Are You Holding Fast to the Word of God?

“But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.” (Revelation 2:25)

Jesus is going to come eventually and execute judgment on this world’s spiritual condition. To you in spiritual Thyatira, don’t eat those false testimonies that are sacrificed to the selfishness of idolatry, and don’t commit spiritual fornication. And don’t allow that false prophetess Jezebel Church to teach you and seduce you. Be true to Jesus and his word!

“…hold fast till I come” is taught to us many places in the Word of God:

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-24)

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” (2 Thessalonians 2:15)

In this last scripture above the Apostle Paul taught them to “hold” to what they had been taught “whether by word, or our epistle.” In the Thyatira Church age, and today, we don’t have the opportunity to have the Apostle Paul teach us directly, so we must depend upon holding fast to the written word we have left to us in the epistles that are contained within the Bible. Yes, Jesus requires and emphasizes our need to “hold fast” to the Word of God, if we are going to be his. Holding fast means being obedient to the Word, not just tucking the Bible closely under our arm and talking about it. We need to obey and live it faithfully, without the disobedience of sin!

“Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Titus 1:9-16)

In Thyatira already there had been many gainsayers “Whose mouths must be stopped!” The only way to stop them would be by holding fast to the faithful word. Holding fast to obeying the Bible is the sound doctrine that stops the mouths of those who would decieve. They can easily deceive when the only ones trying to teach the Bible are nothing more than unfaithful, fake Christians; because there is no “soundness” in claiming to love Christ if we can’t obey what he taught. Soundness comes by obeying and continuing to holding fast.

“But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;” (Hebrews 3:6-14)

Keeping confidence in God will keep you “holding fast.” The devil loves to have religious hypocrites hang around Church and preach the gospel. Why? So he can destroy every ounce of confidence in anyone taking hold and believing the Word of God. Hypocrites destroy confidence – therefore we are warned in this last scripture that “we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.” We must keep our eyes on Christ Jesus if we are going to “hold fast” because so many people have failed, and done much to destroy confidence.

“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:22-27)

We must not waver in holding fast. We must count God as faithful regardless of how unfaithful people around us may be. We must not become ashamed of holding fast because of what others say and do.

“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me…” (2 Timothy 1:12-15)

It is by the Spirit of God, and having the Holy Ghost within us that we will be able keep and hold fast to the truth of God’s word. This is why in the next Church age of Sardis Jesus severely warns them that they are almost completely dead – barely alive! What little spiritual life they left, they had better focus on strengthening it or they will lose that also!

“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. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Revelation 3:1-3)

As You Speak – What Comes Up From the Depths?

“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.” (Revelation 2:24)

The doctrine is what is taught from the depths of the heart. What is taught is not just by the mouth, but by what people do and the example that they live by. The doctrine that is being referred to here is the one taught by the false prophet spirit of Jezebel where one joins themselves to God’s people by a human relationship, (like Jezebel did in the Old Testament – see 1 Kings chapter 16 through 21) but they have an unfaithful relationship with Jesus Christ. Those who “join themselves” have something different coming up from the depths of their hearts.

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21-23)

What comes from the depths of your heart is what counts to Jesus. Jesus knows exactly what is in our hearts and he allows the difficulties and temptations of this life to show us exactly what is in our own hearts.

Jesus said that good things can come forth from us, when our hearts are right with him…

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39)

If we do not have the true Holy Spirit (the one that causes us to live pure and holy) then we may take on a false religious spirit, that claims to be the Holy Spirit. This is part of the false prophet spirit of Jezebel that Jesus refers to in Revelation 2:24.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

Because “inwardly they are ravening wolves” they have known the “depths of Satan” which becomes evident by what “they speak” – when they teach false seductive doctrines that they have mixed in with the Word of God. The end result is a different kind of Church with people who become like them: claiming to be Christian, but they still commit sin. Because they still have sin in their hearts, they must come up with new doctrines to teach that will distract from uncovering what is in the depths of their hearts: hatred, division, and strife.

“He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mark 7:6-7)

So I must ask you, what comes up from the depths of your heart? It will be known by what comes out of you. Jesus does not just want to clean up the outside, he wants to clean up the very depths of the desires of our heart – and he can, if we will humble ourselves to let him.

Have You Known the Depths of Satan, As They Speak?

“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.” (Revelation 2:24)

This final statement is addressed to a specific audience – those who have stood true to Jesus. Those who have not taken on the doctrine of “eating things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication” nor have taken part in the depths of Satan’s evil: having intimate relations with a spiritual Jezebel-harlot church condition.

“My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways. For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit. She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men. Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.” (Prov 23:26-33)

The spiritual city of Babylon represents this “strange woman” which is this spiritual Jezebel-harlot church condition that represents the “depths of Satan, as they speak.” It is the fellowship of their testimony – what “they speak.” By drinking and feasting on what “they speak” people become numb to the evil behind it due to how “flowery” or “sweet” their false testimony is presented. Like in Proverbs, she (Babylon) is associated with drunkenness later in Revelation chapter 17. The effect that this spiritual drunkenness has on people causes them to let down on their natural inhibitions and senses so that they give in to evil selfish desires.

“And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 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.” (Revelation 17:1-5)

It is a spiritual harlot condition where people claim to be saved and married to Jesus as the Church, yet they flirt with the sinful temptations of the devil and take pleasure in the evil the devil has to offer. Jeremiah the prophet also prophesied of Babylon in a way that agrees with this portrayal and still applies to spiritual Babylon today:

“Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.” (Jeremiah 51:6-9)

As stated above in Jeremiah and in Revelation 2:21, God has given her space to repent, and would have healed her of her fake Christian Church condition. But she would not repent, and consequently cannot be healed. It is time for any honest soul left there to “Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.” Do NOT take part with the “depths of Satan, as they speak.”

The final words of verse 24 to the true and faithful in Christ: “I will put upon you none other burden.” The burden he placed on the saints in Thyatira age was to not allow the false Church (Jezebel) condition and be seduced. If they would hold true to obey Jesus in this way, God was satisfied for that time. But a future time would come in a later Church age where God would expect more. He would expect them to not only avoid being seduced, but also to spiritually destroy and burn the false Jezebel condition by the full and clear preaching of God’s Word. This way people can see their need to come out and to come to the true Church of God, the faithful bride of Christ.

Jesus Searches the Heart and Reveals the Death of Sin

“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.” (Revelation 2:23)

As shown in the scriptures quoted in the earlier post “Are You Fellowshiping a Spiritual Harlot?” (1 Corinthians 6:15-20 and 2 Corinthians 6:14-18) God’s Word is judgment and wrath against a “mixed” spiritual relationship. He does not accept worship that also mixes with the spirit of half-hearted, insincere, so called “Christians.” He states “I will kill her children with death” or the children born of a false, unfaithful, religious relationship: a false fellowship, a false Church.

Sin is the death that spiritually separates us from a true relationship with God. When people become converted over to a Church that mixes falseness with the truth, and does not preach the plain message of complete deliverance from sin and from division in the heart, they then become the spiritual children of that Church. These are the children who die when the truth is preached and what is in the heart is revealed. They are revealed as being spiritually dead, because instead of repenting, they hold to their spiritual harlot mother, Jezebel – the false church. Consider the spiritual message against a false church in the following scripture:

“To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.” (Prov 2:16-19)

Jesus states that all the true church congregations will know and understand that He does not put up with a false Jezebel spirit church condition. Jesus will search the hearts and give each one the reward of the judgment message and eventual eternal damnation they deserve, if they will not individually repent and forsake the false religious condition.

“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.” (Revelation 2:23)

In the next Church age, Sardis, we see this judgment, and the resulting spiritual death coming to pass. Jesus describes the general condition in Sardis the way it really is:

“I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.” (Revelation 3:1)

Are You Fellowshiping a Spiritual Harlot?

“Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” (Revelation 2:22)

A bed

Jesus casts the false church organization “into a bed” of spiritual harlotry. How? By a true preacher exposing her (the false fellowship) to be what she is: a selfish, lusting after evil, harlot – not the pure bride of Christ! Everyone who is found fellowshiping her (having relations with her) feels the wrath and tribulation caused by a true angel/messenger preaching the truth and pouring out the judgment of the Word of God against this false condition. This also is God’s mercy, because they can come out from under the tribulation, if they will truly “repent of their deeds” and forsake sin and the false fellowship relationship.

“Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Cor 6:15-20)

You cannot fellowship a false religious system where people are not living holy and expect to stay holy yourself for long. Eventually you will be seduced by this harlot spirit, and you also will be claiming Christ and yet be having relations with the devil through some sin you will commit. The so-called “Christian” Church that is insincere will teach you that you can’t live any better. Therefore you’ll continue to live with sin in your life, yet she (your Church) will tell you “it’s OK – Christ still accepts you.” If you are married, would you accept that from your companion? If they committed adultery with someone else on a regular basis, and every time just said “forgive me, I just have to do it, but I still love you” would you believe their sincerity? Let us be honest with ourselves and with Christ whom we claim to be married to!

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (II Cor 6:14-18)

“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. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” (Revelation 18:4-5)

It does not matter what Church you claim to be part of (Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise), if they are not faithful, true, and living pure for Jesus, you are in the wrong Church! I would quickly flee from the wrath to come that is referred to in the next verse of Revelation 2:23.

Jezebel’s Space of Time to Repent of Fornication is Over!

“And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.” (Revelation 2:21)

The “her” that Jesus gave “space to repent of fornication” was that false Christian spiritual condition (Jezebel) that claims to be married to Jesus (claims to be his Church) but yet flirts and fornicates with evil and takes pleasure in mixing false doctrine with the pure teachings of Jesus. (See earlier posts of: “Should Jezebel Be Honored as a Queen and Prophetess?” and “Jezebel Kills True Prophets and Then Sets Up a False Communion“.)

Earlier in the Pergamos age, and now in Thyatira, a false church spirit has been noted as committing fornication with the Devil by mixing false teachings with the truth of God’s word, yet still claiming to be married to Jesus. The reason for this: for selfish personal gain, not because the church loved Christ first and was true to him. This is the spirit of a harlot, not the spirit of a pure, true to Jesus bride.

In Ephesians 5:22-33 we read and get clear understanding about how the true Church of God is a pure and true bride of Christ:

“Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

Because of people “leaving their first love” (as mentioned in an earlier post “Have You Left Your First Love?” on Revelation 2:4) the impure spiritual condition of flirting with sin and evil, false Christian (pagan like) practices eventually moved in amongst those claiming to be the Church. In spite of this, Jesus in his mercy has given people time to repent of playing church, and to return to him with all their heart. The Lord in the Old Testament also gave backslidden Israel and Judah the same opportunity to repent and return, but eventually the “space” of time to repent ran out:

“They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:1)

But in Thyatira, Protestantism in particular (and those in Catholicism) would not repent, but continued to “play around” with false teachings and the purposes and kingdoms of men. Jesus indicates that her space of time for offered mercy has run out.

“And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.” (Revelation 2:21)

“Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies.” (Jeremiah 51:8-9)

“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. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” (Revelation 18:1-7)

Next in Revelation 2:22 we shall see some of the judgment that is placed by Jesus upon those who continue to flirt and play around with spiritual Jezebel, spiritual Babylon, or Catholicism and Protestantism together – for they all essentially have the same spirit, that of claiming to be married to Christ, but they live unfaithful to the marriage vow of obedience, purity, and faithfulness.

Jezebel Has Daughters, and They Also Claim to Be Married to Christ

“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.” (Revelation 2:20)

The spirit of Jezebel (the false bride of Christ, the false queen, see post: “Should Jezebel Be Honored as a Queen and Prophetess?“) has daughters that are just like her.

 

In the Old Testament, Jezebel had a daughter named Athaliah. In a very unwise move, the good King of Judah, King Jehoshaphat attempted to “heal” the division between the Kingdom of Israel (whose King was the evil Ahab with his wife Jezebel) and the Kingdom of Judah (see 2 Chronicles 18:1-3). Jehoshaphat nearly lost his life in the process (see 2 Chronicles 18:28-32) and was rebuked by the prophet of God for what he did (2 Chronicles 19:1-3). But Jehoshaphat still unwisely tried to bring the two kingdoms closer together, in spite of the wickedness that existed in Israel. Jehoshaphat did this by using human relationships, rather than by requiring Israel to get their relationship right with God. Jehoshaphat had his son, Jehoram, marry the daughter of Jezabel, Athaliah. (See 2 Kings 8:16-18 & 25-27) This has been a common practice amongst earthly kingdoms throughout history.

The Kingdom of Israel already had been provided the means of “healing the relationship.” The true prophets of God (Elijah and Micaiah to name a few) had already been sent by God to Israel, and they had preached that Israel needed to repent fully from all false teachings and gods to serve the one true God. This is the only way to heal a spiritual relationship!

 

To bring about healing in a relationship, in love one must preach judgement against all sin, false doctrines, and false organizations, and then show people how to repent and get back to the full truth of God’s Word and Spirit. But Israel as a nation rejected this call to repentance. Consequently, Jehoshaphat should have left Israel alone since a human relationship can NEVER heal a spiritual relationship! (This is why the Bible instructs us in 1 Corinthians 7:39 to only seek a marriage with one who already has proven to be faithful and true in their relationship with the Lord.) The right way for Jehoshaphat to have helped “heal” the need would have been to have backed up the prophet Elijah’s and Micaiah’s messages and simply tell the Israelites (and their king and queen) to repent! Then any honest souls could have come out of that country (at Jehoshaphat’s invite and call) over to Jerusalem.

In time, Jehoshaphat’s plan of “human-engineered relationship healing” proved a disaster, not only to the family of Jehoshaphat, but also to the whole Kingdom of Judah! By Athaliah’s direct influence, the whole family of Jehoshaphat was nearly completely killed, and the true worship of God was supplanted with Athaliah’s worship which was according to Baalim: “For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.” (2 Chronicles 24:7).

This is exactly what the false spiritual queen, Babylon (false Churches claiming to be married to Christ), has done. So called “Christian” churches and their members have worked to kill the influence of holiness and those who live holy. This false queen Church has not only done this by herself, but also by those of her daughters (many false split-off churches) who also claimed to be married to King Jesus:

“And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” (Revelation 17:5)

The seduction of the spirit of Jezebel-Babylon is very great in the Thyatira age. The paganistic teachings of many gods and many religions to serve God, was bound up during the Pergamos age. Paganism had to hide under the covers of Roman Catholicism because the Gospel, preached originally by a true ministry, had clearly exposed the falseness of multiple gods and multiple ways to serve God. (So the Roman Catholic Church had to preach there was only one Church because the Word of God had already exposed the falseness of many churches/religions/gods. Roman Catholicism further hid the pagan teachings under the covers of their religious robes by giving the pagan gods new names that matched those of the Apostles, Mary, etc. and the actual pagan teachings they began to mix with that of Bible teaching.)

But in Thyatira, the Protestant age, the false Jezebel queen (and her many daughter churches) began again to promote the notion of many ways and doctrines to serve God by. They all claimed to be the bride, the Church, serving Jesus. But they now were promoting multiple ways of serving God without being completely delivered from sin – which is effectively what the spirit of Paganism is all about! Keeping people as sinners – never healing the relationship between them and God!

Today they are trying to heal the relationship by human relationships amongst churches (using the ecumenical movement). This will never solve the problem. First sin has to be completely repented of and forsaken to correct the relationship with God, by the blood of Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, can everyone be made one in Christ Jesus. Then, and only then, can the one Church be faithful and true to Jesus, and be accepted by Jesus as the true bride of Christ. The spiritual relationship must be corrected first!

Jezebel Kills True Prophets and Then Sets Up a False Communion

“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.” (Revelation 2:20)

Notice from the previous post “Should Jezebel Be Honored as a Queen and Prophetess?” it is the spirit of the “false prophet” of Protestantism (the “prophetess”) that carries the greater power of paganism’s deceit to seduce the saved into believing a lie. True Christians will only accept Jesus as their King, which is why the Pope inflicted so much persecution upon true Christians. But the false church, the one that claims to not have a Pope as king, claiming to be the Queen that is only married to King Jesus, has the greater seductive power against Christians. But just as Jezebel sought to kill the true prophets of God and set up her own false prophets, so the Jezebel spirit working in Protestantism seeks to kill the influence of true ministers and pastors and set up their own ministers and pastors that will do what they want.

• “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” (II Tim 4:3-4)
• “…Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? (during the days of Jezebel in the Old Testament) how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.” (Romans 11:2-3)

But the scriptures instruct us we need to have pastors after God’s heart:

“Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:14-15)

This is why the full burning light of the candlestick (God’s standout, one, free from sin, in love with him only, Church) must be brought back to the temple (to the worshiping heart of the individual, and the collective body of worshipers.) If you recall, this candlestick was “removed from its place” because of Ephesus not repenting of “leaving their first love.” (Rev 2:4-5) The candlestick provided the light in the temple so the priests could see to perform the worship service, which also included taking part of eating the shew bread. (Exod 25:23-30 & Lev 24:5-9) There were set together twelve loaves of this bread, representing the twelve tribes of Israel. This spiritually represents how we today are able to eat off one another’s experience and testimony.

“For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.” (I Cor 14:31)

This is part of our spiritual diet. Without the full light of the candlestick to see by, an enemy can bring in something else to eat (things sacrificed unto idols – people whose hearts are selfishly living for themselves and not as a true servant for Christ.) If a true worshiper eats of these false people’s experience and testimony, it will eventually kill them spiritually!

“I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils. Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?” (1 Cor 10:15-22)

The true communion was instructed by Christ to be done in “memory” of Him and his sacrifice. The intention to have all true Christians take part in this communion was for us to remember that we also are to take part in sacrificial living, just as Jesus did. But the pagan form of this communion is based in idolatry and “selfish” oriented communion. Idolatry communion does not represent a life of service and self sacrifice for Christ’s sake. People take part in so called Christian communion today, but still live selfishly for themselves with sin still a part of their lives. Idolatry communion was so selfish oriented that it was often done along with the act of fornication right during the worship service. Spiritually this is what false Christians do today, they take part in the communion while in their heart they still have sin and find selfish pleasure in what the Devil tempts them with – a spiritual relationship with Satan, impure and unfaithful to Jesus – a spiritual harlot condition!

At the sounding of the Gospel, many came out of the Catholic Church and got saved. But the Devil took advantage of the situation to have men gather many of these people to themselves, and not to Christ as the King. Men established new Churches. Some Churches they named after themselves, and others they named after some movement or principle teaching. When it would become apparent to enough people that these new Churches were also false, others would sound out the Gospel message to serve Jesus only. But eventually men would get lifted up again, and essentially another sect was all it became. Division, false doctrine, and many hypocritical, selfish members has been the norm and trademark of Protestant sects then and ever since. As already stated, there may have been, and still may be, some saved people still attending a Protestant sect due to a lack of knowledge and understanding about anything better. But when true saints get understanding, they leave in search of the one, true Church of God.

Should Jezebel Be Honored as a Queen and Prophetess?

“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.” (Revelation 2:20)

Jezebel – who was she? She was the wicked Old Testament wife of King Ahab, the King of Israel (see I Kings 16 – 21, and II Kings 9.) By the time of the writing of the Book of Revelation she had been dead approximately 1000 years. Consequently, this verse is not speaking of a specific person, but rather the spiritual condition that this person represents and how she operated. Notice the resulting effect of this spiritual influence of “Jezebel” – the same result that occurred in the previous Church age of Pergamos: “to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”

But notice that in the previous Pergamos age that there were some who held to the “doctrine of Balaam” and the “doctrine of the Nicolaitanes.” They needed to repent of both false “doctrines” to overcome. In the Thyatira age we don’t just have a false doctrine, but we also have a highly respected and honored “teacher” – a wicked pagan woman who has (in the minds of many) worked herself into the position of being the queen of the King of Israel (like she did in the Old Testament.) In the Old Testament the queen was, next to the King, the highest place of human honor amongst the people of God. In Thyatira she is professing to be a “prophetess” and is being allowed to even “teach” Jesus’ servants, and thereby “seduce” them into evil relationships, and even idolatry. Spiritually she is being highly honored by men and women as if she was something very special.

In the Old Testament, Balaam helped Balac use pagan women and idolatrous practices to “cast a stumbling block” before the people, but Israel was able to repent and overcome the stumbling block and go on. Why, because the Israelites did not recognize Balac as their king, nor his kingdom as being their kingdom. At that time, Moses was their spiritual leader and God was their King, not a man! In the Pergamos church age Balaam’s false doctrine was a “stumbling block before the children of Isreal,” but the scripture teaches us that:

“Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Proverbs 24:15-16)

In Pergamos it was a “stumbling block” that some were not on their guard against and they would stumble over it, but the truly righteous could rise again from it, and repent of it to walk right with God. False pagan teachings had been mixed so long with the Gospel that many would stumble over them in their sincere attempts to seek God with all their heart. It was a “stumbling block” they would be able to overcome because they did not accept the notion of the Church being ruled by the Pope or the Pope being the head of the Church. Those who honor the Pope as the head are not the bride of Christ. The true bride of Christ is true to Jesus, and the true Church is the mother and true teacher of all the saved. The true bride of Christ is also described as the true spiritual city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the true Church of God.

• “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” (Galations 4:26)
• “But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect” (Heb 12:22-23)
• “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:23-27)

Like the Old Testament Israelites did not accept Balac as their king, in Pergamos true Christians did not accept the Pope as their king, consequently, they also did not accept the Pope’s Catholic Church as their “queen” and spiritual mother. But still “stumbling” over some false doctrines, a number would recover because they were not “seduced” into an evil relationship and fellowship with an evil spiritual woman, a false church.

But in Thyatira it is no longer just a “stumbling block” to the people of God, but now it is also a spiritual woman, a false church, who “saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.” (Rev 18:7) who is recognized as a true “prophetess” of God. In the Old Testament, Jezebel was recognized and honored by the majority of Israelites as the Queen of the Israelite nation. Therefore many fell into paganism never to rise again. In Thyatira, because many recognize and honor spiritual Jezebel, a false church, it is no longer just a “stumbling block” but rather a teaching and a false fellowship that they believe came from God himself because of the “church” and the “preachers” that the people honor and trust in.

The “queen” she pretends to be is the “bride of Christ.” She has them believing they are receiving “truth” from their spiritual mother the true Church of God, but she is NOT the Church! The church systems of Protestantism pulled this evil seduction off. They tricked many by saying they were not married, or a part of the Pope’s Catholic Church, but rather were married directly to Jesus. Many true Christians, ones whom Jesus called “my servants” were seduced by believing in, fellowshipping, and following some Protestant denomination and their false doctrines. When they did, most of them never did repent and arise again! In the Old Testament (unlike the influence of Balaam that Israel overcame,) after the rule and influence of Jezebel, the nation of Israel was eventually conquered and carried away by a foreign power because as a nation they never did rise above and overcome the idolatrous practices that the pagan queen Jezebel brought in.

But there has always been a few who stayed true to God, and in Jezebel’s physical day; and in her spiritual day this has been true also. During Jezebel’s physical day God told the profit Elijah (who is called “Elias” in New Testament) that there were still 7000 who had not bowed to the image of Baal. The same is true during Jezebel’s spiritual day:

“God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.” (Romans 11:2-5)

Yes, even today there is a remnant that have not bowed to being just a religious member of a “so-called” Christian church. Instead, they are living holy and true to Jesus and his Word!

“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:13-17)

Can Jesus Approve Your Works?

“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.” (Revelation 2:19)

As stated in my previous post “Jesus has Eyes and Feet Like Fire” the Thyatira Church Age approximates the time of 1530 to 1730 (although the spiritual condition of Thyatira has always been around to one degree or another.) This period of time in Christian history is a time that the true people of God were very busy working for the Lord. They also suffered much for his name, and Jesus acknowledges their good efforts.

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises”. (Hebrews 6:10-12)

Notice twice in Revelation 2:19 that Jesus acknowledges their “works,” and that he also acknowledges that they are working even more than they were at the beginning: “and the last to be more than the first.” Truly, history has recorded that by 1730 there was a much more broad and concerted effort to spread the gospel to many peoples and lands than there was when people first came out of the Roman Catholic Church in the 1500s.

Jesus emphasized this about them in Thyatira: works, charity, service, faith, patience, and then again works. But unlike what he said about Ephesus, he does not say anything concerning “how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.” (Revelation 2:2) Consequently, in my next post, we will notice that in Revelation 2:20 Jesus finds fault with Thyatira concerning how they allowed false teachers to also “work” amongst them.