In order to trace those two different threads which are found in chapters 2 and 3 of the Revelation, I will identify one thread as "scarlet" and the other thread as "black." The scarlet thread leads heavenward, representing the progress of spiritual growth together with increasing reward. While the black thread leads downward, representing spiritual degeneration ~ which ultimately results in rejection by Jesus Christ. Important too, both threads appear in the context of supposedly Christian assemblies (churches).
Christ's message in chapters 2 and 3 of the Revelation, is relevant not only to individual persons' spiritual development or degeneration, as the case may be. But that message furthermore entails a prophecy which essentially describes important characteristics of the professing Church throughout the Church Age (from John's time period, until the Rapture); although, I will not elaborate upon that aspect of the prophecy, in this essay.
We will approach this study by following in order as Christ delivered his message to the apostle John, beginning with the church at Ephesus. Here is the first of the relevant passages:
"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: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." (2:2-7)Let me explain the color scheme which I used in the above passage, as that will be repeated throughout this study. The words in red indicate those things which Christ approved in his people; whereas, the words in blue indicate things of which Christ disapproved. Yellow highlighting signifies Christ's promise of reward to the obedient and faithful Christian; whereas, pink highlighting indicates Christ's promise of punishment of those who are disobedient and unfaithful.
Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for their doctrinal purity. That is a most important point. For, as it shall soon become evident, compromising doctrinal purity is the root cause of apostasy amongst the churches. The Christians at Ephesus would not so much as allow false prophets ~ with their false doctrine ~ to enter the door of the church! Ephesus carefully questioned and examined everyone, concerning his or her beliefs. If their answers did not square with the teachings of Scripture, such persons were not permitted into ~ much less to become a part of, the assembly. The scarlet thread first appears in Christ's promise to Ephesus, in which the "overcomer" is given to "eat of the tree of life," thus signifying the beginning of the Christian life and the privilege to partake of the source of that Life. This symbolizes the new birth.
Two different but related threats appeared at Ephesus, i.e.: 1) false prophets and false doctrine tried to inflitrate the church; and, 2) the "deeds of the Nicolaitans" ~ that is, the policy and practice of establishing an authoritarian heirarchy within the church; evidently were already then menacing the church(es), at least from without. Those threats, specifically, are what the Ephesian Christians needed to resist and to "overcome."
The beginning of the black thread also first appears in Ephesus. Those who "left their first love" ~ which is to say, they had compromised the supremacy of their love to Christ ~ were threatened, by Christ, with having the source of their spiritual light removed from them; thus, would their spiritual condition continue to worsen, and that quickly. Failure to maintain one's supreme devotion to Christ, is the beginning of Apostasy.
Next, we come to the church at Smyrna, to whom Christ spoke the following:
"I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." (2:9-11)Whereas Ephesus was threatened from without by false prophets who attempted to introduce false doctrine into the church. At Smyrna, we see a new danger appearing in the form of false professors of religion, who tried to pass themselves off as deserving members of the then nascent Christian Church. Such persons were permitted to remain amongst the congregation and partake of the services, notwithstanding their (persistent) unsaved condition.
Other dangers also then arose, involving physical persecution. The scarlet thread follows through Christ's promise to the overcomers, to whom He would give them "a crown of life" and that such "shall not be hurt of the second death." Which represents one of the most basic promises to the new Christian, that is, the promise of eternal life and deliverance from eternal death.
Although there is no direct reference to the black thread, yet that is implied. Recall, if you will, in Christ's message to the church at Ephesus, that those who left their first love were in danger of having the source of spiritual light removed from them. It is very likely that those, whose spiritual understanding was darkened as the result of their refusal to repent and return to their first love, were then incapable to discern the character and identity of false professors of religion in the midst of the church. This represents a significant part of the process whereby the protective barriers of a church may begin to be broken down.
Next, Christ addressed Pergamus:
"I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (2:13-17)In the above passage, I highlighted the word there. "There" means IN THE CHURCH. Pergamus allowed both false prophets as well as false professors of religion freely to remain within the church! Pergamus was what we would call, a "liberal" church. The black thread now leads even further away from Christ, in the direction of ever-deepening apostasy. Spiritual (and literal) idolatry and fornication indicate a form of religion which can only provoke the Lord's wrath (see, his declared anger and his pronounced judgment, above).
A very important development now appears in "liberal" Pergamus: that is, not only are false professors of religion permitted to be a part of the church, but the very spirit of Jezebel is even welcome at Pergamus! Not only are there unsaved persons amongst the congregation, but there are others who are known to hold erroneous beliefs and are even known to engage in illicit practices ~ yet, they are permitted to remain in the church. This is how the spirit of Liberalism is expressed.
The scarlet thread, on the other hand, points to spiritual growth: "hidden manna" speaks of spiritual revelation and nourishment; a "white stone" with a "new name" inscribed, indicates the emergence of a new identity in one's own consciesness, as a Christian.
Now, we come to examine Thyatira:
"I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (2:19-29)It didn't take long at all before that Jezebel went from sitting in the pews, in Pergamus, to being up front teaching Sunday School classes and even preaching in the pulpit, in Thyatira! The devil will not long be content merely to sit in the pews in any church.
The black thread has now led to full-blown apostasy and spiritual death, at the point where the spirit of apostasy holds positions of leadership in a church. Apostates can produce nothing else but spiritually dead children ("kill her children with death"); to whom Christ pledged to bring them into "great tribulation."
But to the faithful, overcoming Christian, Christ promises spiritual power and authority ("power over the nations," etc.), and undiminished spiritual light ("the morning star"). The scarlet thread thus reflects continuing increase, with respect to spiritual development and reward.
After Thyatira comes Sardis:
"I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels." (3:1-5)In Sardis, there is a clear distinction between the true Church, and the Apostate Church, respectively. The black thread now indicates not merely a state of spiritual deadness but, even worse, there is now a total insensitivity and unawareness of that deadness, on the part of the apostates. Moreover, Christ has pronounced a curse upon those who are in that state and who will not repent: which curse entails their utter inability to know the time of Christ's coming! (By which we may also deduce that the converse, of that curse, must then mean that those who are not thus cursed may be able to know the time of Christ's coming.)
Whereas, the scarlet thread now reveals that the overcomer shall be both sanctified and glorified ("white raiment"), while also being acknowledged and honored in heaven, in the very Presence of God and of the heavenly beings. The overcoming saint, at this point, is becoming ~ in his or her character and life, more a citizen of heaven than of earth.
Next, is Philadelphia:
"I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 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. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." (3:8-12)Philadelphia is unique amongst the seven churches, in that Christ has no rebuke for the Philadelphian Christian. The name "Philadelphia" means "brotherly love." To this faithful, obedient, loving, overcoming church, the Lord gave great promises. The scarlet thread which passes through Philadelphia, includes the wonderful promise that God will keep such Christians "from THE hour of temptation, which shall come upon the whole world." Almost certainly, that is an allusion to the promise of the Rapture ~ by which those who are "counted worthy" shall be enabled to "escape" the awful judgments of the soon coming Tribulation. Not only that, but the scarlet thread moreover speaks, here, of the overcomer's privilege to be established in God, unmoveable, unshakable ~ a Christian which "shall never fall" (see, 2Peter 1:10). This is a picture of the Christian whose is wholly yielded to the life of Christ.
The closest thing to any mention of the black thread, in the message to Philadelphia, is where Christ said he would "make" every false professor of religion to "come and worship before [the] feet" of the Philadelphian Christian.
Lastly, we come to Laodicea:
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. (3:15-21)Similarly as there was no rebuke to the church at Philadelphia, we see there is no commendation for the church at Laodicea. Why so? Well, does it not very markedly illustrate the idea that there has at last come to be a total divide, a complete separation, between those two churches? In the five previous churches the scarlet thread and the black thread ran more or less together through each of those churches. Yet, by the time we come to the end of this remarkable prophecy, the scarlet thread runs, alone, through Philadelphia; whilst the black thread reappears in Laodicea ~ but only so that Christ will pronounce his utter and final rejection of those, complacent, self-righteous, professing Christians, who will not repent of their sins. Thus we see the eternal destination to which the black thread, which marks the trail of compromise, impurity, unbelief, and, ultimately, apostasy, leads: that is to say, to eternal separation from Christ.
But where does the scarlet thread finally lead? "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." It leads to glory and power beyond anything the mind of man can at all conceive.
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