Thyatira: Rev. 2:18-29

Introduction

This is letter 4 of 7 to the churches in Asia minor. Like every church that has a letter every letter is written to the Angel of the church and each letter is from Jesus Christ using a different one of his names.

Every letter has some things they are doing well, some things they need to fix and a promise if they overcome.

Ephesus was the church that left their first love, this letter reminds us of the importance of doing the right thing, with the our love for Jesus as our motivator.

Smyrna was known as the suffering church, this letter reminds us to endure tribulation to the end for the cause of Christ.

Pergamos would be known as the worldly church as they had allowed worldliness to creep in and take over the church. This letter reminds us to keep Christ at the center of every ministry and to prove everything through the word of God.

Here we come to the Church of Thyatira. This Church is no different than the others, they had some things they were doing well and some things that they must fix.

The Recipient of The Letter

Like the rest of the churches the letter was addressed to the Angel or messenger of the church.

Like Smyrna and Pergamos the starting of this church is not recorded in the Bible.

We do see the city mentioned in Acts 16:14 “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.”

Its likely that Lydia and her family participated in the starting of this church or it could’ve been started from the outreach of Paul’s ministry at Ephesus (Acts 19:10 “And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”

Thyatira

Thyatira was located south east of the Church at Pergamos which was the northernmost city to receive a letter.

It was a flat city with not much natural fortifications, and was eventually conquered and annexed by the Romans. It became the main road to Pergamos, Laodicea, Smyrna, and the interior regions of the providences of Asia.

By the time of the writing of the book of Revelations Thyatira was just entering its period of greatest prosperity.

Unlike Pergamos and Smyrna, Thyatira was not an important religious center. The primary god worshipped was the Greek sun god, Apollo.

The main pressure they faced didn’t come from the “religious” people but from guilds, which would be like our modern day unions. To get a job or run a business you had to be part of a guild.

One commentary talks about these guilds like this “Each guild had its patron deity, in whose honor feasts were held complete with meat sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. Christians faced the dilemma of attending those feasts or possibly losing their livelihood.”

How the church was handling this caused great concerned to the Lord Jesus.

The writer of the Letter

The Son of God

This name of Jesus emphasized his deity, stressing the fact that he is one with the Father.

One commentary said this “The empahsis is not on his humility, but on his diety, because his approach to the church at Thyatira is not as a sympathetic high priest, but as a divine judge. Not comfort but judgement was in store for the church at Thyatira when Christ’s divine power moves against this adulterous assembly”

His eyes like unto a flame of fire

Christ sees everything, nothing can be hidden or covered from him. Describing Jesus Christ in his second coming glory, Revelation 19:12 tells us “His eyes were as a flame of fire…

This shows that a church may feel satisfied with itself, have a good reputation in the community or even with other churches. But the penetrating eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ sees it as it really is.

His feet are like fine brass

This would have depicted Christ purity and holiness as he tramples out impurities.

This description of Christ would have created shock and fear among the church. “It came with a sobering realization to them as it should to all sinning Christians, that Christ will judge continual unrepented sin.

1 Peter 4:17 “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

The Commendations vs 19

I know thy works

he knew that there were still some in the church that were working the work of the church, which is the spreading of the Gospel, here Christ divided their works into 4 categories

I know thy charity

Charity- In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow man, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.

They were showing love towards God and their fellow man. This is the first church to be recognized for their charity.

I know your service

They not only told people they loved them, they also showed people that they loved them.

They served God and their community, something every church should still be doing today.

I know your faith

The true Christians in Thyatira were dependable, reliable and consistent.

I know your patience

The True christians persevered despite what was going on around them.

Christ ends the commendations by saying this “I know your works; and the last to be more than the first.

This is saying that the true Christians here were growing in these works that Christ had saw in them.

All of us should be growing in these areas as a Christian.

The concerns vs. 20-23

Though they were doing some things well, there were some concerns that Jesus had for this church

Concern #1

You are allowing “Jezebel” who calls herself a prophetess to teach.

1 Timothy 2:12 “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”

Remember when Adam and Eve were created, God made Adam to be over Eve. This doesn’t by any means mean that woman are less than man, but we each have a role in the home and in the church.

Not only had they allowed her to teach but they let her teach and seduce the members of the church to commit fornication and to eat things that were sacrificed to idols.

This was a serious offence and Jesus describes the consequences of leading others to sin in Matthew 18:6–10 “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.”

The little ones here talks about the spiritual children.

In the Old testament Jezebel met a gruesome end, which you can reaqd about in 2 Kings 9:30-37.

Jesus say’s he gave her space to repent and she didn’t repent.

He said he would throw her in a bed and those who were following her that didn’t repent into great tribulation as well, if they didn’t repent

He then says he will kill her children

This isn’t talking about her physical children but rather those who were following her.

The churches would know that Jesus is in control by the way he dealt with this Jezebel and her followers.

Not just the church at Thyatira would know that Jesus was in control but all the churches who would read these letters would know that Jesus isn’t going allow anyone to lead his church astray.

The Command vs. 24-25

Christ was going to comfort those who didn’t hold to this doctrine.

He tells them if they didn’t hold to these doctrines and the depths of Satan as they speak, he would put no other burdens on them.

we see this thought in Malachi as well.

Malachi 3:16–17 “Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: And the Lord hearkened, and heard it, And a book of remembrance was written before him For them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, In that day when I make up my jewels; And I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”

Christ commands them to hold fast until he comes.

They needed to hold fast to God so they didn’t get pulled into the nonsense being taught by Jezebel and her followers.

Christ commands us to hold fast until he comes as well.

The promise vs. 26-29

Promise #1

He will give them power over the nations

he will rule them with a rod of iron

the vessel of the potter will be broken into shivers or pieces

Psalm 2:7–9 “I will declare the decree: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; This day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, And I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

Promise #2

He will give them the morning star

The morning star is Jesus

Here Jesus promises them himself in all his fullness

3. The letter ends telling them to listen to the message that was just brought

Conclusion

Three Truths from this church

This letter reveals the seriousness of practicing and tolerating sin

A pattern of obedience marks true Christians

in spite of struggles with sin and error in churches, they will experience all the fullness of Christ as they reign together with him in his kingdom

The churches that failed to heed the message will receive divine judgement, while those who do heed the message will receive divine blessing.