WEEK 7
“A Message to a Corrupt Church”
Date: July 10, 2002
Place: Allendale Baptist
Text: Revelation 2: 18-29
Introduction
We continue tonight in our study of the book of Revelation. This is the 4th letter to the churches in Asia Minor. This is the longest letter to the least significant.
Thyatira was a city located halfway between Pergamos and Sardis. The city was situated in a long valley that swept 40 miles to Pergamos, the capital city of this Roman province. Thyatira was an outpost and had no natural defenses and had a long history of being built and rebuilt. Some historians say this city was rebuilt more than any other ancient city. Originally populated by soldiers of Alexander the Great, it was little more than a military outpost to guard Pergamos.
There was some trade & commercial business in this city but it was known for the plant found in the area that produced the Purple dye used for the more expensive clothes the rich and famous wore.
Lydia came from this city on business to Philippi selling garments of purple and was one of the apostle Paul’s first converts during his ministry there. That can be found in Acts 16: 14-15.
The church at Thyatira, in the chronological order of the church age, represents the dark age of the church.
It was a time when the church returned to the ritualistic customs of worship. When it was said and believed that continual sacrifice had to be made for atonement of sin.
Let’s begin…
Verse 18
“To the angel of the church”
To the pastor
“These things says the Son of God”
The main title Jesus uses for Himself is the “Son of man”; but here He uses a title that speaks directly to the church of His deity.
The church at Thyatira had begun to worship not His deity but His humanity.
Jesus was God in the flesh but He is completely God.
They had in turn begun to worship the Virgin Mary.
Then we see Jesus described in 2 characters:
“ Who has eyes like a flame of fire”
This signifies His piercing, penetrating, perfect knowledge an insight into all persons and all things.
I have often told the story of the picture of Jesus on my Grandmother’s living room wall. No matter where you went in the room His eyes followed you.
There is a story of a burglar that broke into a home. The owners of the house had a parrot. The parrot said Jesus is watching you. The robber said hush. The parrot again said, Jesus is watching you. The robber turned & said Jesus, be quiet. The parrot said “I’m not Jesus, my name is Moses.” The robber said “what kind of people would name their parrot Moses?” The parrot said the same kind of people that would name their Doberman pincher Jesus.” (That one is free)
“And His feet like fine brass.”
* Glowing hot, brass feet are a clear reference to divine judgment. Jesus with feet of judgment is moving through His church to exercise His chastening authority upon the sin of the church.
Then comes the words of commendation
Verse 19
“I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience.”
Six virtues listed that are produced within the believer by the Holy Spirit.
Works – These are the credentials of the real/true believers.
Love – It was a church where there was true love, in spite of the fact that it had turned to ritualism.
Service – This speaks of the ministry of the church
Faith – Dr J. Vernon McGee says; “Though it is placed after works & love in this instance, it is the mainspring that turns the hands of works & love.”
Patience – This confirms the endurance even in the days of darkness.
Now the condemnation
Verse 20
“Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that women Jezebel, who calls herself prophetess, tot each and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.”
Jezebel is referring to the O.T woman who married King Ahab. She brought paganism into the northern kingdom of Israel.
Evidently there was in this local church at Thyatira a woman who had a reputation as a teacher & prophetess who was the counterpart of this Jezebel of the O.T. She was a Phoenician princess, daughter of King Ethbaal of Tyre & Sidon, & passionately committed to the gods of her childhood, Tyrian Baal & his consort Asherah. She dominated her husband in religious matters. Her great opponent was Elijah, who triumphed over the priests of Baal at Mt Carmel (1 Kings 18:17-40). After Ahab’s death she ruled with great power as the queen mother. Because of her vicious rejection of Yahweh, Israel’s true God, her name became a byword for evil & religious apostasy.
Jezebel was probably not her name.
According to church history during these Dark Ages of the church, pagan practices & idolatry were mingled with Christian works & worship.
The leaders of the Roman church were elevated to a place of secular power.
Rituals & church doctrine replaced personal faith in Jesus.
Purgatory became a popular doctrine along with prayers for the dead.
The word “seduce” means a fundamental departure from the truth.
Jezebel is a forerunner of the apostate church we will study in Revelation 17
Verse 21-22 Read scripture
Because Jezebel refused to repent, the Lord was going to give her a sick bed of tribulation in place of her bed of lust.
Verse 23
“I will kill her children”
This false doctrine had been going on for several generations at this point.
She had raised a new generation on false doctrine & immorality.
This should bring us to realize, if we do not teach our children sound biblical doctrine someone will teach other doctrines to them.
On of the greatest threats to our church today is we have not changed the way we reach young people.
Today’s church has at least 3 generations inside the church. Each generation was taught and each learned in different manners. Each had there own style of music
“And all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds & hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”
This again should remind us the Lord is watching & that He rewards according to man’s deeds or works.
Let me remind you, works do not save, but they are evidence of salvation.
Verse 24-25 (Read Scripture)
There were a faithful few, a faithful remnant in Thyatira, that had not fallen into the false teachings of Jezebel, or what is called here the depths of Satan. No other burden of responsibility was placed on these but to hold fast to the truth until Christ’s Coming.
Verse 26-28 (Read Scripture)
The over comer is the true believer.
His reward will be to reign with Christ during the millennium.
He would have authority over the nations & would rule them with a rod of iron.
All sin would be punished severely & promptly.
The Lord promised to give to the over comer the morning star.
The Lord Jesus is spoken f in Rev. 22:16 as the Bright & Morning Star.
Just as the morning star appears in the heavens before the sun rises, so Christ will appear as the Morning Star to rapture His church to heaven before He appears as the Son of Righteousness to reign over the earth.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died & rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive & remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means procede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will desend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, & with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive & remain shall be caught up in the air together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
Verse 29
“ He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
This closes chapter 2 and 4 letters to the churches of Asia Minor.
Next week a letter to a Dead Church…
