The Morning Star is also promised to him that overcomes,—“1 will give to him the Morning Star,” saith the Spirit. To appreciate the importance and value of this great promise we must know what is sig¬nified by the phrase.
While the Jezebel, or clerical party, which had obtained a footing in the Thyatiran ecclesia, was denounced by the Spirit, and threatened with great tribulation and death; “the Rest in Thyatira” were encour¬aged to perseverance in their opposition to the clergy by exceeding great and precious promises.
But all among the Thyatirans were not impressible by the arts and blandishments of Jezebel and her children.
As we have shown in our exposition of the apocalyptic “Balaam” and “Nikolaitans,” there existed a class of teachers calling themselves “Christians,” contemporary with the apostles, who taught “another gospel,” and set forth a Jesus, which Paul styled “another Jesus;” both of which, that is, the Jesus and their gospel, were different from the real Jesus and the true gospel, proclaimed by the apostles; and subversive of
The Christian faith was, doubtless, introduced into Thyatira by Lydia, whom Paul and his companions first became acquainted with at Philippi, a city of Macedonia. She was “a worshipper of God” belonging to Thyatira, but for the time being sojourning at Philippi as “a seller of purple.” Paul met her at the proseuche, by the river side, beyond the city walls. She had gone there with other devout women to offer prayer to the living and true Deity.
Thyatira stood forty-eight miles east of Pergamos. It was a city of Lydia on the Lycus, a branch of the Hyllus, anciently called Pelo- pia, but now Akhissar by the Turks: that is, “the White Castle,” from the great quantity of white marble there abounding. Only one ancient edifice is left standing. The rest, including the clerical bazaars, or “churches,” are so destroyed that no vestiges of them are to be found.
18. “And to the Angel of the Ecclesia among Thyatirans write: These things saith the Son of the Deity, having his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like to incandescent brass. 19. I have
Besides the promises that the victor shall eat from the hidden manna, it is said by the Spirit, “and I will give to him a white pebble.” To eat from the manna would be to rise from the dead; but when risen, what then? “I will give him a white pebble.” This implies a blessing superadded to resurrection of life.
In the English version it reads, “I will give him a white stone.” In
“The Manna which hath been concealed” is a form of speech to be understood by comprehending the signification, first, of “the Manna;” and secondly, of its concealment; the latter of which will be found intimately connected with the gift of it to him that overcomes.
But, though the Star-Angel, or eldership, of the ecclesia in Pergamos in the general answered to Antipas, the Spirit’s faithful witness, “Yet,” said he, “I have against thee a few things, because thou hast there them holding fast the teaching of Balaam who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices, and to fornicate. So hast thou also them holding fast the teaching of the Nikolai- tans, which thing I detest.”