Revelation

Chapter 2

Christ's Letters to Ephesus-Smyrna-Pergamum-Thyatira

Message to the Church in Ephesus

• 1.↓ UNTO the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
  
  • Greek
    • Τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς Ἐφέσίνης ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ κρατῶν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑπτὰ λυχνιῶν τῶν χρυσῶν·
  • Notes
    • ° Here we have the title of Jesus in the letter... "he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;"
      ° Remember the seven golden lampstands in Revelation 1 are on the earth and in Revelation 4 and Revelation 5 are in heaven after the rapture
      ° God tells you in Revelation 1 that they represent the seven churches as well _MF-NCC
      
      
• 2.↓ I know the works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
  
  • Greek
    • Οἶδα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ τὸν κόπον σου καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν σου, καὶ ὅτι οὐ δύνῃ βαστάσαι κακούς καὶ ἐπειράσω τοὺς φάσκοντας εἶναι ἀποστόλους καὶ οὐκ εἰσίν καὶ εὗρες αὐτοὺς ψευδεῖς
  • Notes
    • ° Here is the commendation listed in verse 2 and 3
      I Know:
      1. thy works
      2. thy labour
      3. thy patience
      4. how thou canst not bear them which are evil
      5. thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars
      6. hast borne, and hast patience
      7. for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted
      ° God has the same statement about each of us..."I Know thy works..."
      ° Throughout the New Testament God has some pleas about these issues: _MF-NCC
      
      See →Acts 20:25-31
      
      II Corinthians 11:14 — And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
      II Corinthians 11:15 — Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
      
      I Thessalonians 5:20 — Despise not prophesyings.
      I Thessalonians 5:21 — Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
      
      See →I John 4:1-3
      
      II John 1:9 — Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
      II John 1:10 — If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
      
      See →Acts 20:29-32
      
      Isaiah 40:31 — But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
      
      
• 3.↓ And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
  
  • Greek
    • καὶ ἐβάστασας καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἔχεις καὶ διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου κεκοπίακας καὶ οὐ κέκμηκας
  • Notes
    • Return to →Inheritance & Rewards
• 4.↓ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
  
  • Greek
    • ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκας
  • Notes
    • ° prōtos - first in rank, influence, honor or foremost of importance
      ° Throughout the bible God uses the marriage to symbolize our relationship with Him:
      ° The first named fruit of the Spirit is love; _MF-NCC
      
      See Galatians 5:22 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
      
      II Corinthians 11:2 — For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present >you as a chaste virgin in Christ.
      
      Jeremiah 2:2 — Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
      
      
• 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlesticke out of his place, except thou repent.
  
  • Greek
    • μνημόνευε οὖν πόθεν ἐκπέπτωκας, καὶ μετανόησον καὶ τὰ πρῶτα ἔργα ποίησον· εἰ δὲ μή ἔρχομαί σοι τάχει καὶ κινήσω τὴν λυχνίαν σου ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσῃς
• 6.↓ But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
  
  • Greek
    • ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἔχεις ὅτι μισεῖς τὰ ἔργα τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν ἃ κἀγὼ μισῶ
  • Notes
    • ° These Christians were so passionate about their devotion to Christ, but began to settle into just the motions one generation later
      ° Ephesus clearly did not heed since that church is no longer around, which is hinted by Jesus since the promise to the overcomer is after the close of this letter
      ° At this point the church hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, but later in Revelation this will become the doctrine of the Nicolaitans as they infiltrate the church
      ° Remember the Nicolaitans represent the church or clergy trying to rule over the people vs. John 13 where Jesus sets the example of us washing the feet of the people
      ° Removing the lampstand or candlestick signifies losing revelation and influence across your time of service
      ° We are to love the Lord first and foremost, then everything else falls in place _MF-NCC
      
      Deuteronomy 6:5 — And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
      
      Deuteronomy 30:20 — That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
      
      ° In order to cleave unto Him, you must be within arms reach of Him _MF-NCC
      
      
• 7.↓ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
  
  • Greek
    • ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῷ νικῶντι δώσω αὐτῷ φαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς ὅ ἐστιν ἐν μέσῶ τοῦ παραδείσου τοῦ θεοῦ
  • Notes
    • ° Access to the tree of life was lost in the fall, but is restored later in Revelation as a reward for those who overcome this issue _MF-NCC
      
      Return to →Inheritance & Rewards
      
      

Message to the Church in Smyrna

• 8.↓ And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
  
  • Greek
    • Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας Σμυρναίων γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος ὃς ἐγένετο νεκρὸς καὶ ἔζησεν·
  • Notes
    • Isaiah 41:4 — Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
      
      Isaiah 44:6 — Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
      
      ° Remember, Jesus uses the title, I AM, to confuse the Pharisees. And he says, before Abraham was I AM.
      ° They know that he's claiming at that point to be the voice in the burning bush all the way back to Moses.
      ° Remember, Moses ask him, who shall I say? Who shall I tell them sent me.
      ° God say I am that I am.
      ° So, in John, that's why when he says that they pick up stones to kill him. Because he's claiming to be the voice of God in teh burning bush at that moment _MF-NCC
      
      Isaiah 48-12 — Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
      
      Revelation 1:11 — Saying, I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
      
      ° This is Jesus speaking, I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.
      ° So, he's the first and the last.
      ° In the Old Testament, it's the Aleph and the Ta
      ° In the New Testament, it's the Alpha and the Omegat
      ° Because it's written in Greek, _MF-NCC
      
      Revelation 1:17 — And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
      Revelation 1:18 — I am he that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
      
      ° So, right here you can confuse a lot of occultist beliefs, that Jesus is not the first and the last
      ° Because it says right here in verses 17 and 18, I am the first and the last.
      ° I am he that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive
      ° So, he's linking all of those references from the Old Testament of the first and the last to being Jesus that had to die and raise again for us
      ° And in this verse, Rev 2:8, again, the first and the last, which was dead and is alive _MF-NCC
      
      Revelation 22:13 — I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
      
      ° So, he uses this all throughout the Bible _MF-NCC
      
      
• 9.↓ I know thy works, and tribulations, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
  
  • Greek
    • Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὴν θλῖψιν καὶ τὴν πτωχείαν πλούσιος δὲ εἶ καὶ τὴν βλασφημίαν τῶν λεγόντων Ἰουδαίους εἶναι ἑαυτούς καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἀλλὰ συναγωγὴ τοῦ Σατανᾶ
  • Notes
    • ° So, three things that God knows you know, he knows the same three things about you in your life
      ° He knows your works
      ° He knows what tribulations your go through
      ° He knows where you're impoverished and look what he says, but thou art rich
      ° And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan
      ° Jesus knows the "tribulation" this church is enduring
      ° Right now in the U.S. we have freedom, that is not the case for most of the body of Christ and most of the world
      ° There are a lot of Christians right now meeting in China, in Iran, in the Middle east, in Africa, in underground places just to escape the thought or the threat of persecution and murder
      ° They would be murdered for carrying a Bible around
      ° Remember when the U.S. pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban came in, the first thing they did was they tracked down people in that nation
      ° If they had a Bible app on the phone, they were shot in the head
      ° And it was that simple
      ° It is black and white over there for the enemy
      ° Tribulation here is the Greek word "thlipsis" which means a pressing, pressing together, pressure, affliction, or distress
      ° It is like a pair of vice grips that just continually get tighter and tighter and tighter and they keep clicking
      ° And it's puting that pressure on you as an individual or on the church
      ° This is not the Great Tribulation as spoken of by Jesus in Matthew 24, this is persecution that is promised to the church
      ° He call the Great Tribulation from when the Antichrist come in, affirms a covenant
      ° And that starts when the Antichrist affirms a covenant with Israel
      ° He starts the seven year tribulation at the midpoint when he come in the temple and commits the abominaiton of desolation
      ° The back half of what Jesus says is the Great Tribulation _MF-NCC
      
      John 16:33 — These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace, In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
      
      ° It's a small tribulaiton, not the great tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world
      ° You know, Jesus has promised to us as believers that you're going to go through some type of trial in your walk with Christ
      ° You're going to go through a time of testing, a time of trying
      ° The enemy's going to attack you
      ° Somehow something's going to happen, okay
      ° The key is how you endure that opposition
      ° That's a promise to his church of Smyrna _MF-NCC
      
      II Timothy 3:12 — Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
      
      ° What a promise!
      ° That's a promise that makes a lot of people run
      ° Even if I give you my life, then I get to not only lose it, but then I have to suffer for it
      ° That sounds like a great deal, right? (To most not really)
      ° The persecution of the Smyrna church could have been relieved by offering a pinch of incense to Caesar, so they endured the temptation to give in and suffered well
      ° So, just understand what this church was going through
      ° All they had to do was go to this little altar where they were burning incense
      ° And if they just dropped a pinch of incense in the altar and said, caesar is God, not Jesus, then they would have been relieved of all torture and persecution
      ° That's how simple iw was for them
      ° They had a way out, but they didn't take it
      ° There are two words in the Greek for poverty:
      ° Penia which is the state of having nothing above and beyond, but just enough
      ° Today we might sya living paycheck to paycheck
      ° Ptōcheia (pto-kha'-ä) is the word used here and means the state of one who has absolutely nothing at all and is in complete beggary
      ° You don't even have two pennies to put together
      ° Think about some children in Africa
      ° Some don't have a clean change of clothes, they are so impoverished _MF-NCC
      
      Luke 9:58 — And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
      
      ° Isn't it amazing that Jesus walking on the earth, he did not own a single piece of real estate, and yet he owns it all
      ° He walked around on the earth, he had nowhere to lay his head, and yet the whole thing he created by His Word
      ° Are you willing to lose everything in this world for Him? If so, you stand to gain everything in the next for eternity
      ° Walking as a Christian is not a cakewalk
      ° It's not something you just kind of ease through life and skate through and get on the other side
      ° It doesn't work that way
      ° If anyone's telling you that, hey, all, all you get to enjoy once you become a believer is fancy cars, nice big house, and plethora in your bank account
      ° It's not the fact
      ° The fact is that you have to be willing to give your life to Jesus and endure anything that the enemy in the world wants to throw at you
      ° Now the phrase "I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan" _MF-NCC
      
      See → John 8:31-45
      
      ° And those who say they are Jews and are not in the following verse _MF-NCC
      
      John 8:44 — Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
      
      ° Jesus always approached them very tactfully
      ° And the loss of your father, ye will do
      ° Satan was a murderer from the beginning
      ° No truth abode within him
      ° Now who is the first person that Satan murdered?
      ° It wasn't Adam, It was Eve, because he deceived her and she fell into transgression
      ° When Satan speaketh a lie, he speaketh his own, for he is a liar and the father of it
      ° So, here are the Jews that were serving their father, the devil, not the father of the Old Testament, not the true God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
      ° It's amazing that legalism and persecution actually started with the Jewish people and demand of the Gentile.
      ° Legalism and early persectution was established by the Jews:
      
      
      • Legalism
      • Demand of Gentile circumcision in Acts 15
      • Peter is rebuked by Paul in Galatians 2 & 3
      • Peter agrees in II Peter 3
      • Persecution
      • Antioch in Acts 13
      • Iconium & Lystra in Acts 14
      • Thessalonica in Acts 17
      
      ° There were some tares sown in the early church
      ° If you study this when the church is formed, really, the Jewish zealots, the people that were religious Jewish zealots that did not know the lord
      ° They were the first ones to come and try to attack the church and tear down what Christ was doing
      ° And then of course, it just spread forever from there
      ° Legalism is the denial of Christ's completed and finished work; "it is finished"
      ° Gnosticism is the denial of Christ's humanity and leads into cults; He truly was the Son of God in the flesh, fully man and fully God
      ° A lot of cults will say Jesus was a great prophet or a great man
      ° Or that he was an awesome steward
      ° A lot of cults will use the name of Jesus to draw people in
      ° But then they take just enough truth and they'll twist it
      ° It's very difficult for people to get out of those situations
      ° Caesar worship was the denial of Jesus' lordship and His supernatural provision for your life
      ° Notice there is no concern for Smyrna, the persecuted church
      ° They suffered well, endured temptation to give in and bend the knee to the world
      ° As a result, The Lord is very well pleased with these believers _MF-NCC
      
      
• 10.↓↓ Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
  
  • Greek
    • μηδὲν φοβοῦ ἃ μέλλεις πάσχειν ἰδού, μέλλει βάλειν ἐξ ὑμῶν ὁ διάβολος εἰς φυλακὴν ἵνα πειρασθῆτε καὶ ἕξετε θλῖψιν ἡμερῶν δέκα γίνου πιστὸς ἄχρι θανάτου καὶ δώσω σοι τὸν στέφανον τῆς ζωῆς
  • Notes
    • ° These believers were told they would suffer all the way to the death
      ° This is the same implication as Myrhh (that was brought to Jesus) _MF-NCC
      
      ° Fear none of those things
      ° God has not given us a spirit of fear
      ° I think this is part of the promise to these believers, and we're going to get into the reward here shortly
      ° But this is something really deep for us to think about
      ° Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer
      ° Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation 10 days
      ° Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life
      ° The crown of life is promised to those that suffer well, okay, so they're promised a crown here to suffer
      ° And then there's going to be a promise also for them as the overcomer
      ° Why ten days?
      ° You know, why does Jesus sa this?
      ° The devil shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have tribulation 10 days
      ° What is this 10 day thing?
      ° This is how long Rebekah's family wanted to wait before Rebekah left to marry Isaac _MF-NCC
      
      Genesis 24:55 — And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.
      
      ° It is how many times Job was reproached by Bildad; _MF-NCC
      
      Job 19:3 — These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.
      
      ° Job is the kind of guy that man, you really feel sorry for. He had some friends that really weren't very good friends
      ° Remember, his wife even came to him and said, just curse God and die already
      ° So, if you are in Job's situation, the thing about Job, not to go down a rabbit trail, but the thing with Job is God put that in the word of God to give us an extreme example of who's in control and what we should not do
      ° Job, the whole lesson there is that Jesus and the Lord is in control of anything that comes into you life
      ° If you're in him, remember that Satan come to him first, and God says, you can take everything from him, but you can't touch him
      ° And then, of course, Job never blasphemes God, and Satan comes back to the Lord, and the Lord says, ok, well, you can take his health, but you can't kill him
      ° So, the battle lines get drawn
      ° Satan then takes his health
      ° Job's got that rake and he's scratching soars and he's sitting in ashes, and he's just a miserable guy, but he never kills him
      ° And the thing that's amazing about that is every single time God has a commandment, Satan has to abide it in how he's attaacking God's servant
      ° That's pretty amazing that God sets the battle lines for us in our lives
      ° So, if you'll resist the devil, he will flee from you
      ° And at the very end, you can see there was a lot of pride in Job's life that God had to work out at the very end
      ° It is how long Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah received sustenance from God: _MF-NCC
      
      Daniel 1:12 — Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
      
      ° It is also interesting that there are 10 Roman dictators that intentionally persecuted the church
      
      • 1.
      • 2.
      • 3.
      • 4.
      • 5.
      • 6.
      • 7.
      • 8.
      • 9.
      • 10.
      • 54-68
      • 95-96
      • 104-117
      • 161-180
      • 200-211
      • 235-237
      • 249-251
      • 257-260
      • 270-275
      • 303-313
      • Nero *
      • Domitian **
      • Trajan
      • Marus Aurelius
      • Septimus Severus
      • Maximinus
      • Decius
      • Valerian
      • Aurelian
      • Diocletian
      * Nero beheaded Paul and crucified Peter upside down
      ** Domitian (exiled John)
      ° Famine and pestilence fell on Rome after teh Parthian war which was devastating; There wer also floods from the Tiber River which ruined many of their storehouses; As a result, Christians were a convenient scapegoat they wanted to blame this "new" God; More than 5 million Christians were martyred duing this time period, so the church had a rather dark beginning
      ° Jesus is promising that these believers will not only suffer, but they will suffer death..."be thou faithful unto death"
      ° We reviewed the crown of life. Recall that it is to endure temptation
      ° For the church of Smyrna their temptation was to reject Jesus, praise Ceaser, sacrifice to him, and their life would be spared
      ° All they had to do waa give in to the demand, but they refused to deny the King of Kings
      ° In Smyrna they also spoke of the crown of Smyrna
      ° It was on their coins
      ° They worshipped the mother of Zeus
      ° That crown was seen as teh crown of battlements, or fortresses
      ° There is a hint to this ancient spiritual warfare given in Daniel, and linking it to the coming final world dictator (the anticrist) _MF-NCC
      
      Daniel 11:38 — But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
      
      ° The antichrist will demand to be worshipped while giving worship to something other than the One True God
      
• 11.↓ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
  
  • Greek
    • ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις ὁ νικῶν οὐ μὴ ἀδικηθῇ ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου τοῦ δευτέρου
  • Notes
    • Return to →Inheritance & Rewards-The Crowns: Crown of Glory

Message to the Church in Pergamos

• 12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
  
  • Greek
    • Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Περγάμῳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὴν ῥομφαίαν τὴν δίστομον τὴν ὀξεῖαν·
• 13. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
  
  • Greek
    • Οἶδα τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ ποῦ κατοικεῖς ὅπου ὁ θρόνος τοῦ Σατανᾶ καὶ κρατεῖς τὸ ὄνομά μου καὶ οὐκ ἠρνήσω τὴν πίστιν μου καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐν αἷς Ἀντιπᾶς ὁ μάρτυς μου ὁ πιστός ὃς ἀπεκτάνθη παρ᾽ ὑμῖν ὅπου κατοικεῖ ὁ Σατανᾶς
• 14. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
  
  • Greek
    • ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὀλίγα ὅτι ἔχεις ἐκεῖ κρατοῦντας τὴν διδαχὴν Βαλαάμ ὃς ἐδίδασκεν ἕν τῷ Βαλὰκ βαλεῖν σκάνδαλον ἐνώπιον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα καὶ πορνεῦσαι
• 15.↓ So hath thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
  
  • Greek
    • οὕτως ἔχεις καὶ σὺ κρατοῦντας τὴν διδαχὴν τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν ὅ μισῶ
  • Notes
    • Return to → Inheritance & Rewards
• 16. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
  
  • Greek
    • μετανόησον εἰ δὲ μή ἔρχομαί σοι ταχύ καὶ πολεμήσω μετ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ τοῦ στόματός μου
• 17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
  
  • Greek
    • ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῷ νικῶντι δώσω αὐτῷ φαγεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ μάννα τοῦ κεκρυμμένου καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ ψῆφον λευκὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ψῆφον ὄνομα καινὸν γεγραμμένον ὃ οὐδεὶς ἔγνω εἰ μὴ ὁ λαμβάνων

Message to the Church in Thyatira

• 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;
  
  • Greek
    • Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Θυατείροις ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ ἔχων τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ ὡς φλόγα πυρός καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὅμοιοι χαλκολιβάνῳ·
  • Notes
    • ° Jesus uses the title Son of God here which is interesting because of the link ot Tammuz the false "sun god"
      ° Jesus is saying I AM the true Son of God
      ° The name Son of God in reference to Jesus only shows up once in the entire Old Testament
      
      Daniel 3:25 — He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
      
      ° How did Nebuchadnezzar know what the Son of God looks like?
      ° Notice the two characteristics are "like" something
      ° Eyes like unto a flame of fire; when you walk with Jesus He knows what you are about, He sees what you are doing, He knows thy works
      ° Those eyes of refining fire should be burning away any sin in your life
      ° Feet like fine brass; Jesus is the only one who could take the judgement of God and walk away, brass was always the metal that could withstand fire in the Bible
      See → comment about brass serpents Inheritance & Rewards: 8. Hidden Mana/White Stone
      
      
• 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.
  
  • Greek
    • Οἶδά σου τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν διακονίαν καὶ τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν σου καὶ τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα πλείονα τῶν πρώτων
  • Notes
    • ° Jesus knows their patience locally, but prophetically this church represented the medieval church, which was a long period of immense persecution
      ° Especially during the inquisition
      ° Jesus says the last to be more than the first, and it is the only letter where He says I know your works twice
      ° This church endured many centuries of horrible oppression durin the medieval inquisition
      ° After the church married the world, it allowed this Jezebel spirit to rise up
      ° That ultimately led to the reformation, which is discussed here Inheritance & Rewards - 10. White Raiment
      
      
• 20. Not withstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
  
  • Greek
    • ἀλλ᾽ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὀλίγα ὅτι ἐᾷς τὴν γυναῖκα Ἰεζάβηλ, τὴν λέγουσαν ἑαυτὴν προφῆτιν διδάσκειν καὶ πλανᾶσθαι ἐμοὺς δούλους πορνεῦσαι καὶ εἰδωλόθυτα φαγεῖν
• 21. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication and she repented not.
  
  • Greek
    • καὶ ἔδωκα αὐτῇ χρόνον ἵνα μετανοήσῃ ἐκ τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς καὶ οὐ μετενόησεν
• 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.
  
  • Greek
    • ἰδού, ἐγὼ βάλλω αὐτὴν εἰς κλίνην καὶ τοὺς μοιχεύοντας μετ᾽ αὐτῆς εἰς θλῖψιν μεγάλην ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσωσιν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν
  • Notes
    • ° Who was Jezebel and why would those actions be suffered amongst this church?
      ° She was the daughter of Eth-Baal, king of Sidon, priest of Astarte, who murdered the predecessor (Pheles) to seize the throne
      ° She married king Ahab to make trade alliance between Israel and Phoenicia
      ° She wnated to kill all the true prophets of God
      
      I Kings 18:4 — For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)
      
      
• 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.
  
  • Greek
    • καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἀποκτενῶ ἐν θανάτῳ καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐρευνῶν νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν
• 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 the speak; I will put upon you none other burden.
  
  • Greek
    • ὑμῖν δὲ λέγω καὶ λοιποῖς τοῖς ἐν Θυατείροις ὅσοι οὐκ ἔχουσιν τὴν διδαχὴν ταύτην καὶ οἵτινες οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰ βάθη τοῦ Σατανᾶ ὡς λέγουσιν· οὐ βάλω ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς ἄλλο βάρος
• 25. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
  
  • Greek
    • πλὴν ὃ ἔχετε κρατήσατε ἄχρις οὗ ἂν ἥξω
• 26. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
  
  • Greek
    • καὶ ὁ νικῶν καὶ ὁ τηρῶν ἄχρι τέλους τὰ ἔργα μου δώσω αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν
• 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.
  
  • Greek
    • καὶ ποιμανεῖ αὐτοὺς ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ ὡς τὰ σκεύη τὰ κεραμικὰ συντρίβεται ὡς κἀγώ εἴληφα παρά τοῦ πατρός μου
• 28.↓ And I will give him the morning star.
  
  • Greek
    • καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ τὸν ἀστέρα τὸν πρωϊνόν
  • Notes
    • Return to →Inheritance & Rewards
      
      
• 29. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
  
  • Greek
    • ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις