Message to the Church at Thyatira
We live in a bombardment of licentiousness and lasciviousness sexual messages. Sexual immorality is carried about as with a banner. It is the platform of most television shows and Hollywood movies. It is depicted as a healthy norm. Daytime and primetime television that is accessible to our children’s eyes, ears and minds has been planting seeds of immorality and promiscuity for decades; and it is only getting worse. We have all been lulled to sleep and conditioned to accept a standard that God finds abhorrent. Of the children of sexual immorality, Jesus Christ says in Revelation 2:23; “I will strike her children dead.” Is there anything unclear about our LORD’s words?
There was a woman who had three children by three different fathers and was marrying yet another man who was the father of their unborn child. They scheduled their wedding on her due date. Thankfully she delivered a week early; otherwise, she would have walked down the aisle 9 months pregnant (to meet the paramedics at the altar).
As it was, there were about 200 at the wedding and the church was extensively decorated in white bells, white flowers and a white runner. The bride unabashedly wore a pure, stark white dress and the groom, a pure stark white tuxedo. No one seemed to think that there was anything wrong with this picture. This woman and her fiancée didn’t attend church, but she was baptized as an infant and was thus a member on record in that church. They basically didn’t believe in sin; that’s an “old fashioned,” concept.
Be a virgin on your wedding night; you must be kidding! Why would anyone want to abstain and wait? Society has put its stamp of approval on sexual immorality, just as the ancient pagan cultures did when illicit sexual acts were a part of pagan temple worship.
Revelation 2:18-28 ESV "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. (19) "'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. (20) But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. (21) I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. (22) Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, (23) and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. (24) But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. (25) Only hold fast what you have until I come. (26) The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, (27) and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. (28) And I will give him the morning star.
Jezebel has stamped her name on history as the representative of all that is designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, and cruel. She is the first great instigator of persecution against the saints of God. Guided by no principle, restrained by no fear of either God or man, passionate in her attachment to her heathen worship, she spared no pains to maintain idolatry around her in all its splendor. Four hundred and fifty prophets ministered under her care to Baal, besides four hundred prophets of the groves [R.V., 'prophets of the Asherah'], which ate at her table (1Kings18:19). The idolatry, too, was of the most debased and sensual kind. Easton Bible Dictionary
The messages to two out of the seven churches, a little less than a third of the people of God, had problems with sexual immorality. Christians today want to say that God never really expected us to remain sexually pure; that it is a nice ideal; but not in practice. People are quick to speak words on God’s behalf that He never said or would. The Bible is the only authority; society trends can’t compromise away God’s WORD! Once again, Jesus said, “I will strike her children dead.” This is a serious issue. It has plagued the church through the ages and will only intensify during the End Time.
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