The Letter to the 12 Tribes Scattered Abroad
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing from the Wilderness
How do you Know if You are Still in Babylon?
The Letter to The 12
Tribes Scattered Abroad
All Bible scholars assume that these communities are all in the same region of what is now modern day Turkey. But the letter is written to the communities in Asia. Asia at that time spread from Rome to China. I am sugesting that the letters were written to seven main communities but that it was also meant to circulate to all the budding communities of the followers of Yahshuah who were scattered all over the Gentile world, and to all who would come after down to our day. The main bodies of believers were in Egypt, Byzantium, Rome, Goa India, Antioch, Jerusalem and Peking.
I believe this letter was to warn us against false teachings that have
been, are, and will come. It is false teachings that turn believers away
from Yahveh.
1.Ephesus (Desirable)
This community is praised for weeding out the false apostles, they have resisted the Nicolaitane Heresy, they have done many good deeds but they have lost the spirit of love. They are told that if they cannot rekindle their early love they will cease to be part of the Yahveh's kingdom.
"If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing." (1 Cor. 13:2)
2. Smyrna (Myrrh)
This community is commended for enduring tribulation, poverty, and persecution from Old Rogue Israel. They are exhorted to remain faithful despite impending imprisonment and death.
3. Pergamos (Scrolls)
Pergamos comes from pergamena, which means parchment or scrolls. I connect the dots here to the city of the scrolls -Jerusalem.
This is the community of new believers that formed in Jerusalem (where Satan has his throne-where Yahshuah was killed). Many in the new nation that was born at Pentecost were, and are, and will be corrupted by the heresies of the Nicolaitanes and the Baalamites.
The Heresies of the Nicolaitanes
Information of the Nicolaitanes is hard to find but four teachings have emerged.
1) They denied that God created the world according to Genesis.
2. There were Judaizers among them teaching that certain points of the old law were required for new believers such as circumcision, Sabbath keeping, tithing, etc.
3. The Nicolaitanes taught that since we serve God with the spirit, which is free from the law, we are no longer under any condemnation for sins of the flesh. This led to the teaching called "the freedom of the flesh" According to this teaching even though it is a sin to engage in excesses, lusts, worldliness, materialism, premarital sex, multiple spouses, multiple marriages and any forms of sexual fornication: incest, orgies, homosexuality, bestiality etc. These sins of the flesh have no effect on your inheritance in the Kingdom of Yahveh.
The Gospel teaches just the opposite. It says that Yhaveh will reject fornicators, materialists, filthy, foolish, unclean jesters and talkers.
"For this ye know that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous…hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and Yahveh." (Ephesians 5:3-5)
4. The Nicolaitanes
installed a strict, domineering leadership that ruled with an iron hand
over their fellow believers. This was contrary to the gospel for Jesus
taught his disciple not to Lord it over each other or take titles like
Rabbi, Master, Teacher, Reverend, and Father etc. He said the leaders
of his new nation were to be servants not rulers.
5. The Nicolaitaines taught that Jesus was more than a man. They said he was God and man: a hybrid.
The Heresy of the Baalamites
In the Old Testament the evil prophet Baalam led the Israelites into marriages with the Moabites. This was also the "Sin of Solomon". The Christian teaching was clear that New Israel was not to marry people from Old Rogue Israel or non-believing gentiles. Solomon compounded his sin by not only taking idol-worshipping wives, but he multiplied wives until he had seven hundred. Deuteronomy 17:14 was explicit that if Israel chose to have kings they must never multiply wives nor gold nor silver.
4.Thyatira (Sacrifice)
This community was commended for having a good spirit of love and had been increasingly doing good deeds but many among them were listening to the false teachers, especially one powerful false teacher who is called Jezebel.
In the Old Testament Jezebel was a queen who usurped her husband's authority and by her bad spirit and worshipping of Moloch lead the nation into sin. She set up two moulten calves as idols; one for Baal and one for Moloch. She led the nation into astrology and star worship, and at her temples they engaged in orgies and child-sacrifices and cannibalism. It was Jezebel who killed Yahveh's prophets in the day of Elijah.
In The Revelation a Jezebel is any false teacher whether male, or female, who brings in damnable heresies. Yahshuah promises to slay false teachers and their disciples.
In Thyatira this particular teacher was primarily confusing the community about sexual issues. The New teaching of Christ is clear. Sex is to be between only one man and only one woman in marriage. Sex before marriage is fornication and to sleep with or marry a second spouse while your first mate lives is adultery.
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, ... nor adulterers...shall inheirit the kingdom of God" (1Cor.6:9-10)
5.Sardis (Remant)
The community in Sardis had a sterling reputation as being "good Christians", but Yahshuah says the reputation is hollow, for with the exception of a handful, they are spiritually dead. They are told to repent and return to what they first knew and practiced. Anyone who did not repent would have his or her named blotted out of the Book of Life.
6. Philadelphia (Brotherly Love)
This community had no power, yet they were praised for their faithfulness. They still had the spirit of love and had remained true to the teachings of Christ. If they remained faithful, Yahshuah promised to mark them with his new name (?), and his father's name (Yahveh), and the name of the New Jerusalem (Hephzibah) -(Is.62.2).
7.Laodicea (Justice for the Common People)
This was a large, prosperous community but they had a lukewarm spirit. Yahshuah said that their lukewarmness would cause them to go over to the dark side and he would spit them out. They were told to repent and revive their enthusiasm for Yaveh and his Messiah and the new nation and the new teachings. Repent or perish.
Next The Four Horsemen Simplified
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