Bible Study no 7 of Revelation

Well, good evening brethren! Here we are again on another Bible study. Today we are going to continue with the study on the book of Revelation. And I always like to do a little bit of a revision and it's always good to get our minds back when we do a little bit of a revision of what we cover. The revision will be very brief, although today there are just a couple of salient points. Gnosticism is a label that has been given to these Hellenistic ideas that have infiltrated into the Christian Church. Now, this concept of Greek ideas going into different religions, it happened into Judaism and into others, but the label Gnosticism is applicable when that approach is applied to the Christian Church. And so it is a more modern term or a later term. At that time they were not calling it Gnosticism, they were just calling it, for instance, like we read in the epistles, falsely so-called knowledge, because knowledge is the word that we're in to get Gnosticism, this knowledge. So that Gnosticism started into the Church and initially was called like an earlier Gnosticism, they call it proto-Gnosticism. So we covered that. Then we went into the letters to the churches and we covered three letters, the letter to Ephesus, the letter to Smyrna, and the letter to Progemas. In the message to Ephesus, we see that the overcomeer of the Ephesus era was promised to feed on the tree of life because they remained faithful to the doctrine and rejected Gnosticism. However, they lost their first love. Ephesus' era was probably run about from year 31 to the year 300. These are approximate dates, it's not, the dictator says these dates are exactly that, and that's what it is now, it's approximations. Then the next era was the era to Smyrna, which was promised that the Christian in that area, committed, dedicated Christian in that area, would not be hurt by the second death as they were persecuted and some were even killed by that false religion that was developing at that time, which was the Catholic Church. So that is for another 350 years or so, from approximately the year 300 to the year 650. Then later we have the message to the third church era that we read in Revelation chapter 2, that is Pergamos, and it says, to the one who does not compromise under pressure, the laws of God, he does not compromise God's laws, not allowing themselves to even to pagan ideas. In those times the pressure was from the Catholic Church, and so he was promised a new name written on a white stone, and that was a play on papyrus and the type of paper that was made from animal skin from a pegamon. So that was then from the years about year 650 to the year 1000. The beginning there, it's interesting to know that from the era of Smyrna, from that era, from about 325, the period of the church being in the wilderness started for 1260 years. So that started during the era of Smyrna. So today we're going to go to the fourth church era, which is Thyatira. And Thyatira, and the message I'm entitling it, and a number of people are entitling it in a similar way, which is a era in which there was some tolerance, or a degree of tolerance, for apostasy by some people.

But they also had a lot of persecution, so we need to understand that. So of the seven letters to the churches, you know Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, of the seven letters, the letter to Thyatira is the longest of all these seven letters to these seven church eras.

Thyatira was a city which, if you go to Turkey today, there's very little there to find out about it. It's probably the most insignificant city, and one we probably know the least. So it kind of ties in also to that period in the Middle Ages, where we know little about the church history during those years, although we were able to do quite a bit nowadays.

It was an area which was in a rich agricultural era, so it was a rural area, and it was famous for the manufacture of a purple dye, a purple dye, used to tint silk and cloths to make cloth and silk of that, and other things, not just that. And so if you read Acts chapter 16, chapter 16, verse 14 and 15, in Acts chapter 16, 14, 15, it said, read, now a certain woman named Lydia, we pronounce her woman named Lydia, heard us, and she was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira. So she was from Thyatira, and probably she was a businesswoman traveling around different areas and selling this dye and this cloth and these things from Thyatira, and she worshiped God, reading there in verse 14 of Acts 16. The Lord opened her heart to hear the things spoken by Paul, and when she and her household were baptized, she begged, saying, if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay. So she persuaded us. So it was a faithful idea, Lydia, in Philippi, so it was in the Greek area, and she was probably there, let's call it as an agent or representative of products from Thyatira and selling them. So that was probably a business in which she had this trade from cloth and dyes and silk from Thyatira.

Now, the gospel may have reached Thyatira through Lydia, because, you know, she would have gone back to Thyatira, and that may have been through her example and her communicating to people and speaking about her newfound truth.

She, through her example and through her conversation, it may have led to other people in their area coming to the truth. So that is speculative. So that's why it says it may be that the gospel reached Thyatira through Lydia. And the reason I say that is because there's no scriptural record of any evangelical work done by the apostles in Thyatira.

So it's possible that was the situation. And Thyatira, as a city, is on the road from Pergamos to the interior. So if you look at that map again, and we've looked at it before, so the the male root is starting in Ephesus, we'll go to Smyrna, to Pegamon. These are coastal towns that we've covered before. And then from Pegamon we'll go inland, and that inland will then from there, the male root will go to the other cities, but it would reach areas inland.

So Thyatira was in that region of Turkey or Asia-Mina. Now, persecution during this era, which I've mentioned, is approximately the year 650 to the year 1000. Sometimes you see this referred to as the years of the current era CE, so 650 CE to 1000 CE. Sometimes it's mentioned as AD, annual, to mini, which means year of our Lord, which is a Latin wording, but basically it's just different terminology for the same thing.

So from the year 650 to the year 1000, approximately, that is the famous era, and persecution that era caused some to escape to southern Europe, and some of those people are the Bogomos and the Paletians. Bogomos means the friends of God, and the Paletians means the followers of Paul. Now, Paletians observed the seventh-day Sabbath. Now, those bearing the true faith, and this I got from a quite a detailed manual that is available online entitled Church of God History by Andrew Daga, and it is on chapter 10 that I got this quote where he says that those bearing the true faith, quote, were called by the world all dancers, Vaubois, and Ricians, Catharists, Puritans, Bogers, Paul Mecans, or other times it's spelled as Paletians, and other names, so the names that they had, names that came from leading preachers amongst them, or from the countries from which they did it spelled, although they themselves disowned these names, calling themselves the Church of God.

So, in historical records, you can find different names because it says, oh well, these people were, because they were in this area, or this was their leader, then they gave them that name, like maybe people in the maybe in the 60s, 70s, and 80s of this of 1970, 1960, they were called, oh well, these were Armstrong and Knights, because they came from, because the leader, or one of the leading preachers was, was Armstrong, so they said, well, they Armstrong and Knights, but internally, they called, we called the Church of God, so, so that's the same concept.

The Fai'atara era began its work about the year 1000, and its center of operations was in the mountain areas and valleys of northern Italy and southern France. So the basic main activity was from those regions in the, in basically the regions of the Alps, mountain areas, and therefore there were mountains and valleys there, and and this was, this area appears to to include or cover the period of the Middle Ages before the Protestant Reformation. So that's that period before the Protestant Reformation. So the period in which the Catholic Church was very strong, and therefore any Church of God activity was heavily persecuted. So to look at a little bit of the beginning before the era, around about 100 years before, Christians in the Alpine in the Peruvian Valley came to be called Waldensses from the Italian word for valleys, valleys, valleys, Waldensses, so there from there came that.

But some of them were also not just in Italy, but they moved into areas like French areas, and then they were called the Waldois, which is a French word, meaning inhabitants of the valleys. So the root is very similar, people from the valleys, either Waldensses or Waldois, but one is Italian-based and the other one is French-based. The work that they did based on that center of operations, let's call it, headquarters, did spread into various regions of Europe, like Gaul, which is western France, Spain, Spain, in those years until the year 1100 was only Spain in our bed in Peninsula.

From the year 1100, then it got split into Spain and Portugal, so it spread into those areas, into Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, Bohemia, Saxony, Poland, and Lithuania. Those are European areas, let's just call that as European, and also spread into some areas of Asia and the Philippines as well. So it actually had quite a far-reaching spread, obviously just filtering in, but there was some work being done during that time by the Church. Now let's read Revelation 2, verse 18, and the letter to Phiatyra is from verse 18 through to verse 29, but let's just read verse 18.

And to the angel of the church in Phiatyra, write, these things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine grass. I've highlighted a few words here, as you can see, Son of God, it's a little bit of a bolder type, eyes and feet and breasts. So let's talk a little bit about the word Son of God. Son of God is the only time the term Son of God is used in the book of Revelation, otherwise it's used Son of Man.

The only time that it's used Son of God in the book of Revelation is right here in Revelation 2, 18. Now, what did we have happening in the world at that time? Catholic influence was very great, and the adoration of Mary, called Virgin Mary, was growing.

And the concept, well, it was the Son of Mary, Son of Man. And so maybe that is the reason why there is a Son of God to counteract that influence during that era. So there was a lot of diversion from true worship of God, and therefore that appears to have called for the authoritative term Son of God in this letter. So when God writes things into the Bible, there's a purpose for everything. Now, let's look at the other word which I highlighted, which is the last word, brass. It comes from the Greek word 5474, called kolibannon, and is only used twice in the Bible, this word, and it's Revelation 1.15 and Revelation 2.18. Now, Revelation 1.15 is talking about describing Christ as His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in the furnace, and His voice is the sound of many waters. And here in Revelation 2.18 says, His feet like fine brass. It's an alloy, but the word there implies great brilliance, very bright, great brilliance. So that is an implication there of that word, great brilliance, very bright feet. Then there's two other words I highlighted, its eyes and feet. Again, that appears in Revelation 1 verse 14 and 15, because it says in verse 14, says His head and air were white like wool, white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire.

And then in verse 15, reading it all says, His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in the furnace, and His voice is the sound of many waters. And we have a similar example in Ezekiel chapter 1 verse 26 through 28. So let's go and read Ezekiel chapter 1 verse 26 through 28.

It says, And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in the appearance like sapphire stone, on the likeness of the throne was a likeness, with the appearance of a man high above it. Also, from the appearance of His waist and upward, I saw it where the color of amber, with the appearance of fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His waist and downward, I saw it where the appearance of fire with brightness all around it. Like the appearance of a rainbow in a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. And this is the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. So here we have a similar description, a similar description, and where we see the descriptions being described here that are in a way very similar to what we have in Revelation. So we see our Christ with a very strong position of authority, speaking with great power, as with very glory, great glory, and He is in the position of judging, and He is passing His decisions and His instructions to the churches, and YHWH, as a judge to the church in Fire Tyra, He is giving and is ruling and is giving instructions to the church in Fire Tyra. So YHWH, we have the Son of God ruling and judging among the church throughout the years, as we see in chapter 1 verse 14 and 15, but particularly emphasis YHWH in Fire Tyra in Revelation 2 verse 18. All right, so now let's read verse 19. I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience, and as for your works, the last were more than the first.

So now we have the church is praised for the love, service, and faith. Now that is quite a compliment. Those people were very serving, were very loving, and had strong faith. So now we have really dedicated group of people very committed to God's Word. One of the first works of that era was by a certain period of praise. He began his work around 1104 preaching repentance from sin. He ended up, he did that work for about 20 or 30 years, he ended up being killed, but a later, even a greater work was done by Peter Waldo. Now, Peter Waldo, his work was run about in 1160 and 1170. I think it's easy to us assume that the word Walden comes from Peter Waldo. No. Walden comes from the people from the valley, and that name was already long before with those people. But Peter Waldo was needed from the Yarns, France, and he did also quite a lot of evangelical work during that time. A lot of historical records have been destroyed through the persecutions, and things were burned and destroyed, so we really don't have a lot. But we can find different people have got records, and they are different books that have been written about the Waldenesses. I mentioned one last week in the sermon. I remember correctly was the key of truth, if I remember correctly. But anyway, the Waldenesses were the people of the Bible and observed the Sabbath as they have rest for several centuries, the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles. So that I got from a write-up entitled The Incredible History of God's Church by a certain either Fletcher, page 124. So we can find out a lot of things that different people, different groups have extracted. And so the Waldenesses were indeed a group that was observing the Sabbath and the Passover during that time. All right, the modern history of the Waldenesses, though, denies this point of the origin, you know, that they Sabbath keep it. So if you look at the Waldenesses, because they are groups of Waldenesses still existing today, but they deny that it was Sabbath keeping groups. So the modern church history of the Waldenesses deny that. All right, let's continue our reading in verse 20. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

So let's look at this woman Jezebel, because we see a major objection to the church in Thyatira is this woman with her evil works called Jezebel. Now, it is possible that it could have been a woman called Jezebel there, but I strongly doubt. I think it is a symbolic name and therefore, while claiming to be a prophetess, she, Jezebel, urged Christians in Thyatira to continue the pagan idol's worship. Now, let's look a little bit about Jezebel in history, and we read about Jezebel in 1 Kings. So let's look a little bit at 1 Kings, chapter 21, 1 Kings, chapter 21.

And here we see how she inspired Jezebel inspired Naboth to be killed with her schemes, telling the king of what to do. And then in verse 13 through verse 16, and it gives a little bit more story about this.

And then in verse 23, we see, and concerning Jezebel, the Lord also spoke, saying, the dog shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. So this Old Testament Jezebel, you can read about it in more detail. I'm not going to take time now to do this, but you can read more about Jezebel. She is a very wicked woman, and she did very wrong things. So he can read even, for instance, in verse 25, and it says, But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the Lord because Jezebel, his wife, stirred him up. So we have Jezebel being a very typical example of corruption in an immorality and idolatry. And she also killed nearly all God's prophets and tried to kill Elijah. Look at 1 Kings 19 verse 2. 1 Kings 19 verse 2, Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about the sun. So she killed a lot of God's prophets, and she was committed to kill Elijah after this situation of Elijah and in the mount of Kormel. So she was really somebody that was, in the Old Testament, somebody that typified wickedness, immorality, idolatry, and killing God's prophets.

Now, in brackets, remember, Phyatira was known in its early symbolic time of that city for purple dyes, and purple is a symbolic color of wealth, power, and royalty.

Very appropriate, probably, to an entity that was prominent at that time that had a lot of wealth, a lot of power, and a lot of royalty. And you read between the lines what I'm saying.

Okay, let me give you another clue. A woman is usually a symbol for a church.

So therefore, it could be referring that woman, church, that acts like Jezebel, that persecuted the prophets, and therefore it could be referring to the Catholic Church, its influence during that time, because the area of Phyatira started allowing the Catholic Church to call themselves prophets and all that, you know, to seduce and teach servants of God some of the people that had been called into the church to go back to idolatry. So it could very well be referring to this woman Jezebel pointing symbolically, not by naming it directly, but could be referring to the Catholic Church.

And as a matter of interest, in 1315 Walter de Loller, a Waldesian or Bezian minister, he carried the true gospel into England, and from there, in the year 1401, a law was introduced which forbeared the teaching of quote-unquote new doctrines by these people that were called the Lollers, and they were faced with fines, imprisonment, and ultimate death, and then many recanted their commitment to the Church of God and made peace with the Catholic Church. And again, from that book I mentioned to you before, The Incredible History of God's Church, by Iver C.

Fletcher, page 125. So let's now continue with Revelation chapter 2, verse 20. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because, yeah, that's what I was reading, so let me mention a little bit more, because that's the part about sexual immorality and it-thing that sacrifices idols. Participating in idol worship, where it was the images that are prominent, you can today see, if you go to a Catholic Church, there's images everywhere, and Saint This, and Saint Dac, and Saint Dioda, and great worship of, quote, Virgin Mary. So this thing about idol worship, participating in that, and keeping pagan festivals, just like today.

We have Christmas, Halloween, New Year's. They are basically pagan festivals, where with their Latinus feasts led, and today leads, to licentiousness and unlimited toleration of carnal passions. So in the Middle Ages, the false teaching of the continual sacrifice of Christ was advocated. Now, what do you mean, continual sacrifice of Christ? Well, even today, the Catholic Church teaches that the so-called communion wafer, in the ceremony they call the Icarus, is literally Christ's body.

So when they give you the communion wafer, they tell you, don't bite it with your teeth, because you have Christ's body in your mouth. So it's that continual, ongoing sacrifice of Christ that they say, because it's still suffering, and it's represented by that wafer, which is, they say, it's literally Christ's body. And so, there we have a possible interpretation to eating things offered to idols, which covers, therefore, a hole away from pagan festivals or idolatry, which I mentioned in the previous Bible study, and I went about that, how I explained that, how that caused people to do things wrong, to this Catholic practice, which denies Christ's sacrifice is a complete sacrifice.

So we got this whole ambit of immorality and behavior, incorrect behavior, of idolatry and those things, which, because understanding, the book of Revelation, quite often is using symbols, symbology, analogies, metaphors, to explain things. And for instance, like I explained, woman and gisabel, it's probably referring to the Catholic Church, not necessarily to a woman that was preaching at that time, because it's also over a number of years, a number of centuries. So it is something more than just one person.

It's an entity, an organization, which was very powerful and which had a lot of wealth and a lot of royalty around it. So this is a whole symbology out there. Now, we need to understand that Christ's sacrifice is complete. So I want to look at a few verses now in Hebrews chapter 10. In Hebrews chapter 10, and first we're going to read from verse 1 through 4, and then from verse 5 to 10. From verse 1 through 4, I just want you to glance through it.

It shows that it's talking about that the law, meaning the sacrificial law, was a shadow of good things to come because those sacrifices were just a shadow of the real sacrifice, which is Christ.

Because it says that those sacrifices can never, the same sacrifices which they offered continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. But the real sacrifice is the sacrifice of Christ that we receive. For then, verse 2, for them they would have ceased to be offered those sacrifices. For the worshippers who once purified would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices, there's a reminder of sins every year, at least on the day of a tournament. For it is not possible that the blood of ghouls and goats could take away sin. So those sacrifices of animals, of eating those animals, are not really the sacrifice because the sacrifice we have is Christ. And he died, and he sacrificed. He's the one that takes away sins. And then we read from verse 5 to verse 10. It says, sacrifice you and offer you the not desire, but a body you have prepared for me. A body you, God the Father, has prepared for me Christ. A body was prepared for Christ, and Christ came, the Word became flesh. And it says in verse 6, it burnt off, and sacrificed for sin and no pleasure. Then I said to you, I have come. It was Christ says, I have come. And in a volume of the book, it is written of me to do your will of God, God the Father. So Christ came, and he did, and he became a sacrifice for us. So previously saying, sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings and offerings for sin, you did not desire no that pleasure in them, which are offered according to the ceremonial law, of course. Then he said, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God.

So Christ is saying, I've come to do your will. And he takes away the first ceremonial sacrifices that he may establish the second sacrifice of Christ. Verse 10, By that will, we have been sanctified, we are made right with God through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ, once for all, it cleanses. There is no need of other sacrifice, and it's not a continual offering, not a continued sacrifice. It's once for all, it's done. Now, verse 11 through 14, we read, And every priest stands ministering daily, and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, in which those ceremonial offerings that were being done, still when the book of Hebrews was written, which can never take away sins. But this man, that's Christ, after a year offered one sacrifice, four sins forever, he sat down at the right hand of God. And from that time of waiting, till his enemies are made footstool. So he's waiting till the time the father says, Okay, Christ, go down. Now is the time. No man knows the day or the hour of his coming. So that's what it says. Verse 14, for about one offering, it's Christ's one offering.

Christ has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. That's us that are in the process of sanctification through the sanctification of God's Holy Spirit. We are being sanctified, but his sacrifice is one offering, and it's enough, and it's perfected enough. It's enough. to do it. It's not a continued, continual sacrifice. And then we read from verse 19 through verse 31. It says, Now we have boldness to enter the holiest. That is the, the Holy Father is the throne of God the Father through the blood of Jesus Christ. And this is in your living way, because the high priest could only do it once a year, could only do it once a year on the day of the term. Now you and I, he says, he's consecrated for us through the veil that is his flesh and having our high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with the true heart in the assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience. What a blessing. So Christ's sacrifice is complete. And it's perfect. So let's continue now reading in Revelation chapter two. And we're going to read now verse 21 and verse 22.

And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immodality, and she did not repent. Verse 22. Indeed, I'll cast her into a sick bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of the deeds. So the word repent appears twice.

It talks about, indeed, I'll cast, talks about into a sick bed, and it talks about adultery. And it talks about adultery. So God gave them time to repent. Those people that had coming to the church and went back to, let's call, paganism. Let's call it to the Catholic Church. He doesn't want that. God doesn't want that. He gave them time to repent. And then he says, indeed, I will cast her. Now, who's her? That could be the implication to Jezebel, that woman, the Catholic Church, into a sick bed. Could be that. But could be the implication of, he gave her time to repent of her sexual immodality. So who is it, her? Who's the her? It could be the false church. But he says, indeed, I'll cast her into a sick bed. So it is this, if he's referring to the Catholic Church, and he's saying I'll cast her into a sick bed, not on a bed where sin was committed, but a sick bed of pain and suffering. So, yeah, it's referring to a punishment, and there will be a time of judgment to those that organization, let's call it that, or that false Babylon teaching.

And those who commit adultery with her integrate revelation. And yeah, is the word adultery, not fornication, which means or represents a violation of the marriage vow. A violation of the law of God, yes, but also a violation of the covenant of relationship with Christ done at baptism, commitment to God and to Christ. So yeah, it's referring to people who came into the church, were baptized, received God's early spirit, and they went back, because they committed adultery. They went back, they're not virgins anymore. They went back, they're not virgins anymore, unless they repent of their deeds.

So the word repent is yah twice, because it appears that the first time is talking, I gave her time to repent, talking to Jezebel, the woman, and then the second time is today, they repent of their deeds, which are those that came into the church and did not repent. So that is a possible interpretation there. Now in verse 23, I'll kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the hearts and minds, and I'll give to each one of you according to your works.

So for shadows, church history, this era, once again, which is the Middle Ages, which proceeded across Protestant Reformation, in that period the church, the Catholic Church, became corrupt, as it sought to combine, or I mean, I'll be a part of it, the church, God's church, portion of God's church, became corrupt, as it sought to combine true Christianity with pagan philosophy and pagan religious rights. And so there were a few people that were faithful, but during this period, that was the period of Mary, became elevated in a great area, time of worship, Virgin Mary, and all that. So the church of God experienced biblical gravity, and therefore there was gross spiritual immorality and adultery, and the point is this influence is still in the world today. This false religion is still in the world today, and we in God's church have to be careful that we don't fall into these areas of corruption of the fire-fire era. That's why later on it says he that he has years, late in year, a little bit more of that, but the point is all this applies to us all. It's all applicable to us as well. Right, let's now read verse 24 and 25.

Now to you, I say, and to the resting fire-tirer, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan. As they say, I'll pour on you no other burden, but you'll fast what you have to like. So Yah is a really compliment because there are a few people within the church that remain faithful, that did not go wrong, did not follow the teaching of Jezebel. This doctrine of Satan's religious system, they did not go that way. It's interesting, it talks about the depths of Satan. So this pagan worship religious system is really the depths of Satan. That's what it says. And compare that to 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 10. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 10. This is talking about God's Spirit, but God has revealed these things that we don't see. He has revealed these things of God, things that people in the world don't understand, to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. So Yah is a contrast between the depths of Satan in Revelation 2, and Yah we have God's only Spirit gives us the opposite, which are the deep things of God. So it is interesting, this contrast. So we have to cling, and they had to cling, to what we have, what they have, what we have, and wait for the coming of the Lord, our real and only help. The interesting thing, the coming of Christ is mentioned, Yah, for the first time as a hope to those affected by Satan's system. It's the first time that this is mentioned as a hope. So that's very interesting. Let's now move on in Revelation 2, verse 26 through to the end, 29. And He who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to Him I'll give power over the nations. He shall rule them with a rod of iron. They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessel. As I have received from my father, I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Now, in our we see that overcoming Christians are promised positions of authority. He says, He who overcomes and keeps my works until the end, to Him I'll give power over the nations. So, overcoming Christians are promised positions of authority. They will share Christ's rule over the nations because Christ's going to rule over nations. And so they're going to share Christ's rule in the same way as Christ because we say we know that Christ will rule with a rod of iron. And He says these Christians will rule with a rod of iron. Now, it is very interesting to look at the Greek word for mino, which was translated the word rule because that Greek word 41.65 means to feed, to tend the flock, keep sheep, to feed, to tend the flock, to keep sheep. So that rule with a rod of iron is to care as a shepherd. It's not to dominate. And so, yeah, there will be justice and administered with mercy and direction in loving care as a true shepherd. Then it says, as I also received from my father, so you rule and help those people as you receive from your father. And then it says, I will give him the morning stop. Yeah, it's probably referring to Christ will bring a new morning, a new age, a wonderful world tomorrow. That's the new dawning of a new age, of a new society, and to be a light to the world. And they will be, we, God's people, will be with Christ, helping to dawn to bring that new age, that morning start, the beginning of that world of peace, and will also be a light as well. So that is interesting. Now, the concluding part here in verse 29. He who has an ear to ear, therein hear what the Spirit says to the churches. I think the interesting point about this is that previously in the previous three letters, three letters, I mean the letters to Ephesus, to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, that statement was given before the promise. So he said, he who has a year to year, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches, and then gave the promise. That was true with Ephesus, with Smyrna, and Pergamos. But now, in Fire Tyre, and from here onwards, it starts with he who has a year to year, the bigger part of it ends with he who has an ear to year, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church. That is the final sentence of this letter. So in the previous three, was the sentence at the beginning of the promise, from Fire Tyre onwards, is the last sentence of the letter. So, therefore, there is a subtle meaning here that these instructions are therefore even more strongly addressed to all of us, because these instructions are applicable to all of us, because this false religion that took the three earlier decades of errors of the church, not decades, to build up and to come up, now is in full bloom, creating havoc in the era of Fire Tyre. And this is still happening. This false teaching is still happening. Teaching is still happening around us today. That, brethren, concludes today's section of the message to Fire Tyre.