Lawrence DeMetrius

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Letters of Apostle John – Revelation
An Intimate Review
Pt 4
By Lawrence DeMetrius

The Church of Thyatira: The Church of Jezebel, the False Prophetess

In [Rev 2:18-21] THE DIVINE addresses an active and vibrant Christian Assembly. The church is commended for the abundance of their good works, charity, service, faith and patient. However, they were still falling short in their devotion due to their tolerance of a false teacher and doctrine, that clearly gave allegiance to Lucifer. The influence of this persuasion was attracting interest from some within the assembly. The founder of this cult was a woman by the name of Jezebel, who was a self-proclaimed prophetess. She taught principles per her doctrine that seduced Yahweh’s servants into idolatrous activities, which were likened to fornication and consuming abominable things. This woman was a real person of influence in this era, whom Yahweh gave opportunity repent of her wickedness, which she refused to do.

*Jezebel Gk #2403 Iezabel (ee-ed-zab-ale) it is a synonym of a violent, turbulent, brawling woman and false teacher from the city Tyre, which is…

1. an ancient seaport of Phoenicia: one of the great cities of antiquity, famous for its navigators and traders
2. the site of modern-day Sur
3. a port in South Lebanon, on the Mediterranean that was founded about 15th century BC
4. for centuries a major Phoenician seaport that is famous for its silks and Tyrian-purple dye
5. now a small market town with a populous of 141k as of 2005 with the Arabic name of Sur

TYRE: Easton's Bible Dictionary

It is a fishery, a town on the Mediterranean coast, about 25 miles north of Tyre. It received its name from the "first-born" of Canaan, the grandson of Noah. [Gen. 10:15, 19]
It was the first home of the Phoenicians on the coast of Palestine, and from its extensive commercial relations became a "great" city. [Jos. 11:8; 19:28] It was the mother city of Tyre. It lay within the lot of the tribe of Asher, but was never subdued. [Jud. 1:31] The Zidonians long oppressed Israel. [Jud. 10:12] From the time of David its glory began to wane, and Tyre, its "virgin daughter", rose to its place of pre-eminence. Solomon entered into a matrimonial alliance with the Zidonians, and thus their form of idolatrous worship found a place in the land of Israel. [Isa. 23:12; 1 Kings 11:1, 33] This city was famous for its manufactures and arts, as well as for its commerce. [1 Kings 5:6; 1 Chr. 22:4; Eze. 27:8] It is frequently referred to by the prophets. [Isa. 23:2, 4, 12; Jer. 25:22; 27:3; 47:4; Eze. 27:8; 28:21, 22; 32:30; Joel 3:4] Our Lord visited the "coasts" of Tyre and Zidon = Sidon (q.v.), and from this region many came forth to hear him preaching. [Mt. 15:21; Mk 3:8; 7:24; Lk 4:26; 6:17] From Sidon, at which the ship put in after leaving Caesarea, Paul finally sailed for Rome. [Acts 27:3, 4] This city is now a town of 10,000 inhabitants, with remains of walls built in the twelfth century A.D. In 1855, the sarcophagus of Eshmanezer was discovered. From a Phoenician inscription on its lid, it appears that he was a "king of the Sidonians," probably in the third century B.C., and that his mother was a priestess of Ashtoreth, "the goddess of the Sidonians." In this inscription Baal is mentioned as the chief god of the Sidonians. [Easton’s Bible Dictionary] Ashtoreth worship has continued to this day. The rituals of her worship take on various appearances per generation, nation and culture. At the time of this REVELATION, those who worshiped her were tolerated as they frequented Christian Assemblies like the Church of Thyatira. This was not at all acceptable to THE LORD then, still is not now, nor will it ever be. Jezebel, the renown false prophetess of Apostle John’s Day, taught a doctrine that involved EATING foods sacrificed to idols and FORNICATION.

*eat Gk #5315 phago (fag-o) it means to eat literally or figuratively

*fornication Gk #4203 porneuo (porn-yoo-o) it means to act the part of a harlot, indulge in unlawful desires, and practice idolatry

In [Rev 2:22, 23] Yahweh likened the practice of Jezebel’s doctrine to ADULTERY. This gives credence to the idea that there were Christians who were entertaining and/or engaging in Jezebel’s bewitchments. The passage notes two consequences for two sets of people.

1. First, there is punishment of great tribulation for Christians who indulge in idol worship.

2. Second, there is the ultimate death of unrepentant idolators, who have no desire to be reconciled to divine worship, and this is The Second Death or Lake of Fire and Brimstone. [St Jn 3:19, 20, 36; I Jn 5:20; Rev 21:8]

*adultery Gk *3431 moicheuo (may-khyoo-o) it means to commit adultery, which is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than their spouse

In [Rev 2:23] Yahweh states that HE rewards Jezebel and her children with the bed of death, so that HIS children will know that HE is the ONE WHO searches the REINS and HEARTS of all people. [Act 17:29]

*searcheth Gk #2045 ereunao (er-yoo-nah-o) it means to seek, investigate, examine, and interrogate

*reins Gk #3510 nephros (nef-ros) it is the kidney and figurative of the innermost mind

*reins Hb #3629 kilyah (kil-yaw) it is the kidney as an essential organ and figurative of the mind as the interior self

*hearts Gk #2588 kardia (kar-dee-ah) it the heart and is figurative of thoughts, feelings, mind and the middle [Heb 4:12]

*hearts Hb #3826 libbah (lib-baw) the heart and figurative of one’s will, intellect, and center of anything

The KIDNEYS are a pair of organs located in the back of the abdomen. Each kidney is about 4 or 5 inches long -- about the size of a fist. The kidneys' functions are to filter the blood. All the blood in one’s body passes through the kidneys several times a day. The kidneys remove wastes, control the body's fluid balance, and regulate the balance of electrolytes. As the kidneys filter blood, they create urine, which collects in the kidneys' pelvis, which are funnel-shaped structures that drain down tubes called ureters to the bladder.
Each kidney contains around a million units called nephrons, each of which is a microscopic filter for blood. It's possible to lose as much as 90% of kidney function without experiencing any symptoms or problems. [WebMD.LLC.com] The function of the KIDNEY is to keep the life source of the body free of impurities. Spiritually speaking, THE WORD is what makes and keeps one’s spirit free of the impurity of lying persuasions. [St Jn 1:1-5, 14; 4:23, 24; 8:12, 31, 32, 36; 17:17; I Jn 5:7; Rev 19:13] In [Rev 2:23-25] REINS are figurative of one’s MIND and faculties thereof. One’s MIND is influenced by belief systems that are built with words, be they truth or lie. To effectively combat and destroy lying words, words of truth must be conceived and properly perceived. Yahweh is faithful to make divine knowledge associable to those who sincerely desire and seek it. [Jam 1:1:5-8] In [Rev 2:24] Apostle John notes that THE LORD does not require all to bear the BURDEN of consequence HE lays upon those who HOLD FAST to JEZEBEL’S doctrine and know the depths of Lucifer. In [Rev 2:25, 26] the faithful few are to HOLD FAST to KEEPING the WORKS of Jesus Christ until His Second Advent. In so doing, they will inherit POWER over the NATIONS. [Mt 5:19; Jam 1:25]

*hold fast Gk #2902 krateo (krat-eh-o) it means to use strength, seize, retain and to strongly grip

*power Gk #1849 exousia (ex-oo-see-ah) it is privilege, force, capacity, competency, freedom, mastery, and delegated influence

*nations Gk #1484 ethnos (eth-nos) it is race as of the same habit, tribe and specifically a pagan, foreign or non-Hebrew nation

*keepeth Gk #5083 tereo (tay-reh-o) it means to…
1. guard from loss or injury by keeping the eye upon
2. note a prophecy and fulfil a command
3. detain in custody and maintain
4. withhold for personal ends and keep unmarried [II Cor 6:14-18]

*works Gk #2041 ergon (er-gon) it is an act or toil as an effort or occupation

In [Rev 2:27] the faithful witness of THE DIVINE will RECEIVE of THEM authority to RULE over NATIONS with an IRON ROD. [Mt 28:18-20]
With this ROD of IRON, they BREAK to SHIVERS the influence of dark powers, as did Christ with the ability given Him of Yahweh. Therefore, the WORKS that Christ did, so shall His brothers do also. [Jn 14:12; I Jn 4:17b; Mt 16:18; I Cor 2:4, 5; II Cor 4:3-7; 10:4, 5; Eph 6:10-18] Genuine sons and teachers of GOD admonish souls to put their faith in Yahweh, the TRUE GOD, HIS Christ, and words inspired by the Holy Ghost. They do not seek the praise of men, nor do they expect people to blindly regard their proclamations. [Mt 5:14-16, 19; II Tim 2:15; 24-26; 3:16-18]

*received Gk #2983 lambano (lam-ban-o) it means take and get hold of

*rule Gk #4165 poimaino (poy-mah-ee-no) it means to tend as a shepherd and supervisor

*rod Gk #4464 rhabdos (hrab-dos) it is a stick or wand as a cudgel, cane, or baton of royalty

*iron Gk #4603 sidereos (sid-ay-reh-os) it means made of iron

*broken/shivers Gk #4937 suntribo (soon-tree-bo) it means to completely crush and shatter

In [Rev 2:28] Yahweh gives faithful witnesses the MORNING STAR.

*morning Gk #4407 proinos (pro-ee-nos) it means pertaining to the dawn and early in the morning or early in the day

*star Gk #792 aster (as-tare) it is a star as strewn over the sky

In [Rev 2:28, 29; Mt 24] Jesus Christ is the MORNING STAR that Yahweh gives to faithful witnesses. Christ clarifies that He is the MORNING STAR at the end of the REVELATION. [Rev 22:16]

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