2021-9-4, Revive and Rebuke: Jesus Speaks to His Church, The Church at Thyatira, Revelation 2:18-29
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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.
Son of God (as opposed to Son of Man in 1:13)
Eyes like a flame of fire, “Christ’s eyes see things as they are truly are” (JM, 72).
Feet like burnished bronze, Rev. 19:15
Rev 1:14-15, eyes and feet
Thyatira
Lydia was from Thyatira, Acts 16:14. Maybe her household helped to start the church in Thyatira?
The city was very wealthy. It benefited greatly from the Pax Romana. It connected Pergamum with Laodicea and Smyrna.
Numerous guilds
Main industry wool and dyed good items
Not an important religious center, primary god was Apollo, Greek sun God.
Not much of a Jewish population.
Pressure came from the guilds. You had to be a member in order to sell your goods and make a living.
“Each guild had a deity in whose honor feasts were held, including meat sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality. Christians faced the dilemma of participating or losing their jobs” (JM 74).
19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.
Works- love, faithfulness, service, endurance. First church commended for its love.
They have improved in these. They were better than they were before. They were becoming consistent.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Concern
The Concern
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.
Singular pronoun “you”, leader of the church
First, women are not to be teachers or preachers in the church.
12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.
This compromise led the way to the so-called prophetess Jezebel
Second, the tolerated her false teaching. She led Christ’s servants astray.
Calling her Jezebel reflected her teaching and character 1 Kings 16:30-31
Committed sexual immorality and ate things sacrificed to idols. 1 Cor 6:15-20
21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.
It is one thing to do these sins. It is something of another level to lead others to do it.
God gave her time to repent.
If she didn’t Christ threatened to throw her onto a bed of sickness.
most likely a reference to death and hell
And to those who went along with her- committed adultery with her.
Christians who believed her lies- severe chastening unless they repented of their sins
Her childrr
Second,
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.’