Free End Times Book (pdf).. - Rapture Notes

The good news is that if a person, or even a whole group of people in a church, should lose their first love, they can
be restored by repenting. To repent means to turn around and go the other way. Repentance requires honest selfappraisal.
One must identify the sins that are separating him from the Lord, and then confess (Greek homologeo --"
to say the same"). This means that the person agrees with God about the sin. When a person does this, God is
faithful to forgive and cleanse him or her from sin (1 John 1:9).
The church of the Apostolic period hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. This is a Greek word which means
"conquerors of the people." This is probably a reference to the false apostles mentioned earlier, and their tendency to
establish a ruling class over the rest of the people in the church. The proper Scriptural view is that the church is like
a body, and different people in the church have different gifts from God, but all are of equal importance to the wellbeing
of the whole spiritual body. There is no hierarchy in the Body of Chriist, and no distinction between "clergy"
and "laity"--all are called to work together in the ministry as one Body headed by Christ (1 Corinthians 12,
Ephesians 4).
The promise to overcomers of this period is that they will eat of the Tree of Life which is said to now be in Paradise.
Adam and Eve ate instead from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil, thus rebelling
against God and entering into sin (Genesis 3). Part of the result of this sin was to be banished from the Garden of
Eden so that they would not eat of this tree and live forever in their fallen state (Genesis 3:22-24). Nevertheless, an
overcomer will be delivered from this fallen state, and will be permitted to partake of this fruit, thus living forever as
a redeemed person.
Who then is an overcomer? John himself explains this:
To Smyrna
For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (I John 5:4-5)
To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died
and came to life again.
I know your afflictions and your poverty--yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews
and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you,
and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown
of life.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by
the second death. (Revelation 2:8-11)
Smyrna was a city, of course, but it's name is derived from "myrrh," a valuable spice used in the process of
embalming. Myrrh symbolizes death and yet is a sweet fragrance. This is an appropriate word picture for the period
of church history characterized by martyrdom. This period lasted from approximately 100 to 312 AD when
Constantine established Christianity as the state religion of the empire. During these two centuries there were ten
definable periods of persecution of Christians under ten of the Emperors of Rome. To these believers, Jesus
identified Himself as the resurrected one!
There is no warning to this church, since it was a church constantly purified by the rigors of persecution. To put it
simply, only a strong, dedicated Christian would be willing to die for Christ. A hypocrite would quit the church long
before he would risk losing his life. True believers would be faithful unto death, and they would receive a crown of
life. This is one of the special believers' crowns mentioned in the Bible. Faithful believers will be able to lay these at
the feet of Christ in the future to prove their love for Him (Revelation 4:10).
Jesus had taught earlier,
Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have
said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done… 31