QUICK SUMMARY SO FAR :
ABSTRACT - fresh thoughts and ideas from Yahusha, that aren't physical or concrete (ink on page/songwords).
ALLUSION - Referring to past Scriptures, behavioural patterns, prophesies without actually saying them.
REV 01: - YAHUSHA:
I'm Yahusha, the Living Word, the Creator Yahuah in the flesh Who holds the seven stars (MESSENGERS/PHYSICAL LEADERS) and walks among the seven lampstands (ASSEMBLIES) and I've got stuff to say to each of you.
REV 02 - EPHESUS:
Come back to the love you first had and overcome your worldly behaviour or I'll come and take away your lampstand (PORTAL/ASSEMBLY STATUS) and you won't have access to partake of the Tree of Life (YAHUSHA/ETERNITY).
NO AMOUNT OF DAILY CHORES, `WORKING FOR YAHUSHA' OR KEEPING UP APPEARANCES (EVEN CALLING IT TORAH-OBEDIENCE) WILL MATTER IF YAHUSHA'S LOVE FROM A PORTAL-RELATIONSHIP IS NOT PRESENT! . . .
Write this to the Messenger of the Assembly in SMURNA:
THE CITY OF SMYRNA WAS ABOUT 60 MILES NORTH OF EPHESUS AT THE MOUTH OF THE SMURNA GULF AND WAS THE FIRST CITY THE MAILMAN WOULD REACH DOING HIS CIRCULAR TOUR OF THE SEVEN ASSEMBLIES. IT WAS THE MOST SPLENDID OF THE SEVEN CITIES, BOASTING OF BEING THE PRIDE OF ASIA (CLAIMING TO BE THE BIRTHPLACE OF HOMER, THE MOST HONOURED OF ANCIENT GREEK POETS), AND WAS VERY SENSITIVE TO ITS RIVAL CITY, EPHESUS. THE CITY WAS NOTED FOR ITS BEAUTIFULLY PAVED AND SPACIOUS STREETS RUNNING FROM ONE END OF THE CITY TO THE OTHER AND HAD A GREAT THEATRE IN WHICH THE OLYMPIAN GAMES WERE HELD AT SOME TIME.
THE ASSEMBLY AT SMURNA SUFFERED PERSECUTION AND MANY BELIEVERS WERE BURNT AT THE STAKE AND REJECTED AS OUTLAWS BECAUSE OF THEIR REJECTION OF THE EMPEROR'S DIVINITY. THEY WERE ALSO CONSIDERED STRANGE AND ANTI-SOCIAL BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO JOIN IN WITH THE OLYMPIAN GAMES AND OTHER PAGAN CELEBRATIONS.
I'm the first and the last (YAHUAH). I died, but now I’m alive! (YAHUSHA) So listen to what I've got to say. I know how hard you work, the incredible PRESSURE you suffer and how poor you are, but you’re actually very rich.
THE GREAT AL'SHADDAI WHO DIED AND ASCENDED NOT ONLY UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING, HE GIVES US WEAPONS TO PROTECT OURSELVES - SO WE CAN WATCH HIM DO THE VENGEANCE INSTEAD OF US (3 RULES).
JOHN 16: "While you're in the world, you'll have to suffer pressure. But cheer up! I've overcome the world".
RICH?? WHILE THEY WERE MATERIALLY POOR, THE BELIEVERS AT SMURNA WERE FULL OF ABUNDANCE DUE TO THEIR BELIEF AND TRUST - STORING UP INCORRUPTIBLE TREAURES NOT OF THIS WORLD.
I also know the horrific, cruel things being said about you by people who pretend to be good Jews, but they're not - they just belong to Satan! ( AN ASSEMBLY / SYNAGOGUE / HOUSE OF SATAN) .
THE FAKE, WHITE-WASHED PHARISAICAL BEHAVIOUR OF THE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES (SOON TO BECOME ORGANISED JUDAISM), AND THEIR MIXING OF TORAH WITH IDOLATRY - WAS JUST AS MUCH A THORN IN THESE BELIEVER'S SIDE AS THE PAGAN WORLD AROUND THEM. THEY REJECTED ANY NOTION THAT YAHUSHA WAS THE PROPHESIED MESSIAH, HIS VIRGIN BIRTH AND RESURRECTION AND HATED ANYONE WHO SAID DIFFERENT. THEY EVEN ATTRIBUTED HIS MARVELLOUS MIRACLES TO THE DEVIL.
SAUL WAS ONE OF THESE JEWS WHO WENT AROUND KILLING YAHUSHA'S FOLLOWERS. THEN AFTER HIS CONVERSION, HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME HATRED HE'D GIVEN TO MANY AS HE WENT FIRST TO THE SYNAGOGUES AND PRESENTED THE GOSPEL TO THE JEW, AND THEN THE GENTILE, AND WHILE THE GENTILES ACCEPTED IT, MOST OF THE JEWISH NATION REJECTED YAHUSHA (AND STILL DO). SO WE SEE WHY YAHUSHA DIVORCED THEM AND IS DOING A NEW THING WITH A NEW YISHARAL CONSISTING OF PEOPLE FROM ALL NATIONS, WILLING TO REPENT, BE IMMERSED AND THROUGH HIS SPIRIT, OVERCOME.
ANYONE NOT IMMERSED INTO THE ONE AND ONLY NAME OF YAHUSHA (FOR DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL) BELONGS TO SATAN!
So don’t worry about what you'll suffer, for the hater (DEVIL) will throw some of you into prison, and you’ll be tested and made to suffer for a time. (10 DAYS = A FULLNESS OF TIME)
THE TEST IS LIKELY REFERRING TO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THEY’RE IMPRISONED, FOR IN THE ROMAN ERA, PRISON WAS NOT A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WERE SENT TO SERVE OUT A SENTENCE, BUT WHERE THE ACCUSED WAS SENT TO AWAIT A TRIAL. OR, IF (AFTER A TRIAL) THE PRISONER WAS FOUND GUILTY AND SENTENCED TO DEATH, THEN PRISON WAS WHERE THEY AWAITED EXECUTION. SO GOING TO PRISON WAS FRIGHTENING ...
IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO FEAR SUFFERING, AND EVEN YAHUSHA FEARED DEATH IN DRINKING THE CUP OF OUR SINS. HE UNDERSTANDS ALL OUR PRESSURE AND HE STRENGTHENS US. HE HAD TASTED THE 'MYRRH' OF SUFFERINGS IN HIS LIFE, AND DEATH ON THE TORTURE STAKE AND HE DID IT FOR THE JOY THAT WOULD FOLLOW. -AND IT'S THE SAME FOR US.
1 PETER 2 "THERE'S NO REWARD IN GETTING THE PUNISHMENT YOU DESERVE, BUT IF YOU’RE TREATED BADLY FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR AND YOU CONTINUE TO BE A GOOD SERVANT (IN SPITE OF IT), YOU'LL BE REWARDED".
IT WOULD BE THE TRIAL OF THEIR BELIEF WHICH WOULD BE MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD, THOUGH TRIED IN THE FURNACE. WHEN THEY HAD BEEN TRIED, THEY WOULD COME FORTH AS GOLD (HEB.11).
Interestingly, during this time of massive persecution, the greatest number of handwritten `scriptures' were copied, translated into many languages and shared (soon to be abolished by Constantine).
But if you are trustworthy and loyal until death, I will reward you with the crown of life (ETERNAL LIFE). So if you've got ears, wake up and listen to what I'm saying to the Assemblies.
THE CITY OF SMURNA HAD A CROWN AS ITS EMBLEM AND AT THE END OF THE OLYMPICS, CROWNS WERE PRESENTED AFTER THE RACE WAS WON, GENERALLY CONSISTING OF A GARLAND OF OLIVE BRANCHES. YAHUSHA WOULD PRESENT TO HIS OWN, AT THE END OF THE RACE OF LIFE, THE TRUE CROWN OF LIFE: AN INCORRUPTIBLE, IMMORTAL AND ETERNAL LIFE.
YAHUSHA HAD BEEN CROWNED WITH THORNS, NOW HE'S CROWNED WITH ESTEEM AND HONOUR AS KING OF KINGS.
SO HOW COMFORTING IS YAHUSHA TO PEOPLE FACING DEATH BY STATING "I WAS DEAD BUT I'M ALIVE FOREVER MORE" (AND YOU'LL BE WITH ME).
Whoever overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death at all. THE FIRST DEATH IS PHYSICAL FLESH BUT THE SECOND DEATH IS OUR INNER BEING OR SPIRIT. SO EVEN IF WE DO LOSE OUR PHYSICAL LIVES (OR JUST `KICK IT' BEFORE YAHUSHA RETURNS) THOSE WHO OVERCOME THE WORLD WON'T BE HARMED BY THE SECOND DEATH, BUT WILL BE TRANSFORMED.
SMURNA MEANS "MYRRH: CRUSHED MYRRH, BITTERNESS, SWEET SCENT, ANOINTING OIL".
COULD THIS BE A SYMBOLIC TITLE FOR THIS ASSEMBLY BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'D SUFFER? MYRRH WAS AN OINTMENT USED IN ENBALMING DEAD BODIES (JN 19), IT WAS A FRAGRANT SPICE, BEATEN SMALL, GIVING A FRAGRANT PERFUME WHICH ASCENDED WHEN PLACED IN A FIRE. MYRRH BECAME SYMBOLIC OF PERSECUTION, SUFFERING, TRIALS, PRESSURE, BITTERNESS AND DEATH.
JUST LIKE PARTAKING OF THE TREE OF LIFE IS FOR THE OVERCOMERS (YAHUSHA AND HIS LIVING WORDS ARE OUR FOOD AND DRINK), THE EXPERIENCE IS ALLUDED TO HERE IN THE FORM OF A CROWN, WHICH (LIKE THE MANY KINGS OF OLD) SHOWS THE STATUS OF DIVINE ROYALTY WE WILL BE TRANSFORMING INTO.
THE HEBREW WORD `PRESSURE’ IS USED TO DESCRIBE THE PRESSING OF GRAPES UNTIL THE JUICE COMES OUT (A NARROW HARD-PRESSED WAY). IT COULD BE PHYSICAL ABUSE OR SIMPLY THE DISTRESS WE'VE ALL FELT FROM FRIENDS, FAMILY AND SOCIETY TO CONFORM AND GO WITH THE FLOW OF THEIR WALKING DEAD EXISTENCE WITH ALL OF IT'S TRADITIONS, OTHERWISE WE'LL BE MOCKED, SHUNNED, SHAMED AND HATED !
• IT WAS USED IN THE ANOINTING OIL (EX.3O)
• IT SPEAKS OF YAHUSHA AND HIS BRIDE IN THE SONG OF SOLOMON.
• IT'S PROPHETIC OF THE SUFFERINGS OF YAHUSHA OUT OF HEAVENS' IVORY PALACES (PSA.45).
• IT'S ONE OF THE GIFTS OF THE WISE MEN TO YAHUSHA (MATT.2).
• USED IN THE PURIFICATION PROCESS OF ESTHER, THE BRIDE-TO-BE (EST.2)
• IT WAS USED IN THE DEATH AND BURIAL OF YAHUSHA (JN 19).
MAYBE 'SMURNA" BECAME A PROPHETIC NAME, SPEAKING OF THE PRESSURE, SUFFERING AND PERSECUTION UNTO DEATH OF THE BELIEVERS AT SMURNA AND ALSO MANY EARLY NATSARIM UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS.
JUST AS THE FRAGRANCE OF THE BROKEN ALABASTER BOX FILLED THE HOUSE WHERE YAHUSHA WAS SITTING, THE BROKEN LIVES OF THE SUFFERING BELIEVERS OF SMURNA (AND OUR LIVES TODAY AS WE DIE TO THE FLESHLY SELF) FILLS THE HEAVENLY HOUSE OF YAHUAH, WITH FRAGRANCE AND SWEETNESS.
IT WAS THE ANOINTING OF YAHUSHA'S SET-APART SPIRIT THAT WOULD ENABLE THEM TO OFFER THEMSELVES "A LIVING SACRIFICE", WHOLLY AND ACCEPTABLE UNTO YAHUAH (ROM.12), AND THE FIRES OF HATRED AND PRESSURE SIMPLY CAUSE THE FRAGRANCE TO ASCEND TO YAHUAH AND HIS THRONE AND THE LIGHT TO SHINE BRIGHTER.
YAHUSHA TOLD US WE WOULD BE HATED JUST AS HE WAS .
"Don't be surprised at the fiery trials and pressure that comes on you to test you, as though something strange is happening to you, but rejoice and think of it as an opportunity for great joy".
COUNT IT ALL JOY
ANYONE SUFFERING TRIALS OR PRESSURE (FOR YAHUSHA - NOT STUPIDITY) CAN TAKE COMFORT IN THIS LETTER, KNOWING THAT YAHUSHA IS PURIFYING US THROUGH HIS SET-APART SPIRIT, ENABLING US, HIS BRIDE TO EXPERIENCE THE 'MYRRH', AND THE FIRE WHICH CAUSES THE FRAGRANCE (OF THE BITTERNESS OF DEATH) TO ASCEND AS A SWEET-SMELLING OFFERING.
"IF WE SUFFER PRESSURE WITH HIM, WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM"!
So we must learn to thrive under pressure and enjoy it!
