THE CHURCH AGE

1. Understanding the Timeframe

a. This church age begins with the time we call the _____ Ages, and ends around the time of the beginning of the ______(500-1000AD)

b. The Bible was ______from the hands of the common man – Ps. 119:30

i. This takes us to the heart of the Dark Ages

ii. Roman religious councils completely replace the authority of the Word of God

iii. The Roman controlled the world through religion (Every nation wanted to be blessed by God)

c. In the Pergamos period, the “church” was married to the world; which produce a counterfeit church. In the Thyatira church period the counterfeit church is married to a political system. – It’s now referred to as the “______”

d. This time period also introduces us to man named ______and a religion called _____

i. He witnessed the idolatrous atrocities of the Roman Catholic Church he wanted to do something about

• He claimed that he received a visit from the angel Gabriel

• During this visit he was “proclaimed” to be a prophet

ii. Ultimately, the followers of Islam would also fall under the heavy hand of the Roman Church

iii. We begin to see a pattern develop of error begetting error

2. Understanding the Text – 2:18-29

a. Consider the meaning of the name “Thyatira” – Odor of Affliction

i. This time in church history was especially ______

ii. Rome used to persecute Bible believers because they wouldn’t embrace the false gods of ______– Started with Nero

iii. Now Rome is imprisoning, beating, grilling, burning, beheading, impaling, torturing, and killing Bible believers because they would not embrace the false doctrines of the Roman ______Church

b. The Introduction – vs. 18

i. The Son of God – the Son of God, not the son of Mary

ii. His eyes are like unto a flame of fire – the all seeing eyes

iii. His feet are like fine brass – brass is often associated with God’s judgment

c. The Commendation – vs. 19, 24-25

i. God never takes His ____ off of them – vs. 19 38

ii. This group did ____ adopt the doctrine of the woman Jezebel – 24-25

• God always has a ______of believers who will not bow their knee to the enemy!

• This group did ___ suffer like the rest (God protected this group – we’ll see this a little later) d. The Condemnation

i. ______is committing fornication and eating things sacrificed to idols

• In verse 2:14 this is referred to as “the doctrine of ______”

• In verse 2:20 this is referred to as “that woman ______”

ii. When the Bible refers to a “______” in regard to religion, it is always a type of an organized false ______– Prov. 5:3-7; Rev. 17

iii. The woman “Jezebel” is a religious ______

• Judges 17-18 A Levite is commissioned to be the personal priest and “____” to an Ephraimite man name Micah. The Levite priest uses Micah’s ____ and images as part of their new religion.

The tribe of ___ comes along and confiscates the priest for themselves. He leads them to follow the same ______with his Ephod and Teraphim as they call him “father.”

The tribe of Dan is in total apostasy for nearly 1000 years. They end up building a city near Zidon. The Zidonians are worshipers of _____. Dan now dwells near them and mixes in with them as they worship in apostasy with their black robed priests called “father” and their idols and images.

• 1Kings 16:29-33 Ahab becomes king of Israel and marries Jezebel who is the ______of the king of the ZIDONIANS. He then serves Baal. Jezebel apostatizes Israel as she gets them all to worship Baal after the manner of her fathers (who were connected with the tribe and religion of Dan).

• 1Kings 18:17-39 This Baal worship, connected with the tribe of Dan, is practiced in Israel. They worshiped the Sun god on Sun day. They had black robed Baalite priests called fathers who mutilated themselves as penance for their sins to their god. Through their penance they try to manipulate their god to get him to do what they want. – Does this sound familiar?

• In the OT, Satan used a ______woman named Jezebel to corrupt Israel by introducing them to a false religious system that had black robed priests called “fathers” who used idols as aids in worship. That false religion was called ______

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• In the Thyatira Church Period, Satan used a ______woman named Jezebel in an attempt to corrupt Biblical truth and dilutes Christianity. This false religion also has black robed priests called “fathers,” who use idols as aids in worship. This false religion is called ______

• In Roman Catholicism, Baal is called Jesus, but he is ____ the Jesus of the Bible.

- It is another Jesus that is proclaimed in another gospel, received through another spirit (2Cor. 11:4), and is preached by false apostles (2Cor. 11:13), who are actually Satan’s ministers (2Cor. 11:15)

Important Note:

• Baalism of the OT __ Roman Catholicism in the NT • They are the exact same system!!

iv. The Judgment of “Jezebel” – vs. 21-23

• God gives this religious system the ______to repent

- She will ___ repent

- Her future ______is recorded in Rev. 17-18 in detail

• A look at what history records during the Thyatira church period

- In 541AD a disease known as the “______” (Bubonic Plague) began along the commercial trade routes of the

- ___ million people were killed

- Was this God’s judgment?

o Rev. 2:23

o God didn’t do this to them, but rather gave them the wages that they earned

- Another point of interest…

History records that many Jews and Bible Believers did not die because they were diligent about staying clean – the believed the Bible and lived! – vs. 24-25

e. During this period, there were still ______believers

i. They were often referred to by their enemies as Cathari, Montanists, Novations, Donatists, Euchites, Messalines, Nestorians, Paulicians, Bogomiles, Albigensis, Picards, etc.

ii. They would later be called, Waldensees, Anabaptists, Mennonites, Hussites, Brethren, and ______

3. A Quick Review a. The Period began to deviate from the Word of God b. In the Smyrna Period those deviations became false doctrine 40 c. In the Pergamos Period those doctrines were fully developed, and the church married the world and became Papal Rome d. In the Thyatira Period, Papal Rome began her conquest of the world

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