Revelation 2:18 “To the messenger of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will kill her children with death. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Thyatira was what we might call a union town where manufacturing was controlled by the trade guilds. If you wanted to work in a trade you needed a union card. In order to get a union card you needed pledge allegiance to and worship the appropriate god. The two dominate gods were Apollo the son of Zeus and the current Caesar known as the Son of God.
If that didn’t make it difficult enough, for the Christians in Thyatira things were actually worse, because guild members were expected to attend meetings in the god’s respective temples, sacrifice and eat the meat dedicated to the gods and in an act of worship, consort with the temple prostitutes.
As difficult as life was for Christians in Thyatira, the Church was growing. In fact, when he was in Philippi, Paul met and converted a woman from Thyatira who was in Philippi on a business trip.
Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us. Acts 16: 14-15
Revelation 2:18 To the messenger of the church in Thyatira write:
These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
Referring back to Revelation 1:14-15 Christ identifies himself as the one with eyes like blazing fire and feet of bronze.
As in the other Churches that Christ addressed, the conflict between Christianity and paganism was central in Thyatira. But without pulling any punches, Christ begins by announcing that He alone, and certainly not Caesar, is the Son of God. Son of God is the title used in the Bible to identify Christ as the Messiah King. See for example:
Luke 1:32-33, the announcement of his birth
Matthew 3:13-17, at baptism
Matthew 4:6-10, at temptation
Luke 4:41, 8:28, acknowledged by spirits
Matthew 17:5, transfiguration
Luke 22:67-70, trial
Romans 1:4-5, resurrection
Hebrews 1:1-5,13 the ruler over all of creation
Thyatira may worship Apollo the false god of light, but Christ with eyes like blazing fire is the true light. But again pulling no punches Christ digs at Apollo. Christ over shadows Apollo, for he has eyes of fire that see everything, flash anger at sin, and judge everyone.
Additionally Christ’s feet are like burnished bronze meaning that he is swift to pursue evil, run it down and crush it. Daniel 7:9, 10:6
Revelation 2:19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.
This is just the opposite of Ephesus. While Ephesus had neglected love, Thyatira was commended for its love growing ever stronger, doing more and more.
Revelation 2:20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
Notice the difference: while Ephesus was not afraid to deal with heresy, Thyatira tolerated a false teacher. They had refused to deal with heresy.
Ephesus was strong in doctrine yet weak in love.
Thyatira was strong in love but weak in doctrine.
Christ judged them both because both pure doctrine and pure love are to be simultaneously pursued.
The elders were allowing a false doctrine to have a place in the Church. The false teaching identified with Jezebel who was a wicked queen of Israel during the ninth century BC. She urged her husband King Ahab to worship idols. She practiced witchcraft. She had her opponents murdered. I Kings 21, II Kings 9:22
Just like the Jezebel of old, the Jezebel of Thyatira advocated compromise with paganism, perhaps with arguments that we hear today:
- There is only one God, so worship given to any god, i.e. Allah, Krishna, Sophia, etc. is really offered to Jehovah.
- By joining the pagans in their religious services, or holding inter-faith services, we are sharing the Gospel.
- Going along to get along, is a legitimate way to survive persecution and should not really be thought of as compromise.
- The ecumenical idea is that all religions have something valuable to teach us. We should not be arrogant but rather, seek the best that each religion has to offer.
The question that the Church must answer: Is the Bible the inspired revealed Word of God or is it simply a record of mankind’s halting search for spirituality?
If the Bible actually is the true and inspired, infallible Word of God, it should never be compromised or ignored. By tolerating false teaching, the elders were placing the entire Church in jeopardy because; By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
But like it or not, Biblical Christianity is intolerant. A Church that tolerates evil and false doctrine in its midst; sexual immorality and devotion to idols, in other words dedicated to chasing after wealth, fame, success, health, recognition, etc. as ends in themselves, is a Church that is not loving because it is allowing its members to run headfirst into the sure and terrible judgment of God. Christ will simply not tolerate such Church indefinitely.
How will the culture see the light transforming the darkness, displaying the truth of God, if the elders allow Jezebels to teach in the Church?
Revelation 2:21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.
As is God’s way throughout the whole of the Bible, Christ was not hasty with punishment. He left time for repentance.
The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but for everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
The sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure. Genesis 15:16
If I teach something contrary to Scripture I’m not automatically a heretic. However, if I teach contrary to Scripture and you bring it to my attention and show me that the Word of God is contrary to my teaching, and if, even in the light of Scripture, I refuse to cease teaching false doctrine and refuse to repent, then I am a heretic. A heretic is an un-teachable person who refuses to change their opinion and teaching even in the light of Scripture. As such Jezebel and her followers were given ample time to repent.
Revelation 2:22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
The punishment fits the crime: Adultery? How about a bed of suffering?
With irony and grim humor Christ says, “Do you want to get into bed with her; committing adultery or fornication? Very well then, here’s a death bed (STD’s in an age of no antibiotics!) for you!
Revelation 2:23 I will kill her children with death.
In the Hebrew, a linguistic double witness was used to express certainty. Proverbs 15:10 So Christ is saying that you can be certain that those who follow these practices will be judged by Christ. No getting around it.
Revelation 2:23 Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
What happens when apostates are disciplined and judged?
People take notice. Christianity is not a game that you make up as you go along. It is not something to play at.
To whom was this message intended?
Christ answers: Then all the churches will know that I am he…
In a time without publishing or internet, the Apostolic letters were circulated throughout all of the Churches in the world. Copies were made and kept and circulated. In this way all of the Churches learned that Christ searches hearts and minds, and… repays each of you according to your deeds. And I just have to say that I see and hear very little of this idea taught at large in the Western Church today, bent as it is an accommodation. Which causes me great concern.
Revelation 2:24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’
“Deep secrets” is a parody of Romans 11:33-36. The deep secrets belong only to God. Christ, the ruler of all, is mocking Satan and his so-called deep secrets, which are nothing more than stale lies.
The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath. Psalm 2:1-6
So much for deep secrets. Rather than pursuing deep secrets or special knowledge Christ tells believers that it is enough that they hold on to the truth. Remember it is the truth that sets us free. John 8:32
Revelation 2:26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Despite appearances to the contrary, though it may have looked as if the faithful followers of Christ were fighting a losing battle, while the faithless Christians, compromising as they were for the sake of profit and comfort, were prosperous and successful, Christ had been granted and promised his true followers the whole world. Christians are conquerors. Christians will ultimately be rulers having authority.
Revelation 20:4 Christians should join with God as he laughs and sneers at the pitiful attempts of the wicked as they fight against Christ, trying to overthrow Christ’s authority.
Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery. Psalm 2:8-9
See also: Psalm 22:27-31, 46:4,10, 65:2, 66:4, 68:31-32,72, 86:9, 102:15-22, 138:4-5, 145:10-11
The hardships that the Thyatiran believers were experiencing were not a sign that Christ had abandoned them or that they had been defeated. No, in fact, just the opposite was true, Christ assured them that he was coming to judge the unfaithful Jezebel and her followers and instructed the faithful to hold on to what you have until I come. While the apostates were about to enter into darkness, in contrast, for the followers of Christ, the darkness was coming to an end. He was about to give them the Morning Star. If we are his children then we are his heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him we will also be glorified with him. Romans 8:17