Revelation 2:18 - 29

May 3, 2020

Sunday. I’ll have mine with hot fudge, peanuts, and extra cool whip please. English is a strange language. Imagine John sorting out how to write down what he is hearing and seeing? He must have been struggling writing to Thyatira (Revelation 2:18 – 29). Smyrna face persecution from the outside. Pergamum faced the lure of wealth and standing from the outside and inside (the teaching of Balaam). Thyatira faced their opponent from the inside.

4.            Thyatira [2:18 – 29]

• Overview: modern Akhisar, crossroads of trade, known for trade guilds (pagan rituals), combined local and emperor worship, known for its purple.
• REVELATION: “These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.” [Revelation 2:18 NIV]
• Strengths: love, faith, service, perseverance, doing more than at first.
• Weakness: tolerate a false teacher (Jezebel), sexual immorality, food sacrificed to idols (mixed religion).
• Threat: a violent and untimely death, “I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.  I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” [Revelation 2:22 – 23]
• Remedy: don’t hold to false teachings, don’t explore “Satan’s so called deep secrets,” and hold on to what you have.
• Promise: authority over nations.

Thyatira was a mixed bag of cats. It seems most were faithful, but they left an evil influence unchecked in their church. Sitting on a crossroad of trade, it would have a far reaching influence. The image of Jesus is the blazing eyes (all seeing) and burnished bronze (mirror). This church receives five very strong positives: Love, faith, service, perseverance (patient endurance), and doing more than at first. Thyatira comes close to being a perfect church.

Their problem comes from being tolerant of Jezebel. We do not know if this was her name, or a description of her character, or even if this is a literal person. She is the “bad apple” threatening the integrity of the church by targeting it's servant - leaders. Notice her appeal to the sensual side, “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.” [Revelation 2:20 ESV] Her seduction involved sexual immorality and food. The “sacrificed to idols” indicates idol worship. Majoring on the lust of the eyes and lust of the flesh, she was manipulating, misleading, and maltreating God’s servants.

Some have suggested, the historical Queen Jezebel is a “type” of evil spirit that seeks to dominate, intimidate, or manipulate those in authority. Jezebel, in the Old Testament, manipulated through agents and false accusations to kill Naboth and steal his land (see 1 Kings 21). She was effective in intimidating Elijah and causing him to fall into depression. She, almost single-handily ended the worship of God by introducing false worship which included a female deity. Her daughter came close to ending the Messianic line of King David. She met her end when she was unable to seduce the next king, suggesting seduction was a standard method of operation. These are patterns predictably repeated in churches; if a leader cannot be controlled they are threatened and destroyed with false accusations.  Jezebel is a difficult opponent for God’s church because usually leaders face it alone.

It has been proposed, Thyatira reflects the state of the church from 476 – 1500. During this time period, the Pope (in Rome) exercised authority over many nations.

The fine print: Optimistically looking forward, the isolation will slowly be relaxed and we will be able to meet as a congregation, hopefully soon. If you are reading this and are in need of a church family, please join us at Faith Alliance Church of Fuoss Mills. (Just search "Fuoss Mills" and you will find us.)