Free End Times Book (pdf).. - Rapture Notes

This church was also corrupted by the teaching of the Nicolaitans. These church clerics who lorded it over the
people were first encountered above during the period of the church at Ephesus. They had now entrenched their
position by their doctrine.
Overcomers are promised hidden manna and a white stone with a new name written upon it. The hidden manna
might be the truth of Scripture which was in the process of being hidden by the worldly church. The white stone is a
symbol taken from the ancient custom of giving a black stone to one judged guilty, and a white stone to one who is
acquitted.
To Thyatira
To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing
fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than
you did at first.
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her
teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given
her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will
make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her
children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay
each of you according to your deeds.
Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's socalled
deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come.
To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations- 'He will rule them
with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery'--just as I have received authority from my Father.
I will also give him the morning star.
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:18-29)
Thyatira stands for a dark period of the church from about AD 1000 until the time of the Reformation which began
in 1517. During this time such unfortunate historical events, as the inquisitions and the Crusades demonstrated the
deepening lack of spirituality of the church. It was also the time when indulgences were sold, whereby people could
pay money to supposedly have their sins removed. This led to the posting of Luther's 95 Theses on the door of the
Wittenberg Church and the beginning of the Reformation.
Even this church received at least a mild commendation for doing some things right, but it also was given a stern
warning about the toleration of Jezebel whose practices included false prophecy, immorality, and eating food offered
to idols. It seems unlikely that Jezebel was an actual person during this period of time. This is more likely another of
the many symbols in the book. Jezebel, an Old Testament queen, was an incredibly wicked person who was known
for her idolatry, immorality, and hatred of the true prophets (1 Kings chapters 18 through 21 and 2 Kings 9). This
would then symbolize the church hierarchy with its growing spiritual unfaithfulness and idolatry which eventually
caused the splitting of the church at the Reformation. It also prefigures the specter of the Woman Riding the Beast in
Revelation 17.
The promise to overcomers is to give authority over the nations. This stands in contrast to the deep secrets of Satan
which may be a reference to the unholy alliance between the church and various governments. God was not pleased
with Papal influence over the nations, but He will be pleased to allow His righteous followers to rule and reign with
Christ when He returns as King of Kings (Revelation 19:11-16).
The overcomer will also receive the morning star. Jesus calls Himself the morning star in Revelation 22:16.
To Sardis
To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and
Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done… 33