Revelation Study Series 5 - God's Mysterious Plan Fulfilled
11.07.21
Message…
Thyatira had a temple to the pagan god, Apollo. Apollo was the sun god. In mythology and pagan worship he was the son of Zeus. Therefore people saw Apollo as the son of their god.
Our Lord had something to say about that...
Revelation 2:18-29
18 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:
19 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.
20 “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead My servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.
21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.
22 “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the One who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
We began with Ephesus, a church the Lord praised, yet also rebuked for leaving their first love, their love for Him and others. They were just going through the motions.
The church in Smyrna was a persecuted church. Their faith was strong and many of them were martyred for it.
The Lord had only praise for them and the promise of a crown of life. They truly loved the Lord and the way in which they lived and died proved it.
We talked last week about the church in Pergamum. It was a church that lived in a place where satan had a strong grip. Many who claimed to worship God, worshipped other false gods as well.
They were all about religion, ceremony, rituals, tradition, and legalism. They had religion but they didn’t have a relationship with the Lord.
And, now we come to Thyatira.
It was situated 35-40 miles from Pergamum. They often found themselves in war and captivity due to their close proximity to Pergamum. If you wanted to attack Pergamum, you went through Thyatira.
Thyatira was not a large city. In fact, it was the smallest of the cities/churches to which these letters went out to.
It was a “blue collar” town with many trade guilds/unions.
Thyatira was known as a textile industry area. There were pottery makers, clothing makers, blacksmiths, leather makers, metal workers, glass workers.
*pottery pics (They made a lot of pottery. Most of what has been unearthed is their pottery.)
Another thing Thyatira was noted for was its color dye for clothing. They would get this dye from certain roots and from certain snails.
Although Thyatira was small, it was an important place. Its industry and strategic trade route location made it important.
The church in Thyatira was a working, busy church.
Revelation 2:19
19 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.
The Lord was well aware of all that they were doing. And they were good things. They are the things any church should be doing: serving, loving, faithful, and patient for God’s working.
Revelation 2:20
20 “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead My servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols.
You should remember Jezebel from OT scripture. She was married to Ahab. The Bible says that there was no one more wicked than Ahab. It even goes further to say that it was Jezebel who stirred up the wickedness in Ahab. (1 Kings 21:25)
She worshipped the false god, baal. And, it was Jezebel that had many prophets of God killed, and also sought to kill the prophet Elijah.
In vs. 20...this woman’s name was probably not actually, “Jezebel”...but, more than likely the Lord is comparing her to that of the OT Jezebel.
(It would be like us calling someone Benedict Arnold...that isn’t their real name, but they did something for us to call them that.)
She was, according to our text...teaching the people to eat meat that had been sacrificed to false idols and commit sexual sin…
Idol Meat Offering…
This meat offered to idols might be difficult for us in our culture to grasp. But, in many places pagan worship/sacrifice still goes on.
There was a mingling of this church’s faith and practices. Some things were good and of God, while other things were completely pagan.
In the NT, in a letter to the church of Antioch this was addressed...
Acts 15:28-29
28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements:
29 You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”
*(see 1 Cor. 8 for deeper study)
Sexual sin…
It is said that these trade guilds would meet...eat...have orgies...conduct business meetings/networking. It seems this wicked, false prophetess was teaching this was okay... “business is business” ...
??(kind of like the saying, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”...anything goes.)??
Revelation 2:21
21 I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.
Notice that the opportunity for repenting was given...but rejected. Why? Because, the sin was loved more than the Savior!
Back in vs. 20 the Lord said that “you are permitting”...
You are allowing her to teach what you know is wrong...against God. You “permitting” is allowing people to fall for her false teaching.
Many who claimed to be believers said one thing at church...but lived a different lifestyle come Monday morning.
They acted one way around other believers, but another way around those they worked with.
“It is interesting to contrast the churches at Ephesus and Thyatira. The Ephesian church was weakening in its love, yet faithful to judge false teachers; while the people in the assembly at Thyatira were growing in their love, but too tolerant of false doctrine. Both extremes must be avoided in the church. "Speaking the truth in love" is the biblical balance (Eph. 4:15)...” —Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series) - New Testament
Because she wouldn’t repent the Lord said…
Revelation 2:22-23
22 “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds.
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the One who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
?”her children” - not God’s children; “Not everyone who calls out to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven... On judgment day many will say to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!...But I will reply, ‘I never knew you….
Matt. 7:21a-23a
God knows our thoughts. He knows every motivation behind our every action. The unbeliever will be given what the Lord declares they deserve!
A believer however, will not be given what they deserve. Believers receive God’s grace who stepped in on our behalf/sin. Believers, we don’t get what we deserve!
Not everyone in Thyatira followed this false teaching…
Revelation 2:24-25
24 “But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you
25 except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come.
Hold tightly to the Truth. Hold tightly to the faith. Hold tightly to your testimony before God and man.
Hold tightly to the way of salvation, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the only way to be saved!
Revelation 2:26-27
26 To all who are victorious, who obey Me to the very end,
To them I will give authority over all the nations.
27 They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.
These verses cross reference from...
Psalm 2:7-9
7 The king proclaims the Lord’s decree:
“The Lord said to Me, ‘You are My Son.
Today I have become Your Father.
8 Only ask, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, the whole earth as Your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron rod
and smash them like clay pots.’”
Clearly this is written about Jesus, the Son of God! We understand the nations are His inheritance. The earth is His possession. It is earth He came to offer His life a sacrifice.
“smash them like clay pots”...what was one of the main things Thyatira was noted for? This message would clearly resonate with them.
Notice what is given to those that are His...to those that remain faithful to the end...
Revelation 2:28-29
28 They will have the same authority I received from My Father, and I will also give them the Morning Star!
29 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what He is saying to the churches.
There will come a day when believers will rule and reign with Christ.
1 Corinthians 6:2 Don’t you realize that someday we believers will judge the world?...
The “Morning Star”...
Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to His throne. I am the bright Morning Star.”
Jesus is the Morning Star! Jesus will give Himself to whomever receives Him for salvation! Jesus will give authority to rule the nations to anyone who is faithful to Him!
It is His to give! And, it is His desire to give it! For God so loved the world He gave His Son. His Son showed His love by giving His life, the sacrifice for sin. And, anyone who loves Him will rule and reign with Him!!!
Daniel 12:1-3
1 “At that time Michael, the archangel who stands guard over your nation, will arise. Then there will be a time of anguish greater than any since nations first came into existence. But at that time every one of your people whose name is written in the book will be rescued.
2 Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace.
3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
Life Application Recap…
God praises true believers for doing those things we should be known for...
Revelation 2:19
19 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.
God knows you. God knows you better than you know yourself. God knows those that are His and He knows those that are not.
There is no fooling God. God knows every thought we have, every motivation behind our every action.
Vs. 23… “I am the One who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.”
Anyone unwilling to repent of their sin will get what they deserve.
Anyone willing to repent, placing their faith in the Son of God, Jesus...will not get what they deserve but will be shown His mercy and grace!
Titus 2:11-14
11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,
13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.
14 He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
Not only does the believer receive God’s grace and mercy, but authority and position to rule and reign with Him upon His return!
