The Stumbling Block for the Church of Laodicea

By Johan Wagener

“Among my people are wicked men who lie in wait like men who snare birds and like those who set traps to catch men. Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor. A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: The prophet’s prophecy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?”
- Jeremiah 5:26-31

“Then the officials said to the king, “This man should be put to death. ... This man is not seeking the good of these people but their ruin.” “He is in your hands,” King Zedekiah answered, “the king can do nothing to oppose you.” So, they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.”
- Jeremiah 38:4-6

Jeremiah, under the guidance of God, describes the situation among God’s people. He refers to wickedness, traps, snares, deceit, evil, injustice and lies. This is seemingly what the people prefer.
The officials, on behalf of their puppet king, set out to eliminate the problem, Jeremiah must die.
In this book, we will explore all these characters and examine how the deception they have practised is still alive today. The message to the church of Laodicea is “But what will you do in the end?”
This book asks modern mankind the same question: What will you do in the end when you are confronted by God, majestic in His holiness?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Johan Wagener
• Release date: Feb 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005325954

Book preview

The Stumbling Block for the Church of Laodicea

Copyright © 2021 Johan Wagener

First edition 2021

Published by Johan Wagener Publishing at Smashwords

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

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Published by Johan Wagener using Reach Publishers’ services,

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Edited by Symone Hart for Reach Publishers

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Johan Wagener

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You can never cross the ocean unless you have the

courage to lose sight of the shore

– C Columbus

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Eschatology Background

Chapter 2 - Where did it Begin?

Chapter 3 - Christ’s Dream for the Church

Chapter 4 - The God Who Reveals Himself in History

Chapter 5 - What Remains in this Time?

Bibliography

Back to Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Eschatology Background

The Church is the community of those who respond to the call of God through his witnesses. They are the Kuriakos – those that belong to God. Romans 10:12-15 describes the behaviour of those who answer the call of God. They are blessed and wait eagerly for the steps of those who proclaim the message of salvation and the revelation of God.

Today the study of the revelation of God in the last book of the Bible, called Revelation, is a difficult subject. For some it is murky. For others it is a source of occultic descriptions of the future.

Revelation is part of the eschatology and in Revelation 1, John is told by Christ to send the message forth so that those who understand can be blessed. It tells the story of the Church and the world until the end.

Eschatology is the study of Last Things. It encompasses the study of the prophetic portions of Scripture as well as issues such as death and the state of humanity after death. In this book, the emphasis is on prophetic parts of Scripture and how these prophecies are being fulfilled in current developments in politics, economics, and religion. This is the apocalyptic. The focus in the apocalyptic is, however, on the revelation of God and this therefore constitutes an important chapter.

Knowledge about God cannot save anyone. The revelation of God through Christ must be accepted. This happens when the individual is confronted with God in a life-changing event.

Various positions exist regarding the position of eschatology in Scripture and the value that can be attached to it. The two extreme views are:

• Eschatomania – This is also known as Obsessive Eschatology. It is characterised by detailed charts with calculations of dates and timelines. This type of eschatology always develops into sensational predictions of impending doom. Current political, economic, and religious events are portrayed into the future andregarded as proof of fulfilment of prophecy. The danger is that this kind of eschatology develops into an occultic interpretation and predictions of the future. As it becomes evident that the predictions are not going to materialise, it is re-interpreted and expanded. This, however, always ends in confusion and embarrassment.

• Eschatophobia – Eschatological avoidance is the other extreme view. This is the result of the excesses of eschatomania. Eschatology is avoided because it is an embarrassment.

The reasons for these views on eschatology centre on the following:

• Eschatomania leads to occultism where religious leaders extrapolate and interpret current events into the future. It is forgotten that only God Himself knows the future.

• Communism and dialectical materialism promote a philosophy of history which it is believed leads to the eventual realisation that socialism is the inevitable future of humanity. Theologians who tried to counter this stumbled into the abyss of predictions of the future in order to prove that this is not the inevitable outcome.

• The authoritarianism evident in politics, business and religious institutions that have in many instances no direct contact with the public creates uncertainty amongst populations. People then look for some sign of relief from their worst fears and they tend to find it in eschatology. This is especially true when the insights provided by the apparent authority on this seem to be correct, looking at it from the current point of view.

Given these problems in eschatology, what is the goal of it and what value does it hold?

• Eschatology, correctly understood, focuses on Christ and His transcendence of time and space.

• Eschatology as revealing Christ is not occultic and can only be studied and discussed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The focus is always on God’s future and His timeframe!

• The correct treatment of eschatology protects against Satan’s counterfeits and is therefore of vital importance for each generation.

• Eschatology promotes holiness. Knowledge about God cannot save. The human must be confronted by God.

• Eschatology and the confrontation with God make it clear that the evil within the current system multiplies to such an extent that creation is in peril, which leads to God’s cosmic intervention.

• In eschatology the uniqueness, wisdom and power of God is overwhelming. Only God can realise the future where humanity can reach their potential. The future that eschatology envisages transcends human expectations.

Two pictures of Christ become clear in eschatology:

• The triumphant King – Zechariah 9; Joel 3; Isaiah 11.

• The helpless, suffering Servant – Isaiah 53; Psalms 22 and 118.

• Prophecy shows how God continues to control the affairs of this world in spite of the great and constant opposition of both Satan and man to the purposes of God. (Isaiah 10:5-19)

God is the centre of history, apocalyptic, church and eschatology. The eventual goal is therefore to bring people to a correct understanding of God as the King, but also the One who is prepared to be treated the way humans ought to have been treated for their rebellion. Everyone who is confronted with God is also confronted with the possibility of rejection and suffering.

Despite this Revelation 1:1-3 states that those who accept the revelation of God are blessed. Insight into the eschatology only comes through prayer and the illumination of the Holy Spirit as experienced by Daniel – Daniel 9:2-3.

Within eschatology there are various hermeneutical positions to describe it. Of these the Preterist, Futuristic and Historicist approaches are the best known. In this book, the Historicist approach is followed. In the historicist approach, eschatology is regarded as a revelation of God’s plan to provide a future for humanity and in that process to restore the relationship between God and those who choose to accept His revelation. Historicism requires an investigation of humanity’s history with God and gods.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel: Human events can only be understood ‘in the context of the overall progressive sweep of history as it moves towards its final goal.

(The Great Philosophers, p391)

The Eschatological Responsibility

William Kingdon Clifford (mathematician) – "It is wrong,

… to believe anything upon insufficient evidence."

The above requires a discussion of the eschatological responsibility. This responsibility requires circumspection when stating assumptions and consequences regarding eschatology. It requires statements to be made with reference to the Bible after careful consideration of hermeneutical and exegetical principles. This will prevent sensation-seeking interpretations.

Notwithstanding this sensitivity, it will be necessary to come to a decision regarding the message of the texts. This is easier said than done.

As noted by the historian Tacitus, Christians were persecuted relentlessly because they refused to worship the emperor. These early Christians had an experience with God and a vision of Christ which gave them so much hope that they were prepared to rather die awful deaths than to give up Christ. They also realised, because of their experience with God, that He is being falsely portrayed – Psalms 46, 53 and 150. They were protesting against this false portrayal of God by humanity. Their experience with God and their faith in Him provided all the security they regarded as necessary!

The early Christians expected God’s surprising intervention in history. This intervention would bring about a complete and radical change. The early Christians regarded it an honour and a blessing to be part of that future rather than the future of the Roman Empire. They would not be disappointed!

"We are living in Krisis. The German word Krisis holds to more than the English crisis because – particularly in Barth’s theological usage: God is humanity’s Krisis, its urgency, its promise, and its threat; without God’s revelation we can cosily move on at our own pace, losing ourselves in lifestyle consumerism, trying to build the world around us to our satisfaction, happily inventing our own religion. When God takes hold of us we are forced into the urgency of facing the reality into which we have sinned ourselves."

(The Evangelical Review of

Theology and Politics, p26)

The revelation of God in history requires, despite all obstacles, a decision. Those who choose Him will not be disappointed.

Back to Table of Contents

Chapter 2 - Where did it Begin?

Each system in its own way is a system of plunder, an organizational device to get everyone living (or attempting to live) at the expense of everyone else, while the elitist leaders, the rulers and the politicians, scalp the cream off the top.

Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler,

Professor Sutton, 2001.

History records the servitude of humanity to ideology and propaganda. This is already apparent from as early as the time of Genesis 6. In Genesis 6 the core elements of this are mentioned. Specific mention is made of humanity’s violence and corrupt practices as well as the pain they cause God.

Despite this account of the reality of the creation, humanity records in their own writings how they submit creation and each other to their wishes. The writings of early humanity give account of their prowess in war and in ruling those who have been subjected. What instruments besides those of war did they utilise in achieving this?

• The concepts of politics developed, enabling them to create the perception that an elite group can provide to everyone’s needs.

• Religious beliefs centred on the certainty that can be provided by the dominant gods who must be worshipped in order to receive blessings.

• Ever-growing cities have been established to legitimise these developments and to provide protection and security.

• From this a belief in philosophy and science that can be proven developed.

Do these developments portray God?

According to Genesis 1:26-27, all people originated from Adam and Eve – man and woman – as created by God. God created them according to His image. The image of God is a portrayal of His character and is a reminder of His authority and the norms applicable in that region.

Humanity must portray God’s character and subsequently the norms that are applicable in His rule of the cosmos. This is a lofty enterprise and reflects humanity’s blessing by God. This lofty ideal can, however, only be achieved when humanity has the correct relationship with God.

The words used in Genesis 2:15, "abad and samar", reflect this. They are used for service rendered to God. Humanity has therefore been entrusted and provided with the ability to enter into a relationship with God and to reflect His perfect character. Within the constraints of the created order surrounding them, man and woman were the royalty of creation and the servants of God. There is great symbolism in this.

In Colossians 1:15 Christ is the image of God and the One that reveals Him completely. What He says and does is a true reflection of God’s character – John 15:8 and 12. To be in the presence of Christ was an experience with God. Humanity was supposed to be in this position, but they failed and developed their own version of this. They relied on their own knowledge and insight and wanted to be independent and gods themselves.

God provided humanity with life and everything needed to sustain them physically and spiritually. For the abundance of good provided, humanity was supposed to rely on the knowledge and goodness of God. That would have been an indication that they were going to act as royalty of creation and servants of God. Humanity was never and can never be independent moral agents!

However, in their splendour, men and women question the wisdom of this. They regard themselves capable of dealing with all knowledge. This brings them in conflict with God and develops a friendship with Satan. History is a description of the result of this.

This is the first lesson in theology. Humanity wants to be free. The second lesson is that this knowledge leads them to idols which they blend with the revelation of God to create syncretism.

The mystic, Helena Blavatsky, proposes in Secret Doctrine that Satan is the spiritual father of humanity and this redeems humanity from the tyranny of their confines. This freedom makes them gods. A philosopher describes this freedom:

"I had supposed