Revelation 2:18. "And to 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. 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.”
Their works mattered. They were to be judged according to their works, verse 23, both the bad and the good. Their works would not save them from the consequences of their sins; however, those who kept the works of Christ, which is to believe, would be given the power to rule the nations, verse 26. Verses 20-23 describes their wicked works by allowing Jezebel to teach and prophesy in the church. This name refers to the character of the wicked queen Jezebel in 2Kings chapter 9. Read it for the background of this passage. Jezebel's teachings here in Thyatira are listed: (1) She called herself a prophetess, thereby claiming that she had God's favor upon her ministry. (2) She seduced the Christians to commit fornication, (3) She caused them to eat things sacrificed to idols; that is, to worship idols. (4) She was seducing them to commit adultery with her.
[Note also that, like Jezebel, Babylon the Great was committing fornication with the kings and merchants of the earth in Revelation 18:3.]
The true prophets had always condemned whoredom. Ezekiel asks the question: "... Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter?"Ezekiel 16:20. Is it a small matter in our world today that whoredoms and fornications are touted as entertainment and big news? The "american idols" are brazenly idolized as sex symbols in the most satanic fashion. There is a "spirit of whoredoms," Hosea 4:12; 5:4, in our land today.
God's promise to the sin of whoredom is: "I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except they repent," verse 22.
Notice the emphasis and place of repentance. God in mercy gave her space to repent, but she did not repent. Those who committed adultery with her were to be cast into great tribulation, unless they repented. Sin must be confessed and repented of. God's grace is extended to those who repent.
Verse 24-26: But there was also in Thyatira those who had not followed Jezebel's doctrines and even called those doctrines "the depths of Satan." These already had the approval of God and are exhorted to "Hold fast till I come." The overcomers who "keep my works unto the end" are to be rewarded with "power over the nations." (Again we see that works matter.)
[More on the message to the Church at Thyatira next week.]
See also my book Revelation In Context, available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com. Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.
Their works mattered. They were to be judged according to their works, verse 23, both the bad and the good. Their works would not save them from the consequences of their sins; however, those who kept the works of Christ, which is to believe, would be given the power to rule the nations, verse 26. Verses 20-23 describes their wicked works by allowing Jezebel to teach and prophesy in the church. This name refers to the character of the wicked queen Jezebel in 2Kings chapter 9. Read it for the background of this passage. Jezebel's teachings here in Thyatira are listed: (1) She called herself a prophetess, thereby claiming that she had God's favor upon her ministry. (2) She seduced the Christians to commit fornication, (3) She caused them to eat things sacrificed to idols; that is, to worship idols. (4) She was seducing them to commit adultery with her.
[Note also that, like Jezebel, Babylon the Great was committing fornication with the kings and merchants of the earth in Revelation 18:3.]
The true prophets had always condemned whoredom. Ezekiel asks the question: "... Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter?"Ezekiel 16:20. Is it a small matter in our world today that whoredoms and fornications are touted as entertainment and big news? The "american idols" are brazenly idolized as sex symbols in the most satanic fashion. There is a "spirit of whoredoms," Hosea 4:12; 5:4, in our land today.
God's promise to the sin of whoredom is: "I will cast her into a bed and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except they repent," verse 22.
Notice the emphasis and place of repentance. God in mercy gave her space to repent, but she did not repent. Those who committed adultery with her were to be cast into great tribulation, unless they repented. Sin must be confessed and repented of. God's grace is extended to those who repent.
Verse 24-26: But there was also in Thyatira those who had not followed Jezebel's doctrines and even called those doctrines "the depths of Satan." These already had the approval of God and are exhorted to "Hold fast till I come." The overcomers who "keep my works unto the end" are to be rewarded with "power over the nations." (Again we see that works matter.)
[More on the message to the Church at Thyatira next week.]
See also my book Revelation In Context, available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com. Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.
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