To the church in Thyatira
“The words uttered where not alone for John on the Isle of Patmos, they were not for the churches alone, but through these churches was to come the inspired message for the people, to have its powerful impression in every age to the close of this earth´s history.”[1]
“The application of the various messages to the seven churches to seven consecutive periods of church history naturally suggests the utility of a series of transition dates to facilitate the coordination of the several messages with their respective historical periods.”[2]
The historical period for this church is from 538-1798. The Thyatira period is characterized as the era of papal supremacy. In 538 Justinian´s decree of 533, according to the pope´s plenary ecclesiastical power in the East and the West, began to become effective.
Three horns were uprooted: Vandals (534). Ostrogoths (538). Visigoths (508).
The Ostrogoths´ control of Rome was lifted in 538. The 1,260-year prophecy of papal reign started in 538. (See my website www.ayin.dk Dan 11:14 for further details.).
Rev 2:18. And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, “These things says the Son of God, the one having eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like chalkolibanon (fine brass).
The eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like chalkolibanon (fine brass) refers to the text in Rev 1:14.15. and this in turn refers to the Son of Man Jesus Christ.
What do the eyes like a flame of fire mean?
Rev 1:14. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire. (This is Christ performing his daily work as priest in the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven. This flame of fire is related to judgement in the heavenly sanctuary).
Rev 19:12. His eyes were like a flame of fire. (This is Christ at the Second Coming with judgment upon the wicked).
Hebrews 1:7. And of the angels he says: “Who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire?” (This flame does not burn the angels up. This flame of fire is related to judgement).
Acts 7:30. And when forty years had passed, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. (The angel of the Lord is Christ who appeared to Moses at the burning bush. Ex 3:2. The flame did not burn up the bush.).
Dan 7:9. I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of days was seated; his garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame. (This is God the Father sitting in judgement and books were opened. The flame did not burn up the throne).
Judges 13:20. It happened as the flame went up toward heaven from the altar – the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. (The flame is related to the burnt offering on the altar).
Conclusion
The flame of fire is related to the priestly work of the daily in the sanctuary. It is also related to the judgment.
Rev 2:19.20. I know your works and love and faith and service and your endurance; and your last works are greater than the first. But I have against you, that you tolerate your wife Jezebel who she says to herself to be a prophetess and teaches and deceives my bondservants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
Who is Jezebel?
1 Kings 16:30.31. Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Echbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshipped him. (Ahab was the king of ten tribe of Israel. Jezebel did not come from Israel but from a heathen land north west of Israel where they worshipped the Baal god and not the creator God of the Bible).
What does it to commit fornication and eat things sacrificed to idols?
Acts 15:28.29. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourself from these, you will do well.
“Idolatry and fornication sometimes were related to pagan cults. As with the harlot priestesses of Aphrodite at Corinth and Paphos, prostitution was part of idolatry. The man who indulged himself in the temple thereby expressed his supposed faith in the goddess thus worshipped. The sin of fornication was permissible and even routine thing to the pagan.”[3]
Rev 2:20 says that you tolerate your wife Jezebel. Christ is stating that the majority in the church in Thyatira, were married to an apostate woman representing a false prophetess and false teachings. This is the opposite to the Bible teachings that believers are married to Christ. E.g.
Rev 19:7-9. The marriage of the Lamb to all believers in Christ.
Jeremiah 3:14. “Return, O backsliding children,” says the Lord, “for I am married to you.” (this is God speaking to Israel).
Isaiah 61:10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels.
The opposite of being married to Christ is spiritual fornication. E.g.
Exodus 20:3. You shall have no other gods before me.
Ezekiel 16:15-34. The people of Jerusalem commit fornication and play the harlot and worship other gods.
Rev 14:8. And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” (The fallen Christian churches of the world have taught the people to believe in other gods of statues and saints teachings not related to the Bible).
Rev 17:1.2. The great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (The fallen Christian churches of the world have taught the people to believe in other gods of statues and saints and teachings not related to the Bible).
Rev 17:4. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of her abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. (The fallen Christian churches of the world have taught the people to believe in other gods of statues and saints and teachings not related to the Bible).
Rev 19:2. For true and righteous are his judgments, because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants shed by her. (The fallen Christian churches of the world have taught the people to believe in other gods of statues and saints and teachings not related to the Bible).
Fornication is related to Babylon in the book of Revelation: all the churches who do not obey the ten commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ; instead the fallen Christian churches of the world have taught the people to believe in other gods of statues and saints and teachings not related to the Bible.
Conclusion of Rev 2:19.20.
The wife Jezebel in relation to the church of believers worldwide. They are the apostate church who believe in false teachings not in the Bible. True believers are married to Christ, but false believers are married to Jezebel worshipping other gods. The apostate church has shed the blood of God´s servants.
Many of these events happened during the Dark Middle Ages from 538-1798, when the papacy symbolized with Jezebel ruled the church.
Rev 2:22. Behold I am throwing her into a sickbed, and the ones committing adultery with her into great tribulation, if they do not repent of their works.
This great tribulation occurred over the whole of Europe during the Middle Aged from 538-1798. The majority of the people lived in servitude to their Lords and master and to the papacy.
Rev 2:23. And her children I will kill by death. And all the churches will know that I am the One searching the kidneys and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
Her children refer to the children or converts of Jezebel symbolized by the papacy ruling in the Roman Catholic church all over Europe. The killing of her children may refer to the bubonic plagues that killed many millions in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Rev 2:24. But I say to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I am not putting on you any other burden.
To the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, would refer to the Reformers during the Reformation error of 1500-1600, e.g. John Wycliffe, John Huss, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli etc.
Rev 2:25. Only what you have, hold fast until I shall come.
This text seems to imply that Christ would have come during the time of the Reformation. That is if all the Reformers and Protestant Christians had done their work in proclaiming the gospel to all the world.
Rev 2:26.27. And the one overcoming and keeps my works until the end, I will give authority over the nations. And he shall shepherd them with an iron rod; like vessels of clay they shall be smashed.
What does “I will give authority over the nations. And he shall shepherd them with an iron rod; like vessels of clay they shall be smashed” mean?
Rev 12:5. She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
Rev 13:7. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. (The papacy was granted to make war with the saints and overcome them. The papacy also had the authority to enforce their teachings over every tribe, tongue and nation).
Rev 14:6. Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth – to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people. (This text stating tribe and tongue is related to the preaching of the everlasting gospel).
Rev 16:19. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. (Nations in this text are related to spiritual Babylon which receives the wrath of God).
Rev 17:15. Then he said to me, “The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” (The nations and tongues are related to false believers in God).
Rev 18:3. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. (The kings of the earth have believed in the harlots false church´s teachings and the merchants symbolized by the false church´s priest and preachers have become wealthy by her luxuries).
Rev 18:23. (Babylon). For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived.
Rev 19:15. (Jesus Christ). Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (The rod of iron is related to judgment upon the unbelievers in God).
Conclusion
The Reformers are the ones overcoming during the Reformation. The iron rod is a symbol of judgment upon all unbelievers both kings and merchants, priests and preachers in the false churches e.g. Roman Catholic etc. This judgment takes place at the Second Coming of Christ. Why? By the priests and preacher’s sorcery of their false teachings they have deceived all kings and nations. Hence, the nations have drunk the wrath of the false church’s fornication.
Rev 2:28.29. As I also have received from my Father, I will give to him the morning star. The one having an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
What is the morning star?
Rev 22:16. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. (Christ is the Archangel. Jude 9. 1 Thess 4:16).
Job 38:7. The morning stars sang together. And all the sons of God shouted for joy. (Morning stars refers to angels in this text. Rev 1:20).
Conclusion
Morning Star refers to an angel or the Arch Angel Christ.
Endnotes
[1] Ellen G. White, Ellen G. White Diary 1888, 779.3 (Washington D.C.: December 27, 1890).
[2] Francis D. Nichol, Edit., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7 (Washington D.C.: Review & Herald Pub., Assoc., 1957), 752.
[3] Francis D. Nichol, Edit., The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol 6 (Washington D.C: Review & Herald Pub., Assoc., 1980), 312.