Prophecy by J. Leland Earls

The fourth church to which I wrote was Thyatira. Dur­ing this era, the apostasy culminated with the complete centralization of power in the bishop ofRome who was given the title of ‘Pope’ or papa of bishops. The eastern section of the organized church resisted this centralization of power in the west, and gradually a schism developed to such propor­tions that an open split resulted. After commending the faithful of the church of Thyatira for their works and charity and service and faith and patience, I expressed my displeas­ure at the increased apostasy: ‘Notwithstanding I have a few things against you, because you suffer that woman Jeze­bel, which calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to se­duce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed to idols’ (Rev. 2:20). That which was the ‘doc­trine of Balaam’ during the Pergamos era, became, in the Thyatira period of the church, the seducing tactics of ‘that woman Jezebel.’ Jezebel was the wife of the wicked king Ahab during the days that Israel had almost completely aban­doned the faith of their fathers. She was the daughter of a foreign king who brought her alien religion into lsrael, and because of the weakness of Ahab, she dominated the religious life of the nation, destroying the true prophets of God and establishing the prophets of Baal and Asherah. (see I Kings 16:30-32, 18:4, 13, 19). This is the typical picture I chose in order to portray the religious condition of the Thy­atira period, commonly referred to as the Middle Ages: the inception of which was in the years of growing papal power.

The word I spoke declares that Jezebel seduced my servants to commit fornication. Symbolically, this Jezebel is one and the same as the great whore described in the 17th chapter of Revelation, ‘with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication’ (Rev. 17:2). This ‘fornication’ has to do with the illicit relation­ship of church and state, primarily; however, it relates also to the unholy union of church and man-made organizations which purport to speak for me. It is the church turning to the arm of flesh for its sustenance and propagating power. (See Jer. 17:5). This ‘mother of harlots’ is symbolic of false religion – that which is alien to the true spirit of Christ. She has filled the earth with her abominations, and the in­habitants of the earth are drunk with the wine of her forni­cation.

This woman has plied her trade for many centuries, even before the Christian era began. She is pictured as sit­ting upon many waters, or peoples, and also upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns (Rev. 17:1-3). From the over-all his­torical perspective, the seven heads are seven major nations or empires which have been, or will be, influenced by this woman. They are: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome (both pagan and Christian, including those nations which have apostatized into communism, raking up­on their heads the name of blasphemy – Rev. 13:1), and the coming world government of the false prophet which must continue for a short time (Rev. 13:11-18, 17:10, 19:20). The woman, or false religion, will continue to hold sway in the coming era of the seventh head, for the corrupt religious systems, both Catholic and Protestant, will enter into league with it. The sixth head, which ruled in the apostle John’s day (Rev. 17:10), has continued until this day, as its hereditary power has continued through Christendom, even though apostate and blasphemous.

Historically, the woman, which is the priestcraft of false religion, has affected the affairs of the nations direct­ly through the close relationship of government and an offi­cially supported priesthood. The priesthood has helped the ruling forces to maintain their power and control by keeping the masses of people in subjection through fear and supposed paternalistic favor. Thus the woman is supported or carried by the beast through an official working relationship between religion and state. In those former Christian nations which have taken upon their heads the name of blasphemy, how­ever, there is a different relationship between the woman and the beast. The woman is responsible for the coming into being of such Marxist dictatorships by fostering conditions leading to severe reaction against the corrupt system which prevailed through her fornication. Thus false religion actu­ally is responsible for spawning communism; it is her off spring. And because she has spawned it, she shall be judged by it. This is portrayed in the prophetic picture by the following: ‘And the ten horns which you saw on the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make, her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire” (Rev. 17:16). The ten horns are ten nations which will be completely taken over by Marxist elements and become an integral part of the ‘sea beast’ of communism. (Rev. 13:1). They shall then turn on the religious systems and decimate them, both Catholic and Protestant. This will include the very stronghold of the Roman church system in Italy - the Vatican. Think not that only the Catholic branches of apostate Christianity will feel the wrath of the beast. The harlot daughters of the Protest­ant fold will also be greatly affected.

In the letter to Thyatira I gave this warning concern­ing Jezebel: ‘Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds’ (Rev. 2:22). It will be during the great tribulation that the great whore will be decimated by the communist powers, which correspond to the dogs that ate Jezebel after she was cast down and trodden under foot. (See II Kings 9:30-37). I have given her much opportunity to repent of her fornication but she has refused, therefore “I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the reins and hearts: and I will give to everyone of you according to your works’ (Rev. 2:21, 23). My people, the time is drawing near when all of these things shall take place. Therefore consider what I speak to thee, for even now you are being tried; and even now I am searching your heart. Andto you I say, as I did to certain ones in Thyatira, ‘as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put on you none other burden. But that which you have already hold fast till I come” (Rev. 2:24).

As in the other letters, there is a promise given to the overcomers in the message to Thyatira. ‘And he that overcomes, and keeps my works to the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.’ (Rev. 2:26-28). In the letter to Thy­atira, the first mention is made of the great tribulation which comes at the close of the church age. This is because the apostate religious system which became entrenched during the Thyatira period continues until the tribulation and will be judged at that time. The initial fulfillment of the promise to the overcomers will come at the beginning of the tribula­tion period. I will translate and take to myself 144,000 of the choicest of my saints, and they will be given power over the nations during the tribulation. They will be func­tioning in their glorified bodies and will have the power to appear and disappear on the earth. This ability will con­stitute the ‘rod of iron’ which will be used as the means to speak my word and enforce my judgments. As I have received of my Father authority, so will I give to them authority to implement my will among the nations, and those nations which heed not that which they make known shall be broken in pieces as a potter’s vessel. These firstfruits saints are also given the pledge of the ‘morning star;’ this is my betrothal to them as the Bridegroom. They are the wise virgins, re­ceived into the marriage at the midnight hour. (Matt. 25:10). They make up ‘the queen in gold of Ophir’ to be ‘brought unto the king in raiment of needlework.’ (Psalm 45:9-14). ‘The virgins her companions that follow her’ shall be brought to me at the close of the tribulation. (see Psalm 45:14-15). They are the foolish virgins who are not completely ready at the beginning of the tribulation, when I come as a thief in the night. (Matt. 25:11-13). He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church.  

In many past posts I have shown and taught that the real (spiritual) meaning of the phrase “food sacrificed to idols” in Scripture is interpreting doctrine or truth according to the idols of our own hearts. When we see this then we understand how Christians come to the place where they allow blatant sin to reign in the midst of their various churches. Today virtually every church has its own set of sins that it tolerates, and not only tolerates, but actually condones and encourages the practicing of those sins. Churches which ordain homosexuals as ministers and/or teach that abortion is a “blessing” top this blasphemous pyramid of churchianity, but all churches I know have their pet sins they will not judge.

Jesus, though, goes even beyond what has been my definition of food sacrificed to idols. He says, “My food is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” (John 4:34 KJ2000) Interpreting, then, he teaches us that true food is the doing of God’s will and that anytime we engage in activity that is not God’s will, we are sacrificing food (our own willful works) to idols, to demons.

In his letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3) Jesus often remarks that he “knows” each church’s works. Most people, I think, when they read this think that Jesus speaks of their “good” works. I very highly doubt it. I believe that we will all one day find that most of the works we did were our own works, works that originated in our own minds and were performed for our own glory. I am firmly convinced that most missionary trips that people go on fall into this category. We travel to Russia, Asia, and Africa and “convert” the indigenous people into the twice the sons of hell we ourselves already are. Most of us have no clue what God requires of us; much less do we know what God would have us teach people of cultures we do not even understand. We cannot even teach the things of God to the culture we do understand, so is it not gross presumption to those whose language we cannot even speak and attempt to teach the Word of God?

Jesus teaches us that true food is to do God’s will, but we have not understood, even after 2000 years, what that will is. Clearly, none of us perfectly does the will of God. Nevertheless, this is the high calling of all of his sons. At the present time only his overcomers even desire this ability, this nature which only wants to do the will of the Father. We will only and finally be able to actually do the perfect will of God when our resurrection, our glorification, comes. Until then let us seek to know his will by first learning his ways. He has shown us that much, but the vast body of Christianity began to discard his holy way a long time ago. Now we swim adrift in an ocean of lawlessness, just about drowned. Come LORD Jesus, while we still have breath!

 ⁸ “Remember ^(K)the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ^9 (L)Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God;in it ^(M)you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who ^[e]stays with you. ^11(N)For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11, NASB)

This command deals with two issues so dear to God’s heart that that he requires every one of us to understand them and do them.  If we will not, then he will kill us (the second death in the Lake of Fire). He ordered Moses to execute the man caught picking up sticks on the Sabbath for reason that obeying this particular commandment is very, very important and for another reason we will discuss below.  Have you ever noticed that this is the longest of any of the Ten Commandments?  That’s because it deals with something we need to understand and obey.

But today’s Christians tend to relegate this command to the netherworld of the forgotten. I remember one of the last times that I attended a Thyatira type church.  It was a large, thriving charismatic church in a Kansas City, Missouri suburb. The popular Christian pastor there preached on Numbers 15:32-36.  Here is the whole passage in context:

^27(AA) ”If one person sins unintentionally, he shall offer a female goat a year old for a sin offering. ^28(AB) And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven. ^29(AC) You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the people of Israel and for the stranger who sojourns among them. ^30(AD) But the person who does anything with a high hand, whether he is native or a sojourner, reviles the LORD, and that person shall be cut off from among his people. ³¹Because he has^(AE) despised the word of the LORD and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.”

A Sabbathbreaker Executed

 ³²While the people of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man^(AF)gathering sticks on the Sabbath day. ³³And those who found him gathering sticks brought him to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation. ^34(AG) They put him in custody, because it had not been made clear what should be done to him.³⁵And the LORD said to Moses,^(AH) ”The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall^(AI) stone him with stones outside the camp.” ³⁶And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him to death with stones, as the LORD commanded Moses. (Numbers 15:27-36, ESV)

The key to this troubling account can be found in verses 27 to 31, just before the capital offense occurs. Obviously this man picked up sticks “with a high hand,” that is, he “despised the word of the LORD,” and “intentionally” sinned against him. God commanded that such a man must be “cut off” from his people (executed) because his type of rebellion would (and did) destroy the entire society. All of society would be harmed and, therefore, all society took part in stoning the offender. The goal of the law was to bring people into God’s rest and to keep the society holy, to keep it as a people separated unto God.

But, the popular preacher condemned Moses’ verdict (by doing so he condemned God too) and taught the people that Moses was “legalistic.” (He was preaching on grace versus legalism). The man (Alan Koch of Christ Triumphant Church) made this grave mistake because he did not understand God’s Law, did not understand God’s Law as it relates to grace, did not understand Jesus’ or Paul’s teaching about the Law, and did not understand God. We met a couple that we had “home-churched” with for a couple years after church and they asked us what we thought of that “great sermon!” I can’t remember our response, but I don’t think we have ever seen this couple again. This confirmed for us that we were at the end of that particular fellowship.

For most of its history the United States honored the Sabbath (I, like Paul, do not argue about keeping a particular day like Saturday or Sunday).  Few stores in America used to be open on the Sabbath.  Many people did become legalistic concerning Sabbath rules, however, during this time.  They forbade their children to even play on the Sabbath, for example.  To them the Sabbath meant a time of becoming somber before the LORD. They did not understand Jesus’ words that the Sabbath was “for men,” not “men for the Sabbath.” As cars became ubiquitous gas stations began to open on the Sabbath. As this country turned further and further from God more and more stores began to open on Sunday.  States passed “blue laws” to try to keep people from buying “bad” things like liquor on the Sabbath. Now most of those laws have been repealed or overturned by courts zealous to remove every vestige of God from the public square. Consider the second psalm:

^1(A) Why do^(B) the nations rage^[a]
   and the peoples plot in vain?
²The kings of the earth set themselves,
   and the rulers take counsel together,
   against the LORD and against his^(C) Anointed, saying,
³“Let us^(D) burst their bonds apart
   and cast away their cords from us.”

 ⁴He who^(E) sits in the heavens^(F) laughs;
   the Lord holds them in derision.
⁵Then he will speak to them in his^(G) wrath,
   and terrify them in his fury, saying,
⁶“As for me, I have^(H) set my King
   on^(I) Zion, my^(J) holy hill.”

 ⁷I will tell of the decree:The LORD said to me,^(K) ”You are my Son;
   today I have begotten you.
⁸Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
   and^(L) the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹You shall^(M) break^[b] them with^(N) a rod of iron
   and dash them in pieces like^(O) a potter’s vessel.”

 ¹⁰Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
   be warned, O rulers of the earth.
^11(P) Serve the LORD with^(Q) fear,
   and^(R) rejoice with trembling.
^12(S) Kiss^(T) the Son,
   lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
   for his^(U) wrath is quickly kindled.
^(V) Blessed are all who take refuge in him.  (Psalm 2, ESV)

America, and indeed the whole world, now refuses to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. The nations rage against God and continually plot to keep his influence away from them. We have not entered his rest (see Hebrews 3 & 4) and we do not keep the Sabbath holy.  We have become abomination before him. The abomination of desolation has been revealed.

 ^7(I) ”You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7, ESV)

Most people think this verse merely deals with cursing and using one of the names of God in the curse or swearing. Undoubtedly that demonstrates a vain use of God’s name, but God means something far deeper here. Jesus must have had this commandment in mind when he proclaimed,

 ^21(Z) “Not everyone who^(AA) says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will^(AB) enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who^(AC) does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ^22(AD)On that day^(AE) many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not^(AF) prophesy in your name, and cast out demons^(AG) in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ^23(AH) And then will I declare to them, ‘I^(AI) never knew you;^(AJ) depart from me,^(AK) you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

Jesus speaks to believers in this passage. These people believed they walked the earth doing might works in Jesus’ name. They traveled to Africa and Mexico from America and cast out demons, they thought, in Jesus’ name. They attended charismatic churches, home groups, and Christian camps and there they prophesied, they thought, in Jesus’ name. They spoke in tongues, saw and did miracles, and all the while thought they were doing these things in Jesus’ name. And Jesus, sitting at the right hand of his Father in heaven, saw all that they did, heard all that they taught, and knew all that they thought. When they came before him to accept their reward for their great and selfless works upon the earth Jesus declared to them, “I^(AI) never knew you;^(AJ) depart from me,^(AK) you workers of lawlessness.”

Three things he tells them. First, “I never knew you.” In Biblical terms “to know” someone means “to know one intimately.” In the Old Testament the word was often used to refer to knowing one’s wife sexually. Today many of the churches I described in the recent teaching on the Church of Thyatira believe they dwell on intimate terms with Jesus. They often talk of “passion for Christ.” Their women often sing seductively about their feelings for Christ. But, these illustrate Jezebel’s teachings which lead the Church of Thyatira into the sexual immorality for which Jesus judges her.

Other churches now teach that Jesus was or may have been homosexual. These actively ordain homosexuals to church ministry. Other churches may not yet teach or consider that Jesus was homosexual, but nevertheless, they still ordain homosexuals to the ministry. I urge everyone to read the following link written by an active lesbian “Christian,” Katherine Ragsdale, to gain some understanding of just how far these ideas have gone. Katherine Ragsdale link here.

All of these churches believe they “know” Jesus, but they know him the wrong way. They do not know him according to his truth. All of these replaced his truth with their own truth, their own food. All of them had their secret agendas, like worldly power or prestige, and secret sins, like abortion, adultery or homosexual fornication, which kept them from acknowledging truth. Because they refused to repent these sins and the animating demons behind them became their idols. Thus they ended up sacrificing truth (food) to their idols (demons and demonic sin). Sacrificing food to idols is the second grave sin of Jezebel and her Thyatiran church.

Second, to these whom Jesus never knew, he says, “Depart from me!” Where are they to go? They thought they believed in Jesus and that he would save them. Where do they go now? These are they who “have their part” in the lake of fire. The lake of fire is not hell and it will not contain for eternity. This is the place where they will be cast into outer darkness until they learn to repent and obey Christ in truth. Jesus says,

⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me,^[b] “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” ⁶ And He said to me, “It is done!^[c] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. ⁷ He who overcomes shall inherit all things,^[d] and I will be his God and he shall be My son. ⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving,^[e] abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:5-8, NKJV)

Third, Jesus condemns them as “workers of lawlessness.” If they had known him, then they would have known his truth, his law. But they rejected his law as too harsh. They rejected his law and replaced it with “grace.” But Jesus did not abandon law and truth in order to bring us grace. His way is the way of mercy (grace, righteousness) and truth (law, justice). It is a narrow way and few there be who find it.

Lawless people can never and will never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Hear what the LORD says at the very end of his book.

¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments,^[g] that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But^[h] outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)

So what does it mean to “take the name of the LORD in vain?” It means that if we do anything in his name, if we do anything as a Christian or as part of a Christian ministry, and do it in a lawless way, or in a way not in accordance with this truth, then we have used the name of the LORD in vain. Being and acting as a Christian is a serious thing. The way is narrow. We cannot just do what we want to and call it Christian. Yet the vast majority of Christianity take the name of the LORD in vain. We establish countless church programs, ministries, and missionary trips. And we fool ourselves and try to fool others into thinking that these are all good Christian works. When we use the word “Christian” to describe our works and yet Jesus has not called us to these works, nor did they arise from our relationship with and knowledge of him, then we have used his name in vain. And, of course, when we call evil good and good evil (like abortion and homosexual relationships) within a Christian context we have used the LORD’s name in vain. So much of the Church has done this that it has become an abomination in Christ’s eyes. She has become the Abomination of Desolation.

Like most of the seven types of churches Thyatira believes she, and she alone, comprises the mystical Bride of Christ. She sees herself as preeminent among human spiritual beings. She boasts of her “passion” for Christ, that she is a “forerunner” of Christ’s second coming and a particular “friend of the bridegroom,” a personal friend of Jesus. Her members tend to become spiritually arrogant because they believe that they alone walk in the profundity of God’s spiritual gifts and power. They also believe they work and live under a prophetic anointing which gives them a unique vision and understanding of the future. They do not realize they walk in Satan’s power rather than God’s.

Over 2500 years ago the prophet Ezekiel spoke about this apostate church. He wrote,

 ¹Again the word of the LORD came to me: ^2(A) ”Son of man,^(B) make known to Jerusalem her abominations, ³and say, Thus says the Lord GOD to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an^(C) Amorite and your mother a^(D) Hittite. ⁴And as for your birth,^(E) on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. ⁵No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you,^(F) but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred,^(G) on the day that you were born.

 ⁶“And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing^(H) in your blood, I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ I said to you in your blood, ‘Live!’ ^7(I) I made you flourish like a plant of the field. And you grew up and became tall^(J) and arrived at full adornment. Your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet^(K)you were naked and bare.

 ⁸“When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and^(L) I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you^(M) and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD,^(N) and you became mine. ⁹Then I bathed you with water and washed off your blood from you and^(O) anointed you with oil. ^10(P) I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk.^[a] 11(Q) And I adorned you with ornaments and^(R) put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. ¹²And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head.¹³Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth.^(S) You ate fine flour and honey and oil.^(T) You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. ¹⁴And^(U) your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.

 ^15(D) ”But you trusted in your beauty^(E) and played the whore^[a] because of your renown^(F) and lavished your whorings^[b] on any passerby; your beauty^[c] became his. ¹⁶You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be.^[d]17You also took^(G) your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and^(H) made for yourself images of men, and with them played the whore. ¹⁸And you took your embroidered garments to cover them,^(I) and set my oil and my incense before them. ^19(J) Also my bread that I gave you—^(K) I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey—you set before them for^(L) a pleasing aroma; and so it was, declares the Lord GOD. ^20(M) And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and^(N) these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter ²¹that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them? ²²And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember^(O) the days of your youth,^(P) when you were naked and bare, wallowing in your blood.

 ²³“And after all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! declares the Lord GOD),²⁴you built yourself^(Q) a vaulted chamber and made yourself a lofty place in every square. ²⁵At the head of every street^(R) you built your lofty place and made^(S)your beauty an abomination,^(T) offering yourself^[e] to any passerby and multiplying your whoring. (Ezekiel 16:1-25)

In order to even begin to understand this passage one must know that the word “Jerusalem” here looks forward to the prophetic “New Jerusalem.” God uses New Jerusalem to picture to his Bride at the end of the Book of Revelation. The Christian calling culminates here. To understand God’s purposes for New Jerusalem please read the series “A Perfect Jewel.”

Ezekiel begins this passage by reminding us that God began his church with great persecution. She was covered with blood and no one would help her. But God declared “life” to her and in verse 8 he becomes betrothed to her, just as Boaz became betrothed to Ruth. Here, then, we see she who might ultimately become the Bride of Christ.

Next God bathed her with water, that is, he washed her with his word of truth. This prophesies the ministry of Christ with his church that we see in Ephesians 5:25-32. He clothed her in precious jewels and gold and silver. He fed her with “fine flour and honey and oil.” This illustrates her spiritual covering and spiritual food (truth). God intended that she eat only from his table, but she quickly went astray and began to eat from the table of demons. She trusted in her own beauty instead of God’s word of truth and she “played the whore” with a thousand counterfeits of that truth.

In verse 17 Ezekiel indicts the church for playing the whore with “images of men.” This speaks of idolatry and the spiritual adultery that always comes with it. In verses 18 and 19 she sets God’s “oil,” “incense,” and “bread” before these idols. Thus Ezekiel prophesied that God’s church would one day sacrifice food to its idols. But she does not stop even here. Next Ezekiel warned that she would actually slaughter and sacrifice her own children. This we see today in both natural and spiritual abortion. Christian parents buy abortions for their wayward sons and daughters (which they failed to raise in the fear and admonition of the LORD) and the entire Church of Thyatira sacrifices the spiritual manchild to her many idols. Jesus himself foretold this,

²²Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, ²³and I will strike her children dead. (Rev. 2:22-23a)

The Church of Thyatira today walks in all this wickedness foreseen by Ezekiel. She exercises no discernment with respect to the things of God. “All are welcome” in her high-ceilinged temples found on every street corner and public square. It doesn’t matter that those who enter praise not the name of Christ nor walk in his statutes, for neither does she or her leaders. She is faithless, brazen, reprobate. And God says that he will now judge her.

Paul taught the Corinthians that natural revelation precedes spiritual revelation and most of us know the maxim, “first the natural, then the spiritual.” Paul wrote First Corinthians in this precise manner. This is why he rebuked them for physical acts of sexual immorality before discussing their spiritual acts of fornication by eating food sacrificed to idols. His discussion of the spiritual ramifications of physical fornication, however, gives us instruction about the results of spiritual adultery. Paul says,

Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? for two, says he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body. What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:15-20)

We can think of Paul’s first book to the Corinthians also as an instruction manual for the Thyatira church, for the Corinthians clearly suffered the same sins as those we see in Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29. As do all the writers of God’s sacred books, Paul seeks to instruct people who will actually obey what he says. His book to Corinth instructs overcomers who want to escape bondage to Jezebel, Babylon the Great, and the ways of this world.

You will recall that Thyatira’s two main sins were sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols. She learned these sins from her harlot prophetess, Jezebel. Even today Thyatira remains characterized by a strong prophetic woman spirit, a spirit which Paul forbade to even speak in his churches. I am not saying the main prophets in Thyatira were then or are today women; I am not saying that women cannot be true prophets; I am saying that “Jezebel” in Revelation 2 represents a lying demon who takes on female characteristics.  She is known for her prophetic ministry and two particular sins that proceed from that ministry, sexual immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols.

We all know what sexual immorality is (or at least we did until fornicating homosexuals were ordained to certain Christian ministries). Fornication with another, says Paul, causes that person to become “one” with the other person. Since Christian believers make up one body with Christ this causes Christ to become one with a “harlot.” And this, says Paul, results from simply natural, carnal fornication, that is, having sex with another person who is not your wife. This is the application of “the natural” as it affects a spiritual reality, our relationship with our LORD and Savior. How much more then ought we to consider and understand spiritual fornication! Yet, after 2000 years the church of Jesus Christ at large does not even know what “eating food sacrificed to idols” means! Thus they can never understand that so many of them regularly commit spiritual adultery. Paul wrote,

 ¹⁴Therefore, my beloved,^(X) flee from idolatry. ¹⁵I speak^(Y) as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. ^16(Z) The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?^(AA) The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷Because there is one bread, we who are many are^(AB) one body, for we all partake of the one bread. ¹⁸Consider^(AC) the people of Israel:^[c](AD) are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? ¹⁹What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that^(AE)an idol is anything? ²⁰No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice^(AF) they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. ^21(AG)You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and^(AH) the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and^(AI) the table of demons. ^22(AJ) Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy?^(AK) Are we stronger than he? (1 Cor. 10:14-22)

“Eating food sacrificed to idols” means to eat food from the table of demons. All of Scripture teaches that “food” in this context means “doctrine,” or “spiritual precepts.”  See especially Hebrews 13:9-10. We should think of “eating food sacrificed to idols” as meaning “eating Satan’s food,” or “walking in the doctrines of demons rather than the ways of God,” or “knowing the deep things of Satan rather than the precepts of God,” or “being moved by every wind of a spirit instead of discerning the spirits by the Spirit of God.” Such behavior by Christians results in them becoming one with the spirit of Satan instead of one with the Spirit of God.

Paul thus uses the term “eating food sacrificed to idols” as a euphemism for having spiritual intercourse with demons. This spiritual adultery defiles one’s soul because by doing this he becomes “one” soul with Satan. Eating food sacrificed to idols ultimately brings a person to the place where he calls good evil and evil good. At this stage he becomes guilty of the unforgivable sin, for so long as a man does not know good or evil, he cannot repent.

This explains why one cannot teach spiritual doctrine to the masses of Christianity. They have eaten the devil’s food for so long that they have no taste for God’s food anymore.

It is reported commonly that there is fornication [idolatry] among you, and such fornication [idolatry] as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife [that one is channelling demons]. And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that has so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:1-5)

Now the rubber meets the road. Now we will begin to see what all of this has to do with aliens and ET’s. First, though, let me tell you a little story.

My wife and I are very familiar with and have been helping support a Christian ministry for years which ministers to children of prisoners. To us this has been a legitimate James type of true religion which seeks to comfort the fatherless in their distress. Its leaders seek to keep the ministry non-denominational and thus steer clear of doctrinal disputes.  We have known for years, though, that this is a Thyatira church type of ministry. The leaders and those they appoint to specific ministries often come from a Vineyard or IHOP background and perspective. We have been involved with this ministry for seven years now. Three weeks ago, however, something happened there that must change our relationship to it.

One night three weeks ago several of the staff workers, aged 13 to 18, stayed up past their curfew and shared a profound spiritual experience.  One thirteen year old claims she was filled with or baptized with the Holy Spirit and began “speaking in tongues.” Another thirteen year old claims to have interpreted those tongues. The first girl evidently talked on and on and someone suggested that she should stop talking. The girl speaking in tongues replied, “She isn’t finished talking yet.” Three times it was suggested that they stop and three times the girl responded, “She isn’t finished talking yet!”

Now think about this. This girl is referring to herself in third person. This means that she was not the one doing the talking. Who was then? Paul says,

How is it then, brethren? when you come together, every one of you has a psalm, has a doctrine, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that in turn; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge. If anything be revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace. For you may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. (1 Corinthians 14:26-32)

If a person speaks under the unction of the Holy Spirit he still retains control of his spirit. If he is interrupted then he simply stands quiet or, if appropriate, perhaps continues on with his tongue, interpretation, or revelation. But, he does not refer to himself as another person. The series of events reported from the ministry mentioned above shows that another spirit spoke through this young girl’s mouth. This event and the events that transpired the next day show that the spirit was not a “holy” spirit. A demonic spirit spoke through her.

This young lady, like thousands before her, have been trained by her church leaders and teachers to be “led of the spirit,” but they have not been trained in how to discern whether or not that spirit which ultimately leads them is holy or demonic. Their Christian “food,” their religious doctrine, has literally trained them to accept almost any spiritual manifestation as a sign of God’s grace and approval of them and their ways. Their spiritual food has prepared them for worshipping demons. In them has been fulfilled the great end-time deception, and this because they refused to love the truth.

Of course you really cannot blame these little ones. It was their parents who refused to love and teach the truth, who prepared them to accept the lie as truth. They grew up in churches that wanted to see the manifestations of God’s Spirit, churches that wanted to be led of the Spirit, churches that wanted to speak the very words of God! They taught their children to “channel God,” to let the spirit speak through them! But they did not train their children in truth. They did not keep their children unpolluted from the ways of the world.  Therefore, they were open to spirits speaking through them, but they had no way to discern whether that spirit was clean or unclean.

And now, at the end of one age and the beginning of the next, we see the same thing happening with people outside of the church. But they don’t believe in God’s Spirit, so the evil spirits had to give them something else to believe in. And what could be better to believe in than advanced races from other worlds who can communicate telepathically and tell you everything you ever knew or wanted to know? These people who claim to communicate with or channel extraterrestrials do not speak to mankind for aliens. They speak for demonic host who deceive them and use them for their ultimate purpose of enslaving all mankind.

But Jesus said that if we believed him and walked in his teaching (food), then we “shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free.” (John 8:32) Only then, only when we walk in Jesus’ ways do we cease sacrificing food to idols.

²⁰But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman^(A) Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants^[a](B) to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. (Rev. 2:20)

Leaving the idea of sexual immorality for now, let us go on to discuss “food sacrificed to idols.” To understand the meaning of this phrase we must understand the meaning of its component words. Most of us, therefore, misinterpret the phrase immediately because we give the wrong definition to the first word. We believe that “food” here simply means that which we eat to still our bodily hunger and usually think this refers to some type of meat like lamb or beef. But, Jesus does not refer to physical food, or meat, here. He uses the word’s spiritual meaning discussed by the writer of Hebrews.

⁸Jesus Christ is^(A) the same yesterday and today and forever. ⁹Do not be^(B) led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace,^(C) not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them. ¹⁰We have an altar^(D) from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. (Hebrews 13:8-10)

The structure of the second sentence shows that the word “foods” is defined here as “diverse and strange teachings.” Thus we understand that the word “food” prophetically mean “doctrine.” Doctrine can be either good or bad, true or false. Good doctrine describes the ways of Christ and of God. Bad doctrine, or diverse and strange teachings, takes us out of God’s way and puts us on Satan’s path. Therefore consider that this phrase could be written “doctrine sacrificed to idols.”

Now, what is a sacrifice with respect to spiritual things? It is an act or actions of spiritual worship. Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1 KJ2000) During the days before Christ and until 73 AD believing Jews offered animal sacrifices to God according to the Old Testament Law. So, a sacrifice is an offering to God.

Or is it? This brings us to the final word of the phrase, “idols.” Jesus condemns Thyatira for eating “food sacrificed to idols.” What is an idol? With respect to this very issue Paul teaches us that idols are demons. He says,

¹⁹What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that^(A) an idol is anything? ²⁰No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice^(B) they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. ^21(C) You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and^(D) the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and^(E) the table of demons. (1 Cor. 10:19-21)

Now that we know the meaning of the component words we can now define “food sacrificed to idols.” The phrase means “doctrines offered as worship to demons.” Jesus condemns Thyatira for “eating” such doctrines, that is, for spiritually consuming them. We always hear “you are what you eat,” and this also holds true with spiritual food. In essence we become one with what eat.

This truth explains why this sin ranks akin to sexual immorality. Earlier in the book of First Corinthians Paul warned that church to flee sexual immorality. He told them that he who fornicates with a harlot becomes one with the harlot and that they must not join the body of Christ to a harlot. Why? Because he who is joined to the LORD becomes one spirit with him and the body of the Christian believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit within us. Eating food sacrificed to idols is akin to sexual sin because it joins the believer to a demon. Thus the phrase defines spiritual adultery. To commit idolatry means to commit spiritual adultery. Eating food sacrificed to idols describes how Christians actually do this.

Now we will look at specific “foods” which have led many of us into sexual sin with Satan.

¹⁸ “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,

‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: ¹⁹ “I know your works, love, service, faith,^[a] and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. ²⁰ Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow^[b] that woman^[c] Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce^[d] My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹ And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.^[e] 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their^[f] deeds. ²³ I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

²⁴ “Now to you I say, and^[g] to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will^[h] put on you no other burden. ²⁵ But hold fast what you have till I come. ²⁶ And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—

²⁷ ‘ He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’^[i]—

as I also have received from My Father; ²⁸ and I will give him the morning star.
²⁹ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’  (Rev. 2:28-29, NKJV, from BibleGateway.com)

Above we find the words of Jesus to his “corrupt church” as the editors of the New King James Bible describe it. This Church became corrupt because its members knew, had intimate, carnal knowledge of, the deep things of Satan. This knowledge, says Jesus, came to them through toleration of and fornication with the Jezebel spirit, the satanic spirit of wickedness which animates the Church of Thyatira.

The demonic spirit of Jezebel becomes known by two specific traits, she teaches and seduces God’s servants (Christians) to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. Jesus also calls Jezebel a “prophetess.” She is a prophetic spirit and the church she animates is the “prophetic church.”

Sexual immorality reveals itself in Thyatira in many forms and, of course, includes actual sexual conduct. Some major prophets of this church, like Paul Cain, have been exposed and revealed as living in wanton sexual indulgence. Others, like Ron Oja, preach that they have grace to watch movies with heavy sexual content and even use explicit sexual imagery in their “prophetic” teachings. (I once personally rebuked Ron Oja for doing this and he told me he repented. Later, in 2004, he came to my home to teach, must have forgotten I was the one who rebuked him, and said the same things again. I have had no fellowship with him since then. Stephen Jones also spoke at these meetings. He hung on every word that proceeded from Ron Oja’s mouth, as if Oja has something revelatory to say. He did not. Oja speaks from a demonic spirit. In this past year I have also discontinued reading Stephen Jones’ teachings because the Spirit in me bears no witness to their truth.)

Another way this spirit manifests itself in Thyatira comes through its “worship” of God. Her worship leaders stand as the most seductive in all Christianity. Come into one of her services, like one at International House of Prayer in Kansas City, and you will almost immediately begin to feel this spirit move upon you. Professional and near-professional musicians and singers call out like gods and goddesses 24 hours a day, “Come to me you simple men who cannot discern spirits. Come to me and I will show you spiritual wonders you have always longed for and dreamed about!” These musicians and singers come on stage in almost any type of attire. No sense of the holiness or majesty of God displays through their performances, only a lust for more of this intoxicating spirit which they exude. (My wife and I were intimately involved with music ministries in three manifestations of the Church of Thyatira for at least one decade, including Mike Bickle’s Metro Christian Fellowship and Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Kansas City in the late 1980′s and early 1990′s. The other church was New Covenant Fellowship in St. Louis, led by Mike Bickle when we first attended there in 1979 and later by Bryn Jones and Mike Stevens. The same problems existed in New Covenant Fellowship as in later churches we attended, but we were new Christians and too immature to discern the issues.)

Primarily Thyatira’s spirit of sexual immorality shows itself as an unclean, lawless spirit. It does not submit to God’s Law, nor can it do so. The cry of “grace, grace” with its resultant license to sin stands unassailable in Thyatira. The mantra “do not judge” rallies its ranks for, they say, “you have no right to judge my actions or spiritual works,” forgetting that Paul says the spiritual man judges all things.

I still remember talking to Mike Bickle*, then head pastor of Metro Christian Fellowship** in Kansas City in 1989 or 1990, before he founded IHOP a decade later. I told him that he needed to preach about God’s Law. He said, “I know, but the LORD told me that the people are too cranky to hear it.” I was later named an elder in this church and then, in late 1993, after serious warning dreams and continuing refusal to preach about God’s Law and his holiness, my wife and I left this church. We were literally concerned that if we stayed there our children, who were just coming into their teen years, would become seduced by the sexual immorality we were already hearing about in youth events. 1993 marked the end of the first phase of God’s revelation of Thyatira to us, but that revelation was just beginning.

When we left Metro Christian Fellowship in 1993 we had no clue that we had been members of a church of Thyatira.  We did not understand the real marks of that church. We did not even understand what Paul meant when he condemned the Corinthians for eating food sacrificed to idols. We thought that “vague” concept related to obscure practices that only ancient pagans could do. Little did we realize that we ourselves had been sacrificing food to idols for years. It took God seven more years just to begin making us understand this.

*I do not name names here because I think that somehow I am better than these people I name. Like Paul, I do not even judge myself with respect to this question. But, also like Paul, I do judge spiritual matters. The time has come for the House of God to be judged. God’s people must understand why judgment comes.

**Metro Christian Fellowship is the church where prophet Bob Jones became known and popular in the 1980′s. He later fell into disfavor there because of a “prophetic” and “sexual” indiscretion.

In my last post I may have given the impression that I believe that visitors from other planets exist here on earth. I do believe that many people sincerely believe that they have seen, been abducted by, or have experienced what they believe to be aliens. Many people currently post videos wherein they convincingly describe these types of events. Some come across as incredibly sincere. I cannot discern that these people actually attempt to deceive the masses. But, I do believe that they themselves walk in deception. I believe they have seen physical manifestations of demons instead of aliens from Andromeda or Pleiades.

“And what, pray tell, does this have to do with the Church of Thyatira?” I will tell you.

Revelation’s Church of Thyatira exists throughout the church age as the “prophetic church.” They are the ones who always seek the “deep things of God,” the real spiritual secrets of the Almighty. This is the church that includes mystical saints of the past like Madam Guyon, the revivals of the late nineteenth century which resulted in forming new denominations like the Assembly of God, the apostle to China of the 20th century, Watchman Nee, the big names of the Latter Rain movement beginning in 1948 like Oral Roberts and Pat Robertson, founders of recent Thyatiran churches like John Wimber and his Vineyard churches, and today’s latest manifestations in organizations like International House of Prayer (IHOP) led by Mike Bickle, Morningstar Ministries led by Rick Joyner, and God’s Kingdom Ministries led by Stephen Jones.

The Church of Thyatira believes that the Holy Spirit is alive and well and moves on the earth. Her members believe the Holy Spirit still gives gifts to men today. They do not believe spiritual gifts died away never to be restored nineteen hundred or more years ago. This shows one of the strengths of this church. Her members believe in a living God active in the affairs of men. This is her greatest strength and this also leads to her besetting sin.

One thing I have found among the members of the Church of Thyatira. They tend to be proud Christians, proud of what they arrogantly believe to be their exalted position in Christ. They, almost alone among the other Christian churches, walk in spiritual power. “Surely,” they think, “since God deemed to give us these wonderful evidences of his Spirit, he esteems us more than all his other churches. Come join us,” they say, “learn about God’s moving among the children of men. We have very spiritual, anointed teachers and leaders.” Many also walk in what appears to be a very anointed music ministry which often seems to call down the very presence of God.

But I am convinced, and have been convinced of this for 14 years now, that these churches’ leaders and members walk in step to a grand deception, a deception that, if possible, will fool the very elect of God. These churches walk in the very sins Jesus condemned them for almost two thousand years ago, they commit acts of immorality and they eat things sacrificed to idols. Yes, their works exceed their works done in the beginning, but soon they will find their works judged as “wood, hay, and stubble,” works both evil and unclean. Yes, they help the widow and the fatherless in their distress, but they have not kept themselves unpolluted from the world. Thus they have potential to turn their converts into twice the sons of the hell they have become. They are lawless and will find themselves, unless they repent, among those whom Jesus condemns on that Day soon coming, saying, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity, for I never knew you.”

And what does this have to do with aliens, psyops, and black programs? That we will soon see.