REV.#8~2:18-29~pt.2 THYATIRA-590-1570- THE CORRUPT CHURCH
Today we’ll continue our study of this great book of prophecy, if there has ever been a time that the book of “THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST” should be taught it’s certainly in our day and time. Our nation is in the biggest mess it’s ever been in, and the rest of the world as well, and it will continue to get worse.
God will not nor can He bless any nation that turns its back on His chosen people Israel, the “apple of His eye”. Israel will get by without the U.S. but the U.S. cannot prosper without Israel. Our stand with Israel is the only reason God has blessed this nation down through the years, but it appears that Obama is changing all of that.
Genesis 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:
Obama has made the statement,” AMERICA IS NO LONGER A CHRISTIAN NATION” on world wide T.V. ---but God has made another statement in;
Psalm 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
I’m fearful for our nation, because of what she has become. The voters of our nation have put in place an Administration that is apostate to the core. Watch and see what God sends on this country.
Just remember that Gods Word tells us in;
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. —And that same truth applies to nations.
Christians keep your sins confessed up and under the Blood of Jesus; He could call out His True Church any time now. We are certainly living in the Laodiceian church period.
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With that being said lets get our mind on today’s message, today we’re still talking about the 4th church named here in chapters 2 and 3, the Lord doing all the talking, all red writing, lets keep in mind that these 7 churches that are mentioned here in these two chapters were real churches at that time, there was more than just these 7 there in Asia Minor in that day but the Lord chose these particular 7 churches as they represent the entire period of time that the church would be here on earth,. The names of these 7 churches once again are.
Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
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Ephesus was of the Apostolic church period, { 30-100 A.D.} and 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 no longer there because their “Candle stick” the church had been removed, they allowed their light to go out, their witness.
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And then the 2nd church, the church of Smyrna, {100-350 A.D.} this was the most persecuted period of the True church age period; 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 there in modern Turkey.
And then ~ Pergamos, the 3rd church period, 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 state took over the church.
The town of Pergamas still exists today. The name has been changed to Bergma there in modern Turkey.
And let me say that each of these 7 churches is still with us today in some form or fashion. Which one of these 7 churches do you attend? There are more Laodecian assemblies that any thing else, the people go to church and are all involved in programs without much true gospel preaching, their pretenders but not possessors of the Holy Spirit.
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This is our 2nd week in the study of the church of Thyatira, the corrupted church; it’s the longest letter of the 7. This church existed in the period that become known as the Dark Ages, and this age certainly was dark for the Church. --590-1570 there about---Fox’s book of Martyrs has much to say about this Dark Age period how that millions of Christians were Martyred under Catholicism.
Listen as I read today’s text.
2:18-29 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.
25But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 26And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28And I will give him the morning star. 29He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Let me remind us that this church of Thyatira represents the period of time when the Papal church came on the scene. Roman Catholicism, This system has and still is leading many astray today. Many people will suffer in hell because they have been seduced to believe her doctrine.
During this period as in every period, there were people who held to the truth, and they did not follow her doctrine.
This church began to spring into existence because of the worldly church of Pergamus, the
[3rd church] under the then Emperor Constantine, in about 313-590 A.D.
We all know that the True Church was born on the Day of Pentecost.
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verses 18-
18And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, --
The Lord introduced Himself to this church as “the Son of God” (2:18).
This is the only time in the Revelation this Title is used.
“As ‘the Son of God’ He rebukes the church that would degrade Him and keep Him the son of a human mother while exalting her above Him as ‘the mother of God’ and ‘the queen of heaven. Israel made sacrifices to this pagan goddess. JER. 44:--{FOUR TIMES}
The Lord would have all people, with their queenly assumptions; know that He is the very Son of God who alone speaks with supreme and final authority.
He wants all men to know that they are not dealing with prophets like Moses and Elijah, or with apostles like Paul and Peter. They are dealing with Deity, with the divine Son of God Himself.
The rise of Romanism made Jesus popular as “the son of Mary,” a position that robs Him of His deity and by this degrades Him.
---18 b- who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
This pictures the Son of God in judgment. - His eyes are like a flame of fire, { He see through this church} searching them out, and His feet are like fine brass, which represents judgment. Jesus Christ is judging this church.
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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.
Here in vs. 19 we have His APPROVAL, remember there were true believers in all 7 church periods.
Jesus Christ has six words of commendation for the church of the Dark Ages in which were many true believers who had a personal love for Him, which was reviled in works.
Ø The six words of commendation are:
1. “Works” revealed the true believers. There were many who lived godly lives and by their good works “clinged to the true doctrine.”
2. “Love.” [charity] It was a church in which there was love, in spite of the fact that it had gone in for ritualism. There were some real saints of God during that period: -men such as:
Peter Waldo, John Wycliffe, John Huss, and others during the Roman church domination.
3. “Faith.” Though it is placed after works and charity here, it is what produces works and love.
4. “Ministry” { service}, is being in service for the Lord.
5. “Patience” shows endurance in those days of darkness.
6. “Thy last works are more than the first.” In this church, works increased.
The Holy Spirit produces all six virtues within the believer.
This church has much evil in it, but Christ looks first at what can be commended. These are the strongest words of commendation addressed to any of the 7 churches.
Faith, and thy patience, and thy works. Devotion and zeal did exist in the Middle Ages in spite of the apostasy and corruption of the majority.
And let me point out that there are today many well known preachers that are duped by her doctrine, such as Billy Gram, Jack Vanempy and many others, men such as this will have a lot to answer for at the Judgment seat of Christ.
Lets remember that there have always been true believers all down through the Church age, even here in this period of the church.
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In verses 20-24 we see THE ADMONITION to the church of Thyatira:
Notwithstanding 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.
The Lord found much to expose and condemn in the assembly at Thyatira. No amount of loving and sacrificial works can make up for tolerance of evil. The church was permitting a false prophetess to influence the people and lead them into compromise.
20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest {allows} 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. {Notice; She called herself a prophetess, God didn’t}
King Ahab’s wife Jezebel, {1st kgs. 16:-19:} had brought paganism into the northern kingdom of Israel. And now evidently there was in the local church at Thyatira a woman who had a reputation as a teacher and prophetess who was the same kind of person that Jezebel was, it’s very doubtful that her real name was Jezebel, she is a figure and type of the Jezebel of 1st. KGs.
During this historical period of the Dark Ages, which the church at Thyatira represents, pagan practices and idolatry were mingled with Christian works and worship.
The papacy was elevated to a place of power, where it got its roots in the Purgamos period.
The introduction of rituals and church doctrine that now is big in the Catholic Church, has caused worship of the Virgin and Child, and the Mass were made a definite part of the church service.
Vs.21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication;** and she repented not.
“Space” means time. The Lord Jesus Christ has patiently dealt with this false system for over a thousand years, and there has been no real change down through the centuries in this system. In fact, Rome boasts that she never changes.
God gave this church time to repent. Godly men called upon the church to repent, but she refused to do so. Only judgment remains. This church remains apart from the truth of God and when the True church is taken out of the world she will be joined with all the systems of religious evil of the world.
Vs.22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery** with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. {Her and her offspring will wind up together in the Great Tribulation that will be left here at the rapture}.
These religious systems of Babylon go all the way back to Nimrod and his wife Simerimus in Gen. 10:, this religious system has many children that came from her, all cults and apostate religions are an off spring of this Babylonian system.
23And I will kill her children with death; --
Rev.20:14-15 14And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
--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. **[ reins -the innermost depts. Of the mind]
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;**{of the devil } I will put upon you none other burden.
25But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
He’s saying, for them to just keep on keeping on, don’t be seduced into their godless worship.
26And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: **[ unto the end- points out that this Jezebel system will continue to be here until the Lord comes for His own]
The works of Christ are altogether different than the works of Jezebel. The works of Christ that are seen in the believers are directed by the Holy Spirit. We overcome by faith and not by our own doings.
27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
This is to do with believers ruling and reigning with Jesus in His millennial reign.
28And I will give him the morning star. 29He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Jesus Christ is the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16)
