Returning to the Orthodoxy of the Church
Message Five
The Church in Thyatira
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
And to the messenger of the church in Thyatira write: These things says the Son of God, He who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like shining bronze: …But I have something against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, she who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and leads My slaves astray to commit fornication and to eat idol sacrifices—Rev . 2:18-20.
And he who overcomes and he who keeps My works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he will shepherd them with an iron rod, and to him I will give the morning star—vv. 26-28.
Word of Appetizer
What’ s does “the church in Thyatira” prefigure?
As a sign, the church in Thyatira prefigures the Roman Catholic Church, which was fully formed as the apostate church by the establishing of the universal papal system in the latter part of the sixth century .
Spiritual Burden
“Anyone who has a heart for the Lord and for His recovery must thoroughly know this apostate church”. We must be thoroughly enlightened about the apostate church. Once we areenlightened, we shall know where we must be as far as the church is concerned. We are in the Lord’s recovery. We are in the Body of Christ,the church of God, and we have nothing to do with Jezebel, the evil woman, the harlot, the great Babylon.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
As a sign, the church in Thyatira prefigures the Roman Catholic Church, which was fully formed as the apostate church by the establishing of the universal papal system in the latter part of the sixth century .
The church in Thyatira tolerates the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess According to Revelation 2:24, the apostate church teaches “the deep things of Satan”:
“These things says the Son of God, He who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like shining bronze.”
In Revelation 2:26-28 we have the Lord’s promise to the one whoovercomes.
The Experience of Life
“These things says the Son of God, He who has eyes like a flame of fire, and Hisfeet are like shining bronze.” Christ’s being the Son of God implies the expression of God, the issue, or the coming out, of God.
John 20:31 But these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in His name.
Practice and Application
We must make ourselves ready for the secret appearing of the Lord as the morning star. To see the star, we must come to the local churches.
We need to take heed to the prophetic word; We need to come to the sure Word and open up our whole being to the Word until Christ as the morning star rises up in us and shines over us.
Using Key Verses to Have a Bird’s-Eye View over the Whole Outline
Key Verses (1)
And to the messenger of the church in Thyatira write: These things says the Son of God, He who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like shining bronze—Rev . 2:18.
The church in Thyatira—the Roman Catholic Church, the apostate church;
The Son of God, He who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like shining bronze
I. As a sign, the church in Thyatira prefigures the Roman Catholic Church, which was fully formed as the apostate church by the establishing of the universal papal system in the latter part of the sixth century.
IV. “These things says the Son of God, He who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet arelike shining bronze”.
• The apostate Roman Catholic Church strongly emphasizes Christ as the son
of Mary; thus, here the Lord, protesting against the apostate heresy, says that He is the Son ofGod
• In dealing with the apostate church, the church in Thyatira, the Lord refers to Himself as the One who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like shining bronze.
Key Verses (2)
But I have something against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel , she who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and leads My slaves astray to commit fornication and to eat idol sacrifices—Rev . 2:20 .
But I say to you—the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan , as they say—I put no other burden upon you—v. 24 .
The woman Jezebel, a prophetess
The deep things of Satan
II. The church in Thyatira tolerates the woman Jezebel, who calls herself aprophetess.
• Jezebel, the pagan wife of Ahab, is a type of the apostate church; the Roman Catholic Church became the same as this woman, bringing manyheathen practices into the church.
• In Revelation 2:20 the Lord indicates that the apostate church is a self-appointed prophetess and teaches and leads the Lord’s slaves astray .
III. According to Revelation 2:24, the apostate church teaches
“the deep things of Satan” : The apostate church has many mysteries or deep doctrines; these are the deep things of Satan, the mysterious teachings of Satan, the satanic philosophy .
Key Verses (3)
And he who overcomes and he who keeps My works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; And he will shepherd them with an iron rod , as vessels of pottery are broken in pieces, as I also have received from My Father; And to him I will give the morning star —Rev . 2:26-28
V. In Revelation 2:26-28 we have the Lord’s promise to the one who overcomes
A. “To him I will give authority over the nations; and he will shepherd them with an iron rod”
•To reign with Christ over the nations in the millennial kingdom is a prize to the overcomers.
• This promise of the Lord strongly implies that those who do not answer His call to overcome degraded Christianity will not participate in the reign of the millennial kingdom.
B. “To him I will give the morning star” .
•As the bright morning star, Christ will appear privately to the overcomers, who are watching, preparing, and waiting for Him.
•According to 2 Peter 1:19, if we take heed to the word of prophecy, the day will dawn within us, and the morning star will rise in our hearts.
Prophesying Topics—Twelve Topics per Week
D1
T1 Thyatira in Greek means “sacrifice of perfume,” or, “unceasing sacrifice.” (Rev. 2:18)
(Please explain that the church in Thyatira prefigures the Roman Catholic Church.)
T2 The three women in Matthew 13, Revelation 2, and Revelation 17 (Matt. 13:33; Rev. 2:20; 17:1)
(Please explain that these three women all refer to the Roman Catholic Church.) (Refers to Outline II. A-B)
D2
T1 The apostate Catholic Church presumes to be authorized by God to speak for Him (Rev. 2:20)
(Why is it said that the Roman Catholic Church is a teaching woman?)
T2 In the eyes of the Lord the church is in the position of a woman (1 Tim. 2:12)
(Please explain that according to the principle in the New Testament, the Lord never allows a woman to teach with authority.)
D3
T1 Within the apostate church there are “the deep things of Satan.” (Rev. 2:24)
(Please explain that how did the apostate church become the embodiment of Satan.)
T2 All the mysteries taught by the apostate church are satanic philosophies (Rev. 2:24)
(Please use an example to explain that the apostate church teaches mysteries, but not the mysteries revealed in the New Testament concerning God’s economy.)
D4
T1 Christ is the Son of God (Matt. 16:16)
(Please explain that the apostate Catholic Church strongly emphasizes Christ as the Son of Mary.)
T2 Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31)
(Please explain what the different meanings of Christ and the Son of God are according to John 20:31.)
D5
T1 “And he who overcomes and he who keeps My works until the end” (Rev. 2:26)
(Please explain that “My works” refers to the things the Lord has accomplished and is doing.)
T2 The Lord’s promise to the one who overcomes (Rev. 2:26-28)
(In the apostate church, what’s the Lord’s promise to the one who overcomes?)
D6
T1 To take heed to the prophetic word is to pay attention to the living Word (2 Peter 1:19)
(Please use your experience to explain that it is not simply to read the Word; it is to enter into the Word until something arises within us.)
T2 “Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19)
(Please use your experience to explain that outwardly we live in an age of darkness, but inwardly we are full of light.)
