Thyatira: Jezebel’s Jewel
Revelation 2:18-29
Intro
Of the seven cities, Thyatira was the least important, yet it received the longest letter. Thyatira was approximately 40 miles southeast of Pergamum and located in a long valley with no naturally fortification to it. It’s purpose was to house a garrison of soldiers to slow any attackers headed to the capital city of Pergamum. Those the city was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt.
Not until 190 B.C. when Thyatira was annexed by the Roman Empire did the city start to flourish as a commercial center. Thyatira was noted for its numerous guilds (the equivalent of today’s labor unions). Its main industry was the production of wool and dyed goods, especially purple goods. But inscriptions found around Thyatira also mention guilds for several other guilds as well. It was probably Lydia who represented her guild in Philippi when she meet Paul and was saved along with her whole family.
Unlike Pergamum and Smyrna, Thyatira was not an important religious center. The primary god worshipped by the Thyatirans was the Greek sun god, Apollo. There was not a sizable Jewish population there as well. The pressure faced by the Christians in Thyatira came from the guilds. To hold a job or run a business, it was necessary to be a member of a guild. Each guild had its patron deity, in whose honor feasts were held – complete with meat scarified to idols and sexual immorality. Christians faced the dilemma of attending those feasts or possibly losing their livelihood. How some in the Thyatira church were handling the situation caused Jesus Christ great concern.
I. Commendation (v. 19)
a. As He had with the churches as Ephesus and Pergamum, Christ commended the church at Thyatira before voicing His concerns about it.
b. He assured them that He had not forgotten their righteous deeds, which He divided into four categories.
i. First, the believers at Thyatira were showing love for God and for one another – although that love was apparently fragile, since there was not a strong foundation of unified sound doctrine.
1. It is the first of the seven churches to be commended for its love.
ii. Second, Christ commended them for their faith
1. The true Christian in Thyatira were dependable, reliable, and consistent.
iii. The third and fourth categories service and perseverance grew from the first two categories.
1. Those who love will express that love through meeting the needs of others.
2. Those who are faithful will steadfastly persevere in the faith.
c. Not only did the Thyatiran Christians possess these virtues, but also their deeds of late were greater in number than at first.
i. Their loving service was becoming more consistent and their faithful perseverance growing stronger.
ii. They were growing in grace, maturing in their Christian lives, and advancing the cause of Christ.
iii. For that behavior they were to be commended.
II. The Concern (vv. 20-23)
a. Despite the commendation they received, all was not well with the church at Thyatira.
i. The problem was not external persecution, but internal compromise; not vicious wolves from outside the flock, but people within.
ii. The sin, apparently involving the majority of the Thyatiran church’s members was twofold.
1. First, they violated the biblical teaching that women are not to be preachers in the church.
a. Which led them to tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.
2. Second, they compounded their error by permitting her to teach error.
a. Now Jezebel undoubtedly was not the real name of this woman, but like the infamous wife of King Ahab, she was Satan’s agent to corrupt God’s people.
b. Therefore God branded her with the name Jezebel.
c. Jezebel taught that it didn’t matter if Christians committed acts of immorality or ate things sacrificed to idols.
d. She may also have taken a twisted, view of God’s grace, arguing that it did not matter if Christians sinned, since God would graciously forgive them.
b. The Bible teaches that true Christians can fall into sexual immorality and idolatry.
i. But to lead other Christians into false doctrine or immoral living is a very serious sin, one meriting the most severe punishment.
ii. Divine judgment was about to fall not only on Jezebel, but also on those who committed adultery with her.
c. Like then, we are living in a very tolerant age today.
i. Everybody has a right to say what they want and believe what they want to believe.
ii. But toleration can be sin.
iii. There is an exclusiveness that must be a part of the church.
iv. Somewhere God’s people have to take a stand for God and say, we will not comply with anything that is opposed to Jesus.
v. He is our rule and authority.
vi. We measure our lives by his standard, and will not comprise that standard.
d. It is not known how many in that congregation responded to Christ’s warning, but tragically, the Thyatira church as a whole apparently did not heed it.
i. History records that it fell prey to the Montanist heresy movement and went out of existence.
e. Christ didn’t forget the faithful though; he gave them a word of comfort, when he told them that He would give to each one according to their deeds.
i. Christ would judge each one by their deeds, those who were innocent would not be punished along with the guilty.
III. The Command and Counsel (vv. 24-29)
a. Jesus said the problem is too severe for you to handle so don’t try.
i. Just stay faithful, stay away from the heresy.
ii. Don’t participate in it
iii. Just keep yourself pure from it.
b. In verse 24, Jesus mentions the depths of Satan.
i. That could mean many things, but it probably means all the strategies of Satan, and the tricks of Satan to keep us away from God.
ii. Some have suggested that it refers to the heresy that nothing we do with our bodies can destroy our relationship with God in our hearts; so it is all right to be immoral.
iii. The depths of Satan may refer to the great strategies of Satan not discouraging our participation in religion.
1. Satan is very religious.
2. He goes to church as much as anybody, more than most.
3. And he does not care if we join the church, profess Christ, and do good works as long a we will allow those things into our lives that neutralize our faith.
c. Christ finishes the letter to Thyatira by encouraging both them and us today
i. If we will stand against these false teachings and works of Satan until the end, Christ has promised us two things.
ii. First, Christ will give such people authority over the nations.
1. Those who remained faithful to Christ despite being beaten and despised in this life will rule with Him in His earthly kingdom.
2. We will rule with Christ.
iii. Second, Christ also promised to give the morning star to his faithful followers.
1. This promises would be that believers will reflect Christ’s glory.
2. While Christians will reflect Christ’s glory, it is better to see the morning star as Christ Himself.
Closing
As we heed this letter to the church to Thyatira, three important truths stand out. First, this letter reveals the seriousness of practicing and tolerating sin, and that God will judge continued, un-repented sin in the church. Second, a pattern of obedience marks true Christians. Finally, God’s gracious promise to His own is that, in spite of struggles with sin and error in churches, they will experience all the fullness of Christ as they reign with Him in His kingdom. Those churches, like Thyatira, who fail to heed the message, will receive divine judgment; those who do heed its message will receive divine blessing.
