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Revelation 5

Hope you all have been peaceful during the past week in Christ Jesus. Today we’ll continue studying the word of Revelation our Lord personally appeared to and showed the ApostleJohn.  Apostle John also testified, Revelation 1:3 (KJV) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.  The book of Revelation speaks not only of what is to come, but also of what has happened in the 2,000 years of the present church age, and through this it is a blessing for us to repent and correct as we examine the appearance of modern day churches.

So far we have studied about the churches of Ephesus andSmyrna. Today we’ll study about the third church, the church ofThyatira. As a review, the letters to these seven churches not only show us the appearance of the Church in the past 2,000 years, but also the Church of the end times in which we now live, and it teaches us not only the events of the past, but also the things of now and what is to come. Blessed are those who realize this today. Today we are studying from 2:18, and the word Thyatira means fragrance of pain. This church is historically from 500 to 1000 AD. However, this is a church that has been subjected to tremendous persecution that cannot be compared to before. For example, the underground churches in China have suffered immensely, and  millions of people have been martyred. As the name says, the church gives off fragrance of pain. It can be said that in the midst of suffering, the fragrance of Christ is manifested in the whole church.  As I read chapter 2:18-29, I hope you will be blessed by reading along. Revelation 2:18-29 (KJV) 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; 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. 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. 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. 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. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The Lord’s presence in the church of Thyatira is not the weak and fragile Jesus Christ of His first coming. His eyes are as flame of fire, and his feet as brass, the son of God. He is the Lord of judgment. Those who reject it must be judged. That’s why the Lord said, “When the Spirit of Truth comes, He will reprove the world, but first he will reprove sin.” John 16:9 (KJV) Of sin, because they believe not on me; All sins are imputed to the body of the Lord, and whosoever believes is forgiven and cleansed at that moment from the curses of the law and judgment. But those who do not believe in this Lord deserve judgment. If someone died for me during my short time on earth, how could I forget that person for rest of my life? How could I betray that person? Wouldn’t it be a  duty to speak about that person’s unforgettable grace for rest of my life?  God, the Creator, came in the form of a human being, took all the sins of the world, past, present, and future, imputed all the sins of this world unto His own body, went down to hell, threw those sins into the deep sea, into the river of no return, and came back up. Those who do not know the grace of the Lord that He came and removed our sins as far away as the East is from the West, and those who do not believe in this even though they know it, should they not deserve judgment? That is why Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth. He gives grace. But those who do not receive that grace are judged according to the word of justice according to the word of truth. This world has also has laws. Those who obey the law receive grace. Protected by the government. But those who don’t are subject to punishments. In today’s text, a woman named Jezebel, a self-proclaimed prophetess committed fornication and made God’s servants eat the sacrifices made to idols. She was given the opportunity to repent of her fornication, but because she and the adulterers had not repent of their deeds, she would be turned over to the Great Tribulation. Now, who is Jezebel? How did this woman commit fornication and what idol sacrifices did she offer? It should be a time for us to realize through the Word. That is why especially in the Dark Ages, Between 500 and 1,000 AD, many Christians and Jews were horribly killed by the Roman Catholic Church. In Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, we see in detail how many people were martyred during that time and how many were sacrificed by these descendants of Jezebel, by those who served the Babylonian religion, by those who served the sun gods, by such a religious group that worshiped idols. If you were seen just carrying the Bible, or even reading the Bible, the catholic priests would nail them to wooden crosses, torturing and killing them in various atrocious ways. These gruesome pictured details exposing historical facts are contained in the pages of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs. This book served as a historical textbook in American public schools. Its use was banned by the Roman Catholic Church. Only few people know this because it was taught a very long time ago. It was during this age that the Church of Thyatira, Jezebel, and this idol-worshiping group serving the Babylonian religious sun god destroyed the church, and Mary was deified. This Mary they serve is not the real Mary, but the queen of heaven found in Book of Jeremiah. They created the deified version of the Queen of Heaven to Mary. This was when Mary was deified. Their version of the Trinity claims Mary is above God because Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ and Jesus is God. We’ve got to  know this correctly. As such, the Lord appeared in the form of judgment. Again in verse 20, Jezebel is mentioned for reproach, right? Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab of Israel written in the book of Kings. She was a prophetess and a religious leader. In particular, they worshiped the sun god Baal, the worship object of Babylonian religion, along with the queen of heaven, the maidservant of Baal. People who serve Baal will worship the sun god from 11:00 am to around 12:00 pm. That’s about the time when the sun comes over  the head right?  Some call it high noon.  We see many images of the sun god while driving through Mexico. It is spread all over the world. Through this, we can see that the descendants of Jezebel, who worshiped Baal in the past, are still worshiping the sun god all over the world. In Revelation 17 and 18, God warns to come out of this crowd and out of these religious groups. What can we tell them? The Word of God gives each of us this message. Let’s read Revelation 17:3-6. I hope you will realize it as you read these words. Revelation 17:3-6 (KJV) So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

There’s a woman. A harlot. Her name is Mystery, Babylon the Great. There is nothing new in this world. Ancient Babylon is still here. Babylonian religion is now deeply embedded in Christianity. We must understand this well. Blessed are those who understand. Here we see the harlot drinking the blood of martyrs. As we well know, the Church of God, which believes in Jesus Christ, is the virtuous bride of Christ. However, the harlot is not one with Jesus Christ, but this adulterous woman has become one with the Antichrist. Therefore, the nation of Israel was also a woman before God. That is why the Lord said I, Jehovah, am your husband. We can see from here that the relationship between God and man is spoken of as a relationship between husband and wife. According to these words, the number of Christians and Jews martyred during this period reached a whopping 60 million. Can you guys imagine how much blood has been shed from 60 million dead? Who killed them? The Roman Catholic Church. This period is the darkest period in the history of Christianity and is called the Dark Ages.

May we hear the words spoken in Revelation 18:1-4 and about this woman, and may we all hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. As we read earlier in verse 29, Revelation 2:29 (KJV) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Revelation 18:1-4 (KJV) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

This is the scene of the fall of Babylon the Great. At the end of the tribulation, Babylon the Great will finally fall. It is a dwelling place of demons, a den of unclean spirits. It is a den of filthy detestable birds. But all the nations were drunk with the wine of the wrath of her fornication. When the Antichrist appears in the coming great tribulation, she is the false prophet, a woman who plays such a role in bringing all nations to fornication. I hope that you will realize this very woman in the words. Few people now know that the Roman Catholic Church is a twentieth-century reproduction of the Phoenician Baal worshipers of the Hamitic people of North Africa. Many churchgoers don’t know, because they don’t study the Bible. Our Lord said, John 5:39 (KJV) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. The Bible must be read thoroughly. Because Satan the devil disguises himself as an angel of light, you will be deceived so if you do not read the Bible in detail. We can see that this devil tempted Christ Jesus with the word while he was on this earth. That is why we must read the Word in detail in order to distinguish this Satan well.That is why the Lord said in Revelation 2:24 (KJV) But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, {meaning they weren’t part of Babylon the Great.} and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

You must hold on to correct doctrine. You have to hold on to Jesus Christ only.That’s why the Lord said, Revelation 2:26 (KJV) And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:According to the Apostle Paul, those who maintained their pure faith to the end would come together with the Lord as He gives them the power to rule the nations with a rod of iron, even judgingthe angels. When the Corinthians brought the issues of the church to the courts of the world, Paul said, “are there no such wise in the church that they that judge even the angels?” It is a pity to see churches these days bring problems to the courts of the world. When everything is judged in the Word of God, and when we have the Word of God, we can see clearly what is right and wrong. But is there none of you that is so wise? “Do the children of God go to the world court system, and let the world judge God’s churches?” We can see the apostle Paul lamented this.

Revelation 2:29 (KJV) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. I hope you will hear the Holy Spirit speak to the churches at this hour. He gives grace to the humble in heart. When the heart is humble, the Lord opens the ears to hear him. In the old days, when the people of Israel became hardened in heart, God sent the prophet Isaiah 6:9-10 (KJV) And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Now is the time for us to truly humble ourselves and pray unto the Lord [I know nothing. I am still a sinner. have pity on me and open my eyes and ears so that I may understand your will.] God will give grace to those who pray like this. May the Lord give you this amazing grace.

Now let’s move on to the fourth church.  Moving on to chapter 3, you will find the Church of Sardis. Sardis is a type of church that existed from 1000 to 1500 AD. Sardis means red. As with the church of Thyatira, they continued to persecute the Christians. It is no exaggeration to say that the years between 1000 and 1500 were covered with the bloody footprints of numerous martyrs. It was during this era the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition, commonly known as Spanish Inquisition was established. And especially historically, the Huguenot Massacre and the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre have awarded medals to the  Roman Catholic Church members who have killed a great deal of unarmed Christians. The three greatest Christians in the history of the church at this time were Wycliffe, John Huss, and Savonarola. In particular, Wycliffe is well known forhis Missionaries. Wycliffe was burned at the stake for sole reason of having a Bible. Also, after he was burned at the stake, the Roman Catholics took out his remains and burned him again. The Bible says people can be killed, but the word of God is not bound. What is the Wycliffe Mission doing nowadays? Missionaries sacrificed 30 and 40 years in a country that has no language, creating a language, making a Bible, and build a church. Wycliffe was burned twice, but the word of God was not burned, as we witness his mission continuing to this day. As the Apostle Paul said in prison, 2 Timothy 2:9 (KJV) Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.  No matter how Satan interferes, as the true underground church members of China have said, “the gospel is the blood of the saints and the seed of God’s life. We can remember that the more Christians are killed, the more lives in their blood will be sown and the more people will be saved”. Let’s take a closer look at the Church of Sardis. Revelation 3:1 (KJV) And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.The name is alive, butit was dead. This is a dead church. There were only a handful of people living in the Roman Catholic Church in the name of Orthodoxy. There are people who have expressed it this way. Many churches today are like dying lungs where only a few cells survived and barely maintain life. True life is where few Spirit-filled people who keep the faith in the church that is becoming a living corpse. Look at your church, and you can see that very few people are filled with the Holy Spirit preach the gospel are treated as too fanatical.When I was street preaching in front of supermarket, I’ve heard people say that even the servants of the Lord have gone crazy. Isn’t the church a lifeline to save the dead? When Brother Yun, who recently founded an underground church in China, talked about how alot of Korean churches gather, hold many meetings, have many fellowships and pray well, but do not go outside. If a fishing boat does not catch a fish and only works internally, then what is the use of worship?  The church should shine toward the dying world and become fishers of people by throwing a line. Like the early church members, on the day of Pentecost, there were 3,000 disciples, not church members. Indeed, the disciples of the Lord, those who follow the Lord while denying themselves, who bear their cross and suffer to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ on earth, are the disciples of Jesus Christ and our Lord’s friends. What did He tell his disciples before He left this world? “You are my friends. I have told you every word I’ve heard of my father”. Three and a half years during His ministry, the Lord made them not only disciples but also friends. When Abraham obeyed the word of God, he said Abraham was His friend. What about you? Are you just a church member? Are you a selfish person who only wants to go to heaven when you die? Are you disciples who lead others to heaven? Furthermore,have you become a friend of Jesus Christ, now living a life of discipleship, being filled with the Word and continuing to obey the Word of God by unconditionally obeying the Word? We really need to look at ourselves at these last days. From 1000 to 1500 AD, there were few shining lights within the  Roman catholic church. As a church organization, it was dead. There were especially small groups. It was when these small groups, such as the Cathars, Huguenots, Waldensians, and Albigensians survived without being buried. Ok everyone, that will be all for today, we will continue to study about the church of Sardis next time. Let’s all bow our heads this time and take a look at ourselves. Am I truly living a life of vitality as members of the church? Am I giving life to others? John 7:38 (KJV) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This is the water of life that saves others. Am I saving others by preaching the gospel? Or Am I dying? The Lord said if you’re not attached to the vine, you will wither away, and eventually people will take it and burn it. Are you living a life like this, where everything spiritually is exhausted and there is no joy, no hope, no faith, and just going to church? Now is the time to wake up, pray, and repent. Only then will those around us  see us Christians and gain life. This is the fruit bearing life of a disciple. You can’t become a disciple through training programs. Disciples are those who go out and preach Christ. Jesus Christ died for your sins according to the scriptures. And he was buried and rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. If you accept this Jesus Christ, life will come in, you are born again, and you are saved forever. Everyone who preaches this word! As the Apostle Paul said, everyone who participates in the Lord’s Supper must proclaim the death of Christ until He comes. Anyone who participates in this ceremony unworthily is like eating and drinking in their own sins. Those who partake of the Lord’s Supper and do not proclaim the death of Jesus Christ are like those who eat and drink of their sins. Whenever we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we must keep this in mind. In 1 Corinthians 11, the word that the pastor always reads every time we eat the Lord’s Supper, the word that we must proclaim Jesus Christ. These are who participate worthy of it. This is the attitude of those who partake of the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let us pray.

Thank you Father God. As we heard about the Church of Thyatira and Sardis, we once again realize how dry and complacent we are. May your word teach us and correct us by the Holy Spirit so that we can truly become the churches that are awake and bear witness to the gospel of Christ in these final days of our modern Dark Age.  In the name of our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, Amen!