January 21, 2006

• Next Revelation church is Thyatira. This is the Church history period of 590-1570. This is a period before the Protestant Reformation.

  
  

  Thyatira means continual sacrifice.

  
  

  This is the only church that Jesus identifies Himself as the Son of God to, in others it is the Son of man or messiah. 

  
  

  There is a mention of Jezebel (1 Kings). She was married to Ahab who was one of the worst kings that Israel had. She was the daughter of Ethbaal, who was a pagan king. She worshipped Baal, and Asherab. At one point Jezebel helped Ahab acquire a coveted piece of land by deception, lying, and framing a person. She challenged Elijah after Elijah proved that God was God, and threatened to kill Elijah. She spent hours painting her face and using her sexuality for influence. Ultimately she ended up being devoured by the dogs.

  
  

  Jesus commends this church for their works, love, faith, and their works at the last are even greater than the first.

  
  

  But God gave the church time to repent of it’s Jezebel mentality, that of acquisition, of the sexual immorality (marriage of the church with the pagan religion), who was allowed to teach and seduce the people away from the true beliefs of God’s grace and mercy, not works.

  
  

  Jesus is described as having feet of brass, brass is the metal that was used to build the altar of sacrifice in the Temple. Jesus made the sacrifice for us once and for all. It isn’t works, or devotion, or any man-made idols of ritual, etc. that matters, just the sacrifice of Jesus.

  
  

  Those who persist in the teaching of false doctrines will face repercussions for those mis-beliefs, and God will search the minds and hearts of the believers, and judge according to their works. Now what is the work of God, according to Jesus – that we believe on Him whom God has sent. It is believing Jesus, and loving Jesus. If we do that, then our works will be done from love, not to earn salvation.

  
  

  Those who hold true to the Word of God, nothing more is required until Jesus comes again. This is the first promise of the second coming that is given to a church in Revelation. And those that Keep God’s word will be co-rulers with Jesus. Now Jezebel wanted to rule over others, and she found her authority by deception, lies and deceit. But we who Keep Jesus’s words and testimony will rule with authority. In verse 24  the word “depths” in the depths of Satan, the word in Greek is bathos, which is part of the mystery religion of Babylon. In it the Babylonian priest was the one who alone knew the intimate workings of God. The priest was called the peter, and he wore a miter with two keys crossed, showing that he had the keys of knowledge, the interpreter of knowledge.

  
  

  Jesus will give him the morning star, Rev. 22, that Jesus and God will be the light, no need for the sun or the moon.

  
  

  This church and the following churches are still in existence today, and will remain in existence until the coming of Christ.

  
  

  What is interesting is that if you follow the divine outline of Revelation, Chapter 1:19 Write the things which you have seen (Chapter 1), the things which are (Chapters 2 & 3) and the things that will take place after this Chapter 4 to end of Revelation.

  
  

  The book is sequential and in Chapter 4 & 5 the church is no longer on the earth. So if you look at the ending of each of the Church letters it says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the CHURCHES.” But when you get to Revelation 13:9 it says, “If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” It doesn’t mention the churches. In fact after Revelation 2 & 3 the church on earth is not mentioned at all in Revelation.

  
  

  This church letter is a hard teaching because it means that there is false doctrine out there, so it is important to check what we accept by the Word of God so that we are not accepting what is not the truth.

  
  

  Heather

  
  

   

  • 8:51 pm
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