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The Zoroastrian Angel is addressed as: the Angel of the church of Thyatira. The Fourth Angel is known throughout the book, as the Angel of the Fourth religion - The Zoroastrian Religion.
The Angel for each religion has a specific mission. |
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THE GREEK WORD THYATIRA MEANS "SACRIFICE" 900-1000 B.C. REVEALER ZOROASTER
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The Angel of the Zoroastrian Faith is known throughout this book as the fourth Angel. It is IMPORTANT to understand that this collection of verses is only of when the Zoroastrian Angel is addressed. There are MANY other verses throughout the Book of Revelation that deal with the Zoroastrian religion.
One of the astonishing things that one should note in going through the "Messages" to the "Seven Churches" is how each part of the message fits the nature and particular characteristic of one of the World's Seven Major Historical Religions and how each of "Seven Churches" (religions) addressed appeared in the same order in history as they repeatedly appear in that same order in the Book of Revelation.
It is also interesting to note that just as the John the Baptist and the Sabean religion was mentioned in connection with Jesus in the Bible, so also was the Zoroastrian religion in that the "Three Wise Men", that "came from the East" at His birth, are reputed to have been Zoroastrian kings. As one delves into these histories, other similar connections are found.
The Parsee Zoroastrian religion is often associated in the Book of Revelation with the Sun. Sometimes people have erroneously been referred to as Sun Worshippers. The religion is located mainly in Persia which is now modern day Iran.
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Bible Verses [18] 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; |
Thyatira - Zoroastrian - Commentary V.18 John is now told to write to the FOURTH angel, the angel of the church Thyatira in Greece (now Turkey) which was a small town, but is now in ruins and a small commercial center has taken its place. The Greek word Thyatira symbolizes 'sacrifice' which we relate to the Zoroastrian Faith. A description of Baha'u'llah the 'Son of God', is given. His eyes like unto a flame of fire, means that He could read your very soul and His feet like fine brass - meaning that He was firm in His mission as a Messenger from God in spite of tribulations. He is the same Spirit as for all the Major Prophets or what are now called Messengers from God or Manifestations of God.
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| [19] 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. |
V.19 He Commends: He knows their works and commends the Zoroastrians for their charity, service, faith, and patience. He especially commends them for their works. The Zoroastrians are a very close-knit community in which they support one another.
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| [20] 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. |
V.20 He Condemns: He condemns them for following in lustful inclinations away from the truth that He compares to Jezebel, the temptress of the Bible, who calls herself a prophetess to commit fornication. This is a symbol of their misdeeds. Those who do not repent, He promises great tribulation.(When John was teaching there, apparently there was a woman who led church members away with her evil influences, who earned the code name 'Jezebel')
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| [21] And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. |
V.21 Both the Bab and Baha'u'llah appeared in Persia for the followers of the Zoroastrian religion to recognize them, which was a great opportunity for them to change their ways. Many did, but on the whole, just as the Jews failed to recognize Jesus during His presence so did the Zoroastrians fail to recognize the Bab and Baha'u'llah when They walked among them.
(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p. 95)
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| [22] Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. |
V.22 The Threat: He is giving a warning to those who commit adultery, which is called the way of Jezebel, and which is therefore materialism and immorality. He says that those who follow this path will suffer great tribulation if they don't reform their ways.
('Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 168)
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| [23] And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. |
V.23 He says that He will kill their children with death, which means spiritual death. He searches the hearts, we are judged by our works, not our words. Indeed, although even more historically recent than either the Jewish or the Hindu Faiths - the Zoroastrian Faith is much fewer in number and relatively little heard of today. It does no proselytizing and dies off with its children.
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| [24] But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. |
V.24
('Abdu'l-Baha, Some Answered Questions, p. 119)
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| [25] But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. |
V.25 He tells them to hold fast to the teachings of Zoroaster, until they receive the new message that He, Baha'u'llah will bring.
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| [26] And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: |
V.26 The Promise: "He that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him I will give power over the nations:" Baha'u'llah is a descendant of Zoroaster, so the power refers to Him, especially when it says He rules with a rod of iron.
(Adib Taherzadeh, The Revelation of Baha'u'llah v 1, p. 7)
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| [27] And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. |
V.27
Besides here, the ruling with a rod of iron is mentioned in Psalms 2:9, and Rev.12:5 and Rev.19:15. It is of course not a literal refererence. The problem for many people in recognizing their Lord has been that they have taken the Scriptures in a literal sense. Consider this sign and some of the reasons why the Jews rejected Christ.
The second sign is that He shall rule with a rod of iron, that is, He must act with the sword, but this Messiah has not even a wooden staff. Another of the conditions and signs is this: He must sit upon the throne of David and establish David's sovereignty. Now, far from being enthroned, this man has not even a mat to sit on. Another of the conditions is this: the promulgation of all the laws of the Torah; yet this man has abrogated these laws, and has even broken the sabbath day, although it is the clear text of the Torah that whosoever layeth claim to prophethood and revealeth miracles and breaketh the sabbath day, must be put to death. Another of the signs is this, that in His reign justice will be so advanced that righteousness and well-doing will extend from the human even to the animal world -- the snake and the mouse will share one hole, and the eagle and the partridge one nest, the lion and the gazelle shall dwell in one pasture, and the wolf and the kid shall drink from one fountain. Yet now, injustice and tyranny have waxed so great in His time that they have crucified Him! Another of the conditions is this, that in the days of the Messiah the Jews will prosper and triumph over all the peoples of the world, but now they are living in the utmost abasement and servitude in the empire of the Romans. Then how can this be the Messiah promised in the Torah?'
('Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha, p. 44)
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| [28] And I will give him the morning star. |
V.28 The morning star is the light that precedes the new day. Since The Bab preceded Baha'u'llah, He is referred to here as the 'morning star'. The Zoroastrian Faith flourished at the time of Christ in Persia, which is now Iran. The Bab was born in Persia in 1819 near the birthplace of Zoroaster.
('Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i Scriptures, p. 284)
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| [29] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. |
V.29 The Refrain: He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches:
(Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, p.95) |
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Bible Verses [7] And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
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V.7 The Bab opened the fourth seal, specifically related to the Fourth Angel and the Zoroastrians, but as with all the others is universal in application.
Zoroaster appeard in Persia and Persia appears to have a special role in the End Times. It is where The Bab and Baha'u'llah appeared of course, but in addition to also being where Zoroaster appeared it is the home of most of the remaining declared followers of the Sabean religion. Moreover, Iran, as it is known today, is the source and seat of the Shiite branch of Islam. Much of the Muslim activity of the Last Days,as we see in the next verse, has centered around Persia/Iran.
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[8] And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
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V.8 The horse, that he saw, has become pale and anemic. Persia the birthplace of the Zoroasterian Faith was at one time unrivaled in splendor. By the eighteenth century it had sunk to a deplorable condition. The glory had been lost. The food needed to satisfy its spiritual hunger is a return to spiritual attainment.
The intolerance of each Muslim sect towards all other Muslim sects, and towards all other religions, has caused death and hell to spring forth in that part of the world. Continuously we hear of hangings, beheadings by the sword, even crucifixions and burning alive. Even shrines and the cemeteries for the dead cannot avoid destruction. It bothers many people that the Book of Revelation is a Holographic presentation - presenting the same subject repeatedly from different perspectives. Thus it is that we see the thread about the Seven Churches is repeated six times in the Book of Revelation, and we shall likewise see the theme presented by the Four Horsemen, presented more that once again. At this juncture we are wanting you to see that the qualities of the Horsemen like the qualities of the Beasts and many other archetypes, can be seen from a positive or negative point of view. The Yin and Yang of reality, if you will.
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Bible Verses [12] And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
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V.12 The fourth angel sounded: The fourth angel, in the historical order, was Zoroaster. This verse continues the description of the spiritual darkening and dying of all the religions in the last days. The continuing theme is this dying of all the old religions in all the cultures about the world, but there remain some viable remnants of each of the religions.
('Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 346) A third part of the sun, moon and stars were smitten and darkened, describing the spiritual darkness that took over the land, all because of the leadership of many political and religious leaders, that were interested more in the material ways of life.
('Abdu'l-Baha, 'Abdu'l-Baha in London, p. 69)
('Abdu'l-Baha, Divine Philosophy, p. 32) |
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Bible Verses [15] And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. |
V.15 Another angel, being in the order of religions - the religion of Zoroaster, appears to say that it is time to reap, that the harvest of the earth is ripe. This is known as the judgment day. Baha'u'llah tells the people of the world:
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words No. 63) These events may well be identified with Zoroaster because His Religion is identified with the religion of Persia which is modern day Islamic Shiite Iran, (and which retains many of the old Zoroastrian traditions and customs). So another nuclear sickle may be thrust in. |
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Bible Verses [8] And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. |
V.8 The fourth angel is associated with the Zoroastrian Faith. The vial poured upon the 'sun' deals with fire; the rule of tyrannical leaders that sear the very souls of men.
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| [9] And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. |
V.9
Future times may also see application of these verses in Iran (the descendants of the Zoroastrian culture) and events surrounding nuclear weapons which use the very energy of the sun.
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Bible Verses [17] And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
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V.17 The fourth angel of the seven religions is the Angel of the Zoroastrian Religion, and is the one most identified with the sun. We identify Him with the country of Persia, now Iran, where Baha'u'llah was born to a noble family, that traced it's ancestry back through David, back to Abraham. The Bab also born in Persia and told of the New Message, and gathered many to 'the supper of the great God'.
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p.24)
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v1, p.149)
(Abdu'l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p.535) |
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[18] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
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V.18
This verse has another unusual symbolic parallel to the Zoroastrian Faith in consideration of its practice of leaving the dead in "Cities of the Dead" for their flesh to be eaten by birds of prey. There is also a deeper meaning, that of chastisement.
('Abdu'l-Baha, Summon up Remembrance, p. 175) |
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[19] And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.
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V.19 The worldly powers, and all those who support and follow them (followers of the Beast) always arise up against the Manifestation of God (the One Who sits on the white horse) in every New Age, when they should properly submit unto Him and be obedient to His Teachings, which are the Teachings that the world needs for that Age.
By the righteousness of God! It is not Our wish to lay hands on your kingdoms. Our mission is to seize and possess the hearts of men.
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 211) |
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[20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
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V.20 The Beast, the powers of falsity and evil, materialism and immorality, selfishness and hatred, that wreaked havoc on the world finally reach their peak of self-destruction. Their False Prophet (science without religion) whom they had greatly honored, but who deceived them into a false faith that money, the mark of the Beast, was in control, had proven itself as much the source of evil as good, so now they became embroiled in their own machinations that were a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
(Baha'u'llah, quoted by Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Baha'u'llah, p. 194) |
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