Synagogue of Satan

Synagogue of Satan
By David Ben-Ariel

Many “Christian Identity” groups (who taint the Israelite origins of the West) claim that most who refer to themselves today as Jews aren't really Jews but dangerous imposters.

Such misguided souls rely heavily upon two scriptures, taken out of context, to stoke their unwarranted hatred:

"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." (Rev. 2:8-9)

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee." (Rev. 3:7-9)

Both messages were given by Messiah through the apostle John to two different Church of God congregations in what today would be modern Turkey. Unlike Jerusalem, the Jews were no major power or threat in either Gentile city.

The Sabbath-keeping Churches of God, who follow the plain truth of the Bible as taught by Herbert W. Armstrong, have always understood such scriptures about imposter Jews to refer to professing Christians who were following the false convert, Samaritan sorcerer Simon Magus:

“Simon had bewitched the people of that country, and they followed him as their leader in the Babylonian mystery religion “from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God” (Acts 8:10)...

[After being rebuked by Peter]...Simon proclaimed himself a Christian apostle, nevertheless, and called the pagan Babylonian mystery religion “Christianity.” He accepted the doctrine of “grace” for the forgiveness of sin (which the pagan religions had never had), but turned grace into license to disobey God (Jude 4). He aspired to turn his pagan religion, under the name “Christianity,” into a universal religion, to gain thereby the political rule of the world.

Simon, the “Pater” (Peter) of his counterfeit religion, did not accomplish this in his lifetime. But succeeding leaders, with the headquarters moved to Rome, did, later, gain political control over the Roman Empire and its medieval successor, called “The Holy Roman Empire.” This empire is in process of again being resurrected in Europe now!” (Mystery of the Ages, Herbert W. Armstrong).

Spiritually speaking, all truly converted Christians are spiritual Jews. Ethnic Jews and physical Israelites who reject Messiah are spiritually Gentiles. Paul explains:

“For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if the uncircumcised [Gentile] man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? [a spiritual Jew/Israelite] 27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” (Romans 2:28).

When Yeshua mentioned the "synagogue of Satan," Yeshua was speaking to the Smyrna and Phildelphia Churches of God in Asia Minor. He was referring to some "synagogue of Satan" opposing them there. He was not referring to Jews as an ethnic group (whom He acknowledged as literal physical descendants of Abraham and so did Paul) or to the Jewish religious authorities in Jerusalem.

Again, spiritually speaking, anybody who professes to be a true Christian is claiming to be a spiritual Jew, as Paul spoke of such circumcision of the heart. Therefore, TRADITIONAL CHURCHIANITY CONSTITUTES THE SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN -- cleverly misleading the masses for a Gentilized Jesus, a counterfeit gospel, a different spirit and pagan holidays and ways of the Babylonian Mystery religion -- in those days and in these days! (2 Cor. 11:4, Rev. 17:5).

Any literal, physical Israelite or Jew remains such regardless of whether they're blind to Jesus' identity at this time, as Paul made reference to his ethnic Jewish brethren and didn't reject them as such, even though admitting they were enemies of the gospel. Paul didn't once call them counterfeit Jews or synagogue of Satan or any thing like it. Instead he praised their zeal (having shared it) but said it was ”not according to knowledge.” However, Paul, like true Christians, knows in God's good time the blindness that afflicts ISRAEL (Anglo-Saxons and Northwestern Europeans) and JUDAH will be history.

Some persist in their error and state that the physical Jews in Israel today aren't Jews in God's sight any more since they reject the Priest-King of Israel and therefore aren't worthy to live in the Holy Land, saying God would never give it to them.

Others compound their sin against our Jewish brethren (ethnically, tribally speaking) by refusing to believe that they're even physical Jews, repeating the lie that they're all Khazar converts, exaggerating claims made by those who refuse to submit to God's Word that clearly reveals LEGITIMATE JEWS would again be living in the Promised Land of Israel, exercising sovereignty over Jerusalem, contested by the international community of fools, just before the False Prophet and Beast occupy Jerusalem.

The Bible, the inspired Word of God, calls them Jews and refers to "the cities of Judah" (not occupied "Palestinian" towns) so we should believe the Bible over men who would say otherwise, as I bring out in a Jewish Homeland.

Both Israel and Judah have been blessed because of ABRAHAM'S OBEDIENCE. Our ethnic Israelite folks, mostly professing Christians, were not denied the physical inheritances God unconditionally promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that their heirs would inherit -- even though we're acting like Gentiles. Yes, we're Gentilized Israelites just like our pagan forefathers who rejected God's holy days for pagan holidays.

Yet God has blessed Joseph primarily, the leader of the Northern Ten Tribes, with the United States and British Commonwealth. Likewise, God has not denied Judah a homeland despite their current serious spiritual condition that -- like our Israelite countries -- is in desperate need of repentance and healing or we'll all suffer national destruction, defeat and deportation (Dan. 9:11, Malachi 4:4). God has faithfully given us the blessings He promised Abraham but now their continuance is conditional upon our obedience.

Both counterfeit Christians and jaded Jews must come to NATIONAL REPENTANCE. The Jews have rejected Jesus, blinded by their traditions, and Churchianity has rejected Jesus for their idolatrous traditions, both against the biblical traditions the Jewish apostles have shared with us (Titus 1:16, 1 John 2:4). Such blindness, in large part, was prophesied. But now that God is revealing these things, bringing it to light, exposing the darkness in traditional Judaism and Christianity, we're to confess and forsake our sins and get back to the biblical basics, back to the Faith once delivered -- so help us God -- or we'll go back into national captivity.

The good news is even if we insist upon learning the hard way, going through the "hell" of the Great Tribulation, the Time of Jacob's Trouble, Two Witnesses will see us through the long night and help us prepare to meet our God, to receive our King: Yeshua the Messiah.

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.