THE FOURTH LETTER:
TO PERGAMUM

Revelation 2:18-29 (NIV)
18  "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
19  I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20  Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
21  I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
22  So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
23  I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24  Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan's so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you):
25  Only hold on to what you have until I come.
26  To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
27  'He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery' — just as I have received authority from my Father.
28  I will also give him the morning star.
29  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Spiritual Increase

• "I see your faithful ministry."
  v.19 - "I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance..."

• "I see your forward movement."
  v.19 - "I know...that you are now doing more than you did at first."

Sinful Indulgence

• that wicked woman

  • her description - v.20 - "...that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess."
  • her debauchery - v.20 - "...sexual immorality...food sacrificed to idols."
  • her deception - v.20 - "By her teaching, she misleads my servants..."
  • her disciples - v.22 - "...those who commit adultery with her..."
  • her defiance - v.21 - "I have given her space to repent...but she is unwilling."
  • their doom - v.22-23 - "...a bed of suffering...unless they repent...I will strike..."
• the warning to the wimpy worshipers
  v.20 - "I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel..."

Spiritual Imperatives

• resist the backward pull
  v.25 - "Only hold on to what you have until I come."

  • Don't go BACKWARD in your SPIRITUAL SERVICE!

  • Don't go BACKWARD into SIN!

• rise in boldness and power
  v.26 - "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end..."

• receive the blessed promises
  v.26-28 - "I will give authority...I will also give him the morning star."

Last Updated: February 04, 2008