I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer…
Jesus of Nazareth
Last weekend, we reflected on the last of the letters from Jesus to seven churches. Those letters are at the start of Revelation – ‘The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place’. That last letter was to the church at Laodicea where the Christians thought they were rich but Jesus told them they were destitute.
One of the other letters that Jesus dictated at the same time was to Smyrna (Revelation 2: 8-11), where they had the opposite problem. The Christians thought they were poor but Jesus told them they were rich. Jesus knew very well the hardships they faced in their everyday lives for no other reason than that they were his disciples and the poverty that resulted. The city was famous as a centre for the imperial cult, the worship of Caesar as divine, so if the Christians refused to publicly declare that ‘Caesar is god’ they were pushed to the very fringes of society. Ostracised socially, they had great difficulty trading and finding work.
Jesus didn’t explain to the Christians why they were rich. He didn’t need to! Their perseverance under persecution was accumulating treasure in heaven, their inheritance in the Kingdom of God, which they would have been drawing on daily to survive the economic pressures. They would have realised well enough that unless God had have been meeting their needs, as Jesus had promised he would in the Sermon on the Mount, they would have already died of poverty. They were a living testimony of God’s care.
What Jesus does, however, is to prepare them for worse to come! ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.’
The letter should be warning to all churches today, if the events that Jesus revealed in Revelation continue to come to pass. The visions included a terrible beast that represents world government or governments that mediate their rule through false religion. They are the beast rising up from the sea and the beast from the land described in Revelation 13. The beast from the sea is given authority by the dragon that in the visions represent the devil. ‘And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain’ (Revelation 13:5-8).
This beast is often called the Antichrist, because of what John wrote in his letters. Four things that John tells us about this beast are that it is vainly blasphemous, that it was allowed by God to rule for a limited time (42 months), that everyone worshipped it except faithful Christians and that it was allowed to conquer Christians (‘the saints’). It follows that the 'last days' revival that comes immediately before Jesus returns will be amidst terrible persecution, something like the situation at Smyrna!
A Laodicea-type church would be totally unprepared for persecution but it wouldn't take much to turn it into a Smyrna-type church! Only the first signs of disfavour, something that most people would consider to be fair in a multicultural society.
In some capitalist societies, many churches enjoy significant tax breaks without which they would not remain solvent. I can only talk about the situation in the UK but I expect that it’s similar elsewhere. Some churches don't need to register as charities, others do, but they all opt for charitable status only for the financial benefits. They can reclaim the income tax paid on donations they receive, increasing the amount by about one-fifth. They pay significantly less property taxes and in some circumstances can reclaim sales tax. For this to change wouldn’t take even the first hint of Antichrist-type persecution, only further secularisation of society and for churches to be treated like clubs.
I doubt few church leaders would look on this as God's judgement but it would be the culmination of decades of churches putting mammon close enough to God for it to influence their allegiance. Where churches want tax breaks, they have to comply with the rules that governs secular charities which, on the whole, require business-like behaviour. Although the thirst for profit is moderated, these churches nevertheless have to subject whatever mission they think God is calling them to do to financial criteria. I recall listening to the leaders of a local church explaining to the staff why they couldn't do something that the church could very well afford to do because of the need to comply with charity law. It struck me how the employees thought they worked for a church but they actually worked for a charity.
In some capitalist societies, many churches enjoy significant tax breaks without which they would not remain solvent. I can only talk about the situation in the UK but I expect that it’s similar elsewhere. Some churches don't need to register as charities, others do, but they all opt for charitable status only for the financial benefits. They can reclaim the income tax paid on donations they receive, increasing the amount by about one-fifth. They pay significantly less property taxes and in some circumstances can reclaim sales tax. For this to change wouldn’t take even the first hint of Antichrist-type persecution, only further secularisation of society and for churches to be treated like clubs.
I doubt few church leaders would look on this as God's judgement but it would be the culmination of decades of churches putting mammon close enough to God for it to influence their allegiance. Where churches want tax breaks, they have to comply with the rules that governs secular charities which, on the whole, require business-like behaviour. Although the thirst for profit is moderated, these churches nevertheless have to subject whatever mission they think God is calling them to do to financial criteria. I recall listening to the leaders of a local church explaining to the staff why they couldn't do something that the church could very well afford to do because of the need to comply with charity law. It struck me how the employees thought they worked for a church but they actually worked for a charity.
Speaking personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see the end of tax breaks within the next few years. I was already thinking this way when a couple of months ago a friend mentioned to me how churches register as charities and have to operate like businesses; a little later, unconnected to that, I read that an acquaintance who ministers in America had also foreseen the impact an end of tax breaks would have.
Next weekend, I propose to reflect on what Jesus revealed in Revelation about 'Mystery Babylon', the global financial system that dominates the world before his return.
Next weekend, I propose to reflect on what Jesus revealed in Revelation about 'Mystery Babylon', the global financial system that dominates the world before his return.
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© All Souls Clubhouse Community Centre & Church and Philip Evans 2014.
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