Monday October 19th.
GLORIOUS CHURCH No 5 Rev: 2;18 THYATIRA
Rev. 2;18 To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. 20Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 24Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): 25Only hold on to what you have until I come. 26To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27‘He will rule them with an iron sceptre; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’ - just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give him the morning star. 29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (NIV)
THYATIRA;
Thyatira is mentioned in Ac 16:14 as the home of Lydia, who was converted at Philippi.
And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spoke unto the women which resorted thither. 14And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 15And 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.
It is likely that the church began when she and her household returned. Thyatira was southeast of Pergamos, and northeast of Smyrna. It is still a place of about 17,000 population, of whom nearly 3,000 profess to be Christian. It was famous for its dyeing and was a centre of the indigo (purple) trade. Lydia was probably a wealthy woman as indigo was rare at that time. Among the ancient ruins of the city, inscriptions have been found relating to the guild of dyers in the city.
Compare; v18 with John’s initial vision of Jesus
Rev 1;14 and among the lamp stands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. 15His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. 16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
And Daniel’s vision of Jesus:
Daniel 10:6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in colour, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude. (NKJ)
The principal pagan deity of the city was Apollo, worshiped as the sun-god under the surname Tyrimnas. So Jesus who comes as “the Son of God who hath eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass,” stands in stark contrast to the sun god Tyrimnas, the so called ‘guardian’ god of Thyatira, who was represented with flaming rays and feet of burnished brass.
Eyes speak of God’s watchfulness over His people. (cp “Big Brother!)
Psalms 33:18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. (NKJ)
Psalms 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. (NKJ)
God is watchful: For our good, to see us become the glorious people he wants:
But flaming eyes speak of judgement. Here, as so often, Jesus says He knows everything. His eyes like fire, burn through our excuses and attempts to hide.
Feet of Brass: Speaks of strength: cp Prophesying over Asher:
Deut 33:25 Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; as your days, so shall your strength be.
(Bronze used for weapons, spoke of hardness.) ‘He is strong’… Able to uphold us. Figurative of His Power. He is conqueror:
v19: as in previous letters, again: “I know”. He knows all about us, and wants our good. …Not to crush us, but to build us up. “I know you….”
This wasn’t such a bad church:
WORKS: They were doing something for God: In fact they were increasing: v 19 “last more than first”. (NIV)I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. They were getting busier and busier… Their growing fruitfulness: their last works were better than the first. While others (Ephesus) had left their first love, and lost their first zeal, these were growing better.
LOVE: (Agape) See previous study (Ephesian church)
Vital in Church: Jesus’ New Commandment. WE MUST show them love: even if they are not immediately attractive:
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. John 15:17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
LOVE MUST BE THE HALLMARK OF THIS CHURCH.
Especially between each other; but also for outsider; for those who come in:
Jesus commends their FAITH: cp Heb 11;6 Without Faith impossible to please Him.
Let’s spend a little time here, because there are some crazy teachings going around about ‘faith’.
We are commanded to preach the Gospel: He that believes is saved, he who doesn’t is condemned: Belief is a response to faith. Eph. 2;8 “By grace are you saved; thru faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (NKJ)
So everyone has enough faith to get saved! As we appropriate it, we enter the Kingdom of God. Faith comes by hearing: How hear unless someone preached? (Rom 10.14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?)…. You either accept or reject.
eg. Thomas: John 20:25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (NKJ) As I said before, Faith is an act of WILL – Thomas “I WILL NOT Believe”. Thomas moved from being an unbeliever to being a believer by seeing and touching Jesus.
His faith resulted in action – as it always must. (Smith Wigglesworth used to say, “Faith is a hact”) Truth – no matter how strong, how important, how reinforced does not vitally affect our lives until we ACT on it.
(Think back To Jesus: Matt 7;24; Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:)
Tom and Jerry cartoon a picture of faith: When the dog is behind the mouse – bold; When he’s gone, - The cat appears, ‘gulp’ Jerry ACTS on his faith. (Dog – “Whistle” – so he does!)
You act in faith all the time: you did when you signed up for your mortgage; You had faith you would earn enough each week to pay the instalment for the next 25 years!
Now we need to clarify what faith is not: There is a lot of crazy preaching about these days about ‘faith’.
It is NOT belief. Some say that belief is accepting something as true without being able to see it: and quote Heb 11;1 (Faith is the Substance of things hoped for) and say that when this belief is strong enough to be put into action, then it becomes faith. That may well define natural faith and belief. It doesn’t describe Divine Faith. Their so called faith is putting the source of faith in our actions, whereas God is the source of real Faith which then results in actions.
That’s why God’s Word says: Faith comes by hearing.. The Word of God. Faith is the cause, believing the effect. Increasing Faith will produce an increase of believing: Moving out in ‘Believing” is merely presumption. Saying, “I believe I’m healed” and smashing your glasses, or stopping your medicine is an example. You will probably end up asking someone to help you home!
At the same time, it is right to test whether you are healed. Many have ‘walked into their healing’ as they tested what had happened. Jesus told the lepers to go to the priest. As they went, they were healed. It wasn’t so much faith that healed them, as obedience. Ie. “What have we got to lose?” They believed what Jesus told them.
Harold Horton said: “Faith is difficult only in its absolute simplicity. Faith is not grasping tight and clenching fists and furrowing brows and gritting teeth and shouting in a kind of hopeless hope, “I will believe, I do believe” no, that is not faith. Faith is the easy, restful, fearless attitude of an infant reposing on its mother’s breast. With no thought of fear, effort or uncertainty. Faith is absolute rest in God. Absolutely knowing and absolutely trusting according to His gracious promises and commands”.
That absolute trust results in Mark 16;17-18.
You KNOW a believer because he believes!
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall accompany them that believe: in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; Mark 16:18 they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (ASV)
A Sign is a mark, indication, something which distinguishes someone or some thing from others: eg Matt 26;48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that is he: take him. (ASV)
Luke 2;12 And this (is) the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. (ASV)
2 Thes 3;17 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand, which is the token (or sign) in every epistle: so I write. (ASV) (His signature) cp Kellogs slogan; ‘if it isn’t Kellogs on the box it isn’t Kellogs in the box!’
Believers have identifying signs: (See Mark 16;17 above) they cast out demons, speak with tongues, heal the sick etc. So maybe we could say if the signs aren’t there, they aren’t believers? A good discussion point?
Peter & John went up to the temple, met a challenge, and simply did what believers did – laid hands on him! Jesus – you said to do it, so we’re doing it.
When we struggle and shout and fume and fret, that’s not faith.
If you want more faith, then get into the Word: Get filled with the Spirit: Commune with God. Start producing fruit; Gal. 5;22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith (KJV)
If you’ve got almost any other version than the Authorised, it reads faithfulness. But the word translated faithfulness is Gk Pistis; Faith, not Pistos, faithfulness.
Virtually everywhere else the word is translated faith. Eg Matt8;10, 9;2. Why do they insist on changing it here??
Perhaps its because we somehow think we can produce faith ourselves: Dr. Charles Price said” To many Xtns, faith is still their own ability to believe a promise or a truth and is often based on their struggles to drive away doubt and unbelief through a process of continuous affirmation”.
ie. If you keep saying “I’m healed long enough, you’ll get healed!”
So; Faith is either a gift of God, or a fruit of the Spirit. Either God has imparted it to us, or is developing it in us by the Holy Spirit. If it is a fruit, it comes through our close relationship with Jesus: John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. (NKJ)
The branch doesn’t struggle to produce fruit, it abides in the vine. The more we abide in Him, the more fruit we produce.
While fruit is produced by the plant for its own use as a seed, it is also for consumption by others. So our faith seen by others creates a hunger, which faith in action can satisfy.
Faith is also a gift; The Holy Spirit directly intervenes and puts something in us. We know THAT we know, we know WHAT we know, but can’t explain WHY we know. It is a supernatural knowing, awareness and confidence far beyond natural ‘faith’. It is hearing the RHEMA Word: A promise that God gives US. - Those who enjoy that have to keep full of the LOGOS – written word.
I once had a gift of faith when God spoke to me and said, “I am going to heal this lady today”. As I prayed for her, I KNEW she would be healed – and she was!
Go back to Mark 16;17-18 These signs SHALL follow believers: Not those who go to church, sing hymns, preach nice sermons, dress up in robes, shout, clap, sing, but those who believe.
cp Elijah with priests of Baal. Some Christians get a bit like them trying to work up faith. Can’t do it. Simply believe. God’s word says it, I believe it.
DO what Word says:
LIVE like Word says. Be a believer – these signs FOLLOW believers!
SERVICE: (Greek diaconus) – used for a Deacon – a servant cp 1 Cor 16;15; ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,
Addicts to service! So often people want position. But Jesus came as a servant! Luke 22:27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Paul talks of service as being a gift! Rom 12;6-7We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
A wonderful guide to serving in the Kingdom of God!
In the Kingdom of God, the way UP is DOWN! James & John came to Jesus and asked to sit on His right and left hand in his Kingdom. The other disciples naturally got a bit upset! Jesus taught them: Mark10;42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
PATIENCE; (perseverance) (See Sun Morning message 11/10) Rome wasn’t built in a day: Keep at it! Easy to be a flash in the pan, but God commends those who keep going. Who don’t give up.
Jesus’ CRITICISM: They had allowed false doctrine and practices to creep in.
JEZEBEL Obviously not the J of the Old Testament, but typical;
She was reared in Sidon, a commercial city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, known for its idolatry and vice. When she married Ahab and moved to Jezreel, a city that served Jehovah, she decided to turn it into a city that worshiped BAAL, a Phoenician god.
The wicked, idolatrous queen soon became the power behind the throne. Obedient to her wishes Ahab erected a sanctuary for Baal and supported hundreds of pagan prophets <1 Kings. 18:19>.
When the prophets of Jehovah opposed Jezebel, she had them “massacred” <1 Kings. 18:4,13>. After Elijah defeated her prophets on Mount Carmel, she swore revenge. She was such a fearsome figure that the great prophet was afraid and “ran for his life” <1 Kings. 19:3>.
Jezebel was a persecutor of the prophets of the Lord, and a great encourager of idolaters and false prophets. The sin of these so called prophets in Thyatira was that they attempted to draw the servants of God into immorality, and to offer sacrifices to idols; (See last study on Pergamus). But, also, an idol is anything that comes before God. They called themselves prophets, and so would claim a superior authority and regard to the ministers of the church. Not everyone who says “Thus says the Lord….” Is a prophet – or speaking God’s word! I’ve heard some crazy so called ‘prophecies’! Some even being told to marry or move to another town which turned into a disaster.
Jezebel here typical of false teaching: Seduced them to; (Seduce is literally Pornography); Great rise in it. Watch what newspaper you read!
As many as have not this doctrine. Jezebel then represents a false doctrine and a faction. There is a lot of false doctrine around these days, some on so called Christian TV. Beware!
Remember Acts 17;10-11 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
Which know not the deep things of Satan. Have not learned the mysteries and wisdom of Satan taught by these false teachers.
‘her children’ – her adherents.
v21. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds
God’s Grace: He gives time for repentance. Some don’t want to.
NIV 21I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
v 22.There is Judgement to Come. These days there is a cry against ‘judgement’. Even in courts, today it seems, there must be no sense of ‘punishment’, but ‘correction’. God punishes sin. He punished Jesus for us so we don’t have to suffer it.
v23: 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.
Way back in Old Testament, God said, “The soul that sins will die”. Cp Smyrna Study; ‘The second death’. Realise that God takes sin very seriously; Talking of Heaven; Rev 21;27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life
There are two judgements at the end of time;
The Great White Throne when those who have rejected Christ will be cast into the lake of fire; Rev. 20; 11-15. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. … 15And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
The ‘Bema Seat’ God searches hearts and minds: Rewards for works: (cp “I know your works”) We will all stand before the Judgement seat to receive our reward; 2 Cor 5;10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
This was the place where rewards were given out after the Games.
Cp Jesus’ words speaking of his judging at the end of time; Matt 25;31-46. nb: Rev 2 v26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And 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.
Cp Matt 25;21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
There is a thought here, that He would have ruled over them as a shepherd, with a shepherds crook, but because they have rejected him and refused to repent, he will use a rod (or sceptre) of iron.
Rewards: power over nations: Not those who sing the best ‘warrior songs” but those who overcome and keep His works to the end.
MORNING STAR:
Rev 2; 28 And I will give him the morning star. Name for Jesus:
Ie, “I will give him myself”. Cp. Pergamos where Jesus said he would give the hidden manna – speaking of Himself. So here.
2 Pet 1:19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; (NKJ)
(Day dawns: 2nd coming of Jesus)
Our reward is Christ: “All I want is you, Lord….”
Listen up !!