Dear Brethren and Co-workers with Christ,
This has been a very busy summer for those of us here at the Living Church of God, the sponsor of Tomorrow’s World. In addition to summer camps for teens and preteens, we have had a full slate of Tomorrow’s World Presentations, where we invite our magazine subscribers to a Bible Study on various topics. In this letter, I want to address a troubling, though not unexpected, societal trend we have noticed.
The book of Revelation describes seven churches (congregations) located along a mail route in Asia Minor—modern-day Turkey. Many recognize that there is something significant about them as they are prominent in this mysterious book. It is generally recognized that they represent different attitudes Christians would be susceptible to at any time since the messages were recorded. Others look for some kind of progression that Christianity would take down through history, but the circumstances simply do not fit mainstream Christianity. Something is missing.
The missing key is that in Scripture there are two women who represent two different churches. The first is the true Church of God, the chaste virgin Christ marries at His return. Paul revealed something about marriage that few couples understand. After writing about the relationship between husbands and wives, he explained that physical marriage is a type of a greater marriage to come. “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32–33). We read of that future union in Revelation. “‘Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.’ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, ‘Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb’’” (Revelation 19:7–9).
This true Church of God is small in comparison to the other woman, and the second woman is anything but a chaste virgin. She is described as a great harlot and is looked upon by many as the mother church which has spawned harlot daughters (Revelation 17:5). She is a massive worldwide religious system representing peoples, nations, and languages (vv. 15, 18). This fallen woman is political and has controlled (ridden upon) several revivals of the Roman Empire—and will do so again at the end of the age. She is also associated with a well-known city (v. 18) and portrays herself as a church. Yet she denies the good news that Christ will rule on earth and derives her doctrines from the Babylonian mystery religion (v. 5).
Not understanding the difference between these two women is why scholars fail to see a historic pattern for the seven congregations in Asia Minor. Simply put, they have been looking in the wrong place! When we look at God’s true Church—the small church, which has been persecuted down through history (Luke 12:32; Revelation 17:6)—we find that the seven churches of Asia Minor fit the historic pattern. They explain seven eras or stages the true Church of God would go through. For a greater explanation of this, please ask for our free resource God’s Church Through the Ages.
And that brings us back to the subject of our Tomorrow’s World Presentations. I was recently in Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri, where I spoke about the prophesied millennial reign of Jesus Christ. People say they want to hear good news, but that is not the experience of newscasters nor of those of us here at Tomorrow’s World. There is no better news than the return of Christ to set up His reign on earth for a thousand years! Fifty subscribers to our magazine showed up in Kansas City, and that may sound positive, but that was only about 1.3 percent of those invited. Where were the 98.7 percent who did not accept the invitation?
We understand that not everyone can attend, but what we have seen is that the percentage of people who want to learn more about the truth of the Bible has steadily dropped over the past two decades. Two percent was once thought of as a low response, but not anymore. Why?
The answer is found in the description of the last two churches in Asia Minor. The Church at Philadelphia is rightly described by Professor William Ramsay in his instructive work, The Letters to the Seven Churches, as “Philadelphia: The Missionary City” (page 391). And the congregation in the city took on that characteristic. “Philadelphia must have been pre-eminent among the Seven Cities as the missionary Church” (page 406)—this despite the fact that this sixth era of the chaste virgin only has a little strength (Revelation 3:8).
The last era of the true Church is portrayed by Ramsay, whose work was published in 1904, as being influenced by the culture of a different city—“Laodicea: The City of Compromise.” John tells us the Laodiceans are marked by an attitude of complacency and compromise. This last era, in which we are now living, is a time of self-satisfaction, in need of nothing—an attitude that is lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. Those living at this time tend to be spiritually naked, poor, blind, and miserable (Revelation 3:14–17).
As I explained in my presentations in Kansas City and St. Joseph, Missouri, we find that people today are like the man who has one foot in the boat and the other on the dock. If you have been in that circumstance, you know the consequences. A separation between the two becomes greater, and you are forced to do one of three things: transfer the other foot to the boat, bring it back to the dock, or fall into the water. God shows His love in that He will force all who understand to make a choice. However, rather than falling into water, the self-satisfied and complacent will fall into the Great Tribulation (Revelation 3:18–22).
Brethren and co-workers, God has opened doors of radio, television, the printing press, the Internet, and social media for us to carry the Gospel and a warning message to this world while there is still time. We recognize that we are a little flock (Luke 12:32) and that we only have a little strength (Revelation 3:8), but we must never become complacent, compromising, or self-satisfied. With God’s help, we will follow Jesus’ example when He said, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4).
The time of Christ’s return is closer now than when we first believed, and what a wonderful day that will be when He is King over all the earth (Zechariah 14:9). The contrast between now and then will be remarkable:
Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:3–4).
Thank you for all that you do to make it possible for us to fulfill the task set before us. You are making a difference!
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston