Hi Peter,
I think the statement that the teaching of Jezebel was not held by everyone in Thyatira was made because this was the case. This can be construed to mean that if there had been some in Pergamos that didn't subscribe to the doctrines of the Niolaitanes and of Balaam, the Spirit would have told us so. He didn't, so I don't believe there were such ones.
I don’t agree that Thyatira is arguably closer to idolatry than Pergamos. That statement is dependent on your definition of idolatry. I am not defining evidence of idolatry as only eating things sacrificed to idols and committing fornication. I am also defining it as an idolatrous hierarchical system of worship with one at the top dictating the beliefs and practices of all. This is systematized idolatry, clearly seen in the fulfillment of Mystery Babylon the Great. She is the queen of abuse, carried out through men in her hierarchical structure. She is drunk on the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.
The Babylonian religion was is a system of worship which was designed to bring worship to the one behind the idol. The N.T. makes it clear that the Gentiles were sacrificing to devils. Satan, in his quest for being like God, wants to be worshipped by the people of God. Mystery Babylon the Great is a religious system of his creation to cause God's people to serve him instead of God. It is filled with filth.
That is the the purpose of idolatry. Satan still wants to be number uno with all others bowing to him and under his control.
I think that the doctrines of Balaam, the Nicolaitanes and Jezebel all are applicable to the LC in varying degrees. We certainly had the teaching of the Nicolaitanes (just open the book Spiritual Authority by W. Nee and start reading and you’ll find hierarchical teaching leaven imbedded everywhere.) I started writing down some of the statements that are false last night. I kept writing in the margin ... where is support for this statement in the Bible? There is clearly the practice of the Nicolaitanes.
As for Balaam, no question about that. We had a prophet of God who was clearly all about his ministry and his interests and pursued this goal even if it brought harm to others. This was due to his covetousness to be the top ministry. He actually took from others and then shaped it to be his own and claimed his teaching was the high peak of the divine revelation. This behavior shows him to be a false prophet. True men of God receive all others and receive other ministries. He led other men into this error and a hierarchy of Blendeds, elders, and fulltimers carry on proclaiming the name of Lee and feeding people the leavened HWMR. To teach people to read only the HWMR instead of sending them to the pure unleavened Word of God, is to feed people leavened bread and to have them eat things sacrificed to idols. Lee offered up his leavened teachings to the idol of his covetousness, and now the exalted One Publication is systematically fed to his followers.
As for Jezebel, there is actually teaching in the Local Churches today that supports fornication and adultery. In one place a brother asked one of the leaders about why brothers who were adulterers and fornicators were tolerated in the church and the answer was to just love them and set an example of good behavior for them. This teaching supports the committing of fornication.
It is not a pretty picture.
Thankful Jane
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