Gerald E. Weston

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

Tomorrow’s World Predicts…

Our world is becoming more unstable and dangerous, and many concerned people are beginning to ask themselves serious questions. Is a war on the horizon? Are we heading for a financial meltdown? Are we entering a time of hyper-inflation? What about the supply chain? And will I be able to feed my family?

War, civil unrest, financial meltdowns, inflation, empty grocery shelves, and widespread drought affecting food supplies have always been possibilities somewhere in the world at some time, but when have all of these problems been a serious concern at the same time in our Western nations?

Each year at this time, we here at Tomorrow’s World, give you trends to look for in the coming year and beyond. On last year’s program titled 2021 in Bible Prophecy, I gave one prediction. How accurate was it? I’ll answer that question with a review of this past year, before giving you three predictions for 2022 and beyond—straight from the pages of your Bible.

A Year in Review—Or Two

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World, where we give you advance news from the pages of the Bible. And along with the bad news in today’s world, we look forward to the greatest good news of all—the sure hope of the return of Jesus Christ to straighten out the mess we’ve created.

At the beginning of last year, I reviewed the predictions and trends that Mr. Wallace Smith and I gave for 2019 and 2020; showing that every one of our predictions was right on target, including Mr. Wallace Smith’s warning of disease epidemics. And, by the way, that program was recorded several months prior to COVID being on anyone’s radar. After reviewing the previous two years, I gave one prediction for 2021.

Today we reviewed predictions and trends proclaimed by Tomorrow’s World the last two years. Then I said I would give you a single trend to watch in 2021 and the immediate years following. We cannot know the exact timing, but the trend is certain: There will be disaster upon disaster for America and the British descended peoples.

Notice how the prophet Ezekiel describes what is ahead for the Anglosphere:

Destruction comes; they will seek peace, but there shall be none. Disaster will come upon disaster, and rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders. “The king will mourn, The prince will be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the common people will tremble. I will do to them according to their way, and according to what they deserve I will judge them; then they shall know that I am the LORD!” (Ezekiel 7:25–27).

The prediction of disaster upon disaster was not something I dreamed up, but as shown in this clip, it comes from the biblical book of Ezekiel—chapter 7 and verse 26. Disasters of one sort or another happen from time to time, but this passage predicts one major disaster stacked upon another. It’s predicting extraordinary times. Did we see this in 2021?

I cannot remember a year in my lifetime where more catastrophic events were piled one upon another, but don’t take my word for it. So much happened in 2021 that I only have time to briefly mention these extraordinary events, so let’s get started with a quick “year in review.” It didn’t take long for disaster number 1—January 6.

#1: The storming of U.S. Capitol Building

Need I say more? But two weeks later disaster, disaster #2 struck. January 20, the day he took office, President Biden cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have brought crude oil from Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast. This was only the first shot in what has turned out to be a war on fossil fuels that has left both America and its Canadian ally in the cold—pun intended—as seen from this October 14, 2021 story out of New York:

  “Winter heating bills set to jump as inflation hits home”

Get ready to pay sharply higher bills for heating this winter, along with seemingly everything else.

With prices surging worldwide for heating oil, natural gas and other fuels, the U.S. government said Wednesday it expects households to see their heating bills jump as much as 54% compared to last winter (Associated Press, October 13, 2021).

Gasoline prices have also skyrocketed, and ironically, while waging war on American and Canadian producers, the President has begged OPEC to ramp up supplies. Now if this sounds political, it’s not intended to be—it’s just the facts. America had recently become energy independent, but the war on gas, oil, and coal has ended that independence.

Some would say the war on fossil fuels is a blessing rather than a disaster. And truly, the subject is controversial—but not for people on low or fixed incomes shivering in their homes or having to choose between food, and fuel to fill their gas tanks for work. So forget the politics. For millions, the war on fossil fuels is an unmitigated disaster. So 2021 disaster #2 is:

#2: The consequences of the war on fossil fuels

The mob taking over the Capitol on January 6 and the war on fossil fuels were only the beginning. It didn’t take long for another major disaster to strike. February 11–20 brought disaster #3:

#3: The historic winter storms that slammed Texas and the Central Plains states

A series of storms struck one after another and brought life to a standstill, disrupting the flow of important goods to the rest of the country. Temperatures dropped in Texas as low as 6 degrees F (-14 C), and the accompanying catastrophic ice storms brought down trees and power lines. Ice and freezing temperatures also halted electricity producing wind turbines, thus shutting down the power grid over a large swath of the state.

The National Weather Service reported on the magnitude of the storms:

This was one of the most impactful winter events in recent history that brought multiday road closures, power outages, loss of heat, broken pipes, and other societal impacts for the region. While the damage is still being assessed, this will likely go down as the first billion dollar disaster of 2021 globally, and potentially the most costly weather disaster for the state of Texas in history, surpassing even Hurricane Harvey from 2017 (“Valentine’s Week Winter Outbreak 2021: Snow, Ice, & Record Cold,” National Weather Service, Weather.gov).

Crisis After Crisis—Where Is It All Leading?

The crisis at America’s southern border began early in the year and it grew with each passing month. Hundreds of thousands of migrants from Central and South America, from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East crossed into the United States illegally through Mexico. Many were bussed and flown to distant cities during the early morning hours in an attempt to hide the scope of the problem. And with this flood of humanity have also come drugs, gang members, and, almost certainly, terrorists. It will take time before we know the full impact of an open border, but there WILL be consequences, so 2021 disaster number 4 is:

#4: The crisis at America’s southern border

Disaster number five was both unexpected and disheartening. New vaccines held out hope that humanity would be freed from the grip of the COVID-19 virus, but then came the Delta variant, and America and most of the rest of the world saw their hope dashed. COVID in 2021 turned out to be worse than 2020. Note this headline from MSN on October 7, 2021:

“Number of U.S. Covid deaths in 2021 surpasses death toll of 2020” (MSN.com, July 10, 2021).

And this, with the better part of three months left in the year! So disaster #5 was:

#5: The Delta variant and continuing COVID-19 pandemic

Cyberattacks are more common and more costly than most people realize. There was the May 7 ransomware attack on the Houston based Colonial pipeline that stopped the flow of fuel to the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states. And even after it began flowing again, it took days for it to reach its destinations. It was reported that the company paid out five million dollars to resolve the problem, though a portion was recovered, according to reports. Before the month of May ended, JBS, the world’s largest meat packing plant, was hit with a similar attack, shutting down plants in North America and Australia. JBS reportedly paid 11 million dollars to avoid a long shutdown, and this does not include lost revenue and wages and a host of other expenses. These two events are only the more public examples of a very real ongoing cyberwar, and this is why our sixth disaster is:

#6: The ongoing silent cyberwar

This war is real, costing city, state, and federal governments; television stations; credit reporting agencies; banks; nuclear plants; and thousands of public and privately owned companies; as well as individuals, far more than any natural disaster.

These attacks go on daily and unless they affect you personally, they mostly go unnoticed—deliberately so, as no company wants the negative publicity associated with a successful attack. Some attacks steal trade secrets or personal information. Other attacks extort millions in cryptocurrency. But ominously, countries silently probe their enemy’s military and infrastructure in preparation for a shooting war.

My friends, 2021 saw even greater catastrophes! There is not nearly enough time in this program to remind you of all the challenges we faced in 2021. Nor do we have time to cover all the news in advance from the pages of the Bible. Will Jesus return soon to straighten out the mess? He gave signs to indicate when His return was near

Increasing Tribulation, As Jesus Christ Predicted

But before going further, let’s quickly review the first six that I’ve mentioned:

#1: The storming of the Capitol on January 6

#2: The consequences of the war on fossil fuels

#3: The disastrous storms that hit Texas and the Southern Plains

#4: The crisis at America’s southern border

#5: The Delta variant and continuing COVID-19 pandemic

#6: The ongoing silent cyberwar

But, by many accounts, the greatest calamity of 2021 was the manner in which the United States pulled out of Afghanistan. This was a humiliating disaster of monumental proportions. America’s friends are re-evaluating their trust in the waning superpower, and America’s enemies are licking their lips. Note this op-ed published in The Hill on August 30, under the headline:

  “In Afghanistan, we’ve opened the gates of hell.”

The article went on to say, with a reference to Winston Churchill after Neville Chamberlain’s appeasement of Adolf Hitler:

President Joe Biden’s debacle will have no such savior; the Islamic jihad isn’t that kind of war. Instead of getting us out of Afghanistan, and bringing peace in our time, he’s opened the gates of hell. In one disastrous and grossly ill-conceived strategic move, Biden has armed and empowered the Taliban and elated every Muslim fanatic from Morocco to Mindanao. Not since 9/11 have events so galvanized our enemies — U.S. forces abandoning the field; the Afghan military laying down arms; and the Taliban reestablishing their Islamic Emirate (The Hill, August 30, 2021).

So disaster #7 is:

#7: The humiliating manner in which America left Afghanistan 

For the sake of time, let me mention a few others with only brief comments.

#8: The breakdown in the supply chain

This one is so noticeable that little else needs to be said, but who would have thought of this a year ago.

#9: Inflation

This too is huge, but again, no need to say much. We all see it on a daily basis and those on low or fixed incomes feel it the most. Then there’s #10:

#10: Worker shortages

Governments have borrowed to pay people not to work. How incongruous to see “Help wanted signs” everywhere, yet panhandlers and homeless encampments popping up all over. While unemployment stats are low, it’s reported that five million American workers have dropped out of the workforce. And this worker shortage is compounded by #11.

No matter where you stand on the subject, one thing is for certain—policemen, pilots, truck drivers, healthcare workers, and critical workers from many industries chose to quit their jobs rather than take the jabs. Many of those who put their lives on the line and were hailed as heroes during the height of the pandemic were cast aside. So that’s why #11 is:

#11: Vaccine mandates

Here is one more problem which only got worse in 2021:

#12: Nations divided against themselves regarding masks, vaccines, immigration, climate change, and so much more

Civil society is breaking down, and no matter which side one may be on regarding these issues, citizens of America, Canada, Australia, South Africa, France, the Netherlands, Germany, just to name some, have lost confidence in their governments and their citizens are becoming restless. 

Tomorrow’s World prediction for 2021 was “disaster upon disaster.” Can anyone deny that 2021 was a disaster for America? And I don’t have time to go into the droughts, bush fires, floods, and a mice plague in Australia, nor the fuel shortages in the United Kingdom, nor the record breaking drought and deteriorating state of affairs in South Africa, nor the worst oil spill in Israel’s history.

Prophecies Fulfilled in 2022

There are many more, such as the extreme drought over most of the western United States and Canada. The town of Lytton, British Columbia, located about 100 miles north of the U.S. border, recorded an astonishing 121.3 degrees F (49.6 C), and that was before it was wiped off the map by a wildfire.

So, what can we look forward to in 2022 and beyond according to Bible prophecy? None of us here at Tomorrow’s World are prophets. We simply read the Bible and draw your attention to what it says. The problem is that we cannot know exactly WHEN some events will take place, but we can know the big picture. So what should we expect for 2022 and the years that follow?

Jesus took His disciples out to the Mount of Olives where they asked:

Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3).

It’s clear from many prophecies that a better age, a new world, is coming. That better world will be the result of the second coming of Jesus Christ—an event that will shock the world. That will not happen in 2022 or even for a few years later, but it will happen. In fact, you had better hope it will happen, because if it doesn’t, we’ll literally annihilate ourselves—so said Jesus. Here it is in Matthew 24:21–22:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened (Matthew 24:21–22).

Some scoff at the idea that Christ must return to save mankind from destruction, or even that He will return at all. They have what the Apostle Peter spoke of as a kind of historical uniformitarianism. Here’s what he predicted for our time, as found in his second letter, chapter 3, and verses 3–4:

… knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3–4).

But everything is not continuing the same. Our world is becoming more dangerous with every passing year. The prophet Ezekiel also noted this same attitude among skeptics who foolishly claim prophecy has failed. Chapter 12, in verses 27–28:

Son of man, look, the house of Israel is saying, “The vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies of times far off.” Therefore say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘None of My words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be done,’ says the Lord GOD.”

We must be humble enough to recognize that we do not know the month or year when the prophecies of Jacob’s trouble (as Jeremiah refers to it) fully set in, but we are clearly close to that time. If the last two years are any indication, time is running out for the British-descended and American peoples to change before it is too late. So here’s trend #1 to watch for in 2022 and beyond:

Trend #1: When you think it cannot get any worse, it will! 

Yes there will be ups and downs. There will be periods that look good, but the overall picture is clear—continual disasters upon the British-descended and American peoples due to our sins. Therefore trend number 2 for 2022 and the years that follow:

Trend #2: Disaster upon disaster will continue

That prediction comes from Ezekiel 7 and verse 26, which we read at the beginning of this program: “Disaster will come upon disaster….” But notice there is a second pronouncement in that verse—“… and rumor will come upon rumor.” So our last trend to watch is the continuation of something that sadly already exists:

Trend #3: Rumor upon rumor will grow worse

Has there ever been a greater time filled with conspiracy theories and rumors than today—all fueled by social media and the Internet? Expect rumors, conspiracy theories, and fake news from every conceivable source to continue.

But the good news is that when things truly cannot get any worse, our Creator will step in to save us from our insanity. He will then set up a world-ruling kingdom that will bring peace and prosperity to ALL the world. War and disease will come to an end and people will learn to get along with one another. That’s the message of Tomorrow’s World.

Thank you for watching! To find out what trends to watch for in 2022, order your free copy of Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return by clicking the link in the description. Remember to subscribe to our channel so you can continue to learn the truth as given in the Bible. See you next time.

[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

From Mystery to Revelation?

The biblical book of Revelation has puzzled millions. Many consider it a sealed book that is impossible to understand. Others have read into it their own differing and conflicting interpretations. Among the many mysteries found in this remarkable book, are seven letters to seven church congregations in Asia Minor.

Why were these First Century congregations chosen among all the others extant at that time? Why were their messages a part of Revelation? And do they have relevance for us today? These are a few of the many questions people have regarding the letters to the seven churches, recorded in the second and third chapters of Revelation.

These messages have far more relevance for you than you might imagine, and you need to know what that is. So stay with me as I’ll answer these questions from the pages of this very book.

The Key to Understanding—A Gift from God?

A warm welcome to all of you from those of us here at Tomorrow’s World. Today I’m going to explain a great mystery found in that difficult to understand last book of the Bible—Revelation. Scholars have puzzled over the meaning of seven letters written to seven Asia Minor congregations, as recorded in chapters two and three, but you can understand as you will see on today’s program.

The book of Revelation is filled with symbolism: stars, candlesticks, multi-headed beasts with horns, trumpets, and much more. The number seven is significant as we read of seven messengers, seven churches, seven stars, seven golden candlesticks, seven trumpets, and seven last plagues. But there’s no end to the number of interpretations people have about this puzzling book, so how can you understand? And how can you know that your understanding is correct?

The answers to these critical questions are found elsewhere in this collection of writings that we refer to as the Bible. Consider Matthew 11:25;

“At that time Jesus answered and said, ‘I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes’” (Matthew 11:25).

And, as the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1,

“For it is written: ‘I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND BRING TO NOTHING THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRUDENT.’ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” (1 Corinthians 1:19–20).

Paul then goes on to explain, beginning in verse 26,

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise…that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Corinthians 1:26–27, 29).

So my dear friends, according to the Bible, it’s not a matter of human intellect, but of God choosing to whom He will reveal His message. This is further shown in chapter 2 beginning in verse 7,

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: ‘EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM’” (1 Corinthians 2:7–9).

If this is true, what hope do we have? The answer is found in the next verse:

“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

If we are to accurately understand the Bible, including the Book of Revelation, it must be revealed to us by God through the power of His spirit. Now, many people think they have the spirit of God, but do they? Do you? How can you know? Will we believe the answer found in the Bible? And if so, turn to Acts 5:32:

“And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Professor William Ramsay wrote what is considered by many to be the definitive book on the letters to the seven churches. There is no doubt that he was a man of great intellect and knowledge, yet it’s evident that he failed to understand the fundamental reason these letters are in Revelation.

From God, Through Christ, to the Saints

Some people often wrongly assume that Bible scholars believe that the Bible is the word of God. But that is not the case for all. Human reason enters the picture and many begin to pick and choose what they believe to be true.

It is evident from reading The Seven Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia by Professor Ramsay, that he saw the book of Revelation as the work of the Apostle John. This is revealed in his opening sentence in chapter IV where he refers to the book as:

“[T]he Revelation of St. John” (p. 35).

Now, how is it that someone of his intellect could miss the truth revealed in the opening words of the book he is trying to explain? To be fair, he’s not alone, as even some who translated the Bible also missed the point that it is not the revelation of John but the revelation of Jesus Christ. Among them are the translators of the vaunted King James Version, [who] title the book:

The Revelation of St. John the Divine

The New King James Version has it corrected with the title:

The Revelation [not of John, but] of Jesus Christ

Now this is no small point as it reveals the mindset of many translators and scholars. Professor Ramsay clearly sees the book of Revelation as the work of a man, rather than inspired from God. Here’s what I mean with this quote:

In this work, Jewish in origin and general plan…

[T]here is inserted this episode of the Seven Letters….

There must have been therefore some reason which seemed to the author to demand imperatively the insertion of such an episode in a work of diverse character (p. 35).

Ramsay then goes on to explain that these letters were an afterthought, since other than the historical narratives of the Gospels and Acts, the remainder of the New Testament is made up of letters. Therefore:

In the subsequent development of St. John’s thought it is plain that he had recognized the inadequacy and insufficiency of the fashionable Jewish literary forms. It seems highly probable that the perception of that fact came to him during the composition of the Revelation, and that the Seven Letters, though placed near the beginning and fitted carefully into that position, were the last part of the work to be conceived (p. 36).

But far from an afterthought, the letters to the seven churches are central to the theme of the book, which is the Day of the Lord, which culminates in the return of Jesus Christ.

The opening words of Revelation are all important as they tell us where the message comes from, who opens our understanding to it, and who recorded it, and for whom it was recorded. If you have a Bible, I urge you to get it out and follow along. As we often say on this program, don’t believe us just because we say it. Believe us because you read it in your own Bible. So if you have your Bible, turn to the last book, the book of Revelation, chapter one, where we’ll examine the first two verses. There, we read the following:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ…”

So Jesus, not John, is the one who opens our understanding to the message. He is the one who reveals it to us. But what is the source of that message?

“…which God gave Him…”

The message comes from God the Father and is revealed by Jesus Christ. But who is the message to go to? Is it the world in general? Or is it more limited than that?

“…to show His servants…”

Clearly, the message is for the servants of God. This is why the message is not generally understood, as we shall see. Notice next that it involves

“…things which must shortly take place.”

A careful reading of the book shows that much was written for the times far into the future, but it also records events [that] were soon to take place. We next find that this revealed message was to go to John.

“And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John….”

This is all in verse one, chapter one. The next verse explains that John was given three things to record. He was to take

“[T]The word of God…”

“…the testimony of Jesus Christ…”

and

“…all things that he saw.”

to the servants of God, but how does God define those servants in the book? This is the crucial question that is almost universally misunderstood. Yet, the answer is right in front of our eyes.

The True History of the Church of God—Revealed

But first, let’s review what we learned from Revelation 1:1–2. The message of the Revelation originates with God but Jesus Christ must open it to our understanding

The message of the entire book was to be given to the servants of God. And John was to record the word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all things that he saw.

So who are the servants of God? This may sound like a simple question, but the book of Revelation reveals a surprising answer. John was instructed to take the message to these servants and that is exactly what he did, as recorded immediately after the prologue, Revelation 1:4:

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia.

The seven churches in Asia Minor are synonymous with the servants of God. This is further seen in verse 11where the churches are mentioned by name;

What you see [That is all that he saw, not just the letters, but the whole of Revelation.] write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea (Revelation 1:11).

We next read in verses 12–16 that John recorded a vision of the glorified Christ walking in the midst of seven golden candlesticks with seven stars in His hands. What can these—the candlesticks and the stars—possibly mean? The answer is found in verse 20:

The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven churches (Revelation 1:20).

There were other church congregations in Asia Minor at the time, but there was something special about these seven. For one thing, they were all found on a mail route where the book would be taken from one church to another. Also, Christ is seen walking in the midst of them as they are represented by the candlesticks. Is it not clear by now that the seven churches of Asia Minor represent the servants of God down through time? This is confirmed at the end of the book where it uses “servants” and “the churches” interchangeably:

Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show [And notice this] His servants the things which must shortly take place.

That’s Revelation 22:6. Now notice verse 16:

I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches.

Far from being an afterthought, the messages to the seven churches are central to the theme of the whole book, which is the Day of the Lord, which culminates in the return of Jesus Christ.

The construction of Revelation is quite amazing when you take a closer look at it. The servants of God are synonymous with the seven churches, so:

Chapters 2 and 3: Tell us WHO God’s servants are down through
history.

Chapter 4: Describes the throne of God—the source of the
message.

Chapter 5: Shows the message on a sealed scroll is opened by the Lamb of God.

But getting back to the letters themselves there are three ways the letters apply.

#1: The letters describe seven attitudes (or spiritual conditions) found in seven real congregations.

The messages are a mix of positive reinforcement as well as warnings and calls to repent from the dominant attitudes found in each Church. But each of us are individuals and the general warning goes beyond a single congregation to all of God’s servants. So this is why we find this admonition at the end of each letter:

#2: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches (Revelation 2:7).

The messages, while most specifically to one congregation, also contain wisdom and warnings for all others. Then there is a third application for these letters, one that has intrigued scholars and students for centuries.

#3: The churches represent stages, or eras, through which true Christianity travels through the centuries.

That there are historical stages or eras, is seen when comparing the letter to the second Church, Smyrna, and the sixth church, Philadelphia. Let’s first look at Smyrna—Revelation 2:10:

“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Many Bible students are familiar with the day for a year principle found in the Bible. History reveals that there was a time of severe tribulation just as the scripture predicted. Notice the day for a year principle as it applied to ten years of persecution explained in Adam Clarke’s Commentary:

As the days in this book are what is commonly called prophetic days, each answering to a year, the ten years of tribulation may denote “ten years of persecution”; and this was precisely the duration of the persecution under Diocletian, during which all the Asiatic churches were grievously afflicted. (Adam Clarke’s Commentary [on Revelation 2:10], 1967, p. 1335).

That took place between 303 and 313 AD—over 200 years after John recorded these messages. Further, that persecution came on all the churches of Asia Minor, not just Smyrna. This message then cannot apply only to a single congregation during John’s lifetime, but also to an era in the Christian Church.

Now let’s look at the sixth church—Philadelphia. Here we find a clear reference to the time of the end as found in Revelation 3:10:

“Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

So the second church—Smyrna—saw a time of persecution, during the fourth century A.D. and the sixth church—Philadelphia—is in existence at the end of the age when there will be a time of trial upon the whole world. But there’s a problem. Where the evidence clearly shows a progression down through time, not all pieces of the puzzle appear to fit. So what might we be missing?

Eminent scholars are unable to connect the dots of the Christian church through all seven of the Churches of Asia Minor. Why?

A Warning for Believers in Our Time

We earlier referred to the introduction of this mysterious book in Revelation 1:1:

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—

things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John (Revelation 1:1).

The next few chapters give further clarification:

Chapter 4: Gives us the source of the message—God the Father on His throne.

Chapter 5: The message is found on a scroll with seven seals that
only the Lamb of God can open.

So we have the source and the one who reveals the message. But what about the servants of God that the message was to go to? That’s found in chapters 2 and 3.

Chapters 2–3: The servants of God down through the ages.

Now, why is this knowledge so little understood? The answer can be discerned from two other chapters in the book. Chapter 12 describes the Church of God as a small persecuted Church that had to flee from the large metropolitan cities of the Roman Empire through much of the last 2,000 years. Because this chapter begins with the physical nation of Israel, some assume it has nothing to do with the Church, but that it refers to the Church is clearly seen from the progression of the chapter from the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ all the way to the end.

We learn from verse 9 that Satan the Devil deceives the whole world. How can that be if the largest religion in the world is professing Christianity? We then learn that Satan will try once again to knock God off His throne, but he’ll be cast back down to this earth where he immediately goes out to destroy and to persecute the Church.

“Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child” (Revelation 12:13).

The woman, that is the Church, must then flee into the wilderness to be protected from the serpent who tries to destroy her, but not all members flee.

“So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth” (Revelation 12:15–16).

Notice carefully. This is not talking about physical Israel, but to true believers in Jesus the Messiah.

“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 12:17).

Chapters 2, 3, and 12 refer to the true Church of God, but chapter 17 speaks of another woman, a fallen woman—an apostate church. Some think they know who that is. She is called a mother of apostate women. Here it is in Revelation 17:5:

And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH (Revelation 17:5).

Now here is one of the most important questions you’ll ever be asked: If you can identify the “Mother of Harlots,” who are those harlot daughter churches? The reason so few can match the progress of the Church as shown in the seven letters to the seven churches of Asia is that they are looking for the Church in the wrong place.

But if one looks at the right place, there is a serious message for us. While the sixth era of the Church zealously proclaims the true gospel around the world and warns the world where it is headed, the very last era is marked by a lukewarm spirit, thinking they are okay. As a result, Christ will spew them out of His mouth into the great tribulation to wake them up. Now, I’ll leave you with one last question. Which attitude best describes you, my dear friends? Think about it.

Thank you for watching! To learn more about what happened to the church that Jesus Christ built, order your free copy of God’s Church Through the Ages by clicking the link in the description. And remember to subscribe to our channel so you can continue to learn the truth as given in the Bible. See you next time!