LESSON III.—THE SEVEN CHURCHES—PERGAMOS AND THYATIRA.
(Study for Sabbath, April 16.) 1. TO WHAT period were we brought in the last lesson?—To the days when, under the patronage of Constantine and the great of earth, the apostate wing of the church and the world joined hands and the Roman Empire was said to be "converted." 2. Under what name does the Spirit address the loyal church in this third period? Rev. 2:12, first part. Note 1. 3. How is the speaker described? Verse 12, last part. Note 2. 4. What words of approval are spoken? Verse 13. Note 3. 5. What words of censure? Verses 14, 15. Note 4. 6. What warning is spoken? Verse 16. 7. What exhortation and promise is addressed to those who have compromised with evil? Verse 17. 8. By what church is the next, or fourth, period represented? Verse 18. Note 5. 9. Who speaks, and how is He described? Verse 18. Note 6. 10. What does He first mention?—The virtues. In what terms? Verse 19. 11. What is the reproof? Verse 20. Note 7. 12. What threat is uttered against the apostate power? Verses 21-23. 13. How does the Lord encourage His own, but erring, church in days of apostasy? Verses 24, 25. See Isa. 42:3, 4. 14. What promise is made to the faithful under oppression? Verses 26, 27. Note 8. 15. What pledge of victory has the believer? Verse 28. Note 9. 16. With what call does the message close? Verse 29. 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."