The Seven Churches. Pergamos and Thyatira

Notes

Notes.

1. "Pergamos" means height or elevation. The so-called conversion of the Emperor Constantine took place in A. D. 323. The same power which had been used to persecute and put to death millions of the Christians was now turned in their favor. Thus a flood of worldliness and pagan doctrines was brought into the church.

2. The description suggests the need of discipline by the hewing of the Word of God. Rev. 1:16; Heb. 4:12.

3. "Where Satan's seat is." It was following the supposed conversion of Constantine that the flood-gates of error were opened, and every form of false doctrine was brought in. Constantine was nothing but a heathen to the day of his death. His so-called conversion was wholly an affair of political policy. Nearly every false doctrine in the Roman Church to-day, and very many still retained in Protestant churches, came direct from paganism, and were brought into the church at that time. Truly it was where Satan's seat was.

4. The apostate Balaam having failed by direct attack to bring a curse upon Israel, counseled Balak to seduce them into sin and so indirectly accomplish the end. Num. 31:16. Here the church that had withstood the pagan persecutions was weakened by popularity, and the compromise with worldly principles, evil and falsehood springing up within. It is still the greatest danger of the church.

5. "Thyatira" means "sweet savor of labor," or "sacrifice of contrition," appropriately suggesting the torn and bleeding church of Christ in the dark days of papal rule. This period of the church may be said to begin about A. D. 538, the date marking the political supremacy of the Papacy, and introducing another distinct era in church history, namely, the 1260 years (538 to 1798) of Dan. 7:25.

6. The feet of burnished brass (see Rev. 1:15) are evidence that Jesus still walks the fiery furnace of trial with His loved ones.

7. "Jezebel is a figurative name, alluding to Ahab's wife, who slew the prophets of the Lord, led her husband into idolatry, and fed the prophets of Baal at her own table. A more striking figure could not have been used to denote the papal abominations. See 1 Kings, chapters 18, 19, and 21. It is very evident from history, as well as from this verse, that the church of Christ did suffer some of the papal monks to preach and teach among them. See the 'History of the Waldenses.'"—William Miller's Lectures.

8. The smiting of the nations (Ps. 2:8, 9) is performed by Christ, but associated with Him in the final judgment are all the saints. Ps. 149:5-9. During the thousand years they sit with Christ in judgment upon the wicked.

9. In that darkest hour of the church the Lord gives the assurance of the coming dawn. See Luke 1:78; Rev. 22:16; 2 Peter 1:19. The light shed abroad in the believing sinner's heart by the Holy Spirit, Christ's representative, is assurance of the dawn of eternal day to those who "hold fast."