[Special - Seven Churches] The Church of Thyatira - A Letter of the Lord to the Church in Thyatira (2)
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July 31, 2011 |
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 * The Church of Ephesus
* The Church of Smyrna
* The Church of Pergamum
The Church of Thyatira
* The Church of Sardis
* The Church of Philadelphia
* The Church of Laodicea
"I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also 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." (Revelation 2:21-29)
Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
Chairman, The United Holiness Church of Jesus Christ
Permanent President, The World Christianity Revival Mission Association
Joint President, Association of Lovers of National Assembly and Prayers for the Country
Founder & Board Chairman, Global Christian Network
Founder & Board Chairman, World Christian Doctors Network
Founder & Board Chairman, Manmin International Seminary
Founder & Board Chairman, The Alliance Holiness Theological Seminary
Doctorate of Ministry, and Honorary Doctorate of Divinity
Senior Pastor, Manmin Central Church
His sermons were broadcast by the Far East Broadcasting Company and the Asia Broadcast Station
His Christian columns appear on The Chosun Ilbo, The Hankook Ilbo, The JoongAng Daily, The Dong-A Ilbo, The Munhwa Ilbo, The Seoul Shinmun, The Kyunghyang Shinmun, The Hankyoreh Shinmun, The Korea Economic Daily, The Korea Herald, The Shisa News, and The Christian Press.
He conducted crusades in Tanzania; Argentina; Los Angeles, Baltimore, Hawaii, and New York City of the USA; Uganda; Japan; Pakistan; Kenya; the Philippines; Honduras; India; Russia; Germany; Peru; the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Israel; and Estonia.
The Lord, the Son of God whose eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze, gave reproof to the Church of Thyatira because it tolerated the woman Jezebel who called herself a prophetess. He told the church to repent. This letter of the Lord provides a good lesson to the churches and believers who live perfunctory Christian lives and compromise with the world.
1. I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.
When a man commits sin in the sight of God, a punishment doesn't come upon on him right away. Either by the word preached from the podium, or by the work of the Holy Spirit, God gives him many opportunities to realize his sin, repent and turn back. However, if his heart is still hardened and if he doesn't turn back, a punishment will come down on him through Satan's accusation. It starts with a light punishment, but more and more severe punishments will be given.
When the children of God avoid the will of God, the Holy Spirit mourns. They will lose the peace in their hearts and feel afflicted. Also, God gives various signs so that they can realize it. When they still do not realize it, however, God allows punishment to come upon them. They get hurt, get a disease or have an accident. They may have a problem in the family or business. They may encounter financial loss.
In Hebrews 12:8 we find that since we're children of God, God disciplines us and gives us chances to turn back when we stray from the truth. If there is no punishment after we commit sin, it means we have nothing to do with God. It is indeed a more fearful thing than punishment.
Therefore, when we are punished because of our own sin, we should not become disheartened or give up. Instead we should take it with thanks from the depth of our heart, and turn back as quickly as possible. Then, the God of mercy and grace will forgive us. He will save us from tribulation.
2. I will throw her on a bed of sickness and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation.
In general, a bed makes people feel relaxed and comfortable. But this bed in the scripture is a place where Jezebel does detestable things. It is a place disregarded and averted by God. Thus, the expression 'throwing on a bed of sickness' means that the Lord will throw those who don't turn back, even though given a chance to turn back, into terrible tribulation.
Sometimes, evildoers seem to feel comfortable as long as the times of trial and tribulation don't come upon them immediately. Even if they might seem prosperous for a while, and appear to feel comfortable as if they were lying on a bed, however, once they cross over the limit of justice, they will instantly face judgment as written in Psalm 37:1-10. Sometimes, it seems that they don't face judgment during their lifetime, but live a peaceful life. But, they will eventually be thrown into the fire of eternal death in hell. They cannot be said to be prosperous.
The bed that Jezebel was thrown into might look comfortable to those who don't realize this fact so they may be led into temptation and together they will commit sins. To such people, the Lord says, "I will throw those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds." Here "great tribulation" means either the final punishment of not being saved and falling into hell or going through the Seven Years of Great Tribulation for those who see the Lord's coming.
3. I will kill her children with pestilence.
People like Jezebel and those who partake in her deeds will surely face judgment in justice. The word of warning, "I will kill her children" means punishment or tribulation will come in justice. It doesn't always mean that a punishment or a tribulation will come upon children. A husband or a wife may face the tribulation of suffering from financial trouble or disease.
God's justice will be revealed through such a judgment so that all the people will clearly realize that God searches not only the deeds but also the mind, will, and heart. Of course, before the tribulations come, God allows for us realize our fault through various means. He does so through dreams, or through unexpected encounters with people. So long as we have spiritual ears to listen to Him, we can feel that God searches out both heart and mind. (Ref: Proverbs 15:3 and Psalm 139:1-4)
God knows not only the words and deeds of each one, but also the heart. He knows even the deepest heart. We cannot hide a single look on our face that is filled with ill-feelings towards another person. Even one small deed of goodness that we did in secret will be clearly revealed on the Day of Judgment (1 Peter 3:10-12). Therefore, we should pay attention to the voice of God who searches our hearts and be awake so that we will not follow the teachings of Jezebel.
4. The rest who have not known the deep things of Satan
In the Church of Thyatira, 'the rest who do not hold this teaching' refers to the new believers who don't live by the word of God yet. They diligently listen to the word of God, yet they don't have faith strong enough to keep the word. Now, the Lord says that they have not known the deep things of Satan. In today's sense, it refers to those who remain in a religion that worships idols, but do not realize it is the work of Satan.
If we don't know laws, we may break them and we will be punished. The same applies to the spiritual realm. If we don't know the law of God, we may fall into Satan's temptation and break the law of God. Of course, even though we commit the same sin, depending on what level of faith we are in, the punishment will be different for different people.
For example, when both a beginner in faith and a man with a considerable measure of faith violate the Sabbath, the Lord's Day, the gravity of their sin is different. When a man of faith judges others and gossips, it's completely different from that of a new believer who doesn't know the truth yet. A man of faith surely knows that it's a great sin to judge and gossip about others; in such a situation it is he himself who becomes a judge. But if he still commits such a sin, then he will be all the more harshly accused by Satan (James 4:11).
Likewise, the spiritual realm has various depths. Depending on the depths, the work of Satan also varies. But new believers don't know about such a deep realm of spirit. That's why the Lord says that they don't know the deep things of Satan.
5. Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come
The members of the Church in Thyatira were at the lower level of faith; they didn't know the deep things of Satan, and their spiritual eyes were not open yet. They didn't have strength to practice the word of God. That's why they still loved the world even though they professed they loved God. They didn't lay aside the old self.
When we compare it to the stages of a man's physical growth, they were like a baby who still is fed with milk or porridge. That's why the Lord says to the Church in Thyatira, "I place no other burden on you." He told them to hold fast what they have until He comes as written in Revelation 2:25. The Lord doesn't ask them to reach a deeper spiritual level such as being sanctified and receiving power. He tells them to hold fast onto what they have now, the current level of faith, so that they can reach salvation.
But we must not misunderstand that we can just maintain the current level. If we become lazy and think, "It's fine now. I'll take a rest," it will be like ceasing rowing a boat that is going up-stream in a river. We will be just swept away by the flow of the current. Especially, since it is very close to the end time, if we have a lazy thought, wanting to maintain just the current level in our believing life, we must know that it will result in drastic retrogression.
6. He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations
The Lord gave a word of advice to the members of the Church of Thyatira, who had faith like little children. And then, He also gave a word of promise. He said, "He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations." Here 'To overcome' refers to defeating the enemy devil and Satan who are rulers of this world. In other words, it means casting away things of darkness, keeping the word of God that is truth, and living in the light.
Next, 'My deeds' refers to the works of the Lord. To keep His deeds means to please God by obeying the word of God as Jesus did and enlarge the kingdom of God by saving more souls.
The Lord says, "To him I will give authority over the nations." This is to rule over the enemy devil which has authority to rule the nations of this earth.
God gave Adam the authority to rule over all things as recorded in Genesis 1:28. But Adam was tempted by Satan to disobey God, and Adam's authority was handed over to the enemy devil and Satan (Luke 4:5-6).
The enemy devil and Satan cannot apply such authority to those who overcome, that is, those who resemble God by living in the word of God that is the truth. Jesus came to this earth. He was crucified on the cross. When He resurrected on the third day of His burial, He broke the authority of death. Therefore, those who accept Jesus as their Savior are set free from the authority of the enemy devil and receive the right to become children of God (John 1:12).
After they become the children of God, they must not befriend the darkness that is under the authority of the enemy Satan, but live by the word of God that belongs to the light. This is to overcome and to keep the deeds of the Lord. They defeat the enemy devil and Satan and live in the light.
But the devil, by all means possible, tries to hinder us from living in the truth so that we will fall into the world again. The devil plants doubt in us so that we cannot have faith. It makes us love the world more than God. It makes us pursue the worldly trends rather than the will of God.
To drive away the works of enemy devil and Satan, we have to be filled with the Holy Spirit through fervent prayer. Also, we must receive strength from above, get rid of every form of evil and live by the word of God. No evil man will touch God's children who become sanctified as said 1 John 5:18. The more completely we live by the word, the more power and authority we will be given. Then we will easily rule over the enemy devil and Satan, the ruler of the world.
7. He shall rule them with a rod of iron.
Here a rod of iron refers to authority and the vessels of the potter over mankind who are created of dust from the ground. 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces' refers to the authority of God who judges. Originally, the first man that God created was a living spirit. He was a noble being who was created in the image of God. But his spirit died because of sin, and he became a child of the enemy devil. He became nothing more than the vessel made of clay. Therefore, 'breaking the vessels of potter' means breaking those who don't live by the word of God, but belong to Satan. They will finally be judged and forsaken.
Through John 12:48 we know that those who did not receive the word of God will be judged according to the word of God on the Last Day. But those who put the word of God in their hearts, overcome, and keep the deeds of the Lord will receive the authority of the light that breaks the authority of the enemy devil and Satan. Just as the Lord says, "As I also have received authority from My Father", we will receive authority.
'The morning star' is the brightest of all stars, and it refers to the Lord. Therefore, 'giving him the morning star' means, just as God loves and recognizes the Lord, He will recognize as a son and love those who live by the word and defeat Satan.
When we cast off every form of evil, and diligently live by the word of the Lord, then our character will resemble the Lord's and we will become a man of spirit. Then we become holy and perfect just like Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and we will be recognized as a true son of God. But if we don't live by the word of God and lose to the devil, we will not be given the morning star. We won't be recognized as a child of God, and eventually cannot be saved.
The Church of Thyatira did not have this inner growth. They stayed at a level of a child in faith. They were not able to receive the promise of rewards in the heavenly kingdom. They received only the promise of salvation. We must not become like the members of the Church of Thyatira.
Ephesians 4:13 says, "Until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ." I pray in the name of the Lord that you will grow up continually to become churches and believers who are able to please God.
Peru United Crusade with Dr. Jaerock Lee who delivered the love of the Lord in Latin America
Peru's former President Alejandro Toledo invited the Crusade's Speaker, Dr. Jaerock Lee, to his president residence and had conversation with him.
2004 Peru United Crusade was held in 'Campo De Marte' Park, Lima in Peru with Speaker Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee. Attendance was estimated at five million people. The healing works of various kinds of diseases including AIDS were broadcast in Latin America.
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