Jesus Says: Withdraw!
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Today, we’re going to look at Thyatira, but before we do, I need to look at the structure of these letters with you. These letters fall in what is called a chiasm.
Explain chiasm.
Chiasm, a VERY common structure in Scripture. There are 49 Psalms alone which are chiastic in structure. Scripture as a whole can loosely be categorized as a chiasm.
A Ephesus
B Smyrna
C Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis
B' Philadelphia
A' Laodicea
The point of this structure is the middle point. Pergamum, Thyatira, and Sardis are the entire point of Jesus' letters to the churches. Because in Ephesus and Laodicea, we see a couple of churches that Jesus is mostly displeased with, and in Smyrna and Philadelphia, we see churches for whom Jesus has no condemnation. The middle three are smattered with some good and some bad. And that’s the point: most churches are the middle three. Most churches, and on a micro level, most Christians are the middle three churches. We have areas where we’re doing well, but areas where we desperately need improvement.
So let’s read the message to the church in Thyatira to see what Jesus says to this church:
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:
“I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.
“But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.
“Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
“But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,
To them I will give authority over all the nations.
They will rule the nations with an iron rod
and smash them like clay pots.
They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.
Let’s talk a little background for this church, then we’ll see why what Jesus says here is significant:
In Thyatira, there is a very heavy influence of bronze guilds in the city. Rev. 13:17 refers to Christians' participation in idol worship and the receipt of the certificate that one would receive in that day once they had been cleared to participate in commerce as a result of worshipping the gods of their trade guild. (Keener, Revelation 2:18-29)
Briefly explain trade guilds
And these trade guilds and the imperial cult work hand in hand with each other. So when we see in Revelation 13:17 the mark of the beast having these consequences (and I’m genuinely excited to get to the mark of the beast to put some anxious minds to rest), the church would hear that verse and relate it to what was going on here in Thyatira:
And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.
And we’ll talk more about that when we get there, but that’s a consequence of not bowing down to the idols of the day: not being able to buy or sell.
Modern day Akhisar is built right over the ruins of Thyatira, and they have not yet excavated much of the city. In fact, the existence of the modern city largely prevents any excavation at all.
But interestingly, we see in Acts that Lydia was originally from Thyatira (the guild of βαφεῖς was associated with the local agent referred to as the thing of which Lydia was a seller in Acts 16:14), and because this is where Lydia is from, we have strong evidence for the presence of trade guilds in that city.
And in the face of those guilds, Jesus sees their faith, patient endurance, and service, and he says literally, “your latter works exceed the first.” You’re doing better, church. Then there’s that pesky word, “but.”
“But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.
Jesus is angry because these people have not followed his advice and the advice of Paul when dealing with someone who is putting a stumbling block before his people.
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”
The word translated "permitting" is used in the same sense as the Pharisees used it in John 11:48
If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”
Jezebel incited King Ahab and Israel to compromise and fornicate by worshipping Baal. (1 Kings 16:31-32; 21:25-26; 2 Kings 8:18; 9:22). You see the progression in 1 & 2 Kings:
And as though it were not enough to follow the sinful example of Jeroboam, he married Jezebel, the daughter of King Ethbaal of the Sidonians, and he began to bow down in worship of Baal. First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria.
(No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the LORD’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done—the people whom the LORD had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites.)
And she gets recompense from God. God appoints Jehu, the king of Israel, to take revenge for him, and he on God’s orders, he kills Jezebel and her family. She becomes the archetype of a stumbling block for the people of God, and Jesus says the same here.
“Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
It's almost as if Jesus is saying, "If she enjoys leading my people into bed so much, I'll give her a bed..."
Who are Jezebel's children? The people who follow her teaching. Not necessarily her literal children.
“Our father is Abraham!” they declared.
“No,” Jesus replied, “for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing. No, you are imitating your real father.”
They replied, “We aren’t illegitimate children! God himself is our true Father.”
Jesus told them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”
Probably a reference to idol worship and trade guilds. Those who follow these practices are truly children of Jezebel.
“But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come.
NIV in this verse captures the tone best of any translation. This is SARCASM. “Satan’s so-called deep secrets”.
Do you see Jesus’ compassion for his people?I know it’s hard. Don’t give up, church.
To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end,
To them I will give authority over all the nations.
They will rule the nations with an iron rod
and smash them like clay pots.
This is a reference to the promise of the Messiah to come, to heal, to rule, to deliver, to save, and to complete the promise given to Israel:
The New International Greek Testament Commentary: The Book of Revelation Christ Commends the Church of Thyatira for Its Christian Works of Witness, Condemns It for Its Permissive Spirit of Idolatrous Compromise, and Exhorts It to Overcome (2:18–29)
If it also has a present application to the “overcomers,” who are said to participate already in the messianic kingdom (Rev. 1:5–6, 9; 5:10), then the “authority” they exercise in beginning to fulfill the Psalm is the witness that they bear through suffering to Christ’s death and resurrection, which becomes salvific protection for some but a basis of destruction for others (note the same dual effect of Paul’s apostolic witness in 2 Cor. 2:15–17 as in Rev. 2:27).
They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
What does that mean? What is the morning star? Peter says this:
Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
He talks about how we interpret scripture in light of having the "morning star rising in our hearts." And, later in Revelation, Jesus says this:
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.”
Jesus defines that symbol. Jesus is the morning star. Latin for "morning star" is Lucifer. And we use that as a title for what? Satan. The adversary. That’s wrong, church. It’s based upon a misinterpretation of Isaiah 14:12. Satan isn’t the Morning star, Jesus is. Does it surprise you that the Father of Lies has lies surrounding the origins of his name?
So this is the deal, church. You are offered grace- a free gift. All you have to do is receive it. But grace comes with responsibility: we have to speak- against sin in our lives and in our church. Tolerating sin in the church is the same in the eyes of Jesus as endorsing it. We have to speak. And sometimes that’s hard, but thanks to Jesus, the only other command is to hold on. Hold on to Jesus and he will not fail you. That’s grace.