Rev.# 7~thyatira The Corrupt Church ~pt. 1 Series

REV.#7-2:18-29-pt.1 ~THYATIRA ~FROM ABOUT 500-ABOUT 1570 AD~

Today we’ll continue our study of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we’re here in chapter 2: verses 18-29 and in these verses Jesus is sending this 4th messages to the church of Thyatira, the corrupt church. Fox’s book of Martyrs has much to say about this Dark Age period.

Let me mention once again that these 7 churches that we find here in chapters 2 and 3 were real churches of that day, there in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey, there were more churches than these 7 but God had chosen these 7 particular churches for a specific purpose, these 7 particular churches were not only actual churches there in Asia Minor, but they were chosen by God to represent the entire church period while its on earth, from Pentecost, when the True Church was born until the rapture of the True church. They each represent a stage you could say, of what would be going on while its on earth. The names of the 7 churches are~ Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

And let me say, there were always true believers in each of the 7 church periods.

------

Ephesus was of the Apostolic church period, { 30-100 A.D.} and already the Lord Jesus, Who is the Head of His True church rebuked them, for leaving their 1st love, the Lord warned them that He would remove their Candle stick,{the church} except they repent, and He, as He always does, kept His Word.

The Church of Ephesus is gone now because their “Candle stick” the church had been removed, they allowed their light to go out, their witness.

-----

And then the 2nd church, the church of Smyrna, {100-350 A.D.} this was the most persecuted period of the True church; many gave their lives because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

Smyrna still has a flourishing Church there today; only the name today is Izmir.

-----

And then ~ Pergamos, the 3rd church, the Compromising Church, {350 to about 590 A.D.} Called “the greatest city in Asia Minor,” the Capital of Asia Minor, Pergamos had the first temple dedicated to Caesar.

The town of Pergamas still exists today. The name has been changed to Bergma.

And let me say that each of these 7 churches are still with us today in some form or fashion.

------------------

So today we come to the 4th church period, the church of Thyatira, the period when the church became corrupt, as we’ll see, and it all began because of the compromising church period of Pergamus, the compromising church.

~The time period of this corrupt church of THYATIRA was from about { 590-to ABOUT 1570 AD}

If you’ll recall the message last week of the church period of Pergamus the 3rd church period known as the compromising church, how it began compromising with the world as the Emperor Constantine had declared that he had saw a vision of the cross in the sky along with these words above it, “in this thou shall conquer” and because of what he had seen he took it to mean, that Christianity was to be the religion of the Roman Empire and so he had his armies all baptized, which certainly don’t mean that they were saved, and in doing so the persecution of Christians slowed down dramatically, not stopped completely, but certainly not as it had been, as the believers were there in the 2nd Church period of Smyrna, they had been greatly persecuted, and many put to death.

Listen as I read today’s Text found in Rev. 2: 18-29 and we find this:

18And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 19I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

20Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

21And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

24But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.