Verse 18 – Jesus introduces Himself to the leadership and, secondarily, to the congregation at Thyatira as “the Son of God, Who has eyes like a flame of fire.” The significance of this designation in relationship with the Thyatiran brethren is twofold: (1) This city's god and guardian was Tyrimnos, the son of Zeus; thus, Tyrimnos was regarded as the the son of god. Combined with that was the worship of Caesar Nero, who claimed to be the son of the god Claudius and son of the god Apollo. So, by Jesus' opening words, He claims not to be a son of a god but the Son of the God; thus, being the only One deserving worship and obedience. (2) Being the Son of God, He has eyes like piercing fire; enabling Him to be “He who searches the minds and hearts and [gives] to each one of you according to your deeds” (vs. 23).
Verse 19 – The congregation at Thyatira had so much going for it. There is no doubt that the Lord Jesus saw many things that pleased Him and would wish that His other congregations would imitate. Jesus says they possessed four crucial characteristics of a faithful congregation: love, faith, service and perseverance.
Faith is the bedrock of true religion. Hebrews 11:6, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”
Love brings depth to our knowledge of the true God and opens our hearts to Him and our fellow man. 1 John 4:7-8, 16, 12, “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love...God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him...No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”
Service is the practical and necessary fruit of faith and love. 1 John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” 1 John 5:2-3, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.”
Perseverance is maintaining faith, love and service in all circumstances to the final end...to the close of the curtain of our life's performance. Galatians 6:9-10, “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” Hebrews 6:10-12, “For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
These characteristics, in and of themselves, are praised by Jesus. However, the Lord notes and takes delight in the fact that their “deeds of late are greater than at first.” Rather than slumping or even maintaining the status quo as the years have passed, the Thyatira brethren were bearing more fruit than ever before. They were growing and increasing in these characteristics with the passing of time.
This should motivate each and every congregation today to inquire within: Are we more mature spiritually than we were twenty or thirty years ago, five or ten years ago, or even last year? Have we grown and are we still striving for more growth? As a congregation, are we busier in going-about the Lord's business than in the past? Can the community around us take note that we have greater faith, love, and perseverance now in comparison to the past? Can the community testify that we are more devoted in rendering service to those within the Church and out in the community than before? We need to perform self-assessments on a regular basis and act on the findings of those assessments. We know this for certain - whether or not we do these assessments, we know that the Head of the Church, the Son of God with piercing fiery eyes is doing so quite regularly.
Verses 20 – 23 - While the congregation at Thyatira had many virtues that Jesus praised, they had an internal problem...a cancer that had the potential to destroy them. Most alarming is that the congregation's leadership recognized the cancer but decided not to take any measures to deal with the disease – they stood by and 'tolerated' its existence.
Apparently, there was a woman in the congregation that believed that it was acceptable for a Christian to engage in both sexual and spiritual adultery. She not only believed this doctrine, but she practiced it and taught it to other members of the congregation and thereby was leading brothers and sisters to go astray. And, she claimed that her viewpoint was more than an opinion but had authority because she told members of the congregation that she was a prophetess, an ordained spokeswoman for the Lord. And the leadership tolerated it.
Jesus refers to this woman as “Jezebel” because her actions resembled the wickedness of the Jezebel of the Old Testament. When Ahab was king of Israel, to seal an alliance with the pagan nation of Sidon, he married the daughter of the king of Sidon, Jezebel. Rather than Ahab converting his pagan, idolatrous wife to Jehovah, Jezebel converted her husband to the religion of Baal and Asherah.
1 Kings 21:25-26, “Surely there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do evil in the sight of the Lord, because Jezebel his wife incited him. He acted very abominably in following idols.” Using money from the royal treasury, Jezebel financially supported hundreds of the prophets of Baal and Asherah. At the same time, she ordered that all of the prophets of Jehovah be killed. And, indeed, many of Jehovah's prophets were murdered along with many worshipers or servants of Jehovah. Since the life and death of Queen Jezebel, not many parents have chosen to name their newborn daughters Jezebel. The name Jezebel is associated with evil and wickedness. And, here, Jesus unabashedly calls this woman in the Thyatira congregation that name or label – Jezebel.
Referring to this new Jezebel, Jesus says that “I gave her time to repent.” Evidently, this wicked woman had been active for quite awhile. The Lord had restrained His righteous wrath. He has been long-suffering toward her. Surely, she had been exposed to the teachings of the Apostles on the subjects of sexual and spiritual purity. Jesus “gave her time to repent.” And, why did she not take advantage of the time and opportunity to repent? Jesus says why she did not repent - “she does not want to repent of her immorality.”
Jesus teaches congregational leaders a major lesson on how they are to deal with the brother or sister in the congregation that is guilty of wrong-doing. Congregational leaders and even congregational members are to be patient and long-suffering towards those members who are battling with the flesh...having a hard time overcoming sinful habits or patterns of sinful behavior. We must give them “time to repent.”
However, all patience and long-suffering should come to a halt when we learn from the erring brother or sister that 'they do not want to repent.' When we learn that a member of the congregation has no desire nor intent to change, to repent, the congregation must immediately begin the process of discipline. Action must be taken to remove that cancer from the Body of Christ. Toleration becomes treason to King Jesus and His Kingdom of righteousness.
Jesus says to the congregational leaders at Thyatira, since you lack the backbone to uphold truth and righteousness in My Church, I am forced to intervene to uphold My majesty and My authority and My holiness so that “all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”
God actually gave the original Jezebel time and opportunity to repent. If you remember, God had Elijah perform a dual with the prophets of Baal. Each side built an altar of wood and each side called upon their god to send down fire to consume the wood. Elijah went so far as to dig a mote of water around his wooden altar and splashed the wood with water to make it seem more challenging for Jehovah to prove His power. The prophets of Baal went through their rituals and pleaded for Baal to send down fire but the fire didn't come. Elijah did some 'smack talk' ridiculing the pagan prophets by saying that, perhaps, Baal is on a vacation or stuck in the restroom. Elijah prayed once and Jehovah, the one and only true God, sent fire from heaven and turned the wood to ashes and dried-up the water in the mote. By this demonstration, God Jehovah gave Jezebel the time and opportunity to repent, to abandon Baal, to abandon her immorality, and her witchcrafts...but, she didn't want to.
What God did next to Queen Jezebel is very important to know because the judgment of Jesus upon the Jezebel at Thyatira are similar. God Jehovah annointed Jehu to be King and ordered him, saying, 2 Kings 9:6-8, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I have anointed you king over the people of the Lord, even over Israel. You shall strike the house of Ahab your master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the Lord, at the hand of Jezebel. For the whole house of Ahab shall perish, and I will cut off from Ahab every male person both bond and free in Israel.'” 2 Kings 9:22-24, 30-33, “When Joram [Ahab's oldest son] saw Jehu, he said, 'Is it peace, Jehu?' And he answered, 'What peace, so long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?' So Joram reined about and fled... And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and shot Joram between his arms; and the arrow went through his heart and he sank in his chariot...When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window. As Jehu entered the gate, she said, 'Is it well, Zimri, your master’s murderer?' Then he lifted up his face to the window and said, 'Who is on my side? Who?' And two or three officials looked down at him. He said, 'Throw her down.' So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses, and he trampled her under foot.” As for Ahab and Jezebel's other 70 sons, 2 Kings 10:7, “they took the king’s sons and slaughtered them, seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets.”
The Lord does not tolerate willful sin and wickedness. Jesus, now, speaks to the judgment upon the Jezebel of Thyatira: “Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence.” Since this 'Jezebel' enjoyed spending so much time in bed with her adulterous lovers, Jesus says He will throw her upon that same bed – not for sex but to languish in sickness. And, all those who previously frequented her bed, they shall experience the same tribulation...if they should refuse to repent. And, all of the children born to her through her immorality will die of pestilential disease.
Verses 24-25 - Amazingly, even though Jezebel was doing her thing and the wimpy leaders tolerated her wickedness, there were some members of the congregation who remained faithful to the Lord Jesus in doctrine and behavior. To them, Jesus had only two messages: (1) “I place no other burden on you.” Let us note that Jesus recognizes that these faithful were already dealing with a burden; that being, the terrible example and influences of Jezebel and their congregational leaders. The leadership and congregation should have been a source of encouragement and strength to maintain a close walk with the Lord. In stead, those who wished to do right had the burden of resisting the the horrible example and influence of other members who condoned and even promoted a life of sin.
In this situation, Jesus sympathizes with the faithful and says to them I will not add additional burdens upon you, (2) “What you have, hold fast until I come.” Jesus exhorts them to not cave-in to the evil and compromise His standards in their lives. And, don't drop-out of the congregation and forsake Me because of the rampant blasphemy/hypocrisy you see in the congregation. Stay firm and hold fast until I come.
Verses 26-28 - Jesus concludes His Letter by giving precious promises to the individual members of the congregation who overcome the evil in the world and the evil within their midst, imitating Jesus' life and deeds until the end:
A. The over-comer will be granted authority over the nations and will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as Jesus received such authority from the Father. Jesus is quoting from Psalm 2 where it was prophesied that the Father would grant Him this authority over the nations. Jesus is promising that those who remain loyal to Him, will share in the authority and rule that He has been granted. As it says, in Revelation 5:10, those who have been redeemed “reign upon the Earth.” As Christ reigns, His faithful reign with Him. As Christ is victorious over the ungodly nations, His faithful share in that victory. History shows that wicked nations have been transformed (spiritually conquered) by the spread of the Gospel and the powerful influence of the true and faithful Church within that nation.
B. To the over-comer, Jesus “will give him the morning star.” To the Christian living in that era, the future did not look bright. Idolatrous Paganism, Judaism, and Rome – all of which were actively fighting against the Gospel and the Church – seemed so strong and unshakable and invincible. The outlook looked very dark for the Church. But, Christ Jesus says that if they remain fast, they will see the light of hope – “the morning star.” In the physical realm, during long periods of the year, the planet Venus shines brilliantly in the Eastern sky like a very, very bright star. This “morning star” shines just a relatively short time before the night's darkness surrenders to the rising Sun that ushers-in a brand-new day.
In Revelation 22:16, Jesus refers to Himself as "the bright and morning star." When He shines within our hearts, we have the confident hope that, dark as it may be now, a better and brighter day is coming and it is near.
In less than 10 years after the Thyatira congregation received this Letter, persecution by Rome and the Apostate Jews came to an end. As a result, the Church universally enjoyed tremendous success in continuing its spread throughout the world, converting the Gentiles from serving their false gods/goddesses to serving the one, true God through Christ Jesus.
