Revelation 2: 18 - 29
You Can’t Meet Halfway
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. 24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 ‘ He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’— as I also have received 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.”’
I have come to realize that there are two things that can destroy our lives and they are tolerance and compromise. Here are a couple of great sounding comments relative to these problems.;
“All compromise is based on give and take, but there can be no give and take on fundamentals. Any compromise on mere fundamentals is surrender. For it is all give and no take.”
“A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece”
“If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.”
“Compromise is but the sacrifice of one right or good in the hope of retaining another--too often ending in the loss of both.”
Our Precious Holy Lord and Savior Jesus Christ directed His Apostle John to write to 7 churches. Thyatira is the fourth one on His list which is the middle one. Very interestingly this church not only deals with then the present church of Thyatira but also deals with church history. The time frame consists from 538 AD till around 1798 AD. For you history buffs this time period is known as the ‘Dark Ages’ or ‘The Middle Ages’. We will cover this in more detail shortly.
Thyatira was predominately known for two types of products – Purple color and the production of brass. In the book of Acts chapter 16 we first come upon the evangelization of this area.
“11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.”
Let’s take a look now at what the message our Lord wants to teach us as He has done in His letter to Thyatira.
‘And to the angel of the church in Thyatira, write, These things says the Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass.’
In just one sentence our Master gives us great information. Some skeptics who deny the Divinity of our Great King say ‘Well, He never claimed Himself to be the Son of God.’ Look at the verse again. Here the true identity of the Son of Man is openly declared. He is ‘the Son of God’. This is mentioned to put extra stress on the warnings.
We read that our Lord’s Eyes are like a flame of fire and His feet like fine brass. Our Great God Is Omnipresent, that is He Is everywhere. He Is also Omnipotent, that is He all powerful. He Is also Omniscient, that is He Is all knowing. Our Great Lord can see through all :
. Facades
. Show
. Disguises
. Postures
. Pretensions
. Religions
In addition our Wonderful Lord can trample sin underfoot and severely punish what is wrong
Please note that our Adoni Yeshua, our Lord Jesus Christ in all His letters to the churches greets the people with something that they are very familiar with. As I mentioned previously, the city of Thyatira was known throughout the world for their production of brass. It was valued more than gold since it was made up of copper, silver, and gold.
‘I know your works and your love and faith and ministry and patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first.’
This is as high a commendation as any church receives. The pure among them have not lost their first love (their last works are more than the first, their faith is true, their ministry vibrant and they faithfully endure, and they are continuing to grow.
‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess; and she teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality, and to eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent but she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I am throwing her into a bed, and those who commit sexual immorality with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the reins and hearts, and I will give to each of you in accordance with your works.’
Here we see the problem with this church. They are three;
1. Jezebel
2. Sexual Immorality
3. Idolatry
So, first of all who is Jezebel? Remember back in the book of 1 Kings chapter 16 she was introduced. She was the wife of Ahab who was from a foreign country. She introduced the worship of Baal to the Israelites with its accompanying sexual rites,
This woman has been dead for a long time now. So, exactly what is being addressed here? Please note our Lord says, ‘the woman Jezebel’. We take for granted that she is a woman. As you know the book of Revelation is full of symbols or codes. Let me ask you this then, ‘In the bible what is a woman a symbol of?’ – a religion. Many teachers say that a woman is a church. They use the book of Ephesians for their proof. In the book of Ephesians chapter 5 we read, ‘25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.’
A wife is a woman but she is more than that she is a united partner. So, I am saying that a wife represents a ‘relationship.’
Okay where am I going with this? As I mentioned previously the woman is a religion. I also mentioned that this letter is also referring to the church history from 538 AD to 1798 AD. Where do I get this time frame from? Well first of all the time frames cannot be just exact for the various periods overlap. How we come up with 538 AD is the significant action that happened which matches up with what we read in the letter to Thyatira. In the Roman Empire up to this period of time you had the Emperor or Caesar who ran the government and you had the Bishop of Rome who took over the leadership of the church. Pope Vigilius came into power during the reign of the Emperor Justinian. He brought about the combining of rule not only over the religious areas but also the secular or political areas of other countries. If you want to check this out look up the listings of the Popes in the Roman Catholic Church. You will find the history of these religious leaders quite startling in their evil.
Now to find out the future look to the past. We have our Creator God talking about Jezebel. Do you remember when the prophet Elijah came and confronted Ahab and Jezebel for their sins? He told them it would not rain. In the book of James chapter 5 we are told exactly how long, “17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
The bible tells us in the book of Ezekiel chapter 4 that a day equals a year. “6 And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.” So, 538 plus 1260 years [360 days in a year times 3.5] equals 1798 AD.
During Ahab and Jezebel’s day’s our Precious Holy Jehovah Elyon – The Lord Most High had given them 3 and ½ years to repent. In the church life, our Holy God had given the Roman Catholic Church 3 and ½ years or 1260 years [day equals years] to repent of their sexual immorality and idolatry.
Here we have the same sins, sexual immorality and idolatry, which were clearly prevalent in a number of churches, but here exacerbated by the fact that they are encouraged by someone who claims to speak ecstatically in the name of God. And here the sexual immorality is mentioned first. It is clear that it was a major problem in the church, and that ‘Jezebel’ and her followers indulged in it to the limit.
You have to ask yourselves then how does a church commit sexual immorality and idolatry. Well, the second part is quite easy to answer and that is by telling you to just walk into a Catholic Church and look around.
When a man or woman commits adultery they have violated the vows that they made to their spouse and to God. They have been unfaithful. When a church leads people away from God’s Commandments and His Word they are also unfaithful to their Master. In effect, they have committed spiritual adultery. Can you see my point?
Yet God has graciously given her time to repent. This suggests that she has been warned in some way about her behavior, but she has hardened her heart. So He will now provide her with another kind of bed, a bed of great tribulation and probably even death, possibly a mortal sickbed. ‘I will throw her into a bed’.
And similar ‘great tribulation’ will be meted out on those who indulge in immorality with her if they also fail to repent. Here the ‘great tribulation’ is God’s direct punishment, and it will be inflicted to the full. This is in contrast with the churches’ experience later in the book of Revelation chapter 7. They will also experience ‘great tribulation’, but their suffering will be undeserved. Great tribulation is not only endured by Christians. Others too will suffer.
In the Old Testament the faithful often had to go through the judgments meted out on the wicked, although watched over by God in the process. So while the faithful would endure great tribulation knowing it to be their means of entry into Heaven, these heretics would experience it with little hope. The description of some as her ‘children’ probably refers to Protestant Denominations who have also hold fast to the Roman Catholic teachings and propagate them. This may shock some of you but look around now as The Methodist’s, Lutheran’s, Episcopalian and Presbyterian churches. They have become a joke. They have forsake the very God and His Word, that they proclaim they follow. The former will suffer an even more intense fate, for they will be ‘killed with death’. It is already happening. Look around and watch these churches die.
And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches the reins and hearts, and I will give to each of you in accordance with your works. But to you I say, to the rest of you in Thyatira, as many as do not hold this teaching, who do not know the deep things of Satan as they say, I throw on you no other burden. However, that which you have, hold fast until I come.’
The Son of God reserves His specific condemnation for those who commit the evil and hold the evil teaching. On the remainder He wishes to place no further burden than they already have, and He has already commended them.
However what you do have, hold fast until I come.’
Now here is something to get your attention. And that is the warning of our Lord to hang in there with Him. While many in the church are doing well, they must be careful to maintain their vigilance so that they maintain their position before God, in order to be ready for when He comes. We see here that our Lord Jesus is clearly concerned lest they be overrun by this cancer.
And he who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him will I give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron (or iron sceptre), as the vessels of the potter are broken to shivers, as I have also received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star.’
The ones who stand firm will enjoy with Christ His authority over the nations, something far better than aligning themselves with the Emperor of Rome. This promise is taken from Psalm 2.8-9 where the rule of the Messiah over the nations is linked with their being broken with a rod of iron, (or iron sceptre), and dashed in pieces like a potter’s vessel. “8 Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” Thus it is a ruling in judgment that is in mind. ‘Ruling with a rod of iron’ means acting in judgment.
As Christ Jesus our Lord has received an iron scepter from His Father, so will He share it with His people. They too will share in the judging of the world as we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 “2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?”
Indeed they too we who try to remain faithful will judge even angels as we learn in the next verse of 1 Corinthians chapter 6, “ Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?”
Notice that here overcoming is described in terms of ‘keeping My works to the end’. There is a constant emphasis to this church on the need to endure.
‘And I will give him The Morning Star.’ This idea comes from Numbers chapter 24 verse 17. ‘There shall come forth a star out of Jacob, and a rod (or sceptre) shall arise out of Israel’. (The word, usually translated ‘sceptre’ here, most often means ‘rod’). So the coming of Messiah as a star is there connected with His arising as a rod which will bring judgment on their enemies, which is like the description here in Revelation 2. That this reference in Numbers specifically applies is confirmed in Revelation chapter 22 verse 16 where our Holy Lord Jesus says, ‘I am the root and offspring of David, the bright, the morning star’, connecting the morning star with the Davidic king. Notice that the giving of the morning star in Revelation follows, or parallels, the exercising of the iron rod. Indeed the reason for the use of the adjective ‘morning’ is stated. It is because of the special brightness of that star.
So the brilliant star which is the Messiah will be given to the over comers, who will thus share in His glory and His final judgment. The idea of the ‘morning’ star may have partly come from Job chapter 38 verse 7 where we learn ‘the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God (bene elohim - angels) shouted for joy’. Thus morning stars are connected with heavenly beings. But here the writer sees our Amazing Lord Jesus as not a morning star, but ‘The Morning Star’. He is the supreme heavenly Being.
‘He who has an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
From now on this phrase comes after the promise to over comers, (whereas previously it has introduced it), as though it is a final warning.
So, what can we personally apply in our own lives? Well, what are you currently thinking? This will give you the answer on what to do. Ask yourselves, ‘Am I involved presently in a church that is teaching false doctrine? Is the so called church in which I am presently attending, dead? Then I leave you with the words of our King in the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 16, “16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty.”
