Hold fast till I come

Revelation

And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write
These things saith the Son of God,
who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire
and his feet are like fine brass
I know thy works
and charity
and service
and faith
and thy patience
and thy works
and the last to be more than the first.
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee
because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess
to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication
and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
And I gave her space to repent of her fornication
and she repented not.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed
and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation
except they repent of their deeds.
And I will kill her children with death
and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts
and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
But unto you I say,
and unto the rest in Thyatira,
as many as have not this doctrine,
and which have not known the depths of Satan,
as they speak;
I will put upon you none other burden.
But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
And he that overcometh,
and keepeth my works unto the end,
to him will I give power over the nations
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron
as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers
even as I received of my Father.
And I will give him the morning star.
He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

*******

A.D. 538 to A.D. 1798


This is the 1260 year period spoken of in Dan. 7 and throughout Revelation when applied to history it's quite understandable. We know all about the seeming special status of the Catholic church from the year it was set up 538AD and onward. It's history is quite amazing and not always in a very good way. Today we see the church and like so many horrors of the past we find it hard to imagine they truly existed simply because we have our supposed humane treatment today. I say supposed because there are still many places upon earth that have atrocities occuring that boggle the mind entirely. The Catholic church holds a special distinction for being a huge organized religious body that instituted the inquisition. Tortures unspeakable thrust upon people because they opposed the church. Opposing the church was unthinkable. And until 1798 it held a distinct power in religion and political aspects. Today we know the Catholic church to be mainly something of a good thing- the Pope a good man desiring peace. There are Catholic charities that help millions of people. Yes, it's had its fair share of scandal in the more recent years but even with that scandal the church and the power it weilds is only growing. More and more world leaders of various countries are looking for alliance with the Papacy, sending ambassadors, making very special visits to the 'Holy Father'. This force is truly astounding and we look at these verses here and how can we not agree that God's true people- His people- not those who are caught up in idoltry holding fast to beliefs and doctrines that aren't God's but so close to the true the counterfeit is accepted for the real thing; how can we not agree that God's people are few?

...
I know thy works
and charity
and service
and faith
and thy patience
and thy works
and the last to be more than the first.
...

This sounds so amazing doesn't it? Charity, service, faith, patience and works. Something God's people truly hope to attain in a walk with Jesus Christ, in a life dedicated to God.

...
Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee
because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel which calleth herself a prophetess
to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication
and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
And I gave her space to repent of her fornication
and she repented not.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed
and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation
except they repent of their deeds.
And I will kill her children with death
and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts
and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
...

God's people...suffering one who claims to be something she's not? God's people allowing a people of false beliefs to teach and seduce those who would truly follow the one and only true God? God's people holding fast to the worships of idols living a life that is geared towards worshipping the false gods and not the true. We're not talking outright worship of Satan, but rather deception, seduction and you don't seduce with forcefulness. You seduce with subtle actions. You lure with seduction. A false people whose hearts do not belong to God but seem to, they could lure a true follower away. Those who seduce will be lost with the seductress, those she considers her children will die with her. God, the one and only true God knows the reins and the hearts of us all. We will be given as we work- and the work is a result of our choices. The choices we make determine our lives and the lives that are not given fully to God- reins and heart- will have no part in Him.


...
But unto you I say,
and unto the rest in Thyatira,
as many as have not this doctrine,
and which have not known the depths of Satan,
as they speak;
I will put upon you none other burden.
But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
And he that overcometh,
and keepeth my works unto the end,
to him will I give power over the nations
And he shall rule them with a rod of iron
as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers
even as I received of my Father.
And I will give him the morning star.
He that hath an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
...

Hold fast till Christ comes. The heart fully consecrated to Christ in all needs to hold fast, not give up. Admonished to hold fast it's something all God's people throughout time need to do, those then, those through all the years, those today.


To us who do overcome, to us who keep Christ's works up until the end- Christ will give us power through Him over the nations, we will rule through Him with a rod of iron and all the earthly, ungodly in the nations will be destroyed utterly- shattered to pieces. As the Father gave to Christ His Son, we too will receive from Christ all that He can give to us- even Himself.


May God bless and keep us in Him! May we not be deceived as the masses who have been, are, and will be seduce by the evil of Satan. Let us hold fast in Him! Now and forever by His mercy and His loving grace. Amen.