(To the Seventh Church)

   Laodicea (Gr. Laodikia) was an ancient city of western Asia Minor in present-day western Turkey. Built by the Seleucids (Antiochus II) in (261-246 B.C.), it was a prosperous Roman market town (strong banking and clothing industries) on the trade route from the East and an early center of Christianity.

   Apostasy abandonment of one's religious faith, a political party, one's principles, or a cause [Middle English apostasie, from Old French, from Late Latin apostasia, defection, from Late Greek, from Greek apostasis, revolt, from aphistanai, to revolt : apo- + histanai, to stand, place].

   Rev. 3:14 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;

   Rev. 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
   [Comment: Christ had no good words for this church. Their works for salvation were unfruitful, with no evidence of commitment, thus the tag lukewarm, neither hot, nor cold.]

   Rev. 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

   Rev. 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
   [Comment: This church has built up what they think is good enough without being what they would consider fanatical. This complacency from within, self-satisfied, spiritual mediocrity in place of a commitment to attract people to follow Christ. Also their wealth and need for nothing, and lack of opposition kept them complacent, as materialism slowly changed their effectiveness.]

   Rev. 3:18 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.
   [Comment: The medical industry of Laodicea was noted for an eye medication produced there. Christ told them to purchase eyesalve that will make them see what is truly important, and invest in gold tried in the fire, with his raiment that was pure. Only repentance could restore this church.]

   Rev. 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

   Rev. 3:20 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.

   (Message of the Seventh Spirit)

   Rev. 3:21 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.

   Rev. 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

   By A.D. 1920 Joseph Stalin became dictator of Communism in Russia and Benito Mussolini became dictator of Italy.

   (Continuing from the Unity Movement of Protestantism of the Fifth Church Age)

   During the early 1900’s, the trend toward Christian unity became known as the ecumenical movement. Representatives of different Protestant denominations met with one another, as did representatives of Protestant churches and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

• In 1948, church leaders founded the World Council of Churches. This organization works for cooperation and unity among all the churches of the world.
• In 1965, Pope Paul VI expressed the need for unity among all Christians in an ecumenical council called Vatican Council II.

   The Restoration Movement was a significant event which occurred spontaneously in the 1800-1920's to restore the church to the Bible and to follow the New Testament as it's only guide to faith. This resulted in independent Churches of Christ and Christian Churches, disciples of Christ throughout the world. Some of whom have joined the Apostate Church in later years. There are many faithful to the New Testament thriving in and around the world today. As the Reformation Churches reunited with the Church of Christ lines in the seventeenth century one can only wonder in which directions your present faith fits in. If you are not sure then check your churches doctrines against what the New Testament actually states.

   In the early nineteenth century, Germany believed their race to dominate the world which led to World War I. Adolf Hitler known as "Der Führer" 1889-1945, was an Austrian-born founder of the German Nazi Party and chancellor of the Third Reich (1933-1945). His fascist philosophy, embodied in Mein Kampf (1925-1927) , attracted widespread support, and after 1934 he ruled as an absolute dictator. Hitler's pursuit of aggressive nationalist policies resulted in the invasion of Poland (1939) and the subsequent outbreak of World War II.

   World War II lasted from 1939-1945 when the Allies defeated Germany and Italy. His regime was infamous for the extermination of millions of people, especially European Jews. On November 1938, the Holocaust started and on September 29, 1941, the Nazis rounded up and shot to death 35,000 Jews in Kiev (Ukranian Capital) (Babi Yar). Hitler committed suicide when the collapse of the Third Reich was imminent (1945). Hitler's concentration camps were set up to massacre the Tradition of the Chosen People as the future domination of the world. Due to this interference, he actually caused the beginning of Israel becoming a Nation. Due to the heroics of a Jewish scientist during the war, David Lloyd George, representing the British government as prime minister, rewarded Israel with Palestine as a national homeland. This was the Balfour Declaration, named after James Arthur Balfour, which was drawn up and signed on November 2, 1917. This promised British support to be provided that the rights of existing communities would be safeguarded. Britain reneged on the treaty in 1939.

   During A.D. 1940 Communism seized control over Eastern Europe. Western Europe starts rebuilding after World War II.

   Japan a country of Asia on an archipelago off the northeast coast of the mainland. Traditionally settled c. 660 B.C., Japan's written history began in the 5th century A.D. During the feudal period (12th-19th century) real power was held by the shoguns, local warriors whose dominance was finally ended by the restoration of the emperor Mutsuhito in 1868. At about the same time the country was opened to Western trade and industrial technology. Before the middle of the nineteenth century, Japan, believed socially and religiously that it was their time to dominate the world which evoked expansionist policies leading to Japan's participation in World War II, which ended after atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945) by the United States of America.

   Humanity now had at its disposal the means to destroy itself.

   Today Japan as we all know is highly industrialized and noted for its advanced technology. Tokyo is the capital and the largest city, with a population, 121,047,196.

   The United Nations was formed on October 24, 1945, noted also that God had been left out of its original charter.

• In 1945 Russia rises to power and becomes allies with the Arab countries.
• In 1946 the Iron Curtain had developed.
• In 1947 in Palestine the Dead Sea Scrolls were found which were 2000 year old manuscripts, in them were found the Gospels of Mark written in 50 A.D. complete.
• The Apostate Age was here as seen from the doctrines of faith in God's law through Legalism, instead of God's grace. Even denial of Biblical truths and miracles, "God is Dead" movement occurred, also atheism, Rosicrucians and Theosophist re-emerged, and Christian metaphysics developed.

   Nature Worship:

• The Rosicrucians were members of an international organization, especially the Ancient Mystic Order Rosae Crucis (Brother of the Cross of the Rose) also AMORC, who were devoted to the study of ancient mystical, philosophical, and religious doctrines and concerned with the application of these doctrines to modern life. In the 17th and 18th centuries they concerned themselves with the study of religious mysticism and professing esoteric religious beliefs. The Rosicrucians claim to trace their beginning to an ancient Egyptian secret occult group. The earliest mention of them is a seventeenth-century German book of the travels of a writer who studied the mystery schools of the ancient Mediterranean world. The present day AMORC claim that they are continuing the teachings of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep IV and Solomon, which contains reincarnation, karma, astrology, and divinity of humankind, but no mention of a Savior.
• The Theosophical Society was founded by Helena P. Blavatsky (1831-1891), who was a major influence in the Hindu-occult world through her studies of Hinduism, Buddhism, ancient Egyptian religion and Spiritualism. Theosophy is a religious philosophy or speculation about the nature of the soul based on mystical insight into the nature of God. It was the beliefs of a religious sect, the Theosophical Society, founded in New York City in 1875, incorporating aspects of Buddhism and Brahmanism [Medieval Latin theosophia, from Late Greek : Greek theo-, theo- + Greek sophia, wisdom]. At Blavatsky's death, Annie Besant assumed the leadership and her students became the early teachers of the New Age Movement. Another item of interest is Jakob Boehme or Boehm or Bohme, born 1575-1624, was a German theosophist and mystic whose works, including Mysterium Magnum (1623), describe evil as a necessary antithesis to good. He is considered the founder of modern theosophy.

   In 2 Corinthians 11:3 "But I am frightened, fearing that in some way you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to our Lord, just as Eve was deceived by Satan in the Garden of Eden.", 13-15 "God never sent those men at all; they are 'phonies' who have fooled you into thinking they are Christ's apostles." "Yet I am not surprised!" "Satan can change himself into the angel of light," "so it is no wonder his servants can do it too, and seem like godly ministers." "In the end they will get every bit of punishment their wicked deeds deserve."

   By October 1, 1949 the Peoples Republic of China embraced Communism.