Another Crucial Truth

Back to By David C. Pack

At this point, an additional Bible doctrine must be introduced. The Bible teaches, in Revelation 2:1-29 and 3:1-22, that God has worked with His Church through seven separate and successive eras. In these two chapters, Christ describes each era in some detail. The first five (with the exception of the second) are described as having their own unique set of doctrinal and spiritual problems that eventually led to their downfall. Each time this happened, God raised up a new leader to establish the next era. These seven eras are Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.

Originally, these were seven cities that lay close together (in this order) on a mail route in Asia Minor (now western Turkey). Each city reflected corresponding attitudes that would exist in the seven eras that it represented. Christ was able to use these cities to show a pattern that would span the history of His Church over the next 2,000 years, from A.D. 31 until His Return. (Read our very extensive and fascinating book Where Is the True Church? – and Its Incredible History!)

When God called Mr. Armstrong in the fall of 1926, the New Testament Church had arrived at the end of the fifth era (Sardis). Mr. Armstrong was ordained in 1931, and God began, in late 1933, to use him in a special way to restore His full truth to His Church and to raise up and lead the sixth era—Philadelphia.

Mr. Armstrong’s death, 52 years later, paved the way for false leaders to arise within the organization. True Christians were forced to flee. Most of them formed or entered groups, as mentioned above, that do not fully hold fast to the truth and practices of God’s Church. Collectively, it is these groups that form the seventh and last—or Laodicean—era of the Church.

While Laodicea means “the people rule, judge, decide,” they are still God’s people, but in a weak and confused condition. However, they do not represent His true Church, and are outside His Body. They have formed their own organizations, and Christ cannot rule them! Soon, those who wished to fully hold fast (Philadelphians) without compromising any true doctrines or practices, slowly found themselves again having to flee their organizations in order to do this. This booklet would be incomplete without at least briefly explaining these events, because they ultimately led to the forming of The Restored Church of God.

This Church does not compromise on even one of God’s many, many doctrines. Just as Jesus foretold, it is a small, persecuted “little flock” that God has kept in His Name. It is powerfully continuing God’s Work—taking the true gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD to the world and the special warning to the modern descendants of ancient Israel, before this age ends. Its fruits are evidence of God’s blessings. It is growing and has members scattered in countries around the globe. The very fact that you are reading this booklet means that you have come in contact with it—just as I was privileged, in 1966, to come into contact with the true Church and learn the truth of the Bible for the first time.

Christ’s Unwavering Promise

Christ also promised that when false leaders, whom He refers to in John 10:1-42 as “thieves and robbers,” have been able to get into the Church, “the sheep hear His [Christ’s] VOICE: and He calls His own sheep by name, and leads them out.” His voice is defined as “the truth” (John 18:37).

He goes on to say, “He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His VOICE. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers” (Jn 10:3-5). Christ continues by describing the behaviour of certain ministers. Notice: “The hireling flees, because he is an hireling, and cares not for the sheep” (Jn 10:13). This remarkable promise shows that Christ will never abandon His sheep and will always protect those who hear His voice and willingly follow Him—when they are in danger—to where He has restored the truth, re-established the Work and placed His name!

The Laodicean era of the Church is described by Christ as “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” He also says that this era is “lukewarm” and lacking in zeal (Rev. 3:14-22).

This last era is now dominant, and is to remain so just prior to the soon-coming, glorious Return of Jesus Christ. In verse 20, Christ says to all those in this era, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him.”

This passage describes Christ’s offer to all who have held fast to part of the truth. (Philadelphians hold to all of it, because they are determined to “let no man take their crown” – Rev. 3:11) He will continue to call Laodiceans “by name” and knock on their doors until there is no time left in this age. Sadly, most in this era will continue to shut Him out and will not let Him “lead them out” of the danger they face in the prophesied Great Tribulation, soon to come upon an unsuspecting world (Luke 21:34-36)! (This knocking process is thoroughly addressed in our book “Anoint Your Eyes” – Christ’s Warning to His People, which you may wish to eventually read.)

Just as Mr. Armstrong strove to live peacefully alongside the Sardis era of the Church, and bore them no ill will, we are striving to live peacefully (Philadelphia means “brotherly love”) alongside the seventh era—Laodicea—and bear them no ill will. We hope and pray that many more will continue to awaken to Christ’s warning and come out of this era, and we are striving to warn them of what lies ahead.

However, this booklet is not written for or specifically directed to these weak brethren. It is to instruct new people that God is calling now (those hearing the truth for the first time)—but must include the above brief description of Church eras so that they are better able to understand recent events in the true Church, and to avoid the same pitfalls into which so many others fell!

Christ Built His Church

The world is built on the FOUNDATION of Satan’s way. As “god of this world,” he has constructed his own governments, cultures, educational systems, and other institutions—and he has also built his own “churches” (II Cor. 11:13-15). All of these together form a “building,” with a vast superstructure, but one that is founded upon “sand,” instead of the “rock” (I Cor. 10:4) that is Jesus Christ! Christ is not trying to build or to rebuild—repair!—the governments, institutions or churches of Satan’s world. Soon these will all be swept away by the “rain, wind and floods,” He described in Matthew 7:24-27.

But Jesus also calls His Church “a building”—one that is “fitly framed together” (Eph. 2:21), and built with HIMSELF as the foundation. He is literally “building a building” consisting of brethren whom He calls “lively [living] stones” (I Pet. 2:5). Psalm 127:1 declares, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” Christ is continuing His building of the Church today, and you are seeing it.

The true Church is depicted as a type of Jerusalem and as the Mother of all the brethren in the Church (Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22-23). Like any Mother, she cares for and feeds her children. God’s Church is pictured as a bride prophesied to marry Jesus Christ at His Return (Rev. 19:7-9). She is described as having “made herself ready” for this wonderful and GLORIOUS event!

Will you be one who strives to “make yourself ready”?

Finally, we have not yet addressed the actual meaning of the Greek word translated “Church” in the New Testament. This needs clarification. Most have supposed it means a building or an organization. It means neither. The word “church” is ekklesia, meaning “a calling out,” especially as a religious congregation. Christians are indeed called out of this world—its ways—its customs—its practices—its traditions—its false knowledge and false doctrines—and into the true Church, and fellowship with God and Christ (I John 1:3).

God thunders this to all His people: “Wherefore COME OUT from among them [the world], and be you separate…and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (II Cor. 6:17-18).

May God help you to come out of the Babylon of this world (Rev. 18:4), that you may QUALIFY to rule with Christ in the wonderful, utopian new world that lies ahead!

Requesting Counsel

The following quote concludes Mr. Armstrong’s booklet WHERE Is the True Church? under the subhead “The True Name”:

“In this world, churches are named after MEN, or after the SYSTEM men have devised, or the kind of church government MEN have thought out, CONTRARY to God’s Word, or after a significant doctrine they emphasize, or what men hope to make it—all-encompassing, universal or catholic. But wherever that ONE true Church is, it will be named the CHURCH OF GOD.

“But that is not all. Many have appropriated God’s name, but are not proclaiming the KINGDOM OF GOD, as the GOVERNMENT of God, which we must OBEY—teaching obedience to God’s Law (Ten Commandments)—teaching REPENTANCE of rebellion and transgressing God’s Holy Law—teaching that we may be now BEGOTTEN into the KINGDOM(Family) of God, and may, by the resurrection, be BORN into the GOD FAMILY! That true Church is preaching the immanency of the coming of CHRIST as KING of king and LORD of lords, to RULE all nations for a thousand years on earth. Not up in heaven, but ON THIS EARTH (Rev. 5:10). “There is only ONE such Church!

“It is doing THE WORK OF GOD. It is, as Jesus said it would be, a ‘little flock,’ persecuted, despised by the world.

“God’s Church does have…MINISTERS [and ELDERS]…available to call on you, visit you in your home, answer your questions, explain the Bible to you—IF YOU REQUEST IT! But none of them will EVER call on you, unless YOU of your own free will request it! Regarding the general public, Jesus said, ‘Go NOT from house to house’ (Luke 10:7). Paul had visited the elders (ministers) at Ephesus from house to house.

“Neither Jesus, nor Peter, nor Paul, nor any of the original true apostles ever approached people and personally URGED conversion on them. God has made every human a FREE MORAL AGENT. God compels each to MAKE HIS OWN DECISION, and the true GOD will never force you to be converted.”