The Message of the Lion of Judah

There is one main instruction for God’s Church in the book of Revelation: Deliver the message. That is God’s primary concern, for a couple of reasons. He wants the mystery out there, the mystery of Revelation 10:7 that must be finished. But He’s also shaping and molding the people who deliver that message, preparing them to rule at headquarters forever, where they’ll know precisely who is in charge and how to respond to Him.

So, in Revelation 10:11, we have this instruction: “… Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” God says, “I want to see how many people I have out there who really love the truth and love me.” We are being evaluated. God gives us this message, which includes Malachi’s Message, and revelation about the major prophets, minor prophets and former prophets. It includes Mystery of the Ages and all the revelation that God gave to Herbert Armstrong. And He wants us to deliver it. As we step out on faith, God gives us more revelation and more blessings, and we develop more character in the process.

Now, God’s objectives being what they are, you can expect that this is not going to be an easy job.

Measuring the Destruction

Israel was destroyed in 721–718 b.c. If you add the prophesied 2,520 years to 718, it brings you to 1803, when the United States made the Louisiana Purchase and began to prosper. (Request The United States and Britain in Prophecy for more details.) Britain was also becoming a world power. God said in Hosea, “For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold …” (Hosea 2:8). God precisely measured all these blessings in building Israel. And now He’s going to measure the destruction.

Notice this passage in the book of Amos: “Thus he shewed me: and, behold, the Lord stood upon [by] a wall made by a plumbline, with a plumbline in his hand” (Amos 7:7). This is about Israel’s rise to power and its fall in this end time, and God is standing by that wall “with a plumbline.”

“And the Lord said unto me, Amos, what seest thou? And I said, A plumbline. Then said the Lord, Behold, I will set a plumbline in the midst of my people Israel: I will not again pass by them any more” (verse 8). God is right there in the midst of Israel with a plumbline. This is the great God who created us, and He knows how to teach these people to finally turn it around. He has a plumbline—a measuring device—and He’s measuring the destruction of Israel like an architect. God says, This is really the last time—the final warning! There won’t be another warning after we have finished delivering Mystery of the Ages again.

“And the high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste; and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword” (verse 9). The “high places of Isaac” refers to the Laodicean Church that began well but, to this point, has ended badly. God says it will be desolate. He begins at His sanctuary. This shows how angry He is with His people.

‘Prophesy Not Again’

“But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel [or sanctuary], and it is the king’s court” (Amos 7:13). Here we see a group of people saying they’ve had enough of God’s teachings and prophecies. They are part of a work that began well and ended badly, in this end time.

This whole passage is a prophecy describing the trouble we find ourselves in today. You could say these people Amos describes want no more of Herbert Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages and God’s revelation.

But there is another group that holds on to the Head while everyone else is letting go. When one group says, “Prophesy not again,” this other group responds, “We are going to prophesy!” And they deliver Mystery of the Ages and other literature to the world.

In 1990, I wrote in Malachi’s Message, “The Philadelphian group is persecuted before they go to a place of safety [Revelation 12:13] and they are separate from the Laodicean group (verse 17). Here, and in Malachi 3:16, it reveals that these two groups separate and can’t ‘walk together’ some time before the Tribulation. Do the Laodiceans inflict part of the pre-Tribulation persecution on the Philadelphians? Malachi 2:10, 14-16 are about the Laodiceans being ‘treacherous’ to the Philadelphians. That treachery comes just before and after the two groups split.”

And in 1992, in The Lion Has Roared, I wrote: “Is there going to be a direct confrontation between the Laodicean and Philadelphian churches in the near future? Here is why that could easily happen. The leaders in the United States and Britain will know that the Philadelphia Church of God came out of the Worldwide Church of God. The leaders of the nations could enlist the wcg in an attempt to stop the pcg’s message.”

Further down I wrote, concerning Amos 7:11, 13: “Again we see the ‘prophesy not’-'prophesy’ tension of Amos 2 and 3. It could be that one of the biggest confrontations is between two of God’s own churches—the pcg and the wcg. The pcg must tell Israel that they shall be ‘led away captive out of their own land’! The wcg is trying, even now, to squelch such a message.”

Amos 2:11-12 say “prophesy not.” Amos 3:3 mentions a Church split. Then Amos 7:13 says “prophesy not again.” This is nothing new in God’s Church.

Remember, this is all prophecy. “Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words” (verse 10). Amaziah was the priest of Bethel—the house of God. So here is a minister from God’s lukewarm, Laodicean Church, somehow getting a message to the leader of the land in an attempt to stop God’s message. This is a confrontation between God’s people, the leaders of the land and a priest of the house of Bethel. Our court case with the wcg was probably just the first stage of that mighty confrontation!

This minister tells the leader, “The land is not able to bear all his words.” He apparently knows a lot about the people preaching God’s message, because he knows about the message. He knows what to omit to make it look very evil: “For thus Amos saith, Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel shall surely be led away captive out of their own land” (verse 11). Now that is true. But then, of course, he leaves out a big part of the message. Yes, the leader will die by the sword—if he doesn’t repent. But Amaziah fails to mention that if the leader and the people were to repent, they would not have to go into this terrible time of suffering! Even if they don’t repent before, God will still bring them out of it, if they repent while in captivity. Amaziah conveniently omits that in his discussion with the king.

“Also Amaziah said unto Amos, O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah; and there eat bread, and prophesy there” (verse 12). In other words, You are in this for bread, or money. Go to Judah, go over into that part of the world. So this man seems to know about our work in the nation of Israel—probably because he grew up in the Church where it was taught!

“But prophesy not again any more at Bethel: for it is the king’s chapel [sanctuary], and it is the king’s court” (verse 13). They say, “We don’t want any doomsday preachers around here. We’re all mainstream and we don’t want the heresy you teach. Don’t prophesy again. We got rid of Mystery of the Ages for a reason.” But who is really behind all this?

Deliver the Message

“Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel” (Amos 7:14-15). Amos didn’t have any ancestry in the priesthood. He was a farmer, but he had God’s message and delivered it the way God said.

To God’s very elect, it doesn’t make any difference who comes with God’s message. They are intelligent people spiritually and cannot be deceived. That’s why God will put them at His headquarters forever.

We must realize who we are. We have to be like Amos, Jeremiah, Gideon and all those men of God. It’s like we’re going to have to walk right off the pages of the Bible, right out of our shepherding job, and tell the leaders of the land that unless they repent, they are going to die by the sword. And they are going to be taken into captivity out of their own land. That’s not good news, but that’s the truth if they don’t heed this message.

Amos spoke out fearlessly: “Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac” (verse 16). “Drop not thy word” refers to water or dew falling down from heaven. It can also mean to speak by inspiration, or to prophesy. God revealed the book of Amos shortly after the pcg began. Mr. Armstrong admitted that he didn’t understand this book. It’s like spiritual rain—the Holy Spirit bringing a message from God. Realize this: It could be that Amaziah and the people who follow him have lost their salvation because they know it’s from the God of heaven, and they still say, STOP IT! Drop not thy word!

Amos’s answer: “Therefore thus saith the Lord; Thy wife shall be an harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line [measured with a plumbline]; and thou shalt die in a polluted land: and Israel shall surely go into captivity forth of his land” (verse 17). How did Amos know that Amaziah’s wife was going to die as a harlot? How did he know specifically that his children were going to die by the sword? He didn’t get it from the Bible. God must have revealed it to him. Amos is saying that if we don’t heed this message, women will die or become harlots, and men and children will die by the sword.

These are prophecies of God’s wrath. We must think seriously about them. If you think delivering Mystery of the Ages is rough, take a look at what happens to God’s people who refuse to deliver it! This is the God of judgment that they don’t like to hear about (Malachi 2:17). They only like the God of mercy and love—never the God of judgment (which is also a part of God’s love). That’s why they are so deceived about our message. As they try to stop it, things will get worse. There will be a greater confrontation. And as Amos 8:11 says, soon there will be a famine of the word.

We represent the living God. When the state of California attacked the Worldwide Church of God and Herbert Armstrong in 1979, Mr. Armstrong put ads in the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal and other major newspapers saying, “Mr. Attorney General, you have attacked the living God.” Wow! That’s the Lion of Judah. Mr. Armstrong wasn’t going to surrender. We have power on our side. We have the Lion of Judah with us. Mr. Armstrong told the attorney general in those ads, “You are supposed to enforce the law, not break it.” Sometimes we have to deliver strong words to this evil society.

The Lion of Judah

Do we understand how special it is to receive revelation from God—from this Lion of Judah? Not receiving any new revelation shows that God’s people are under a curse. Christ is not leading them.

“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon” (Revelation 5:1-4). God had promised John a revealing, and John had been flooded with revelation. Then suddenly it stopped—and John began to weep. There are all kinds of churches of God today with no revelation, and they ought to be WEEPING!

But notice this: “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof” (verse 5). This book stated that no being in heaven or on this Earth or under the earth could reveal this book. But here comes the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and He’s going to open it. If you have new revelation, you know the Lion of Judah is with you! Now that means there’s a lot of power behind you. He’s telling us that if we have the Lion of Judah with us, some amazing revelations are coming our way. We must know where they’re coming from. You can’t find any being in heaven or on Earth or under the earth or anyplace else that can give you revelation—but God! If you have revelation, you truly have something special. You are God’s very elect.

Realize who we are and who is leading us! Not holding the Head is a serious problem. The Lion of the tribe of Judah leads this little group. And if we do our job, and people say, “Prophesy not again,” we’re going to answer with Christ’s prophecy. The miracles in this Church are astounding! Never forget where revelation comes from.

Some who have left this Church have gotten into a bizarre view of prophecy, thinking somehow God is using them. But if we’re discerning, we will stay in awe of God’s true revelation. Remember, the Father revealed this to Christ. And Christ came down here and revealed it just as His Father said—government all the way.

Revelation only comes from God’s government! Christ gave us precisely what His Father—the supreme government—gave to Him. Revelation from God also means we have God’s government. In this end time, if you do not have God’s revelation, you are rebelling against His government!

Christ gave Herbert W. Armstrong God’s government and revelation. The pcg also has God’s revelation. That means we continue submitting to the exact same government of God that Mr. Armstrong taught us.

So it says in verse 5 that this Lion of the tribe of Judah has “prevailed”—or conquered—and was then given the authority to open the book. We have to conquer Satan, ourselves and the world if we are going to receive revelation. We can conquer. We can make it into the Kingdom of God if we remain loyal to God—to the Lion of Judah—and tap into that power.

We may be a spectacle to the world. But the great spectacle is really those Laodicean churches. There are hundreds of offshoots from the Worldwide Church of God. They don’t even know who they are anymore. That’s the way God said it would be. If we don’t hold the Head, Satan will just splinter us into nothing. We really have to learn to hold the Head. We have to learn to love being ruled by Jesus Christ. Here’s why.

Verse 5 calls the Lion of the tribe of Judah “the Root of David.” This Lion of Judah is the Root of David. Revelation 22:16 also says Christ is the root and offspring of David. Yes, He’s in that physical genealogy. But saying Christ is the Root of David means He was Melchizedek in the Old Testament. He created David. He created the universe. This verse is talking about the royal line of David—trying to get us to understand what kind of spiritual genealogy we have! There is no royalty on Earth to compare with this!

But there’s something we must learn if we are to be a part of it.

The Horn

“And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth” (Revelation 5:6). Here this great Being appears as a lamb—not a lion. We need to understand both characteristics.

The seven horns and seven eyes refer to the seven eras. The horns are a symbol of government. The eyes are about being a watchman. But if you don’t learn about the horns, you’ll never be a watchman for God. You’ll never see yourself the way you really are or the Work of God the way it really is. God gives the sight that makes us a watchman.

First, you must submit to the horn—the government. Of course, the ministry, the government, should be the helpers of your joy (2 Corinthians 1:24). They shouldn’t domineer over people, depressing them or discouraging them. They are here to serve. It’s not the other way around. They are to help you really build your joy. But there is government, and we have to hold on to the Head.

“And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months” (Revelation 11:1-2). These people who prophesy again, who have Mystery of the Ages and the little book, have been given the government to measure God’s people, or the inner court. We don’t go into the outer court where there are hundreds of splinter groups to measure them, because they refuse to be ruled by God. But we do give them a strong warning.

Government must come first, or you don’t have the understanding from God and the authority to know how to measure. God measures the ministers first, and they help Him measure the Church.

We’re talking about something given from above: Somebody has been given a rod, or authority. This is the greatest blessing God can give us. We must learn to see that and love it. Just trust God to take care of you and me and the ministry, and He’ll work out any problem that arises. If the Head is not here, you ought to flee. But He is here!

We must look to God. “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man …” (Jeremiah 17:5).

You can’t do the Work of God in Satan’s world unless you have the government of God. Just look at the rebellious Laodiceans. They are doing virtually no work compared to ours.

Laodicean Pride

In the Global Church of God News, August-September 1997, Rod Meredith stated, “First, we do practice the correct form of church government. Not perfectly, of course, but we do not have politics or voting in selecting our ministers, determining our doctrine, deciding whether we are going to do a work … even though some outside observers claim otherwise. We do follow the general pattern of church government.” What does he mean, “general pattern”? Let’s get specific.

Mr. Meredith also said, “We must never forget that Christ was and is alive. Why has there not been more deep respect shown for Mr. Armstrong by the various groups that have split off? Why have so many tried to reinvent the wheel, rejecting the clear teaching on government that Christ revealed through this man?” Sounds pretty good, but read on. “Why? Is it because they think that Christ was asleep during the long years of Mr. Armstrong’s ministry? Do they fail to understand that it was the living Christ who was actually doing that powerful Work and that He was the same yesterday, today and forever? (Hebrews 13:8).” That sounds good to me. But notice the concluding paragraph:

“So Christ was not in any way surprised that this great falling away took place. He knew this would happen and He intended to use it as a test to see if His people would hang on to the basic truths He had placed in His Church through Mr. Armstrong, and the senior evangelists who assisted him for decades in establishing and building a really powerful work” (emphasis mine).

Matthew 17:10-11 do not say that God is going to send an end-time Elijah and senior evangelists to restore all things, as Mr. Meredith said. God says He reveals truth to holy apostles and prophets—not to senior evangelists (Ephesians 3:5). Mr. Meredith did say they were assisting, but still, he said that God put those great truths in the Church through Mr. Armstrong and the senior evangelists. They are putting themselves on the same level as God’s end-time Elijah, and they don’t belong there!

Christ said, “I will send my messenger”—singular (Malachi 3:1). Not “my messenger and senior evangelists.” God said He would send Elijah the prophet (Malachi 4:5-6). God didn’t say He would “send Elijah and senior evangelists”!

This is dangerously serious! In the Obadiah booklet, I write about how the Esau Laodiceans will lose their eternal lives—their birthright. Why? Because they are deceived by pride. Mr. Meredith’s statement is not one of humility. The very elect know that is a statement of pride.

The Laodiceans are not receiving any revelation, because they are not humble or childlike. They’re not holding the Head (Colossians 2:19). If you don’t have the Head, you have nothing. If you get enough pride into your head, you will be deceived.

The reasoning we see in the Laodiceans will only lead to the Great Tribulation. Can’t we humble ourselves and say, “God, please help me to search out your truth and to search out where your Work is—where the Lion of Judah is”? After all, you ought to be able to find the powerful Lion of Judah if you honestly search for Him. Beware of the attitude that doesn’t want to find Him. The problem is that the Laodiceans don’t want to find Him.

The Lion of the tribe of Judah is in the inner court, measuring. He tells those in there with Him, Go ahead and measure. So let’s measure. Who has the government of God? Or, as Paul expressed it in Colossians, who has the Head?

Do you think that the Global and United churches want Mystery of the Ages? Many of their members think so. But there’s a section in Mystery of the Ages titled “One Church With One Government.” That’s in the “Mystery of the Church” chapter. Both Global and United will tell you there are several branches of God’s Church. They’ll say that they are branches of God’s true Church, even though they have different governments. They say There’s not one Church, and there’s not one government. They say you can go to all of those branches—except one—and it’s OK. They advise members to stay away from the one group that has the Head. It’s terrible that they deceive so many people!

Mystery of the Ages talks about an end-time Elijah. Mr. Armstrong reluctantly admitted to fulfilling that office. That wasn’t vanity. That was the truth. And he said he preached the gospel around the world (Matthew 24:14). Now these churches say that is their goal. But Mr. Armstrong said he finished that specific work. He also discussed in his book the restored truths, with the most important truth on that list being government—the same government that they have rejected. Do they really want Mystery of the Ages? They do not.

Cast Them Out

If we don’t have God’s government, “wolves” are prophesied to come in and tear the inner court apart and make it the outer court. God says if you have people like that, cast them out (Revelation 11:2). That means using force or power and being decisive doing it. God wants to make sure we keep the inner court holy. If we have somebody acting like a wolf or causing serious problems, we cast them out. That’s what Christ told us to do. Either we cast out Satan or Satan casts out Christ!

That phrase leave out, or cast out, is the same expression you’ll find in Luke 4:29, where Christ was thrown out of the city. We are in a war, and spiritual survival is at stake. If you’re in the outer court, you’re going to be destroyed and trod underfoot by the Gentiles. We get a little insight into that by looking at World War ii videos and the concentration camps. But the next war will be much worse.

We don’t want to see anyone trod underfoot. And our leading ministers will cast somebody out if we see that person leading a member or prospective member in that direction. God is going to back us in that.

This casting out is an ongoing process. One minister who left the pcg was upset that we put some people out of the Church. But we use the government of God to keep people from destroying the inner court. The Laodiceans have not learned that. When the Philadelphia Church of God began, God cast out 95 percent of His people! Do you want to get angry with God for doing that? If they don’t change their ways, He’s going to cast them out of the Kingdom. They’ll see people of Sodom and Gomorrah entering in, while they’re being cast out! We must see the big picture.

“And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth” (Revelation 11:3). Here are two witnesses clothed in sackcloth. I have no idea who they’re going to be, but I know they will be two very humble men, and one of them will be in charge. If God sent two of these “senior evangelists,” they would be fighting over who was to be in charge! What do you do with a government like that? It fails every time!

If we don’t have God leading us, life doesn’t work. Man can’t lead himself! We are little children who need to be taught God’s precious and wonderful truth—His royal law which makes us royal.

Regarding Revelation 11:1, the historian Josephus said that the veil before the inner court was made with the most marvelous skill, of embroidered fine linen of blue, scarlet and purple. He wrote that, when you look behind the veil, it typifies the universe. The inner court opens up the whole universe to you. God wants UNIVERSE rulers! And if you don’t hold on to the Head, you will wreck it all. God has seen that scenario with Lucifer. He’ll have no more of it. So He will let us die forever to put us out of our misery.

Clothed With the Universe

Revelation 11:19 mentions the ark in heaven. Inside the ark is the law. And there always has to be somebody to administer the law. This introduces chapter 12.

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars” (Revelation 12:1). Here’s quite a woman! She is clothed with the sun, has the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars—all kinds of brilliant light! And the time setting is right now. If people can see spiritually, there is a woman who is clothed with the sun—led by the Lion of Judah, a type of Jesus Christ—and they have all this light, all this revelation. Everybody should be able to see it, but the Laodiceans are blind. They don’t want to see; they refuse to see. But the light is there. The glory is there, and it’s out of this world. We’re talking about the sun, moon and stars—the royalty God is giving His Church. That is royalty like you have never seen before. She is crowned with the 12 stars, those 12 tribes which relate to the throne of David. What royalty! And He’s offering these positions to mere mud—people made of clay. What a future we have.

When the moon is out, especially a full moon, it is so bright it’s almost like daytime. But from where does the moon get its light? From the sun. Take away the sun and it’s a dark, ugly, barren, cold piece of dirt. That’s the way it is with us: Take away the light of God and see how spiritually dark and barren we get! We’re here to reflect God’s glory. When we cease to do that, we’re in trouble. God’s glory is all we have. We don’t have any light of ourselves!

The Laodiceans have a lot of talented people. They feel they need nothing. They have senior evangelists.

“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered” (verse 2). God’s Church is going through something like the pain of giving birth to a child because we truly are struggling to be born! Sure there are difficult trials. But don’t think only about the pain—think about the birth. About being born again. Of course we are going through trials and difficulties. God is getting us ready to save the world. We’re saviors. We must get our minds off ourselves. We must think about saving people by teaching them to follow their Head.

In the meantime, there is a lot of pain, because we are fighting the god of this world. “And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads” (verse 3). Here he comes again. He gets drunk once more on the blood of the saints. It all revolves around two women: God’s wife and this old harlot that tries to act like God’s wife—the Catholic Church that rides the beast, or the Holy Roman Empire (Revelation 17:3-6). This is the seventh time this so-called Holy Roman Empire comes back, and every time, it’s at one with Satan. This empire will have great power, given by Satan.

The scholars can’t figure this out. The religious people can’t figure it out. Lange’s Commentary, which is out of print, is one of the few commentaries that knows this refers to the Roman Empire, ruled over by the Catholic Church. Shouldn’t we be able to understand if we’re God’s Church? The only people who really understand are the people who have this light. We know what is happening in Europe. If the people of this world knew, they would be terrified! We’re going to have to tell them. There are signs that ought to give those in modern Israel direction, but they won’t listen, because Satan rules them too and is going to destroy them.

For 1,260 years this old harlot has been attacking and persecuting God’s Church. And for 1,260 days she is going to do it again, and we’re going to have to flee to a place of safety. Then Jesus Christ is going to come back, and He will smash that beast once and for all, and we’ll be right there with Him. Thank God!

John then goes on to talk about the destructive power of Satan the devil. Satan has a tail that took one third of the great, brilliant angels with him (Revelation 12:4). And now he has deceived some 95 percent of God’s Church. When a minister leaves this Church, we ask him, “Don’t you realize that Satan is getting to you?” Generally the answer is, “No, not me. I understand Satan.” But he doesn’t. We won’t understand Satan either unless God gives us the eyes to see. As on the Day of Atonement, when the priest cast lots to determine which goat was the Azazel (Leviticus 16:7-8), God must show us where Satan is. He’s called “that old serpent” (Revelation 12:9). He’s old, ancient. A few translations call him that ancient devil, demon or dragon. But he’s still deceiving and seducing the whole world. And he keeps fighting God and us.

“And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” (verse 10). Satan is right here on Earth today. We in the Church will be accused. Satan will use all of his deceitful power to destroy us. But God tells us to look at the strength we have! That means force, or miraculous power. It is the power of Jesus Christ. We’re not pictured here as weak people, but strong, like the Lion of Judah! But only if we hold on to and act just like the Head. We must follow His example. We must fight the way He does.

Ultimately, many Laodiceans will get back to holding the Head. “And they [conquered] him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death” (verse 11). They will finally repent and die for God. Fifty percent of them will be saved spiritually. What a painful way to gain salvation!

Why do the Laodiceans have to die? Because they’re just not qualified to sit as royalty with Jesus Christ to rule this Earth from headquarters. Christ wants to know that if anybody comes to headquarters with a question, they would get the answer Jesus Christ Himself would give. The Laodiceans are not qualified to do that. They aren’t a loyal and faithful witness to this word. They don’t read or teach Matthew 17:10-11 the way Jesus Christ does.

We know this because we have new revelation—because we are like the Lion and the Lamb who gives us the strength and humility we need to do whatever is necessary.

The Royal Throne Room

“And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints” (Revelation 5:7-8). Here you have these four living creatures and the 24 elders falling down before the Lamb. They are responsible for your prayers. God has specific angels monitoring all of your prayers!

Look at the royal environment in which your prayers are handled. Look at the priority God gives your prayers! You must place the same supreme importance on your prayers! You must remember where they are going. This has a lot to do with how God’s people are judged today. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16). Do your prayers avail much today?

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands” (Revelation 5:9-11). What a choir—what a magnificent sound that will be. What a future God has for His people! Kings and priests will be working with those millions of angels.

“Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing” (verse 12). There are not enough adjectives to describe what is ahead for us.

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever” (verse 13). At this point, all will be holding the Head. Every human, animal and insect will be in harmony with God! We will all be singing a new song about looking to God the Father and our Husband. The whole world will be a part of God’s Family—unity and harmony like never before.

Today, we have to qualify for that. We have to work to bring this harmony into the Church. And then we will be ready to teach it to the entire world and will, indeed, have all people singing a new song. It will be one song that everybody sings, not just a few. That is truly praising God.

“And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever” (verse 14). That means living forever and ever—time that you can’t even calculate. This is what God is giving to His royal people in the marriage that we will soon experience with Jesus Christ. We will be ruling the whole universe, bringing eternal peace and joy forever.

Do we see? Do we understand? It’s all there for us. It’s so wonderful that when John saw it, just in a vision, he fainted. This is our future—our transcendent, royal future. No wonder God gives us the job of delivering His message. No wonder we face such obstacles today. God is preparing us, doing everything He can to get His Bride ready—because He really does need help dealing with all those billions and billions of people.

Let’s all work together to build that harmony, continually holding to the Head—that powerful Lion of Judah.