February 15, 2022
“Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; they shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the Morning Star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 2:24-29
Often in Scripture, and especially in prophecy, we have seen names of cities, individuals, or materials used symbolically to convey, in a word, what would require paragraphs and pages. We can surmise a future application from references to the past. Ahab’s marriage to Jezebel had resulted in pagan practices being accepted and integrated into the daily life of God’s people. It all began with compromise. The reality of compromise is that unbiblical practices obscure the pure teachings of God in the minds of men, appealing to them in a way that feeds the ungodly nature and starves spiritual growth.
Our worship of God is by representation, for Jesus is the express image of God (Hebrews 1:3). It is Satan’s plan to shift the focus away from Jesus, rendering the acceptance of ‘carved images’ among God’s people prevalent. In this way, Satan gets the worship that is due only to God. The average churchgoer would certainly consider Satan-worship abhorrent. But without realizing, they are worshipping Satan by representation whenever and wherever traditions and/or man-made doctrines take precedence over God’s standard as laid out for us in His Word.
“Hold fast…till I come.” This is the first mention in the seven letters of the return of Jesus! This is an indication that the church of Thyatira will still be in operation when Jesus comes. And, yes, it is still here now. The mention of iron in the statement ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron’ is a clear message to Rome, represented by iron in Daniel 2 and by the fourth beast with iron teeth in Daniel 7. Jesus will ultimately destroy this vast world empire named by historians as “the iron monarchy of Rome.” Even though secular history records the fall of Rome in 476AD, this refers only to pagan Rome, which has been replaced by papal Rome. What began as compromise in the church has spread like cancer, spiraling downward to the “depths of Satan”.
As the letter from Jesus to the church in Thyatira comes to its close, Jesus acknowledges that there are those in this church who do not hold to the erroneous doctrines. He encourages them to hold fast to whatever shreds of truth they have and He doesn’t add any more responsibility. What a sad state of affairs, that true believers are so nearly engulfed by false doctrines that growth is so severely stunted!
Beloved, keep your focus on Jesus. By His Spirit, every counterfeit notion will be exposed for what it is, the “depths of Satan.” Jesus’ choice of words here poses an excellent contrast between satanic darkness and the Light of the world, the Bright and Morning Star….
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16