Unto the Angel of the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸And 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;

¹⁹I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

²⁰Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

²¹And 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.

²³And 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.

²⁴But 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 they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

²⁵But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

²⁶And 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.

²⁸And I will give him the morning star.

²⁹He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches (Revelation 3:18-29).

These things saith the Son of God,

who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

This statement points to Jesus as the Son of God who sees and tests all things and whose authority cannot be moved. These attributes of Jesus are important when considering the temptation to undermine His authority and corrupt His judgments.

Jesus is the Son of God.

And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. [i]

One of the reasons why Jesus was hated by the religious leaders of His day was His claim to be the Son of God. Claiming to be the Son of God made Him equal with God. [ii] Being equal with God, Jesus has all authority—and His authority is second-to-none and higher than all others. As Jesus said,^“Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.” [iii]

All things that He does are better than man. They are wiser, more righteous, and greater in power and strength. He is higher than man, even the most powerful among them because He is the Son of God. As the Son of God who is one with God, none can undermine Him or steal His glory from Him. “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” [iv]

Being equal to God and the one who the Father has given all things, Jesus is the One who man should strive to obey. Below are some scriptures about Jesus as the Son of God and as He who has all authority:

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth (Matthew 28:18).

Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him (Acts 5:29-32).

And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him (Mark 1:27).

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men (Matthew 9:6-8).

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17).

For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man (John 5:26-27).

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son (1 John 5:9-10).

Jesus is He who Sees all and Stands Strong.

Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. [v]

And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. [vi]

All things are visible to God, including the thoughts and heart of man. God is also unchanging, especially by the whims of man that are always movable depending on what seems popular or beneficial at the time. God also has a righteous standard—and Jesus, the Son of God, exemplifies those standards perfectly as one who was not moved by the world, but firmly stood in the righteous ways of the Father.

God is not going to bend His standards, though He does delight in showing mercy for those who want to do what is pleasing to Him and demonstrate a broken heart when they fall short. That is why the Father sent His Son to sacrifice Himself for us. Even so, man cannot change God’s standards neither can they hide their wickedness from Him. He can see all things, and He stands strong in His judgements of what is right and wrong. Below are some scriptures that demonstrate these ideas:

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad (Luke 8:17).

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops (Luke 12:2-3).

lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it (Psalm 139:1-6).

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (Jeremiah 17:9-10).

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein (Hebrews 13:8-9).

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it (Isaiah 46:9-11).

For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh (Isaiah 66:22-24).

Jesus is the Son of God who has all authority over heaven and Earth, and nothing is out of His sight—sight like fire that brings light to darkness, revealing the hearts of man and all things done in secret. He has righteous standards that are unmovable because He is unmovable, so let us consider what He has to say to the Church of Thyatira.

“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. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”

He who can see all sees all. Jesus can see their good works, their love, their service, and their patience. Their works are mentioned twice, so it would seem that their good works are a big deal. Some might disagree, but it would also seem as if there were a hint of sarcasm here as if to say, “oh yes. I see how great you are. Look at all the good things that you do. You love people. You serve people. You are oh so tolerant of others. You do so many good things. Yet, you have a false prophet in your midst, and you also tolerate this. You tolerate that woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. Of course, she calls herself a prophetess. This must be seen and praised by all.” Jesus sees and He does not condone her or those who follow her.

Firstly, what can we determine about that woman Jezebel? In keeping with a Method of Interpretation used when considering these letters to the churches, it is likely that this woman is both a person who existed in the past and a person who points to a type of persons that exist in all time. We can consider this in the same way that we considered Antipas of the Church of Pergamos. We can look to the historical figure and create a sort of architype. What is the type, or spirit, of the Jezebel figure that is found in the Church of Thyatira?

The story of Jezebel is found in 1 Kings 16. Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, a king of Israel. She led the people of Israel into worship of Baal and Asherah. She then persecuted the prophets of God who tried to lead the people of Israel away from idolatry.

When we consider what Jesus has revealed about Himself in the letter to the Church of Thyatira—He who has eyes of fire and feet like fine brass—it could be said that Jezebel is a figure that wants to be seen for their good works. Yet, He who sees all also sees the heart. These are as those “make clean the outside of the cup while the inside is full of uncleanness.” [vii]

The Jezebel figure also corrupts the judgment of God by teaching the servants of God that it is acceptable to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. What is fornication? Fornication is any form of sexual activity that is not performed within the confines of a monogamous, marital relationship between a man and a woman. What about “eating things sacrificed unto idols”?

What does present-day idolatry look like? In most basic terms, anything that breaks the commandment to “love the Lord they God with all thy heart, all they soul, and all the might” can become an idol. In other words, when we love the things of this world more than God, they become an idol to us.

Historical Jezebel also persecuted the true prophets of God. In like manner, the Jezebel type found within the Church of Thyatira persecutes those who stand up for the true things of God as given to us by Jesus Christ. This can include social persecution, legal persecution, and murder. Persecuting the saints of God is not directly implied in this letter. However, it is a characteristic of this type that is worth noting.

“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 searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”

Sex that is outside of traditional marriage is fornication, and it is spiritual adultery for a Christian to love the things of this world and its sin without repentance. Jesus gives Jezebel and those who follower her time to turn to Him, confess their sins, and change their hearts towards the righteous way (repent). However, they do not. They continue embracing fornication as well as a general love of this world.

What does it mean when Jesus says, “I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation?” It seems that Jesus is creating a scenario in which the ways of Jezebel are accessible and accepted, and He will sit back and see who loves to participate in her ways. When a culture shifts or a social movement begins that is of her, how many will follow? Will they repent? Of course, Jesus sees all, and He also knows all. He already knows exactly what they are going to do, and He is prepared to judge them accordingly.

Jesus states, “I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He that searches the reigns and hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” The children of Jezebel are those who do what Jezebel does.

Though Jezebel promises her followers life, they will die. There is no peace and love and acceptance for them—only judgement and condemnation from He who can see all their wicked deeds, and He who will bring all dark things to light—just to reveal who loves darkness and who hates Him—then He will destroy them “with the brightness of His coming.”

“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 they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.”

It seems that not all within the Church of Thyatira follow the deceitful and destructive ways of Jezebel—which are ways that “know the depths of Satan.” What does this mean?

As Christians, we are moving towards a better knowledge of God as we form a relationship with Jesus Christ and as the Holy Spirit teaches us and conforms us to His ways. Those who follow Jezebel seem more concerned with developing a deep knowledge of the world and sin, and therefore it could be said that they are also coming to know Satan because they celebrate sin instead of leading people to repentance and a sincere pursuit of Jesus Christ.

Why is the knowledge of the depths of Satan considered burdensome?

There are many things that Jezebel and her followers consider to be of great importance, and you must educate yourself in these matters. Becoming awakened to their ways is of highest priority, because this is the only way that you can know what is good and true according to their ways—the ways of Satan—and repent of your lack of love, service, patience, and works—of which they have in abundance and proudly put on display.

Jesus does not put this burden onto anyone. Jesus says, “my burden is easy, and my yoke is light.” He does not require us to get to know sin and the ever-changing morality of the day so that we can become more tolerant, accepting, loving, and proud of sin and those who follow it.

Jesus instructs them to hold fast to what they have until He comes. What does this mean?

This is a gracious statement. He whose eyes are as a fire and His feet like brass is also a God of grace and mercy who understands our frame. Those who are within the Church of Thyatira, but do not go to the extreme of “knowing the depths of Satan” seem to find mercy. Perhaps there are many who believe the “tolerance” message of this church. However, they remain true to basic standards of morality and basic standards set out by God for mankind, and they do not push the agenda of this church onto others.

“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 received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.”

What does it mean to keep the works of Jesus? To keep the works of Jesus is to know who He is and what His gospel means. We know that He came to deliver us from sin and death. He did not come so that we would further bind ourselves to these things. He will search our hearts by the Spirit that lives within us, reveal our sin to us, and cause His nature to grow in us so that we can do His works and not the works of Satan.

Although we are all of this world naturally, and though we have all served Satan and served sin, we repent and put this world behind us as we push forward in the calling we have in Jesus Christ. As Paul the apostle stated in his letter to the Philippians:

“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”[viii]

We keep His works by keeping faith in Him as one who is serious about who He is and what He came to do, trusting that He will work in us the ability to live righteously—not by our ability or according to the “good deeds” of man that are outwardly righteous and done to be seen, but true righteousness that comes from a sincere heart that is for God and not for this world.

Those who overcome are given power over the nations when Jesus returns, as described in the parable of the talents. [ix] These do not take what Jesus died to give them and invest in into this earth of sin and death. They invest it into serving Him, and He will reward each person according to their ability and the grace of God extended to them. In the end, those who overcome will rule with Jesus in this earth.

The iron rule of Jesus is mentioned here for good reason. He has righteous standards; He will judge all things, and no one can undo what He says or cause Him to change. The Church of Thyatira corrupts the judgements of God by softening His judgements or removing them completely by declaring sin to be acceptable, and by stating that those who do such things without repentance are received by God.

What is the “morning star” that Jesus gives to those who overcome in His Name?

Satan calls himself the “morning star.” This is translated as “Lucifer” in the King James, which means “light bringer.” Satan says that he illuminates or brings things to life. He claims to bring the truth. He claims to awaken people to righteousness and to the deceit of this world—but his ways are an inverted corruption of the ways of Jesus Christ and all that He stands for, and Satan hates Jesus and those who follow Him. Those who are of this false light claim to speak for God, but the prophecy that they give comes from their own corrupted hearts and not the Truth that the Holy Spirit provides.

Jesus is the real Light and He who gives us the Holy Spirit so that the “day star rises in your heart” and leads you to all truth. As the Spirit of God dwells within us, our hearts are changed because the ways of God are written in our hearts. As we mature in the faith, the abundance of that work of Jesus in us will come out. As Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” This can be for good or for wickedness. The heart that is of the false light brings forth falsehoods, but the heart that is of Christ brings goodness and truth.

Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:15-21).

Concern for Present-Day Ministers of Jesus

It is a controversial saying, but true none the less, to say that the corruptions of the churches as we read about in the letter the Church of Thyatira are largely due to female influence. This is not always the case, but it is generally true that women are prone to softening the judgements of God to be more pleasing socially, and this can lead to acceptance of sin in lesser and greater measures.

It is also true that women can become overruled by emotion in general. Sometimes this leads to becoming overly harsh just as it can lead to becoming overly soft. What is worse is when there is an over-softness towards sin and an over-harshness towards those who stand against sin.

In any case, attempts made by either gender to distort the righteous standards and judgement of God will not stand in the judgement of Jesus Christ, especially when the result is a new standard of morality that is of man and not God—and a standard that is “grievous to be borne” as well.

This world does not need weak leadership or those who usurp the will and judgement of the Son of God. Although all things should be tempered with love, as discussed in the letter to the church of Ephesus, a love of this world is not the love of God—and the love of God will not condone sin because sin is destructive to those who are bound by it.

Ministers of God—whether male of female—must be willing to take a stand against all sin, even those that are commonly accepted and praised. Ministers of God also need to seek the Holy Spirit so that the true things of God as given to us through Jesus Christ can grow in our hearts and purge us from the deceptions that we are naturally prone to.

Despite the hatred that comes from the ministers of Jezebel unrepented of, we cannot back down from basic morality and basic standards as set forth by God. Men are men. Women are women. Fornication is a sin. These are just some examples. We must also stand by Jesus as the one and only way of salvation. We cannot accept spiritual practices from other faiths or begin to dilute the teachings of Jesus in order to make them more palatable to a sin-loving generation.

It is not loving to condone sin. It is not loving to praise mental illness. It is not loving to turn people away from the true Light of Christ and instead cause them to embrace the Satanic “woke” culture.

Those who hear Jesus are awakened from death. As Jesus stated, “The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”[x] Jesus awakens us to righteousness that brings life. The “woke” culture is not making people awake, but causing them to fall into a deep sleep and leading them to everlasting death. This is a culture that is contrary to Jesus, and this is a Satanic culture that must be rejected strongly—no matter the cost.

Concern for Christian Brethren Generally

It is good to show kindness and compassion. It is good to be merciful, to try to be at peace with everyone as much as possible, and to love people in general. However, as the world begins to corrupt the true judgement of Jesus and as the world calls evil good and good evil, we cannot allow our desire to get along with others cause us to neglect the righteous ways of God.

His word is true and it is good. When we go astray from His ways, our lives become empty and full of hatred of self, hatred of others, and our hearts can become blind to sin. We might even begin to hate those who stand by the truth, because the darkness in us hates the light. The true Light of Christ is in complete opposition to today’s woke culture, New Age thinking, and all similar ideas that are present now and that might arise in the future.

There are many ministers in this world that make a living off corrupting the things of God, and they love making a name for themselves. They love to get rich off people who want to hear soft messages that make them feel empowered or better than other people. They love to hear that their sin is acceptable or that there is no sin at all. Do not listen to these men and women.

Get to know Jesus first by praying to Him and reading the scriptures. The more you know Him, the more you can spot the false teachers and false prophets by default. This world is not your friend. It only wants you dead. Jesus died to give you life, so trust in Him and He will lead you to all truth—a truth that makes you free—not a false truth that keeps you trapped in a life of delusion and destruction.

In Conclusion

The problems within the church of Thyatira seem to be summarized as an over-softening of the judgment of God. This is made possible when corrupt leaders who claim to speak for God (as seen in Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess) fail to lead people in the ways of Jesus Christ. Instead, they lead people in the ways of this world, thereby encouraging a kind of fornication with the world.

We cannot love the world and love God at the same time. One will win eventually, and if we keep the truth taught to us by Jesus Christ and the apostles, we will find that our love of this world dies as a love for what is true and good is made alive by the Spirit of God within us.

If we love Jesus sincerely and do not allow corrupt teachings and teachers lead us away from Him, then He will show us what He expects from us as Christians.

Jesus had a lot to say, and He is still speaking to us today by the Holy Spirit. Within the teachings of Jesus as found in the parables and other scriptures, we can see that Jesus expects those who follow Him to live a life that is set apart from this world.

We are to respect the calling that we have in Christ by taking the sacrifice that was made on our behalf seriously, knowing that we are paid for with a most precious price and this means we are to serve God and not the world.

Before Jesus, we were slaves to this world, and we had no choice but to obey the deceitfulness and destruction of sin. Now freed and forgiven by the blood of the Lamb of God, we are given the righteousness of Christ so that we can approach God for grace and mercy—unashamed and uninhibited.

However, if we draw near to God through Jesus, we will find that we are approaching the judgment of God—not the judgment of wrath—but the judgment of mercy that reveals the error of our ways and provides a truth that can set us free.

We are made free so that we can live and teach the good things of God that we receive through Jesus. We are made free so that we can love one another and build one another up in the things of God. We are not made free so that we can serve sin, serve ourselves, and make ourselves prosperous in the things of this world.

The process of growing in Christ is an on-going, lifelong pursuit for the Christian. There is always going to be one more thing that we lack. There is going to be some sin that creeps in or that we did not see before. There is going to be some service to be done, some sacrifice to be made, and some strengthening of character as Jesus works in us by His Spirit.

This is the work of the Lord, Jesus in us that is made possible by the Holy Spirit that dwells in the believer. As we get to know God through the Word of God and continued relationship with Jesus, we will see how we are to live. We will repent of our sins. We will find forgiveness and we will rest in faith knowing that the Lord is working and making us into a son of God. We fight sin and we do not yield. We will keep His works because He makes us to do so.

We cannot perform enough righteous works to save ourselves. However, once we accept the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins, we should expect to see the fruits of our faith that make us into servants of Jesus and adopted sons of God in the making.

These works will never say that sin is acceptable.

These works will not love the world.

There is a kind of “love” that pervades many within Christianity, and this is the “love” of the world and of sin. It is tempting for many to assume that love requires us to accept all things, tolerate all things, and never speak about sin—especially the sins that the world wants to re-write as righteous.

We cannot be “reeds shaken with the wind.” We must stand firm in the things of God that were given to us by Jesus Christ. He calls us to love, but His love is not the love of this world because this world leads to sin and sin leads to death.

It is not love to leave a sinner blind to their sin.

We cannot soften the judgments of God.

Jesus shed His blood to forgive us, and this is a beautiful thing. It is true that those who put their faith in Him have their sins forgiven. However, there is a temptation for many to use this forgiveness as a free pass to live sinfully. There is a temptation to look at the love of God and forget the wrath of God that is coming for the disobedient.

Judgement is given to the Son, but all who took His blood upon themselves will have to stand before the Son and give an account of what they did with the forgiveness He died to purchase for us. Jesus stated that many would be rejected because they were disrespectful, wicked and slothful, without mercy, and lovers of sin and of this world.

Jesus is merciful and patient with us and He is faithful to save every soul that the Father has given Him. However, it is also true that many do not have real faith. Real faith will cause us to believe in Jesus—not just the facts of who He is or that He died and now lives—but faith in what He stands for, what He expects from us, and faith to know that when He returns to judge the world, many will be cast out because they did not take the calling seriously.

Teachings that make light of the calling of a Christian are hated by God. We must overcome any teaching that leads a Christian towards a love of this world and not a love of Jesus and what He is truly about.

We must overcome the temptation to look at ourselves and others a good people who are worthy of acceptance based on their kind deeds or acceptance of sinners. We must overcome the temptation to call good evil and evil good in attempts to be pleasing to the whims of the time.

We must overcome by stating that what God says is sin is in-fact sin, no matter what the world says. We must overcome by seeking Jesus who will break us and remake us in His image so that we can keep His words and do them.

We cannot expect to rule with Him if we cannot first submit to His judgement. We must be tamed by Him first and ruled by Him first, and this requires us to “love not our lives unto the death.” When Jesus returns, we will rule with Him—and His rule calls sin out for what it is and leads the world in the righteous way.

We are not fit for that kingdom if we love wickedness and sin, if we corrupt the judgement of God, and if we make ourselves a friend and lover of the world and of Satan.

Jesus is The Morning Star. Satan calls himself that also and as Paul the apostle wrote, his ministers transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. However, their righteousness is not the righteousness of God, but that of the world. [xi]

The Church of Thyatira is a lover of Satan and a fornicator with him and doubtless they will welcome the false Christ with open arms.

We do not fully know what form the beast and false prophet will take, but those who are faithful to Jesus will know that this false god is not their God. It is fair to assume that a true understanding of what is right and what is wrong will have a role to play. Satan can only do what Satan does. He kills, steals, destroys. He is a liar and the father of it.

If we overcome in Jesus, we will receive Him. He will come to us by the Spirit of God in us and the “day star rises in our hearts.” He will come to us after the seventh trumpet also to overthrow the beast, false prophet, and Great Whore. He will raise the dead in Christ and those who remain are transfigured into spiritual bodies. Those who are His will rule with He who is the True Morning Star—and this will be a rule of righteousness.

Knowing all of this, let us find renewed appreciation for the sacrifice of Jesus and renewed respect. We will face the Son one day. How will that meeting go?

Let us get to know His ways, seek Him in faith, and trust in His work in us that makes us fit for Him and His Kingdom. Let us not take it lightly. Let us not love the world. He died to save us from it so that we can live forever with Him.

Additional Scriptures When Considering the Letter to the Church of Thyatira

Below are some additional scriptures that informed the understanding given in this chapter. Please take the time to read all scripture given here and elsewhere in their full context as you are able to help foster a more complete understanding and relationship with Jesus.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things (1 John 2:16-20).

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:1-7).

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 to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him (2 Corinthians 11:2-4).

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 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 (2 Corinthians 11:13-15).

Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts. Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the Lord. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The Lord saith: and the Lord hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken? Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God (Ezekiel 13: 1-8).

To wit, the prophets of Israel which prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, saith the Lord God. Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them, And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? Wherefore thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go, even the souls that ye hunt to make them fly. Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the Lord (Ezekiel 13:16-21).