705 - Les Feldick Bible Study - Lesson 3 Part 1 Book 59 - Winking at Evil? Wake Up!

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 59 WINKING AT EVIL? WAKE UP! REVELATION 2:11 – 3:22 So anyway, we’re going to just jump right in where we left off in our last program, which was in Revelation chapter 2, verse 12. All seven of these letters were to be put into one book and then a copy of the book was to be sent to each one of these seven Jewish congregations. And they are Jewish. I think it was basically Jewish coming all the way out of Christ’s earthly ministry and the congregation there at Jerusalem, which was scattered because of Saul’s persecution. Well, if you look at these letters in that light, this is what those Jewish believers could do with these letters. Well, I think you can look at these little letters to these Jewish churches in the same way. It was like personal mail to these Jewish believers that certainly had no real status with the Gentile believers out there under Paul. All right, maybe that’s enough introduction for now. Everything that Christ ever did with regard to creation or anything else was by the spoken Word. All right, so the same Christ, God the Son, is now dealing with these Jewish believers, and He’s telling them - and I’m going to keep hammering it home and hopefully it’ll finally sink in: "I know thy works,…" Now what do works entail? We’ve used this time and time again. And always remember, Paul never uses that kind of language for us. Certainly he teaches that as a believer we are to do good works for rewards, (I Corinthians 3:9-15) But for salvation through Paul writings we find in many places there can be no works in this Grace Age. Paul never emphasizes the works element like Christ does with these Jews. All through these seven letters in Revelations it’s: "I know thy works," see? Exodus 19:8 "And all the people (that is the nation of Israel now gathered around Sinai) answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will (believe? What?) All right, back to Revelation 2. Verse 13 again, "Satan’s throne." There’s a reason for Christ calling Pergamos the place of "Satan’s throne." I’ve read excerpts from it, I’ve never read the whole book, but "Two Babylons" and the author’s name is Hislop, and he’s done a tremendous work on this a long, long time ago. Revelation 2:13b "…and thou holdest fast my name,…" They had not denied their faith in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Now, let’s be sure that we keep connecting this with the Jewish element. All right, here’s where we have that same thing that Jesus is saying to the church at Pergamus. How did Peter, James, and John heal this fellow who had been lying at the temple gate for almost forty years? Even Jesus didn’t heal him. Not faith in his death, burial, and resurrection, but rather faith in his "name." I John 5:1a "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:…" "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ." What did His name imply? He’s the Son of God! He’s the Messiah of Israel! All right, back to Revelation. So, here in the midst of all this satanic power, the very headquarters of Satan’s rule on the planet was evidently in this little city of Pergamus, these Jewish believers were holding tough to their faith. Antipas had died for his faith. You are "where Satan dwelleth." The anti-God power itself was evident right there in Pergamus. "But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there (that is in your congregations) them that hold the doctrine (or teaching) of Balaam…." A false prophet who was able to actually converse with God, but he was a false prophet. Put a curse on Israel, and that curse was going to cause the children of Israel to commit sexual immorality with the Moabites. And if he could get the Jews to do that, then his thinking was that God would have to destroy them because of their sin. But you see, what Balak and Balaam didn’t understand was God’s mercy. Because God promised that Israel’s sin would never take away His mercy for them. We’ve still got that sexual immorality running rampant throughout the churches. All right, so here we have in this particular congregation, which was not limited to the one. Revelation 2:14b to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and commit fornication." Sexual immorality. I’ve always stressed that probably the one thing God hates more than anything else in the human race is unbelief. Remember that? I’m always stressing how God hates it. Well, if there’s a second thing that God hates it’s idolatry. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Now see, here Jesus is so adamant that this is a false teaching; these Jews were to have nothing to do with meat that had been offered to idols. Consequently did Paul have any compunction about eating meat offered to an idol? Change your mind. Well, a white stone in antiquity was that which spoke of purity. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible