DEMAND LAID UPON THE THYATIRA CHURCH

The Demand Laid Upon the Church

This is Imposed by the Lord and is Sovereign

"Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds." "And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works." "But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden." "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."

 

Pronouncement of Judgment Upon the Evil

"Except they repent of their deeds."

Great Tribulation upon the Adulterers

"Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation..."

Since Jezebel refuses to repent, she is cast into a bed with her voluptuous lovers and this bed becomes one of affliction. This probably has reference to the tribulation when the political power will turn upon her and destroy her (cf. Rev. 17:15-18).
"And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." "And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire." "For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." "And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

Death Meted Out Upon the Children of the Whore

"And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."

The children of this system are those who have been won to it by its attractions of wealth, influence, power, and position. They were born of the system and clung to it. What is true of Roman Catholicism is also true of all apostate religion. Death through many methods will be the awful end of those who are born of such religion.

All of this will serve to teach the churches that Christ is the One Who is finally the searcher of reigns and hearts and ultimately moves in judgment upon the wicked.

Provision of Mercy for the Righteous

"But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden." "But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."

No greater burden, except to hold fast that which they already possess. 24b-25

Those Who do not Have This Doctrine

"But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan,"

This describes those simple, misguided, and sincere souls who even in the midst of such a system of untruth and evil practice have somehow gotten a hold on just enough truth to save them and keep them. This has been in spite of the intended purpose of the system of religion in which they find themselves. They do not have to hold this doctrine.

They have not known the depths of Satan

The saints know the deep things of God (1 Cor. 2:10). So Satan also has his deep things. This was a wisdom that was abstruse, difficult, and esoteric. Only the very intellectual were able to comprehend it. And those who did not know it were looked down upon and ridiculed. But this was actually a blessing. By not knowing these things, the Lord provided mercy and blessing for them.
"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God."

What little truth they had they were encouraged to hold on to, to keep control upon, and to do this until the Lord Jesus should come. In this statement, there is a clear suggestion of the imminent return of the glory from heaven.