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Last Updated on : October 11, 2014

Thirteen Lectures on the Apocalypse.

Excerpt from the Second Lecture

His meaning is unmistakable:

TO SARDIS (p. 23)

 

 

" He that hath the seven Spirits of God " — the symbolic affirmation of omniscience — has little to say in the way of commendation to the brethren in Sardis.  " Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead." Men knew the reputation of the Sardian ecclesia: the possessor of “the seven stars "— the seven Spirit lights kindled in the seven ecclesias, knew their state.” I have not found thy works perfect before God." Jesus watches and discerns the developments of probation.  He requires not to bring men to the judgment seat to know, though he will bring them there to reveal them.  There were a few exceptions in Sardis: " 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; " from which we learn that membership in a dead ecclesia will not interfere with individual acceptance where worthiness exists.  Even those who are lacking have an opportunity which they are exhorted to use.  " Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain which are ready to die, Repent." There is this encouragement to repentance : " He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels." End quote.


 

Here is the same quote,(with my thoughts included in blue. Corrections of any " twisted sections" are encouraged,identifying the areas which teach " heresy" and are therefore worthy of withdrawal is greatly encouraged. This will help all concerned more than anything else.)

TO SARDIS.

" He that hath the seven Spirits of God (that is, Jesus Anointed) — the symbolic affirmation of omniscience[the capacity to know everything that there is to know ed.](and therefore, according to the " symbolic affirmation" of having " the seven Spirits of God," Jesus had a perfect knowledge of what was going on within the Sardian ecclesia, a knowledge no other human possessed at Sardis, until it was disclosed by Jesus in His letter to Sardis. The faithful few were ignorant of who the unfaithful many were before and after it was disclosed by Jesus that the ecclesia was in a dying state. Sure, the faithful few were able to identify members who strayed from scriptural doctrine and acceptable practice, and correct them; but to determine and separate the faithful members from the unfaithful members, in this they lacked the omniscience] to perform such a task both before the all-telling apocalyptic letter from Jesus was delivered, and afterwards. Besides, the faithful will not take the liberty to even declare themselves as faithful, let alone decide who the unfaithful members are, and withdraw from them.The knowledge gained by all the members of the Sardian ecclesia, both the faithful few and unfaithful many, was that the state of the ecclesia was in a dying state.No one in the ecclesia ever had the power to identify the faithful and unfaithful; but Jesus did. Nevertheless, after the letter was delivered, everyone knew the ecclesia was dying due to unfaithfulness) has little to say in the way of commendation to the brethren in Sardis (for the most part, the letter to Sardis is grim, and no doubt came as a shock to many within it, because they believed the ecclesia at Sardis was doing well. Nevertheless, " there were a few exceptions in Sardis" who received " commendation" within the overall bleak letter to Sardis) "Thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead" (the ecclesia thinks it is living; Jesus informs them that the ecclesia is dying) Men knew the reputation of the Sardian ecclesia (humans, who are not omniscient, believed the Sardian ecclesia had a " name," or " reputation" of being full of life) the possessor (Jesus) of "the seven stars" — the seven Spirit lights kindled in the seven ecclesias, knew their state (because He and His Father alone know accurately the state of every individual, including those in the Sardian ecclesia, and every ecclesia. They were in a state of dying, and not a state of living) "I have not found thy works perfect before God." (the true state of the Sardian ecclesia is made known to the Sardian ecclesia, and with a specific purpose in mind; namely, repentance) Jesus watches and discerns (and reveals to the wayward warning, and to the faithful commendation, we might add) the developments of probation. He requires not to bring men to the judgment seat to know (what they have done and why they have done it), though he will bring them there to reveal them (to expose what they have done, and the motive behind their doings; as well as the efforts He has made to divert them from their unfaithfulness or to maintain their faithfulness, which were either rejected or received). There were a few exceptions in Sardis (the only bright spot in the letter from Jesus to Sardis)Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments (because they sought the welfare of the other members in accordance with Yahweh's Will, and corrected sin as it became known, among their other scriptural duties, which they willingly and faithfully obeyed. They refrained from labeling those they corrected as faithful or unfaithful; leaving that decision for Jesus to make at His Judgment Seat, the omniscience Judge. Did the faithful withdraw from the disobedient Of course they did; but never did they assume the role of pronouncing the disobedient as unfaithful, a role they recognized belongs to the omniscience Judge, and these will not be exposed until His return. Did the few at Sardis recognize the state of their ecclesia? No; and neither did the many. After the letter was delivered, the few now knew exactly where the ecclesia as a whole stood, on death's door step, and so did the many. Remaining faithful to Yahweh meant to obey Christ, and to contend for the Truth within the ecclesia in an effort to cause a repentant attitude to sweep across the entire membership, that some might indeed repent. "Many are called, but few shall be chosen" is the general rule) and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy (which means the faithful few, once armed with the certain knowledge that the ecclesia was dying, remained faithful and contended for the Truth in their ecclesia. The omniscience Judge knew ahead of time who these were, and pronounces in advance the reward which awaits these at His return) from which we learn that membership (fellowship) in a dead ecclesia (an ecclesia in which most of the members are unfaithful, but still contains a few faithful, but not enough for Yahweh to describe it as alive) will not interfere with individual acceptance (the few faithful members found worthy at Christ's Judgment Seat) where worthiness exists ("worthiness" equals: the faithful contend earnestly for the Truth, which means they withdraw from exhibited, defiant sin; but the faithful members never make the mistake of withdrawing from those they impossibly predetermine are the unfaithful members without any scriptural authority or omniscience,and wrongfully assume the withdrawal from the supposed unrighteous members constitutes and establishes their righteousness as the faithful members. According to Bro. Roberts, the faithful have to continue in their efforts to reach the erring, and not withdraw from them, until they manifest a rebellious and unscriptural stand, whether in doctrine or deed. The faithful members at Sardis remainedin the ecclesia after the apocalyptic letter was delivered, and furthermore, were proclaimed as "worthy" before their work in Christ was completed.  After all, Jesus is omniscience, as is our Father.  We are not; but we are able to detect open sin, in word or deed, and correct it, as Jesus demands of us. He knew the Sardian few would strive to correct the Sardian many, and that the many did not defile the few under this condition. Remaining silent about a brother's known sin is a different matter). Even those who are lacking (in righteousness) have an opportunity which they are exhorted to use (to become faithful servants). "Be watchful, and strengthen the things that remain which are ready to die, Repent." (clearly, Christ is reaching out to a dead ecclesia, in an effort to turn it around. Why wouldn't He expect the same of those who are striving to remain faithful? He did) There is this encouragement to repentance (for those lacking righteousness): He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before His angels (the many at Sardis could turn things around, and Christ expected the " few which had not defiled their garments" at Sardis to help Him in this cause. Deserting the ecclesia through withdrawal to establish one's self as supposedly righteous, because the supposed unfaithful members have been withdrawn from, was never, and is never, and never will be,considered by our Head as a viable option). End of quote

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