Purim in the Laodicean Era*

The Bible describes Jesus' instructions to seven churches in the Book of Revelation. While these churches refer to actual physical churches of the day, the Bible is not one dimentional. I believe that these churches also can represent problems in the church today, and they can represent ages of the church. If we consider them as ages of church history for our purposes, then I believe we are in the Laaodicean Age or Era. These are Jesus' words to Laodicea: "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and incresed with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." (Rev. 4:14-18) The Laodicean church was very prosperous and very worldly, according to this description, as the church is today. They had become complacent, comfortable and apathetic regarding the faith, as are many believers today. Though they were wealthy in worldly things, the only wealth that matters is the gold that we become as we go through fiery trials that come for His Name's sake. Peter also wrote the about the fiery trials to come that are an advantage to us spiritully (1 Pet. 4:12-16). Laodicea was famous for the producing of eye salve, and the Lord tells them and us that we need to anoint our blind eyes to see the truth of the faith of Christ. Though this church had beautiful garments that money could buy, the only garments that will matter, the only ones that can cover nakedness and shame, are the pure, clean, white linen garments of righteousness, like those mentioned for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19). Jesus continued His message to the Laodicean church: "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (v. 19-22). Jesus urged this church to repent. Peter wrote that judgment begins in the house of God, beginning with us (1 Pet. 4:17). In fact, Jesus promises the Laodicean church that their state after repentance, will be greater than their state before repentance, which is a truth for the church today also. The Laodicean church will be considered "overcomers" if they will repent, and they will sup with Jesus, and they will sit with Him in His throne, which is also His Father's throne. Christ's chastenings are to bring us to repentance, and repentance brings us to the place of communion and enthronement with Him, and with the Father. The Word, the scriptures, that we read is Jesus. He is the written Word, and He is the spoken Word of God. His testimony is the Spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10), so He is the prophetic Word that we read in the scriptures, and the true prophetic Word that still rings out today. The events of the Book of Revelation are a fulfilment of past prophecies given to the prophets: "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." (Rev. 10:7). The prophet Amos wrote of the same thing: "Surely the LORD God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret to his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the LORD God hath spoken, who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:7-8). The mystery of God written of in the verse from Revelation is the same as God's secret revealed to His prophets written of by Amos. The prophets have also written that there will be attempts by the nations, even by the figure that we call the antichrist, to destroy the Jewish people, the city of Jerusalem, the nation of Israel, and God's people of praise (Judah), which includes the true Church, the Ekklesia (Zech. 12, Dan. 11). A Laodicean church in today's era cannot, and will not, survive the prophesied days of trials, challenges, persecution and tribulation ahead. Jesus is calling today's Laodicean church era to repent, as He called the Laodicean church of long ago to repentance. This Laodicean church era of today also has another prophetic picture with which to be guided into the repentance that Jesus urges. The Book of Esther, and the Feast of Purim, are a prophetic message to the Bride of Christ. Esther, who was secretly a Jew, was chosen from among the most beautiful women of Persia to become the new bride of the king. There was a prince of the land, Haman, who served the king, who planned to destroy all of the Jews in the land, because he hated and envied the Jew, Mordecai, who had great favor with the king. Mordecai was also Esther's uncle, and had raised her since childhood. Mordecai met with Esther and urged her to go before the king on behalf of the Jewish people to foil the wicked plot of Haman. Esther hesitated to do so, because she could not approach the king without being summoned, and the king had not summoned her for the past thirty days. If she approahced the king without his invitation, the punishment was death. Mordecai told Esther, "Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall...delivernce arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14). Esther agreed to go before the king if all of the Jews would fast three days and nights, and she would do the same. Then she would enter into the king's presence "which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish." (v. 16). The people and Esther fasted for three days. Afterward, when she entered into the king's presence, she obtained favor in his sight, and he held out to Esther the golden sceptor which was in his hand (Est. 5:2). Esther was able to expose the wicked plot of Haman, and her own identity as a Jew, and the king ordered Haman's destruction. Is today's Laodicean church prepared at this time to enter into the King's presence to prevent the destruction of God's people? Is the church today consecrated and sanctified, or caught up in worldly riches and possessions? Esther risked all as queen to save herself and God's people after they all had consecrated themselves with a fast. This is the message to the Laodicean church era of today. Put aside luke-warmness. Buy the gold which is tried by fire. Acquire the clean, white linen garments of righteousness from the King of Righteousness. Anoint your eyes with the healing balm that will open your blind eyes. As the Bride of Christ, be prepared at any moment to enter into the King's presence for the purpose for which we have been brought into the Kingdom "for such a time as this". The challenge for the church in this week of Purim: fast and pray for the people of praise (Judah) and for Jerusalem (the Jews), In this time of pandemic, strange weather, and a struggling economy, seek the LORD while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near. *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 2/28/21 message to the church. Contact: Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com or PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. Look for us on Facebook, Twitter, and at endtimesschool.com where you can order the new book, "NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling".