NO. 67 THE END TIME CHURCH AND THE JUDGMENT

TEXT: REVELATION 2: 21- 23 (THYATIRA) 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. (KJV)

Today I am going to give you a message entitled “THE END TIME CHURCH ANF THE JUDGMENT.” We have one point of view. That is, we like to differentiate between churches that are judged and are not in the tribulation age.

Seven churches are mentioned in Revelation. This is one of few prophecies concerning churches. We like to see which ones are judged and which ones are not in the tribulation age.

Only four out of seven churches mentioned are certainly left until the end time. They are Churches in Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and of Laodiceans. We understand that other three churches do not exist in the end time as we do not see in them the expression like “I come quickly.”

There is the description for the victor in every church. So we know that there are also some God’s people who get the victory in all the churches. But now what we like to focus on is not the minority victors but the church as a whole. We like to see it is judged or not.

Brother Watchman Nee says that the church in Thyatira is the Roman Catholic and the woman Jezebel is Mary. I also think so. Is this church judged or not in the end time? At least those who commit adultery with this woman Jezebel are judged. The judgment is written as being cast into “great tribulation.” What is the great tribulation? We can clearly know of it if we see other Bible verse. There is the verse where exactly same word “great tribulation” in the original language is used.

MATTHEW 24: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. (KJV)

This verse is from chapter 24 of Matthew where the Lord tells of the end time to His disciples. So the great tribulation means that of the tribulation age of three and half years. Accordingly the warnings to this church are: firstly that the Lord clearly gives indication concerning the present state of the church that there are some people who commit adultery with Jezebel, possibly Mary. And that these people will be cast into the great tribulation unless they repent and turn back to God without proceeding in the same state until His second coming.

Therefore this is basically the church that will be judged in the end time. Those who worship Jezebel will be at least judged. If we do not think of the minority victors and consider the church as a whole, almost all who belong to the church will be judged as the church.

What then does the judgment mean? It is not such a thing as that they fail to receive the golden crown but get the silver one. On the contrary the judgment to the harlot Babylon will be given.

“I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.”

REVELATION 3: 1- 3 (SARDIS) 1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (KJV)

We see the second church remained in the end time, the church in Sardis. According to Brother Nee it means the Protestant Church. There are also some victors in the church. We would like to see the majority of the people belonging to the church to be judged or not, regardless of such minority.

The word Sardis means “red people” in Greek. That is Edom in the Old Testament, who is the descendant of Esau. Esau is the elder brother of Jacob and he has abandoned his birthright. For that reason this is very suggestive name. And the name of the church implies the names of those who will not inherit the Kingdom.

“That thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.”

The Lord says that this is the present situation of Sardis. What do the words mean, alive and dead? We see the same words used in other Bible verse.

ROMANS 6: 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. (KJV)

The words in the above Romans verse, alive and dead, are the same ones as in chapter 3 of Revelation in the original Greek. That is why we understand that these words as alive and dead are to sins. The church is in sin and so dead, that is the church in Sardis.

“If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”

What does this verse mean? If we read through the Bible carefully, we can find the passage where there are the two words as watch and thief.

MATTHEW 24: 39- 44 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.

4 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (KJV)

Here the rapture in the end time is mentioned in relation to the flood of Noah. So if we do not watch, we will not be taken in the rapture.

What does it mean that they do not know His second coming? That means they will have the same fate of those who are destroyed without knowing the flood in the Noah’s time. And the Lord plainly says, “For ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

The Lord clearly says that the people in Sardis never know when the Lord will come. That means if we are believers in Sardis and walk and live like them we will never know His second coming and be destroyed as the people are in the Noah’s time. If this is really the warning to the Protestant people, it is so grave thing written there. Unless they make a definite change of course, they will enter into the judgment. That is the fate of church in Sardis.

Why then are there not many people talking of this?

The church in Sardis may repent and change their way at the latter revival. But if not, they will be judged in the end time. That is what the Word of Revelation describes. The church in Sardis is the one to be judged in the end time as a whole regardless of the minority victors.

REVELATION 3: 10, 11(PHILADELPHIA) 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (KJV)

The church in Philadelphia is the exceptionally kept one among four churches. It is not simply that the minority will be kept but that the church as a whole will be kept. So if we belong to this church and walk as they do, all of us will be basically kept in the end time. For it is written, “I also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world.”

This word temptation is the same as the one written below.

2 PETER 2: 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished. (KJV)

The unjust will be captured in the temptations in the end time. But the people of Philadelphia are devout ones and will be delivered from the temptations.

Judging from the words, “I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation,” many people think this church will be taken into the rapture. But my personal opinion is not so.

For the same original word of keep is also used in the verse below.

JOHN 17: 15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. (KJV)

The word “keep” is in the original language the same one to the church in Philadelphia. This is the word of prayer of the Lord who prays when He is with His disciples at the last supper. Do pay attention to His word.

The word “take them out of the world” may foresee the teaching that the church will be taken into heaven in the tribulation age and will not suffer from trouble or tribulation. But this is not His wish or prayer. His wish is on the contrary, “that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” throughout the tribulation age. So His prayer proves that His disciples will be in this world in the tribulation age.

Why then is this the only church that is kept in the age? The reason is because they are the church that walks in the Lord as His disciples. We can observe that in the word, “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience.”

This word is similar to the one that the Lord says to His disciples at the last supper.

JOHN 17: 6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. (KJV)

Many people reject the Lord. But His disciples have kept His word until end. Likewise the people of this church will not reject His name or His word.

REVELATION 3: 17- 20 (LAODICEANS) 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:

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thy mayest see.

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (KJV)

This church of Laodiceans is also the one as a whole to be judged. Many things prove that. For example it is written, “White raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.”

The reason that they are told to buy white raiment is because they do not have it. What does this white raiment mean? We see the answer below.

REVELATION 7: 13, 14 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (KJV)

We know that they wash their robes and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. Accordingly those who do not have the white robes are the ones who have not received redemption by the blood of Christ. It is unthinkable that those who have not received redemption will escape without trouble in the end time.

We surely understand that they are the church that will be judged in the end time.

And also it is written, “White raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear.”

The same expression can be seen in other verse of Revelation.

REVELATION 16: 15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (KJV)

This verse tells of His second coming. Therefore, they are the church whose shame of nakedness will appear at His second coming in the end time lest they repent.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.”

The same word “door” is also written in the verse below.

MATTHEW 24: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” (KKJV)

This word also shows His second coming. The church that exists just before His second coming is the church of Laodiceans.

So we now understand that three out of four churches are to be judged. To be judged indicates the fate of the harlot Babylon.

We should take the warnings in Revelation very seriously. For the warnings to the church of Ephesus and so on are already realized.

REVELATION 2: 5 Remember therefore from whence thou are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thy repent. (KJV)

This prophecy is realized, for there is no candlestick, no church, in Ephesus. That is why, the four churches of the end time will face the same fate unless they listen to His voice of warnings.

We must acknowledge these warnings and tell them to others.

Let’s do His will in the end time.

End.