Tares and wheat look very much alike, but they are different. There are many species of tares, but the ones that resemble wheat the most can easily be sifted out, as the seeds from the seed head of a tare is much smaller than that of wheat.

There are six classes of wheat grown. Isn’t it interesting that man was created on the sixth day out of 99.9% six elements (CHNOPS) out of the seven nonmetal elements of the periodic table. (See Missing Links – Chapter II in the main menu.)

In the parable of sower and the tares (Matt. 13:1-35) the good seed was to grow along with the wheat until harvest. The enemy that sowed the tares was satan and his ministers throughout the course of time. (1Cor. 11:10-15)

From Missing Links – Chapter VII:

From Missing Links, Chapter VII:

The seven messages addressed to the seven churches were for edification. They had both good and bad aspects about them, and the church at Pergamos had two things against it. Those who held the doctrines of Ba’laam and the Nicolaitanes had infiltrated them. The falling away from the true gospel (The Gospel of the Kingdom of God) was predicted to happen before the return of Christ, and the Nicolaitanes are signaled out. (Rev. 2:12-17; 2Th. 2:3-12, Act 6:9)

The doctrine of Ba’laam taught by Ba’lac was like that of Baalim as taught by the priests of Baal in the Old Testament. Baal (a Semitic word meaning lord, master, or husband) was the Canaanite deity or sun god. Shemesh was the Babylonian god of the spring sun. [The Hebrew word shemesh is translated sun throughout the Old Testament.] Ishtar (consort to Shemesh) was the Babylonian goddess of fertility (spring renewal and birth) and also known as Ashtaroth (Judges 2:13, 10:6; 1 Sam. 7:3-4, 12:10, 31:10), Ashtoreth (1 King 11:5; 2 King 23:13), and The Queen of

Heaven (Jer. 44:18). The Babylonian Mystery Religion had its Greek and Roman parallels, but their mythologies had numerous variations. Most pagan religions had a sun or fire god. The Hebrew word for Lucifer is: Helyel – the bright and morning star. The sun of fire was his star, and Satan is the fallen Lucifer. The children of Israel constantly turned away from the true God and went whoring after the false god(s) of sun and/or fire.

The Nicolaitanes were a major sect of the Babylonian Mystery Religion and the seed of the apostate church that became more popular among the gentiles. The Greek word for Nicolaitanes is: Nikolaties – an adherent to Nicolaus, a teacher. From: Nikolaos – victorious over the people, a heretic named Nicolaus or Nicolas, a compound of: nikos (conquest, victory over) and loas (people in general). This sect became the harlot in Revelation 17. The Apostle Paul had warned of a falling away in his second letter to the Thessalonians. The Greek definitions for the key words are:

• falling – aspostello – to set apart. By implication, to send out on a mission. From: stello – to repress.
• away – apostasia – defection from the truth, or apostasy.
• Apostle – Apostolos – a delegate, an ambassador of the Gospel as commissioned by Christ.

The above definitions themselves prove there were false Apostles proclaiming an apostasy about Christ while the true Apostles as taught by Christ were proclaiming the true Gospel. (Rev. 2:2; 2Cor. 11:13-15; Matt. 24:5, 15:9, 7:15-23; 1Ti. 4:1-10) Jude 24 also warned of this falling. (aptaistos – not stumbling; fig. without sin – infallible)

The gentile converts were a very religious people within their pagan traditions. The Greeks were always ready to hear a new thing and well adept at mingling their philosophies. (Acts 17:16-23) Paul warned the Colossians not to be seduced by philosophy and men’s traditions. (Col. 2:8) A different wisdom was forming. The Hebrew word for WISDOMin Proverbs 9:1 is a feminine form of the prime word chakmowth. It is used only three other times. (Prov. 1:20, 24:7 and Ps. 49:3) In Proverb 9, she’s the fallen wisdom (Satan) that mingles truth with error (1-3). She speaks her mingled truths (4-12) then the first (alpha) true wisdom (Christ) rebukes her (13-18). She is the harlot that sits on seven pillars or mountains. (Ezek. 28:12-13; Prov. 8:22; Rev. 17:3, 18:7; Zech. 5:56:8) [The land of Shinar became the northwestern part of Babylon, which was also called Assyria. (Gen. 2:14) The city of Antioch located in the Roman providence of Asia (former Shinar) was the headquarters of early Christendom. (Acts 11:26-27) It is Antakya, Turkey today. Christian headquarters is now located in Vatican City, according to the claims of the Roman church.]

Fornication in scripture also means to mingle or proselytize with other beliefs. There is a scriptural clue as to whom the Nicolaitanes were. In Acts 6 we find Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch in verse 5 and Libertines in verse 9. You don’t have to be a Sherlock Holmes to combine Nicolas and Libertines to get Nicolaitanes. The certain of the synagogue are the gentile converts who suborned men (caused to commit perjury) to the council of Jews about the things Stephen was saying concerning Moses and the temple. They became jealous of the great wonders and miracles that Stephen performed, which they were unable to do because they were not able to resist (did not exercise by self-restraint – opposed) the wisdom and spirit by which he spake. It was the people that chose the seven men, and then the twelve laid their hands upon them, but that does not mean that the other six had the spirit like Stephen. At least four were the conspirators!

*******MESSAGES*******

The seven messages to the seven churches also represent seven prophetic ages of the wilderness church. Their history would be difficult to follow because the church had to flee into the wilderness to escape persecution. (Rev. 12:6 & 14) I have read several good historical tracks by different authors. The one that seems to follow the path of this prophetic church best was given by Herbert Armstrong in his book, Mystery of the Ages. Utilizing secular history, various essays, books like Lost Christianities, and especially scripture, I offer the following as a brief history of the wilderness church.

*Ephesus (Rev. 2:1-7) This era was the early church that Christ began building through his Apostles. The message warned of false apostles who were found to be liars. (1Jn. 2:3-7) Their first works was proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. (Luke 4:43; Mk. 4:11; Acts 28:21-31) The Apostates began preaching a gospel about Christ. (Matt. 24:4-5) Their adaptation of the popular pagan customs gained them more followers and money. (Jn. 10:12-13; Acts 16:16-21) The true Gospel and faith in and of Christ was being turned into mysticism and ritualistic pagan practice, and true salvation (by grace alone) through repentance (a reversal from sin) turned into license to sin. (Gal. 4:8-11; Jude 4; Mk. 7:6-23; 1Jn. 3:4, 5:2-3; Eph. 2:4-9; Jas. 2:10-20) The faithful followers of this era grew weary and became slack in their first love, but did despise the Nicolaitanes’ deeds, which thing the Lord also hated. This first church era has very few historical records and is commonly known as the dark period.

*Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11) Church history emerges after the dark period with two distinct types of Christianity with each having a variety of sects. The majority apostates had forsaken the Lord’s Sabbath and worshipped on Sunday, the vernal day of the sun. In 321 AD, Constantine acknowledged Christianity as an official state religion and made Sunday rest (excluding agriculture) a civil law. The apostate church had gained state recognition and used their newfound authority to persecute the apostolic church. After Constantine’s death in 337, the Catholic Council of Laodicea (364 AD) wrote their most famous cannon: “Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday, but shall work on that day; but the Lord’s Day (Sunday), they shall especially honor, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, let them be shut out from Christ.” (The History of the councils of the Church, Vol. II, pg. 316) This proves Christians were keeping the Sabbath! Can a council of men shut out from Christ those keeping his Holy Commandment? (Rom. 8:35) Just who do you think this council was working for by changing God’s fourth Commandment? (Dan. 7:25) It surely was not Jesus Christ! It must have been that other angel of light. (2Cor. 11:14)

Shemesh was the Babylonian Lord of Sunday, vernal day of the sun. The sun was restored on the first day of recreation week. Satan is the fallen Lucifer who was the bright and morning star (sun). God made the Seventh Day Sabbath by resting from his work. Should we rest and worship God on his first workday? Thou shalt have no other gods before me is the first commandment. The fourth is remembering and keeping the Sabbath. LINK the two commandments together, and thus saith the Lord: Thou shalt have no other rest and worship day before, after, or any other than MINE! Can men change God’s mind and his commandments? (Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6; Prov. 24:21)

*Pergamos (Rev. 2:12-17) This era began with the reign of the Papacy in 538 AD. Those few who kept the true faith had fled to the wilderness. (Rev. 12:6 & 14) They suffered great persecution and martyrdom. The Harlot was in control of the Holy Roman Empire and anyone that did not obey and honor her dictates was excommunicated, tortured, or murdered, but usually all three. The true flock was drastically reduced in size but carried the truth through the Dark Ages under constant persecution. The Roman Church had introduced image worship at their seventh general council, the second of Nicaea in 787 AD. Rev. 12:13 states that the Lord knows the location of Satan’s seat. Antipas in Greek means anti-father, and in Latin anti-pope. (Matt. 23:8-12, 20:25-28; Luke 20:45-47; Rev. 17:1-6) [Rev. 12:13 is the only place the word, term, or name (authority) “Antipas” is used in Scripture and is futuristic.]

*Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29) This era approximates the 12^th through 15^th centuries. During the late 12^th century, Peter Waldo led a small group of followers called the Waldenses. Living in the Alpine Valleys of Southern France and Northern Italy, most were observing the Seventh Day Sabbath. They worked hard at hand producing copies of the Gospels and other single books of Scripture. The printing press was not invented until 1451, and complete copies of the Bible were rare and precious. The Roman Church had forbidden the common people to have Bibles and caused them to worship as the Papacy dictated. The Waldenses suffered great persecution by the Papal Inquisitors, and Pope Innocent VIII issued a Papal Bull to totally exterminate them in 1487. The Sabbatarian Christians were super de-sized! (Dan. 7:21,25; Rev. 13:7, 17:6) Their Bibles and other scriptural manuscripts were burned. [Isn’t Innocent a rather unusual name for a murderer? This beast riding, ruthless whore’s past can be found in most books of Inquisition history.] Jezebel in the Greek is used as a synonym of a termagant or false teacher.

*Sardis (Rev. 3:1-6) This era describes a few that have not defiled their garments. A small remnant of the Waldenses fled from the persecution by the Roman and Spanish Inquisitors and began to migrate toward Normandy and the British Isles. They quietly keep the Seventh Day Sabbath in the seclusion of their poverty, but a different type of persecution was beginning to emerge.

During the late 15^th and early 16^th century, there was an uprising within the Roman Church. Many began to doubt her authority, and this was the first call for those professing the name of Christ to come out of her. The protestant reformation had caused many religious wars, but a few Sabbatarian Christians had already found their way to Northwestern Europe and Great Britain. In 1650, a small group of Sabbatarians established a church calling themselves Seventh Day Baptists in England, but English Puritanism holding fast to most of the Roman Church’s doctrines and traditions soon engulfed them.

Protestants and Catholics persecuted each other during their religious wars, which were known as The Thirty Years War (1618-1648). Both persecuted the Sabbatarians! During the 16^th and 17^th centuries, the reformers’ greatest impediments were the Church of England as well as the Roman Church, but as prophesied in Rev. 12:16, the new world had opened its doors to religious freedom as well as a land of new opportunity. Vast numbers of Protestants crossed the Atlantic in pursuit of freedom and liberty to practice their faiths. The Sabbatarians had also found their prophesied eagle wings. Freedom of religion was a second calling for Christians to come out of Babylon. (Rev. 18:4; Job 33:14; Jude 11-12)

Although the Protestants began their exodus to freedom, they carried the Harlot’s baggage with them like the children of Israel when coming out of Egypt. (Ezek. 20) Many protestant denominations were born during the reformation, but soon after their early founding fathers died, they established their individual creeds and maintained many essential doctrines and traditions of the mother church. THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS had given birth to many daughters.

The first American Sabbath keeping church was founded in the colony of Rhode Island in 1672. In 1636, a settlement was founded and established at Providence, RI by Roger Williams, who was a Baptist separatist fleeing persecution by the Massachusetts Puritans. The Puritans wanted to maintain a connection with the Church of England, but Williams insisted on the separation from the central authority of men and independent religious thought. He established the first Baptist church in America in 1639, but he later changed his views and recognized no one true church. In 1644 Williams secured a charter for the new colony of Rhode Island that guaranteed its independence and secured its boundaries against encroachments by its orthodox neighbors, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Today, the Puritans are known as the Anglican Church of America.

Rhode Island became the first colony in America to be founded on the principles of freedom of religious expression and separation of church and state. Stephen Mumford, a Seventh Day Baptist, came to Rhode Island from England in 1664. Finding no one that kept the Seventh Day Sabbath, he began fellowshipping with the local First Baptist congregation on Sundays, but kept the Sabbath privately. Several members noticed and began keeping the Sabbath with him. They established the first Seventh Day Baptist Church in America. Their historical record exists in the museum at Newport. A second congregation was later established at Hopkinton, but persecution by First Baptist’s and other Sunday churches forced them westward.

During the Advent Movement of the early 1800’s, the year of Christ’s second coming was predicted through the teachings of William Miller. After the Great Disappointment of 1844, many of his followers departed. The movement yielded two other Sabbatarian groups. The Church of God Seventh Day believes Christ will return and reign for 1000 years over a live earth. The Seventh Day Adventists believe the earth will lie dead during that period. (Rev. 20:3-7) They both retained the doctrine of God’s true Sabbath.

*Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13) The open door (intense portal) for this era was the beginning of radio and television. Out of the Church of God Seventh Day, the Radio Church of God was started under the leadership of Herbert Armstrong (1892-1986) and later became the Worldwide Church of Godduring the early television age. Many scriptural truths lost throughout the centuries were recovered. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was broadcast worldwide on The World Tomorrow program, and many free booklets were offered for the asking. The church grew into the world’s largest Sabbath keeping congregation following World War II, but something caused the church to split apart and scatter into many splinter groups after Armstrong died.

In 1988 I began taking some Bible courses offered by the Worldwide COG Ambassador College. I later requested the number and address of a local minister, but for some reason I delayed until 1992. When I did call, I received a cursing out, and what sounded like chaotic screaming of demons in the background. That scared me so much, I did little Bible study during the next seven years and did not really care for any kind of a church. In 1999 and after my conscience meltdown following 5 days on a civil jury, I found an advertisement about a Pentecost Feast service being held in a town about an hour and a half drive. It turned out to be a small splinter group from the Worldwide Church of God. It did not take long to get their account of what happened just prior to and after Armstrong’s death.

After the long drive became difficult, I began alternating between them and a closer Seventh Day Adventist group on Sabbaths. I soon learned about the history of the Miller movement in the 1800’s. I found some teachings of Ellen G. White to be biblically erroneous, and any other understanding was forbidden. Then the other group turned my re-baptism into a party. I felt disappointment by both and have remained to myself in independent study. I still believed that the Lord had something for me to do, but all I could see at the time was that which is written in scripture, Satan, which deceiveth the whole world. (Rev. 12:9) I began to dissect the Bible utilizing the Strong’s Concordance. (Acts 17:11; Zech. 11:15-16) Hungry for scriptural truth, I started my own Comprehensive Scripture Investigation or CSI.

*Laodiceans (Rev. 3:14-22) We are in this last and final era now. The events stated in verses 15-17 happened to the Worldwide Church of God. There are also separatists within the Seventh Day Adventists. David Koresh and his followers in Waco, Texas were one such group. Today, some are hot, some cold, but the majority are the thousands of lukewarm groups scattered around the world. Some still preach and teach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, but where is the latter days’ message for God’s people to come out of Babylon? The gold tried in the fire in Rev. 3:18 is as gold is tried in Zech. 13:9. The Lord will soon return! Those held captive by the harlot are in a state of delusion. She must be stripped, exposed, her mark identified, and the truth widely published. The true shepherds have become lazy while false shepherds are eating the fat of the flocks. (Zech. 11-14; Ezek. 33-34; Jer. 50-51; Is. 13 & 56)

[The missing link in following the path of the wilderness church’s history was following the Sabbatarian’s trail.]

The 1260 days of Rev. 12:6, 3.5 times in Rev. 12:14, 42 months (3.5 years) of Rev. 13:5, and 3.5 times in Daniel are the same period of 538 AD to 1798 and corresponds to the 1798 restoration of the national birthright blessings to the two sons of Joseph. (See Missing Links – Chapter VI in the main menu.)

The main issue during the reformation was breakig away from Rome and getting the Holy Bible available to the common man. It was a noteworthy cause!

The Wheat and Tares Grow Together

Today’s Generation of Churches Consists of Many Professing “Christians” Who Claim They’re Christians But Fight and Twist Scripture To Their Own Damnation.

From Missing Links – Chapter XII:

The Comeback Mountain

For almost 2000 years, there have been deceptions upon deceptions, lies upon lies, here a little, there a little, until almost all mankind is blinded to the truth. About 500 years ago, brave men began tearing down that old mountain of deception, and suffered persecution and torturous death, but those that followed picked up many of the old pebbles and stones, and then built a new mountain. Behold! It looks much like the old one. The time is at hand, when the healed old mountain will require of the new mountain, “Become one mountain under me, for your pebbles are my pebbles, and your stones are my stones. Come back to me, keepers of my pebbles and stones, and repent of the damage done!” Then shall the creator of the heavens and earth, by whom both mountains stake their claim, place in the hearts of the new mountain: Make the old mountain naked and desolate and burn it with fire. Then, shall the hearts of both the mountains be brought through the fire by which all mountains shall burn. Those under its pebbles and stones will ask, “Why do we suffer?”

Sweet Pastures

The Scripture of Truth is like a beautiful pasture of plush green grass, and many sheep flocked to it to graze, but the taste was a little bitter. So, the sheep looked for shepherds who would sweeten the taste, and when the sheep grazed upon the flavored grass, the taste was not yet sweet enough. So, the shepherds sprayed the grass with a sweeter flavor, but the sheep were still not satisfied. Some other shepherds said to the sheep, “Try this other pasture, it is greener and sweeter.” So, the sheep followed those shepherds, and began to graze in the other pasture, and it was very sweet grass. The sheep grazed and grazed until they became very fat and lazy, and the shepherds were also made fat by the gratitude of the sheep.

Then the Head Shepherd returned for his flock and found his true pasture almost empty. So, he asked the shepherds there, “Where are my sheep? There were once many, now there are so few.” Then the shepherds of the true pasture said, “They have found a greener and sweeter pasture.” Then the Head Shepherd asked, “Were you so lazy to not call out unto them and bring any of them back?”

So, the Head Shepherd went to the other pasture and asked those shepherds, “What is this thing that you have done to my sheep, for I left them in my holy pasture?” Then, those other shepherds, trying to defend themselves, said, “It was the sheep! They wanted the sweeter grass, so we only did that which the sheep had asked.”

Then the Head Shepherd stood between the two pastures and shouted, “Woe to the idol shepherds that leave the flock! The sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened. Woe to the shepherds of the flocks that do feed themselves! Should not those shepherds have feed the flocks?”

Then the fat and lazy shepherds asked, “How were we to know you would come by the old pasture first?” Then the Head Shepherd replied, “Did I not send you watchmen sounding the alarm to return to my holy pasture and have patience in my testimony?”

Then all those shepherds cried, “Yes, but we thought he was just a crazy old fool blowing on an old Jewish horn!”

Isaiah 24

KJV^(i) 1 Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. ² And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him. ³ The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. ⁴ The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. ⁵ The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. (Dan. 7:25) ⁶ Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. ⁷ The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. ⁸ The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. ⁹ They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. ¹⁰ The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. ¹¹ There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. ¹² In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction. ¹³ When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. ¹⁴ They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. ¹⁵ Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. ¹⁶ From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. ¹⁷ Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. ¹⁸ And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. ¹⁹ The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. ²⁰ The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. ²¹ And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. ²² And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited. ²³ Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

Come out of Babylon for her Judgement is near!

LOLGB+