Thyatira: A Hindrance to Greater Works
“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;” Rev 2:18
It is interesting that each of these letters is seen by most students as being addressed to the churches, but it is important to note that technically this is not true. They are addressed to “the angel” of the church rather than the church itself. The important point to glean here is that the word angel, or messenger, is singular, whereas a church refers to a whole body of people.
What is the significance of this?
Quite simply it is this. The instructions in each of these letters applies to a significant group of seekers attempting to stay upon the path, but in application the aspiring disciple must learn and apply them alone, as an individual entity. His interplay with the inner Christ must be between him and the Master, as if the instructions were intended only for him – yet there are the many (the church) who will go through this stage.
The inner voice gives three descriptions of himself at the beginning of these instructions:
(1) It is the Son of God who is speaking. The voice is telling the seeker that it is the true authority. It represents the only true Son of God who can be trusted. Any outer voice claiming to speak for God can fail and let you down, but not the inner one.
(2) His eyes are like a flame of fire. These are eyes that can see through the heaviest illusions, penetrate the innermost being and know the deepest thoughts and intents. The seeker can hide nothing from the Christ within. It is useless to put on a façade.
(3) His feet are like fine brass. This tells us that the inner Christ has power to subdue any resistance and will eventually dominate as a king by putting all elements of the lower self under his feet.
Notice that these three descriptions were repeated from the first part of the vision, but others left out. This is because these three apply in particular to this stage on the path. The common thread between them is authority. Until liberation is obtained the seeker must ever work on gaining a trust for the inner Christ. In this Thyatira stage he must do more than listen. He must apply that which he knows.
“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.” Rev 2:19
The seeker does not need to remind God, his Son or the inner voice about his works and achievements. They are all seen and known. They are not only seen but also evaluated
The Master is telling the seeker of his achievements so far. He has done good works. He has developed charity, or the capacity to love on a spiritual level. He knows how to unselfishly serve. He has faith in the plan that God has for us, and the patience to endure to see that plan accomplished.
Then he is told something interesting. He is complemented a second time for his works. Why is this? He is merely told that he completed a cycle of training and gained important assets from it. Now he is involved in another cycle of works with even greater lessons to be learned.
“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.” Rev 2:20
The seeker has learned and continues to learn some important lessons, but is making mistakes in the process. Interfering with his spiritual progress is a woman called Jezebel. This name was not picked by accident, but is the name of a destructive woman from the days of Elijah, the prophet.
She was a Phoenician princess who married King Ahab, an Israelite who was supposed to lead his people toward the true God. She turned Ahab away from Jehovah, and toward the worship of her god, Baal.
Ahab was so mesmerized by her that she seemed to get her way in all things. She influenced him to open temples dedicated to Baal in Israel and then to rule the people with tyranny. She went so far as to kill the prophets and sought the life of Elijah, but he escaped her wrath and placed a curse on her which was fulfilled in her death by the hands of her own people.
Jezebel was such an evil woman that her name has since been synonymous with corruption and licentiousness.
The interesting thing about the Jezebel of the Apocalypse is she calls herself a prophetess.
Now, a prophetess of old was seen as a righteous and good woman who speaks the word of God. This tells us that this Jezebel, who is in the life of the seeker, is corrupt and evil, but presents herself as good and favored of God.
The Master thus chastises the aspiring disciple because his vision is clouded and he allows her “to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”
to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”
The Seduction
One may ask who would be the Jezebel in this age that the seeker could encounter: and what’s so bad about eating something that has been sacrificed to idols or false Gods?
In answer, let us examine the situation of the seeker at this stage. He has contacted the inner voice of Christ and tested it over a period of time. He has gained great trust in it, but his attention wanders now and then and is distracted by other voices. Even so, he has gained a vision of a part he may play in the plan and is determined to serve unselfishly with love and do what is necessary to get things done.
The bottom line is this: He is a sincere server and seeker, but not completely focused on the Inner Light. In this situation he meets the prophetess Jezebel. Who is this?
It is a person who seduces seekers “to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.” In other words, this false teacher catches the attention of many seekers and takes their focus off the true God Within (fornication) and causes them to digest spiritual teachings from a god without (eating things sacrificed unto idols.)
The Jezebel here does not usually belong to an orthodox religion, for the seeker at this stage has normally left orthodoxy and is working to bring greater light verified by the inner voice. This greater light is normally condemned by orthodoxy, but, in supporting teachings that run contrary to the standard model, the seeker will often find himself surrounded by some odd company.
Those who tread a path contrary to orthodoxy are not only aspiring disciples, but many others who rebel for ego’s sake. These rebels fall into the following categories:
(1) Many criminal elements who fight the system for personal gain.
(2) Those who rebel for rebellion’s sake. They may feel superior to orthodox followers, but they are just as bad as they follow the orthodox rebel’s predictable path.
(3) Wanna-be teachers who have not contacted (or ignore) the inner voice but are familiar with the concept and believe they are in contact with it as well as a channel for various supernatural beings.
It should be obvious that such a person has not established stable inner contact because he or she does not direct students toward the inner world, but the outer. She especially directs them to listen and obey her own voice, as it speaks for God in some outer form.
This is the true Jezebel the seeker will surely meet. The amazing thing about this prophetess is that she will claim to direct students to the God Within or at the least the true God. The terms, kingdom within, the inner God, God Within, true God and Christ consciousness may be often used by her. This is why this person is so seductive. She says many of the things the true teacher will say, but in the end will take students away from reliance on the voice within and use all force at her disposal to force belief in the outer voice.
If a seeker is around such a Jezebel and speaks something from the inner voice that disagrees with her, the truth will be revealed to the wise. Here are some things that may happen:
(1) Jezebel will always acknowledge in theory the right to go within but will declare the seeker wrong (often without any reason given). It will be understood that he must conform to her outer voice or be ostracized.
(2) Jezebel will use fear to control her students. While condemning punishments talked about by the churches she will come up with many of her own for this world and the next.
(3) She will speak with great authority in the name of a god-like entity that is not to be questioned. Many of the teachings will sound good (seductive), but in reality they will be a rehash of past teachings with no new principles.
The verse tells the seeker he has erred in “allowing” Jezebel to seduce his servants.
“Allow” is an interesting word to use here, for most seekers of today do not think we have any right to prevent anyone from teaching or believing whatever they wish. This is the same trap in which the seeker is caught and is now corrected by the inner voice.
Let us clarify. The seeker has recently broken off from many outer authorities, which sought to control him and imprison his mind. After loosing himself and tasting the air of freedom he is determined to not let it happen again, and above all, to not be an agent in controlling others as he was unjustly controlled. He thus swings to the other extreme of the pendulum and becomes extremely tolerant of all beliefs and teachings, and does not want to unduly influence anyone toward his own path.
For a period of time he lives and lets live. He finds numerous friends and students listening to many outer authorities that do not agree with his inner voice, but he tolerates this with the conclusion that they will eventually learn through trial and error. He also tolerates all the false teachers that influence them.
He continues this path of tolerance until he meets a teacher that pushes him over the line. This is his Jezebel, who promotes a doctrine so obviously wrong and harmful that the inner voice stirs and speaks “I have a few things against thee. Inaction that allows a wrong is as bad as action that causes one. You must act.”
What action must the seeker take? He will not use force, threats or illusionary fear as do the false teachers, but he will become a beacon of light and confront Jezebel and her students, and contrast the truth from within with the false doctrine from without. Only then can the little children (speaking symbolically) on the path have true freedom of choice and free themselves from Jezebel’s seduction.
The great example of confrontation by a being of light was Jesus when he confronted the false teachers in Jerusalem who were leading many on destructive paths. Another interesting example was Elijah when he challenged the false teachers to make fire come down from heaven, as they claimed to have power such as this. The false prophets failed to bring the fire while Elijah succeeded. The contrast presented by him moved the people over to the truth he taught.
Aim at the sun, and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if aimed at an object on a level with yourself. Joel Hawes
Jan 20, 2007
Aim at the sun, and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if aimed at an object on a level with yourself. Joel Hawes
Jan 20, 2007
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