DAY 3: The Hidden Shall Be Revealed!!!

Revelations 3

We are walking in today: DAY 3: The Hidden Shall Be Revealed!!!


Witness nations throughout the Bible: H1471 gowy--nation, people; usually of non-Hebrew people; of descendants of Abraham; of Israel

Genesis 10:5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles H1471 divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations. H1471

The Torah testifies.........……
 Exodus 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. H1471 These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

The prophets proclaim..................
 Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations H1471 shall flow unto it.

The writings bear witness............
 Psalm 66:7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: H1471 let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

Psalm 83:4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; H1471 that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

Revelation chapter 2 and its entirety focus verses 1-6

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.

Ten is the Number of the Nations
In Genesis 10-11, we read that Nimrod built the Tower of Babel and there were “ten provinces” to his empire in the land of Shinar. When The Most High divided the languages of the nations, he also caused the “earth to be divided” and then Nimrod’s “ten provinces” were spread out over the earth as “seven continents” of the world.

This is known as “Pangaea” where the continents split up and spread out over the entire earth. All of the continents at one time were one large landmass. However, after the flood in Noah’s day, The Most High separated this landmass into “seven continents” and he set a rainbow in the sky promising not to flood the earth again:

Bereshiyth (Genesis) 10:25 And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan.

These “seven colors” in the rainbow mean that The Most High made a “covenant” with the earth. That is why “10” represents the nations, and “7” represents “covenant.” From these “seven continents” of the world, “ten virgins” are selected from the “ten horns on the beast” (Daniel 7:7, Revelation 13:1), for they have “come out of the harlot” (Revelation 18:4).

Out of these “ten virgins,” five of them are wise and five are foolish. However, at the end of these “ten days” of tribulation, the other five virgins will be made wise, thus all ten virgins will be narrowed down into “two brides,” who will then be made only “one bride” on Yom Kippur when the bridegroom makes them both one!

The Mystery of Smyrna & Philadelphia Revealed
At the time when this revelation was given to the Apostle Yahuwchanon (John) in about 96 A.D., there were seven congregations in Asia Minor, and John was instructed to write letters to each of them with a direct message from our Messiah, Yahuwshuwa. Five of these congregations had faults and only two of them were found to be blameless. The messages to each of these assemblies have a threefold meaning:

First of all, each letter has a primary association, having a local and direct bearing upon the assembly to which it was written. Each letter was a measuring rod by which each congregation could know its standing in the sight of the resurrected Mashiyach, Yahuwshuwa.

Secondly, each letter has a personal application. Even though Messiah addresses each assembly as a whole, the message to “overcome” is addressed to the individual.

Thirdly, each congregation (individually), as well as all seven congregations collectively, are given a prophetic anticipation of what to expect for their good works, or their failure to overcome.

We see in them seven eras of the life of the body of Messiah on earth for the duration of seven millennia from the creation until the second coming of Mashiyach. Seven is the number of perfection, completion, fullness and covenant.

In these letters we have a prophetic picture of the body of Messiah’s complete history on earth. In today’s prophetic understanding of who these congregations are, we know that they no longer represent congregations that existed at the time of John’s letters in the first century. However, we can take the meaning of the names of these congregations and derive understanding as to the characteristics of these congregations. Below, I have listed these seven congregations and the meaning of their names:

Ephesus: “to let go, relax; permitted.”
Smyrna: “strengthened for myrrh.”
Pergamos: “fortified, tower, castle; height, elevation.”
Thyatira: “ruled by a woman” this is also Queen Jezebel’s hometown Tyre in Phoenicia; hence ruled by Jezebel; it also means “odor of affliction.”
Sardis: “red ones.”
Philadelphia: “brotherly love; kindness, affection.”
Laodecia: “judgment, vengeance or punishment of the people.”

We can learn a lot from these “types” of congregations by the meanings of their names, and we can also see that our Messiah’s rebuke or commendation to each of them matches the meanings of their names.

To the Congregation at Ephesus, we can see that their name means “to relax” the commandments as they became “permissive” and they lost their first love for Messiah (Revelation 2:1-6).

To the Congregation at Pergamos, Yahuwshuwa’s rebuke to them included the fact that they tolerated the doctrine of “Balaam” and the doctrine of the “Nicolaitanes.” Their name means “fortified, height elevation,” because Balak took Baalam to all of the “high places” of worship unto Ba’al (Numbers 22:41; 23:3) The very name of “Pergamos” means that they compromise with pagan idolatry or they tolerate those who do (Revelation 2:12-16).

Now unto the Congregation of Thyatira, it is interesting that their name means “ruled by a woman.”

Yahuwshuwa’s rebuke for them is that they “tolerate that woman Jezebel,” and her false religion of Ba’al worship. Jezebel’s hometown is Tyre in Phoenicia, hence the name “Thya-Tyre” (Revelation 2:18-24).

The Congregation of Sardis was rebuked because they had a reputation for being “alive” or “on fire” but they were spiritually dead; hence, the meaning of their name “red ones.” Yahuwshuwa found their “works” to be imperfect (Revelation 3:1-4). This reminds us of modern-day Charismatic & Pentecostal Churches who claim to be on fire for Messiah, but they do not fully obey the Mosaic Law, or Torah. They falsely teach and believe that the Mosaic Law is “not for the New Covenant believer.”

The Congregation of Laodicea was rebuked for being “lukewarm, neither cold nor hot.” They obviously became dependent on their financial wealth, and had no real need for the presence of the Most High in their congregation. This is why Yahuwshuwa said to them: “Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” The meaning of their name is “judgment, vengeance, punishment of the people” which is why he warned them that he would “spue them out of his mouth” if they did not repent (Revelation 3:14-18).

Now, let’s discuss the two “overcoming” congregations to which Yahuwshuwa made a sharp contrast with those who merely “say that they are Jews, but are not.” This means that the only two congregations whom he found faithful were those who obey Torah. As I already mentioned, the Apostle Paul defined what a true Yahuwdiy (Jew) is when he said that “their hearts are inwardly circumcised” and that they “obey the Torah” (Romans 2:26-29).

Even though Smyrna is in Greece, and Philadelphia is in Asia Minor, I believe that “Smyrna & Philadelphia” are describing certain “types” of believers and not necessarily ones that existed in this era or geographic location. The names of these two congregations give us a clue because their names identify their characteristics. Let’s see what Smyrna means in the Greek Strong’s Concordance:

#4666. smurna (smoor’)-nah apparently strengthened for 3464; myrrh:--myrrh.
#3464. muron (moo’)-ron probably of foreign origin (compare 4753, 4666); “myrrh,” i.e. (by implication) perfumed oil:--ointment.
*Note: Myrrh, is a spice that is used for purification and for embalming dead bodies. Esther prepared herself with “myrrh” for six months before going to meet her king, her husband (Esther 2:12). The Hebrew word for “myrrh” is as follows:

#3910. lot (lote) probably from 3874; a gum (from its sticky nature), probably ladanum:--myrrh.
*Note: The root word for “lot” (myrrh) in Hebrew is “luwt” which means “a veil, covering” and this is Yom Kippur language!

#3874. luwt (loot) a primitive root; to wrap up:--cast, wrap.
#3875. lowt (lote) from 3874; a veil:--covering.
The word for “atonement” in Hebrew is “kippur” which is a plural word for the singular word “kaphar” (#3723) and it has another root word “kaphar” (#3722). Both words mean the following: “ransom, redemption price, to cover, satisfied, covered, to cancel, to appease, to make atonement, cleanse, forgive.”

Another related word is “kapporeth” (#3727) which means: “a lid to cover the Ark of the Covenant or the mercy seat.”
From the definition of these names, we understand that the Congregation at Smyrna represents the “five foolish virgins” who are not ready to go into the marriage on “Yom Teruw’ah” or “The Feast of Trumpets” because their oil lamps are not filled.

Oil is a metaphor for the anointing of the Holy Spirit in scripture, since it is the pure olive oil that keeps the seven-branch menorah lit in the temple (Exodus 25:6, 29:7; Zechariah 4:12). However, the “five foolish virgins” are “sealed in the foreheads” in advance, thus they will be “covered” on the Day of Atonement. Like Esther, they will purify themselves during “The Ten Days of Awe” with “oil” of myrrh to be ready to meet their bridegroom.

The Congregation at Philadelphia is typified in the “five wise virgins who had oil in their lamps to light their path to go and meet the bridegroom. The meaning of their name indicates that they are “filled” with love for their Messiah and for one another:

#5360. philadelphia (fil-ad-el-fee’-ah) from 5361; fraternal affection:--brotherly love (kindness), love of the brethren.

Philadelphia means “brotherly love” and this is the characteristic that is most desirable to our Mashiyach. It is because they obey the two greatest of all commandments that they are accounted worthy to escape through the “open door” at the end of the tribulation of 1,260 days.

Smyrna is identified as the bride who is willing to “prepare” to meet the bridegroom during these “ten days of tribulation.” She may not have had oil in her lamp at the catching way of the bride on the Feast of Trumpets, but in those final ten days leading up to Yom Kippur (the day of covering or atonement), she will have anointed herself like Esther with myrrh to meet the bridegroom. Myrrh is also a powerful detoxifier and it cleanses the body from impurities and disease.

Because many in the Congregation of Smyrna will have to lose their lives and be martyred for their obedience to Torah, it is fitting that their very name means “strengthened for myrrh.” Since myrrh is what was used in those days to embalm dead bodies, they will be “strengthened” spiritually during these ten days so that they will be “faithful unto death” and then they will have their bodies anointed and embalmed with myrrh.

This also has to do with “death to the old sinful nature” and not merely a physical death. When we see the term “the last trump” in 1st Corinthians 15:52, Paul was not merely speaking of “the last trumpet” on the Feast of Trumpets or Yom Teruw’ah. For even though the first bride typified in Leah goes into the wedding first at the “last trumpet” on Yom Teruw’ah, there is yet another “last trumpet” for the other bride typified in Rachel on Yom Kippur:

Leviticus 25:9 Then shall you cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall you make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

Every 50th year, the Torah commands that there be a cancelation of debts. Yisra’elites who had lost their inheritance due to financial hardship through being widowed, would then be able to redeem their land and their inheritance on this day. In the case of unconverted Yisra’el, she was divorced for her harlotry with idols, and then scattered to the nations (Jeremiah 3:8).

Yisra’el later crucified her own Messiah (the bridegroom), her husband, thereby making her a widow (Isaiah 54:4). Nevertheless, when she “suffers tribulation” during “The Ten Days of Awe” she will go through labor pains giving birth to the “man-child” or “the one new man” (Ephesians 2:15).

Through child-bearing Yisra’el will be saved (1st Timothy 2:15). She will be like Tamar who gave birth to twins when Yahuwdah (Judah), became her “kinsman redeemer.” The story of Judah & Tamar is a prophetic shadow picture of Yisra’el giving birth to the man-child (one new man) consisting of both houses.

The fact that it was Judah who was the kinsman redeemer for Tamar, was a foreshadowing of “The Lion of the Tribe of Judah” who will redeem unconverted Yisra’el, and restore the land of her inheritance.

We have learned by now that Smyrna was told in Revelation 2:10 that she will have to “suffer tribulation ten days.”

And what do these “ten days of tribulation” signify?

In order to understand the typology presented here, we have to go back to the Torah, and find out what the number ten represents in scripture.

Shema Selah what is it that we need to correct to be in right alignment with the Most High??