Gerald E. Weston

[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!

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

The Biggest Gamble

Are you betting for, or against God’s existence? Think about it. You may not consider yourself a gambler, but how you live your life is the greatest gamble you will ever take. Either God does exist, or He doesn’t. And if He does exist, how far will you go to live according to His will? Will you go “all in” with God? Or will you draw a line in the sand and say, “Thus far and no further”?

These are questions that we would do well to consider, as we are, by the way that we live our lives, betting on the answers to these important questions. Join me here at Tomorrow’s World where we’ll do some serious self-examination.

Does Your Faith Go “All the Way”?

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World where we tackle the big questions of life, and today I’m asking, “How far will you go to obey God—all the way, or are you drawing a line in the sand.” Are you betting for or against God’s existence? Your actions tell more than what you profess.

None of us has seen God face to face, yet billions profess to believe in some form of God. But how real is He to you? Are you so certain of His existence that you are willing to put it all on the line? To put it another way, if you are familiar with poker, are you “all in?” Now lest anyone misunderstands, I’m not promoting the gambling industry, but the fact is that you are, by your choices, by your decisions, by your day by day actions, making a very real wager on the existence, or non-existence of God. And when it comes to the God of the Bible, you must be “all in.” So says Jesus in Luke 14:26:

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [meaning to love to a lesser degree by comparison] his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26).

You have no doubt seen the bumper sticker using various religious symbols to spell out the word “COEXIST.” That’s a wonderful platitude, but what does it mean? Is this taking God seriously, or mere virtue signaling? Is it not saying, “All religions are equal, so let’s just get along?” We should get along, but is it true, that exactly what we believe when it comes to God, does not matter? Not according to the Judeo-Christian God! The very first of the Ten Commandments emphatically states,

You shall have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3).

And Jesus proclaimed,

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6).

When the Apostles Peter and John were hauled before the religious leaders of their day for teaching in the name of Jesus, Peter boldly told them that they were guilty of rejecting the Messiah and there was no other path to salvation.

This is the “stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.” Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11–12).

My guess is that most viewers of this program are at least nominal believers in Christ, but how solid is your belief, and how far are you willing to take it? Consider the following.

The Bible tells us that a man named Jesus, walked the rugged hills of Israel about two thousand years ago. He claimed He came from God and was returning to Him. He was tortured and murdered on a stake, and hundreds of witnesses claimed they saw Him after being resurrected to life once again. Further, Jesus proclaimed that He is coming back to rule over all the earth and give rulership to a group of individuals who in this life are called, chosen, and faithful.

Now let’s be honest. That is a lot to accept. Even His closest followers, who saw all His miracles, and were mentored by Him for three-and-a-half years had difficulty accepting the resurrection. Thomas, one of His disciples, said in effect, “Show me the evidence.”

Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe (John 20:25).

This is in John 20:25. This clearly shows that Thomas was convinced of His death. There was no question of that being faked. Of course, once Jesus appeared to him, Thomas did believe. But there’s a message in this for all of us when we read how the conversation continued in verse 29.

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

So what about you? Do you believe, having not seen Him? Just how far are you willing to go with your belief? Will you put Him first above all else, as we read earlier? Or will you draw a line and say, “no further”? Sadly, most professing Christians are drawing lines in the sand, by reasoning around clear statements of scripture to avoid going against human traditions.

Our actions declare the depth of our conviction. It’s easy to profess belief in God, but the choices we make often tell a very different story. The example of ancient Israel entering into a covenant with God can be instructive. Notice in Exodus 19:7–8:

So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD (Exodus 19:7–8).

That was their profession—they would obey. But to what degree did they do so when confronted with difficult choices? Would they trust God or trust themselves? Every student of the Bible knows that ancient Israel failed miserably when it came to obeying God, but what was the root cause of their problem?

Is Seeing REALLY Believing?

Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (Hebrews 3:17–19).

How easy it is to profess belief, but to follow that belief with actions is something else. Even Jesus’ disciples failed to grasp His statements that He would die and be resurrected after three days and three nights in the grave. This is surprising, given the fact that they knew that others had been resurrected.

It was not as though a resurrection from the dead had never occurred before. Jesus’ disciples knew the account of the man who came back to life when let down into the grave of Elisha. You can read of that in 2 Kings 13:21. And they knew scriptures that prophesied a resurrection from the dead. Such as:

Job 14:14–15

Psalm 17:15

and Daniel 12:1–2

But reading about something that happened a long time ago, or hearing about something that will happen way off in the future, is not the same as experiencing something today. And even experiencing something in one’s lifetime quickly fades from one’s memory. For example, Jesus’ disciples knew a man who was resurrected from the dead just a short time prior to the crucifixion.

Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, had died and Jesus came to the tomb where he was laid. We pick up the account in John 11:39:

Jesus said, “Take ye away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (John 11:39, King James Version).

That’s from the King James Version. Then we read in verses 43 and 44,

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Now that must have been quite a sight. But did it really happen? The resurrection of Lazarus created quite a stir among the people in Judah. And even Jesus’ detractors could not deny it. Notice what we read a little bit later in John 12:9–11:

Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead. But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus (John 12:9–11).

In spite of this, Jesus’ own disciples had difficulty believing in Jesus’ own resurrection. It might be due to a fundamental difference. They were there when Jesus called Lazarus forth out of the tomb. They saw many other miracles performed by Jesus, but when the miracle worker is killed, who to look to then? Jesus came to reveal the Father to them, but Jesus they saw—no one had ever seen the Father, as it tells us in John the first chapter, and verse 18:

No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (John 1:18).

Jesus performed many other miracles. He healed all kinds of diseases, cast out demons, turned water into wine, calmed a stormy sea, and walked on water. Many people were still alive and remembered these miracles when the gospel accounts were written. They knew these things happened. And even the contentious Pharisees had to admit these miracles of healing were real, as seen by this confession from Nicodemus, found in John 3:2:

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2).

So the questions remain. Do you believe these miracles happened? Do you believe there is an all-powerful God who is working with mankind on this small planet, which orbits an average sized star—one of tens of billions in our galaxy, and only one galaxy among the currently estimated one to two trillion galaxies that make up our universe?

Truly, we ought to wonder as King David did when he looked up at the night sky and mused,

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? [That’s from Psalm 8:3–4].

Now that dear friends, is a question of great magnitude. If God does exist, what is His plan for you and for me? We must know, and know that we know, that we are the result of an incredible mind, a great Creator God. And if we do truly believe, that belief should shape our decisions.

Are Miracles Enough? What “Proof” would Convince You?

Most of us think that we would believe if only we could see a miracle, but that is a fallacy, not backed by the facts. The children of Israel saw miracle after miracle. They escaped through the Red Sea, and they were fed supernaturally with manna, but the miracle of manna was far greater than most comprehend. For forty years it came six days every week, but never on the seventh day. Clearly, God was teaching them a lesson regarding one of His Ten Commandments. But have we learned that lesson?

Miracles are like food and water. They survive in our minds for only a short period of time, until the next challenge appears. Those who rely on miracles, must have miracle after miracle to replenish their hunger. This is not to say that miracles are not important, and we read of many of them in the Bible. And perhaps you’ve even experienced one. And, in fact all of us have, as life itself is a miracle, if we will only open our eyes. As Paul tells us in Romans 1:20,

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20).

King David wrote in Psalm 139:13 and 14, when considering his own existence,

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. (Psalm 139:13–14).

Think about it. Does your soul know that very well? Faith is elusive. It must not be blind, but our nature is such that the evidence of miracles never lasts.

It is natural to think of the early Church as having great faith, unlike today. And that may be true, but perhaps not to the degree we imagine. A rather humorous account is found when Peter was put in prison. Herod was fully set on executing him, as he had recently done with the Apostle James. Many were gathered together praying for Peter’s release from an otherwise certain death, but God sent an angel to rescue him. And when Peter arrived after this miraculous escape, those praying for a miracle couldn’t seem to accept that one was there at the front gate. Notice it:

And when Peter had come to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people.” So, when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary...where many were gathered together praying. And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a girl named Rhoda came to answer. When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her gladness she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter stood before the gate. But they said to her, “You are beside yourself!” Yet she kept insisting that it was so. So they said, “It is his angel.” Now Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished (Acts 12:11–16).

Are you and I any different from those dedicated people? Would we be astonished in a similar situation?

Prove God is Real to You

I’ll show you why it is impossible to please God without living faith. And that is not an opinion, but a statement of scripture. Hebrews 11 is known as the faith chapter, and in it we read this profound statement that we would all do well to consider. Here it is in Hebrews 11:6:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

Why is this so? An examination of this chapter reveals that everyone listed in it had the kind of faith that generated actions. We read of Noah, who built a huge boat to preserve life through a worldwide flood--his neighbors most likely mocking him, until the flood swept them away. Abraham obeyed God when he left his comfortable home to go to a land where he would be a stranger, and he trusted that God would give him a son in his old age. Then there was Moses that we read of in verses 24–27:

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible (Hebrews 11:24–27).

Notice that each of these individuals did more than profess faith. They acted on faith. Which one of us would have done the same? Now some may think, “Well if God spoke to me directly I would.” But isn’t that what He is doing through His word, the Bible? Or do you believe that?

While God spoke directly to some in dreams and visions, many others down through the ages only had the written word of God to cling to. And not all were rescued, as we read in verses 37–40:

They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us (Hebrews 11:37–40).

God was real to them. And if God is real to us and we truly believe there is a reward for obeying Him, we too will keep His commandments. Do you, dear friend, keep the weekly Sabbath, as spoken of in Genesis 2, as commanded along with the other Ten Commandments, and as God revealed to Israel for forty years by withholding the manna each seventh day? Or do you follow the traditions of men and choose the day that Constantine decided for the church? Do you observe the same annual days that Jesus, His Apostles, and first century Christians kept? Or do you follow human traditions of pagan holidays with the name of Christ slapped on them? Do you do what Jesus said to do in Matthew 19:17, where he said

[B]ut if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:17)

Or do you compromise so as not to create waves on the job or within your family? Remember Jesus’ sobering words found in Matthew the 10th chapter:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “Set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”; and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:34–38).

Now that my dear friends, is where the rubber meets the road. Are you putting Christ first in everything? Are you putting it all on the line? Or are you drawing a line in the sand and saying, by your actions, I’ll go so far, but no further?

Thank you for watching! Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video, and if you would like a copy of our booklet The Real God: Proofs and Promises (it’s free of charge, of course), click the link in the description. See you next time.

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

Who Will Be Saved by God?

Is it true that billions of people who live and die without accepting Jesus Christ are lost forever? If so, would that include those who never heard His name? What about babies who died before they were old enough to comprehend what it means, to accept the only name under heaven whereby one may be saved? What if their parents were Hindus, Muslims, atheists, or simply not interested in religion? Is there any hope for them or, for that matter, their parents? What about the Apostle Paul’s warning that even Satan has his ministers who appear as ministers of righteousness? As he said, some were worshiping a different Jesus, had a different spirit and a different gospel. Does this mean all of these are lost? No matter how sincere one may be, can all the differing sects and denominations, teaching very different doctrines, with radically different approaches, be right?

Are all these ignorant and deceived people lost forever? Is God fair? Does He love everyone, or only the few?

The surprising answer comes straight from the pages of the Bible, so stay with me!

The Name by Which We Are Saved

Welcome to Tomorrow’s World where we open the Bible for answers to the truly big questions of life. Today I’ll be answering the questions, with all their ramifications: Does God love everyone? Is He giving everyone a fair chance? Are people who never heard of Christ lost forever?

The Apostle John quotes Jesus as saying:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

This is likely the most quoted scripture in all the Bible, but how many understand it? How many understand that Jesus was saying that His Father loves, not just the few, but the whole world? And He went on to say:

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).

The world is not a reference to planet Earth, but rather to the people who dwell here. But then there is that troubling scripture that tells us there is only one name under heaven whereby one can be saved. We read this in Acts, the fourth chapter. The context is the occasion where Peter called on the name of Jesus Christ to heal a crippled man. The result was that Peter and John were hauled before the council. We pick up the story beginning in verse 9:

If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole (Acts 4:9–10).

Then in verse 12, referring to the name of Jesus Christ, we read:

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). 

So here we have a dilemma. No matter how you count it, with this passage in mind, by any reckoning there have always been more that are “unsaved” than “saved.” Think of the billions who lived and died who never even knew of the Bible or its message. Think of the people who died in North or South America or some faraway island prior to the life of Jesus Christ.

Are these not part of the world? Are they forever lost? Is God so weak that He cannot save the world that He says He loves? Is the adversary stronger than God? If not, this leads us to the inevitable question “Is God fair?” Is He a respecter of persons? Has everyone—or will everyone—have a genuine and fair chance for the opportunity for salvation?

We had a repairman in our home one evening and we got into a discussion on this subject. He contended that if someone far away wanted to know about God, that God would reach him some way. Not only was that illogical, it’s contrary to scripture. Note what the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 10 and verses 13 and 14.

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:13–14).

The fairness of God is a question many have struggled with. There are numerous ways theologians try to explain this conundrum, but all explanations coming from mainline Christianity miss the mark.

Not Calling Everyone Now

Why is it that clergymen and their denominations fail to see what is obvious from the Bible when it comes to the unsaved millions—many of whom never heard of Jesus? The answer is multi-faceted, but let me give you two simple biblical answers. The first is:

#1: God is not calling everyone now!

Now let me repeat that:

#1: God is not calling everyone now!

I understand that this is not what most of you have been taught, but this truth is right there in the Bible. It may come as a shock to you, but Jesus plainly tells us that only selected ones can come to Him. Read it for yourself. If you don’t have a Bible in front of you, write down these verses and check it out for yourself. As we always say here at Tomorrow’s World, don’t believe us just because we say it—believe it because you read it in your own Bible. Here it is in John 6:44:

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).

We know that a principle is especially important when it is repeated and that is exactly what we see here. Jesus repeats this shocking truth in verse 65:

And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father” (John 6:65).

This is hardly the whole story, as there are numerous passages that tell us the same thing. For example, many people know that Jesus spoke a lot of parables, but how many understand WHY? What was the purpose for His parables? My Sunday school teacher thought it was to make the meaning clear to a bunch of fishermen and shepherds. Was that correct? Can we know? The answer is yes, we can know, because Jesus’ own disciples asked Him that very question. Will we believe Him? Turn to Matthew 13, beginning in verse 10:

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” (Matthew 13:10).

There’s the question. Now what is the answer? Here it is straight from the mouth of Jesus:

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given…” (Matthew 13:11).

Mark also relates the same incident and adds a few more details, so let’s pick it up in Mark 4, beginning in verse 10:

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand; lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them’” (Mark 4:10–12).

Jesus then explained to His disciples the Parable of the Sower. In this parable, the seeds are sown. Some fall by the wayside, others on stony ground with little soil. Some of the seeds begin growing, but are choked by weeds, and the remaining seeds fall on good ground where they sprout and produce varying amounts of the crop. Then, after relating a couple additional parables, we read Mark’s often overlooked comment in verse 34:

But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples (Mark 4:34).

The simple biblical truth that God is not calling everyone now, and this truth sadly escapes clergymen and lay members alike.

The Real Purpose of the Law

As a reminder, the Bible tells us:

#1: God is not calling everyone now!

And reason number 2 is:

#2: God only gives His spirit of understanding to those who obey Him!

Preaching in the name of Jesus Christ was a dangerous business in the first century and in many parts of the world since then. On one occasion the early apostles were thrown into prison, but miraculously set free by an angel who instructed them to go back to the temple and speak the words of life. They were once again called before the Council, where we pick up the account in Acts 5, verse 27:

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” (Acts 5:27–28).

The apostles’ response was a stinging rebuke—something the high priest and those around him were not used to. Who did these uneducated men from Galilee think they were?

But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:29–31).

Now notice this statement found in the midst of this account:

And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them (Acts 5:32–33).

What Peter and the others strongly intimated was that these religious leaders were NOT obeying God and were therefore not being led by God’s spirit. There is a powerful lesson in this for us. If we don’t obey God, we’ll not be given the Holy Spirit, and it is Christ living in us by the power of the Holy Spirit that opens our minds to understanding.

When the Prophet Daniel wanted to understand the timing of visions given to him, he was instructed:

Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand (Daniel 12:9–10).

Wickedness is more than substance abuse, sexual immorality, murder, and theft. All these are wickedness, but at the heart and core of wickedness is the rejection of and rebellion toward God and His will, as expressed in His law. Why is it that people cannot understand, that the New Covenant, instead of doing away with the law, makes it more binding?

Jesus did not mince words when He gave His famous Sermon on the Mount. Read it for yourself in Matthew 5, verses 17 and 18.

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:17–18).

Have heaven and earth passed away? So why do people reason around His clear statement? One tactic they use is to say the expression “all is fulfilled” means the law was done away at Christ’s crucifixion—that everything was done at that time—but does that fit the context of His statement? Not hardly. Instead of doing away with the law, He shows that He expects more of us. He holds us to a higher standard.

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).

He went on to give examples of what He meant. He pointed out the sixth commandment that forbids murder, but He went on to show that holding hatred in your heart is the spirit of murder. He said in verses 27 and 28:

You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27–28).

Now is there anyone who thinks the letter of the law (avoiding the very act of adultery) is harder to keep than the spirit of the law, as explained by Jesus? Yet, we see a constant attack on the law of God by the very people who say they believe in Jesus! No wonder He chided the people of His day, as we read in Luke 6:46:

But why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and not do the things which I say? (Luke 6:46).

The Bible is clear on the subject. Instead of doing away with the law of God, Jesus made it more binding, and by the power of His spirit, He makes it a part of our very way of life. It’s the way of godly love—true, genuine love. As it tells us in 1 John 5:3:

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).

And notice Hebrews 10:16:

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them… (Hebrews 10:16).

Let’s review our second point once again:

#2: God only gives His spirit of understanding to those who obey Him!

Now why is this so important to understand the love of God for all mankind? It explains why so many fail to understand the fairness of God, and the hope He holds out for millions who appear to be lost today.

God’s master plan is revealed in the pages of the Bible.

Sadly, human traditions have replaced the statutes of God that reveal a master plan that gives hope for the millions who never heard the name of Jesus Christ, those who died too young to accept salvation through Christ, and those who are simply deceived.

God’s Annual Holy Days Show the Way

We learn from the Bible about certain Holy Days and Festivals that Jesus, His Apostles, and others observed. History also confirms that the first century Christian Church kept these days—days very different from today’s popular professing Christian holidays. Sadly, the days that Jesus kept, have been neglected, and are hardly known, even though found in the pages of the Bible.

Here is a list of them, along with a few of the numerous New Testament references to them:

Passover Luke 2:41; Luke 22:8, 11, 15

Feast of Unleavened Bread 1 Corinthians 5:7–8

Pentecost Acts 2; Acts 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8

Feast of Trumpets Matt. 24:31; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 11:15

Day of Atonement Acts 27:9

Feast of Tabernacles John 7

Last Great Day John 7:37–39

Note that these are only a few of the scriptures. There are many more that the New Testament references to these days. Now for comparison sake, let’s list all the places where the following popular holidays are found in the Bible:

Lent

Easter

Halloween

Christmas

Does anyone see a problem here?

Easter, the name of the pagan goddess, Ishtar, is found in Acts 12:4 in the King James Version, it’s recognized as a terrible translation for the word that is rightly translated Passover. The New King James Version and all modern translations rightfully translate it as Passover.

Passover reminds us of Christ’s sacrifice given to pay the penalty of our sins. The Days of Unleavened Bread follow and show us what our response should be to that sacrifice. Notice it in 1 Corinthians 5:7–8:

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:7–8).

Pentecost is next, and it reminds us that we need Christ abiding in us, writing the law of God in our hearts and minds. The Feast of Trumpets is listed next in order in Leviticus 23. Its New Testament meaning is discerned by searching the scriptures that refer to the blowing of trumpets. We discover that this Feast refers to seven trumpet plagues found in the book of Revelation, with the seventh trumpet blown introducing the return of Christ to rule over all the earth.

The Day of Atonement follows close behind and teaches us that there will never be harmony on earth so long as Satan is around. This day describes his removal from influencing mankind for 1,000 years. That thousand-year reign is pictured by what is called the Feast of Tabernacles.

The seventh and final festival in God’s plan is called The Last Great Day. And a great day it is! It looks forward to a very specific time in the future when God will resurrect to life all those who never heard the true gospel message, or if they did, they were so deceived by Satan that they couldn’t understand it. This Feast foreshadows the time when billions of people will have their first real opportunity to choose God’s way. Go to Revelation 20.

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away… (Revelation 20:11).

This is after the thousand-year reign of Christ.

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books (Revelation 20:12).

The books that are opened are the books of the Bible that have been closed to these people. Note also that the book of life is opened, not closed. Jesus referred to this time of judgment in Matthew 11:21–24:

And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. (Matthew 11:23–24).

Note that this is not describing a second chance but a real first chance when their minds will be opened.

Thank you for watching! Remember to subscribe so you don’t miss another Tomorrow’s World video, and if you would like a copy of our booklet, “Is This the Only Day of Salvation” (it’s free of charge), click the link in the description. See you next time.