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Chosen no: R-388 c, from: 1882 Year. |
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The Seven Churches.
THYATIRA.
Rev. 2:18-29.
"And to the Messenger of the Congregation in Thyatira
write."
It is claimed that the name Thyatira
means "sweet savor of labor." We think it applies to the first part
of the period during which the church was said to be in the wilderness; the
time also in which the papacy was in power. It would thus cover the period
during which the true church, purified by persecution, relieved of its ordinary
load of lazy dead-heads, and untrammeled by the class who always choose the
popular side, was fully harnessed and faithfully laboring in the Lord's work. Many
evidently had more zeal than knowledge, but they were faithful to the light
they had. "These things sayeth the Son of God."
This is a more emphatic declaration
of who the speaker is, than in any previous message. It was necessary. A
usurper had arisen, who, as foretold by Daniel, had "a mouth speaking
great things." Claiming to be the Vicar of Christ, he assumed to speak as
the mouth-piece of God.
Our Lord here announces himself as
speaking through his written Word--his only authorized authority. This
declaration would call to mind the words of Paul: "If any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
"Eyes as a flame of fire."
Expressive of their piercing brightness. Despised and persecuted for the truth,
as the little faithful company were, by those who claimed to be the church of
God, it was a cheering thought to know that their exalted head "seeth not
as man seeth"; but "the Lord knoweth them that are his." "His
feet are like to polished brass." The description here is very like that
of the spiritual being seen by Daniel [10:6]: "Eyes as lamps of fire, and
his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass." This metal was
perhaps the most useful and enduring known to the ancients. It seems as if he
would say to them: Fear not in [R389 : page 1] all
your terrible journey of 1260 years in the wilderness, lo! I am with you; we
shall walk together; I will be your companion and guide. "I know thy
works, and thy love and faith and service and patience, and thy last works are
more than the first." This is generous praise, and shows the Lord's
appreciation of the faithful labors of the true church of this period. The
language is quite similar to that used in addressing the first church, with the
apparent recognition that works of Thyatira were even more abundant than those
of Ephesus. "But I have against thee that thou sufferest the woman
Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and seduces my
servants to commit fornication, and to eat things offered to idols."
The Bible is a wonderful book. We
find in it a faithful record of human history, and many curious events,
sometimes so strange as to be almost or quite disbelieved by the natural man. Various
attempts have been made to prove the Bible unhistorical; that while it taught
spiritual truths, it was not intended to teach history, science, etc., and was
in those directions entirely unreliable. The light of modern research and criticism
is fast scattering such infidelity, and proving, day by day, the antiquity and
reliability of the Book of books. Not only is its historical and scientific
truthfulness shining out clearly, but there also appears a strangely deeper
vein of truth which seals its supernatural origin, by revealing the astonishing
fact, that that history was a living, speaking, prophetic pantomime --a
prophecy acted out in type by living characters. Even their faults and misdeeds
faithfully noted (to the disgust of some over-particular people) being
apparently necessary to fill up the anti-type.
The history of Elijah, and his
relations with Ahab and Jezebel, is one of these prophetic pictures, seen not
in vision, but in real characters. As this type is familiar to many of our
readers, and will be treated fully soon for the benefit of all, we only take
space to note a few of the prophetic features.
Jezebel, as the nourisher and
protector of the prophets of Baal, is the type of the Papal Church, the mother
of abominations. 1 Kings 18:19; 2 Kings 9:22. Ahab, her husband, the king of
Israel, represents the kings or kingdoms of Europe who committed spiritual
fornication with the "mother church."
The Elijah of Malachi 4, is
evidently the Gospel church in its militant condition, and which must be fully
come--filled up. Rom. 11:25-- before the trouble spoken of can fairly begin,
seeing that they assist in pouring out the plagues. The three-and- a-half years
of drouth and famine foretold by Elijah (during which he was miraculously fed)
were typical of the three-and-a-half "times" or symbolic years of
spiritual drouth and famine foretold by Amos (8:11), during the combined reign
of the Babylonian Jezebel and her kingly paramours.
[R389 : page
2]
If we compare Dan. 7:25; 12:7, with Rev.
11:2,3,9,12, and 12:6,14, we will find that they measure the same length of
time. In symbolic language a "time" is composed of twelve months, of
thirty years each (a day thus symbolizing a year). A symbolic year is 360
literal years, and 3-1/2 of these years, or 3-1/2 times 360 is 1260. Also 42
months multiplied by 30 days to a month is 1260 symbolic years. There is
abundant proof that this is the way God intended us to calculate symbolic time.
We thus see that the flight of the
true children into the wilderness, from the face of the false church during
1260 years, while the harlot reigned a queen, and lived deliciously with the
kings of earth, was clearly foretold in Elijah's flight from the face of
Jezebel, and the 3-1/2 years of famine. 1 Kings 19:3, also 17:1--with Luke 4:25.
The description of Jezebel in this
message exactly fits the teaching of Rome. "To eat things offered to idols."
How could the Pagan ideas taught by the Papacy, and clung to by Protestantism,
be better described? The natural immortality of all men, as first taught by the
most beastly of idolaters--the Egyptians--the eternity of sin; and, worst of
all, the character of God so degraded that no heathen monstrosity ever invented
by pagan priest-craft could compare with it. Instead of a loving Father, a
vindictive Giant, kind indeed to his followers [are not the heathen so?], but infinitely
cruel to, not his enemies alone, but also to those who, never having heard of
him, could neither like nor dislike him. True, we were told that he--or rather
his Son--was love personified; but this idea was so mixed up with the hideous
doctrine of "eternal torment" that the result was Babylon [confusion].
"She teaches and seduces my servants to commit fornication."
Churches are continually typified in
the Scriptures by women, so the teaching alluded to is the following and union
with some of the daughters of Babylon. So successful has been this seduction
that Protestants generally would rather associate with an immoral member of an
orthodox church, or a member of the body of anti-Christ, than a faithful and
consistent Christian, who has thrown off the fetters of sectarianism.
Rome has claimed to teach the
doctrine of "one church"; but the direct result of her teaching has
been the various creed-bound sects which still hold captive the spiritual Zion.
"And I gave her TIME that she might repent; and she willeth not to repent
of her fornication. Behold, I cast her into a bed, and those who commit
adultery with her into great tribulation [see Rev. 2:21,22] if they repent not
of HER works." [Sinaitic, Vatican, and Ephraim MSS., and other best
authorities: "HER WORKS."]
The time given for repentance must
date, we think, from the dawn of the light of the Reformation. Strange to say,
just about 365 years have passed away since Luther began to preach against the
errors of Rome. On the 31st day of October, 1517, he placed his ninety-five
theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. In a few weeks the theses were
known throughout Christendom, having been translated into several languages. This
is considered the beginning of the Reformation in Germany. Now, we see the force
of the language of our Lord in this message.
"I gave her [a] time that she
might repent." A "time," 360 years from the first clear rays of
light through Bro. Luther, brings us to the hour when our Lord said to the
nominal Gospel Church--as shown by the parallels--"Your house is left unto
you desolate." If we read the signs of the times aright they have already
entered the "affliction" promised. "And I will kill her children
with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he who searcheth the reins
and hearts; and I will give to you every one according to your works."
Rome, in the days of Thyatira,
endeavored to kill Thyatira's children with literal death; and the Lord cheers
them by the assurance that the reverse would finally take place; and that while
those who had imbibed that persecuting spirit of Jezebel would be stricken with
spiritual death [the anti-type of the 450 priests of Baal whom Jezebel fed, and
whom Elijah destroyed], she (all having the spirit of Thyatira) would receive
the glorious reward according to your works. This changed condition of things
will also reveal to "all the churches" who it is that is doing the
sifting work. "But to you I say: to the rest which are in Thyatira, as
many as have not this teaching; who know not the deep things of Satan (as they
say); I put upon you no other burden; but that which ye have, hold fast till I
come."
It will be noticed that there is a
peculiarity in the use of the expression "deep things." There are
apparently certain ideas which "they" call deep things [of God] which
our Lord calls by their proper name: "deep things of Satan."
When we speak to a certain class
about God's dealings with mankind, and of the justice [?] of consigning the
ignorant to everlasting misery, as imputed to our heavenly Father, we are at
once told that we cannot fathom God's purpose in allowing all this sin and
misery; that he has not revealed his plans; that our reasonings are mere
speculation, the whole matter belongs to the "deep things" of God,
which he has not revealed. "Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard,"
etc.; not knowing that Paul continues: "but God hath revealed them unto us
by his spirit."
Although knowing that anti-Christ
has loaded "Our Father's" name with odium, and his character with
infamy, they still persist in asserting that it is not our business to attempt
to clear him; he will do that himself on the day of judgment, when, according
to their theology, it will be too late to do anybody any good.
We, who see the plan of the ages,
might be content to wait; but we have a right to expect that those who believe
that the world is now on probation should do all in their power to place God's
character and dealings in a proper light before the world. We would be ashamed
to treat an earthly friend so, how much more the "friend above all
others"? Thank God we have not learned this "voluntary
humility."
"I love to tell the story,
Because I know it's true."
[R390 : page
2]
To the faithful laborers in Thyatira
he lays no other "burden." He began his message by commending them
for their "works" and "service." He ends by telling them to
patiently carry this burden, holding fast what they have "till I
come." We think we know some still living who have the Thyatira spirit. "And
he that overcomes, and he that keeps my works until the end, to him will I give
authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the
vessels of a potter are they dashed to pieces, as I also have received of my
Father."
The promise to the overcomers of the
Thyatira age is peculiarly appropriate. Rome, the false church, was at this
time in the height of her glory, claiming to be the kingdom of God; that
Christ's reign had begun-- through his vice-gerent, the Pope. Claiming, of
course, the promises given to those who reign with Christ, she did literally
rule the nations with a rod of iron, dashing in pieces whom she would.
The type (in a sense) of the iron
rule and great power of the true kingdom was thus signified [made signs of--shown
by signs--Rev. 1:1] before their eyes; making even their terrible persecution a
reminder of the glory and power they were called to inherit. "And I will
give him the morning star."
These who would continue to
"work" in harmony with God's plan (which they could only do by
walking in the light of present truth), are promised not only increasing light,
but advanced light--as if before it was due; also the first sure proof of
"Day Dawn," and of the approach of the glorious Sun of Righteousness
who shall rise--not to bring DARKNESS, (Is John 1:9fulfilled?)--not to destroy,
but with healing in his wings. "The leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations." "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
saith unto the churches."
W. I. MANN.
W.T. R-388 c : page 1 – 1882 r.