The Message of God to Africa and the World, 1932 AD
1. THE SEVENTH AND LAST CHURCH
The word “church” is used variously in our time. A
lot of times people use it to refer to a building –
often one constructed with a cross on its rooftop.
Many other times, the word church is used to refer
to an organization – or Christian denomination.
From the times of Adam to the times of the
apostles, there were six covenants, and therefore
six different Churches. For a Church to be
established there must be a messenger, sent from
above to start it. In this context, Church refers to a
group of people worshiping God under one
covenant.
This chapter introduces the major theme in this
book: “The seventh covenant, the Church of Elijah”.
It was preceded by the Sixth Church. The Sixth
Church is that of the Disciples of Christ – which
spread over the area of Europe, and parts of what
we presently call the “Middle East” – including
some of the Northern parts of Africa.
This one Church had many congregations – in
various regions or countries. The Bible talks about
the Church in Rome, the Church in Corinth,
Ephesus, and Alexandria among others.
These Churches mentioned by geographical region
were “branches” of congregations of one Church.
Later on, divisions emerged so that the Church in
Alexandria became the Coptic Church, the Church
in Rome became the Roman Catholic Church, and
the churches in Syria also became separate
organizations. The same happened in Greece.
Similar divisions took place elsewhere, resulting in
a number of church organizations that are roughly
of the same age.
Many centuries there would be another division
from the Catholic Church. This brought forth what
are known as the protestant churches. Those
referred to as protestant churches are those church
organizations that came about at the time Martin
Luther and others protested and thereafter.
The Church of the apostles was not the last. Like
the 5 Churches that came before it, it had a limited
lifespan. Eventually it ceased to operate in the
manner that is read in the Bible due to changes in
worship that were brought by human beings and
their rulers, as well as persecutions that resulted in
the deaths of the apostles.
For many years, the world ceased to know the
spoken Word of God – even though various kinds
of Bibles continued to circulate. The people of the
earth ceased to know or work with the testimony of
Jesus, “the Spirit of Prophecy” (Rev 19:10).
For this reason, around 1000 AD, the first
millennium after Jesus Christ, the world entered
what even historians would come to call “The Dark
Ages”.
The world was not to remain in darkness forever.
During some of the darkest moments of the Sixth
Church, the Lord God spoke to the apostle John in
the Island of Patmos – where he had been
imprisoned and was undergoing persecution. The
visions that he saw about the future were recorded
in the book that we call Revelations.
John, like his fellow apostles was a man of God
who had the gospel (or good news) of God. Yet, he
was shown the future - those things that were to
come (Rev 1:1). Revelations is a prophetic book. In
it there is also mention of the events that were
taking place in the church at that time – cautions to
the seven churches – which were then existing in
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis,
Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
The Holy Spirit spoke about the future while also
cautioning the congregations of that time about
their behavior. The Holy Spirit, through prophets
and teachers, still speaks in the same manner
among God’s people today.
In Chapter 14: 6-7, John was shown a mighty angel
coming to preach everlasting gospel to the peoples
of the earth – every tribe and tongue. While John
also had the gospel of God, he was being shown a
future event beyond his lifetime on earth.
John lived around the time of Jesus. At that time,
the message was “The Kingdom of God is near”
(Matt 10:7).
The future angel would be heard saying: “The time
to judge has come” (Rev 14:7). This statement
points to a new era or dispensation. This book is
written in the context of that new era, the last
Church was a prophecy, but is now reality.
lot of times people use it to refer to a building –
often one constructed with a cross on its rooftop.
Many other times, the word church is used to refer
to an organization – or Christian denomination.
From the times of Adam to the times of the
apostles, there were six covenants, and therefore
six different Churches. For a Church to be
established there must be a messenger, sent from
above to start it. In this context, Church refers to a
group of people worshiping God under one
covenant.
This chapter introduces the major theme in this
book: “The seventh covenant, the Church of Elijah”.
It was preceded by the Sixth Church. The Sixth
Church is that of the Disciples of Christ – which
spread over the area of Europe, and parts of what
we presently call the “Middle East” – including
some of the Northern parts of Africa.
This one Church had many congregations – in
various regions or countries. The Bible talks about
the Church in Rome, the Church in Corinth,
Ephesus, and Alexandria among others.
These Churches mentioned by geographical region
were “branches” of congregations of one Church.
Later on, divisions emerged so that the Church in
Alexandria became the Coptic Church, the Church
in Rome became the Roman Catholic Church, and
the churches in Syria also became separate
organizations. The same happened in Greece.
Similar divisions took place elsewhere, resulting in
a number of church organizations that are roughly
of the same age.
Many centuries there would be another division
from the Catholic Church. This brought forth what
are known as the protestant churches. Those
referred to as protestant churches are those church
organizations that came about at the time Martin
Luther and others protested and thereafter.
The Church of the apostles was not the last. Like
the 5 Churches that came before it, it had a limited
lifespan. Eventually it ceased to operate in the
manner that is read in the Bible due to changes in
worship that were brought by human beings and
their rulers, as well as persecutions that resulted in
the deaths of the apostles.
For many years, the world ceased to know the
spoken Word of God – even though various kinds
of Bibles continued to circulate. The people of the
earth ceased to know or work with the testimony of
Jesus, “the Spirit of Prophecy” (Rev 19:10).
For this reason, around 1000 AD, the first
millennium after Jesus Christ, the world entered
what even historians would come to call “The Dark
Ages”.
The world was not to remain in darkness forever.
During some of the darkest moments of the Sixth
Church, the Lord God spoke to the apostle John in
the Island of Patmos – where he had been
imprisoned and was undergoing persecution. The
visions that he saw about the future were recorded
in the book that we call Revelations.
John, like his fellow apostles was a man of God
who had the gospel (or good news) of God. Yet, he
was shown the future - those things that were to
come (Rev 1:1). Revelations is a prophetic book. In
it there is also mention of the events that were
taking place in the church at that time – cautions to
the seven churches – which were then existing in
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis,
Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
The Holy Spirit spoke about the future while also
cautioning the congregations of that time about
their behavior. The Holy Spirit, through prophets
and teachers, still speaks in the same manner
among God’s people today.
In Chapter 14: 6-7, John was shown a mighty angel
coming to preach everlasting gospel to the peoples
of the earth – every tribe and tongue. While John
also had the gospel of God, he was being shown a
future event beyond his lifetime on earth.
John lived around the time of Jesus. At that time,
the message was “The Kingdom of God is near”
(Matt 10:7).
The future angel would be heard saying: “The time
to judge has come” (Rev 14:7). This statement
points to a new era or dispensation. This book is
written in the context of that new era, the last
Church was a prophecy, but is now reality.
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