Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Scripture

Outline

Revelation 1 - Introduction

Revelation 1:1-3 - Prologue & Benediction

Revelation 1:4-8 - Epistolary Introduction

Revelation 1:9-20 - A Vision of the Son of Man

Revelation 2-3 - The Seven Churches

Revelation 2:1-7 - The Letter to Ephesus

Revelation 2:8-11 - The Letter to Smyrna

Revelation 2:12-17 - The Letter to Pergamum

Revelation 2:18-29 - The Letter to Thyatira

Revelation 2:18 - Address

Revelation 2:19-28 - Message to the Church

Revelation 2:29 - Command to Hear

Purpose of Book

The purpose of Revelation is to challenge/encourage believers, who are expectantly awaiting the reign of Christ, to live faithfully for Him despite worldly circumstances, persecution, and the cosmic battle between God and Satan.

Main Point

Jesus commands those who are faithful in Thyatira to hold fast to Him.

He also calls the false prophetess “Jezebel” and her followers to repent of their sins before He renders judgment.

Revelation 2:18 - Address

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

To the angel of the church

Celestial being responsible for oversight

There is help for them in the heavenly realm

Thyatira

Key Points

• Thyatira is the third city of the seven churches of Revelation.

• The city was a Lydian fortress later refounded by the Macedonians as a military colony in the third century BC.

• Thyatira was situated at a major intersection with intraprovincial and interregional connections.

• Trade guilds played a major role in civic life with Lydia being a purple dealer in Philippi.

• Eating food sacrificed to idols at pagan temples was a major issue in its Christian community.

Write

Command given to John

The words of the Son of God,

Son of God

The Gospel of John also emphasizes Jesus as the Son of God

Son of God/Man were used interchangeably in Jewish and Christian history

Who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze

Eyes were like a flame of fire

Penetrating discernment and nothing is hidden from Him

Feet like burnished bronze

No one is able to stand against/conquer the Son of Man who is morally pure

Thyatira - military-grade brass was made here

Christ is the ultimate judge and none of the false teachers can stand against him as he protects his faithful

Revelation 2:19-28 - Message to the Church

I know your works,

I know

Jesus intimately knows His church

Your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

Love, faith, service, and patient endurance

Love

Love for God and for others

Faith

Faith in Christ and faithfulness to His people

Service

Proclamation of the gospel and providing for those in need

Patient endurance

Remaining faithful despite persecution and false teachings

These describe the works Jesus is familiar with

Latter works exceed the first

Unlike the Ephesians

Encourage the faithful to continue in their works

But I have this against you, that you tolerate Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

But I have this against you

Ephesians

The Ephesians had prevented false teachers/teaching in the church

Tolerate Jezebel

Ahab’s queen, who favored the cult of the Phoenician Baal in Israel and persecuted the prophets of Yahweh (3 Km 16–4 Km 9), and who was also addicted to whoredom and magic (4 Km 9:22).

Real woman who was deceiving the congregation

Her name is not literally “Jezebel”, this functions as a typology like Balaam

Calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants

Claimed to speak on behalf of God as a prophetesses

The emphasis here is on false prophecy, not false teaching like Pergamum

She did not claim total abandonment of the Gospel, but syncretism

Practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols

Spiritual adultery against Christ just as Jezebel did in the OT

I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.

Time to repent

Somehow, “Jezebel” was given time to repent by Christ

She had gone through the process of church discipline

She refuses to repent of their sexual immorality

Despite the loving call to sinlessness, she refused to repent

She is currently opposed to Christ and influencing in an evil manner

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, and I will strike her children dead.

Behold

Imperative - Special attention given to her judgment

I will throw her onto a sickbed

Physical sickness as a lack of repentance

And those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation

“Jezebel’s” followers have committed spiritual adultery on Christ

Very difficult physical distress/suffering

Unless they repent of her works

The door is still open for repentance for these false teachers

They do not have to suffer death

And I will strike her children dead

Death is their end

Their consequences are like those who are unbelievers because they are proving themselves not to be of Christ

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.

All the churches