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Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
Rev 2:19  I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last [to be] more than the first.
Rev 2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Introduction

Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

The angel within us which is being addressed in the verses we are covering today, is the angel of the church in Thyatira. Thyatira is the forth of the seven angels of the seven churches of Asia. This being the middle of the seven churches of Asia, it is good for us to remind ourselves of how the holy spirit has commissioned us to apply the prophecies of this book. Let us never forget that we are commissioned to “read, hear and keep the things written therein.”

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

At this fourth, middle church, let’s remember what these “seven churches of Asia” represent. To understand what is meant by “the seven churches of Asia, go back to the notes one the spiritual significance of the number seven in scripture, and for the spiritual significance of the word ‘Asia, go back to the study notes on verse 4 of chapter one. If we allow scripture to interpret scripture and we look at the mention of ‘Asia’ in the scriptures, we will see this:

Act 19:8 And he went into the synagogue [at Ephesus], and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
Act 19:9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
Act 19:10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

Asia was the one Roman province in which Paul spent more of his time than in any other province. And yet “divers were hardened and believed not, but spake evil of that way…” Later in this same chapter we are told this of Asia:

Act 19:27  So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

Asia is, by the holy spirit, connected with “the world” as a whole, but that is just the beginning. Here is the spiritual significance of Asia within God’s word within us:

Act 21:27  And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

It was “the Jews which were of Asia,” who precipitated the apprehension of the apostle Paul while he was in Jerusalem. It wasn’t the Jews of Achaia or Pisidia. It was “the Jews which were of Asia,” the very province in which Paul had spent so much of his time and efforts in service to the body of Christ. Now let’s see what the Lord did to God’s apostle through these seven churches:

2Ti 1:15  This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

It is not a coincidence that the seven churches of the book of Revelation are also in the province of Asia. ‘Asia’ represents the apostasy which is common to mankind. We all experience what we are reading about in these seven churches. These churches were literal churches, but they actually typify “he that has an ear,” and the messages to these seven churches are not to be understood as being addressed to “he that hath and ear to hear.”

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

As we saw last week, the churches are addressed by Christ in a way that is appropriate to the message to the angel of each church. To see how this rule is applied to Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamos, refer to last week’s study. Here is how Christ introduces Himself to the angel of the church of Thyatira:

Rev 2:18  And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

We have already covered the burning and purging signified by the reference in this verse to Christ’s eyes being “like unto a flame of fire”, and His feet being “like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.”

Rev 1:14  His head andhis hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev 1:15  And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

So we will not reiterate the depth of that study, but we will be reminded that Christ’s eyes, we are told, are “the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the world.”

Rev 5:6  And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

The fact that Christ’s “eyes were a flame of fire” also tells us that Christ’s words, while burning up all that is capable of being burned up, at the same time are providing illumination and the ability to perceive:

Psa 119:105  … Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Christ’s “feet like fine brass” tells us that if Christ is in us, then ours will be a burning and purifying walk, because we are called to be “kings and priests unto our God.” Because of this we are given much knowledge and therefore required to be of pure mind and character above that of the Pharisees of Babylon.

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Mat 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Luk 12:47  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
Luk 12:48  But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
Luk 12:49  I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?

Getting back to what “he that hath an ear” is admonished by the angel of the church in Thyatira…

Rev 2:19  I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.
Rev 2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

These verses logically follow the thought of having feet as fine brass. Fine brass, as we demonstrated in our study on base metals [link here], typifies Christ in our flesh. Christ in our flesh is our flesh at the peak of its service to God. After all, it is “through death” that life is found. Even Christ’s flesh could not live forever and could never have inherited the kingdom of God:

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

All who deny that Jesus Christ was not born of Adam, deny that He is even qualified to be our sin offering, because they are denying that he was of the lineage of Adam. Never mind the fact that Christ calls Himself the “Son of Man” twice as many times as He calls Himself the “Son of God.” Never mind the fact that the holy spirit has seen fit to trace Christ’s genealogy all the way back to Adam, for the very purpose of establishing the fact that Christ was “according to the flesh [of Adam] the son of both King David and of “the seed of Abraham,” both of whom were “of Adam.”

Luk 3:38  Which was the son of Enos, which was [the son] of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

While the whole world works to separate Adam from God, God calls Adam His own Son. Is Adam marred? Of course he is. Will Adam die? Yes, in Christ he died and dies in the christ of Christ (1Jn 4:1-3). In spite of all these truths which are so prominent in scripture, what most orthodox Christianity believes about the flesh of Christ is what John says is “that spirit of antichrist” of which John speaks in his first epistle.

Yet the spirit of these two paragraphs reveals that this writer believes that Adam ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil of his own free will. It also reveals that this writer believes that if Adam and Eve had not eaten of the tree of the knowledge of God and evil, they would have lived forever and their flesh would never have corrupted back to dust. The whole point being that “Christ was not ‘in Adam’ [and] would never have died physically if He had not willingly and in obedience to His Father’s will allowed Himself to be crucified on the cross.”

“Unlike all humanity that has been born since God created Adam and Eve and who have entered this world by natural procreation through the union of a man and a woman, the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived as a result of the Holy Spirit overshadowing a virgin called Mary [see Luk 1:35] and so the Lord Jesus was not born in the ‘natural’ lineage of Adam. Because of this He was not a ‘fallen son’ of Adam and was not subject to Adam’s legacy namely “death”–“as in Adam ALL die” [1 Co 15:22] and “as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men (in the lineage of Adam) for all have sinned” [Rom 5:12].

The Lord Jesus had to “become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” [Php 2:8]. Every individual from Adam [except for Enoch and Elijah who were taken from this earth by God before experiencing death] has because of ‘the fall’ eventually died physically – human beings don’t have to do anything or ‘obey’ anything for death to finally overcome them – the truth is as quoted earlier “in Adam all die”. However, the sinless Christ who was not “in Adam” would never have died physically if He had not willingly and in obedience to His Father’s will [see Mat 26:39 and Act 2:23] allowed Himself to be crucified on the cross.”

Without coming out and saying so, this doctrine is telling us that Christ’s flesh was not that of Adam, and without saying so, that doctrine is telling us that Christ’s flesh was not the same as our Adamic flesh at all. Here is what the scriptures reveal of such a doctrine as is found in the teachings of ‘Take Heed Ministries.’ Here again is what the scriptures have to say of this “Christ was not of Adam” doctrine:

1Jn 4:2  Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
1Jn 4:3  And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

Doesn’t everyone believe that Christ came in the flesh? As always, the Adversary speaks with a forked tongue. He tells you God is love, but God will burn most of His creation in hell forever. He tells you God is sovereign, but God cannot overcome your free will, and He tells you that Christ came in the flesh, but “Christ was not in Adam.” That is seen as protecting Christ from being tainted with the sin that is all flesh:

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

So a thousand different versions of an immaculate conception have been concocted by well meaning Christians who, with one breath will agree with scripture that Christ was “in all ways tempted like as we are, yet without sin,” and in the same well-meaning breath deny that Christ’s flesh ever struggled with a carnal mind which did not want to go to the cross. In saying that Christ was not in Adam they are denying that Christ actually had to “die daily” as we do and overcome the temptations of His Adamic flesh, day by day.

What do the scriptures teach?

Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [“Every man” includes our sinless Savior]

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Heb 2:16  For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

What utterly hollow words if Christ was not even “in Adam” as you and I are!

This is but one of “two hundred thousand thousand,” false doctrines which serve to “darken the sun” as we look behind us to see Christ as He is revealed to us through our walk as the angel to the church at Thyatira.  Revelation 9 is just part of the prophecy of this revelation of Jesus Christ. Here is part of what is addressed to these seven churches, which we are to read, hear and keep.

Rev 9:1  And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.
Rev 9:2  And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

Conclusion

In keeping the things written to Thyatira, we see that we really have “suffered that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”

We saw that fire of Christ’s eyes and the fire that produces the feet of fine brass, are both the word of God which sees all the sins of all the churches which are in the hearts and mind of all those who are given ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the seven churches of Asia.

We have seen again, that Asia represents that fallen spiritual state which we must endure when we lose our first love, have the doctrine of Balaam, in our hearts and allow that woman Jezebel to teach us to commit spiritual fornication.

Next study, Lord willing, we will see that these false doctrines are loathe to leave the throne of our hearts, and we will see what the process is which Christ uses to cleanse us of these false doctrines and of all of our spiritual fornication. Here is the rest of what the spirit has to say to the angel of the church of Thyatira, which we will read and hear and keep if we have been given ears to hear what the spirit is saying to the seven churches of Asia:

Rev 2:21  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
Rev 2:22  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
Rev 2:23  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.
Rev 2:24  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.
Rev 2:25  But that which ye have [already] hold fast till I come.
Rev 2:26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Rev 2:27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Rev 2:28  And I will give him the morning star.
Rev 2:29  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.