Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
The Church at Thyatira: A recap of the 2004 California Conference.
Sunday, November 14, 2004
REV 2:18-20 - the church of Thyatira was filled with believers who tolerated false doctrine and false teaching led by a female whose title was Jezebel.
REV 2:18-19 And to the messenger [or the future pastor-teachers of the church in Thyatira or to the future pastor-teachers of the Thyatira type believers in the Church-age] write or communicate: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: I know your deeds [your accomplishments, Christian production, your works] namely the virtue-love [the functional virtue of impersonal love], and the faith [the operation of the three stages of the faith-rest drill] and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.
TLJC still gives them a warning concerning falling away from God through idol worship or through an inordinate attachment or extreme devotion to something.
REV 2:20-21 But I have this fact against you, namely, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel who calls herself a prophetess, she both teaches and seduces my servants to fornication, and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Nevertheless, she did not wish to change her mind, or rebound and she does not want to repent of her fornication.
God dealt with her through the historical trend of reaping what you sow.
Then He dealt with her with warning discipline, she still refused.
This is grace before judgment, under the provision of the love and mercy of God even towards the wicked.
Spiritual adultery is an attack on category one love or love for God,
JER 3:8-10; EZE 16:23-43; EZE 23:24-30; REV 17:1-5.
PSA 18:35b Thy gentleness makes me great.
EZE 16:1-7 - God affirms His love for Israel in her infant stage.
EZE 16:8-14 - God reminds Israel that she was chosen and related to Jehovah by marriage but in EZE 16:15:34 she played the harlot.
The punishment of dispersion was dealt to Israel, EZE 16:35-52.
This is not the final setting of Israel since there will be restoration, EZE 16:53-63, the restoration is based on the promise, EZE 16:60-62.
ROM 2:4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
One of those incredible gifts is the insight into our sorrows and difficulties and trials and how all divine discipline is administered in grace.
Dealt - asah = to manufacture something out of something, here God manufactures “well or good” out of a horrible situation.
Because of God’s grace and love for each one of us -
“Out of disaster, Thou hast dealt well or manufactured divine good with Thy servant,”
He allows the world, the things of the world, and the people of the world to afflict and plague us to bring us back to Him.
He knew the Lord but wandered away, he knew doctrine but went astray. Before he was afflicted he wandered away from God and doctrine, but now through affliction he is back.
Knowledge = something we use under normal circumstances.
Discernment = the ability to think correctly while under pressure.
Teach - lamadh = to learn the hard way.
He was prosperous, healthy, he was not captive and in chains, but he was astray from God.
Through affliction he has developed a craving for teaching.
PSA 119:73 - God as the potter having power over the clay, members of the human race, ROM 9:21.
As the potter, God knows just how to mold and chisel us in order to do what is best and put us in top form.
He no longer sees his afflictions and sufferings but sees the faithfulness of God.
He knows God has been faithful to him even though he has not been faithful to God.
Faithfulness is based on the immutability of God who cannot change His character because of our instability.
You cling on to the faithfulness of God.