Revelation 2:18–29 (ESV)
To the Church in Thyatira
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service, and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Dear fellow redeemed: If we were John’s messengers, our next stop would be Thyatira. This is among the smallest of the cities on the list, but the letter is among the longest. We would place the letter in the hands of the “angel” there, the bishop, the supervising pastor. The other place that we hear about Thyatira is in Acts 16, where Luke and Paul are outside the city of Philippi and write, “And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she prevailed upon us.” (Acts 16:13–15, ESV)
Lydia would have traveled about 385 miles from Thyatira to Philippi, which tells us just how interconnected the ancient world was. However, this was long before the letters were sent out by Christ through John. Once again, Jesus describes Himself in some of the terms used at the beginning, when He commissions John to write. 18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. His flaming eyes tell us that He sees all things, that nothing is hidden from Him, all the way into the hearts of people. The reference to the feet of burnished bronze in a furnace
speaks to His power to crush all things under His feet. This picture of Jesus is dangerous and intimidating. It carries a warning. The second part of the letter, as we have come to know, is commendation. It is short.
19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service, and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. Unlike the Ephesians who had lost their first love, and those in Pergamum were faithful in the face of persecution, many in Thyatira were faithful and increasing in their love, and faith, in their service to one another, patiently enduring their crosses.
This is a congregation that is growing in faith through faithful preaching and hearing of the gospel, and it shows in the growing love that they have for one another and in all the things that they do as a congregation to serve one another, to reach out with the gospel, and to help one another through all of the troubles of life. A church is blessed where their faith and works are greater as the years go by. The alternative is to decline, to diminish in hearing the gospel, and in the works of love that mark Christ’s church.
This is true commendation to those in Thyatira. But in one way they are failing. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
Jezebel is probably not her real name, but like Jezebel, the husband of King Ahab, in the Old Testament, she introduces false teaching and false practices into the church. She calls herself a prophetess; that is, she set herself up as an authority. She could be seducing some in the church to pagan worship and sexual immorality. But “adultery” is used many times in Scripture to describe spiritual unfaithfulness. The church is the bride of Christ, and to be unfaithful spiritually is like committing adultery against her Husband. For example, here is a description from 1 Chronicles: “But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods
of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.” (1 Chronicles 5:25, ESV)
We had someone at Our Savior who taught that Christians shouldn’t have to confess their sins or hear of their forgiveness, but their forgiveness really depends upon the way they live their Christian life. She would visit people in the congregation and had the reputation of a godly woman who knew her Bible. She led at least one family out of the church. I reproved her and warned some about her, but like the Jezebel in Thyatira, she didn’t
repent. As a younger pastor, I might not have done anything so definite. It is hard to deal with the Jezebels of this world because of their seductive power and influence and their reputation as teachers. I might add, that Jezebels may be either men or women. But Christ of the flaming eyes and the destroying feet is Lord of the church after all. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw
into great tribulation unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works.
Those who commit adultery with her are those who believe her false teaching. Their children are the next generation who believe the false doctrine, those taught by Jezebel’s students. There are times when Jesus will deal with false teachers physically, to root out the unfaithfulness and make an example of them. And if not in this life, then in hell such deceivers will suffer (Luke 12:45-48).
When there is a Jezebel in a congregation, as I said it is hard to deal with her (or him!). Those who are faithful suffer and soldier on, sometimes feeling helpless to do anything about it. Jesus urges them to remain faithful. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.
To hold fast is the important thing. Don’t get enticed by claims of knowing “deep things” that really are Satan’s lies. Hold fast to the simple Gospel. And now comes the promise to those who are faithful. It is challenging to understand all that Jesus says here: 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers
and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Here we see the principle of reversal, where the first are last and the last are first, and the Lord “has filled the hungry with good things and the rich He has sent empty away.” Those who have been preyed upon by the false teachers and the people of this world will in fact judge the nations. Even now as we speak the word of God (the rod of iron) to those who make a mockery of good things, we foretell the destruction of this unbelieving world. Like an iron rod shatters earthenware pots, the judgment of Christ will destroy the nations of unbelievers.
And those who have been oppressed, persecuted, and deprived will receive everything, for to the one who is faithful unto death, or until Christ comes again, I will give him the morning star. And that morning star is Christ. In Rev. 22:16, Jesus says, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”” (Revelation 22:16, ESV)
He who has Christ has everything. Christ gave Himself to you on the Cross. He has given you His righteousness. Being baptized into Christ, you are baptized into His death and into His resurrection. Remember, this promise is for you. We are gathered here in this congregation above all to receive the promises of Christ. Are you dying? He gives you life. Have you sinned? He gives you righteousness and forgiveness. Are you troubled? He gives you hope. Are you struggling with the lies of this world? He gives you truth.
Only hold fast to these promises until He comes.
AMEN