In this week’s study, I am in Chapter 2, beginning with verse 18, the Church of Thyatira
One main point on this Church is that they created their own Savior, instead of the true Savior.
The principal deity of the city was Apollo; but there was another superstition, of an extremely curious nature, which seems to have been brought there, by some of the corrupted Jews of the dispersed tribes. A fane stood outside the walls, dedicated to Sambatha in the midst of an enclosure designated "the Chaldaeans' court."
The danger was not necessarily inside the city. Nor was it from an noticeable source. Outside the walls of Thyatira, lay a small shrine of white stone. (Remember I just read in verse 17 that Yahshua Messiah will give us the white stone where a new name will be wrote. This stone from Yahshua is the positive stone. Whereas we are reading of the negative stone of Thyatira.) Neither the Imperial Cult, nor the cults of the Pantheon held great sway in Thyatira. It was reasonably free of persecution and Christians could live there with little fear of practicing their religion.
Thyatira, the smallest of the cities, but the the recipient of the longest letter from Yahshua Messiah in Revelation.
The only major threat to Christians within Thyatira may have been the trading association. They incorporated pagan practices into their business dealings. Members of the associations were expected to participate. It is debated how much of a threat this posed to the first century Christians who called the city home. This sounds like Freemasonry and the Illuminate of today!
18 angel = Not really sure. Could have been Lydia, as she is mentioned in Acts 16:14
who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire = quick and sharp, and penetrating through the darkness of this state; seeing into, discovering, and exposing the horrid actions and wickedness’s of men done in the dark; expressing fury, wrath, and vengeance against the antichrist and his followers; and may also design the light of Gospel doctrine, which broke out in those times at certain seasons, to the dispelling of the deception of darkness in some measure.
Fire = as in using to purify the “impurities” from the metals. The fire of the Lord will separate the impure from the pure. Feet = prepared for treading down in judgment. Brass = judgment
20 notwithstanding = “al-lah'” having a compliant. By way of complaint; so the Arabic version renders it, "I have a certain complaint against thee". The impartiality of Yahshua Messiah may be observed in taking notice of the bad deeds, as well as of the good ones of His people, and His tenderness in representing them as few; and these things He had against them not in a judicial way to their condemnation, but in a beneficial way, in order to chastise them for them, for their good; and they are as follow.
My intention is to take this study to a deep level. Deeper than most of you are used to! I am asking no one to agree with me; however I do ask that you check every detail that I present out for yourself.
Don’t end up like those in Hosea 4:6 ‘My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God (Elohim), I will also forget thy children.’
But, be like those in 2Timothy 2:15 ‘Study to shew thyself approved unto God (Yahweh), a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.’
Join me as we go Chapter by Chapter, Verse by Verse, Unraveling the Words of Yahweh!
Have any questions? Feel free to email me at utwoy@netzero.net
