GODHEAD

 

Understanding the Godhead: Who Is God?

As believers, one of the most critical aspects of our faith is knowing who God is—understanding His nature, His purpose, and how He has revealed Himself to us. This knowledge shapes our relationship with Him, deepens our worship, and empowers us to live according to His Word. We must also keep in mind that Satan wants to distort our view of God and His nature, so we must be on the look out for Satan skewing our understanding.

We call this understanding of God's nature the Godhead. The Bible uses this term to describe God's divine essence, His eternal power, and His supreme deity. In Romans 1:20 (KJV), Paul writes, "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

But who does God reveal Himself and His nature to? Anybody? Jesus answered this in Matthew 11:27 (KJV): “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” God reveals Himself to those that believe, because He is sovereign. Remember though that the revelation one has of Him must be in alignment with His own written Word. If someone produces and gives theory or understanding of God's nature apart from the written Word, then we turn away from it. Paul taught this in Galatians 1:11-12 (KJV): “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

God’s View of Himself

The starting point for any understanding of God must come from how God views Himself. He declares in His Word that He is one God, not many.

• Deuteronomy 6:4 (KJV): "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD."
• Isaiah 46:9-10 (KJV): “I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me."

From the Old Testament through the New Testament, this truth is affirmed. Even Jesus, when asked about the greatest commandment, confirmed, “The Lord our God is one Lord” (Mark 12:29). Yet, within this oneness, God reveals His nature in ways that can sometimes seem complex, as seen in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—but always one God.

Created in God’s Image

In Genesis 1:26 (KJV), God says, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” This declaration has caused some to believe in a plural Godhead—three distinct persons in one. But look closer. When God made man, He made one person, not three. Just as we are body, spirit, and soul—but one person—so is God. A human male, can be a husband, father, son, and grandfather all at the same time but is one person. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV) confirms this, speaking of our spirit, soul, and body as one entity.

The apostles taught this view. 1 John 5:7-8 (KJV) clearly states, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” The oneness of God remains consistent, not only in heaven but also in how He interacts with us on earth.

Baptism: In the Name, Not Titles

One of the clearest examples of understanding the Godhead is in the way the early apostles baptized. Jesus, in Matthew 28:19 (KJV), commands them to baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But notice, it says "name," not "names." That name is Jesus Christ, the Word. The apostles understood this clearly:

• Acts 2:38 (KJV): "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
• Acts 8:12 (KJV): "But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."

No one in all of Scripture, was baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The apostles knew this and didn’t baptize in titles but in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ because they recognized the fullness of God was revealed in Jesus Christ, who sent back His Spirit to dwell in His church on the day of Pentecost. They knew He was not three separate gods (Which would be polytheism), but they knew He was just what He said, "One God" who manifested Himself as Son, Jehovah of the Old Testament, and the Holy Spirit down through the ages. Jesus Himself affirmed this when Phillip asked him, John 14:8, "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?".

Creation: God’s Oneness in Action

The most incredible passage in Scripture about the Godhead is found in John 1:1-14, that reveals that Jesus Christ, the Word, was not only with God but was God from the beginning: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”

All things were made by Him, for Him, and through Him. This echoes Paul’s teaching in Colossians 1:16 (KJV): “For by him were all things created… all things were created by him, and for him.” God didn’t send someone else to create the world—He did it Himself, through Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God. All that God was He poured into Christ which is the first born of all creation and the very being that God used to express Himself.

John 1:18, "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

Colossians 1:13-15, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:"

Colossians 1:19, “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.”

2 Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

At the baptism of Jesus in Luke 3:22 (KJV), we see the Spirit of God descending upon Him, filling Him, so that "all the fullness" of God should dwell in Him (Colossians 1:19). Not three separate persons, but one God revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why Understanding the Godhead Matters

We must take God at His Word, and not add our interpretation to it. The written Word stands on its own.

Understanding the Godhead is not just an intellectual pursuit; it’s fundamental to our faith and salvation. John 17:3 (KJV) says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” Knowing who God is and that He expressed Himself in Jesus Christ leads us to eternal life. Knowing who He is also strengthens our faith, deepens our worship, and helps us to recognize false teachings that have crept into the church over time.

In fact, much of the confusion about the Godhead stems from church history. Early church councils, like the Council of Nicaea, introduced doctrines from various theories that, frankly, began to divide God into three separate persons—a belief foreign to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. As believers today, we must return to the pure Word of God, just as Revelation 10:7 calls us to.

In the end, the Scripture is clear: God is one, revealed through His Son Jesus Christ, and working by His Spirit. We are not called to dissect God into multiple beings but to worship Him in His fullness.

The Godhead is not a mystery meant to confuse us but a revelation of who God is that God Himself gives to an individual of how He works, and how we are to relate to Him. We must always return to the Word of God and let it guide our understanding.

As believers, we can confidently say that in Jesus, the fullness of the Godhead dwells, and it is by His Spirit that we are made one with Him.

The Chosen (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Shabbat

 Matthew validates Simon's arrangement with Praetor Quintus, Nicodemus investigates the miracle reported in the Red Quarter, and Mary receives surprise guests at her Shabbat dinner.    

- I see a star.

- And if you think I'll fall for that, Eli, you must think I was born yesterday.

- Was there a Shabbat when you were little?

- Of course, since the time of the covenant.

- Every seven days?! Why so many, Savta?

- Shabbat is a time for rest, family, our people, and God.

- Family like Savta and Saba?

- Yes, and you, Eema, and Abba, of course. Close friends are   like family, too.

- Who else?

- We honor our fellow citizens on Shabbat.

- Strangers, Savta?

- We're all God's people, even friends we haven't met. But most important of all, we honor God and all His works. We rest because He rested on the seventh day. We rest to refresh our souls, to know Him better.

- Woman of valor, who can find her?

- This is the Eshet Chayil, an ode to women of valor.

- Far beyond jewels is her value. Her husband's heart, trusts in her, and he should lack no fortune.

- There.

- May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.

- May God make you like Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.

- The sixth day. And the heaven and earth, and all their hosts, were completed. And God finished by the seventh day all His work that He had done. Blessed are you, Lord, our God, King of the universe. From all His work that God created to function, He creates the fruit of the vine. Amen.

♪ Oh, child, come on in.

♪ Jump in the water.

♪ Got no trouble with the mess you been. ♪

♪ Walk on the water.

♪ Walk on the water.

♪ Walk on the water.

♪ Oh, child,

♪ Walk on the water.

♪ Got no trouble.

♪ Walk on the water.

♪ Walk on the water.

- You're so good at that.

- Mary! You try. 

- Oh, no; no, no, I can't.

- Yes, I have seen you braid Lia. You are wonderful. Go ahead.

- How'd I do?

- Told you she was excellent. It is a shame only Ananias will see it. You know what would be great? Do we have any flowers?

- Oh, I'll get the buttercup! Don't move!

- Oh, I'm sorry. Excuse me, sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry.

- I need to see Quintus immediately.

- Praetor, there's no time.

- It's urgent; it's a matter of life and death.

- Who, him?

- Yes.

- Bah! See to your dog.

- What did he say?

- He detests you as much as I do.

- And?

- This was a horrible idea.

- Gaius, we must see Quintus.

- Or what? He does not need to clarify anything for you. I mean, do you have any idea who... No, clearly you do not, dumb question.

- Idea of what?

- Who you are dealing with.

- Yes, I do.

- Really?

- Yes. He is the Roman occupying overseer of this region,   and his primary responsibilities are to enforce the law and ensure financial stability...

- I am aware of his responsibilities. I don't think you know   what he's capable of.

- I know he's made a deal with this Simon person. I have valuable information related to...

- Have you ever heard of somebody making a decision   based on a hunch?

- If he has, then I must let him know.

- Yes, you must. Listen, I don't want to have to carry your corpse out, so I'm going to wait outside for your replacement. Good luck.

- I don't understand.

- You are a fool.

- Publicanus requests an audience. Publicanus?

- Yes, Dominus.

- And are you his escort, centurion?

- Yes.

- So where are you going?

- Securing the passageway, praetor.

- Ah. Well done. Come on. So, a Jew tax collector and his escort demand to see the praetor of Judaea. It's urgent, they say. A matter of life and death. Last night burned very hot, and today I'm ash, so I'll get to the point. Why should I not kill you both? You first.

- Dominus, I was recently approached by a man while at my tax collecting...

- Faster.

- He was many months delinquent, to relieve the   substantial amount...

- Skip to the end.

- Did you hire a man to spy of Jewish merchant vessels   fishing on Shabbat to avoid taxation?

- Yes, Simon. He's in your district?

- He is.

- His debt's forgiven. Surprise.

- As well as those of his brother? 

- His... yes, forgiven, goodbye.

- Thank you for your time, praetor.

- I do not find Simon reliable. Once, he was deficient in his taxes, and when I pursued remedy, I discovered that he had spent an inordinate amount on games of chance at the local establishment. Additionally, based on his financial status, I question Simon's connections to the merchant class. In spite of his current intentions, I do not believe you have an accurate understanding of what he can deliver.

- I am sorry for this dishonor.

- Say your last prayer, Jew.

- Stay there a moment, captain. Are you saying I made a bad deal?

- Yes.

- Where did he come from?

- Here, Capernaum, Dominus.

- You know, my brothers across the world search for brave men to spare and recruit, but our power prohibits those very efforts, for what sane person would stand up to the Roman Empire?

- I am sane.

- Yes, but a very different kind of sane.

- I'm sorry, I don't understand.

- So, you say this Simon isn't at the level of the merchant class at sea. But he claims they all spend time at the same establishments. Is that false?

- I am afraid I'm not aware of their social interactions. But even if that were true, it would be highly unusual for Jewish men to betray one another.

- So says the Jew who collects taxes from them.

- Mine is a different circumstance. 

- Ah, spare me, I admire it. Well, it won't surprise you to learn that to date, Simon has not fulfilled his obligation to uncover the tax evaders.

- He's in breach of contract.

- Not yet... but time may prove you out.  Uh... what are you called?

- Matthew, Dominus.

- I may yet have need of your keen powers of observation, Matthew. A special assignment.

- I would relish the opportunity, Dominus.

- Of course you would. I'll be in touch, Matthew of Capernaum.

- Thank you, Dominus.

- Thank you.

- All right, a round for the table. No, you all need this to have a good time.

- What is this about?

- Oh, Baruch, I can't celebrate my brothers... and sisters? Sol, make sure Amos gets a cider... he can't handle the good stuff. Tobiah, Jason, you'll need this to drown your sorrows after you lose this game. And you, I don't know  your name, you're new.  But, wow, we're not afraid you'll steal our fish, we're afraid you'll steal our women. Look at this mane, like Absalom, no?

- Hopefully, he does better than Absalom.

- Stay away from low-hanging branches, my boy.

- Stay away from steep staircases, old man.

- That's it, Sol, none for Jason.

- Oh, what did he do this time?

- Ask your wife.

- Oh!

- Drinking alone again, Simon?

- Oh, you merchants need twice the help at sea. I need twice the help on land.

- Oh!

- What's your bet?

- John, I see The Hammer changed its rules on allowing children.

- Go get caught in a net.

- But you're here with a responsible adult. Saul, make sure James and John get some, too. Please, please, after you. Please.

- What is that?

- Whatever do you mean, brother? 

- Your face... you happy?

- No, I'm handsome. I just happen to be wearing a happy face.

- Buying drinks for the merchants. You're fattening your   lambs before the slaughter?

- Better?

- I don't want you to be miserable.

- You are, so I should be too, no? 

The Chosen (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - I Have Called You by Name

 Two brothers struggle with a Jewish tax collector over their debts to Rome; a Pharisee confronts a demon-possessed woman in the "Red Quarter" of Capernaum.

- Papa?

- You should be sleeping, little one.

- I can't sleep.

- Sit down, sit down. Is your head hurting you again?

- No.

- I know. You were thinking of the big new star. Look, it's right there, see?

- No.

- Why can't you sleep?

- I'm scared.

- Of what?

- I don't know.

- Hey, what do we do when we are scared?

- We say the words.

- Adonai's words. From the prophet...

- Isaiah.

- The prophet Isaiah, right.

"Thus says the Lord who created you, O Jacob,

"and He who formed you, O Israel:

"Fear not..."

Come now, I want to hear you say it. I want to hear your  pretty voice, come.

- "Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

"I have called you by name. You are mine."

- You are mine.

That's right.

[kiss]

[awakens, panting]

MAN: Help! Somebody help me!

[panting]

[gasping]

[crying]

- She tried to kill me! She tried to kill me! Somebody... somebody!

- You filthy dog.

- Demons... live... inside her!

- Get back!

[woman vocalizing]

♪

♪ Oh, child, come on in.

♪ Jump in the water.

♪ Got no trouble with the mess you been. ♪

♪ Walk on the water.♪

♪ Walk on the water.♪

♪ Walk on the water.

♪ Oh, child, ♪Walk on the water.

♪ Got no trouble.♪

♪ Walk on the water.♪

♪ Walk on the water. ♪

[carriage wheels rumbling]

SLAVE: Stop!

[carriage stops]

- Forgive me, Rabbi.

- Can you not see what he is doing?

- But, woman... ahead.

[♪ ominous music]

[galloping horse hooves]

- Whoa!

- Why have you stopped us?

- It's not enough to say hello?

- I'm on official business.

- Only Roman business is official business. My name is Quintus. I'm the praetor of Capernaum.

- And I am...

- You are the great Nicodemus. Word travels fast.

- Are you arresting me?

[chuckles]

- No, my friend. I'm a magistrate, not a military man. I serve the will of the people... and Pilate.

- And I serve only God.

- Yes, yes. So do your enemies... the Sadducees, the   Essenes, the Zealots. Rogue preachers in the wilderness   raving about a coming Messiah. They're all vying for the people's affection.

- What do you want, Quintus?

- I believe taxes are going unpaid. If you help me, I will help the Pharisees continue to thrive.

- How can I? The people are already drowning in tax.

- Tell me, Nicodemus, what can be under the water and yet never drown?

- Fish?

♪

[wardrobe door squeaks]

♪

[door latch squeaks]

♪

[rats squeak]

[splat!]

[retching]

- Right here.

- Keep your voice down.

- Pardon me, Mr. Public anus. It's me that don't want to be seen with you, remember?

- It's Publi-caHness.

- I like it the other way, taxman. Hey, hey, hey! That's a month's salary for all my sons combined, right there. You just toss them out?

- These are my property, I do with them as I wish. I pay you to drive, you sift through trash on your own time.

- Driving you's a bit of both now, isn't it?

[laughs]

If any citizen ask about my cargo, I must tell the truth. It's the biggest pile of dung in all Capernaum.

[laughing]

NICODEMUS: Now, honestly, I always look forward to my annual visit to Capernaum and your magnificent sea of Galilee. It is truly the envy of the kingdom.

[applause]

Even my children are enamored of it. All day they would swim, frolic in the sand and watch the people.

Finally, one day I said, "You love it here so much, "why is it you never go to the sea when we visit your grandparents back home?"

My son, he just shrugged, and said, "But father, there's never anyone there, it's dead."

[laughter]

- And your sea boasts the most exquisite fish. How unfortunate... that those who do the actual fishing are unholy, foul mouthed, given to gambling in secret dens.

Even fishing on Shabbat. Can we eat the catch and not be stained by the sins of the catcher?

Make no mistake... it is a sin to eat fish caught on Shabbat.

What goes into the body of a man defiles him. Why are our Jewish brethren taking their boats to sea on Shabbat?

I assure you, the Messiah will not come until this wickedness is purged from our midst.

Your actions are  being watched, studied.

God has entrusted you to be exemplary in every way.

Now, if your status is too great a burden, you do not deserve to bear the name of Israel.

- I want to see my reflection in it as plain as day.

The teacher has traveled all the way from Judea.

He is a member of the great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, and I won't have him seated at a dull table. Yussif, fix your talid.

- Here he comes.

- Away, go, get the others.

-Rabbi.

- Teacher, you have moved us all.

- Shmuel.

- Will you do is the honor, Rabbi?

- If that's where you keep the white sardines.

- We certainly could get...

- It was a joke, Shmuel. A fine Torah room is the heartbeat of a worthy synagogue, Shmuel.

- Thank you, teacher of Israel; you do us a great honor.

- The honor is mine, not only for your bright students, but also for the soul of this city. You heard my address.

- Of course. Your words will resonate for generations.

- You were luminous.

- In my remarks, I asked for rhetorical purposes, "Why are Jews taking boats to sea on Shabbat?" That question was meant for you, Rabbi Shmuel. The reports are becoming too frequent to ignore.

- Of course, Rabbi, we... I will control it better. The Romans believe we do not work on Sabbath, thus they do not patrol. Greed has overcome the fisherman.

- Or they are just trying to feed their families.

- Begging your pardon, Rabbi. The centurion is here. He demands to speak with you.

- Please tell him we have an honored guest and cannot be interrupted.

- It can't wait.

- Messiah, come quickly.

[whistles]

Impressive. Looks like we're not the only ones taxing the people.

- What do you want, commander?

- I'm no commander but at least you know your place.

- This is Nicodemus, teacher of teachers. Show some respect.

- Ah, just the man I want to see. I'm here about a Hebrew woman in the Red Quarter. Let's just say she's been causing a disturbance.

- You have an entire Roman legion at your disposal.

- Thank you for the reminder, Jew. But she needs a holy man.

- We are men of God. 'Tis not our custom to frequent the... Red Quarter.

- Perhaps I wasn't clear, teacher of teachers. You'll accompany me to the Red Quarter or will burn it down with our fire of fires.

[market noise]

- Psst... this is your stop.

- Wait, this is the far side of the market.

- Get out.

- No.

- No?

- This is the job. You drive so I don't walk through the market.

- It's too crowded. Out!

- I'll pay you double.

- Money won't buy the stink off me and my family if I am seen with you. Out!

♪

- This is very unprofessional.

- Fire me.

[market noise]

[woman vocalizing]

- Two.

[goats bleat]

WOMAN: Tax collector, go!

MAN: Look, there he is! I see him

[spitting]

- Please.

- Are you the Messiah? Are you the Messiah?

- No, I'm not.

- Please. Tell me when He comes, please.

- You're late, Gaius.

- I know. Could you feel it?

- Feel what?

- The market, it's on fire today. Everybody's on edge.

All it will take is one person to snap and you are...

- Just do your job.

- Better hope.

[door squeaks open]

[pig oinks]

[snake hisses]

♪

[beads rattling]

[men vocalizing]

- Upstairs, Rivka's place.

- Don't worry, Rabbi. We took out the other lowlifes to protect your delicate sensibilities.

[distant screaming]

- What is that?

- Shh.

- I need materials. Shmuel! Sulfur, nettle, hyssop, wormwood. Go!

- Yes, Teacher.

- Well, do your job.

- Listen. I agreed to Quintus's request...

Not a demand, because he should not demand anything of me...

To stop Shabbat fishing, which was already our law, and by doing so was not a violation of my practice. And I will try to help this woman, even though it falls outside of my purview.

Do not think of me as a tool to fix Roman problems.

I will not continue to use my position of religious influence

the benefit those who look down on my people, whether it's you or even someone like Quintus!

So, I will perform this task but I want it noted for your superiors: this is an exception!

- So can we go now?

- Yes.

[men yelling]

- Stay down, Simon.

[crowd yelling]

- Suck dirt if you know what is good for you.

[crowd continues yelling]

- Pay me, pay me, pay me, let's go!

- You're too much, Jehosaphat. You're too powerful.

- That's right. Like I tell you every time I see you. Like I tell my sister.

[crowd laughs]

- Seriously, I can only take maybe two... one...one more punch; one more and I'm done.

- He says he's had it!

[crowd yelling]

- Jeho?

- What was it you were saying? Something about your sister?

[Jehosaphat groans]

You think if you keep hitting me hard enough I won't be married to her anymore? That's why they call me "“Wine Hands,"” because of what I do to your liver. I don't want to do this, Jehosaphat.

Can we please stop fighting every week? I know you never trusted me, but I love your sister more than anything.

- I will stop fighting you.

- You will?

- But my brother won't.

- Your brother?

[thud!]

- Where's it written down, Andrew? Huh? Answer me that?

- I'm so foolish.

- How's a double knockout a push, if it's two on one? Made up rule, right there.

- Made up or in stone, who cares?

We lost, and I know better.

- No, no, it's... It's my fault. I talked you into it.

- Eh. "“Wine Hands" ”?

- Sounded more clever in my head. Tax day's coming.

- Mm-hmm.

- Two sunrises away, Shabbat, and then...

- I realize, Simon, thank you. We could lose the boat.

- What're you going to do?

- Don't know. Blood from a stone. Where are you going?

- Going to work.

- Work? It's Shabbat in an hour.

- But the Pharisees make allowances for that if lives are at stake.

- No one's life is at stake.

- No, no, not this moment, but it's coming. What, you're gonna tell your bug-eating friend about it?

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, just me.

NEXT EPISODE 2 CLICK  HERE

The Seven Messengers

 

Revelation 2-3

The Seven Messengers

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.—Revelation 2:7

The seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3 are shown also as seven lampstands (1:12,20). Just as the Menorah, or seven-branched lampstand, in the tabernacle and temple was wrought from one piece of gold (Exodus 25:31), so the seven lamps, or seven churches, signify the whole of the true church. But who are the seven messengers to the seven churches and what are their messages?

We are introduced to the seven messengers in Joshua chapter six where the army of Israel marches around the walled city of Jericho on seven successive days, accompanied by seven priests blowing seven trumpets. The Israelites are under the direction of Joshua (the Greek form of the name is Jesus; Joshua is, appropriately, a type of Jesus Christ). The priests served as Joshua’s messengers, successively blowing the trumpets, one day after the other, throughout Jericho’s last week, which week is a type, or foreshadowing, of the entire Gospel age.

In the book of Revelation this theme of the seven messengers is expanded upon, with the seven messengers (Greek, angels, which means messengers, whether spirit or human) blowing the seven trumpets (Revelation 8 to 11), and the seven messengers giving messages to the seven successive days, or periods, of the true church (Revelation 2 and 3). The seven messengers correspond to the seven priests at Jericho. Just as the priesthood is associated with human Christians and not angels of the heavenly realm, so the seven messengers are to be found among leaders of the true church of Christ. Just as the priests blew the trumpets on successive days marching around Jericho, the seven messengers speak to successive periods of the church throughout the Gospel age. This succession of Gospel age periods will be the same for these seven messages as for the seven trumpets of Revelation 8 to 11.

If we are to identify the seven messengers throughout the Gospel age, we must first see how this age is divided in time. We would expect each messenger to 1) deliver the message to his period of the church in Revelation 2 and 3, and 2) begin his activity at the beginning of the period (to be a messenger for the whole period). Christian history readily divides the Gospel age into these seven distinct conditions:

Name

Circumstances

Approx. Dates

1. Ephesus Under the Jews 33-69

2. Smyrna Under Heathen Rome 69-313

3. Pergamum Under Imperial Rome 313-539

4. Thyatira Under Papal Rome 539-1517

5. Sardis Reformation 1517-1648

6. Philadelphia Protestant Missionary 1648-1874

7. Laodicea Harvest Sepasration 1874-???

1. “I know thy works and thy toil but thou didst leave thy first love” 1

At the beginning of the church, Jesus Christ told Peter, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19, author’s translation). Peter unlocked the kingdom of heaven first to the Jews on Pentecost, and then to the rest of the world with the conversion of Cornelius (Acts 2:1-40; 10:1-48). Peter’s counsel to be “fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins: using hospitality one to another without murmuring” (1 Peter 4:7-9) answers well to the message to the first period of the church: “Thou didst leave thy first love. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works” (Revelation 2:4,5). Thus, Peter would logically be the messenger to the first (Ephesus) period of the church.2

2. “Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer”

The second period saw Christians tortured and slain under heathen Rome. Ignatius of Antioch (fed to the lions in Rome, 108 A.D.) exhorts, “I am God’s wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts that I may be found pure bread of Christ. Rather entice the wild beasts that they may become my tomb, and leave no trace of my body, that when I fall asleep I be not burdensome to any. Then shall I be truly a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world shall not even see my body. Beseech Christ on my behalf, that I may be found a sacrifice through these instruments. I do not order you as did Peter and Paul; they were apostles, I am a convict; they were free, I am even until now a slave. But if I suffer, I shall be Jesus Christ’s freedman, and in him I shall rise free.”3 As messenger to the second (Smyrna) period of the church, Ignatius set a good example in his own martyrdom of how a persecuted Christian should conduct himself.

3. “Thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam [for gain]”

At the beginning of the third period Emperor Constantine ended the official persecution of Christians by Rome and moved the capital of the empire to Byzantium in Thrace (renaming it Constantinople). From the beginning the puritanism of Arius was famous; in 313 A.D. he is already pleading for a restoration of primitive purity to an Alexandrian church going worldly. The worldly element could hardly accuse the man of being too pious, but after five years they codified a new concept of the nature of God and accused Arius of heresy against it. Arius was variously banned and recalled by the emperor (as was alternately his archenemy Athanasius). Arius defended the teaching that Jesus Christ was created by God, is the son of God, and is himself a god subordinate to the Father.4 Coming back from his last recall in 336 A.D., his enemies poisoned him and he died (the Athanasians called it the righteous judgment of God). Thus, Arius would appear to be the messenger to the third (Pergamum) period of the church.

4. “Thou sufferest the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess”

The period of Papal Roman domination opens with a young man having been baptized in approximately 536 A.D., and then mightily defending the doctrine that there was one nature in Christ, the human, while he was here on earth—a teaching called Monophysite (mono-physis, one nature). As a Syrian monophysite, Jacobus Baradaeus (James, the Ragedy, because he spent his efforts on Christian work and not clothes) was now excluded by the largest body of professed Christians; in his activity he ranged from Egypt to Babylon and consecrated 80,000 bishops.5 “As many as ... know not the deep things of Satan ... I cast upon you none other burden” (Revelation 2:24).

5. “Establish the things that remain, which were ready to die”

The Reformation began in 1517 with Martin Luther tacking up his 95 theses on the church door at Wittenberg, protesting forgiveness through the sale of indulgences rather than through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. “Jesus Christ died for every man” remains a Lutheran watchword to this day. Said Luther, “When people shall be resurrected, it will seem to Adam and to the old fathers as though they had been living only half an hour before.”6 In later years Luther translated the Bible into German.

6. “Thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word”

After the Thirty-Years War (1618-1648), when Protestants were seldom threatened with mass execution, many turned their efforts to carrying the Bible and its loving message to the rest of the world. Principles of Christian love were emphasized over intellectual assent to one creed or another. Philipp Jakob Spener (1635-1705) in Germany, the father of the Pietist movement, delivered just such a message. And departing from what had become Lutheran orthodoxy, he considered regeneration necessary for the true theologian, and expected the conversion of the Jews and the fall of Papacy as the prelude of the triumph of the church.7 Little criticism is spoken to the Philadelphia period of the Christian church.

7. “Thou ... knowest not that thou art the wretched one”

The harvest is the final period of the Gospel age; it is a time of separation when the Lord calls his people to come out of Babylon (Jeremiah 51:6-9; Revelation 18:1-5). The centerpiece of Pastor C.T. Russell’s worldwide presentations was that Jesus Christ died once for all, and that therefore all will benefit from that death. The thousand-year kingdom of Christ is for resurrecting all the world’s billions and restoring them to the perfection lost in Eden. Prophecy was studied to determine what we should be doing today: “Deliver your loving testimony to the goodness and wisdom of the Lord’s great plan of the ages, and, wisely and meekly giving your reasons, publicly withdraw from them” [i.e., from organizations practicing the sins of Babylon].8

Seven Lessons for Our Day

We may each draw modern-day lessons from the messages of the seven messengers in the Ephesus to Laodicean periods:

1. Put priorities straight. If, for example, knowing whether the thousand years begins with our Lord’s return or with the completion of the church seems more important than telling people what the thousand years will do for them—then one’s priorities are backwards.

2. If someone threatens you with eternal torture because you cannot conscientiously agree with him, take it patiently.

3. Do not profess “None of self, and all of Thee” when you really want “Some of self, and some of Thee.”

4. Do not insist others do it your way. Do not feel challenged when they don’t. It is better to lose a would-have-been battle, than to rule with an iron fist and lose your Christian life.

5. First, harmonize all Scriptures on a subject, then say, “This is truth.”

6. Desire and try to do your part, and help others do their part, in presenting this gospel of the kingdom in all the world.

7. It is vital to see one’s own shortcomings to see the need of Christ’s merit. Salvation depends upon one’s relationship to Christ, not upon an acceptability to even the best man-made institution.

________

1. Scriptural quotations are from the American Standard Version (1901)

2. Other possibilities for the first messenger would include James (as presiding over the early church); John (whose message of godly love is evident throughout, and who lived to the end of the period; and Paul (1 Corinthians 13, though he would have been a messenger for only half the period.)

3. Ignatius’ epistle to the Romans IV. Other suggestions for the second messenger are John and Timothy. Polycarp and Paias could also be considered.

4. From Adrian Harnack, “History of Dogma,” Vol. IV, p. 20. “The passages cited so frequently later on by the Arians, [Deuteronomy 6:4, 32, 39, Proverbs 8:22, Psalm 45:8, Matthew 12:28, Mark 13:32, Matthew 26:41, 28:18; Luke 2:52, 18:19, John 11:34, 14:28, 17:3, Acts 2:37, 1 Corinthians 1:24, 15:28, Colossians 1:15, Philippians 2:6f, Hebrews 1:4, 3:2, John 12:27, 13:21, Matthew 26:39, 27:46, etc.,] were probably already used by Arias himself,” “The idea of the subordinate God is indeed as old as the theology of the C Christian Church” (Vol. III, p. 135). And “the puritanism of Arius is, of course, famous” (Vol. III, p. 141, footnote 2.)

5. Beginning with the Thyatira period, the call “He that hath an ear” is on the outside of the message just as Jacobus was outside the mainstream. Other suggestions for the fourth (Thyatira) messenger include Peter Waldo (late 12th century) and John Wycliffe (1328-1384), either requires centuries of delay in the starting of the period.

6. Sermon on the Gospel of Luke 16, “Of the rich Man and poor Lazarus”, D. Martin Luther’s Werke. Vol. XII, p. 592 (June 7, 1523) (in German). Concerning the nature of God, and dogmatism, Harnack quotes Luther. “’The Arians had wrong views with regard to the faith, they were nevertheless very right in this … that they required that no profane and novel word would be allowed to be introduced into the rules of faith.’ In like manner he objected to and rather avoided the terms ‘Dreifaltigkeit,’ ‘Dreiheit,’ ‘unitas,’ ‘trinitas’ (threefoldness, threeness, oneness, trinity.” “The history of dogma comes to a close with Luther.” (History of Dogma, Vol. VII, p. 225, 226, 268.) Other possibilities for the fifth (Sardis) messenger include Andreas Bodenstein [Carlstadt] (1480-1541) John Oecolampadius (1482-1531), and John Wycliffe (a choice that would require a much earlier start for this period).

7. Encyclopedia Brittanica (1886 edn,). Others suggested as the sixth (Philadelphia) period of the church include George Fox (1624-1691), William Penn (1644-1718), Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), John Wesley (1703-1791), Joseph Wolff (1796-1862), and William Miller (1782-1849), the latter two would imply a very short period.

8. Studies in the Scriptures, Vol. III (1891), p. 184.