Thyatira
Letter to the Church at Thyatira
Thyatira
A city of Asia Minor, on the borders of Lydia and Mysia. Its modern name is
Ak-hissar, i.e., “white castle.” Here was one of the seven churches. Lydia, the
seller of purple, or rather of cloth dyed with this colour, was from this city
(Act_16:14). It was and still is famous for its dyeing. Among the ruins,
inscriptions have been found relating to the guild of dyers in that city in
ancient times.
Rev 2:18 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;
Rev 2:19 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.
Here was a busy thriving church with love and much service for Jesus Christ.
Their faith seems to have been strong. Their latter works exceeded their former
works. Yet we see something seriously wrong. When God corrects us, we must not
take it lightly and excuse ourselves with confidence that we are saved by grace
and nothing can go wrong. Jesus didn't bring us this word for nothing. Its not
just good advice to take if we desire. These words are severe stern warnings
that if they didn't repent they would lose their place and perhaps their souls.
This was a local church in Asia
but could represent present day churches which have the same spiritual state as
this church. These types of churches existed throughout church history and exist
today.
Those that believe this represents an age in church history believe this is:
The church of the Dark Ages when the bible was forbidden to be read and only the
clergy was allowed to read it. The Eastern and Western churches controlled many
nations and ruled. This was the time of the crusades. Instead of spreading the
simple gospel of Jesus, religion was spread teaching for doctrine the
commandments of men instead of the word of God. This period was 590- 1517 AD.
Perhaps both interpretations are possible but certainly there are churches that
resemble this church in existence today.
Rev 2:20 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.
Some among them were being influenced by a woman who compromised and taught
others to do so. This is the teaching that we can sin and still be saved. There
are some today that believe sex outside of marriage and unlawful sexual
relations is not enough to send a soul to hell. Some think it is perfectly
acceptable to live in fornication and still enter heaven at death. Some have
even accepted homosexuality as normal and not condemned by God totally contrary
to the teachings in the scriptures in both Old and New Testaments. There are
churches today embracing this Jezebel doctrine under the deception of so-called
love. To teach lies and deceit is not true love. How can we love people and not
warn them that their lifestyle may cause them to lose their souls? Consider for
one moment this fact. Okay, what if it didn't cause them to be lost? We still
should warn against this lifestyle for it opens them up to disease. The life
span of homosexuals and sexually permissive people is much shorter than those
that live with more constraint.
Out of five homosexuals I either know of or know personally, only one is still
alive. All four others died of aids at a very young age. If we really love these
people, how can we not tell them the truth? Is it love to pat people on the back
and tell them they are okay when what they are doing is killing them both
physically and spiritually. Shouldn't we tell them that Jesus can free them from
that sin and any sin? That is why He came.
Some churches do use images and have removed the second commandment about images
out of their church teachings. I do believe this image worship is wrong and
should not be done. Fornication and idol worship walk hand in hand. When a group
of people introduce idols, fornication and sexual impurity follows. This woman
may have been a pastor's wife or someone people held in high esteem. She was
influencing them away from holiness and godliness into compromise with the world
around them. This could apply spiritually also. When we spend time doing
everything else instead of worshipping God and serving Him, we could be making
an idol out of whatever is taking our time and love away from God. An idol is
any substitute for God. It could be a person, an image, a sport or anything else
that our heart adores above God. When we are willing to depart from what God's
word says in order to please the crowds, that is idolatry.
Lets say that we have a friend who wants us to do something the bible forbids
clearly. We don't want to lose that friend so we compromise and forget about the
word of God to please our friend. We then are making an idol out of that friend.
This time period for those that uphold the church age doctrine, was probably the
time when some churches practiced transubstantiation. They believed in the
continuing sacrifice of Christ offered at every mass. This is opposite of the
bible and the book of Hebrews which teaches that Christ suffered and died once
and for all. There is no need of a continuing sacrifice or sacrament. This
doesn't mean that we don't remember Christ's sacrifice by eating bread and juice
when we gather together to remember his death, burial and resurrection but the
bread does not literally turn into the actual body of Christ. When the
reformers found this out by reading the bible, this helped to usher in the start
of the Protestant reformation. To keep sacrificing Christ over and over is
the deny that He alone is our salvation. This also creates a dependency upon the
clergy for our salvation. This is false doctrine and false teaching.
I read one place where the old Babylonian religion had similar rituals in their
worship. Could this be where the Roman church got this practice from?
It certainly is not done by the apostles or Peter whom they claim as the first
pope. Jesus is all that is needed for our salvation. There is no need of
continuing sacraments or rituals.
Rev 2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented
not.
This woman and her followers were given a chance to repent but they refused.
Like the other churches before this one, repentance is the answer to getting
things back to a right relationship with God.
Rev 2:22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with
her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Severe tribulation is promised if they do not repent. We see when we read the
Old Testament that the troubles and tribulations sent to Israel was because they
departed from the word of God.
Some troubles in the wilderness were a time of testing and not because of sin
but most of their troubles were caused by departing from God and usually serving
idols which then led to fornication.
Christians face trials and persecution for the gospel's sake. This type of thing
is not caused by the wrath of God but because they choose to suffer persecution
rather than recant their faith in Christ.
The tribulation God warns against churches who sin is different. This kind is
allowed or sent by God because of their sin and they are not rewarded in heaven
for enduring this like those who suffer for the gospel's sake. We are not
rewarded if we suffer because of our own wrong doing or sin. We are rewarded if
we suffer persecution because of our faith in Jesus Christ.
This tribulation also could be disease as a result of their sexual
permissiveness.
Rev 2:23 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.
I don't believe this is innocent children here but the children of the false
teaching. Those that gave into the temptation to follow false teaching and
depart from the word of God. Innocent children are sometimes hurt as a result of
the sin of their parents though. They inherit their diseases, their lifestyles
and sometimes follow their example. It is a great responsibility to raise
children and teach them the right way.
Rev 2:24 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.
Our faithful God will make a way for those who stay faithful. When we are
determined to take a stand against evil even when the rest of the church follows
wickedness, God sees that and we will not suffer the judgment that the evil ones
endure.
Rev 2:25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common
salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye
should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
Rev 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will
I give power over the nations:
When Christ returns (and only when He returns), those overcomers will rule and
reign with Christ. Power over the nations will occur at that time. This is not
something we seek now before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The saying,
"Been there, done that," applies here. It has been tried and failed greatly. We
must not try to set up Christ's kingdom before He comes Himself. The Roman
church has already tried that and look at the innocent people who were killed in
the process. If church and state join together before Christ returns, instead of
spreading the gospel, we tend to force conversions instead. Forced conversions
do not change the inner man. The soul is not born again by the spirit of God. We
then have outward religion that depends upon the clergy and the soul of each
individual is not saved from sin and will not enter heaven at death.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
This is done by the Holy Spirit and it cannot be forced upon anyone.
Rev 2:27 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.
The earth will be ruled by the faithful believers that were washed in the
blood of Jesus and have been born again by His spirit. This change in government will happen only at
the literal second coming of Jesus and not before.
He is the only one capable of setting up a righteous kingdom. The popes have
tried, Joseph Smith tried, protestants churches have tried, but in no case did
it ever work. Jesus Christ is the one that can do that and none other.
Sin will not be allowed in that kingdom. This will be a righteous safe kingdom.
Since so many of us disagree on what sin is and what righteousness is, only
Christ will be able to set up a righteous kingdom. If we try ahead of time,
innocent people who just simply disagree on doctrine will be hurt. It happened
before and it will happen again if we join church and state. As much as I would
like to see an end to abortion, sexual immorality, thefts, murders, rapes,
confiscation of property, throwing prayer out of school etc., we must not be
tempted to join church and state until Jesus comes or we will make a mess of it
like the church did in the Middle ages. It doesn't work. Mankind who have not
been born again and changed by the spirit of God cannot set up a kingdom. Since
we can't always tell who is saved and who is not, we can't set it up before
Christ comes. Lets wait for Him.
Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.
True believers that stay faithful until the coming of Jesus will be given a
light that shines eternally. No more darkness, no more sin, no more death, no
more suffering. All will be love, joy and peace.
Letter to the Church at Sardis
Ephesians Bible Study