How A Bible Believer Should Be Looking At This Weekend’s Blood Moon

Now The End Begins How A Bible Believer Should Be Looking At This Weekend’s Blood Moon by Geoffrey Grider The timeframe that Joel is seeing in his prophecy of the blood moon is the time of the Day of the Lord "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come." Joel 2:31 (KJV) All over the world, various Christian and Christian-like groups are gritting their teeth as they await the coming of the 4th blood moon this weekend. Many books have been written attempting to explain the "prophetic significance" of these red-colored moons and corresponding tetrads. But here at NTEB, we don't base our eschatology on commentaries and books written by men, however well meaning they may be. We are Bible believers who believe the Bible (there's a crazy concept for you). Blood Moons 101 For Dummies: On April 15, 2014, there was a total lunar eclipse. It was the first of four consecutive total eclipses in a series, known as a tetrad; a second one took place on October 8, 2014, third one on April 4, 2015 and the remaining one will take place on September 28, 2015. what-the-bible-says-about-joel-3-blood-moon CLICK FOR THE NTEB BIBLE DOCTRINE TEACHING LIBRARY So what does the Bible say about blood moons? Not much really, but where it mentions them it is very specific. In the book of the prophet Joel, he talks about a blood moon, but not the kind that today's commentators talk about. For you see Joel's "blood moon" is not a moon that turns an orangey-red glow. On the contrary, Joel's blood moon is the actual moon turning to actual blood. Think about that for a moment and let it sink in. And while you do, ponder on this as well. The timeframe that Joel is seeing in his prophecy of the blood moon is the time of the Day of the Lord: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come." Joel 2:31 (KJV). When does the Day of the Lord occur? It happens after the Rapture of the Church, at the end of the time of Jacob's Trouble (Jeremiah 30:7 KJV), and at the Battle of Armageddon. So what that means is because the Rapture has not yet happened, the Great Tribulation cannot start, and we certainly won't be seeing the Battle of Armageddon any time soon. Not unless you can jam all that in by this Saturday night! Having said that, the Bible believing Christian is ready any day to either face their own death or be taken up in the Rapture. Could it be today? Could prophecy be fulfilled this weekend? Yes, it certainly could. But a better question is are you ready for what comes next? You better be. We will not give into scare tactics and fear-mongering brought on by Christian authors who are trying to sell more books. Another place it talks about a blood moon is in Revelation 6:12: "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;" Now from the wording here it could be either actual blood or blood-colored, but since Joel's view of the same day sees actual blood. I will view it in the same way as well. Acts 2:20 has Peter quoting from Joel and seeing actual blood as well: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:" Acts 2:20 (KJV) Now I know this is not nearly as exciting as whipping you up into a fever-pitch and being terrified awaiting a blood-colored moon this Saturday night, but it's what the Bible teaches. I will close with this. The next event that Christians are waiting for is the Rapture of the Church. The Rapture and the Second Coming are two different events. We will not be here for the time of Jacob's Trouble. But as far as the Battle of Armageddon goes, we indeed will witness that, and yes more than witness it, we will fight in it. Revelation 19 tells us how it will go for us in that Day: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." Revelation 19:11-14 (KJV) That's the Day of the Lord from Heaven's perspective. The "armies in Heaven" is the Church, that's us, and part of our inheritance is that we get to participate in the Battle of Armageddon in our glorified, resurrection bodies. In that Day we will certainly see the Blood Moon of the Lord, we will ride right past it on white horses! And that's how a Bible believer looks at the current blood moon debate. I think if anything might happen on the 28th, it could be the Rapture. "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 (KJV) Keep your eye on the eastern sky this weekend!

The Shocking Message Pope Francis Preached At New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Now The End Begins The Shocking Message Pope Francis Preached At New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral by Geoffrey Grider The Pope, the self-proclaimed "vicar of Christ", preaching a message of the FAILURE OF JESUS on the cross. "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18 (KJV) Like many people, I missed the message that the Pope preached at St. Patrick's Cathedral because it was not streamed live as far as I was aware. And honestly, I was much more interested from a prophecy perspective in what he was going to say to Washington and the United Nations. So I did not bother to take a peek and see what he preached at St. Patrick's. When I did, I about fell off my chair. pope-francis-failure-of-the-cross-st-patricks-cathedral-new-york-city "We need to remember that we are followers of Jesus Christ and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross. First of all, Pope Francis gave a shout-out to his "Muslim brothers and sisters" when he said this - "I would like to express two sentiments for my Muslim brothers and sisters: Firstly, my greetings as they celebrate the feast of sacrifice." In case he doesn't know, Islam clearly teaches that their God, Allah, has no son. None at all. So for a Christian to be a spiritual brother or sister with a Muslim is impossible. The Qu'ran boldly declares that Allah has no son: "It is not [befitting] for Allah to take a son; exalted is He! When He decrees an affair, He only says to it, "Be," and it is." Surah 19:35,36 Pope Francis has been wooing the Muslims into the Vatican tent for sometime now. In November of 2014, he prayed inside a Mosque in Istanbul, in December of 2014 Pope Francis defended Islam as a "religion of peace", and just a few weeks ago issued the order for all Catholics in Europe to take in Muslim migrants to live with them in their homes. But it didn't stop there, not by a long shot. Pope Francis declared the work of Jesus on the cross to be a failure Perhaps the most shocking, the most stunning words to ever come out of the Pope's mouth had to do with him talking about the "failure of the Cross". What?? It is because of Jesus on the cross, that we have salvation. It is because of the cross that we now have access to the Father and a FULL pardon for our sins. It is because of the cross that Heaven, and not Hell, is our destination. This is what he said: "The cross shows us a different way of measuring success. Ours is to plant the seeds. God sees to the fruits of our labors. And if at times our efforts and works seem to fail and not produce fruit, we need to remember that we are followers of Jesus Christ and his life, humanly speaking, ended in failure, the failure of the cross." That was it, not another word. You would expect him to say something like "while it appeared to be a failure to His disciples, the cross was actually a victory..." or some such thing. I have heard that preached many times before in church. But the thing is, he didn't say that. He just simply stated that the life of Jesus on the cross "ended in failure", which is a complete and total lie. How he could just leave it there, in defeat, to declare the cross a FAILURE and not expound one, tiny bit more is beyond imagination. The Pope, the self-proclaimed "vicar of Christ", preaching a message of the FAILURE OF JESUS on the cross. Honestly, words fail me at this moment. Truly. What better way could Pope Francis end a "sermon" whose opening remarks call Christ-rejecting, Hell-bound Muslims our "brothers and sisters", and whose main point is the "failure of Jesus on the cross", than by praying to Mary and asking for her blessing: "Dear brothers and sisters, in a few moments, we will sing the Magnificat. Let us commend to our lady the work we have been entrusted to do. Let us join her in thanking god for the great things he has done..." You can click here to read the full transcript of this sermon from the pit of Hell, but honestly, why would you want to?

Massive Vatican Anti-Immigration Wall Shows Hypocrisy Of Pope Francis

Now The End Begins Massive Vatican Anti-Immigration Wall Shows Hypocrisy Of Pope Francis by Geoffrey Grider Mr. Pope Francis...tear down this wall! Pope Francis has been tirelessly and relentlessly hammering America for not allowing in more illegal immigrants and for having a southern border wall. Well, guess what? The Vatican that he is the CEO of has a massive, huge, super-high brick and concrete wall that circles all around it. Liar, liar, pants on fire, Frankie Boy. When are you going to take YOUR wall down? And speaking of immigration, guess what country has the strictest immigration policy on the face of the Earth? You guess it, it's Vatican City. With the Pope, it's clearly a case of do as I say, and not do as I do. vatican-city-anti-immigration-wall-pope-francis Is Vatican City welcoming to illegal immigrants? Hmm, you tell me. During his speech before Congress, Pope Francis implored U.S. politicians to embrace migrants seeking to come into America. “Our world is facing a refugee crisis of a magnitude not seen since the second World War,” the pope said, according to USA Today, including “thousands of persons (who) are led to travel north in search of a better life. “We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation.” “To respond in a way which is always humane, just and fraternal. We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome.” So, hey, Pope Francis, until you tear your wall down, America is not going to stop building ours. Donald Trump, are you listening?? @oldjimmymac @realDonaldTrump maybe you missed the giant wall around Vatican City. Here's a pic for you. pic.twitter.com/px2mkKTkOn — Adam Graham (@adamcraiggraham) September 24, 2015 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Pope Francis Gives Illuminati Hand Signs To Start Historic Address Before Congress

Geoffrey Grider posted: "In an ironic twist. he left out the fact that the Vatican is the world's richest corporation and has incalculable riches within it's vaults. "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast" New post on Now The End Begins Pope Francis Gives Illuminati Hand Signs To Start Historic Address Before Congress by Geoffrey Grider In an ironic twist. he left out the fact that the Vatican is the world's richest corporation and has incalculable riches within it's vaults. "And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet." Revelation 16:13 (KJV) Pope Francis speaking before Congress this morning did something highly unusual for a "man of God", he didn't open up in prayer. He did not invoke God in any way, shape or form. Instead, he jumped right into preaching the Laodicean gospel of social justice. What a phenomenal opportunity to bring Jesus Christ to the spotlight as the entire free world was watching! But no, Jesus never even got an 'honorable mention" from the "vicar of Christ". Wow. I preached in church this past Sunday, and we wouldn't even begin until we had prayed and asked for the Lord's blessing. How much more should the Pope have done this? Take a look at the photo below and see the Pope starting his remarks by giving the Satanic Illuminati "OK" sign, and you'll know why he didn't bother to pray to God before speaking, he was already talking with his god. And you wonder why we call him the False Prophet? pope-francis-addresses-congress-september-24-2015-false-prophet-antichrist-obama-revelation-17 In Satanism, when making this sign the three fingers not used to make the circle are considered symbolic of the unholy trinity — horned God, Goddess, and offspring (antichrist). The bent three fingers are shaped as three number six's, or 666. Thus, we have 666, the sun deity (Lucifer), the Goddess (Mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots), and the beast (antichrist, 666), all in one unitary hand sign. After that stunning spiritual flop, Pope Francis then spoke about how much he wished to "enter into a dialogue" with the American people. This is where the rambling started, and the audience in attendance began to grow confused, not sure where to applaud or even if to applaud. At the 15:00 mark, he began to talk about out of control capitalism, and the evils of money. In an ironic twist. he left out the fact that the Vatican is the world's richest corporation and has incalculable riches within it's vaults. At the 24:00 mark, he started promoting illegal immigration, and chastising America for not letting more illegals in over our borders. He called it a sin to not allow more illegals in, and that we should "reject a mindset of hostility" towards them. What part of the word "illegal" does the Pope not grasp? At this point he invoked the "golden rule" and got the obligatory standing ovation. It's now the 30:00 mark, and I am still semi-patiently waiting for the "vicar of Christ" to give Jesus a shout out. Crickets., nothing but crickets. Pope Francis completely ignored the Catholic priest pedohile sex scandal victims "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: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Revelation 17:4,5 (KJV) Pope Francis make a fogged reference to the Catholic church priest sex scandals, and spent nearly 23 seconds talking about it. He said there should be "hope, forgiveness and rehabilitation" for the gay pedophile bishops who committed decades of vile sex crimes. He said NOTHING to the victims and their families. Not one word. The message the Pope sent is that the Catholic church has no desire to do one bit more than the law will force them to do. If I was a Catholic, at this point and for this reason alone, I would instantly abandon the wicked Vatican institution known as the Catholic church. Shameful and disgusting. Francis talks incessantly about "healing the world", and he won't even help to heal the victims that his own church created. Spoken like the lying, hypocritical False Prophet that he is. At the 51:00 mark, Francis again invoked the memories of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. in an ongoing bid to call America to social justice. Still no references to God, Jesus Christ or to the Holy Spirit. The 4 Iranian hostages with one of them being a Christian pastor? Not a word. I guess they don't count. He then closed his "sermon" by saying "God bless America". Finally, the "vicar of Christ" mentioned God. America, behold your False Prophet. Please step up and take the Mark. Geoffrey Grider | September 24, 2015 at 10:58

Nearly 1,000 Muslims Trampled To Death In Hajj Stampede In Mecca

Now The End Begins Nearly 1,000 Muslims Trampled To Death In Hajj Stampede In Mecca by Geoffrey Grider At least 717 Muslims have been crushed to death in a stampede outside Mecca and more than 850 injured in the deadliest disaster on the annual Hajj pilgrimage in a quarter of a century. The tragedy unfolded in a dusty, overcrowded valley a few miles outside Mecca as pilgrims were preparing for one of the last major rites of their trip. Panic broke out when two groups collided at an intersection in the Mina valley, where a temporary city of 160,000 tents house over 2 million people for a few days each year. nearly-1000-dead-in-hajj-stampede-mecca-muslims-islam-september-2015 The crush left dishevelled bodies of victims and injured survivors sprawled amid rubbish and abandoned wheelchairs, videos and photos from the site showed. More than 4,000 rescue workers raced to the scene to offer first aid and rush the most critical cases to nearby hospitals, but even as ambulances ferried bodies and injured survivors from the site of the disaster, the recriminations began. More than 40 Iranians were among the dead, and Tehran blamed Saudi authorities for letting crowds get out of control. “Today’s incident shows mismanagement and lack of serious attention to the safety of pilgrims,” Said Ohadi, the head of Iran’s hajj organisation, was quoted saying by AFP. “There is no other explanation. The Saudi officials should be held accountable.” The Saudi health minister, Khaled al-Falih, was equally quick to point a finger of blame at the dead themselves saying the tragedy could have been avoided if undisciplined pilgrims had “followed instructions”. The two countries are old enemies, whose mutual distrust is amplified by sectarian differences. They have vied for regional influence for decades and are backing opposite sides in the wars in Yemen and Syria. source

September 21, 2015 Islam and Its Cursed Grand Mosque

September 21, 2015 Islam and Its Cursed Grand Mosque A construction crane has crashed through the roof of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, killing 107 people and injuring nearly 400. The disaster was the result of a violent rainstorm that swept over the city. For the past four years, a series of cranes have been used for a massive expansion of the northern area of the Grand Mosque. The work is part of a $10.6 billion project that, after completion, will allow it to house over 2.5 million worshipers. The failure of the crane begs for comment on its incredible irony. The devastating crash occurred right on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America. First, the crane was struck by lightning, and then it was blown over by a fierce thunderstorm that occurred in a nation that only gets two inches of rainfall each year. Also the owner of the crane is the Saudi Binladin Group; the family of the late al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. I looked at dozens of news stories on this event, and not a single news organization has dared mention the ironic nature of the situation. This is the type of willful ignorance that we have come to expect from a politician; "If I'm lying, may the Lord strike me dead." (And then is promptly killed by a bolt from the blue.) The press is certainly in one accord about the use of the word "holy" in covering all things related to Islam. The accident happened on a Friday, the "holiest day" of the Islamic week, in the "holy city" of Mecca, at the world's "holiest" mosque in Islam. Of course, this incident happened two weeks ahead of the annual Hajj pilgrimage: the "holiest" Muslim holiday. I find the Grand Mosque more spooky than holy. It has been the epicenter of an endless series of disasters. Here is a list of what I would call the less significant events: December 1975: An exploding gas cylinder caused a fire in a tent colony and resulted in the deaths of 200 pilgrims. November 1979: Over 500 young jihadists seized control the Grand Mosque. It took two weeks for a massive Saudi army effort to retake the Mosque. By the end of the fighting, 127 soldiers as many as 1,000 civilians lost their lives July 1987: A clash between Iranian demonstrators and Saudi security forces brought death to more than 400 pilgrims and injury to thousands more. April 1997: 343 pilgrims were killed and 1,500 injured in a tent fire that raged for two hours. Since then, all tents are required to be fireproof. January 2006: A concrete multi-story building located in Mecca close to the Grand Mosque collapsed. The building, the Al-Ghaza Hotel, is said to have housed a restaurant, a convenience store, and a hotel. The death toll was 76 and the number of injured was 64. A more significant and creepy list cites the calamities that have a direct link to the Stoning of the Devil Ceremony. As pilgrims pass by to throw small stones at pillars representing Satan, deadly stampedes have been a regular part of this ritual. Some notable incidents include: July 2, 1990: A stampede inside a pedestrian tunnel (Al-Ma'aisim tunnel) led to the deaths of 1,426 pilgrims. May 23, 1994: A stampede killed at least 270 pilgrims at the stoning event. April 9, 1998: at least 118 pilgrims were trampled to death and 180 injured in an incident on Jamarat Bridge. March 5, 2001: Thirty five pilgrims were trampled to death in a stampede during the stoning ritual. February 11, 2003: The Stoning of the Devil ritual claimed 14 pilgrims' lives. February 1, 2004: 251 pilgrims were killed and another 244 injured in a lethal crush. January 12, 2006: A stampede, during the ritual on the last day of the Hajj, killed at least 346 pilgrims and injured at least 289 more. It's not like the Grand Mosque is such a uniquely busy place where mass deaths are to be expected. On the list of the largest peaceful gatherings in history, the Islamic Hajj only ranks in the 17th place. Pope John Paul II had some gatherings that were twice as large, and there was no death angel that plagued his events. On every New Year's Eve, one million spectators pack into Time Square. After the ball drops, everyone goes home in one piece. The Saudi government has done everything humanly possible to prevent more tragedy. The Grand Mosque has a small army of security forces, and every new incident results in more safety measures. These untimely deaths keep coming because the spiritual head of Islam is Satan himself. Because Lucifer is also the god of this world, he is able to cover his tracks after each kill. "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV). --Todd No Longer in Kansas Listening to Dr. David Jeremiah the other day, I heard him ask whether anyone in his congregation or his TV audience had ever, in these strange days in which we live, suddenly come to the realization that everything was totally changed around them. He said, "Suddenly you just look around and realize you are 'no longer in Kansas.'" The reference, of course, was to the famous 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy (Judy Garland), one day after a terrible storm had hit their Kansas farm house, looked around her and saw that she was in a strange, unfamiliar land. She was no longer in Kansas. Dr. Jeremiah then spoke on how America and the world had changed so drastically within recent times that it was almost unrecognizable. The political terrain and the cultural and societal landscape of our nation have changed in ways that would have been inconceivable only a few short years ago. He talked about how the culture war was lost, and that there would never be a return to the America those who are older once knew. I then listened to Dr. Charles Stanley, who dealt with much the same theme in his sermon. He asked: "How did we get to this point?" He meant by that, "How has our nation reached its sad state of affairs? How has society and culture become so changed for the worse?" We are no longer in Kansas, but we aren't in the Land of Oz, either. That's for certain. Things around us aren't bright and beautiful, with fanciful prospects for a better future, in terms of what the deteriorating world conditions portend. There is no Yellow Brick Road to show the way to a future of fun and fantasy. There is only a dark pathway that leads toward the plains of Esdraelon--the Valley of Jezreel. And, the movement toward that vast staging region for man's final attempt to achieve his long-desired collective goal is almost unquestionably on its biblically prophetic track. The stage is set and the actors are getting into position to fulfill their designated roles for the great end-times scene. No, it isn't the God of Heaven who wrote the script or who is directing the nation-state actors. The actors themselves wrote the devilish scenario, and their director is Lucifer, who controls their minds and movements. It is a production that he has since far-distant past ages intended to one day bring him glory equal to the Creator of all things. But, it is the Creator who controls the script. He knows every nuance of storyline in His omniscience. He keeps each scene within timeline and stage boundaries through His omnipotence and omnipresence. So, it is no wonder with all this staging going on behind the curtain that obscures our view that the world around us suddenly appears unrecognizable. The Kansas of our familiar, comforting American culture and society of a decade ago has been irreversibly transformed. As a matter of fact, our current president was perfectly clear and up front in promising that he was going to work to fundamentally change America. He's a man of his word in that regard. Our familiar healthcare is gone. In its place is a system that is obviously designed to transfer power to the Washington, D.C., bureaucracy, giving government greatly increased control over the individual American. This president has been at the center of completely redefining marriage, changing the most basic institution God designed for mankind. We are now forced to accept homosexuality as something even better than heterosexuality or face jail time.This administration has put in place economic conditions that now have 94 million eligible workers on the unemployment dole, and have increased the welfare roles immeasurably. The racial divide has been made part of the president's agenda for change, provable by looking at the hatred of civilian police that has burgeoned as results of actions by the U.S. Attorney General and the Justice Department in places like Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland. The U.S. Constitution has been assaulted and turned upside-down by the changes an apparently fearful, impotent Congress has failed to resist. The president and leftist judges now rule by fiat a nation that allows them to lead us away from God. Mainstream media, along with much of America's clergy, while Planned Parenthood and their like carry on the slaughter of children in the womb --documented on video in doing their murderous activity--not only look the other way, but vigorously defend this organization that perpetrates such Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele-type evil. Geopolitically, this administration, without pushback from our representatives in government, works incessantly to destroy America's once-strong alliance with Israel. Not only has this administration done things diplomatically to severely damage the relationship, but it now joins with enemies of Israel to assure they have the nuclear weaponry to annihilate the Jewish state as the Iranian supreme leader often promises--and, by the way, to destroy America as well at some point in the not-too-distant future. Yes, Dorothy (America), you are no longer in Kansas. You will never be there again. But, you don't have to stay on the path that leads to the abyss. The true Yellow Brick Road that leads to the brightest of all futures is as near as a moment of genuine repentance. Individually, to step upon this golden pathway of light that leads to forgiveness and a real, not fanciful, utopian world, requires only the following: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans10:9-10).

The Devil's Chapel

The Devil's Chapel The Devil's Chapel By: Wendy Wippel Back from my second honeymoon and we saved the best for last, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Breathtaking. Majestic. Utterly beautiful. Remember, however, that God called Satan beautiful (Ezekiel 28;12), and warned us that he would seek to destroy the church. God promised that Lucifer will fail. But He also warned us there'd be casualties. That's basically what the churches of Revelation are about. At least partially. The opening verses of the book define the book's purpose as to show the saints what would shortly come to pass. And although the seven churches addressed existed as churches when John wrote about them, (he founded six of them), the text of Revelation two and three indicates that the audience is broader than just those six specific churches. (Every church, and every church age, has its share of all the churchgoers described. And remember, the whole book is prophecy. What is to come. So... at this stage of church history, Bible scholars have come to the realization that the churches themselves, in the order described, present a very clear picture of church history. (If you are familiar with this way of looking at these chapters, my apologies. I am not real sure how familiar this really is among the body as a whole. But hang on. This explanation will be brief, and then we'll move on.) And even their names betray their slot in church history. Starting with Ephesus. 1) Ephesus ("desirable,"), the zealous early church that was nonetheless losing their first love. 2) Smyrna, (root word myrrh, the embalming spice), the church persecuted church by two centuries of Roman rule, with an estimated 5 million martyrs. 3) Pergamos, (thoroughly married,or mixed marriage), the church under the Emperor Constantine, who essentially married the pagan religious system of Rome with the fourth century church, introducing a host of pagan concepts that eventually created the church at ... 4) Thyatira, (continual sacrifice), the Papal Church of the Middle Ages, forerunner to the Catholic Church today, which has elevated Mary to co-redemptrix (the most important cult of worship in Rome was the Temple of the vestal virgians), worships of multitude of saints (just like Rome had a blue million Gods) and literally believes that the wafer baked by the priests turns into the body of a God. And what's more, when you eat that God, you're safe for another day! Which means that you have to keep making sacrifices to stay on God's good side. (Ergo "Our lady of perpetual sacrifice"). Host and perpetual sacrifice courtesy of Roman worship practices. Not any verse in the Bible. 5) Sardis, (to come out), the church of the reformation, who rediscovered the gospel but nonetheless continued to be highly anti-semetic and for the most part sterile. 6) Philadelphia, (brotherly love), the church that spurred on primarily (finally!) by bibles in their own hands and in their own language, rediscovered God's word and took the gospel to heart, creating the great evangelical movement of the last three centuries. 7) Laodicea, (the people rule), the apostate church, with nothing that can be said of them that's good. And since the Lord is outside of this church, trying to get in, it would seem that this is the "church" of the tribulation. The one ruled by the antichrist, after the rapture has taken all church age believers home. OK. Back to the Basilica of St. Peter. It really is just incredible. Michelangelo's statue of the Virgin Mary, cradling the dead body of her son (the Pieta). It's hard to believe that a block of cold marble could make you weep. The dome over Peter's grave. Also by Michealangelo. Just incredible. With seemingly thousands of other works of art by every Italian painter or sculptor of note, on every wall and in every corner. And though the church is a work in progress, It's easy to see why centuries of good Roman Christians, literate or not, must have believed that God must be accessible in that place. And that everything the man that preached in that place (nearly 1800 years of popes), according to the Roman Catholic Church, must be absolutely true. But, as we saw in the "what's to come" that John's prophecies promised to clue us into, things starting going south in the time of the church of Pergamum. The mixed marriage church, when Constantine married the pagan worship of Rome to the Christian church, putting pagan priests, in fact, in charge of some Christian congregations. (And apparently, like the frog being boiled alive) things changed slowly enough that the true Christians didn't recognize the threat. Or maybe the true believers had pretty much all been martyred in the age of the church of Smyrna. It was, in fact, Constantine himself that had the original Church of Saint Peter built over Peter's traditional burial site. And something like 3500 generations of worshipers have (largely by the selling of indulgences) added to its earthly grandeur since, making it, according to one guide book, "the greatest of all churches of Christendom". If popularity counts, no doubt it deserves the title. It draws nearly a million visitors a year. Ditto for quality (and amount) of decoration. It's also the largest Christian church covering nearly three square acres. But for me, the wonder of the sheer glory of the place began to be pierced by other perceptions. Much of the decoration consists of sculpture or pictures of the popes, or recognitions of their awards, anniversaries, or accomplishments. And about 45 minutes in, the tour guide totally burst the bubble by cheerfully informing us that the nave of the edifice was built specifically to the dimensions of the Pantheon. The pantheon being another ancient Roman building, on the other side of the ancient city core, whose purpose was defined in its name, pantheon, meaning "all Gods". It was a temple built to worship a multitude of gods. And that formed the basis of St. Peter's Basilica. You may have heard that Constantine became a Christian. He didn't. (Although his mother did). He was, in fact, forcibly baptized on his deathbed. But he served his purpose. He married the Christians of Rome to the system of pagan worship, and the pagans got the last laugh. Today, the pantheon has few visitors, but St. Peter's is always packed. Wasn't it Luther that said "wherever God builds a church, the devil builds a chapel"?