Revelation Chapter 3

VERSE 12-13 continued “He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him my new name. He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

A Major Historical Split in the Church

 In the sixth church, the reformers split from the Catholic Church and tried to establish a true worship. This started many reforms, and eventually led to the formation of many Bible societies, which eventually led to the formation of the truth movement, as we know it. Unfortunately, most in the Protestant movement could not in the long run, separate themselves from the errors of the mother system. Because of that we will find a judgment that includes them also in the next church (Rev 18:4). In historical parallel, that is the same thing that happened to the two-tribe nation of Judah in that they also fell back into the same error of the mother system.

If this picture is correct, it appears that Christ did at least a partial separating work at the time of the sixth church. He probably could not use many from the Catholic system at that time who would not leave it for the Reformation churches. The Lord could only use those who studied their Bibles and who were trying to get a true understanding of the scriptures after that time. This would only make sense, because God had provided a large measure of truth in the Reformation and those who had a hearing ear accepted it, while the Papal system that did not have a hearing ear refused it.

This would correspond to or parallel the time that the ten tribes had rejected the true religion, and for that reason God let them be carried away to the surrounding nations while he continued to work with and use the two-tribe nation. Regrettably, the two-tribe nation eventually did the same things wrong as the ten tribes did, just as the Protestant movement did, and that brings us to the seventh church and the judgment that falls there.

Some of the major Heresies that Came in During the Sixth Church

The Council of Trent, held in the year 1545 A.D. declared that Tradition is of equal authority with the Bible. By tradition is meant human teachings. The Pharisees believed the same way, and Jesus bitterly condemned them, for by human tradition they nullified the commandments of God. (Read Mark 7: 7-13; Col. 2-8; Rev 22: 18)

The apocryphal books were added to the Bible also by the Council of Trent. These books were not recognized as canonical by the Jewish Church. (Rev 22: 8-9) –1546 A.D.

The Creed of Pope Pius IV, was imposed as the official Creed 1560 years after Christ and the Apostles. True Christians will retain the Holy Scriptures as their creed. –1560 A.D.

The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX. The Gospel states that ALL MEN, with the sole exception of Christ, are sinners. Mary herself had need of a Savior. (Read Rom. 3: 23; 5: 12; Psa 51: 5; Luke 1: 30; 46-47) –1854 A.D.

In the year 1870 after Christ, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of Papal Infallibility. This is a blasphemy and the sign of the apostasy, and of the anti-Christ predicted by St. Paul. (Read 2 Thess 2: 2-12; Rev 17: 1-9; 13: 5-8, 18)

Since we have already covered the Sixth Seal and Sixth Trumpet under the thread, “It Comes”, “The Beast That Was, Is Not, And Is Yet to Come Again”, we will not go into those again here, but will proceed on to the Seventh Church, Seal and Trumpet.

You can review the Sixth Seal here.

You can review the Sixth Trumpet here.