The Church's Condition at the Second Coming of the Lord; or, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Thyatira is the next in order. The Lord reveals Himself here with eyes as a flaming fire; i.e., in piercing judgment. Nothing could be worse as to the state of the Church. Jezebel is the governing power, and by her-name we are carried back to Israel's apostasy in the days of Ahab, when she fed the prophets of Baal at her own table, and persecuted the prophets of the Lord. It is a similar case. Children are born of her whom the Lord says that He will "kill with death." But she is here the mother; and it is the voice of the Church of Rome that says, "who has not the Church [of Rome] for his mother, has not God for his Father." Thus we now have, in this phase of the Church's history, the greatest outward assumption at the moment of the grossest wickedness within. She is an actor, teacher, and seducer. But this is always the case. Where the voice of the Spirit is not heard calling for judgment on the evil, there will always be found the greatest assumption of rectitude; and in this case she assumes to be henceforward THE CHURCH on earth, distinctly and exclusively so.. This is Jezebel and her children. But the Lord's eye discerns another company. These He addresses as " the rest in Thyatira." They have not received this. doctrine, or the teaching of Jezebel, and He encourages them, " That which ye have hold fast till I come." He who overcomes in Thyatira shall have "power over the nations." Now, this is the very thing that flume has sought. The Lord will give it to the Church in His own time. When He reigns she shall reign with Aim; but the order is, "If we co-stiffer, we shall also co-reign." (2 Tim. 2:1212If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: (2 Timothy 2:12)) Suffering comes first, and as He was, so the Church must be-the rejected one on the earth. And while He says to the assembly, "I know thy works," He cheers the overcomer as "he that keepeth my works unto the end;" and he shall have the "Morning Star" for his portion through the gloom of the night.
May we be found so separating ourselves in heart and association from all these things herein condemned, that we may enjoy even now this portion of the overcomer. Amen.
H. C. A.