END OF TIME PROPHECIES 052

THYATIRA     The Counsel        Revelation 2v24-25.

                                                      "..........Hold fast till I come".


The amplified version puts theses verses more coherently as follows; "But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not explored and known the depths of Satan, as they say, I tell you that I do not lay upon you any other burden: only hold fast to what you have until I come.

"To the rest of you"   -   He now speaks to the remnant of the church in Thyatira.   There has been serious moral and spiritual departure, which is now under divine condemnation.   In such circumstances, the Lord acts, as He has always done, by sparing "the remnant."   Jezebel, and "those with her" and her children are judged, but the remnant are spared.   History has shown that there has been always a remnant of people faithful to God in times of departure.   It would seem that, from this point on, remnant conditions will prevail in the churches.   Following Thyatira to the church at Sardis he says "thou hast a few names also in Sardis which have not defiled their garments."   (chapter 3v4)   At Philadelphia, the focus is on weakness "thou hast a little strength."( chapter 3v8).   At Laodicea the call is to the individual to open the door to fellowship with Christ (chapter 3v20)   The trend is that of remnant conditions.   These last four churches of the seven could be covered by the phrase used by Zechariah  "the day of small things."    Perhaps this is why the command to hear the Holy Spirit comes after the promise to the overcomer (the reverse is true in the first three churches) because the last message he means them to hear in remnant conditions is the importance of obedience to the Spirit.

Over 500 times the scriptures present the concept of the remnant.   it is not the idea of "left overs" or "cut offs" as in pieces of carpet, it carries more the idea of the cream rising to the surface.   The Hebrews word yesher has the idea of "excellence" or "superiority."   Noah and his family were remnants of their day.   Only Lot and his two daughters were spared from Sodom.   Scripture speaks of the "remnants of nations" following divine judgement (Amos 9v12).   Also mentioned are the remnants of Israel and Judea in times of captivity.   When God acts in judgment He always leaves a remnant.

• 1st Kings 19v11-18     -     After the slaughter of the prophets of Baal, Elijah complained to the Lord that he was the only one left.   the reply of the Lord is " yet have I left Me 7,000 in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal.  
• 2nd Kings 19v30-31     -     "And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judea shall yet again take root downward and bare fruit upward.   For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant."
• Isaiah 1 v 9       -      "Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom."
• Isaiah 6v 12-13     -     And there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land but yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return."
• Isaiah 10v 22     -     "For though  thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return."
• Jeremiah 23 v3     -     "And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries whether I have driven them and will bring them again to their folds."  
• Zephaniah 3v13     -     "The remnant of Israel ........ shall feed and lie down and none shall make them afraid."
• Zechariah 8 v 12     -     "For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all things."
• Romans 11 v 5     -      "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace."

In every era of time, there has been a remnant for God no matter how dark the days and no matter how heavy the judgment.   It is still true today in the context of the church.   The New Testament epistles brim with the forecast that serious departure will come in post- apostolic days, but God will maintain His remnant.   The question is, what are we to do in times like that?   Firstly, it is note worthy that there is no command to leave the church.   We are commanded to disassociate with heathen temples (2nd Corinthians 6); Paul separated from the Jewish synagogues (Acts 18) because they had rejected Christ.   So what are we to do?     The Lord simply says "Hold fast till I come."   We cannot unravel history, but we should take care not to perpetuate it.   We are simply asked to hold fast to the things that we have which are honouring to God.   The word is very strong - krateo it means to use strength.   He illustrates this in verse 26 when he says  "He that keepeth My words unto the end."   We are to keep a firm grasp, and hold fast what God has revealed to us in the midst of departure to the end.     This trend continues in the next two churches.     At Sardis (chapter 3v2) he says  "strengthen the things that remain."   At Philadelphia (chapter 3v8-11)  he says " thou hast a little strength.... hold fast that thou hast."   In days of serious departure all the Lord wants us to do is to hold the ground that we have and not to yield an inch no matter the cost.