Revelation 2:18-29 – The message of Christ to the church in Thyatira

The message to Thyatira began with the Lord calling Himself the Son of God, as opposed to the many deities common among the people of that city. As the Son of God, He is the Messiah King. His eyes like flame of fire speaks of His holiness as well as His righteousness. These eyes could penetrate the heart and see through one’s attitude towards false worship. Thyatira was a city located in a broad valley southeast of Pergamum. In this city dwelled many Greeks and Macedonians and Roman business people. The social fabric of Thyatira was much like the other six cities yet as a city it was not as significant as them. One thing Thyatira was known for was their trade associations, among which was the guilds for people in smelting copper and bronze.  This could well explain why the Lord referred to His feet as burnished bronze.

Christians there were in some ways pressurized to conform to Greco-Roman social norms of that city. The trade associations had created a problem for the believers in this city. Every trade guild in Thyatira had some patron deity, whom they would go to, to invoke blessings. The primary social events those trade guilds would organize were festive meals, where food sacrificed to their patron deities would be served. Frequently, at those male-only feasts, “girls” were made available and the meals would become an occasion for sexual immorality.

The church in Thyatira had some areas worthy of commendation. They had love, faith, service and patience that were becoming increasingly better. But still there was a major problem. While Pergamum had a Balaam, Thyatira had a Jezebel who called herself a prophetess. Like the Jezebel of old, who led her husband King Ahab and Israel astray to the worship of Baal, Thyatira’s Jezebel was also leading Christ’s bond-servants astray. Here we surmised that not all the people were snared by this Jezebel, who was teaching them to commit acts of immorality and eating food offered to idols. Second Kings 9:22 summed up the sins of Jezebel, calling her whoredom and sorceries. Here Revelation 2:20 Jesus calls it immorality. It is a metaphor for spiritual fooling around with other deities. While not all the believers in Thyatira participated in the teachings of this false prophetess, they were indifferent toward it. They had allowed her teachings to go unchecked. Jesus would have nothing of their indifference and compromising stance. Like them, some believers today are also being misled to believe that one could follow Christ and at the same time engage in some questionable practices as well. In the case of the believers in Thyatira, they didn’t want to lose their trading partners so they accommodated them. But what about us today? Perhaps because of friendship, many also refuse to leave their wrong teachings as well.   

Here we learned that the merciful Christ gave that prophetess an opportunity to repent of her immorality. This only meant that this was not the first time she was dealt with. But she was unwilling to repent. The Lord warned her that He would bring her through some physical suffering and bring all her followers through tribulation. Unless they all repent of her deed, severe judgment would be their experience. There are two difficulties here. (1) Are the children referred to here, her spiritual or natural off-springs? (2) Is the death referred to, literal physical death?  They are probably symbolic language of the real actions the Lord will take, as one Who searches minds and hearts to purge them of their sins with his the eyes of flames

From verse 24 Christ addressed and counseled the rest of Thyatira, who did not subscribe to that Jezebel’s teachings and thus not know the deep things of Satan. It was likely that what she taught as the deep things of God was in fact the deep things of Satan in disguise. The Lord would never place any burden on them who did not follow this Jezebel. Then the Lord encouraged them to hold on to the truth they already knew and were practicing. They were told to hold fast and be faithful to the truth until He comes. To the overcomers, those who would endure till the end, He would allow them to share His authority. Quoting from Psalm 2, Christ was talking about that kind of authority which He as the Messiah possessed. Jesus further promised the overcomers the morning star. In Revelation 22:16 Jesus is referred to as the morning star. This is another hint of the intimacy He offers to His people.

And so we too need to deal with our passion for all other love in our life, and press in to gain the Morning Star, Jesus Himself. He is worth our giving up of everything to possess Him. It will mean having a deepened intimacy and a deeper walk with Him. What an invitation!