THYATIRA

Revelation 2:18–29 ESV

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.’

Church at Thyatira

THYATIRA

This is the longest of the seven letter—by some forty words in the original—written to the smallest of the seven cities1

1 Easley, K. H. (1998). Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 40). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

WORKS

“I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.

GETTING BETTER

the last are more than the first.

JEZEBEL

20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him1

1 The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Ki 16:31–33). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

JEZEBEL= PEOPLE THAT LEAD US AWAY FROM GOD

Or are we the ones leading people away from God.

21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent

Right after Chapter 16 of 1 Kings Elijah prophesied a drought in the land of Israel. These should be the best time for them to repent but they did not.

The three oldest manuscripts read, “and she willeth not to repent of (literally, ‘out of,’ that is, so as to come out of) her fornication.” Here there is a transition from literal to spiritual fornication, as appears from Rev 2:22. The idea arose from Jehovah’s covenant relation to the Old Testament Church being regarded as a marriage, any transgression against which was, therefore, harlotry, fornication, or adultery.1

1 Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 558). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

TWO OPINIONS=HALF HEARTED FAITH

21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word1

1 The New King James Version. (1982). (1 Ki 18:21). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

SPIRITUAL ADULTERY

Idol worship

Transfer of Sabbath to Sunday

Indulgences

Salvation by works

Human Mediator

All can be eaten

Human Teachings

Adulterated means putting anything foreign to something thus making it impure.

Sabbath Keeping

Stewardship

Food

Relationships

Dress

Use of Media

Re-creation

Sexual Immoralities

What matters is that some Christians of Thyatira were brazenly practicing open sexual immorality in the name of “being tolerant.” This is the opposite situation of the Ephesian Christians, who had tested and rejected false teachers.1

1 Easley, K. H. (1998). Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 41). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

CONSEQUENCE OF SIN

22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.

I am He who searches the minds and hearts.

Where does adultery begins? In the heart.

Hearts. That is, minds, meaning the intellect. Christ penetrates both the thoughts and the emotions. Christ’s judgment is just because He sees and takes into consideration the secrets of the heart. See Ps. 7:9; Jer. 11:20; see on 1 Sam. 16:7.1

1 Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 7, p. 752). Review and Herald Publishing Association.

Matthew 24:49

FINAL ADMONITION

25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.