<TITLE>17. Par 120-123</TITLE>L-120 Now, watch, He said... Now, if you notice as we read this 10th verse. Let me read it over again.
Fear none of these things which thou shall suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and you shall have tribulation ten days: but be thou faithful unto... (Did you notice that's not "until"? Not "until" death, but "unto" death. You get it?)... be thou faithful unto death,... (See, and they did.)
Now, He said, Satan... Did you notice who He--who He classed as the one that was doing it? Now, this synagogue of Satan was the Nicolaitanes. We know that. Wasn't it? There was an organization, a priesthood that was rising up that would make these people suffer, that would make these people suffer, and they were to be faithful to the Gospel unto death. Did you notice in a marriage ceremony, "not until death do we part," but "unto death do we part." See? Now, "unto" and "until" is different. Now, they was to be faithful to Christ unto death. "Go right on down to death with it. Don't be afraid, for I'll give you a crown."

L-122 Now, this ten days that they talk of here, the ten days. A day in the Bible represents a year. And the ten days was of the last ten years of the reign of this D-i-o-c-l-e-a-t-i-o-n, Diocletian, Diocletian? Diocletian, that was that great emperor that reigned in the last... Well, there's several emperors reigned during the Ephesian church age. And Nero, I believe, was one. And this Diocletian here was the last one that reigned in the last ten years, and he was the bloodiest persecutor of all of them. He just sided in with this group, and they--they murdered the Christians and killed them; they burned them; they--they did everything, and it was ten years of the most bloody persecution. And his time and his reign was from 302 until 312. That ended the Smyrna age with the issuing in of Constantine. And he come in at 312; Constantine did. That was the ten days of tribulations. And it started with Nero and ended up with a Diocletian. And it started in... Nero was about A.D. 64 when Nero took the throne.

L-123 Now, the 11th verse is a promise. Now, we'll have this just before closing:
He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
Now, I got to say something here, that in order... If I think in my heart and don't say it, then I'm a hypocrite. See? I want you to notice something here in this Scripture. And I think it was one of the biggest puzzles to me for so long until I found out. Now, let's read that real close now. See?
He that has an ear,... (in other words, "has a ear to hear"; see, that's open to the Spirit)... let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;... (Now, see, this same thing, this persecution and everything comes. Every part of it laps over in every church, the churches.)... Spirit says to the churches; He that overcometh... (In what church? Ephesian? Yeah. All right. Smyrna? Yeah, all of them)... He that overcomes... (in all the churches)... shall not be hurt of the second death.
He in the Laodicean church that overcomes what? Overcomes the Nicolaitanes, overcomes the things of the world, overcomes these denominations, overcomes these priesthoods, overcomes everything of the world, and sells out, and loves Christ, he'll not be hurt of the second death. Why? He's got Eternal Life. Eternal Life can't die. Jesus said, "He that heareth Me has Eternal Life, shall never die. I'll raise him up in the last day."


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