The worldview tells us that we need to tolerate everyone’s sins. Jesus addressed the issue of tolerating sin in His letter to the church at Thyatira. In this daily devotional, Pastor Steve tells us what Jesus had to say.
Devotions in the Pastor Steve Sermon Series
We come to our fourth church in our study of the seven Churches in Revelation. The first one was Ephesus, the Loyal Church. The second one was Smyrna, the Suffering Church, and the third was Pergamum, a Compromising Church. In this devotion, we come to Thyatira, an Overly Tolerant Church.
In each of these churches, Jesus had something He praised them for and something He had against them. Thyatira is no different.
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ (Rev. 2: 18-29 ESV)
As some background about the city of Thyatira, it was an outpost city, known for its many trade guilds, including weavers and dyers. This is evidenced in Acts 16: 14, where it says, “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God …” (ESV).
Being an “outpost city” indicates that it was away from most of the known civilization at the time. And having all the trade guilds that it did indicates that there was quite a bit of business going on there.
Most likely, it was a place where people came from all over the known world at the time to trade and do business. So, there would have been a lot of different beliefs present there, as well.
The Letter’s Introduction
Jesus starts off this letter introducing Himself saying, ‘… ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze” (Rev. 2: 18 ESV).
The flaming eyes of the “Son of God” give an indication of penetrating perception. Penetrating means able to make a way through or into something. Perception means the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.
It’s no coincidence that Jesus threw in the “… and whose feet are like burnished bronze” (Rev. 2: 18 ESV). Bronze was amongst the most solid and strong metals at this time. It was used to make swords, knives, spears, and even armor and helmets.
The solid feet portray Christ’s strength and stability. This is in vivid contrast to the nearby Colossus of Rhodes, which was once thought to have been firmly planted until an earthquake destroyed it.
Now, let me explain what the Colossus of Rhodes was. It was a gigantic bronze statue of the sun God Helios that stood at the entrance to the harbor of the city Rhodes.
This statue was 108 feet tall. It was massive for its time.
It was erected in 280 BC and stayed there until around 228 or 226 BC, according to ancient history books. It is said that it laid in ruins where it fell for over a millennium before it was melted down.
Why Would This Matter to Us?
Jesus said that his feet are like polished bronze here. The knowledge of this statue was likely known throughout the entire Mediterranean, even in Jesus’ time.
It would have been known for its strength, presumably, and the greatness that went into building it. So burnished bronze would symbolize the strength and stability in Jesus’ feet here.
Another interesting thing is that Jesus said his feet were like polished bronze. Anyone who was in the Navy, no doubt, had to polish some brass at some point while you were in. It was very shiny when you were done, right?
Just like polished brass, polished bronze shines, and sparkles when the light hits it. How much does that mark that Jesus is not only our stability, but also our shining light?
Combined with the fact that Jesus said He had eyes of fire, that’s a telling picture of how He is our light in the darkness AND our strength and stability.
In verse 19, Christ emphasizes knowing and seeing all the things as He praises the Thyatirans. He knows what they did, just as He knows what we do today as a church and individuals. He knows both the good and bad.
So many churches as a whole and people go about doing things as if God does not see and know what they are doing. There is nothing hidden from the Lord. He knows.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that because God will forgive you for what you do that it’s OK to do whatever you want.
It’s interesting to see that Jesus pointed out that Thyatira’s later works were greater than the first. That seems to say that they had been progressing in their faith, love, and works as time had gone by.
How Did They Compromise as a Church?
In verses 20-21, however, Jesus mentions a woman He called “… that Jezebel …” (ESV), whom the church was allowing to teach. Now, Jesus didn’t mean the original Jezebel from Old Testament times.
Sometimes you hear of people having a “Jezebel” spirit. That is what Jesus meant here. It is a type of Jezebel, if you will.
The mention of Jezebel, who led Israel into pagan idolatry and immorality, indicates a serious problem. You can read about Jezebel in 1 Kings 16:31-33 and 21:5-26 and see how evil she was.
She was Queen of Israel with her husband King Ahab. He was a whimpy king and allowed Jezebel to control everything. She led Israel into the pagan cult of Baal.
Baal worship was a fertility cult, and part of their worship practices was sacrificing their children, literally throwing them into the fire. Israel was involved in this and their queen had led them there.
Jesus likened this woman in the Thyatira church as just such a woman and Jezebel, and the church leadership did nothing about it. In fact, the allowed her to freely do her thing.
OK, but that was then.
This same thing is going on in our churches today as well. There are many churches who are allowing people to teach false doctrines, which are in fact “doctrines of demons.”
The Apostle Paul warned Timothy in 1 Timothy 4: 1-5. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer” (I Tim. 4: 1-5 ESV).
The things that Jesus said of that Jezebel woman in Thyatira are going on even today. It’s important that we don’t allow just anyone to teach, speak, and lead in our churches.
For this reason, we must be certain of them before they are allowed such positions of influence and authority.
We don’t know who the woman was who was mentioned here as that Jezebel. She proclaimed herself to be a prophet and was leading God’s people into various forms of immorality. This includes sexual misconduct and straying from God into idolatrous alliances and actions (vs. 21)
We also don’t know for certain, but through various messengers, Christ must have already given this false prophet opportunity to repent of her sinful teachings and actions. It tells us this in verse 21, but like so many, she refused.
When we refuse to repent, we can be sure that there are going to be repercussions to our refusal. In verse 22, Jesus stated that He would throw this woman AND all those who’ve committed adultery with her into a sick bed. To be sure, this can happen today just like it did back then.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that, because Jesus loves us, He would never do such a thing as that. Don’t you believe it!
Jesus can and does still do such things to get us to repent. As a father disciplines his children, so God does the same thing.
Also remember what the Bible says in Malachi 3: 6. “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed” (Mal. 3: 6 ESV).
“Oh, but Pastor Steve, that’s Old Testament. We are under the age of grace now.”
OK, read that verse again then get back to me.
God still expects obedience.
Because of her disobedience, Christ pronounces His judgement upon Jezabel, which comes in 3 stages.
- She’ll be put on a bed of suffering.
- Her followers will suffer greatly.
- Her children will die (vs. 22)
This judgement seems to echo the plaques that befell Egypt. Those ended with the deaths of Egypt’s firstborn sons.
We don’t know exactly what these judgements are, but we can at least assume one of them was a sickness of some kind since the “sick bed” is the first one.
God knows our thoughts and intentions. You may think you’re being clever and sneaky in what you’re doing, but you are not fooling God one bit.
And I have no doubt that this Jezebel woman thought she was clever and sneaky. too. But God knew what she was doing.
I don’t think it’s by accident that God has had me share this verse a few times over the last couple of months, but here it is again… Hebrews 4:12-13 says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (ESV).
It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
Because He knows this, God gives whatever sentence people deserve.
I don’t have a complete understanding of verses 26-28, but Christ promises that those who are obedient will share authority with Him. This is symbolized by the iron rod that will smash the opposition like clay pots.
The morning star, which is the planet Venus, signals the coming of a new day. Here it refers to the promise of the resurrection at Christ’s return.
Lord Jesus, help us to have a better understanding of what happens when we make compromises of one sort or another of our faith. Give us the strength to stand strong for what Your word teaches and help us to live the life of obedience to which You have called us. Amen.
What do you think?
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