* [2:811] The letter to Smyrna encourages the Christians in this important commercial center by telling them that although they are impoverished, they are nevertheless rich, and calls those Jews who are slandering them members of the assembly of Satan (Rev 2:9). And what might His new name be? Revelation 2:11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To Smyrna. The Bride is associated with the church (Revelation 19:7-8). Catholic doctors have always recognized its value. ( See Gill on Revelation 2:7 ). THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS. The mode of communication, however, may be mediate. He consequently lays the chief stress on the identity at all points of the intellectual datum, and explains development almost exclusively as a process of logical deduction. c. In addition to the promise to overcomers in Revelation 2:17, Jesus also promised to write His new name. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Catholic Schools: Open Houses & Other Events; Volunteer Opportunities; Liturgy & Worship; Adult: Social, Education, & Spiritual . get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! * [2:2628] The Christian who perseveres in faith will share in Christs messianic authority (cf. This objection rests on a mere misunderstanding of what is signified by a mystery. For men to be able to attain such a knowledge of the natural law as will enable them to order their lives rightly, the truths of that law must be so plain that the mass of men can discover them without long delay, and possess a knowledge of them which will be alike free from uncertainty and secure from serious error. If our online resources haveblessed you,please supportReasons for Hope* Jesus. permission to publish this work is hereby granted. In the second reading Paul writes a letter to Timothy from jail, extending the challenge "bear your hardship for the Gospel.". There is no admonition; rather, the Christians are told that they will suffer much, even death, but the time of tribulation will be short compared to their eternal reward (Rev 2:10), and they will thus escape final damnation (Rev 2:11). Historically, a number of commentators, both Protestant and Catholic, have adopted this interpretation. If our race be viewed in its present condition as history displays it, the answer can only be that it is, morally speaking, impossible for men unassisted by Revelation, to attain by their natural powers such a knowledge of that law as is sufficient to the right ordering of life. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you (John 15:1820). Accusations made by Jewish brethren there occasioned the persecution of Christians; cf. He was called on to deal with different adversaries, viz., the Protestants who justified their separation from the main body of Christians on the ground that Rome had corrupted primitive teaching by a series of additions. In another tract, Is the Catholic Church the Whore of Babylon?, we looked at nine arguments given by fundamentalist Dave Hunt for his claim that the Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon from Revelation 1718. Revelation 2:12-17. 7 Let anyone who can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches: those who prove victorious I will feed from the tree of life set in God's paradise.". The truths revealed may be such as are otherwise inaccessible to the human mindmysteries, which even when revealed, the intellect of man is incapable of fully penetrating. If anyone shall say that no mysteries properly so called are contained in the Divine revelation, but that all the dogmas of the faith can be understood and proved from natural principles by human reason duly cultivatedlet him be anathema., The older (Deist) School of Rationalists denied the possibility of a Divine revelation imposing any laws other than those which natural religion enjoins on man. Isaiah 65:13 Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold my servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry: behold my servants shall drink, and you shall be thirsty. . Lord, When Did We See You Hungry or Thirsty or a Stranger or Naked or Ill or in Prison? He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches: To him that overcometh I will give the hidden manna and will give him a white counter: and in the counter, a new name written, which no man knoweth but he that receiveth it. Although he never claims to be John the apostle, whose name is attached to the fourth gospel, he was so identified by several of the early church Fathers, including Justin, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Cyprian, and Hippolytus. Rev 20:6, 1415; 21:8. Practical Practice of Fasting with Fr Dwight Longenecker, 10 important things to consider during Lent, The Happy Priest on Lent, Happiness and the Call to Selfless Love, Daily Readings for Wednesday, March 01, 2023, St. David: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, March 01, 2023, Lenten Prayer: Prayer of the Day for Monday, February 27, 2023. 8To the angel of the church in Smyrna,* write this: The first and the last, who once died but came to life, says this: Learn about the riches He gives to all who are His. This passage tells us several things about the Whore: (1) She is an international power, since she "sits on many waters," representing different peoples (17:15), and she has committed fornication with "the kings of the earth," and she has inflamed "the dwellers on earth" with her fornication. The perfect agreement of a religious doctrine with the teachings of reason and natural law, its power to satisfy, and more than satisfy, the highest aspirations of man, its beneficent influence both as regards public and private life, provide us with a more trustworthy test. The tree of life that is in the garden of God: this is a reference to the tree in the primeval paradise (Gn 2:9); cf. The theory, though less scholastic in its form than that of Franzelin, is in perfect conformity with orthodox belief. Thus, whenever there has been question of defining a doctrine, whether at Nicaea, at Trent, or at the Vatican, the sole point of debate has been as to whether the doctrine is found in Scripture or in Apostolic tradition. Revelation 19:11-16. VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. Please support Reasons for Hope* Jesuswith a donation of $5, $10, $20, or more. This sword, of course, is only symbolic. I know you cannot stand wicked people, and how you put to the test those who . This canon is directed against the position maintained as already noted by the older Rationalists and the Deists, that human reason is amply sufficient with-out exterior assistance to attain to absolute truth in all matters of religion (cf. This much, however, is certain: symbolic descriptions are not to be taken as literal descriptions, nor is the symbolism meant to be pictured realistically. On the Lord's Day: When is the Lord's Day? "Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. According to this school, there is no such thing as Revelation in the sense of a direct communication from God to man. It may be said that the overcomers receive the mark of identification or acceptance (the symbolic white stone) now in the present life. 6 It is in your favour, nevertheless, that you loathe as I do the way the Nicolaitans are behaving. To the one who overcomes, I will give. Subscribe & receive the Hidden Names of God in Psalm 23, A Room with a View of EternityThe Last Will & Testament of Jesus Christ. George Leo Haydock. To Ephesus. Does remembering that time give you hope and courage for present trials, or for upcoming challenges you might . Like the Modernists, he sees in revealed dogmas simply the results of spiritual experience, but holds their value to lie not in the fact that they symbolize the Unknowable, but that they have practical value in pointing the way by which we may best enjoy experience of the Divine. What does it mean to have left your first love (Revelation 2:4)? Contemporary English VersionIf you have ears, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. In the New Testament, this word describes the unveiling of spiritual truth (Rom. Jezebel is associated with a religious system promoting false teaching (Revelation 2:20). Keep your moral standards . When the Whore falls we read, Rejoice over her, O heaven! To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. 10 The seven heads are also seven emperors. The seven Spirits of God (Greek: , ta hepta pneumata tou theou) are mentioned four times in the Book of Revelation, and in the Book of Isaiah it names each Spirit.Revelation 1:4: John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven . Much of the confusion in which the discussion of Revelation in non-Catholic works is involved arises from the neglect to distinguish it from one or other of these. The origin of this erroneous doctrine is to be found in the fact that within the sphere of the natural speculative reason, truths which are received purely on external authority, and which are in no way connected with principles already admitted, can scarcely be said to form part of our knowledge. ii). Proverbs 3:32 Want is from the Lord in the house of the wicked: but the habitations of the just shall be blessed. '. In fact, Revelation is a book in which all the great themes, seed plots, lines of doctrine and Bible prophecy find their fulfillment. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Our mission is to glorify God by equipping, encouraging, and empoweringYOU to understand the Bibleandgrow in faith. It is widely known that there is only one church that claims to be the mother churchthe Roman Catholic Church. It is the name above all names for the time in which we live. * [2:13] Satans throne: the reference is to emperor worship and other pagan practices that flourished in Pergamum, perhaps specifically to the white marble altar erected and dedicated to Zeus by Eumenes II (197160 B.C.). IDENTITY 3 - Revelation 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.'. Should I Give Up Something? The author used these images to suggest Christs universal (seven) power (horns) and knowledge (eyes). Thus, on their own view, their identification of the Catholic Church with the Whore is completely impossible! He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. This passage gives us one reason why the Catholic Church cannot be the Whore. It is only when we start to over-allegorize it or to force its interpretation according to our . Where did OT Saints go at death? Catholic Online YouTube - over 4,800 Catholic videos. The context makes it clear that here her sitting on something does not refer to a geographical location.). 16 So repent, or I shall soon come to you and attack these people with the sword out of my mouth. Could this new name, whether its written on a stone,writtenupon a Christian, or written on Kingdom Jews, be Jesus new name as He spoke of in Revelation 3:12 (My newname). 2023 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Plagues, with Interludes (, The Punishment of Babylon and the Destruction of Pagan Nations (. On the contrary we assume that every Christian before he commences inquiries of this kind is already convinced that no other form of religion but the Christian can harmonize with his piety (Glaubenslehre, n. 11). 16 But the ten horns and the beast will turn against the prostitute, and tear off her clothes and leave her stark naked; then they will eat her flesh and burn the remains in the fire. Why would Jesus have a new name? . Still more difficulty has been felt regarding mysteries. * [2:2] Who call themselves,impostors: this refers to unauthorized and perverse missionaries; cf. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it. This totally demolishes the claim that Christian Rome or Vatican City is the Whore. Finally, this could be a type of sealing. Just as we are sealed by the Holy Spirit during the Church Age, and no one can see that seal, perhaps Jesus will seal us with a new name in the Kingdom Age. Re Apocalypse) Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools. the apostle John, brother of James, and author of the gospel of John and three epistles. This passage tells us several things about the Whore: (1) She is an international power, since she sits on many waters, representing different peoples (17:15), and she has committed fornication with the kings of the earth, and she has inflamed the dwellers on earth with her fornication. Christ the king appears. Revelation may be defined as the communication of some truth by God to a rational creature through means which are beyond the ordinary course of nature. Such an error is manifestly subversive of all belief, and was explicitly condemned by the Decree Lamentabili and the Encyclical Pascendi (September 8, 1907). 17Whoever has ears, let them hear(A) what the Spirit says to the churches. 11 And () for this reason God will send them strong delusion, () that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned . Revelation 19:1-5 . Saint of the Day for Wednesday, March 1st, 2023, 5 prayers you should say this Lenten Season News. Thus shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds and that I will give each of you what your works deserve.f The new name might indicate ourworthiness to enter intothe Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, the Millennial Kingdom. . But its force is limited to the individual who is the subject of it. The principal divisions of the Book of Revelation are the following: Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please review our Privacy Policy. A donation of any amount isneeded andgreatly appreciated. 12 'Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum and say, "Here is the message of the one who has the sharp sword, double-edged: 13 I know where you live, in the place where Satan is enthroned, and that you still hold firmly to my name, and did not disown your faith in me even when my faithful witness, Antipas, was killed among you, where Satan lives. The . * [2:7] Victor: referring to any Christian individual who holds fast to the faith and does Gods will in the face of persecution. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Even the forces of evil unwittingly carry out the divine plan (Rev 17:17), for God is the sovereign Lord of history. Look, the devil will send some of you to prison to put you to the test, and you must face hardship for ten days. What are The Five Love Languages of God? Or Yeshua? Manning, H: TRUE STORY OF THE VATICAN COUN. The principal divisions of the Book of Revelation are the following: Prologue (1:1-3) Letters to the Churches of Asia (1:4-3:22) God and the Lamb in Heaven (4:1-5:14) The Seven Seals, Trumpets, and Plagues, with Interludes (6:1-16:21) The Punishment of Babylon and the Destruction of Pagan Nations (17:1-20:15) The New Creation (21:1 . The tone of the letters to the seven churches (Rev 1:43:22) is indicative of the great authority the author enjoyed over the Christian communities in Asia. * 70 Bay 47th Street. All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 86:11-17 (Give strength to your servant); Genesis 16:1-15 (The birth of Ishmael); Revelation 2:1-7 (Remember from what you have fallen) ( English Standard Version) June 26, 2023. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited. Revelation are the following: Copyright 2019-2023 USCCB, please supportReasons for Hope * Jesuswith a donation $. Of the just shall be blessed is only When we start to over-allegorize it or to its... Resources haveblessed you, please review our Privacy Policy from God to man sitting on something not! Describes the unveiling of spiritual truth ( Rom the Nicolaitans are behaving TRUE STORY of the wicked: the! 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