Revelation 2:23-29 - "Hold Fast Till I Come..."

But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations-- 'He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter's vessels'-- as I also have received from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. My friend, with what is happening in our world today with Russia invading Ukraine, we should more than ever realize that we are living in the last of “the last days” especially in Bible prophecy! Ezekiel 38-39 speaks Gog and “the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal”, the “bear from the north” (Daniel 7:11 & 11:6-44) that will invade the south, eventually down to Israel and even North Africa. The sleeping bear has been awaken and is on the move! Most prophetic students of the Bible have said for years that this army from the north is Russia. And according to these prophesies the Anti-christ will actually be revealed to stand up against it and promise to bring peace to the world. But before all of this happens, I’m convinced that the church will be raptured! As I said yesterday, the church and most of Christianity in the world today is like the church at Thyatira and has compromised and become corrupt! We have been “seduced” by the false prophetess of prosperity, idolatry and sexual immorality. But thank God, as we read in the above verses to the church of Thyatira, there are “some who have not known the depths of Satan…”. There was a remnant, a small group of believers who had decided, despite the circumstances and the wickedness around them, to stay faithful to the Lord and His Word. So the Lord had a word of admonition (vv. 24-29) for them. The Lord had no special demands to make; He simply wanted them to “hold fast” in their resistance to evil. "Till I come" refers to Christ's return for His people, at which time He will reward them for their faithfulness (see Rev. 3:3; 16:15; 22:7, 17, 20). This is the first mention in Revelation of the Lord's coming for the church, the event we commonly call the Rapture (see 1 Thes. 4:13-18). In contrast, the reference in Revelation 1:7 is to Christ's return to earth in judgment, to defeat His enemies and establish His kingdom (see Rev. 19:11). The believers in Thyatira are promised authority over the nations, which probably refers to the fact that God's people will live and reign with Christ (see Rev. 20:4). When the Lord sets up His kingdom on earth, it will be a righteous kingdom with perfect justice. He will rule with a rod of iron (Ps. 2:8-9). Rebellious men will be like clay pots, easily broken to pieces! Jesus Christ is "the Bright and Morning Star" (Rev. 22:16). The promise in Revelation 2:28 suggests that God's people shall be so closely identified with Christ that He will "belong" to them! In Isaiah 14:12, Satan is named Lucifer, which in Hebrew means "brightness, bright star." The compromising people in Thyatira were following "the depths of Satan," which would lead to darkness and death. God's overcomers, on the other hand, would share the Morning Star! As we review these first four messages to the churches in Revelation 2, we can see the dangers that still exist for the people of God. Like Ephesus, we can be zealous and orthodox, but at the same time lose our devotion to Christ. Or, like Thyatira, our love can be increasing yet lacking in the kind of discernment that is necessary to keep the church pure (see Phil. 1:9-11). Like Pergamos and Thyatira, we may be so tolerant of evil that we grieve the Lord and invite His judgment. What is the Lord’s last word to these churches? "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches!" Are you hearing what Jesus is saying to you and to your church today? God bless!