Okay, Revelation chapter 2 and verse 18, and I'm going to begin to read from verse 18 all the way to the end of the chapter. Revelation 2 verse 18, and we are reading the fourth letter to the seven churches that the Lord asked John to write. And today we are dealing with church number four, the church of Thyatira. And so please follow with me as I'm reading from verse 18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things sayeth the Son of God, who has his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass. I know thy works, and thy love, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first.

Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou suffered that woman Jezebel, or as we call in Hebrew, Isabella, which calls 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 searches the reins and hearts. And I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

But unto you, I say, and unto the rest of Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depth of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon you none other burden. but that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 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 have received of my Father, and I will give him the morning star, he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

That concludes the second chapter of the book of Revelation. And let's conclude in verse 29, the fourth letter that Yeshua gave John to write unto those churches. Now, beloved, listen, I know that we repeat sometimes things, but I think it's important to repeat them. Because if we repeat them, we kind of get a hold of the total picture that is before us. we can get a grasp and understanding of these letters to the seven churches. We are in the book of Revelation. In the book of the Revelation, we have the division of the book, which we have already seen in chapter 1 and verse 19. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.

John, write the things which you have seen. What did he see? He saw the glorified Yeshua, the Messiah, as a king in the role of a judge. That's chapter 1. The things which are, what are the things which are? It's the two chapters, chapter 1, chapter 2, the whole history of the church age being presented in those seven letters. Seven local assemblies in Asia Minor. The things which shall be hereafter, it's from chapter 4 all the way to the end of the book of the Revelation. This has to do with future events. Things which shall be in the future. After the church, the ecclesia, the called out ones is going to be taken to be with Yeshua, the Messiah in heaven.

God is going to begin his dealing with Israel as a nation and with the world in judgment. So the rest of the book of Revelation, specifically from chapter 6 to chapter 19, deal with the tribulation period when the Messiah is eventually going to come and judge this world in righteousness and establish Israel in the land, a messianic age, and the final, the eternal order, chapter 21 and 22 of the book of Revelation.

But for our interest today, we are dealing with those seven letters that had been written to seven local assemblies in asia minor and as i said before we have enjoyed in our visit to turkey asia minor to see every one of these localities and we have visited actually in patmos the island to see the location the island where john received that special revelation from the messiah himself and every beloved listen to this this is important to understand those seven churches have actually existed in the time where the messiah wrote these letters to them there was actually literal local assemblies in every city that i mentioned here in chapter 2 and chapter 3 and every church

had a different condition from ephesus all the way to laodicea every church have a different condition just like we too we had a condition that existed even in this little fellowship here there is a condition that exists in every local assembly every local church a condition that need to be corrected that need to be fixed that if there is no change the lord cannot bless and so here we have already looked over those three churches we looked at ephesus we look at smyrna and we looked at also pergamos those three churches that have already have been before us in the second chapter of the book of revelation the church of ephesus emphasized the apostolic age

and it was a desirable condition and he had so much good to say there was only one thing that he mentioned you have left your first love when it's come to the book of smyrna this has to do with the roman persecution of the church and in this particular local assembly there was a lot of suffering and tribulation that they have suffered from the roman emperors more mouth speaks of suffering bitterness the third church pergamum speak about much marriage that represented a church that had married to the world a little bit of jesus a little bit of the world mixed together and they had to make a decision how they will behave and this particular

church have in the midst of them those that have been allowed to teach doctrine that were not right and the lord is telling this particular church of pergamos he said to them you know you have their people who teach the doctrine of the nicolaitans and that represented actually the age of the constantine age the age between 313 to 600 a.d and this is a period of time where there was a time where there was an influence of the world that came into the church the professing church and at that time christianity became the world religion and many people became christians and i use the word with quotation marks through baptism through all kind of things

that are really not biblical not the a b c of the bible not the aleph bet gimel of the word of god as we know that by the time we get to the fourth church the fourth letter the lord is now writing to a church that things have gone from bad to worse in fact you notice he began in verse 18 and here is who he wrote that letter he wrote it to the angel of the church of Tyataira he says to him write these things now the name of Tyataira simply means a continual sacrifice you see by the time that the Pergamos age have been if you will ended now we are entering to

another period of time in church history where already things have developed right now that we don't anymore have some in the professing church who teach us and take us away from the things of God now what happened you have now a system developed that have been so far away from the Lord that there is always the little remnant there that have been warned and encouraged by the Lord to separate from what was going on in the system of what is known as Tyatara.

The word Tyatara, as I said, means continual sacrifice, and it shows us how it really depicts the condition that existed there in this particular church. By the way, if we are looking at this particular church when it comes to history, it takes us all the way from 600 AD all the way to about 515-17 to 1517 when the time of the reformation had began so here the church of Thyatira look what the Lord has to say to them first of all look at how he describes himself to every church Yeshua describes himself because there was a condition there that he needed to meet. Apparently in Tayetara, by the way, there was the believers or the people who were part of the church had to also make a decision.

If they would be a part of the world or part of the system that had developed in this church, they had to be part of a little group or a club that they would benefit from that particular club. And every believer had to decide, Is he going to partake of it or not? It's just like you and I today. You know, we are believers in Yeshua the Messiah. And we work. We have a workplace where we work. And we have friends that we meet with them. And many times we are being approached by them. And they tell us, you know what? Don't be so legal in your views about Christianity, about the Lord Jesus.

Don't be so narrow-minded. You know, be free and be open. And, you know, we had a party. Let's go to the party and have some good time. So what?

we drink and we have a little bit of great time so what we have all kind of activities that are not right so what don't be too legal don't be too strict don't be too sectarian don't think that your way is the only way well in Thyatira that is exactly what we see that is happening here the Lord is speaking to this church there and you notice he described himself before this particular church and you notice he says there in verse 18 these things say is the son of god you know he is the only time that he mentioned of himself as the son of god here in those seven churches it's the only church

that he used the word son of god why does he use the word son of god he emphasizes his deity he emphasizes the fact that he's gone the son he's a divine person he is the one that needs to be worshiped not others he is the one that needs to be adored and not others he is the answer for mankind it is the son of god not only in his humanity as the son of man here we have the lord yeshua the messiah presenting himself as the son of god Now, you notice, he's telling them in verse 18, this son of God, he has his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet

are like fine brass.

He emphasizes his holiness, and he emphasizes his righteousness here in particular. You see, beloved, listen. The Lord Jesus, the Messiah, God himself is a holy God. He forgave sins to men on the basis of the work of the Messiah. But he is holy God. He will not share the worship of him with another. He would want his own people to be focusing on him and worshipping him. And not to have this, as we have here, a system, part of a system that developed over the years in this church locally and in the church period historically. He doesn't want his own people to mix with all kind of worship of idolatry and that which does not belong to the word of God.

That is not of him. So he's saying, you know, I am the one that has eyes like a flame of fire. Speaks of his holiness. And then he has feet like fine brass. Speaks of his righteousness. And of course, remember, these expressions are also taken from the Tanakh. from the Old Testament scripture. It was in the temple, in the tabernacle, where the sacrifices were placed upon the altar. And the altar was made out of brass. It speaks of his righteousness consuming fire. And so he's saying to them, I'm the one who is writing to the church of Tyre. You tell them that this is the one who is writing.

He is the son of God. He is a divine person. And his eyes can see everything he's piercing. He's like a flaming fire. He's a holy God and he's also a righteous God, righteous Savior. His feet are like fine brass. And that's what he's presenting before this particular church. The one who search the hearts, who see all. And he will not share his glory with another. That's the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And oh, we live in a time where we can see how many things have crept into the church. We know this even from today, that there is professing churches that worship Mary, Miriam. Professing churches that pray to saints.

Professing Christians that they do all kind of things and believe as if it was coming from the Word of God, but it's not found in the scripture. And he's warning that particular church here, the church of Thyatira. Even the name Thyatira, which speaks of continual sacrifice, gives us an indication of what he's speaking about. Because already at that time, after Constantine had brought about the world religion to become Christianity, already things have been introduced there, Such as even the very fact that the sacrifice of the Lord had to be continually brought again and again and again. As if he did not only die once, but in other words, his blood had to be reshed again and again and again.

And I'll show you this in a few more moments. In fact, I want to just turn with me for a second to Hebrews chapter 10. I want you to see this verse. Hebrews chapter 10. Look what the writers to the first century Hebrew believers saying to them, speaking about the one offering that the Messiah had done. That was the problem even in first century. That was the danger of the Hebrew believers who have accepted the death of the Messiah, accepted Yeshua, but also went back to the temple to worship and to offer sacrifices again. And notice what he says. In Hebrews chapter 10, in verse 9, Then said he, speaking about the Messiah, Lo, I come to do thy will of God.

He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By which will we are sanctified through the offerings of the body of Yeshua the Messiah once for all. And every priest, standing daily, ministering and offering often times the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins, but this man, speaking of the Lord Jesus the Messiah, After he had offered one sacrifice for sins. Forever sat down at the right hand of God. One sacrifice. But all we have a system that believe, that introduce things today, right now, that he's warning this professing church to turn away from that kind of belief. And so let's move on in this chapter 1, the letter to Tyre Tyre.

In verse 19, what he condemning them about, he gives them commendation. He tells them what they are doing properly. And you notice he says that in verse 19, he says this. I know your works, and love, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works, he says. And then he says, the last to be more than the first. Now you notice he repeats twice the word works or deeds. And what was happening apparently in this church of Thyatira, that in this local community, apparently they have been doing all kind of works and deeds, and all kind of actions. You see, he mentioning of works, he mentioning love, he mentioned faith, and he mentioned patience.

And again he mentioned the word works. He said, thy works, he said, the last was more than the other. In other words, there was a lot of works going on there. There was a lot of love towards people. And there was a lot of things that were going on which were proper in themselves. But what he's saying here, that those things that have been so much deeds and acts and works, yet it was their works. It was not something that came from him. Because he could not be approving of this because it was done without holding on to that which he had already taught them before.

And so, you know, like we have today, sometimes Christians do all kinds of works and deeds, and maybe good deeds and good works, but not having the Lord lead them in doing so. And what happened, it become like human works, human merits. Which the Lord cannot approve, even though they are properly, they are good. It's good to do good works. It's good to love people. It's good to help in all kind of activities around the world. There are many needs. You know, there's all kind of works that are being done by many, many groups of professing Christians. Hospitals are being opened. There's a lot of things that are going on in India.

There's all kind of activities that are being done. but what about the teaching of the word of god what about proper sound teaching that many things are being done in the name of maria that many things have been done in the name of saint so so and saint so and so many things are being done in the name of the pope but what are the teaching what are the spiritual lessons and the influence when it's come to spiritual things how are they being conveyed and so even though he give them a commendation because there was a lot of activities he giving this to them just to look at the positive but he immediately goes to the issue that is at stake at that particular church of tyre tyre and you notice from verse 20 all the way to verse 23 he deals with that which he condemned them the wrong that had been going on in that church.

Now, look at this, brothers and sisters, in this way. There was a local assembly in its condition, but it also represents to us a period of time in church history, in the time that we can call the Middle Ages, the Dark Ages, where the professing church have allowed things to enter in. And from that time on, since Christianity became the religion of the state, things have gotten in. And the first pope became the one that was from the city of Rome. He became the first pope. And since that time, the Roman Catholic Church have been developed. And you can see that as we're going on.

You'll see what he has to say about this particular church. By the way, this Church of Thyatira really, when it comes to historical setting, really emphasized to us the Roman Catholic Church. When we go to the next church, Sardis, that will deal with the Reformers, and that will deal with the Protestant Age.

We're going to talk about it in our next session together, but today I want you to see how it emphasizes the condition of specifically, in general, it's a roman catholic church and others that are adopted this type of teaching now notice verse 20 first of all look what he's saying to them in verse 20 nevertheless verse 20 he talked about the works the love the faith the patience and the works the last more than the first and now in verse 20 he says nevertheless notwithstanding he says i have a few things against you why do i have a few things against you because you suffered that woman isabel jezebel which calls herself notice she called

herself not he called her but she called herself prophetess you have allowed her to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things which have been sacrificed unto idols now we do not know if there was actually literal woman by the name of Isabella or Jezebel in this particular church, Thyatira we do not know but what we do know that he condemned the professing Christians have done that they have allowed this woman by the name of Jezebel which called herself a prophetess what to do, number one, to teach and number two, to seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things which have been sacrificed unto idols while we do

not know if there was a woman by the name of Jezebel in this local assembly of Thyatira what we do know from history, from biblical history that was such a woman as Isabella that have been in the life of the people of Israel.

And this particular Jezebel have influenced the servants of God, the people of God, to do two things. Number one, she taught them and seduced them to commit not only physical fornication, but spiritual fornication, and to eat things which have been sacrificed unto idols. Turn to the book of Kings, in 1 Kings, please, chapter 16. Now this is a serious thing to observe as we read those verses. You know that in every part of the history of Israel, there was a time that there was a positive influence upon the nation, but there was a time that there was a negative influence upon the nation of Israel. Same thing in the church age.

There's a period of time in the church where there is a move for the Lord. The people of God seek to live for the Lord. But there is also a decline, a period of time where the church is not pleasing to the Lord and gone astray. And so what we read in chapter 16, we read in verse 29 to the end of the chapter, how this Isabel entered into the history of Israel. It says in verse 29, And in the thirty and eight years of Asa, king of Judah, began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel. And Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria for twenty-two years.

Verse 30, And Ahab the son of Omri did even in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him. And it came to pass, as if it had been a slight thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel, the daughter of Et Baal, king Otzidon. And he went, and he served Baal, and he worshipped him. And he reared up altar for Baal, in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. And Ahab made a grove, and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

In his days did Chiel, the Beth-light, build Jericho. He laid the foundation thereof in Aviram, his firstborn, and he set up the gates thereof in his youngest son, Seguv. according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua, the son of Nun, the son of Nun. You see what happened in the history of Israel. You remember the two divisions, the north and the south. And in the other kingdom, there was a time where the man by the name of Ahab, he reigned over the nation of Israel. And he was such a wicked man that he led them astray. In fact, it says here, Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel.

It was the lowest time in the history of Israel as a nation. But what helped him to do so? And what perhaps moved him also to do so, and led him to do so, that he took this woman to wife by the name of Jezebel, the daughter of Et Baal, the king of the Sidonite. Notice even she was the daughter of Et Baal. They were worshippers of Baal. They were worshipping of a false god. And Ahav, the king of Israel, married Isabel and all of a sudden she began to lead the nation. Even though he was the king, she was leading the nation. Actually, we read in our reading today earlier in chapter 18 of the very same chapter of 1st King, and you remember what happened.

Actually, it was chapter 21. You remember when the king of Israel wanted a vineyard. He wanted a place for himself. And he went and wanted to buy it for money, but that person did not want to sell it because it was his family's property. And so Navot, that's the man that owned that property, Ahab wanted to give him another one. He says, no, I'm not going to give you the property that belonged to my family. So he went home. And he was sad like a little boy, like a spoiled brat. And his wife Jezebel said, why you are sad? Oh, he says, Navot did not want in chapter 21.

He didn't want to give me this particular property. She says, you just wait and see what I'm going to do. She took leadership. She took authority. She took a place that was not hers. And she taught him, how are you going to get your own way? I'm going to go to him. I'm going to deal with him. She went and she caused him to be accused as if he is dishonoring God, blaspheming against God, and caused him to be stormed. And then she went and she took the field. She said to Ahab, you can go now, you can get the field for yourself. What a wicked woman she had been.

And in the history, beloved, of the church in Thyatira, there was this woman by the name of Jezebel. Now, beloved, listen, I believe that the Bible teaches that God had given the men, the male, to take leadership in the church of Jesus, the Messiah.

And I want to emphasize, not because he's better, not because he is necessarily more spiritual he should be spiritual but because in the order of divine design that's the way god had placed it and he many times says speaking about that he does not want the woman to teach not to usurp authority you have it in corinthian you have it in the book of timothy there are so many blessings that the sisters can be to the people of god so many areas and spheres that they can serve and be a blessing to the people of god but he doesn't give her that particular place of teaching and leadership that's what as far i can read

from the scripture but what happened when the person take the leadership and what happened usurping that authority and beginning to teach as it says here in verse 20 and to seduce my servant notice those two things to commit fornication and also sacrificing eating that which have been sacrificed to idols in other words she have influenced those that she shouldn't have influenced in that way to go in an ungodly way and god and the lord jesus watched it in the church of tyatira but it's not only happened there when we look at the church history at the period of time in which we are dealing with those dark ages all of a sudden the church became

the leader not the lord jesus by the way you notice in scripture how we read in scripture that the lord he is the head and the church is the heart he is the head of the body when we talk about the church the church is always looked as a feminine when it looks about him he's always described as a masculine husband love your wife how as the messiah loved the church and gave himself for her but what happened here he had been removed and that jezebel in a local setting have influenced the servants of the lord to commit fornication and to eat things which have been offered unto idols.

Idolatry and sexual and spiritual immorality. You know, today we live in a time in which you will go to many professing groups of churches that they will tell you that you can marry a homosexual. You can live a homosexual life. You can have sexual practices on an ongoing basis and not deal with it. That's okay. You can worship all kind of things. If you want to go to God through Muhammad, if you want to go to God through Moses, if you want to go to God through, everyone has his way. It's a mixture that's existing today. And here he's giving that warning to the church of Tyatari.

And I want to suggest that we can see it very clearly in the history of what is known today as the Roman Catholic Church. Let me just show you some of the things that have been introduced to the church in this period of time, from the time 600 until the time of the Reformation. Look at some of the things that have been introduced. The worship of Mary. Wherever in the Bible Mary ever asked, his Hebrew name, his Miriam, ever asked anybody to worship her. Where? She said, I will rejoice in God, my Savior. She needed a Savior herself. she had been privileged to give birth to the messiah but she never asked anyone to worship her do you know other things that have been the thought of purgatory where did it come from there is a place of in between heaven or hell that somewhere in between you are in a place for a period of time and if somebody is going to pray for you he can divert your destiny so you're not going to go to hell you're going to go to heaven if somebody is going to pray for you the teaching about purgatory do you know this statement transubstantiation the claiming that the bread and the wine has actually become the real bread the real body of messiah and the wine become actually the real blood of the messiah and in that history up till today if you're going to go to the mass today they believe that the wafer become the real body of jesus well jesus the Messiah said, one sacrifice.

He doesn't die again. Die again like the sacrifices of all that have been offered on the altars that God had given Israel. No, He died once. Hebrews 10. Once and for all. The bread and the wine, that was only a representation of what He had done. But it doesn't become the body of Messiah and the blood of Messiah again every time you are going to the Mass. What about the worship of angels? What about the worship of saints? What about confession that had been introduced that the laity would come to the clergy to confess their sins in the box where they would tell their sins before the priest and through him the confession to the Father will come rather than going through the Lord Jesus, the Messiah and telling the Father our sins and confessing before Him.

If we confess our sins, 1 John 1, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness what about the introduction of justification by works and not justification by faith only that have been also introduced over the years these dark ages these middle ages where those things have been introduced to the professing churches that you are going to be justified if you just do enough deeds enough works but works can never save works shall never save by grace are you saved through faith and that is not of yourself it is a gift of God not of works Paul said lest any man should boast there are more and more and

more salvation through baptism you know it's so sad when one would take a baby and baptize him or sprinkle him and to make him a christian by sprinkling him no amount of water one will sprinkle a baby will ever make a person as he grows up a child of god a person becomes saved on a basis of faith in the messiah on a basis of what he said in his word and on and on and on i have a list here that we can mention but i'm not going to go on through that list but that's what represented the church of Thyatira.

And I wanted to see here as we are moving on that you can see that this particular church, professing church, is actually going to remain here in this world until the tribulation period. From the church of Thyatira, then Sardis, and then Philadelphia, and then Laodicea, those four churches actually continue all the way to the end. And you can see in those particular churches that these are representation of eras in the Christian profession that will remain all the way until the coming of the Lord. And I'll show you this in a moment. Now, in verse 21 to 23, he gives them the judgment that's going to come upon the church of Thyatira.

So he's saying to them, first of all, in verse 21, he says, I gave her space to repent of her fornication. And notice this expression, and she repented not. You see, he's saying, I've given her the opportunity to repent. I've given her the opportunity to see this and to say, no, it's wrong. I'm changing my ways and changing my views. But she didn't repent. and she has not repented as yet. And that's why he says in verse 22, look what he's saying in verse 22, he continues with the judgment, he says, Behold, I will cast her into a bed. Now, you notice he used this expression, a bed.

I'm going to cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into the great tribulation, except they repent of their sins.

interesting here's the first time we have this expression great tribulation here in the book of revelation now you know that the great tribulation has to do with the time after the church is being taken out of here and there's seven years of tribulation which have been already taught and we learned it from the book of daniel there's seven years of a terrible time which judgment going to fall upon the face of this world but apparently these professing christians are going to continue professing that they are christians continue tyatars continue all the way until the great tribulation is coming and they are going to continue all the way through all the way to the time where

the judgment of the lord going to fall upon the face of this earth let me show you a verse in the book of matthew matthew chapter 24 please matthew chapter 24 verse 15 yeshua is there with his disciples in jerusalem and they are concerned about the restoration of israel and from verse 15 he's telling these early believers what is going to happen prior to his coming he says in verse 15 when he therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken by daniel the prophet standing in the holy place whosoever read let him understand then let them which be in judea flee into the mountains let him which is in the house not come down to

take anything out of his house.

Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child and to them that give sack in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a Shabbat day for, and here is the expression, for then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no no ever shall be the lord is speaking about the great tribulation that's going to fall upon the face of this earth and the church of Tyataira represented the period of time from the 600 AD to about 1517 when the reformation had began, when the teaching and the influence of this particular woman by the name of Jezebel had been there, this particular church will continue because she did not repent all the way until the tribulation period.

By the way, that's really a clue for us to see that there will always be the professing church remaining here on earth that will continue all the way to the tribulation period. that they have never really belonged to the Lord Jesus. They never really have confessed Him in reality. You remember the Lord says in Matthew 7, Many will come unto me and say in those days, Lord, Lord, haven't we done this in your name? Haven't we performed miracles in your name? And He will tell them, I never knew you. Never knew you. From the past, never had a relationship with you.

i never knew you and here we see the judgment that is going to come upon tyataira upon this professing church which had the opportunity to repent but did not repent let me ask you a question now i presume all of us here are believers but if there's one of us here that have never really come to know the lord in his or her heart how important it is to come to the lord and say lord i repent and i confess that i really play the game play the fool play church and i have never really made the lord yeshua the lord of my life what a shame would that be for that particular person and

for this particular church of tyre tyre and this particular group who are going through the motion but have never really became children of god notice the next expression in verse 23 it's part of the judgment notice he said i will kill her children he used the expression her children it's the children that belong to her it's not the children that belong to the lord in john chapter 1 and verse 12 we read as many as received him received the lord jesus the massage to them he gave the right to be called children of god here's the contrast between the children of her and the children of god you see the followers of her those who

came the offspring of this woman by the name of jezebel the offspring of those people who come out of this church who have only profession and not reality he says i will kill her children with death what a solemn warning that the lord jesus have for this church and so this is a professing church and you see what happening here when we spoke about ephesus smyrna and pergamos he was speaking to the church that in the midst of the church there there was a group of danger influence upon the whole church.

By the time that we get to Thyatira, he is speaking to the whole church and there is only a small group of them who are overcomers. Now he is speaking to the whole church who became a system, a system that rejected and set God aside, and he is speaking to individuals who are part of this church to conduct themselves different than what the system itself behaved like. There is a reverse here. There is a change here. It's no longer the church in general is okay, but there are some bad apples there. No. Now here in Thyatira, the whole church became a bad apple, and there is some there that are still moving on, and he is encouraging them to move forward and to separate from the deed of the church of Thyatira.

And so, look, in verse 23, I will kill her, I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he which searches the rain and hearts. And I will give unto every one of you according to your works. You see, he's telling them, this church, he says, listen, is that the way you're going? You might have your own works there. You might have your own action and your own deeds, but you have turned away from that which is fundamental, ABC of the Word of God. You are no longer being influenced by my teaching, but you are influenced by the teaching of Jezebel.

He says, look what's going to happen. There will be judgment upon your children, and that the whole churches will know that I am a just and a righteous judge. Everyone will know that i will punish that which is not in accordance with my will and so beloved brothers and sisters here is that particular warning that the lord jesus the messiah give to this church of taya now in verse 24 and 25 he is exhorting he is challenging and he is giving a challenge to those particular faithful individual in the midst of this condition he says in verse 24 but unto you i say and unto the rest in tyatira as many notice he says the rest unto you he separate the individuals there which have been in tyatira but they have been different they have not allowed jezebel to seduce them and to teach them and to commit physical and spiritual fornication to them he give a challenge and he says to them in verse 24 unto you i say and unto the rest of as many as have not this doctrine those of you who do not have this particular doctrine of Jezebel, this particular teaching, he said, and which have not known the depth of Satan.

As they speak, I will put upon you no other burden. There was a separate group there that was different than the rest of the church. To them, he said, I'm not going to give you an additional burden. You have not that doctrine that existed there in Thyatira. You have not participated in the Jezebel influence. You have separated. You have been different. You have not adopted this doctrine. And which, notice he says to them, and which have not known the depth of Satan. Oh, beloved brothers and sisters, see, Satan is clever. Satan knows how to influence people. He influenced people who claim to be Christians, but he also influenced people who are Christians, but gullible, that are allowing him to have an influence upon them.

And those particular individuals that got influenced by him, he called it the depth of Satan. The depth of Satan. Look how it's like a deep well, where Satan sink those that follow after him. That's what he's saying here. You see, there were those who did not allow this to happen in their life. They didn't allow Satan and his depth to influence them. And this expression, the depth of Satan, show us how serious this thing must have been. How much Jezebel have influenced those individuals in the church of Tyre. And so he's saying to the separate group there, he says, but unto you I say, and unto the rest of Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depth of Satan.

Now there is exactly expression on the opposite side of this. We have in the book of Corinthians, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, and verse 10, we read exactly the opposite of the depth of Satan.

we have the deep things of God it says in verse 10 but God is revealed unto us by his spirit for the spirit searches all things yea the deep things of God you see the Holy Spirit influencing the believers can teach us the deep things of God that are found in the word here on the other end the people who followed that particular Jezebel teaching have found themselves sunk under the deep things of satan satanic things things that are not from the Lord Jesus the Messiah whatsoever and he put a different here he shows us that there are those who did not allow this to influence them he said i'm not going to put upon

you any more burden you have not been influenced by hell you have not allowed yourself to get this doctrine into your life you have separated yourself from this in verse 25 he continues telling them you hold fast hold fast what you have until I come he says in verse 25 but that which you have already hold fast till I come you see they had something they had something that they cling to that you know brothers and sisters you and I have something that others do not have others who claim to be Christian they do not have we have solid sound teaching that we have from the word of god we have the holy spirit of

god in dwelling in our hearts and conscience to help us to teach us about the deep things of god we have an opportunity we have a gold mine of sound teaching that we can have we have all kind of brothers who can teach us and influence us with a godly character godly teaching and that's what we need in our lives it's such a safe place to be in where the word of God is being taught where the Lord Yeshua is being exalted and so he's telling them you hold on to it and you notice he said I want you to hold on to it until I come here's another suggestion that this particular church remaining

all the way until the coming of the Lord until the tribulation period but let me mention here there are two views about this expression till i come some believe that it is until he come in judgment upon the world and that is a very possibility because he's going to come and he's going to judge this world and he's going to refine this world and to restore israel to bring about the messianic age but i would like to suggest that this till i come has to do with the coming of the lord jesus the messiah for the church for his own people why because the text itself in verse 24 and 25 the exaltation is to

the believers who are different than the rest of tyatira and we know from scripture that the church is going to be raptured before the tribulation period that's what i believe that's what's fundamental bible teachers that i know do believe and teach that the church is not going to stay here for the tribulation Well, He is going to come for His own.

And so verse 24 and 25, if we read it together, But unto you I say, and unto the rest, the separate one in Thyatira, as many have not this doctrine, which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put upon you none other of this burden, but that which you have already hold fast till I come. And that teaches us, beloved brothers and sisters, that the Church of Thyatira is going to stay until the period of time of the rapture of the true Church, and also those who are the false Church are going to remain and enter into the tribulation period. The days, the seven years of tribulation, which will fall upon all those that rejected the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

And now finally, in verses 26 to 29, He encourages them and He gives them a promise that they will be blessed. And notice the promise. First of all, in verse 26 and 27, He is going to give them power. Those that belong to Him, those that will be part of the true church, will receive authority and power in the Messianic Kingdom. In verse 26 He says, And he that overcometh and keepeth my works, you notice now, it's not their works, but his works, keepeth my works, unto the end, to him will I give power over all the nations. and he shall rule them with a rod of iron as the vessels of the potter shall they be broken to shivers even as I received of my father.

These verses take us into the millennial age. What's going to happen in the millennial age? You know, we read that we're going to rule and reign with him. As Psalm 2 teaches us concerning the Lord who is also going to rule and reign over this earth and the Lord himself will rule in righteousness in the millennial age.

In Psalm 2 verse 8 we read Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel that's the verses verses 7, 8 and 9 speaking about the Lord Jesus the Messiah who will reign and rule in the Messianic age and the Christian, the church is going to rule and reign with him Israel is going to rule and reign with him as well in the Messianic age and so he's speaking here he says he that overcometh and keepeth my works all the way to the

end to him will I give power over the nation 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 there is a promise to the overcomers that they will rule and reign with yeshua the messiah and of course finally in verse 29 he's speaking about the morning star in verse 28 first of all and i will give to him the morning star brothers and sisters again i want to suggest to you the morning star is a picture of the messiah in the book of revelation he says i am the morning star he himself calling himself the

morning star the morning star appears long before the sun appears when the morning star appears he's appearing in connection with the heavenly company the church when the sun of righteousness appears he is appearing like we have in the book of malachi in connection with israel the nation and you can see even with these two expressions the morning star and the sun of righteousness in revelation chapter 22 and verse 19 yeshua says in this verse he says if any man shall take away he's speaking about himself in this in chapter 22 and verse 16 i jesus have sent mine angel to testify to you these things in the churches i am the root and offspring of

david i am the bright and morning star he's speaking about himself as the bright and morning star and in connection with the heavenly company he is that morning star in connection with israel as a nation he is the son of righteousness and so here we have the hope of the coming of the Lord for his own heavenly company and so finally in verse 29 he says he that has an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches and each and every one of us have more than one ear we have two ears to hear the question is do we listen and do we obey what the Lord has told us here through

the church of Tyre Tyre I hope that the Lord will help us to make sure that we belong to him number one also may the lord help us not to get ourselves involved into what you call spiritual fornication that which will lead us into worship of all kind of things that is not part and parcel of the word of god and also may the lord preserve us from physical fornication keeps us for him you know how quickly we are getting influenced by all kind things.

May the Lord preserve us and keep us for him. He is the one that is the bright and morning star who is going to come very soon to take us to be with him in glory. So through the church of Thyataya, we learn to avoid sexual and spiritual adultery and to keep our moral standard high. May he help us to do so. Can we say amen to that?