El Shaddai Ministries

Pastor Mark Biltz: Okay, let's see. Are you ready? This is going to be mind-blowing for you guys today. I mean, it really is. It was for me. It blew my mind. Last week we began basically chapter two talking about the Menorah. And in the Menorah, there's seven stars. They represent seven eyes, they represent seven spirits, they represent the seven churches.

And last week we talked about the first two assemblies, which were Ephesus and Smyrna. If you look at the Menorah, we're going from Ephesus, we're going to the right because that's the very order that they were written in. The Menorah lights have already gone out. Anyway, I bet they're coming soon to a church near you or an assembly, I should say. There it is. Okay.

What did we know or remember about the assembly at Ephesus? We saw that it was from the one who is holding the seven stars in his right hand. It was from the one who is walking among the seven lampstands. And he says, "I know your works," and he says, "I know how you can't stand evil. You can't stand false apostolic teachers, and you hate the works of the Nicolaitans." And we saw last week that the works of the Nicolaitans was lawlessness or the Torah's done away with. All grace.

And then he says you've lost your first love, you need to repent and do your works over that you did at the first. And then to Ephesus, he says the one who overcomes or conquers gets to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. That's just a reminder of last week. Then we talked about the assembly at Smyrna. And I want to kind of because Hebrew is so different than English, one word can't really describe it all. So I'm going to try it this way.

First off to Smyrna, it was from the first and the last. How many firsts can there be? How many lasts can there be? And here it says who was dead and is alive. He says, "I know your works, tribulation, poverty." And then he says, "I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but they are of the assembly of Satan." Now, the way I want to describe that is these are people who masquerade. They're pretenders. They're not who they really are.

I like to think of them as wolves in sheep's clothing or even the angels of light. If you remember in the New Testament, Satan comes as ministers of righteousness, angels of light. So think of it this way also in terms of replacement theology or changing the biblical calendar. And he says to them, "Be faithful to death and I will give you a crown of life. Who overcomes will not be hurt of the second death."

Now, I thought it was fascinating. You know what's interesting is they say within Judaism that every week the Torah portion is filled out in some way. Well, I think it's interesting that here we are talking this last week about fake Jews. Avi Shavit has a big article about fake Jews. Who are these fake Jews from the Jewish standpoint? Let's look at the book of Revelation 2, but look at this.

It is an unpleasant task to sound the alert that there are Jews who seek to destroy the state of Israel and harm its supporters. We brand Jews who try to harm Israel and the Jewish people as fake Jews. They're the ones who advocate to boycott, divest, and sanctions against Israel and vilify Israel as a genocidal apartheid state, occupiers, and violators of human rights. Well, what I see this as is not only fake Jews, but we have counterfeit Christians.

How many have ever heard the term a counterfeit Christian? Okay, so when you go back to the plain meaning of this text, I think what this is saying, in the church there are people who came across as believers, but they weren't really believers. Just like when people say, "Well, look at Nazi Germany, they are Christians who are throwing the Jews in the fire," and most Christians will say, "Well, they weren't real Christians."

And I think the simple meaning of this text is that there are in every congregation people who claim to be believers, but they're not. They're there for a different reason or a different motivation. So I kind of see in Smyrna there was nothing bad about Smyrna at all. But what he did say was basically, "I know among you are people who come across as believers, but they're not." Okay.

Now, here we go to the next one, and this is the assembly at Pergamum. Now look at Revelation 2:12 and 13. "And to the angel," but just know this can be translated as messenger as well, "of the assembly in Pergamum write, these things saith he which has the sharp sword with two edges. I know your works. I know where you dwell, even where Satan's seat is." Can you imagine an assembly dwelling where Satan's seat is? Who wants to be in that assembly?

And he says, "You hold fast my name and you've not denied my faith, even in the days when Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwells." So right here, this assembly is where Satan dwells, Satan's seat is. Why? So here we are, I have a little Satan here for you in Pergamum. I don't believe the devil's going to come across as some cartoon necessarily demon. He's going to come across as a righteous preacher.

Just like there's fake believers, there are fake pastors. There are fake spiritual leaders. There's a lot of fake spiritual leaders out there who claim to be Christians and they're not. Satan is the greatest masquerader of all. Now, look at Psalm 149:6 and 7. Here this messenger has a big sword in his hand. It says, "Let the high praises of God be in their mouth and the two-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance on the heathen, punishments upon the people."

So here it's all about this sword. Why do you think this angel in Pergamum has a sharp sword with two edges? Because they hold the doctrine of Balaam and the angel with the two-edged sword appeared to Balaam. Go back and look at Numbers 22:31 and 32. "The Lord opened the eyes of Balaam and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand."

This is the reason why in Revelation the angel has a sword in his hand. It's referencing to the doctrine of Balaam. Balaam is the first person who woke. You think woke movement started today? He woke back then. And it says that Balaam bows down his head, falls flat on his face, and the angel of the Lord said to him, "Now tell me again, why did you smite your donkey three times?" He said, "I went out to withstand you because your way is perverse before me."

All right, so this is what's going on. So let's go back to Revelation 2. Look at verse 14 and 15. "I have a few things against you because you have there those that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication. And you also have those that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."

Now as you remember, Joseph was sold to the Midianites. Remember that? Or the Ishmaelites who sold him to the Midianites, or vice versa. Well, also if you remember in the story of Balaam or Balak, Balak is the king of the Moabites. He tries to get the Midianites to come and help him curse Israel, right? It didn't work very good, did it? All that happened was they got blessed.

But Balaam ended up in one sense winning because through subterfuge, he attacked Israel another way. He knew God couldn't curse them, and so they and the Midianites, these two external threats, come against the house of Israel. Look at Numbers 25:1-3. "Israel is abiding in Shittim. The people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. They called the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people did eat. They bowed down to their gods and Israel joined himself to Baal-Peor, and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel."

What does it mean to eat things sacrifice to idols? Look at Psalm 106:28. "They joined themselves to Baal-Peor and ate the sacrifices of the dead." It was human sacrifice. They sacrificed to Moab to Milcom, they would cook the babies and then eat the children. This is what they're doing. They are doing human sacrifice and then they're eating the corpses. Listen to this.

The Smithsonian Institute said until the end of the 18th century, it was not uncommon for Europeans to seek the flesh of a dead human for medicinal consumption. This is in the 1700s in Europe. They thought they could eat corpses for medicinal purposes. As a matter of fact, look at this. This is just from the other day, May 30th, 2019. "Zombie diet, 10 real-life examples of humans eating humans." This is current news, guys.

A Swedish scientist is suggesting to fight climate change by eating dead corpses. We have to see their cycles. History repeats itself over and over and over. You can't look at the Bible from a Greek checklist. Okay, done, it's not going to happen again. The Bible says that which has happened is that which will happen again. We're in cycles in history. But that's what they were talking about at Pergamum.

Now, here's the thing. In the sin of the golden calf, the motivating force with the sin of the golden calf came from the people of Israel themselves, and it was intended to serve in place of the Lord. Whereas in the affair with Baal-Peor, the moral decline occurred in the wake of contact with idolaters from the outside. And the daughters of Midian suggested that the Israelites also worship their Midianite gods.

So one we see there's an attack from the outside, but also there can be attacks from the inside. And this is what in the book of Revelation God is saying, "You're going to be seeing attacks from every side. You're going to see attacks from the outside, you're going to see attacks from the inside. You're going to see people who are literally attacking you, and then there are people who are trying to seduce you to turn away from God within the assembly itself."

How many of you ever heard of syncretism? I'm going to define this word syncretism for those of you that haven't heard of it. It's the blending of two or more religious belief systems into a new system. Like Chrislam, Christian and Islam coming together. It's the blending of two different religious traditions. So it's the incorporation into a religious tradition of beliefs from unrelated traditions, just like the Greek philosophy of the early church fathers trying to incorporate them into the Torah and saying they're both good.

The new covenant was not to be the blending of pagan customs into the teaching of the Bible. So what do we see? The assembly at Pergamum, I have on the screen here, it's from the one holding the sharp two-edged sword. He says, "I know your works. I know where you live, in the seat of Satan. You hold fast my name. You've not denied your faith, but some hold the doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitans."

In other words, they're putting stumbling blocks before the Jewish people, causing them to be idolatrous. So they're combining syncretism with lawlessness. They need to repent or fight against the sword of my mouth. Overcomers now receive the hidden manna and a white stone with a new name. So when it comes to the church at Pergamum, the two problems they had, they had people that were lawless saying the Torah is eliminated, sin may abound, it's all grace, and you have syncretism, the incorporation of paganism into Christianity.

You can see why these letters to these churches 2,000 years ago still apply today. Revelation 2:16 and 17. Well, I just read that one basically. And so let's go to Isaiah 11:4. Here he talks about the sword of his mouth. He tells them to repent. And he says with Isaiah 11 talking about the Messiah, says with righteousness shall he judge the poor, he'll reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. He'll smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips, he will slay the wicked.

Look at Isaiah 49 verse 2. "Listen, oh isles, unto me. Hearken, you people from afar. The Lord has called me from the womb. From the bowels of my mother, he has made mention of my name. He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand, he's hid me and made me like a polished shaft. In his quiver, he has hid me." This is referring to the Messiah. And we know in Revelation what comes out of his mouth? A sharp sword.

Look at Isaiah, this is chapter 62 verse 2. "The Gentiles will see your righteousness and all kings your glory. You will be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." So when John is writing this book and he reads about you're going to receive a white stone with the new name written, he's seeing this from the book of Isaiah. And he talks about they'll also be able to eat of the hidden manna.

Well, we know in John 6:58, "The bread that came down from heaven, not as your fathers did eat manna or dead, he that eats of this bread will live forever." This is talking about the Messiah. So that is Pergamum. Now let's go and take a look at the assembly of Thyatira. "These things saith the son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire. His feet are like fine brass."

And he says to that assembly, "I know your works, charity, service, faith, patience, and your works." Notice he says your works twice. And he says, "And the last works are more than the first." So they're doing great works. But I think it's interesting as eyes are like fire and his feet are like brass, where did John get that from? How about Daniel 10:6. "His body also was like the beryl and his face as the appearance of lightning. His eyes are lamps of fire. His arms and his feet like in color to polished brass. The voice of his words like the voice of a multitude."

Revelation also talks about his voice was like the voice of a multitude. So again, all of Revelation is coming from the Tanakh or the Old Testament. But what do we see at Thyatira? "Notwithstanding, I have a few things against you because you suffer that woman Jezebel, which calls herself a prophetess to teach and to seduce my servants," same thing as Balaam, commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

Let's go back and look at this. Look at Exodus 34:12 through 16. "Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you go, lest it be for a snare in the midst of you." All right? He says don't you go marrying foreign ladies. He says, "I want you to destroy their altars, break their images, cut down their groves. You are to worship no other God, for the Lord whose name is jealous is a jealous God, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they go a-whoring after their gods and then they sacrifice unto their gods and one call you and you eat of his sacrifice. And you take of their daughters unto your sons and their daughters go a-whoring after their pagan gods and make your sons to go a-whoring after their gods."

Now, you may have noticed I added a verse and moved a verse if you have we're skipping around. Sorry about that, but I was working on it again this morning. But look what happens. Look at 1 Kings 16:30 through 32. "Ahab, an Israeli, the son of Omri, he does evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, he takes to wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians."

This is what it just got done saying, don't go marrying these foreign ladies, because they'll turn you after their gods. And what did they do? They went and served Baal, worshipped him, and then what does the king do? He rears up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. See, this is why when you study the book of Revelation, you've got to go back and connect the dots to see what's really going on.

So look at how this unfolds in Revelation 2:21 through 23. In this situation, he gives Jezebel a space to repent of her fornication, and she doesn't. And so he says, "I'm going to cast her into a bed and those that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except they repent of their deeds. I will kill her children with death and all the assemblies will know that I am the one who searches the reins and the hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."

Okay, let's connect some dots here. Where do you think John got that idea? Look at Jeremiah 17:10. "I the Lord search the heart, I'm the one who tries the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doing." Guys, it's not a matter of getting saved by works. You're not saved by works, but guess what? You're going to be rewarded for your works. Whether they be good or bad.

You're going to get a reward for your bad works, and you're going to get a reward for your good works. Everyone is going to get paid in some way by the Lord. And he knows our hearts. Look at Psalm 7:9. "Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just, for the righteous God tries the hearts and the reins." That's what Revelation is talking about. In Psalm 26:2, "Examine me, oh Lord, prove me, try my reins and my heart."

You know, sometimes a wild horse wants to break away, it doesn't want to have the master controlling the reins. And often times within the body, there are people who even tell God, "You're not the boss of me. I'm going to do whatever I want to do." But look at Psalm 62:12. "Also unto you, oh Lord, belongs mercy, for you render to every one according to their works." Payday's coming for everybody, both good and bad.

But here is something that is mind-blowing. I'm going to read a verse, don't think you don't have it, it's just a little lower on the page. But I'm going to start with Revelation 2:24 through 29. This is to Thyatira. The Lord says, "I say to you to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine of Jezebel, which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon you no other burden. But that which you already have hold fast until I come."

But look at this. "He that overcomes and keeps my works to the end, to him will I give power over nations. He will rule them with the rod of iron as the vessels of a potter they'll be broken to shivers even as I received of my father, and I will give him the morning star. Whoever has an ear let him hear what the spirit is saying to the churches or assemblies."

Okay, where do you think he got those verses from? Here's one of the heaviest verses of the Bible. Now, I want you to remember in Revelation 2:24, he talks about he that overcomes and keeps my works. Look at Psalm 28:3-5. "Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts." This goes back to the fake Christian.

"Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors. Give them after the work of their hands. Render to them their desert. Why? Because they did not regard the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands. He will destroy them and not build them up." In other words, they're not interested in the work of the Lord, they're interested in their own works. I define this as the social gospel.

That's what it is. They do many wonderful works. As a matter of fact, listen to this verse, it's not on your notes. You can just write it down. You've heard it before, though. Matthew 7:21 through 24. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name cast out devils and in your name do many wonderful works?'"

But the problem was it was their works, it wasn't his works. "And I will profess to them, I don't know you, depart from me, you that work iniquity. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken to the wise man who built his house on a rock." If you want to build your house on a rock and not sinking sand, you need to do what the Lord wants you to do, not what you want to do for the Lord.

Too many of us, this is what I'm doing for you God. That's like Cain. Cain offered up a sacrifice. Wow, God, you didn't accept what I gave you, so I'm mad. This is the problem so often within Christianity, there's all kinds of wonderful works done, but they're not his works. Look at Psalm 2:7 through 9. Here we just got done reading to Thyatira, he's going to give them a rod to break the vessels of a potter, like the vessel of the potter they'll be broken.

And look at Psalm 2:7 through 9. "I'll declare the decree. The Lord has said to me, 'You are my son. This day I've begotten you. Ask of me and I will give you the heathen for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession. And you shall break them with the rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'" This is where Revelation comes from. John got this vision in Revelation because he read Psalms 2:7 and 9.

And then he also gets the morning star. Well, guess what? How does the book end in Revelation chapter 22:16? "I Yeshua have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the assemblies. I'm the root and the descendant of David, the bright and morning star." So what are they going to be given? They're going to be given Yeshua. He is the bright morning star that they're going to be rewarded with.

Okay, so what do we see of the assembly at Thyatira on the screen? This is from the one whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like fine brass. He says, "I know your works, charity, service, faith, patience, and your works," doubly mentioned, with the last being even more than the first. Problem though: You allow Jezebel, a self-proclaimed prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols. Overcomers are going to rule with the rod of iron over the nations and be given the morning star.

Okay, now this comes to Sardis, the next church. Revelation 3 verse 1. "Unto the angel of the assembly in Sardis write, these things saith he that has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your works. You have a name that you live, but you're dead." Look at Revelation 3:2 and 3. He says, "Be watchful and strengthen the things which do remain that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God."

"Remember therefore how you have received and heard." It's not just what, but how you received and heard. "And hold fast and repent. And if you don't watch, I will come on you as a thief and you will not know what hour I will come upon you." Okay, so take a look at this. He comes as a thief in the night to the dead church. Whenever everyone says, "Our church teaches that he comes as a thief in the night," I'm sorry, you're dead.

He comes as a thief in the night to the dead church. Not to those who know God's calendar, who are aware of what is going on. In Revelation 3:4 through 6, he says, "You have a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments. What is that about? And they shall walk with me in white, they're worthy. And whoever overcomes they're going to be clothed in white raiment. I will not blot out his name out of the book of life."

"I will confess his name before my father, before his angels. Whoever has an ear to hear let him hear what the spirit's saying to the churches." Okay, so what does it mean by they are not defiling their garments? I really believe in letting the scripture interpret itself rather than me trying to come up with something fancy, let's just look at what the Bible says. Look at Jude 1:22 and 23.

"Some on some have compassion making a difference and others save with fear pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." Okay, so there we go. If you have defiled garments, that means everything you've been doing has been doing in the flesh, not in the spirit. Just like the church that wants to do their own works, not the works of God.

If you look at Exodus chapter 19 verse 10 and 11, the very first Shavuot, the Lord says to Moses, "Go to the people, sanctify them today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothes and be ready against the third day, for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people on Mount Sinai." So they were to wash their clothes. Look at Zephaniah 1:8. "It'll come to pass in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, I will punish the princes and even the king's children and all such are clothed with strange apparel."

Defiled garments are going to be garments that are works of the flesh. In other words, if we come in our own righteousness. The king invites you to a party and you want to wear your finery and you refuse the garments the king has. Back in the ancient day, a king want to invite everyone to a son's wedding, and he knows some people are poor and can't afford a garment, so he provides a garment for everyone, everyone's on equal footing.

But some of the people say, "Oh, I don't want to wear the king's garments. I want to come in my own fancy clothes." Well look what happens in Matthew 22 verse 12 and 13. "And he says unto him, 'Friend, how come you came in here not having a wedding garment on?' And the guy was speechless. And then said the king to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, cast him into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

Again, these are people who want to do things in the flesh. "These are what I can do for God, look at me." So let's look at the assembly at Sardis. It's from the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. He says, "I know your works. You have a name that you live." Wow, we can't damage our name. They're more concerned about their name than God's name.

"Be watchful, strengthen what remains that's ready to die. Your works are not perfect before God. Remember how you received and heard. Hold fast and repent. And if you don't watch, I will come on you as a thief and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. A few of you do have undefiled garments. Whoever overcomes will be clothed in white raiment and their name will not be blotted out from the book of life."

Now let me give you an example of the social gospel church in one sense. This may come as a shock to some of you. Big article: "This is why it's legal to burn the American flag." There are some people that are not patriots, they believe you can burn the American flag and they call it what? Free speech, right? Well, I don't know if you saw this in the news just the other day.

An Iowa man was sentenced to 16 years for setting an LGBTQ flag on fire. Why? There is no penalty for setting the American flag on fire, but if you set an LGBTQ flag on fire, it's a hate crime and it becomes 16 years. This is where we're at. But if you look at what I've underlined, it was a church's flag. An Ames man was sentenced Wednesday to about 16 years in prison after he set fire to a church's...

It was a social gospel church whose far-left ideas... You have churches that are like the church of Sardis. It's a social gospel. It's not they're doing their own works, not God's works. That's where we're at today. And again, look at this. Shooting in Jersey City. Was it a hate crime? It's a hate crime to burn an LGBTQ flag, but you kill six Jews they're wondering if it's even a hate crime. Is anyone woke yet?

Okay, let's summarize over the last two weeks. Ephesus: Lost their first love, they hate the doctrine of the lawless church. Smyrna: There are people who masquerade as hypocrites that are attending. Pergamum: Satan's dwelling place. They believe in bringing paganism into Christianity and they hold to lawlessness. Thyatira: The church accepting false prophets and prophetesses who teach it's okay to bring paganism into the church. Sardis: The social gospel church promoting their own agenda, not God's.

So when we go back look at the Revelation, does any of it apply today? History is repeating itself, guys. And we're not seeing it. We're about to enter into Hanukkah, and we're to be separate. The light is separate from the darkness, they don't co-mingle. And so this is why we need to understand it from another perspective. And next week we're going to look at the church of Philadelphia and Laodicea. Are you having fun looking at Revelation? Have you ever heard it taught like this before, anybody? I don't think so.

Well, let's stand. I tell you what, it makes sense to me. And let's have the worship team... I don't know if we have a song to close with. Okay, great, come on up. And I tell you what, the battle's begun, guys. And I believe starting tomorrow night get ready with everything that's going on in this world and you see what they're legally taking your children away. I mean, these are laws.

This is why I wrote the book that I wrote on legalized lawlessness: Decoding the Antichrist. We're living in that day and if we don't wake up, it's going to bite you before you know it. I believe we're entering the battle of a lifetime. And we have to stand up as light. Amen? Amen. Avinu Malkeinu, our Father our King, we thank you that you're readying us as we look through this book of vision of Revelation.

Father, I pray we would have eyes to see and ears to hear what the spirit is saying to us at this time. Touch your people, protect the kids. Father, bring us all into an alignment with you. In Yeshua's name. Amen.