and Their Infiltration of the Seven Churches of Revelation
by John Daniel

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Secret Societies and
Their Infiltration of the Seven Churches of Revelation

Transcription of seven 1-hour audio cassette messages 
by John Daniel, author of "Scarlet and the Beast"

Tape Five
The Secret Society at the Church of Sardis

Tape 4 | Introduction | Tape 6

John Kreigel: 
Hello, I'm John Kreigel, President of JKI Publishing. Before we begin this series of seven messages on the seven churches of Revelation, I want to give you a brief overview of God's plan for mankind as recorded in Scripture. This will help you better understand the purpose behind these seven messages.

There is a battle between God and Satan. It's not an eternal battle for Scripture prophesies the end of Satan. God is the victor over evil in the past, the present and the future. The devil knows this, but he continues the war against God anyway in hopes of putting off the inevitable. His mode of operation is to form secret societies to conspire against God and man.

Satan was once Lucifer, the mighty archangel. Scripture tells us that he first conspired with 1/3 of the angels to dethrone God. As a result, there was war in heaven and God cast Lucifer and his angels out of heaven onto the earth where Lucifer became Satan, the Adversary. On earth, the Adversary's battle continued for the souls of mankind. God warned Adam and Eve in advance not to join Satan's rebellion or they would die. Satan deceived Eve with the promise of godhood; Eve recruited Adam and together they joined Satan's rebellion. Because of their disobedience, God could no longer fellowship with Adam and Eve, hence the human race was doomed to both a physical and spiritual death unless God intervened.

In love of, and infinite mercy for His creation, God set in motion a redemption plan. In Genesis 3:15 God announced His plan to Satan; God would destroy Satan through a Redeemer born of the seed of a woman which is interpreted to mean, born of a virgin. The development of the seed plot is recorded throughout the entire Old Testament. The Redeemer would be of Hebrew race, born of the tribe of Judah, through the kingly line of David. To the Jews of the Old Testament, he was known as the Holy One of Israel, the Messiah. The New Testament records the culmination of God's plan. By the power of the Holy Spirit, God's seed was miraculously placed in the womb of a virgin, her name was Mary, of the lineage of King David.

When the Messiah ("Christ" in Greek) was born, Mary named him Jesus which means "Savior." Jesus Christ, the Savior Messiah of the human race was both deity and man, God incarnate. In this form, God would pay the penalty for mankind's sin of rebellion by His own death. Christ's ministry on earth, His life, His death, burial and resurrection, completed the redemption plan for mankind.

However, the redemption plan is not a blanket amnesty for mankind. Every person must choose to accept or reject the plan. Only those who accept the plan are redeemed to eternal life. To carry the good news of this redemption plan throughout earth, Jesus Christ founded the Church. The Church is not a building, it's not a corporation. It is a body of believers in Christ who have been given the task to spread the good news that the human race is no longer doomed to eternal separation from God, that if they repent of their rebellion against the Almighty and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior, they will have eternal life. The finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary defeated Satan.

Satan's ultimate doom, however, is prophesied not to occur until after the end of the Church Age. Therefore, to prolong his life, the Adversary fights to extend the Church Age. With those who rejected the redemption plan, Satan conspired to form secret societies to infiltrate the Church for the express purpose of slowing the progress of evangelism. The record of this conspiracy is recorded in the book of Revelation chapters 2 and 3.

John Daniel, author of the best-selling trilogy "Scarlet and the Beast" is both author and narrator of these series of seven audiocassette messages entitled "Secret Societies and Their Infiltration of the Seven Churches of Revelation."

Now, here is John Daniel.

John Daniel:
Turn in your Bible to Revelation chapter 3. I'll be reading verses 1-6 from the old King James Version.

"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches."

Sardis means "those escaped." Two historic events occurred at the ancient city of Sardis which reflect its name. First was five centuries before Christ when King Cyrus of Persia conquered Sardis in a surprise attack. Those who escaped said that Cyrus came as a thief in the night and caught the city unprepared. The second event was 17 years after Christ was born when Sardis was devastated by an earthquake. Those who escaped returned later to rebuild the city through the kind assistance of Emperor Tiberius. The church at Sardis when broadened to the Sardis church period represents those who escaped the Inquisitions of the Catholic Church. Two historic terms characterize this period of church history: Reformation and Protestantism. The Reformation was an attempt by righteous and faithful Christians to reform the Catholic Church. Protestantism on the other hand incorporated more than just Christians, it involved heads of state, secret societies and Christians who together politically and militarily protested against the temporal power of the Catholic Church. Walter Scott in "Exposition of the Revelation of Jesus Christ" explained it this way: "We distinguish between Reformation and Protestantism; the former was a divine work, the latter a human system."

Christ's characteristic for this church period is found in Revelation 3:1 "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars." According to Revelation 1:20 and Revelation 5:6 the seven stars are the seven angels God placed over the seven churches and the seven spirits of God are God's seven eyes sent forth into all the earth. The Greek word for "eyes" is not defined as a casual look nor mere observation but rather an intense continual 360 degree jealous observation with clear discernment of what's happening. Simply put, Christ's characteristic of having seven eyes represents his complete knowledge of the hidden deeds of each of the seven church periods.

Now the hidden deeds of the Sardis church period were so concealed that to this day they are not recorded in either secular or Protestant history. What is recorded in Protestant history is defamation of the Catholic Church as the greatest curse since the introduction of Christianity and adulation of the Protestant Reformation as its greatest blessing. Yet Christ had no good thing to say about the Protestant church period while he had six commendations for the Catholic Church period. What Christ's seven eyes jealously observed during this period of church history was simply this: when the Catholic Church cast out the secret societies by Inquisition, the Sardis Reformation church embraced those same secret societies. Both exoteric and esoteric history of this church period record that instead of completing its divine work of reformation, Reformers separated from the Catholic Church and with financial aid from secret societies and with political and military backing from European kings they took up military arms against the church. Hence, Sardis reformers became the Protestant Reformation church and Christ was not pleased. When the Protestant Reformation aligned itself with the adversary's secret societies to war against the Catholic Church, Christ's jealousy demanded that the same punishment afflicted on the secret societies during the Inquisitions of the 13th and 14th century be visited on the Protestant Church. Hence the Jesuits of the 16th and 17th century renewed the Inquisitions, this time against the Protestants. If Christ had not judged the Protestants for abandoning reformation in exchange for political protest, he would owe the Ephesian church period an apology for sending them into 300 years of martyrdom for abandoning evangelism in exchange for defending the faith.

Now the divine work of the Reformation actually overlapped the Thyatira church period by about 300 years. Reformation began with the Waldenses of the 12th century and transferred to the Bohemian Brethren of the 15th century which became the Moravian Brethren (ph) of the 18th century. Personages in between were Bible translators John Wycliffe and William Tyndale and religious Reformer and martyr John Huss all from the 14th and 15th centuries. Martin Luther entered the scene at the turn of the 16th century. In the year 1521 he was condemned as a heretic by Pope Leo. On December 1st Leo died. Pope Adrian VI lasted one year. Clement VII ascended the papal throne in 1523. According to Catholic history, the last chance for Reformation of Catholicism rested with Clement. Dr. Malachi Martin quotes Clement's advisors as saying to the pope "Reform the church while there is still time. You can do it if you do it now. If you don't, Luther will." The pope hesitated. His advisors continued "the church was never intended to have temporal power, take it away, you can do it but you've got to act fast." Clement refused. Eight years after Martin Luther was condemned by the Catholic Church the Reformers gave up on reforming Catholicism and planned to separate from it. This decision was made April 19-24 in the year 1529 at the Congress of Spires (ph). This Congress convened to protest against the usurpation of political power by Pope Clement. Present were German reformed Christians, German royalty, German seculars and German Rosicrucians and Teutonic Templars. On the last day of the Congress, this menagerie of pagan political and Christian protestors renewed their protest and were ever since called Protestants. Christ was not pleased with the dichotomy of the Protestant Reformation.

I date the beginning of the Sardis church period in 1529 with the Congress of Spires and establish its headquarters in Northern Europe. In advance of it, Satan would move his headquarters West to London where the Stuart dynasty would unite England, Scotland and Ireland into the British Empire and become the most powerful kingdom on earth. I date the end of the Sardis church period at approximately 1750 when the great missionary movements of the Philadelphia church period began in England. Protestantism, therefore, is not a spiritual protest of Reformers against the Catholic Church but rather a political protest of secret societies backed by the military might of European royalty to weaken the political power of the Catholic Church. At their side were disillusioned Reformed Christians. These secret societies had the same pagan religions that had escaped the Inquisitions. By attaching themselves to the Reformation, both the political world and the Reform world would combine forces against their common enemy to gain both political and religious freedom.

Secular and Protestant history remains strangely silent on this issue but Masonic history does not. In fact, Freemasonry proudly proclaims its role in the Protestant Reformation in a four volume work entitled "The Little Masonic Library": "Indeed we have not duly considered how truly Masonry in its modern form was a child of the Reformation allied as it was with the movement or group of movements out of which came the freedom of the peoples, the liberty of conscience and the independence of manhood."

In the year 1534 just five years after the Congress of Spires, the political protest against the authority of Rome crossed the English Channel. That year King Henry VIII separated the Catholic Church in England from Roman rule. This separation was not a righteous act but rather a selfish act of a monarch who wanted a church that would authorize his divorces. To guarantee that the church would obey his command, Henry VIII made himself head of the new Church of England. History records that although the Church of England remained Catholic in faith and order, it incorporated many principles of the Protestant Reformation. This validates prophetic scripture that the divine work of the Reformation was not complete and Christ was not pleased. Consequently, for the next two decades England convulsed with religious persecution until Protestantism was protected in 1558 by Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth was childless, therefore, on her deathbed in 1603 she appointed James Stuart VI of Scotland as King of England. James VI became James I. He is most famous for authorizing the translation of the Bible into English — a translation historically known as the Authorized King James Version. From then until this day the King James Bible lay on the altar of every Masonic Lodge in America because King James was a Templar Mason. When King James journeyed from Scotland to London he and his court were protected by the Scottish Knights Templar.

As you recall in our last study, it was to Scotland that the Templar fled three centuries before to escape the Inquisitions of their order in France. When they arrived in Scotland in the year 1314, Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, was at war with England. The Knights Templar who were renowned as warrior monks offered their services to the king. When Robert Bruce accepted he was made honorary head of the Templars. Royal descendants of Robert Bruce were the Stuart kings and like Bruce, all Stuart royalty were honored heads of the Knights Templar. James Stuart VI was no exception. In 1603 when James accepted Elizabeth's appointment to the English throne, he and his Templar warriors embarked on their journey south to London. When they crossed the border into Northern England they first arrived in York and lodged in inns run by Protestant Masonic guilds. Soon these lodges were turned into Templar secret societies and York Rite Masonry was born and Christ was not pleased with the Protestants.

Meanwhile on the continent of Europe, Protestants were at war with Catholics. These first series of wars ended in the interim peace of Augsburg in 1555 which established the first legal basis for the existence of Protestants. Protestants, however, were not satisfied; they wanted equal freedom with Catholics. Consequently, the 30 year war between Protestants and Catholics erupted in Germany in the year 1618. I document in my book "Scarlet and the Beast" that these conflicts were fueled and funded by French and German Rosicrucians and Christ was not pleased with the Protestants. The 30 year war ended in 1648 with the Treaty of Westphalia which gave equal rights to Protestants and Catholics. Therefore I date the complete separation of the Protestant church from the Catholic Church at the signing of this treaty and Christ was not pleased with this separation because the Protestants had not completed the reformation of the Catholic Church.

Meanwhile, when King James VI arrived in London in 1603 and was crowned King James I, this Christian kingdom transferred its allegiance from the Church of England to the Knights Templar. Again, Christ was not pleased with the Protestants. On the continent of Europe, Rosicrucians who were bitter enemies of the Templars, crossed the English Channel to secretly overthrow the Stuarts. As they arrived by boat to Southern England they, too, lodged in inns run by Protestant Masonic guilds. Soon these lodges were turned into Rosicrucian secret societies and Rosicrucian Masonry was born, and Christ was not pleased with the Protestants. Forty years later Templar Masonry and Rosicrucian Masonry were at war with each other in a British civil war over absolute rule. The Templars wanted the Stuarts to remain sovereign while the Rosicrucians wanted a constitutional monarchy that was not controlled by the Knights Templar.

In 1688 when the glorious revolution dethroned the Stuarts and established a constitutional monarchy, Templar and Rosicrucian Masonry were both known as Freemasonry for their respective roles played in winning freedom for the British subjects. The Stuarts who were controlled by Templar Freemasonry remained in England which threatened a new Hanoverian Dynasty which dynastic family was controlled by Rosicrucian Freemasonry. In 1717 the problem was resolved when the Stuarts were exiled to Paris, France and with them went their Templar Freemasonry. In 1725 the Templars organized their first continental lodge with Scottish flavor. In 1750 when the Philadelphia church period began Templar Freemasonry became Scottish Rite Freemasonry.

When secret societies attached themselves to the Reformation and turned it into the Protestant Reformation Christ was not pleased with this dichotomy. In fact, the Sardis church period was reprimanded by our Saviour with a strictness surpassed only in the letter to the lukewarm Laodicean church period. Christ's condemnation of the Sardis church is found in Revelation 3:1-2 — "I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God."

Notice in verse 1 that Christ first addresses the works of the Sardis Christians and there is not one good thing our Saviour said about their works. Sardis Christians were living in name but their works were dead. The Greek word for "name" means "name of notoriety." The Greek word for "dead" means "dead like a corpse." Two historic events during the Sardis church period caused Sardis Christians to produce dead works. Both events were condemned by Christ and both are the result of not living up to their name of notoriety, that renowned name is historically known as Reformation. The first historic event that produced dead works in the Reformation church was the Reformers' opposition to the Catholic doctrine of good works to gain and maintain salvation. Their resistance is found in Martin Luther's contempt of the epistle written by James which epistle promotes good works. James 2:20 states that faith without works is dead. Walter Scott writes that Martin Luther discredited James in the most contemptuous terms because he thought James clashed with Paul in the presentation of the doctrine of justification. Scott informs us further that "the Reformers were defective in their thoughts as to the personality and dwelling on earth of the Holy Spirit, of the church as the body of Christ and of our individual corporate relationships to each other and to Christ. This is a great defect when compared to the favorable devotedness to works for which our Lord commended the Catholic Church." The Reformers' basic doctrine and in fact their only new theology was Martin Luther's watchword taken from scripture "the just shall live by faith." This doctrine was diametrically opposite the Catholic doctrine of salvation by works. So repulsed were the Reformers to the doctrine of salvation by works that they abandoned good works all together. In fact, Christ said their works were dead like a corpse. According to Hebrews 6:1 dead works precede apostasy.

Which brings us to Christ's second condemnation of the Reformers' dead works. Found in the last portion of verse 2 — "I have not found thy works perfect before God." The word "perfect" in Greek can be translated "complete." History records that the Reformers did not complete the reformation of the Catholic Church and Christ was not pleased for two reasons: (1) the spiritual work of reformation died and (2) spiritual reformers became political protestors.

Beginning in the 13th century, reformation of the Catholic Church was on everyone's lips, royalty, clergy and laymen alike, advisors to the papacy recommended it, several popes considered it but in the end the papacy was unwilling to give up temporal power. Three centuries of on and off talks without action discouraged reformers to the point of despair. Gradually these once spiritually motivated reformers turned into politically motivated protestors. When they picked up their arms to fight the Catholic Church, their spiritual works died. This not only created a separation from Catholicism, it abruptly halted any future reformation of it. Christ was not pleased with the Reformation turned Protestant for when their spiritual works died Protestants joined forces with secret societies and monarchies to fight the common enemy. As a result, most Protestant Reformers apostatized and I shall prove this by prophetic scripture and then confirm it historically.

In Revelation 3-4 Christ says to the remnant Reformers "thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments." By using the word "few" Christ infers that most Sardis Christians did defile their garments. Throughout New Testament scripture white garments represent the lives of righteous saints. But when defiled garments are used in conjunction with church or Christian activity, it appears always to be connected with idolatry or secret societies. We find this connection in the first chapter of Paul's letter to Titus, verse 10-11 "For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision [meaning Jews]: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake." Key words in this passage of scripture suggest that these false teachers are members of a licentious secret society. For example, the phrase "vain talkers" in Greek carries the idea of deceptive manipulation toward idolatry. This phrase is also derived from the root word used in our previous study to define the systematic teaching of licentiousness by the woman Jezebel. Paul then admonishes Titus in verse 13-14 to rebuke the Cretian Christians who fall for these deceptions taught by the Jews "Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, that turn from the truth." The word "fables" in Greek means "a myth told to initiate during initiation into a mystery religion." Undoubtedly these Jewish fables came straight from the Jewish Kabbalah. As you recall from our previous studies, secret societies over the past 2,000 years have developed their rites from the Jewish Kabbalah including modern Freemasonry. Revelation 3:4 states that during the Sardis church period there were a few names who had not defiled their garments. The word "name" is the same word used in verse 1 that references a name of notoriety which renowned name we learned is "reformation." In other words, there were only a few Reformers who had not defiled their garments. This implies that the majority of Reformers DID defile their garments.

According to Titus 1, defilement of Christians occur when joining secret societies. This implies that if the majority of Reformers defiled their garments, they did so by joining secret societies and history confirms this. But did they apostatize? Two prophesies of Christ suggest that most Protestants did apostatize. First is found in Revelation 3:5 where Christ is speaking to the few white raiment Sardis overcomers "I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." In this verse Christ is quoting his own words recorded in Luke 12:8-9 which contains the doctrine of apostasy "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God." The word "denieth" in Greek means "a verbal or written renunciation or apostasy." In our last study we learned that an apostate cannot renew repentance, thus cannot be forgiven of his apostasy, hence will not go to heaven. According to Luke 12:8 there are Christians who apostatize, hence Christ will likewise deny them before the angels of God.

The second confirmation from Christ that the majority of Protestants during the Sardis church period apostatized is found in our Saviour's prophecy to the next church period of Philadelphia. In fact, it was the faithful white raiment Sardis remnant that opened the Philadelphia church period. At Sardis they were few, at Philadelphia they were weak with little strength. Christ says to them in Revelation 3:8 "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name." There is that word "denied" again which in Greek means "a verbal or written renunciation of Christ; an apostasy." Only a few in Sardis did not deny Christ's name meaning they did not apostatize. This prophecy, therefore, implies that the majority of the Protestants during the Sardis church period did indeed apostatize. This is confirmed in the first portion of this same scripture. Let's read again Christ's promise to the white raiment Sardis overcomer "I will not blot out his name out of the book of life."

Scripture teaches that there are two books of life: one is spiritual and one is mortal. The spiritual book of life contains the names of all believers on both sides of the cross. The mortal book of life contains the names of all mankind who ever lived. The spiritual book is called the Lamb's Book of Life and by God's foreknowledge it has from the beginning of time contained the names of all believers. Record of this book is found in Daniel 12:1; Malachi 3:16; Philippians 4:3 and in five references in the book of Revelation: 13:8, 17:8, 20:15, 21:27 and 22:19.

The mortal book of life is called the Book of the Living in Psalm 69:28. When people are born, their names are written in the Book of the Living; when they die their names are blotted out because they are no longer physically alive. God may prematurely blot out a believer's name out of the mortal Book of the Living because of sin. This doesn't imply they lost their salvation. It simply means their lives were such an embarrassment to the name of Christ that the Lord took their lives prematurely. This is explained in 1 John 5:16 "If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it." A type of sin which constitutes a sin unto physical death is an habitual sin committed by a Christian; a sin that apparently is known by many thus hinders the cause of the gospel. Such a sin is recorded in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5. In this passage of scripture a certain Christian in the Corinthian church was perpetually fornicating with his father's wife and everyone in the church knew it but did nothing about it. In verses 4 and 5 the apostle Paul tells the church how to handle the problem "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ deliver this man unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ." Because of this man's perpetual and open sin, his physical life was taken prematurely to save his eternal life. In other words, his name was blotted out of the Book of the Living.

Yes, scripture clearly teaches that there are two books of life. But to which of the two books of life is Christ referring when he promises the white raiment Sardis overcomer "I will not blot out his name out of the book of life but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels"? If it's the mortal book of life, Christ is saying that he will not bring premature death to Sardis overcomers because of their righteous living. If it's the spiritual Lamb's Book of Life, Christ is saying that he will not blot out their names because they did not apostatize. By the righteous lives of the Sardis overcomers it could refer to both books, however, we know by the context of this scripture that Christ is speaking of the Lamb's Book of Life which only contains names of believers because this verse is in reference to the apostasy of Luke 12:8. Therefore, Christ says to the Sardis overcomers that they have no fear of losing their salvation because they did not apostatize. Apostates were abundant during the Sardis church period but were not abundant during the Smyrna church period. At Smyrna, the few who apostatized did so for fear of torture and death by the Roman government but at Sardis we shall prove historically that long after the renewed Inquisitions of the Protestants by the Jesuits and long after Protestants had won political freedom when no European government or Catholic persecution existed, the majority of Sardis Christians apostatized and did so after they joined secret societies. We shall first look at their apostasy numerically, then historically.

During the Sardis church period there were nine million European Protestants that had separated from the Catholic Church; that's 1/6 of the total population in Europe which at that time numbered 54 million people. How could it be that nine million Protestants had little spiritual impact on Europe if they were faithful overcomers who spread the gospel? The answer is found in Christ's condemnation of that church period. The majority did not spread the gospel because their works were dead like a corpse and according to Hebrews 6:1 dead works precede apostasy. By reviewing the lives of well-known Protestants who renounced Christ after joining secret societies, we shall now confirm historically how the majority of Protestants apostatized.

In the year 1776 when our nation declared its independence, a little known secret society was incorporated in Germany on May 1st, it was called the Illuminati. Its founder was a defrocked Jesuit by the name of Adam Weishaupt. Weishaupt had renounced Christ in 1770 and from that date forward determined to destroy Christianity in all European kingdoms. I document in my book "Scarlet and the Beast" that Weishaupt's Illuminati infiltrated French Freemasonry from which came the French Revolution of 1789. In 1785, four years before that disastrous event, Weishaupt and his secret society were both exposed by the Bavarian government in order to disband. The government then confiscated many volumes of Illuminati papers as well as a list of 2,000 initiates from all over Europe, England and the United States. Many names on this list were renowned Protestant Reformers. One of the confiscated documents contained all the cryptic letters written by Weishaupt to his chiefs. I shall read only a portion of one letter to show how Christians were in fact deceived into joining this order. Weishaupt wrote:

The most admirable thing of all is that great Protestants and Reformed theologians who belong to our order really believe they see in it the true and genuine mind of the Christian religion. O man what can you not be brought to believe! These Protestants and Reformers swell our numbers and fill our treasury. Get busy and make these people nibble at our bait but do not tell them our secret. They must be made to believe that the low degree that they have reached is the highest.

The list of 2,000 names have long since been lost, however, it has been reported by researchers who read the list before they disappeared that Weishaupt had recruited many Lutherans and Calvinists to his Satanic order. John Calvin was a French theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland during the first half of the 16th century. The doctrines and teachings of Calvin emphasis predestination, the sovereignty of God, the supreme authority of the scriptures and the irresistibility of grace. In short, the doctrine of John Calvin can be defined as "once saved, always saved" which is also called the doctrine of eternal security. Eternal security is a scripturally sound doctrine as it pertains to the provision made in John 2:1 for sinning after salvation. That provision is a defense lawyer in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to Revelation 12:10-11 defends us day and night before the throne of God. Although Calvin's doctrine of eternal security makes provision for sin, it never mentions apostasy. In my opinion, teaching eternal security without the equation of apostasy is devastating for I am acquainted with Calvinist Christians, some of whom are pastors, who after joining Freemasonry apostatized. While they verbally deny Christ's deity today, they continue to believe that their salvation is eternally secure tomorrow. Joining secret societies in itself does not cause them to lose salvation, but did begin their descent into apostasy.

The problem with the majority of Christians during the Sardis church period was their lack of scriptural knowledge. When they joined secret societies most renounced their salvation and denied Christ their Saviour. Many were Lutherans and Calvinists who were confident that once saved always saved. There is no record that John Calvin himself joined secret societies but there is evidence that he accepted money from the Rosicrucians to fund his Protestant efforts in Switzerland. Accepting contributions from secret societies doesn't constitute apostasy, but it certainly opens the doors of Rosicrucian lodges to the undiscerning followers of Calvin.

Secret societies were funding other Protestant movements as well. For example, while Calvin was protesting in Switzerland, the religious wars were raging in France. Leading the rebellion in Southern France were the Huegenots headed by two Protestants, Admiral Gaspard (ph) of Caligny (ph) and Prince Louis I of Condi (ph) of the house of Bourbon. On the commencement of the third religious war in May, 1568, the Huegenots were backed by sympathetic Rosicrucians from England who offered their private vessels to serve under Admiral Gaspard's command. Again, accepting funds from secret societies does not imply that the Huegenots apostatized but let's be real, a contributor expects something in return and the Rosicrucians used their funds to recruit Protestants to join their lodges. Many did and, according to scripture, most apostatized. We shall now prove this historically.

In the first half of the 17th century, Johann Valentin Andrea was deeply involved in the 30 year war between Protestants and Catholics, a war that broke out in Germany in the year 1618. I document in my book "Scarlet and the Beast" that the financial backers of this war were European and English Rosicrucians. Andrea was the son of a Lutheran pastor and himself an ordained minister in the Lutheran church. His descent into apostasy occurred during the 30 year war when he was initiated a Rosicrucian. Afterward, Andrea popularized Rosicrucianism in his famous work entitled "Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreuz." Andrea also created a network of Rosicrucian lodges called Christian Unions and in them preserved the threatened esoteric and scientific knowledge of their order that the Catholic Church deemed heretical. Christian Union lodges also functioned as safe houses for all who were fleeing the Jesuit Inquisition. These displaced Europeans, most of whom were Protestants, were smuggled to England where they were protected by the newly created Rosicrucian lodges that Andrea organized in that country.

Andrea's Masonic contact in England was Robert Fludd who received his Christian education at Christ's Church Oxford. Fludd is significant to the Protestant Reformation in that he was among the conclave of 47 scholars who presided over the translation of the authorized King James version of the Bible. After the translation was completed in 1611 Fludd, a member of the Order of the Rose Croix, began writing the Rosicrucian manifesto which he completed in the year 1614. Freemasonry itself confirms that Fludd was a prominent member of the Rosicrucian fraternity: "Rosicrucianism was perhaps indebted more to Fludd than any other person for its introduction from Germany into England and Rosicrucianism influenced the unification of all British Freemasonry into the English Grand Lodge." London's Freemason magazine reports that Fludd must be considered as an immediate father of Freemasonry. The Encyclopedia Britannica concurs by reporting that Fludd's writings were a principle source of the symbolic ideas of Freemasonry. Fludd began his descent into apostasy before he was involved in the translation of the King James Bible. In the year 1595 he was made Grand Master of the Priory of Sion which, as you recall, is the apostate secret society that claims Jesus Christ fathered the children of Mary Magdalene. Fludd remained Grand Master of the Priory of Sion until his death in 1637. The new Grand Master appointed was the Lutheran pastor Johann Valentin Andrea, the man who had popularized Rosicrucianism. Not only did Andrea write the book that introduced Rosicrucianism to the world, he also wrote another book in 1614 entitled "Universal and General Reformation of the Whole Wide World." This work contained Andrea's plan to merge all existing religions of the world into one organization controlled and governed by Rosicrucian Freemasonry.

The next famous apostate to come on the scene was Oliver Cromwell who in the middle of the 17th century started a Masonic civil war in England that ultimately toppled the Stuart dynasty. Cromwell is typical of many Christians who joined Freemasonry to win political freedoms, then apostatized. As a youth, Cromwell was a Unitarian, then a Puritan. In the year 1628 he became a member of Parliament. In 1638 he gave this Christian testimony:

You know what my manner of life hath been. O I have lived and loved darkness and hated life, I was a chief, the chief of sinners. This is true. I hated godliness, yet God had mercy on me. O the riches of his mercy. Praise him for me! Pray for me that he who hath begun a good work would perfect it in the day of Christ.

From 1641 to 1645, Cromwell led a band of Puritans into battle during the first British civil war. The financial backers of his military efforts were the Rosicrucians. Moreover, the well placed Rosicrucians gave Cromwell advance knowledge of British troop movements, consequently he won every battle. Later, during his protectorate, Cromwell surrounded himself with Rosicrucian Masons. Some time between the beginning of the British civil war in 1641 and its ending with the beheading of King Charles I in 1649, Cromwell joined a Rosicrucian Masonic lodge. Soon afterward the Rose Croix spread rapidly among the Puritans. Cromwell's descent into apostasy is recognized when he accepted financial support from Amsterdam Jews. In return, Cromwell promised the Jews to symbolically rebuild for them Solomon's Temple in Freemasonry. The Jewish document that Cromwell used to turn Freemasonry into the synagogue of Satan was the Jewish Kabbalah. This caused the Jews to consider the possibility that Cromwell might be their Messiah. Nestor Webster in her book "Secret Societies and Subversive Movements" gives us the details:

Now just at this period the Messianic era was generally believed by the Jews to be approaching and it appears to have occurred to them that Cromwell might be fitted to the part. Consequently, emissaries were dispatched to search the archives of Cambridge in order to discover whether the protector could possibly be of Jewish descent.

This Jewish quest proved fruitless, however, the Anabaptists a radical Protestant sect denounced Cromwell as the beast of the Apocalypse because of the Messianic way in which he presented himself to the Jews. There is also Masonic and Catholic evidence of Cromwell's affiliation to the lodge. For example, French Freemasonry claims that Cromwell was a high initiate of Masonic mysteries and used the system for his own elevation to power. Abbe Larudan, a Catholic expert on Masonry from Amsterdam, claimed the same. A modern Masonic author, 33rd degree Freemason Delmar Dwayne Darrah confirms Cromwell's link to the lodge. In his book entitled "History and Evolution of Freemasonry" Darrah writes that Cromwell regularly met at a Masonic lodge in the tavern called Crown. Another 17th century Christian who was closely associated with the Rosicrucians was John Amos Cumenius (ph) who was bishop of the Moravians. The Moravians were a Christian Reformation sect descended from the Bohemian Brethren; they believed that the scriptures were the only rule of faith and practice and they practiced what they preached by sending missionaries far and wide. How much involved Cumenius was with Rosicrucianism is not known but he was educated by the Grand Master of the Priory of Sion, Johann Valentin Andrea, the man who popularized Rosicrucianism.

A century later at the head of the Moravians was Count Nicholas Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf, a Rosicrucian, gave asylum to the Moravians on his German estate. Through their witness he accepted Christ as Saviour. In the year 1734 he was ordained a Lutheran pastor and in 1737 he became a bishop of the Moravian church. In that capacity Zinzendorf established Moravian settlements in the Netherlands, the Baltic States and in England. While in England, Zinzendorf was on intimate terms with John Wesley the founder of Methodism. From 1741 to 1743 Zinzendorf set up Moravian congregations in New York and Pennsylvania. His descent into apostasy began when he rejoined the Rosicrucians and was appointed Grand Master of their British lodges from 1744 to 1749. From that time forward, everywhere Zinzendorf went he sought to create an ecumenical Protestant movement.

Rosicrucianism had also infiltrated the Presbyterian church from its earlier years. In fact, a century before Zinzendorf governed the Rosicrucians in England, the Presbyterian church took as its symbol the rose croix which is a circle superimposed over the crossbar of the cross. Today, Presbyterians have no idea that their symbol represents the Rosicrucian sun god. In the year 1717 a Presbyterian pastor who was also a Rosicrucian was one of the founders of English Grand Lodge Freemasonry. Earlier, he had been appointed by King George II as preacher of the King of England. His name was Dr. James Anderson, pastor of the Swallow Street Presbyterian Church in London. Six other Protestants who were also Rosicrucians stood with Anderson in uniting English Freemasonry. In 1723 Anderson was appointed to write a constitution for the newly organized United Grand Lodge. We can recognize Anderson's apostasy in this constitution for it eliminates the role of Jesus Christ as the sole means of salvation. We quote one portion as an example: "It is now thought more expedient only to oblige the initiates to that religion in which all men agree leaving their particular opinions to themselves."

Another Protestant pastor who was also a Rosicrucian was Jean Theophilus Desagulier. Desagulier was born the son of a French Protestant clergyman in Rochelle, France. In the year 1685 his father, with his family, were forced to flee to England as refugees on the revocation of the Edict of Nance (ph). Young Desagulier entered Christ Church at Oxford. Upon graduation he pastored the French Protestant Chapel on Swallow Street in London and was named chaplain of the Prince of Wales by King George II. Desagulier's descent into apostasy began when he pastored his church. Rosicrucians in his congregation encouraged him to join their order. In the year 1717 he was at the side of Dr. James Anderson and five other Protestants who together united English Freemasonry. Desagulier also wrote the preface of Anderson's constitution. In the year 1719 he became the third Grand Master of English Grand Lodge. On April 28, 1737 Rev. Desagulier, the preacher appointed by the King of England to spiritual advise the king's son, initiated Frederick, the Prince of Wales, into Freemasonry at the Castle Kew (ph). That same year, Desagulier completed his apostasy when he renounced Christ, gave up his church and became the first missionary of Freemasonry initiating into the order Protestant princes from all over the United Kingdom and Europe. Through his Masonic zeal many Protestant men of learning in religious positions flocked to the fraternity including Sir Isaac Newton.

Sir Isaac Newton was self-taught student of the Bible, a member of the Anglican Church and a professed Christian. He was also one of the highest initiates in the order of Rosicrucians personally annotating copies of the Rosicrucian manifesto. Although there is no record of which lodge he held membership, Freemasonry claims Newton as one of their one. There is ample record, however, of his membership in the Rosicrucian Masonic order called the Royal Society. In fact, in 1703 he became its president. Most significant was Newton's appointment in 1691 to the position of Grand Master of the Priory of Sion. While in the Royal Society, Newton's study of scripture became one of calculating dates. As a Rosicrucian he ascribed great significance to the configuration and dimensions of Solomon's Temple which he believed concealed our chemical formulas. He believed the ancient ceremonies in the Temple to have involved alchemical processes. His library included more than 100 alchemical works and his preoccupation with alchemy continued all his life. Newton more than any other scientist of his age was steeped in hermetic texts and in his own attitudes reflected hermetic tradition. He was also deeply intrigued by some of the early Gnostic heresies and wrote a study of one of them and like the Gnostics of old, Newton was obsessed by the search for a divine unity, a network of correspondences inherent in nature. This search led him into the exploration of sacred geometry and numerology. Toward the end of his life Newton apostatized when he became militantly, albeit quietly, hostile to the idea of the Trinity. He questioned the divinity of Jesus and avidly collected all manuscripts pertaining to the issue. He doubted the complete authenticity of the New Testament, believing certain passages to be corruptions interpolated in the fifth century. A few weeks before his death and aided by a few intimate friends, Newton systematically burned numerous boxes of manuscripts and personal papers. With considerable surprise his contemporaries noted that on his deathbed he didn't request last rites of the Anglican Church.

These are but a few of the better known Protestants who apostatized. Of course, there is no public record of all or how many Protestants joined secret societies and renounced Christ. But when Jesus says their works were dead and when Hebrews 6:1 confirms that dead works precede apostasy and when Christ says only a few Sardis Christians did not defile their garments and when Titus 1 describes how Christians defiled their garments by joining secret societies and when our Lord says to the Philadelphia Christians that only a few did not apostatize, the overwhelming scriptural evidence is that the majority of Protestants during the Sardis church period did indeed join secret societies and renounce their faith. This brings us to Christ's warning to the Sardis church found in the first portion of Revelation 3:2 "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die." Watchful means to arouse yourself from inactivity.

The reason the Protestant Reformation had fallen into inactivity is found in the history of ancient Sardis. According to David Hocking in his book "The Coming World Leader," in Sardis there was no opposition toward the church neither by mystery religions nor by political institutions. When we broaden these two conditions to cover the Sardis church period, we discover that secret societies did not oppose the new emerging Protestant church because Freemasonry and the Reformers had united against the common enemy. In time, Freemasonry completely took over mainline Protestant denominations. This is confirmed by the late British journalist Steven Knight who in 1984 explained in his book "The Brotherhood" that "the Church of England has been a stronghold of Freemasonry for more than 200 years."

With Protestant churches so wrapped up in Freemasonry there was no opposition toward the church by secret societies which brings us to the second cause of spiritual inactivity by the Protestant church. There was no opposition by political institutions because Protestant churches were state churches. In Germany it was the Lutheran Church and in England it was the Church of England. In 1953 French Freemason Maurice LePage also confirms the connection between the Protestant church, the state and secret societies in his Masonic book entitled "The Symbolism": "It is absolutely useless for a Frenchman to try to understand English Freemasonry unless he realizes that the crown, the Anglican Church and the Unite Grand Lodge of England are one god in three persons." Without opposition from the crown and secret societies, the Protestant Reformation church became spiritually inactive.

After warning the church, Christ admonished them to strengthen the things which remain that are ready to die. The phrase "strengthen the things which remain" can be translated "strengthen the remnant." "Ready to die" can be translated as either "ready to die off," or "ready to separate." This phrase is in reference to its antecedent "remnant," and the remnant that is ready to die off or ready separate can be either a remnant of Reformers dying off or separating from the Catholic Church or a remnant of scripture dying off or separating into thousands of manmade doctrines for both are historically correct. All these prophetic possibilities were fulfilled in the history of the Protestant Reformation church. We shall first given an historic overview followed by specific details.

The first separation from Catholicism came when both the Luther Church and the Church of England severed their relationship with Rome. However, both denominations kept the liturgy of the Catholic Church with few doctrinal changes. This spawned further separation of Reformers who gave up on reforming these two Protestant denominations. In time as doctrinal issues were hotly debated further separations occurred until 1,000 Protestant denominations dotted Europe with little communication between them just as Christ had prophesied. Eventually fervor of scriptural truths also died off just as Christ had prophesied. We shall now be more specific about the progressive rise of the Protestant Reformation followed by its meteoric plunge into inactivity.

The Reformation began with Catholic priests who while studying the scriptures in Latin could not reconcile church doctrine with Bible doctrine. Former Jesuit Dr. Malachi Martin devotes eight chapters of his book "Decline and Fall of the Roman Church" to the decay of Biblical doctrine within the Catholic Church. He then devotes two chapters to an attempt of reforming Catholicism. The final chapter in this sequence is entitled "The Last Chance" meaning the last chance to reform Catholicism. And with its failure the Reformers separated from the Catholic Church.

While Reformation of Catholicism was in progress, several theologians translated the scripture into English. The earliest was completed by John Wycliffe during the 14th century and another by William Tyndale during the 16th century. There were other notable translations during this time such as the Great Bible in 1539 and the Geneva Bible in 1560. All these versions were unauthorized, meaning they were not approved of by the Catholic Church, yet a few spiritual truths that had been lost were rediscovered. However, these translations, their translators and the few who studied their work died off without having great impact on reforming the Catholic Church or reforming European society as a whole just as Christ had prophesied. The most famous and the first authorized translation of scripture was completed in the year 1611 which was commissioned by King James I of England. Presiding over the translation was a conclave of 47 scholars. Having a greater number of scholars to work on the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts caused more hidden truths to be discovered with this translation. And this being an authorized version, a wider distribution was available without fear of retribution. But only a few Reformers devoted their lives to the study of scripture whether in Latin or in English. Men like Martin Luther and after him John Calvin, both of the early 16th century, and after them Jacobus Arminius (ph), a Dutch Protestant theologian during the latter half of the 16th century, and after him John and Charles Wesley, both English evangelists and hymnists during the 18th century.

The vast majority of the nine million European Protestants that had separated from the Catholic Church couldn't read. The only way they could learn scriptural truths was to attend church and listen to the spirit filled preaching of those early Reformers. But that too, was short lived. William R. Newell in his book entitled "The Book of Revelation" describes how quickly the remnant of scriptural truths died off: "In the early Reformation days, all Europe was stirred with divine truth. People crowded the halls for 4 or 5 hours at a time to listen to discourses and debates upon scripture. But within two generations, the pulpits were silent." English historian James Anthony Frowd (ph) who wrote at the end of the 19th century gives the same results of the dying Protestant Reformation: "Protestantism has made no converts to speak of in Europe since the 16th century. It shot up in two generations to its full stature and became an established creed with defined boundaries, then died off."

Walter Scott gives insight as to why the Protestant Reformation flared up in spiritual fervor then quickly died. He writes that the exalted truths contained in the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, that is, the high calling of believers, the suitable behavior of believers, how a Christian life should be led and Christian fellowship, were utterly unknown to the mass of Reformers." Hence, without the knowledge of how Christians were to behave toward one another, there was no brotherly love in Protestant churches. For example, as each new revelation of doctrine shed more light on scriptural truths it led to debate and bitter controversy that adversely affected the spiritual growth of the church. In due course, scriptural truths began separating into 1,000 manmade doctrines resulting in a church fractured into more than 1,000 Protestant denominations. I repeat Christ's warning and condemnation in Revelation 3:2 — "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God." We learned earlier what this verse means; Christ not only condemns the Protestant church for separating from Catholicism instead of completing the reformation of it, his condemnation extends beyond that to the separation of scripture into many manmade doctrines and the splitting of Protestant churches into 1,000 denominations.

Christ then warns the Sardis church in Revelation 3:3 — "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." The word "watch" like the word "watchful" in verse 2 can be translated "arouse yourself from inactivity." If they refused to get spiritually motivated, Christ warns them with these words "I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." This is a judicial coming, a warning of judgment by war. We know this from the ancient history of Sardis. This phrase was a cliché in Sardis five centuries before Christ was born when King Cyrus conquered the city in a surprise attack and caught its inhabitants unprepared. According to David Hocking "it was said of King Cyrus that he invaded Sardis like a thief in the night before anyone had time to put his shoes on." As you recall, Christ gave similar judicial warning to the Ephesian church period when they abandoned evangelism to take up the task of defending the faith. Christ's warning of removing the Ephesian candlestick was fulfilled by three centuries of martyrdom. Likewise, when Christ warned the Sardis church "I will come upon thee," it too was a judicial coming to take action against an assembly that had exchanged its spiritual activity of reformation for the political activity of protesting and like his judgment of the Ephesian church, Christ visited 300 years of war on the Protestant church. Following are specific examples: First were the three religious wars of France in the 16th century that spanned 40 years. Second was the 30 year war in Germany in the 17th century. Third was the two English revolutions of the 17th century which spanned 60 years. Fourth was the French Revolution in 1789, the most vicious rebellion that the world had seen to that time. The French Revolution virtually wiped out the Protestant population in France which has not recovered to this day. And it was this revolution that denied the existence of God, hence ushering in our modern atheism and humanism. Fifth were the many revolutions that plague Europe most of the 19th century. Sixth was the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, more vicious than the French Revolution. The Bolsheviks killed 50 million Russians, most of whom were Christians. And seventh were two world wars during the first half of the 20th century which combined, claimed more lives than all the wars and revolution during the past three centuries. If Christ did not judge the Sardis Protestant church period for its spiritual inactivity, he would've owed the Ephesian church period an apology for judging it for abandoning evangelism.

This brings us to Christ's only favorable words to a few Christians in the Sardis church. These are not words of commendation to the Sardis church period as a whole for Christ had nothing good to say about the Protestant Reformation. Our Saviour only compliments the worthy remnant whose witness of Christ salvation had not died out, who in their frailty did not participate in separating themselves from other denominations over petty doctrinal differences. These faithful became the remnant that ushered in the Philadelphia church period. Philadelphia means "brotherly love" and to this day Protestant missionaries of all denominations do not separate themselves on the foreign field; a camaraderie of brotherly love and cooperation exists between them for their main goal is evangelism.

Christ's commendation to this remnant is found in Revelation 3:4 — "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." "Worthy" in Greek means "worthy of praise and due reward." The entire phrase "for they are worthy" uses a Greek word meaning "having the weight of something." It has the same meaning as saying "practice what you preach." Only a few Protestant Reformation Christians practiced what they preached, thus are worthy of praise and due reward.

Now let's apply the characteristics of the Sardis church period to your church today. If your church attempts to reform doctrinal error, it has passed the first test of being a reformed Sardis church. If your reformed church flares up in spiritual fervor then quickly dies, it has passed the second test of being a spiritually dead reformed Sardis church. If your church waves its reformed banner while conducting spiritual protests, it has passed the third test of being a spiritually dead Protestant reformed Sardis church. If your church continued its political protest and refuses to repent of its spiritual inactivity, it has passed the fourth test of being a spiritually dead Protestant Sardis church. If your church claims to be evangelical but remains small and inbred without adding to its members new converts, it has passed the fifth test of being a spiritually dead Protestant Sardis church. If your church splits over petty doctrinal issues, it has passed the sixth test of being a separated Protestant Sardis church. If your church refuses to fellowship with other Protestant churches because of petty doctrinal differences, it has passed the seventh test of being a separating Protestant Sardis church. If your parachurch organizational doctrinal statement restricts its ministry only to those of like precious faith, it has passed the final test of being a separating Protestant Sardis church. If you church fits any or all of these characteristics then Christ's condemnations and warnings will apply to your church and with them comes no commendation.

Now let's apply these same characteristics to you as an individual Christian. If you are genuinely concerned about doctrinal error in your church and time after time you privately discuss a matter with the pastor and elders and time after time they table the discussions, you have passed the first test of being a reformed Sardis Christian. If you give up on trying to reform your church and instead take up spiritually arms against the church and gather protestors to your side and together you split the church, you have passed the second test of being a spiritually dead Protestant Sardis Christian. If after splitting the church your spiritual flame is lit and in the new church you get involved in Bible studies, prayer meetings, personal soul winning and discipling programs then just as quickly your spiritual flame dies, you have passed the third test of being a spiritually dead Protestant Sardis Christian. If you claim to be an evangelical Christian simply because you belong to a Protestant church yet you never witness the saving power of Jesus Christ to others, you have passed the fourth test of being a spiritually dead Protestant Sardis Christian. If you find yourself unhappy in your Protestant church and you begin church hopping, you have passed the fifth test of being a spiritually dead Protestant Sardis Christian. If after having exhausted all church hopping prospects you quit going to church altogether, you have passed the sixth test of being a spiritually dead Protestant Sardis Christian. If any of these characteristics apply to you, then all of Christ's condemnations and warnings also apply to you and with them comes no commendation.

However, our merciful Lord gives you opportunity to repent. I quote our Saviour's words in Revelation 3:3 — "Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent." In this verse when Christ encourages you to repent he's not speaking to apostates for they can't repent again. He is speaking only to you who are spiritually inactive. Christ wants you to return to those reform doctrines that once set you on fire to win the world to a saving knowledge of our Saviour. If you don't repent you are ripe for recruitment into either a secret society or some political protest organization such as the Militia, the Patriots, the White Supremacists, the KKK, tax protestors or a variety of other anti-government organizations most of whose membership deny the deity of Christ. When you join any protest group that denies Christ as God, you have defiled your spiritual garments and are on the road to apostasy. Before you apostatize, however, Christ once again warns you in verse 3 — "I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." This coming is to take judicial action against you because you have exchanged spiritual activity of winning souls to Christ for political activity, protesting against government and he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword. As for the few Sardis remnant, Christ says "you are due a reward."

Which brings us to the eternal occupation of the Sardis overcomer. Found in Revelation 3:4-5 "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." Those who overcome will not succumb to the pressure of joining secret societies and defile their spiritual garments, they will not deny Christ's name, they will not succumb to political protest, they will not produce dead works, they will stay true to God's word, they will faithfully witness the eternal saving power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This faithful remnant will be clothed in white raiment and will walk with Christ in white for they are worthy. There are two ways to receive white raiment in heaven: (1) to be a martyr for the cause of Christ as were the Smyrna overcomers; (2) to live a pure, unadulterated, righteous life in a libertine world as did the Sardis overcomers. I shall repeat Christ's message to the white raiment martyrs of Smyrna to contrast their eternal occupation with the eternal occupation of the white raiment Sardis overcomers. Found in Revelation 7:14,15 it reads they "have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them." The eternal occupation of the martyred Smyrna Christians is caretaker of God's Temple which is the city foursquare, the New Jerusalem. The eternal occupation of the Sardis overcomers is vaguely stated in Revelation 3:4 — "they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy." The word "worthy" in Greek means "worthy of praise and due reward." The word "walk" in Greek means "to walk with Christ as a companion with respect, dignity and joyfully emotions." I suggest that the eternal white raiment companion of Christ can only be his bride.

A description of the bride of Christ is found in Revelation 19:7-9 — "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb." There is clear distinction in this scripture between the bride of Christ and those blessed who are called as guests to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Bible Commentator Dr. E. Skyler English comes closest to what I believe is an accurate assessment of who these guests are. Dr. English writes that "there are different groups of saved ones. Those who are the guests here are probably the believers of other dispensations or of the great tribulation time or both." Dr. English suggests that the entire body of believers during the church age is corporately the body of Christ. His proof text is Ephesians 5:21-33 which compares the relationship of a husband to his wife with the relationship of Christ to his church. Dr. English interprets this to mean that the entire church is the body of Christ. But Ephesians 1:22-23 and Colossians 1:24 informs us that the church is the body of Christ. Ephesians 2:21-22 explains that the entire body of the believers is the holy Temple of the Lord and Revelation 3:12 instructs us that the future Temple of God is called the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:2 reports that the New Jerusalem is prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. This final metaphor has been interpreted to mean that the New Jerusalem is the eternal dwelling place of the bride of Christ. As puzzling as all of this may be, it is scripture but not fully understood until we arrive in heaven. 1 Corinthians 13:12 confirms our lack of complete understanding here on earth "for now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face. Now I know in part but then shall I know even as I also am know." Ephesians 5:22 also confirms our lack of understanding by explaining that the relationship of Christ and the church still remains a great mystery.

As Dr. English makes distinction between the bride of Christ and the guests at the marriage supper of the Lamb, several New Testament scriptures make the same distinction. For example, John 3:29 differentiates between the bride and the bridegroom's friends. In the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-12, again there is clear distinction made between the bride and those attending the marriage. And in the parable of the marriage feast in Matthew 22:1-14, again there is distinction made between the bride and those invited guests. What is most significant about this last parable is the fact that it clearly teaches that those invited guests are Gentile Christians which means they are believers during the church age. Therefore, there is a clear distinction between those invited Christian guests and the Christian bride of Christ.

Let's reexamine the eternal occupation of the Christian overcomers of the first previous church periods. Ephesian overcomers will be caretakers of the heavenly paradise; the martyred white raiment Smyrna overcomers will be caretakers of the New Jerusalem, the home of the bride of Christ; Pergamos overcomers will for eternity be given special recognition by Christ for their positive vote and Thyatira overcomers will be kings over the nations of the earth. I suggest that these four groups of overcomers, as well as the overcomers during the Philadelphia and Laodicean church periods, are invited guests to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Only the pure, unadulterated, righteous, white raiment Sardis overcomers who Christ says are worthy of praise and due reward to walk with him as a companion with respect, dignity and joyful emotions will have the eternal occupation of being the bride of Christ.

In our next study we shall the eternal occupation of the Philadelphia overcomer. May God bless you as you read these scriptures in advance of each study.

Narrator:
We trust you have been blessed by the study presented by John Daniel. Mr. Daniel is also the author of another work, a trilogy of books entitled "Scarlet and the Beast." If you are interested in ordering "Scarlet and the Beast: A History of the War between English and French Freemasonry" write to us at JKI Publishing, PO Box 131480, Tyler, Texas 75713 or call toll free 1-800-333-5344 for an order form and a free chapter-by-chapter review.

Tape 4 | Introduction | Tape 6

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