To the Church in Thyatira

I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

At this point I would like to make a confession. I came across these passages while doing a study on enduring patience. It was at this point that I was inspired to write about the churches in Revelations. I have been doing this since January 1st 2014 and I would like to think I am getting better at it. Practice does not make perfect, Jesus does.

I will skip over the influences of Jezebel and her punishment because there are far more interesting portions in these verses that appear as He speaks to the churches.

It begins with the churches coming to realize that He knows the hearts and minds of each and every one of us. He knows what we are thinking even before we give it thought. Then He speaks to the remnants of Thyatira. “I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come.” He does not ask anything more of them than what they have.

Then again the language to those who last and conquer, the language expands once again.

What we hear now is language that is received for those that rule with Him in the Millennial Kingdom, after the great tribulation.

Psalm 2:9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Revelation 19:15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

God’s Word reveals His plans from old, if we will but read and believe. See!

To the Church in Pergamum

I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.

Where is Satan’s throne?

Ephesians 2:2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

Paul tells us this very thing except it is written as if it was a thing of the past. The Ephesians had been called out of the world and into His glorious Kingdom. Here in Revelations 2:13-17 we find the church at Pergamum holds fast to His name and did not deny His faith, that it does exist, but appears to not to have placed their faith in Christ.

This sounds like a worldly church and not of His Kingdom, and yet carries His name. The few things the Lord has against them is no small matter. False teachings, vain sacrifices, and allowing Nicolaitans into their mindset is unacceptable. When the Lord calls for them to repent, it may well be as in Nineveh that they had never repented before.

What is interesting in these short passages is the offering that differs is the conquering to the end. “To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”

Remember that Jesus told us in John 6 that He is the manna that came from the Father and it now appears that any in the church in Pergamum will not receive Him until after they prove themselves. This is a dangerous and risky path to walk. My advice is to anyone who finds themselves in a church like the one in Pergamum, flee and find a church where love abides.

Can we hold the promise of a white stone and a new name since we have already received the manna from heaven?

You have received Christ. right?