Hello Friends!
Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through “Revelation:
Jesus Speaks to His Church!”
Revelation:
Jesus Speaks to His Church! (Chapter 2:18-29)
This week we will begin
our reading of verses 18-29 in chapter 2 of
Revelation where Jesus Speaks to the Church of Thyatira…
The
“church” of Jesus Christ is a collection of individual “Christians” of whom are God’s “holy people”
and thus should be known for exalting
righteousness and condemning unrighteousness within
His eternal family. Therefore, all “churches”
should be known for confronting
“sin” and pursuing personal
“holiness” to the “glory”
of God. But, sadly in our day, that is NOT necessarily the case! And it
certainly was NOT the case for the “church” in “Thyatira”
to whom our Lord Jesus Christ wrote this particular letter. And as we’ve
already discussed, there are countless fleshly “churches” just like “Thyatira”
existing TODAY of whom TOLERATE much “sin”
in their midst – A SERIOUS issue with our thrice HOLY
Lord!
As
we progress through our serious study, we find that this is the longest
of the “seven letters” written to
the smallest
city and it should be READ
by “believers” AGAIN
and AGAIN in every time period
and OBEYED in our lives. Why?
Because the TOLERATION of consistent
and unbroken
patterns of “sinful” lifestyle choices
are very
common in the “church” assembly TODAY!
And although there was indeed an increase of “good deeds” in the “church”
of “Thyatira,” there was also a decreased
pattern of “repentance” and therefore “evil” had ESTABLISHED
itself in the midst of this faltering fellowship… Thus, consequently – THIS church was in SERIOUS
trouble!
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND: The city of “Thyatira”
was located between the cities of “Pergamos”
and “Sardis” and had been a Roman town for a
few hundred years. Its history is one of conquering, destruction &
rebuilding and served as the gateway to “Pergamos”
which was the capital of the area. This city had also become a military
garrison guard for “Pergamos” as soldiers would
strategically move through. It also became commercially viable because
of a beautiful “purple dye” that was
developed there. This particular form of commerce was also identified in the
book of Acts in association with a “lady” named “Lydia”
who was a “seller of purple” in the “Thyatira” commons. She was the first “convert” to “Christianity”
on European soil as she was dealing in these precious goods. In fact, Doctor
Luke goes on to informs “us”
that “Lydia” was not the only one
in her “household”
that was “saved” by the “Lord”:
And
when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have
judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And
she constrained us – Acts 16:15
By
the “grace” of God her ENTIRE
family was “saved” eternally – Praise the Lord!
Therefore,
let’s begin by reading about the FOURTH
“church” described in chapter 2 ~ The “Thyatira” fellowship:
And
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; I know thy works, and
charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last
to be more than the first – Revelation
2:18-19
The
“Son of God”
identifies Himself here as He does in every “letter”
by borrowing from John’s vision outlined earlier in chapter
1. These amazing eternal elements correspond to what Jesus Christ
wants to “say” to “us” in the “church”
TODAY and therefore we begin with that
precise perspective that our Lord wanted “Thyatira”
to have as well. To begin with, we see the “eyes”
of Jesus Christ are “like”
an all-consuming “flame of fire”
and divine laser, peering down into the fatal flaws of His “church” body. He is GOD
and His “feet” are “like” burnished “fine brass” of which are – Ready to TRAMPLE all evil!
THEOLOGICAL THOUGHTS: Beginning back in chapter 1 Jesus Christ identified Himself as
the “Son of Man” but here
He is identified as the “Son of God.”
What is the difference? Being identified as
the “Son of Man” speaks to Jesus
Christ’s Humanness, Compassion and Intercession
for “us” concerning our weaknesses, failures
and struggles
within our fallen “sin” nature. But in this
passage the language changes to the “Son of God” emphasizing Jesus
Christ’s Holiness, Transcendence, Deity
and ultimately – His JUDGEMENT!
This
is NOT an encouraging beginning! WHY? Because due to unrepentant and
consistent “sin” and “rebellion” against God, His Divine POWER is about to be launched against
an “immoral” and “idolatrous”
congregation. The SYMPATHY of Jesus Christ
is OVER! The “Savior”
has become the JUDGE and the “Intercessor” has become the EXECUTIONER! This introduction is NOT comforting – It is THREATENING
and FEARFUL!
CONTEXTUAL COMMENTS: How did the “church” in “Thyatira”
get started? Although we don’t know exactly, in Acts
chapter 19 we find that it says “all
Asia heard the Gospel” and therefore we DO
know the “Gospel” message was
spreading all throughout Asia Minor, beginning from “Ephesus”
itself. As noted above, perhaps “Lydia”
who had come to “Philippi” and “Macedonia” on a business trip heard the
Apostle Paul “preach” and was thus “saved,” returning as the first “Christian” telling everyone about “Salvation” in Jesus Christ alone – The Gospel goes out!
A WARNING!
This
incredible letter eerily exemplifies how continued COMPROMISE
with the wicked “world” leads to full-scale “idolatry,” fleshly “fornication” and gross IMMORALITY! It is also very
important to note that this is not just a “church”
infiltrated BY the “world” such as “Pergamos” have been. Here we find
that “Thyatira” had reached the
next step in the PROGRESSION of “evil” and was totally ABSORBED
into wicked “sin” & doctrinal “error” and as a result LIVED happily with its ungodly
influence. Therefore, Jesus offers “us”
a stern WARNING to seriously
consider:
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. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented
not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that
commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their
deeds. And 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 – Revelation
2:20-23
The
evils of “idolatry” from the
captivating culture had so pressed into the “church”
of “Thyatira” and it penetrated their
congregation quite deeply. This atrocity had apparently come through the “evil” influence of a wicked “woman” named “Jezebel” of whom was a “preacher” and self-professed “prophetess” of sorts.
She was very successful in the “seducing”
of God’s “servants”
to a full CORRUPTION of this
precious “church” body. They totally TOLERATED this “woman”
and had fully succumbed to an ancient form of cultish feminism. And it
is important to understand this was not the “worship”
of an OUTSIDE pagan deity.
Rather, it was the TOLERENCE of an INSIDE feminine “false
teacher” who literally brought into the “fellowship”
of “believers” other false gods to be “worshipped” as if they were – God Himself!
And
the Lord Jesus says that He “gave”
this “woman” named “Jezebel” the “space to repent” but she would NOT!
Therefore, Jesus Christ will “cast her into a
bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation”
unless they “repent” of their wickedness.
And if they refuse to “repent”
He will “kill her children” as an example
for “all the churches” to heed – BEWARE!
This
“Jezebel” personality
was very similar to the Old Testament character spoken of in the books of 1 Kings and 2
Kings. She was the notorious Phoenician daughter of the wicked pagan
king named “Ethbaal” of the “Sidonians” who was a “worshipper”
of “Baal.” This evil “Jezebel” had married “Ahab” the COMPROMISING
prince of “Israel” and set up organized
“worship” of “Baal”
within the LAND of God’s “chosen” and precious “Jewish”
people – Worshipful wickedness!
A COMMAND!
On
the heels of this WARNING to the “church” in “Thyatira”
comes a stern COMMAND given directly
by Jesus Christ:
But
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. But that
which ye have already hold fast till I come – Revelation 2:24-25
These
passages show how the plunge into “sin”
had continued within the “Thyatira”
fellowship. The Lord Jesus Christ does indeed “know”
them who are truly His and He keeps track of them – ALL!
However,
there are specific “sinful” steps of PROGRESSION concerning this “known” deception
within the fellowship:
STEP ONE: The “church”
in “Smyrna” was assaulted by a “synagogue of Satan” – The “Jewish” unbelievers!
STEP TWO: The “church”
in “Pergamos” was literally in
the “Satan's seat”
– The “Gentile” unbelievers!
STEP THREE: The “church”
in “Thyatira” plummeted to the “depths of Satan” –
The “doctrine”
of unbelievers!
When
true LOVE for the Lord is left behind, COMPROMISE will follow and eventually
leads to a full scale TOLERATION of EVIL
itself. And when you “love”
your “Lord” less, you will “love” the “world”
more
and “sin” will inevitably infiltrate your life.
Jesus Christ wants His “bride”
to be PURE in nature. Therefore,
as was true with the purposeful “deaths”
of “Ananias” and “Sapphira”
of the early “church” referenced in Acts chapter 5 – God may
have to KILL His own people!
A PROMISE!
Then
in the midst of the clear WARNING
and stern COMMAND for the “unrepentant” people, there comes Jesus’
solemn PROMISE to the true “overcomers” that “keepeth” His “works”
and have a spiritual “ear to hear”
Him “speak” through His Word:
And he
that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power
over the nations: And 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. And I will give him
the Morning Star – Revelation
2:26-28
The
evidence
of true “faith” in Jesus Christ is “endurance,”
“obedience” and “good
works” to the very end! Therefore, if “we”
demonstrate the genuineness of our “salvation”
He will “give power over
the nations” to “reign”
with Him and share in His earthly “rule”
of the coming 1000-Year Millennial
Kingdom Age. In fact, Jesus quotes directly from the Old
Testament book of Psalms as He fulfills
this future
prophecy at His Second Coming return:
Thou
shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a
potter's vessel – Psalm
2:9
This
is the combining of the “rod of iron”
with the role of the true Shepherd! HOW? The “rod
of iron” is used by Jesus Christ to beat off His attackers
and the “Shepherd” is to care
for His sheep – An amazing promise!
But there’s MORE! Not only will “we”
be given the privilege of authority, Jesus says He will
also “give” us the “Morning Star” promise. What does this mean? If we’re among
His “faithful” servants, God will “give” us His “Kingdom”
AND the “King”
Himself. In other words, we will “receive”
– All that God has!
And
here AGAIN as with His
previous “letters” Jesus says that “we” will be “overcomers” just as John reiterates
in his first epistle to the “church” as a whole:
Who is
he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of
God? – 1 John 5:5
Finally,
a common closing comment from Jesus Christ in all of these “church” correspondences:
He that hath an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches – Revelation
2:29
REAL REFLECTIONS: Beloved, “we” MUST
all “hear” what the “Spirit”
of GOD says to “us”
in His WONDERFUL Word!
Therefore, Jesus Christ asks – Are YOU
listening? REALLY listening?
In closing:
Some
people hold to the notion that “Christians”
become legalistic because of the emphasis that we MUST place on the pursuit of
personal “holiness” and the confrontation
of “sin” itself. However, this is exactly
what our Lord Jesus Christ DEMANDS
of His “followers” through God’s
Holy Word – Nothing less!
On the
flip side…
There will always be those professing pragmatic people
in the “church” who falsely believe
that the saving “Gospel” of “Grace” is a LICENSE
to “go on sinning” throughout life without any
serious repercussions or consequences. This unbiblical message
of the Antinomians and the Libertines claiming that it doesn’t
matter what you DO
in the “flesh” of your natural
physical “body” because you are not
yet “glorified” is an absolute LIE!
These fake followers hold to the false “cheap grace” chatter
that we have NO POWER
over “sin” and therefore have NO RESPONSIBILITY for its presence
in our lives – NONSENSE!
These
powerless
people manically misquote the “Scriptures”
by espousing their twisted version of the Apostle Paul’s poignant point to
the Romans in that “Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds”
of which is an inaccurate and demonic justification to
their godless living! In fact, the Apostle John also has this
to say regarding serious “sin”
and the resulting “death” of some folks within
the assembly:
If any
man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he
shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto
death: I do not say that he shall pray for it – 1 John 5:16
In
other words, “sin” may even bring about physical
“death” at the hands of Jesus Christ
Himself. And John tells “us”
to NOT even bother “praying”
for such an unrepentant and “sinning”
person! Therefore, to keep the purity
and integrity of the “Gospel”
of Jesus Christ intact – Some people in His CHURCH
may have to die!
Many
people often TALK about the need for
spiritual revival in the “church”
today. However… WHAT would TRUE revival LOOK like?
To begin with, Jesus Christ tells “us”
that His “church” must get VERY SERIOUS about “discerning”
the desperate difference between living according to – His HOLINESS or our SIN!
With
this information as a foundation for your personal studies, please read through verses 18-29 of the second chapter of Revelation.
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
