5 Smooth Stones

First, the individual Diotrephes is called “nourished by or blessed by Jupiter.” As mentioned, this is the Latin equivalent of the Greek god Zeus. John also mentioned Zeus indirectly in his epistle to the church in Pergamos when he wrote the words of Jesus: Revelation 2:12 “And to the angel in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has that sharp two – edged sword: 13 “I know your works, and where. you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny my faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” Jesus was addressing the church in Pergamos where there was a temple to the god Zeus. He did not call Zeus by either his Latin or Greek name but identi fi ed him as Satan. This should give us concern that John in this epistle is addressing someone “blessed by Satan” in the church. Certainly, anything blessed by Satan should give us concern, especially when it is functioning in the church of Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that this spirit is blessed by Satan, because it hinders the believers from receiving from the apostles, prophets and the Holy Spirit. Ma tt 13:36 “Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the tares of the fi eld." 37 He answered and said to them: "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The fi eld is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fi re, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that o ff end, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fi re. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” It is interesting that here, in the parable of the kingdom, Jesus said there are sons of the wicked one sown in amongst His own people, as He says, and the Angels will gather out of His kingdom “all things that o ff end and those who practice lawlessness.” There are tares growing alongside of the wheat in His kingdom. Jesus cautioned that there would be those who were not of His kingdom planted into His kingdom.

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