The Keys To The Kingdom of Heaven – Part 1

To Whom Has God Given The Key of The House of David, The Keys to The Kingdom of Heaven, and The Key of Knowledge

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of  the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Introduction

The misunderstanding of these two verses of scripture is the very foundation of all Catholicism, one of the most prominent daughters of the great harlot of Revelation 17 and 18.

Rev 17:1  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
Rev 17:2  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

The book of Revelation was written in the 90’s A.D. at the very latest, and this great harlot had already “committed fornication… with… the kings of the earth, and the inhabitants of the earth [had already] been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

This great harlot, in scriptural terms, is the first mother of those who “come out of her”:

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Rev 18:5  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

As we endure the process of leaving the harlot and all of her false doctrines and all of her customs behind us, Jerusalem above becomes the new mother of our new man, who is being birthed through the daily death and destruction of our old man:

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 

Before we come to this ‘Jerusalem’, we are first the sons and daughters of another ‘Jerusalem’. This first Jerusalem is called “a harlot”. This harlot woman was known well to Christ and His apostles who were aware of the scriptures identifying her in no uncertain terms:

Isa 1:1  The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Isa 1:2  Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
Isa 1:3  The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
Isa 1:4  Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.

It was the religion of the scribes, Pharisees and the Sadducees of whom the apostles thought when they spoke of a spiritual prostitute who brought forth a “people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers.”

Rev 17:3  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
Rev 17:4  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
Rev 17:5  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
Rev 17:6  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

In verse 21 of this same first chapter of Isaiah all doubt is removed of who Christ and His apostles considered to be “the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth”:

Isa 1:21  How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.

The holy spirit was using the types and shadows of the Old Testament scriptures to give us as clear a picture of this “mother of harlots” as possible. In the book of Revelation this great harlot is called spiritual Sodom, and to take away all doubt, we are then told that this ‘city’ is “where also our Lord was slain”. The apostle John takes all this symbolism out of the book of Isaiah, and it comes from this very same first chapter of Isaiah::

Isa 1:10  Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.

Rev 11:8  And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

The name ‘Babylon’ is taken for this harlot because that was to be the capital of mankind immediately after the flood of Noah. It was at the tower of Babel that mankind was united in his efforts to rebel against God’s commandment to “replenish… the earth”.

Gen 9:1  And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

Gen 9:7  And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
Gen 9:8  And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying,
Gen 9:9  And I, behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; 

God had made a covenant with Noah and his seed after him, and mankind has rebelled against and broken every physically recorded covenant made with his Creator, be it Noahic, Abrahamic, or Mosaic. At the appointed time, Christ came and died and was raised up to write His new spiritual covenant upon our hearts and strengthen us to do what the flesh cannot do:

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

All this spiritual knowledge is revealed to us through “the keys of the kingdom”. It is by ignoring those very ‘keys’, the very principles through which we can know God and His Son, and by reading Matthew 16:18-19 as stand-alone verses of scripture, that Catholicism has convinced many that Christ has given the keys to the kingdom of heaven to the apostle Peter alone. That doctrine is the very foundation of all Catholicism.

Here it is again:

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The CLV is a much better translation of verse 19.

Mat 16:19 I will be giving you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatsoever you should be binding on the earth shall be those things having been bound in the heavens, and whatsoever you should be loosing on the earth, shall be those having been loosed in the heavens.

When we read, “whatsoever you shalt bind on earth shall be those things having been bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shalt loose on earth shall be those things having been loosed in heaven”, this is the same thing we are told concerning a key which is first mentioned in the Old Testament. These same keys are also called “the key of the house of David” in both the Old Testament and the New Testament:

Isa 22:22  And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Rev 3:7  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

“The key of the house of David” of Isaiah 22:22 is “the key of David” of Revelation 3:7. It was most instructive to me to discover that the word “open” in Isaiah 22:22 (“He shall open and none shall shut”) is also properly translated elsewhere as ‘loose’, as in Matthew 16:18-19:

A couple of examples will make that point:

Psa 116:16  O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed [Hebrew: pathach, H6605] my bonds.

Isa 58:6  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose [Hebrew: pathach, H6605] the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

It should be obvious to everyone that the ‘key of David’, which opens and no man can shut, is without a doubt the ability to see and hear the mysteries of the kingdom of God. It is seeing through all the lies of Babylon that looses the bondage we are under in that state. That is exactly what Christ told His disciples He had given to them. Notice how Christ Himself separates His “disciples indeed”, those who “continue [Greek: abide] in His Word” (Joh 8:30-31), from those who have not been given eyes that see or ears that hear His Word:

Mat 13:1  The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
Mat 13:2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Mat 13:3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

These multitudes who came to Christ to hear His parables and to eat His loaves and His fishes typify the multitudes of Christians who, to this day, are “not given… to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God”, as Christ explained to those to whom are given ears that hear:

Mat 13:9  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Mat 13:10  And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Now we need to put together, line upon line and precept upon precept, what we have been told about the key of David and the keys of the kingdom of God, and see what we are actually being told.

Here are the two verses concerning the key of the house of David:

Isa 22:22  And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Rev 3:7  And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David; he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

The key of the house of David shuts and no man can open, and it opens and no man can shut.

Let’s compare what the key of the house of David does with what the keys to the kingdom of heaven do. As we look at what the scriptures teach us about the keys to the kingdom of heaven, we must notice that the function of these “keys to the kingdom” is not given only to the apostle Peter. The ability to use the keys to the kingdom of heaven to bind on earth what has been bound in heaven, and to loose on earth what has been loosed in heaven, has actually been given to any “two or three ” of Christ’s chosen, elect disciples.

Here are the verses which tell us to whom it is actually given to loose on earth what has been loosed in heaven, and to bind on earth what has been bound in heaven:

Mat 16:18  “Now I also say to you, that you are Peter [a stone], and on this solid rock I will build my Assembly [or Church], and [the] gates of the realm of the dead [Greek:  hades] will not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19  “And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatever you bind on the earth will have been bound in the heavens; and whatever you loose on the earth will have been loosed in the heavens.” (ALT)

However, look at who, besides just Peter, is also given to loose on earth the things that have been loosed in heaven and to bind on earth the things that have been bound in heaven:

Mat 18:18  Verily I say unto you [all His elect disciples (Mat 18:1)], Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat 18:19  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Where any “two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst” ‘to bind on earth what I have already bound in heaven and to loose on earth what I have already loosed in heaven.’

The ALT is a much better translation:

Mat 18:18  “Positively, I say to you, whatever [things] you bind on the earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever [things] you loose on the earth will have been loosed in heaven.
Mat 18:19  “Again, positively I say to you, if two of you agree together on the earth concerning any matter, whatever they ask, it will be done to them from my Father, the [One] in the heavens.
Mat 18:20  “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

That message now accords with what we are told in these verses of scripture:

1Jn 5:14  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

Our petitions do not control Christ or His Father. Our petitions here on earth must accord with “those things having been bound [or] loosed in heaven”, and the keys to the kingdom of heaven were not given only to Peter, but to all who are “gathered together in My name”. Furthermore, “in My name” does not mean verbalizing those words, rather ‘in Jesus’ name’ means abiding in His doctrine as these verses make so clear:

Luk 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? 
Luk 6:47  Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
Luk 6:48  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
Luk 6:49  But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Neither Peter nor any other man is the foundation at all for the church of God. Here is who the scriptures clearly teach is the only foundation of God’s true church:

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

These keys to the kingdom of heaven are not given to just anyone, and they certainly do not give those who possess them power to be abusive to others. Those who possess the keys to the kingdom of heaven are only those who “hear [Christ’s] sayings, and doeth them”. That is the meaning of being “gathered together in [Christ’s] name [and having Him] in the midst [of them]”. The only people who are given the keys to the kingdom of heaven are those who know that they will ‘reap what they sow’, as these verses of scripture make abundantly clear:

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, [or “in Jesus ‘name”] shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Joh 3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Gal 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Col 3:25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ  depart from iniquity. 

So it is here in Matthew 18 that Christ clarifies what He said to Peter concerning the ‘keys to the kingdom of heaven’ in Matthew 16:18-19.

Matthew 18:1 makes clear to us that Christ is speaking to his chosen disciples, but look at what the subject matter is:

Mat 18:1  At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
Mat 18:2  And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
Mat 18:3  And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 18:4  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Lo and behold, the subject is “the kingdom of heaven” and the humble, teachable spirit that is required to have those keys to open that kingdom of heaven and to enter into it, to loose on earth what has been loosed in heaven, and to bind on earth what has been bound in heaven.

One who is given the ability to open the gates to the kingdom of heaven, which is also called ‘the house of David’, must “become as [a] little child” in the sense of humbling himself and becoming teachable concerning what is the key of the house of David, and what are the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Here in Matthew 18 we learn that one of those qualifications is that we must humble ourselves and become as teachable as little children at the feet of Christ. Those who will not do so do not possess ‘the key of the house of David’ or ‘the keys to the kingdom of heaven’, and they will not be in that kingdom until they “humble [themselves] and become as [teachable as] a little child”.

Catholicism, the largest single Christian denomination on earth, teaches that Matthew 16:18-19 proves that Christ built His church upon the apostle Peter, and that since Peter was the first Pope of Rome, the followers of the Popes of Rome, and they alone, are the true church of God because the Popes, and the Popes alone, have been given the power to loose and to bind all things in heaven and on earth. Their doctrine teaches that power to loose and to bind was passed down to them by the apostle Peter, whom they claim was the first Pope of the church of Rome. If you have ever wondered where the concept of meeting saint Peter at the golden gates of heaven came from, now you know. It is all based upon the lie that Christ gave the keys to the kingdom of heaven only to the apostle Peter.

Is there even a grain of truth to that doctrine? The answer is, no, there is no truth whatever to any of those assertions. They are one and all based on false history and the twisting and mistranslating of the scriptures. The first thing that needs to be corrected is that there is not one verse of scripture which indicates that the apostle Peter ever even went to Rome, much less being ordained as the first Pope of Rome.

The next thing we need to correct is the doctrine that Christ’s church is built upon the foundation of the apostle Peter. The scriptures clearly teach otherwise, as we saw earlier:

1Co 3:11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Peter is not the foundation of the church of God except in the sense that we are all “built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone”:

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye [Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 

It also needs to be pointed out that Christ was in reality making this very point by telling Peter, who is a type of us, that he, Peter, was in reality just “a piece of a Rock”, as the definition of the name ‘Peter’ demonstrates:

G4074
Πέτρος
Petros
pet’-ros
Apparently a primary word; a (piece of) rock (larger than G3037); as a name, Petros, an apostle: – Peter, rock. Compare G2786.

“Thou are Peter” means, “You are Petros, a piece of rock.” Peter is but “a piece” of the True Rock. He is not “the Chief Cornerstone… this Rock… foundation… which is Christ.” Christ did not say, ‘You are Petros, and on this Petros I will build My church’, rather He said, “On this Petra I will build My church.”

It is that second word, Petra, which Christ used to contrast Himself with Peter to describe that ‘rock’ upon which He is building His church: “Upon this rock [“this Petra“, a massive rock, Christ Himself] will I build My church”. The second word is not ‘Petros‘. Christ was contrasting Peter, Petros, a piece of a rock, to Himself as a ‘Petra‘, a mass of rock, as Strong’s demonstrates:

G4073
πέτρα
petra
pet’-ra
Feminine of the same as G4074; a (mass of) rock (literally or figuratively): – rock.

This is just how much of “a mass of rock” this word ‘petra‘ conveys:

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: [petra, G4073]
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. [petra, G4073, Christ Himself]

To whom exactly is this word ‘Petra‘ applied in scripture? Is it ever once used in reference to Peter? The answer is, no, it never is; not once. Rather, this is its application in scripture:

1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
1Pe 2:8  And a stone of stumbling, and a rock [Petra] of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1Co 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock [Petra] that followed them: and that Rock [Petra] was Christ. 

“That Rock [that Petra] was Christ.” It never was Peter. Peter was merely a piece of that Rock as we all are. Peter is never once in all scripture referred to as ‘Petra‘, and to attempt to make Matthew 16:18 say that ‘Petra‘ is referring to Peter is to completely miss the whole point Christ was making by using one word meaning ‘a piece of a rock’ and the other meaning a large massive Rock, which is the same as the same difference between building on sand and building on a massive Petra, Rock. Petros is bigger than a grain of sand, but the storms of life will wash away a Petros, just as quickly they wash away sand.

Who was given the power to bind and to loose?

Remember it is claimed by Catholicism that only the Popes, by virtue of being Peter’s historic successors, have been granted the power to bind or loose all things in heaven and on the earth. Accepting Peter as the first Pope of Rome without so much as one verse of scripture to back up that assertion, is like accepting Joseph Smith’s assertion he was told to establish a board of twelve apostles to govern the Mormon Church. It is the same trick. Both are based upon a lie.

It’s like Satan Himself. You tell a lie: “You shall not surely die… Peter is the first Pope of Rome… We must have a board of 12 apostles to govern the church”, and millions of people believe the lie, and you build your entire church upon that lie, and no one even thinks to try that spirit to see whether it is of God.

So when we put Matthew 16:18-19 together with Matthew 18:18-19, we see clearly that the power of the keys to the kingdom of heaven to bind and to loose on earth that which has been already bound or loosed in heaven does not depend upon Peter or any Pope of Rome. Instead, here in Matthew 18 we are told that those who have been given the keys to the kingdom of heaven to “bind on earth [that which] has been bound in heaven, and to “loose on earth [that which] has been loosed in heaven” are “two or more [who] are gathered together in My Name”.

Mat 18:18  “Positively, I say to you, whatever [things] you bind on the earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever [things] you loose on the earth will have been loosed in heaven.
Mat 18:19  “Again, positively I say to you, if two of you agree together on the earth concerning any matter, whatever they ask, it will be done to them from my Father, the [One] in the heavens.
Mat 18:20  “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (ALT)

Who are the Nicolaitans?

On the other hand, Christ warns us against others who place themselves above those in their charge with these words:

Luk 11:52  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

Any church with a legal structure which places its ministers in a position to “exercising dominion over” those in their charge is not a church with the doctrine of Christ. They have replaced Christ’s doctrine of “let [your leaders] be your servant” with “the doctrine of the Nicolaitans”.

When we read what provoked those words of Christ to the lawyers, we see that the lawyers considered themselves to be part of the ruling elite; the scribes and the Pharisees. Here is what provoked Christ to speak those words to the lawyers:

Luk 11:44  Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
Luk 11:45  Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

The lawyers, the scribes and the Pharisees are all scripturally and symbolically part of the religious elite who were always attacking everything Christ did and attempting to lord it over Christ and the flock of God. Christ pulled no punches when dealing with this ‘Nicholaitan’ spirit:

Luk 11:46  And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
Luk 11:47  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. 
Luk 11:48  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 
Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
Luk 11:52  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

That is what we all first do to those whom the Lord sends to us to show us our sins. We are all guilty of “slay[ing]… and persecut[ing], those who are sent to us as our own saviors. We are all guilty of the blood of all the prophets, as being first the followers of the spiritual ‘scribes, Pharisees and lawyers’. They are the symbolic leaders of the churches of Babylon.

In the book of Revelation, these religious elite who lord it over the Lord’s flock are called “Nicolaitans”.

Rev 2:6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Christ “hates… the doctrine of the Nicolaitans”, because their doctrine is the exact opposite of His own doctrine which teaches us that we have no dominion over each other’s faith:

Mat 20:25  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 
Mat 20:27  And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 
Mat 20:28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

2Co 1:24  Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Contrast those words with the doctrines of the ministers of this world who tie your very salvation to whether you are tithing and giving offerings to them. Who, with the mind of Christ, knowing the doctrine of Christ, can imagine Jesus putting on a red costume with a physical crown, or a black robe with a backward collar, to physically distinguish Himself from His own followers? Really?

We will be greatly edified to just learn the meaning of the word ‘Nicolaitan’. Here is Strong’s definition of the Greek word translated into English as ‘Nicolaitans’:

G3531
Νικολαΐ́της
Nikolaitēs
nik-ol-ah-ee’-tace
From G3532; a Nicolaite, that is, adherent of Nicolaus: – Nicolaitane.

So a Nicolaitan is “an adherent of Nicolaus,” and this word Nicolaitan comes from G3532 or Nicolaus.

Here is what Strong’s has to say about the root of this word:

G3532
Νικόλαος
Nikolaos
nik-ol’-ah-os
From G3534 and G2004; victorious over the people; Nicolaus, a heretic: – Nicolaus

Here is the Greek word for ‘people’:

laos
lah-os’
Apparently a primary word; a people (in general; thus differing from G1218, which denotes one’s own populace): – people.

It is the religious elite who prefer to separate themselves from those who are merely “the laity” and contrast themselves as ‘the ministry’. There certainly are those who are called to be ministers to “labor in the word” within the body of Christ, but no true minister of Christ separates himself from the Lord’s flock or exercises authority over the Lord’s ‘laos‘, His people, His flock. The Nicolaitans are “victorious over” the ‘laos‘, the laity. They actually emphasize rank within the church, and they “exercise dominion over” the Lord’s flock, and “lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and [will them]selves touch not the burdens with one of [their] fingers.” That is “the doctrine of the Nicolaitans” whose doctrine Christ hates and upon whom He pronounces all these woes. In other words, those who claim to be the possessors of “the keys to the kingdom of heaven” are actually those upon whom Christ pronounces this very revealing woe:

Luk 11:52  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

It is the knowledge of who Christ and His Father are that is “the key of knowledge… the key of the house of David… the keys to the kingdom of heaven”:

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Belief in the doctrine of the Nicholaitans hinders us from entering into the kingdom of heaven. It actually “takes away the key of knowledge… the key of the house of David, [and] the keys to the kingdom of heaven”, and that doctrine is entrenched in both Catholic and Protestant doctrine and in all the daughters of the great harlot.

Conclusion

In the coming weeks, Lord willing, we are going to give you the key of the knowledge of “the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom [He] has sent”. We will do this by placing in your hands, free of any charge and with no strings attached, the many Biblical principles for coming to know what is the mind of God as revealed by how He has made His own prophets to write His own thoughts in a manner that demonstrates the power of His words in a way that only those with His mind can understand:

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 
1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
1Co 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Paul makes it clear that He is not speaking of physical miracles, but that he is “comparing spiritual things with spiritual”.

1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know [through “the key of knowledge”] the things that are freely given to us of God. 
1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

“The holy spirit teaches comparing spiritual things with spiritual.” The holy spirit, through the pen of the apostle Paul, is telling us that the holy spirit teaches us by using spiritual types and shadows to teach us spiritual principles such as ‘the sum of God’s Word, line upon line, precept upon precept, no scripture being of its own interpretation, the light and the darkness being the same cloud, the positive and the negative application of scripture, the invisible things of God being understood by the things that are made, the dream is one, even when the details of the dreams vary widely, that all things come alike to all men, and there is but one event to all, that man must live by every word of God, and that we must never think above what is written, or add to or take away from the word of God, etc., etc. I do not know how long this series of studies will be, but if you are given to receive these principles, you will have been given “the key of knowledge”, the key of the house of David, and the keys of the kingdom of heaven, which will empower you to bind on earth what has been bound in heaven and to loose on earth what has been loosed in heaven.

[Part two can be found here]

Video Links

Audio Download

What the Spirit Says to the Angel of the Church in Pergamos – Part 2

Updated November 3, 2023

Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Introduction

In urging us to “keep the things written therein”, the first church addressed by the spirit is Ephesus. Ephesus within us is guilty of “leaving her first love”, but she does “hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans.” Ephesus is therefore reminded that she is being  addressed by “he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.”

Those words are appropriate to how Christ presents himself to us when we have left our first love, but we hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans.

The second church we keep within us is Smyrna, and Smyrna in us is above reproach. Smyrna recognizes “the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.” Smyrna therefore is reminded that she is being addressed by “the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive.”
That is appropriate to how Christ presents Himself to us when we recognize all the false doctrines and blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not, but are of the synagogue of Satan. Neither Smyrna nor Philadelphia are admonished against any wrongdoing. Both Smyrna and Philadelphia are encouraged to maintain their fidelity to Christ and His doctrines and both are promised great blessing for their fidelity.

Pergamos within us has ‘given away the farm’ spiritually speaking. To our credit, we are told by Christ, that on the positive side, “Thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and… Antipas… my faithful martyr… was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth”. The dying daily of Antipas within us is contrasted with ‘the doctrine of Balaam, eating things sacrificed to idols, and committing fornication’ which are also within us. “Thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”

This is how Christ presents Himself to us while we are in such a conflicted state. How is it even possible that Christ can tell us that “we hold fast His name and have not denied His faith” and in the same breath tell us that we “hold the doctrine of Balaam [and] the doctrine of the Nicolaitans” (Rev 2:14-15). That apparent contradiction is always cleared up when we are given to know that we all at first ‘receive the Word with joy, but when persecution arises because of the Word, we all fall seven times, teaching us that we of ourselves can do nothing, and then, only after learning that lesson, if it is written in our book to do so, we rise again’:

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Pro 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Christ wants the church of Pergamos within us to take hope and to know that even in the face of all of these problems within us, there is still great hope if we will “only acknowledge our iniquity…”

Jer 3:13  Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
Jer 3:14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

That again is the ‘two-edged’ nature of Christ and His fiery words and doctrines. Those doctrines are death and destruction to our old man, and through that death and destruction those same doctrines bring life and peace to our new man:

Rev 2:12  And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

“Satan’s seat” is “Satan’s thronos” in the Greek. It is while we are ‘falling seven times’ that Satan has set up house on the throne of our hearts and minds because we have succumbed to the authority of the Nicolaitans who at their appointed time bear rule over us. We also, at the appointed time, have within us “them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Israel to eat things offered to idols and to commit fornication.” We are “the Israel of God” (Gal 6:15-16), and yet during the Pergamos part of the revelation of Jesus Christ within us, we ‘hold the doctrine of Balaam’ which teaches us that it is good and loving and tolerant to listen to false teachers and to tolerate their false doctrines. We tell ourselves that in so doing we are “bearing the infirmities of the weak” and showing love and maintaining the unity of the body of Christ. Like the apostle Peter in the high priest’s house during the questioning of Jesus, we want to blend in with the crowd. Nothing could be further from this truth. Blending in with Babylon does not preserve unity. Instead it serves only to “leaven the whole lump” with heresies and to increase the factions within the body. It is much to be preferred to be divided by the Truth than to be united in a lie and a false doctrine. Here is the mind of Christ concerning this ‘doctrine of Balaam… meat offered to idols” which produces spiritual fornication.’

Tit 3:10  A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
Tit 3:11  Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.

The commentaries all quote verse 13 and use it as a positive point against which the sins of Pergamos are contrasted.

Rev 2:13  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, [even] where Satan’s seat [is]: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas [was] my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Here is Henry’s comments on verse 13. It is typical:

“1. Christ takes notice of the trials and difficulties this church encountered with: I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, etc., Rev 2:13. The works of God’s servants are best known when the circumstances under which they did those works are duly considered. Now that which added very much lustre to the good works of this church was the circumstance of the place where this church was planted, a place where Satan’s seat was. As our great Lord takes notice of all the advantages and opportunities we have for duty in the places where we dwell, so he takes notice of all the temptations and discouragements we meet with from the places where we dwell, and makes gracious allowances for them. This people dwelt where Satan’s seat was, where he kept his court. His circuit is throughout the world, his seat is in some places that are infamous for wickedness, error, and cruelty. Some think that the Roman governor in this city was a most violent enemy to the Christians; and the seat of persecution is Satan’s seat.”

[Emphasis mine}

Indeed, Satan’s seat, his throne “is in some places that are infamous for wickedness, error, and cruelty”. Those ‘places’ are always the hearts and minds of the ‘the wicked… the man of sin’ within each of us at our own appointed time, before he is revealed to us and we acknowledge our iniquity and repent of our weaknesses, our sins and our proud and rebellious nature:

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil [within us].
Pro 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.
Pro 16:6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; [within us… “Ye are the temple of God” (1Co 3:15-16)]
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God [our hearts and minds], shewing himself that he is God.
2Th 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his [appointed] time.
2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming [The coming of Christ, the Truth, into our hearts and minds]:
2Th 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

How devastating is the outward approach to the revelation of Jesus Christ. “This people dwelt where Satan’s seat was” has no personal or inward application to Matthew Henry nor to anyone else who see the Revelation of Jesus in dispensational terms only. Yet that is how this entire prophecy must continue to be understood if God is going to keep this prophecy “sealed with seven seals” from all of us until we are given eyes that see and ears that hear. It is not given to the multitudes of Christianity, the masses of the “many called” of orthodox, Babylonian Christianity to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven:

Mat 13:10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Mat 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

How effective at blinding us it is when the Lord keeps us from seeing how we fail to see that we are commanded to “keep those things that are written therein.” Those have been given the gift of seeing and hearing Revelation 1:3 know that Satan’s throne is within us all. Satan’s throne is not in any geographical position in the universe. Satan’s throne usurps Christ’s rightful throne. Satan’s throne is in the hearts and minds of all of his “children of disobedience.” According to the apostle Paul, that is all of us at our appointed time.

Eph 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Eph 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

1Co 1:1  Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
1Co 1:2  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1Co 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
1Co 3:4  For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Both the “Jews which believed on Him” but ‘could not hear His words’, and the Corinthians who were “sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints”, both typify each of us when we are yet spiritually “carnal babes in Christ.” This experience is common to “we all” according to the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:

Eph 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

This struggle against our flesh is not simply before we are called; it is also after we are called and while we are as “carnal babes in Christ… reading hearing and keeping… what the spirit saith to the seven churches in Asia.”

Gal 4:1  Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child [Greek: nepios, a toddler], differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all;
Gal 4:2  But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:
Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

It is only by “hearing what the spirit says to [all seven of] the churches” and by “keeping the things written therein” to all the churches of Asia, that we can ever hope to “receive the adoption of sons.” So we continue:

Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

The Greek word for ‘children’ in Galatians 4:3 is ‘nepios’ G3516. A ‘nepios’ is a spiritual baby in diapers. The word translated as ‘Son’ in Galatians 4:4 is ‘huios’ G5207. A ‘huios‘ is the Greek word for an adult child. A spiritual ‘huios’ does not tolerate the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, while a ‘nepios‘, the Greek word for a toddler, considers it cold-hearted and unloving and divisive to “hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans.”

We have covered the Nicolaitans in our study of what the spirit had to say to the church at Ephesus.

Rev 2:6  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

We saw that the Nicolaitans bear dominion over our faith, contrary to the words of Christ when He responded to His disciples arguing about who would be the greatest among them. Because this is so very common, we will look again at this doctrine and what Christ thinks of those who practice this doctrine.

Mat 20:20  Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
Mat 20:21  And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
Mat 20:22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23  And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Mat 20:24  And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.
Mat 20:25  But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26  But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27  And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
Mat 20:28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

So we “hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans” at one point as we mature in our walk, and at another point we “have them also” in our very midst. In Ephesus we “hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans”, and in Pergamos we “have also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans”; among many other false doctrines which are brought into our hearts and minds by those who are given to lord it over us in this part of our walk. That is why Christ comes to us as “he which hath the sharp sword with two edges.“

This next verse just logically follows:

Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

The fact that the spirit says “I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them” proves that all of this is taking place within us, and the battle is not outward but is won by Christ with “the sword of My mouth”… that which is written.”

1Co 4:6 Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other. (ACV)

It is given to only a few people to see or hear these things of the spirit, and so we are told again, as with every one of these seven churches of Christ within us:

Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].

Remember, any time we see that phrase “he that hath and ear,” we are actually being told that very few will understand what is being said.

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it (Rev 2:17B).

What incredible blessings are promised to “him that overcometh.”  It is to the overcomers only that it is given to “eat of the hidden manna.”

Rom 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not comparable to the glory that is going to be revealed for us.
Rom 8:19 For the eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. (ACV)

It is the overcomers only who are “given a white stone, containing a new name, which no man knows  but the man who receives that white stone containing that new name.”

We are told:

Pro 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

‘A good name’ has nothing to do with the verbalizing of any name versus another name. ‘A good name’ has only to do with a good reputation. We do not blaspheme the name of God by calling Him God instead of Yahweh. We blaspheme the name of God among the nations when we disobey Him and do not do the things He tells us to do:

Luk 6:46 And why do ye call me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things that I say?

Christ could care less whether I call Him ‘Jesus’ or ‘Iesus’. He just wants me to do the things [He] says to do.

Rom 2:22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
Rom 2:23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
Rom 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

The ‘new name’ given every man who overcomes is the name “Christ in you the hope of glory”, and no one knows that name but the one to whom it is given.

What are all these promises? Are they not all the same thing? Are they not all nothing less than types of Christ and His words taking up their abode within us? Being given “the spirit of Christ” is “life more abundantly” and is the ultimate gift God can give:

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

It is, of course, the same as “the spirit of God dwelling in you.” Let’s look at how the scriptures define these symbols for us. The definitions are always very illuminating and instructive in and of themselves.

What then, is “the hidden manna?” This phrase comes from the manna which Moses was instructed to place within the ark of the covenant.

Exo 16:32  And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
Exo 16:33  And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
Exo 16:34  As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.

What does the spirit tell us is hidden?

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1Pe 3:4  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Christ, “the Word” (Joh 1:1), His doctrine, is that “hidden man of the spirit” with “the hidden wisdom” which is the “hidden manna”, and the “new name” which is promised to “him that overcometh.”

Christ tells us that He is the bread that came down from heaven which if a man eats he will live forever.

Joh 6:41  The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

Joh 6:51  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

Always ask, “What is Christ’s flesh which He gives for the life of the world?” Every time we ask that question about Christ, except when it involves headship, we will always arrive at the same answer:

Eph 5:30  For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:

“The testimony” where the hidden manna is “laid up” in Exodus 16:4 is “the ark of the testimony”, and this “hidden manna” was laid up inside the ark, which means that it is laid up inside Christ, who is our testimony just as we are “of His flesh…”

Rev 1:2  Who [John and Christ in John and in you and me] bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

Rev 1:9  I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 12:17  And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

This “hidden manna” was soon lost, just as we all, at one time “leave our first love.”

1Ki 8:1  Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion.

1Ki 8:9  There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

And will give him a white stone,

What is this “white stone?” We will not find a scripture anywhere else where these two words are together as they are here. We can, line upon line and precept upon precept, determine that this white stone, like everything else in scripture, is concerned in one way or another with Him “by whom and for whom all things were made” (Col 1:16, Rev 4:11).

The only other place in which the Greek word “white stone” used here in Revelation 2:17 is in Acts 26:10.

Act 26:10  Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.^{2702 5586}

The use of a white stone as opposed to a black one was to denote acquital or innocence rather than the guilt meant by use of the black stone. This word use falls right into line with the ‘white linen’ the elect are given. The white stone shows our approval in Christ, our acquital, our voice of innocent verdict.

What does the color white tell us? Whose name is best known in connection with this color?

Mat 17:2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Rev 1:14  His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

Rev 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.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

It is only Christ, and those who are with Him who “walk in white,” because white is primarily associated with Christ. The white throne and the white stone are both Christ in His people, in His elect.

And in the stone a new name written

What is this “new name” which is written in this “white stone?” Is there any doubt what name is given to Christ’s elect?

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name‘s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

Mat 18:5  And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Mat 18:20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

The holy spirit itself comes only in Christ’s name. That name of Jesus is the only name that is above every name that is named, and it is He who is our father and “of whom the whole creation in heaven and in earth is named” (Eph 3:15):

Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
Eph 1:19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly [places],
Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Eph 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

We are named after our father, and our father is Christ:

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

So we are named after our Father, and our Father is named after His Father, and once again we have to come to see that “as He is so are we in this world.”

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

While there are billions of people who claim the name of Christ, there are very few who know that name. The name of Christ, is for the most part “blasphemed among the heathen through those who claim that name:

Rom 2:24  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Like the apostle Paul, we all ignorantly blaspheme the name of God for many years before we begin to repent and to quit blaspheming that name.

1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
1Ti 1:13  Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did [it] ignorantly in unbelief.

Hebrew and Greek vocalizations of names given God are not the subject of any of the verses which mention the name of God. “A good name” has nothing to do with vocalizations of physical names. “A good name” has everything to do with a good life and a pure mind and conscience before God. The only way we can possibly properly name the name of Christ or His Father is to forsake evil:

2Ti 2:19  Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

While billions call themselves by Christ’s name, the only ones who know that new name written in that white stone are those who “depart from iniquity” and can honestly call Christ their Lord:

Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Conclusion

We have reviewed what is signified by the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, and we saw that it signifies the point in our walk when we have the doctrine and spirit of the Nicolaitans within us.

Rev 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Rev 2:17  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

So we have reviewed what is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, and we say that at this point in our walk we have the Nicholaitans within us.

Rev 2:15  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

We saw that “I will come to thee and fight again them” proves that this doctrine is within us.

Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them

We have seen that the only way to purge ourselves of this hateful doctrine is through “the sword of My mouth”, the Word of God, which so very few people are willing to obey.

Rev 2:16  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

Again we saw the phrase “He that hath an ear” reminding us that very few will indeed hear what the spirit is saying to the churches.

Finally, we saw that with all of these problems within us, Christ presents Himself to us “He that has the sharp sword with two edges”, and yet we are still encouraged to be overcomers and we “are given  great and precious promises.”  We saw that the “hidden manna… the white stone… and the name written in that stone” are all “Christ in us the hope of glory”, and we saw that not everyone who claims that name really knows Christ, but only those “who do the will of My Father which is in heaven.”

Next week, Lord willing, we will see even more of what is within us as we learn about the revelation of Christ within us. Here is what the spirit writes to Thyatira within us.

Here are the next “things which are written therein [for us to] read… hear… and keep”:

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet [are] like fine brass;
Rev 2:19  I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last [to be] more than the first.
Rev 2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Rev 2:21  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Rev 2:22  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Rev 2:23  And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Rev 2:24  But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
Rev 2:25  But that which ye have [already] hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28  And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Thanks, Mike, that opened my eyes alot. We, the angels (messengers), are seated in heavenly places, but the tail (false prophets) draws a third part of the stars, (that’s us) of heaven and did cast them to the earth. We are to be seated in heavenly places with Christ, but the Devil (tail) cast a third of us down to the earth. (earthly stuff). That’s what I get… is that right?

That is right. When we ‘lose our first love,’ when we succumb to the doctrines of the Nicolaitans, defile our garments, etc., etc., we, God’s elect, have a “deadly wound… healed.” The solution is to “repent… [ and] come out of her my people.” When we do this, there is no turning back. The deadly wound will never again be healed. These are those who will now begin to have the seven seals stripped from this book, so they can see what is their “part in this book.” “… But the rest were blinded.”

I believe God is giving you “eyes to see…” what  things you must suffer for his sake. It is not ‘coffee and doughnuts.’ It is a life of “filling up in our bodies that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ.” This is because “as He is so are we in this world.” We, those who are God’s elect, are the ‘christ’ (anointed) of Christ.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

So rest assured that “He that hath begun a good work in you will finish it…”

Mike

I used to go to a Pentecostal church but stopped recently, because I didn’t like how the church was being run – the way they preach the Word of God, the way the people acted, how they treated the un- believers or those who are new in Christ or those weak in faith (social standings), etc., etc. The last time I went to the Pentecostal church was last week. I went there with a friend who was staying with me that day. She is a member of that church. So that explains why I went to their church this past week. I wanted to ask you something about what the preacher at the church preached about that day and to ask you some questions about something else. I think that the preacher was talking about that he has authority over the people at the church or something like that. Also, I think he said that he has the authority to send anyone that is repeatedly disobedient to the Word of God to Satan – I think that was what he said. I think what he meant is that if that person is someone going against the Word of God or anyone that is not of God or something – I am not sure of what he meant – but I think he meant to those unbelievers who are against the Word of God or those who are repeatedly disobedient to the word of God. That he has the authority to send them to Satan. Is that true? I am not sure if any preachers or anyone on this earth have any right to do that. I think he also said he has the right to rebuke anyone in front of the church, to those who are disobedient to the Word of God, and other things. I was bothered by this because I don’t think that anyone has any authority over men – not even preachers. I am not sure if any preachers or anyone on this earth has any right to do that. Please help me with this? I hope you understand what I am trying to say? Please help?

Also, my Pentecostal church believes that a person is required to have the Holy Ghost in order to be saved. Is that true? They said the sign that you have the Holy Ghost is when you speak in tongues. Please help. They also believe in dress code – that women should wear dresses and men should wear pants – that it is more proper. I don’t like to wear dresses – it’s not my style – you know? I can just wear something that is feminine – like wearing nice ladies’ pants, etc. I think the reasons they want to stick to their dress code are because they believe that dresses are for women to wear- and men to wear pants and the other reason is because that is how people identify women and men by their clothing. For instance, bathroom signs – they have two signs to identify women and men – by their clothing! And someone from the church explained that women used to wear dresses till sometime in the 1940’s. So they see men’s pants as a man’s clothing and dresses as a woman’s clothing. Please help. I think somewhere in the New Testament explains that we are not to try to be better than others, and I feel that if I try to do all this – dress code, etc – I may be breaking that spiritual law. Please help.

Thanks for taking your time to read this and write back.

Again, thanks

D____

Hi D____,

I hope I can be of some help. You seem to be interested in what the scriptures say as opposed to what the churches teach, so I will try to show you just what they do say in regards to the questions you ask. I am going to refer you to the articles and letters on my page to answer a couple of the questions you ask.

Here is your first question:

I wanted to ask you something about what the preacher at the church preached about that day and to ask you some questions about something else. I think that the preacher was talking about that he has authority over the people at the church or something like that- Also, I think he said that he has the authority to send any one that is repeatedly disobedient to the Word of God, to Satan- I think that was what he said? I think what he meant is that if that person is someone going against the Word of God or anyone that is not of God or something, I am not sure of what he meant- but I think he meant to those unbelievers who are against the Word of God or those who are repeatedly disobedient to the word of God. That he has the authority to send them to Satan. Is that true?

Let me assure you, neither I nor this minister, nor anyone else, has dominion over your faith. Here are the scriptures:

Mat 20:25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
Mat 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
Mat 20:27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

And again, Paul also makes this same point:

2Co 1:23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
2Co 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.

Paul tells us that he had no “dominion over your faith.” If Paul had no such dominion, where do today’s ministers believe that they have any such authority? Well, there are a couple of egregious and very harmful mistranslations in the book of Hebrews, that have produced many a Christian dictator, both in the political and the ecclesiastical fields over the centuries. Nothing has changed. It is the same today. The spirit of the Nicolaitans is as alive and healthy right in today’s church as it has been from the first century. To answer this question in depth, I am forced by my own time constraints to ask you to read the papers on my site that answer questions concerning the Nicolaitans. If you use the Google search feature we have on the site, and type in ‘Nicolaitans’, you will see a list of articles that will give answer to your questions on this group whose ways God says He hates. If you can see the truth therein, you will never again be brought under the dominion of anyone other than the one and only head of the church, Jesus Christ Himself.

On the other hand, there is scripture that admonishes a bishop to safeguard his flock from those who have no respect for, or fear of the Words of God as revealed in scripture. The fornicator of the Corinthian church was expelled from fellowship in that congregation “because a little leaven leavens the whole lump”. This is not a matter of a minister having dominion over a flock. It is a matter of God’s Word as shown to the congregation by the bishop, having already condemned fornication in the churches of God. The bishop or minister is simply commissioned to reiterate what the scriptures say in such cases. This then becomes an action taken by the entire congregation to purge itself of the corrupting influence of such shameful behavior. This is an entirely scriptural function of a humble servant minister.

Your next question has to do with the so called ‘gift of unknown tongues.’

Also- My pentecostal church believes that a person are required to have the Holy Ghost, in order to be saved? Is that true? They said the sign that you have the Holy Ghost is when you speak in tongues? Please help?

I deal with this subject in depth in a series of letters in the Tongues section of the letters on the site. These letters will answer any question you may have on this subject. Read these letters. If you still have a question, then get back with me. Click on the above link and check out all these letters on this subject.

Your last question has to do with a dress code in God’s church. I have not written specifically on this subject. It is true that scripture tells us that “it is a shame for a man to have long hair,” and that “if a woman is going to have short hair she might as well be shorn.” It should be obvious from these scriptures that a transvestite is not interested in seeking the mind of God on the subject of how a Christian should appear in public and as a representative of Christ. It is universally declared throughout the writings of the scriptures that those in whom Christ dwells are dying daily to this world and the things that are in it. Those who have Christ in them are never attempting to draw attention to themselves for the purpose of glorifying themselves. It will always be the goal of any who are truly seeking to please their creator, to glorify Christ and be an example of humility and obedience to the words of God. To take these principles of scripture and draw from them exactly how long a woman’s hair must be is not the concern of a minister. To take these principles and say that a woman’s slacks are equal to being a transvestite is absurd. Women’s slacks are both feminine and far more practical and modest than is a dress under certain circumstances. Modesty in dress and in all things is indeed a Biblical principle that has been thrown out the door in many churches desiring to look like the world today. Just because fashion now dictates that all young girls should show as much flesh as human law will allow, is no reason why anyone with the mind of Christ should either dress immodestly, or allow their children to do so. We can neither dictate to one another nor can we pull the wool over the eyes of our Creator. He isn’t even looking on the outward man or woman. He reads our hearts. We should, as his ambassadors, strive to represent Him in all humility both in our relations to one another and in our appearance as those in whom Christ dwells.

I hope this is of some help to you. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance to you.

I will close with two scriptures that I hope bring some balance to this subject:

2Co 10:7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ’s, even so are we Christ’s.

But also be aware of this truth:

Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

May God give you a whole- hearted desire to seek only to please Him.

Mike