pierce through" all "erroneous injurious, pernicious, destructive, and baneful dogmas and doctrines" - and that would be all things religious, most things political, and many things societal, cultural, and academic. We are to be on the lookout for anything that is: incorrect, worthless, wicked, depraved, evil, harmful, noisome, morally corrupt, diseased, culpable, derelict, vicious, mischievous, guilty, rotten, demonic, or hurtful." And when we find it we are to expose it, condemn it, and be completely intolerant of it. Yahuweh did not inspire the United States Constitution. If He had He never would have included a clause that promotes "freedom of religious expression." Man is free to know and to choose, but not to convolute or deceive.

Seventh, the world is full of false prophets, of men and women who claim that they speak for God, but don't. Muhammad was a classic example. Every Catholic pope fits this mold. They claim to be "the Messenger of God," and "Christ's Vicar on Earth." They want us to believe that they are the "one who was sent forth with Godly orders, a teacher who was or is a special ambassador." George W. Bush was reelected on this false premise. But unlike Americans, the Ephesians knew better. They recognized that these men "were not" what "they claimed to be." The Ephesus assembly prevailed when they "discovered that they were pseudes/deceitful liars by heurisko: "observing, examining, scrutinizing, and coming to understand them." When Yahuweh said in Hosea 4:6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" this is what He was talking about. For the truth to prevail lies must be exposed and repudiated.

The eighth lesson is also profound. The assembly that benefited most from the teaching of John and Paul, bastazo: "endured and carried forward" because they had "been provided for by putting on and taking up, accepting and experiencing" Yahushua's "onoma/name." It was dia: "through actively and continually effecting by reason the name which intervenes" that they prevailed. So why is it that not one "Christian Church" in a thousand even mentions His name much less actively engages it?

So to review, Yahushua is telling us that he sees right through us. He knows us and understands us. Moreover, he is engaged, considering the consequences of our thoughts and deeds. Our actions are important because they reflect the depth of our knowledge and the extent of our trust. And they should reflect the nature of the object of our faith. That is why Yahushua is praising the Ephesians for their ability to endure under stress, to do a difficult job consistently well.

But most importantly, we have learned that we please our God when we are intolerant of that which is erroneous. We must rebuke that which is false and cast it out of our midst. The worst form of evil has been defined, and it isn't works; it's words. Bad ideas are much more lethal than bad deeds because a false doctrine leads to eternal damnation, a fate far worse than death. A false dogma is an infectious disease. It spreads, it infects, it festers, and then it kills. And it keeps on killing, devouring one soul after another.

To survive we must understand and apply what Yahuweh is teaching us. To be intolerant of the errant is to be compassionate. Unexposed, unchallenged, and unrepudiated deceptions destroy countless lives and lead to indoctrination, oppression, poverty, and war. The most abominable evil is the message of those who deceive in the name of God. Muhammad would be at the top of this list; Constantine wouldn't be far behind. Their perverse and self-serving religions have condemned billions.

If we want to be commended by our Creator we must be intolerant, politically incorrect, Scripturally grounded fundamentalists who use evidence and reason to judge and condemn all false prophets, false doctrines, false gods, and false religions. We become culpable when we fail to do so. Tolerance is not a Christian virtue - nor is ignorance or apathy. That is why God revealed: "I know that you cannot possibly accept, tolerate, or endure those who think errantly, are wrong, injurious, pernicious, or destructive. And you have observed and objectively tested, scrutinized, examined through enquiry, tried, and pierced through those who maintain they are messengers, ones who are sent forth with Godly orders, but are not, and have found them false, deceitful liars."

Yahushua had more to say to the Ephesian Ekklesia. His rebuke begins with my least favorite word: allah. "On the contrary (allah - nevertheless, contrariwise; used as a marker of opposition in a transition to the antithesis) I hold (echo - regard, count, and consider) this against (kata - in opposition to, as something that is depressing about, a downer concerning) you, that you have forsaken (aphiemi - laid aside and sent away, departed from and left, dismissed, divorced, neglected, abandoned, and rejected) your first (protos - foremost, most important, influential, honorable, and desirable) love (agape - familial devotion, brotherly benevolence, object of affection, and moral and caring friendship). Remember (mnemoneuo - be mindful of, think about, make mention of and respond to) therefore (oun - accordingly) the source from whence (pothen - the place, origin, and condition from where and why) you have descended from a higher place to a lower one (ekpipto - fallen and dropped away, become thrust down and lowered, gone from standing upright to prostrate, bowing down and falling under judgment, overcome by the attack of demonic spirits who bring grief, terror, and death)." (Revelation 2:4-5) So this is not the good part. The Ekklesia of Ephesus went from good to bad.

When we are in fellowship with Yahuweh, when we are enjoying agape/familial affection, we stand upright with God, connected to the source of life. But when we forsake Him, reject Him, or just turn away, He reciprocates. The result is judgment. We go from standing with God, and being loved by Him, to being on our knees before Him facing the penalty of death. Abandoning Yahuweh subjects us to the terror of men and the sting of Satan's demons. When we neglect or divorce our Savior, He neglects and divorces us, causing us to descend from heaven to hell, from more than four dimensions to less than one. This is the lesson of the Fifth Commandment. If we take our Heavenly Father and Spiritual Mother lightly our time will be diminished.

Yahushua pleads with the Ephesians not once, but twice to wake up and change their thinking, to metanoeo/reconsider. He is the God of second chances. There is always an open door. "Think differently (metanoeo - reconsider, feel moral compulsion to change your mind, repent) and bring forth (poieo - produce, author, fashion, and bear) the most desirable (protos - first and foremost, most important, influential, and honorable) investments of your time (ergon - businesses, enterprises, accomplishments, industry, acts, labor, and works), or else I will come (erchomai - leave one place and arrive in another, appearing) suddenly (tachu - quickly and swiftly) and remove (kineo) your lamp stand (luchnia - implements for radiating light in the darkness) out of (ek - from) his or her (hautou) place (topos - spot, locality, location, or position in space-time) unless you reconsider (metanoeo - think differently)." (Revelation 2:5)

Sound thinking yields sound fruit. If the mind is poisoned with lies, if the ability to think is corrupted, if we are deceived, bad things happen. The Ephesians became like Americans, tolerant, accepting, ignorant, and apathetic. As a result, they became as we have become, worthless - unthinking, indoctrinated, and opinionated, useless and deceived zombies stumbling into our own graves.

The Jews were uprooted and replaced for this very crime. Yahushua has now told us that we will suffer the same fate. He even tells His forsaken assembly when it's going to happen. He says He will come as a thief in the night to find and collect those who still radiate His light. He is speaking of the harpazo/rapture when the Spirit-filled ekklesia will be called home, leaving the "Church" to ponder "where their light disappeared" as they endure the darkness of the Tribulation which ensues.

The key word is ek - the basis of ekklesia and the subject of this letter. It means that some lamp stands will be part of the out-calling because they remain called-out. There will be a pre-Tribulation harpazo/rapture but it will leave many church members behind, stumbling in the darkness. Yahushua refers to the illuminated lamp stands as people, using "hautou/him and her," rather than "it."

Yahushua ended His exhortation to the Ephesian ekklesia with an encouraging word, one that should send shockwaves through Christendom. "Notwithstanding that (allah - besides that objection, exception, and restriction) this you have: you detest (miseo - hate and prosecute) the efforts (ergon - undertakings, acts, works, and deeds) of the Nicolaitans (Nikolaites), which I also hate (miseo - detest). He who has the physical or mental ability to hear (ous), let him hear, understand, and perceive (akouo - learn, consider, and attend to) what the ΠΝΑ (placeholder for Ruach, Spirit; from pneuma, spirit) says to the ekklesia/assembly. To him who prevails (nikao - overcomes and is victorious) I will bestow upon him (didomi - give, grant as a gift, deliver, freely provide the advantage of) nourishment (esthio - food, a living meal) from the stake from which I'm suspended and punished (xulon - a wood pole, beam, or cross from which a prisoner is fastened and hung by the hands and feet) of life (zoe - the absolute fullness and vitality of living), which exists in the midst of Paradise (paradeisos - the enclosed garden) of ΘΥ (placeholder for 'Elohiym, God; from theou, god).'" (Revelation 2:2-7) The moral of this story is that God hates false doctrines. He isn't tolerant of them and we shouldn't be either.

There are two important subtleties in this passage. One is that Yahushua is calling Himself "the Spirit," confirming that He and the Set-Apart Spirit are one. Second, the "tree of life" is the upright pole upon which Yahushua hung. Through His death we live. Its timbers form the bridge to paradise.

The assembly at Ephesus was born early in the Apostolic age, that in which John himself lived. It is characteristic of Yahshua's initial out-calling - of the men and women who first followed in His footsteps. Their light illuminated the darkness, transforming a grotesquely perverted and violent world. Their discernment was as exemplary as their teaching. What made them special, what made them different, what made them effective, what made them like Yahshua, is that they were unwilling to compromise with or tolerate evil. This is reemphasized by their hatred of the Nicolaitans.

So what would be so bad as to cause a loving God to say of a group of people: "I also hate" them? Fortunately, Yahushua will tell us in no uncertain terms before this chapter is through, because from independent sources we only pick up the broad strokes of what this politicized religious movement stood for. We know that the Nikolaites were the followers of Nicolas of Antioch, who sought to work out a compromise between Christian morality and the licentious pagan lifestyle of the Grecian and Roman world. Promoting Balaam, and serving Lord/Ba'al, he and his associates encouraged fornication and advocated accommodating religious idols. Interestingly, the movement is also known to have promoted a politicized clerical hierarchy, something which they succeeded in achieving. Their mandate overwhelmed the "church" during the late second and early third centuries, something that ultimately proved to be the bane of Christendom. Along these lines, Nikolaites is a compound of nicao, "to conquer and rule over" and laos, "people." Laos is the term from which "laity" is derived, making the name significantly more ominous as it relates to what was about to happen.

But as bad as "conquering and ruling over the laity" would be, few things proved to be as lethal as accommodation. This became the means by which the Roman Catholic Church grew. Their role model wasn't "Christ," but instead, the example of the Nicolaitans. They incorporated countless pagan festivals, rituals, terms, and doctrines into Catholicism in order to assimilate coverts. Politically, religiously, and economically it was a stunning success. Spiritually, it turned out to be the greatest disaster ever perpetrated on humankind. We are still reeling from it.

Before we leave this initial discussion of the Nicolaitans, there are five points that need to be emphasized. First, God hates. There are things and there are people Yahuweh despises. Today, many people want to see their god through the lens of political correctness. The god they imagine is usually tolerant, He doesn't judge, and loves everyone. These gods aren't Yahweh. When I attack falseness and those who pontificate it, "Christians" are the first to condemn me for doing so, always quoting a portion of a verse out of context. Claiming to represent the message of "Jesus," they are actually following the example of the Nicolaitans.

Second, the people and issues Yahuweh says He despises in this passage are the things which dominate Western culture. The Nikolaites promoted a politicized and hierarchal clergy. The "Christian Right," symbolized by Jerry Falwell's "Moral Majority," represent a "politicized religion" while the Roman Catholic Church has taken the concept of a "hierarchal clergy" to unimaginable heights. Yahuweh hates these things and according to Scripture, He despises the people responsible for promoting them. The Nikolaites were a political lot who negotiated pragmatic compromises between various constituents for the purpose of maximizing their societal and economic influence. Today, the "religious right," the very core of the Republican Party, is mimicking them.

Third, Yahuweh isn't fond of politics, especially compromisers and accommodators. Here, God is condemning those steeped in the doctrine of Political Correctness long before the term was coined. Multiculturalism was the byword of the Nikolaites. Tolerance was one of their virtues. From their perspective, there was no right or wrong and people were entitled to their opinions. They considered themselves "enlightened and liberal" and believed they could condition men to live together in harmony. To the Nikolaites, like today's enlightened liberals, sex was to be enjoyed without restraint. Homosexuality, adultery, prostitution, and pornography were good while the traditional values espoused by Scripture were passé. Yahweh disagrees. He sees marriage and family as the model for the relationship He wants to establish with mankind. God despises those who advocate the corruption of His model.

The fourth insight I don't want you to miss is that the Nikolaite influence on Ephesus manifest itself after Revelation was written. That makes this open letter prophetic - something most Christians don't want to accept. From Catholics to Protestants, the implications of Revelation's revelations being prophetic are terrifying. Because if they are, they are wrong - dead wrong. Absolute proof of the predictive content of Revelation's letters is provided in the next two offerings, so if you are not yet convinced, you will be.

Fifth, the only problem listed in the Ephesian epistle was that over time they "left their first love." Not "lost" Him, but "left" Him. These folks had the right doctrine, they stood up against wrong doctrine, they had the right work ethic, but they had forgotten why it mattered. Without the love of God, a program of good works is not only unsustainable, it's pointless. Without Yahuweh's love, espousing Yahshua's hatred of errant political and religious doctrines leaves the job half finished.

It's all about love and relationship. That's all that really matters. But that said, the object of our love and the nature of the relationship have to be right. There are many who are competing for our attention and devotion. Only one is worthy.

About forty miles up the coast from Ephesus was Smyrna. The word means "bitterness and suffering." Its root comes from "myrrh." It is an ointment used in burials, which when crushed releases its fragrance. These etymological roots symbolically cover the heart of the Smyrna Epoch of Christendom. From 67 CE to 303, the called-out assembly suffered severe persecution, a condition that moved west to Rome. Ironically, the period the ekklesia experienced its most bitter suffering coincided with the time Yahuweh's family reached its greatest relative scale in proportion to world population.

The Messiah's martyrs made magnificent witnesses. Tertullian, a cleric of this age, said: "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the assembly." The message was clear: the Ephesian ekklesia separated themselves from their Protector so the Savior allowed the next generation to be persecuted. But He did not abandon them. With each blow He drew ever closer.

Historically, we know that the Smyrna assembly was tormented in many ways. Laws were passed that pagan clerics and politicians knew Yahshua's followers couldn't keep. Hence the anointed members of the Way became criminals, subject to judicial punishment and imprisonment.

The city was also an acknowledged supporter of emperor worship. The Roman Senate awarded Smyrna the privilege of building the first temple in honor of Tiberius. When believers refused to bow down and honor this man who claimed to be god, they were ostracized, ultimately becoming unemployable. Many were reduced to beggary by a policy of systematic harassment and exclusion from the economic life of their community. No trade guild would endorse them; their businesses were boycotted, or worse, were looted and burned by mobs stirred to irrational hatred by those practicing Rabbinical Judaism and Babylonian paganism. Many were slain. Under Domitian, 86-96 CE, emperor worship became compulsory on threat of death. Choosing God over man came at a price. There were no casual believers.

Today, the closest thing the world has to a Caesar to whom men bow, is the Pope. He has retained all of the accoutrements, from title to throne, from crown to bowing in his presence and kissing his ring. He is considered (albeit falsely) to be God's representative on Earth.

The second type of Smyrna era persecution came through taxation. Once a year everyone had to bring their taxes to the emperor's temple and sign allegiance to the man/god. If followers of the Way refused, their property and all worldly goods were confiscated, the result of which was abject poverty. The Roman Catholic Church imposed this sort of thing during the Dark Ages. Islam was built upon it. Communism still practices it.

The third torment was administered by Pharasaic Jews (Orthodox Jews) against their brethren who accepted Yahushua as Messiah, the predicted human manifestation of 'Elohiym. The organization Yahshua calls "the synagogue of Satan" terrorized followers of the Way, especially Messianic Jews who were Torah observant, communing with their Savior in the Synagogues on the Sabbath. For insights into this period from a rabbinical perspective, I encourage you to read "The Yavneh Conspiracy" appendix in Matthew Coover's The Real Messiah (www.JoyInTheWorld.info). He details how late first and early second century rabbis systematically went about socially, economically, politically, and religiously ostracizing Yahudim who recognized and accepted their Redeemer. The despicable and deceitful tale he unravels is what Yahushua was speaking of here. Consistent with Matthew 23's attack on the Jewish religious establishment, Yahshua is once again saying that Orthodox Judaism is the "Synagogue of Satan."

The epoch of the Smyrna Ekklesia depicts ten distinct periods of torment beginning with Nero in 67 CE and ending under Diocletian in 303. Only the first of these ten phases was contemporaneous with the writing of Revelation, and that was in Rome, not Asia, proving that the letters were not only prophetic but they were depictions of the ekklesia at large.

With this as background, let's review Yahushua's open letter to the Assembly of Smyrna. "And to the messenger of the ekklesia in Smyrna (Smurna - an Ionian city in Asia Minor on the Aegean Sea 40 miles north of Ephesus) describe and write: 'These things says the first (protos - foremost in time and place, the most important and influential, the first in rank and honor) and the last (eschatos - the extreme of space-time, the uttermost), who entered into the state of (ginomai) a corpse whose soul was dead (nekros - destitute of life in Hades), and is now alive.'" (Revelation 2:8)

As introductions go, this is a grand one. Yahushua is Yahuweh - I Am - the first, foremost, and last in time and importance. Yahushua is confirming that He is eternal - infinite in the dimension of time. He alone possesses an ability I expect we will one day enjoy - the capacity to have a physical nature and still maneuver in space-time. As such, He can be omnipresent - always in touch with His ekklesia, collectively and individually. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, here and there, are all here and now for the Messiah. And let us not forget the promise: His body was destitute of life while His soul suffered unto death in Hades, but He is now alive in Heaven summoning us to accept His gift of life.

While an assembly of believers suffered in Smyrna at the time of Yahushua's dictation to John, much of what is being said here is prophetic. "I know of (oida - am aware of) your oppression, affliction, and tribulation (thlipsis - pressure, distress, anguish, and persecution), and poverty (ptocheia - destitution and indigence), but you are abounding in fullness (plousios - wealthy and fulfilled). I know the malicious slander (blasphemia - abusive speech, injurious reproach, vilification, personal mockery, and reviling defamation) of those who say they are Yahudim (Ioudaios - pronounced "ee-oo-dah," a transliteration Yahuwdah ("yah-uw-dah)) and are not, but they are a gathering brought together by (sunagoge - a synagogue of, an assembly or congregation that is led, taken in, and entertained by) Satan, the Adversary (Satanas - the Accuser, the one who opposes)." (Revelation 2:9)

Trials come in many forms, from burdens, pressures, or troubles on the irritant side of the scale to afflictions, persecutions, and tribulations on the oppressive end. All of us endure some of these; some of us endure all of them. Yahuweh is not only aware of our trials, He is in close proximity, ever willing to comfort us and protect us. In this case, the good news is that the Anointed who were legislated into poverty were actually richer than the Satanic tyrants who were robbing them. They were filled with the Spirit and heir to God's inheritance, including the splendor of eternal life. The Jews who were defaming them had abandoned their inheritance. They had exchanged the Word of Yahuweh for the Oral Traditions of men who called themselves Masters. Having rejected their Messiah, they came to maliciously slander, vilify, and mock those who accepted Him. They still do so, right to this very day. Their history over these past 2,000 years boldly proclaims the consequence. But there is a new day on the horizon. Soon, Yahudim by the tens of thousands will reject the rabbis and rely upon Yahushua.

According to Yahushua, Jews were no longer Yahudim - those who belong to Yah. What He had to say about them wasn't complimentary. Those who lashed out maliciously in word and deed against Yahuweh's chosen in the name of their manmade religion were called "Satan's Congregation." It is one of many reasons I have come to see Rabbinical Judaism as Satanic - Yahshua Himself said so. But they are not alone, Catholics and Muslims also claim to have inherited the promises made to the Yahudim in the Old Covenant, making all three religions the Devil's deceitful playground. They all embody the spirit of the Whore of Babylon - the one who covets that which doesn't belong to him. This is why Yahshua makes the point of calling the "oppressed poor" "rich," in that they had inherited that which their oppressors had abandoned.

Smyrna represents the Anointed Assembly under stress. Persecution helped them stay reliant. And that's why Yahshua offered such universal praise. Yahuweh doesn't want us to fear men or revere them, and most especially not venerate them. Salvation comes by way of relying upon Him alone, bereft of religious or national loyalties, economic or military prowess.

"Fear (phobeo - be alarmed by, be in awe of, be terrified by, revere, or venerate) no one (medias) whom (hos) you are about (mello) to be affected (pascho - experience suffering). Behold (idou - look now for indeed), the False Accuser, the Devil (diabolos - the slanderer; from diaballo, meaning to traduce, calumniate, slander, accuse, malign, and defame) is about (mello) to throw you (ballo - to cast you away and let you go without caring) out (ek) into (eis) a prison (phulake - a guarded place where political and religious captives are watched), so that you may be (hina) tried and tested (peirazo - scrutinized to ascertain your genuineness, enticed to determine your behavioral response, examined and tempted by way of submission). You will have (echo - experience and endure) ten days (hemera - periods) of oppression (thlipsis - persecution, affliction, distress, and tribulation). Be (ginomai - come into existence by) trusting (pistos - being trustworthy and faithful, be reliant and reliable) until the time of (achri) the separation of the soul from the body by which your temporal earthly life is ended (thanatos - mortality, the death of the body), and I will give (didomi - bestow as a gift, bring forth, commit to deliver, and grant) you a crown (stephanos - a reward, prize, honor, and blessing) of life (zoe - absolute fullness of living). He who has the physical and mental ability to hear, let him understand what the ΠΝΑ (placeholder for ruach/Spirit from pneuma) relates (lego - says, affirms, teaches, and maintains) to the ekklesia/called-out assembly. He who holds fast and endures (nikao - overcomes and prevails) shall absolutely not be harmed (ou adikeo - treated unjustly, hurt, wronged, injured, suffer, or be seen as having violated the law), being kept out of and away from (ek) the second (deuteron) separation of souls (thanatos - mortality and death).'" (Revelation 2:10-11)

There are a host of lessons for living in these words. We begin by having our Savior admonish us not to venerate men. That's difficult today, in this superstar society where leaders of every ilk are portrayed bigger than life. Depending upon who we are and what we believe, we have a tendency to revere our pastors, professors, or politicians, our favorite athletes, actors, or musicians. God doesn't want us to trust men any more than He wants us to fear them. There are few lessons more important than this one.

And that's because men afflict and oppress, causing multitudes to suffer. It is one of the things we do best. It comes quite naturally to us.

The second insight involves descriptive titles. Satanas and Diabolos are not names. As descriptive titles, they would have been more meaningfully translated "Adversary" and "False Accuser" than transliterated Satan and Devil. It is like Messiah and Christ. By transliterating these Godly titles rather than translating them "Anointed" we have lost their meaning. In so doing we fail to grasp the importance of being anointed ourselves before engaging the adversary. Moreover, we misunderstand Satan's primary means to accomplish his end: "false accusations and slander by way of calumniating and maligning." If we saw this in the Devil, rather than horns and a pointy tail, we might recognize his work in the fields of religion and politics, the media and academia.

The "arrogant one's" titles characterize him and his mission. The False Accuser speaks maliciously, using lies, slander, and defaming false accusations - words which define the Islamic scriptures - the Deceiver's ultimate playground. The root of Satanas is "satan," the "one who opposes." It explains why the spirit of deception acts the way he does. It explains why religions behave the way they do. Satan is Yahweh's lame and comparatively impotent adversary. And that makes him the enemy of good. So wherever you see a preponderance of deceitful and deceptive words, like those which form the basis of Catholicism (or any political party), you will know where he has been.

And that brings us to an interesting conundrum. In His messages to Ephesus and Smyrna, Yahushua praised these Anointed Assemblies for their disrespect of and hostility to those who deceive. Yet when someone like myself follows this Godly instruction as a spokesperson on radio talk shows debating Muslims, showing their distain for them and their revolting religion, "Christians" attack those who hold them accountable, saying that "Christ" told us to "love our enemies." So which of Yahushua's sayings is accurate? The answer is both. You see, Muslims aren't my enemy. I don't know them personally, nor does Yahshua. My animosity is directed at their demonic doctrine and against those who advocate it. For example, I don't have to know a proponent of neo-Nazism to disrespect its proponents and demean their dogma. Muslims, like Nazis, have aligned with Satanas Diabolos; they have made it their business to lead billions astray, oppressing them, while opposing Yahuweh. And Yahshua did not tell us to love His enemies. In fact, He told us to hate them.

The third lesson contained in the Smyrna synopsis provides further insight into the nature of our adversary and the men and women he beguiles into his service. In the previous verse we were told that those who the Adversary influences (many if not most political and religious leaders) are "malicious slanders" who use "abusive speech to injure and unjustly vilify." Engaging their favorite ploy, "personal mockery and reviling defamation," they crucify truthful messengers rather than confront their message. They are "collectivists (socialists, communists, and congregationalists)" who "gather together" as the "assembly of Satan, the Adversary, the one who accuses and opposes."

Then speaking of the schemes deployed by these oppressive men and their regimes (Communism, Catholicism, and Islam), Yahushua says: "Look now for indeed, the slanderous Devil falsely accuses." Those who aid and abet the False Accuser "traduce, calumniate, slander, malign, and defame." To "traduce" is to degrade by either exposing to shame or transferring blame by means of misrepresentation." It defines politics. Synonyms include "betray and malign." To "calumniate" is to utter maliciously false statements, charges, or imputations designed to injure someone's reputation." It defines religion. To "malign" is to "virulently influence for an evil and injurious purpose." Liars lie, that's what liars do. Our world is drowning in them. So dark is the deceit, so deep is the cesspool, light's faint flicker of hope is practically invisible. It is why this truth sounds so odd to our ears.

There is a seldom considered aspect of Satan's schemes that Yahushua has highlighted for us: "Don't trust liars." I'm always perplexed as to why men like Muhammad, Adam Weishaupt, Karl Marx, J.P. Morgan, John Rockefeller, and F.D.R. were willing to knowingly and deliberately ally themselves with Satan in their quest for power, sex, and money. The Devil will discard even his most loyal stooges, "throwing them away without caring." It is why Muhammad and F.D.R., men who died publicly, were so miserable on their deathbeds.

The fourth lesson confirms the value of the crucible. In terms of the important measures of vitality, purity, truthfulness, and growth, the Anointed Assembly reached its zenith during the time the followers of the Way were most consistently and universally oppressed. There are two reasons for this. First, when circumstances become trying we tend to distance ourselves from the ploys of men, relying less on ourselves and more on God. We were made for this. Second, the moment a saved soul comes to know Yahuweh and trust Him, we become alluring martyrs, a word whose Greek root means "witnesses." For example, I accepted the mission of exposing Islam, a thankless enterprise that is often fatal. But I do not care what people think of me nor do I care if I live or die. And I accept no remuneration to offset the costs - all of which serves to help me become a more alluring witness.

The fifth point is: forewarned is forearmed. That is the essence of much of Yahuweh's prophecy. We are told what is coming so that we might be prepared. We best keep this in mind because what's coming over our horizon will make the ten epochs of tribulation the Smyrna Church endured look tepid by comparison.

The last Smyrna message is an enduring one with echoes to Ephesus. With the previous assembly, Yahushua promised to provide the substance of life from the stake upon which He was hung, equating His cross to Eden's Tree of Life. This time, rather than using the common Greek word for death, nekro, Yahushua selected thanatos, which is more about separation of the soul from the body rather than dying. He told us that His "gift," was the "blessing of life." Those who accept it pass "harmlessly" from this phase of living to the next. We do not have to be concerned about the "second separation." He is saying that once saved, never judged. But more than that, since the first thanatos depicts the separation of the soul from the temporal human body, the second separation must be the severance of lost souls from the body of believers, known as the Ekklesia or Yisra'el. Some of them will join the Satanas Diabolos­ in perpetual anguish, while others will have their souls extinguished.

So in summary, Yahushua told the Smyrna ekklesia/out-calling that they would be slandered, poor, imprisoned, and tested. That was certainly true. He even said that there would be ten distinct and unavoidable times of persecution, and as usual, He was right. But there was good news, if we rely on Yahushua's sacrifice to redeem us from our sins, if we trust Yahuweh, if we remain faithful, He has committed Himself to rewarding us with a crown of life. Death has lost its sting.