032606 To the Church at Thyatira
To the Church at Thyatira
Chapter 2:18-29
“Patient Endurance”
Jesus Has Eyes Like a Flame of Fire and Feet Like Polished Bronze
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.
18 Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Θυατείροις ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁ ἔχων τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ ὡς φλόγα πυρὸς καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὅμοιοι χαλκολιβάνῳ·
19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.
19 οἶδα σου τὰ ἔργα καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὴν διακονίαν καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν σου, καὶ τὰ ἔργα σου τὰ ἔσχατα πλείονα τῶν πρώτων.
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.
20 ἀλλὰ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι ἀφεῖς τὴν γυναῖκα Ἰεζάβελ, ἡ λέγουσα ἑαυτὴν προφῆτιν καὶ διδάσκει καὶ πλανᾷ τοὺς ἐμοὺς δούλους πορνεῦσαι καὶ φαγεῖν εἰδωλόθυτα.
21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
21 καὶ ἔδωκα αὐτῇ χρόνον ἵνα μετανοήσῃ, καὶ οὐ θέλει μετανοῆσαι ἐκ τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς.
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,
22 ἰδοὺ βάλλω αὐτὴν εἰς κλίνην καὶ τοὺς μοιχεύοντας μετ̓ αὐτῆς εἰς θλῖψιν μεγάλην, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσωσιν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς,
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 as your works deserve.
23 καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ἀποκτενῶ ἐν θανάτῳ. καὶ γνώσονται πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλησίαι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἐραυνῶν νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας, καὶ δώσω ὑμῖν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν.
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.
24 ὑμῖν δὲ λέγω τοῖς λοιποῖς τοῖς ἐν Θυατείροις, ὅσοι οὐκ ἔχουσιν τὴν διδαχὴν ταύτην, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὰ βαθέα τοῦ σατανᾶ ὡς λέγουσιν· οὐ βάλλω ἐφ̓ ὑμᾶς ἄλλο βάρος,
25 Only hold fast what you have until I come.
25 πλὴν ὃ ἔχετε κρατήσατε ἄχρις οὗ ἂν ἥξω.
26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations,
26 Καὶ ὁ νικῶν καὶ ὁ τηρῶν ἄχρι τέλους τὰ ἔργα μου, δώσω αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν
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.
27 καὶ ποιμανεῖ αὐτοὺς ἐν ῥάβδῳ σιδηρᾷ ὡς τὰ σκεύη τὰ κεραμικὰ συντρίβεται,
28 And I will give him the morning star.
28 ὡς καγὼ εἴληφα παρὰ τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ τὸν ἀστέρα τὸν πρωϊνόν.
29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
29 Ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.
“Patient Endurance”
Jesus Has Eyes Like a Flame of Fire and Feet Like Polished Bronze
“Patient Endurance” The Lord says 19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance. How good it is that the Lord knows all there is to know about people especially those of the household of faith. How important are the works we do in the church? Consider these letters to the seven churches. Look at the works our Lord says He knows about in each of them. We will see quite an array of works ranging from good to non-existent. So, where do we, the church at Trinity, fit into that array? Where are we with respect to our love and faith and service and patient endurance, for example? Let’s see what answers this letter to Thyatira reveals.
The letter is from the “Son of God.” This is the only time this phrase is used in the book of Revelation. This is no accident! No one in the church needs to doubt that Jesus, who reconciles the world to God through his own body and blood, is God. What a phenomenal revelation! The point is that this letter originates from the one and only God, the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It isn’t from the pastor. It isn’t from some obscure source. It is God’s message to us—the members of Christ’s church.
This Jesus is described in visionary terms as the one who has “Eyes like a flame of fire.” Those piercing eyes that search out the desires of the human heart are a sign of God’s omniscient, all-knowing nature. By that nature, His judgment and justice are always powerful and right!
There is another aspect of this flame. The flame is reminiscent of the burning bush that was not consumed. For over four hundred years, God kept silence while his people were tested by the fire of enslavement in Egypt. Yet, they were not consumed. The point is this: The patient endurance of God is seen in His people; in what they endure because of a world, that dislikes God; in what they endure because of a culture, that knows not God; in what they endure because the church is tormented by false teaching and idolatrous worship.
The eyes of God are always on His people. He sees the treatment of His beloved. He sees those who rise up against God’s people. He knows they will receive the justice they deserve when Judgment comes upon them for all their evil. Witness the plagues visited upon Egypt because of Pharaohs hardened heart against God and His people. The same justice of God will be visited upon the church’s Jezebel and all her children (followers) who torment God’s people, unless they repent. But how can a person turn with respect to God when the time for repentance has passed? They cannot! And they will not! God’s justice determines it.
God’s justice also determined to send Jesus to seek and to save the lost. This is why it is so important that we not be the judge of evildoers—that is God’s job. But to be discerning of where evil exists so as not to participate in it is the call of faith. Patient endurance in love and faith and works of service is commendable. It is important to understand that toleration of false teaching is not patient endurance. Patient endurance is suffering for the truth spoken in love as it is opposed to false teaching, and enduring that. Jezebel wants nothing to do with truth. So repentance is out of the question, no matter how much time she is given. Thus, those involved with it are like the adulterers who lay in Jezebel’s bed. It is an evil work that needs to be repented lest judgment come, and the second death claim those wicked workers into the everlasting torment in the lake of fire. While there is still time to allow the all-seeing scrutiny of the Son of God, let those who have an ear to hear, hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the churches.
Jesus describes Himself with another term: “Feet like burnished bronze.” No human being has ever withstood the testing endured by the man Jesus. We have heard the phrase “hold your feet to the fire.” In the passion, God held Jesus’ feet to the fire until the glory of His divine nature shone like highly polished bronze. He endured to the end, giving His life as a ransom for all. Even the adulterous children of Jezebel can be forgiven and cleansed of their evil. How? By turning to the one who has withstood absolute evil on the cross. By receiving His victory over sin and death, that was assured the third day when He rose again.
That is just what the Christians who were gathered around God’s Word and Sacraments at Thyatira needed. They needed someone who had withstood the harshest trials and came through it victoriously. In fact, it is Jesus’ presence in their midst that enables the patient endurance they are commended for. His works for and in His people is just what we all need. Why? Because there-in is our victory and patient endurance.
My dear friends, we are gathered here because Jesus has come to us to speak the truth in love. May He also grant us the ear we need to hear what the Spirit says to the Churches. Let us hold fast to what we have in Christ Jesus. Let us keep the works of Jesus as our treasure whereby we endure to the end. He is the one who conquers and has authority and power over the nations. He is the one who rules with an iron rod. He is the bright morning star arising in the hearts of the faithful each and every day. God be praised for His patient endurance that saves us. Amen.