Revelation of Jesus - Church of Thyatira
The book of Revelation holds the most important message for Christians and Christian Churches. It is the only book in the bible that holds a blessing to those who read it. So, please - read it! Rev1:3 "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." I am focusing on Revelation chapters two and three, on the character of the churches.
The message to the churches follows a specific form:
- Jesus presents himself in a certain way
- Jesus states what makes the church unique
- Jesus criticizes the church for something its doing wrong
- "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches"
- Jesus promises a unique gift to some of the churches
It is a ritual that repeats seven times with minor variation that Jesus is preforming as High-priest. We need to understand every part in order to understand the meaning of the whole message.
Thyatira
Rev2:18-29
Thyatira was a city located east of Pergamos. It was a merchant city that specialized in dyeing in purple. Purple cloth was expensive and sought after by the wealthiest of Romans. The name Thyatira is of uncertain origin. It may be a corrupt spelling for θυγατέρα tugatera - daughter, renamed by King Seleucus I when he heard his wife had given birth to a daughter. Before that it was called "Pelopia".
To Thyatira Jesus presents himself as "the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass". Son of God is the way Angels were presented in the Old testament while Christ often prefers to be called the Son of Man. We know Jesus is both Human and Divine - which makes him a unique being in all of creation. Here however he seems to be emphasizing his divinity. Flaming eyes tell us that Jesus sees our spirit.
The word translated "fine brass" is a compound word chalkalibano from chalkos - hallowed out (a chasm) but also brass- and libanon - frankincense. The feet are a symbol of sin because feet carry you through the world and eventually they pick up every piece of dirt imaginable that you end up carrying with you everywhere you go. I think the two words here combined are telling us that no sin whatsoever was in him, if you try searching Jesus for sin you would be staring at an empty void and the second part - frankincense symbolizes life and holiness which describes what you would find in him. Lets look back to Rev1:15 for just a few added details "And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters." His feet are burning just like a censer, a brass incense burner filled with frankincense - this represents the baptism of spirit and the second part represents spreading the gospel and the baptism of water. The final point that we can hammer in here - our feet are associated with sin and yet his feet are so holy we would get baptized with the holy spirit just by touching them.
Thyatira is described as having works, love, service, faith, endurance and works again. This church has latter works (faith and endurance) more than the former (love and service). Perhaps it is because of this lack of first works that the Church unwittingly allowed for Jezebel to corrupt their neighbors?
Jesus scolds this church because it tolerates Jezebel to call herself a prophetess, to teach idolatry and to seduce to fornication. Jezebel is a Hebrew name, a compound of words iy- translated as "island" or "what?" and zebul- "dwelling". It is also the name of the Zidonian princess who married Ahab, King of Israel. She killed many prophets of God and spread Baal worship. She met a very gruesome end as dog food.
Jesus wants Jezebel to repent but she does not. Because of that he promises to throw her in a bed with all her fuckers and make them suffer greatly except if they repent -they need to realize that she's evil and what they're doing with her is evil. Jesus will kill her children (followers) with death, and the churches will know that Jesus knows every dirty little secret and gives to each his just reward. Those people that have not studied and practiced in Jezebel's school for satanists won't be punished, but I believe that many in the church will be surprised at how many Satanist infiltrators there are in the Church. Those who overcome the onslaught of Jezebel and keep Jesus's works will receive a rod of iron to rule the nations and to break earthen vessels. And also the morning star. The rod of Iron is a weapon and I believe the earthen vessels are human bodies. Jesus promises the power to destroy cities - possibly nations to those who don't fall for Satan's lies.
Thyatira was a community where cloth was being produced so it is not that strange to see women in the position of wealth and power. The doctrine of Jezebel is Satanism masking as feminism. Under the guise of "equal rights" for women many terrible practices have been accepted like support for abortion, homosexuals, transgenders, feminizing of men and anything from desexualising to hypersexualising women themselves. All of the above beliefs and their variations destroy the value of a person and place oneself as well as the community in a state of confusion and disassociation from reality. This state is where Satan works his magic - by encouraging these individuals and groups and reinforcing their negative values the suckers get a short boost in self-esteem and Satan gets new puppets to corrupt more people with, as well as more tools to apply political pressure and to manipulate public opinion. In the end all this will not be for the benefit of individuals or communities but for their own destruction. Equality doesn't come from supporting whims of people, it comes from repenting from evil and living by the word of God.
Please post your comments below, I'd like to hear your take on this.