(Steve,

That was an amazing article!

And that was a very intriguing question that you asked at the end:)

 

When He said there were people who “say they are Jews and are not, but lie,” exactly who did He have in mind?

 

(Here are a few thoughts which I've had regarding this, over the years, but I certainly cannot be dogmatic about it:)

 

Revelation 3:9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

 

(It is interesting, that the only two churches that were not rebuked, were told the same thing.

Only the churches in Smyrna and Philadelphia were told about these same people.

Only these two were warned about those who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; those who are the synagogue of Satan.

Jesus didn’t say that these were “bad Jews”, or “apostate Jews”, but that they were not even Jews at all.

The new testament does mention some evil and unbelieving Jews, but the scriptures still say that they were Jews:)

 

John 19:14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!

  15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.

 

Acts 9:23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:

 

Acts 14:2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren.

 

(However, regarding the people that Jesus is speaking about, he says they are not Jews, but liars.

Today, there are those who claim something similar.

Jehovah Witnesses say that they are the 144,000.

Seventh Day Adventists claim to be true sabbath keepers, feast days, and eating laws.)

 

(Then there are the amillennialists, the supersessionists, who say that they have replaced Israel and inherit their promises, saying the ethnic Jews are now cursed.

This last group has been the most dangerous, in turning Christians against those ethnically called Jews.

By calling them the synagogue of Satan, Jesus is showing who they are of, and where their doctrines and practices come from.)

 

(Why would these liars come to the two churches that received no rebuke from Jesus?

They came to the suffering, martyr church in Smyrna, and to the revival, evangelistic church in Philadelphia.

Apparently, that is where Jesus was performing a really great work, that Satan, no doubt, wanted to stop, or mess up.

Did they try to mess things up, by presenting themselves as Jews, to mimic what had be done in the churches in Galatia?

Philadelphia was only about 150 miles southwest of Galatia, so they no doubt knew about what happened in the Galatian churches, a generation earlier.

However, this time, the people were not even Jews at all, but liars - were they trying to bring people back under the law? - or some other terrible thing?

They were pretenders, liars, from what Jesus called the synagogue of Satan.

What they actually taught, or what they tried to do, Jesus doesn’t mention, but he warned these two churches about them.

Yet, Jesus told the church that he would make these liars come and worship before the feet of the church in Philadelphia.

Twice Jesus said that he would “make them” - “make them” what? To come and hear real preaching of the true word of God:)

 

Deuteronomy 4:10b Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth,

 

(Perhaps that they would come, hear the preaching, and come to the altar to be saved.

Where would they come to the altar? Generally, below, and before, the pulpit, at the feet of the preacher.

Not to worship the preacher, but to come forward, repent, believe on Jesus for salvation, and to worship the Lord Jesus.

Perhaps the use of altar calls was going on there in Philadelphia, but had stopped during the Pergamos, Thyatira, and Sardis periods of the church age.

However, the use of altar calls started back again during the Philadelphia period of the church age, especially by preachers like Finney and Moody.)

 

(Also, during the Philadelphia period of the church age, there were others that said that they were Jews, and were not, but were liars.

It began as British Israelism, that the ten lost tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel, migrated to England, and then to America.

e.g. like Britain descended from Manasseh, or descended from Ephraim.

There were those who then believed that America was the “new Canaan”, that it was theirs for the taking.

Then there developed a very dangerous doctrine, by twisting what Noah said:)

 

Genesis 9:25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.

  26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

  27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

 

(That false doctrine taught that these three lines applied to the Europeans settling in America.

That the descendants of the ten lost tribes would be blest and given “new Canaan”.

That the other Europeans, Gentiles, descendants of Japheth, would be enlarged, by also migrating to “new Canaan”.

That the native Americans were also descendants of Shem, and thus Japheth would dwell in the tents of Shem.

In other words, that the Europeans would come and live where the tepees of the native Americans had been.

Also, that Canaan would be the servant of Japheth.

From that, they taught that Canaan represented the descendants of Ham, whose descendants primarily lived in Africa.

They thus taught that the Africans would be the servants of the Europeans, but in the land of the tepees.

This gave a supposed strong doctrinal basis for slavery in America, but it is false doctrine, especially evidenced by its deadly, evil fruit.

Also, the idea that America was the “new Canaan”, made it proper in their minds to do what Israel was commanded in the real Canaan.

Israel had been commanded to kill the inhabitants of Canaan, and to dwell in it in their place.

The false doctrine of the “new Canaan”, justified the slaughter of the native Americans, to take their land, and dwell in their place.

However, many of this false and evil persuasion, heard the gospel, and were saved, and repented of their false doctrine.

They realized, but sadly too late for the many who died in slavery or in the slaughter of the native Americans, what Jesus truly loves.)

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