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Jesus’ Message to the Church in Thyatira

Introduction

When our youngest son, Josiah, was little, the movie Toy Story came out. Josiah really liked Buzz Lightyear. He had a Buzz Lightyear toy that made cool sounds. One week, as Lora was praying for the kids before they went to school, she prayed that God would protect them. Josiah had asked her beforehand to pray that Buzz Lightyear would protect them. When Lora had finished praying and had not mentioned Buzz Lightyear, Josiah said, “You didn’t pray that Buzz Lightyear would protect us.” Lora said, “That’s because Jesus is able to protect you.” Josiah said, “But Jesus does not have lasers!” How about eyes of flames of fire and feet like burnished bronze!

Jesus has power. Jesus has authority. He is the One we want in our corner. But he is not the One we want to be on the wrong side of. Of the many things lacking in our cultures, one of the bigger ones is the lack of good authority figures in people’s lives. Our authority figures have often proved disappointing. They lack integrity, or they don’t have the kind of leadership we need. Maybe our parents have been bad examples of authority figures. Politicians we know certainly have been bad examples of authority figures. Even policemen, and sometimes teachers, have been bad examples.

With a lack of authority, there is an increasing sense of lost-ness or the feeling of chaos around us. “Who is in control anyway?” This is an especially crucial question in light of events that are happening around the world. In the book series, The Lord of the Rings, which was made into a motion picture, there is a time during the story where the four hobbits are walking through the old forest alone. There is no one to lead them. Their leader and teacher, Gandalf, had been detained by the once wise man who had succumbed to growing shadows of darkness. They were afraid, unaware of the dangers around them, and yet knowing that dangers were everywhere. Is this not an accurate picture of many we know? They are wandering this world with no leadership, and thus no direction, no purpose, and no hope; only fear and lost-ness and uncertainty.

The good news is that Jesus is in control! Jesus has authority. It is an authority He had before He came to the earth, and an authority He won again when He came to the earth to give up his life, so that the Father could honor him with the rule and kingdom that would last forever. It is this authority we see very clearly demonstrated in the message to the church in Thyatira. What do we know about Thyatira? It is one of the least known cities, but we do know it was situated about 40 miles east/southeast of Pergamum, along the Lycus River in fertile valleys. It was a Roman colony with many trade associations (guilds), and a religion dedicated to Apollo. It was a wealthy city. And I’m sure they had many who claimed a certain kind of authority. But the little persecuted church in this wealthy city needed a reminder of the true and real authority, Jesus alone.

Exposition

Jesus identifies himself as the Son of God, whose eyes are flames of fire and feet like burnished bronze. These are reminders of the vision of Ezekiel, the omniscience and majesty of Jesus in all his glory. Also see Daniel 10:6. This glory is Jesus’ glory as the Son of God. In Thyatira, both Apollo and the emperor, to whom local trade gilds were dedicated, were believed to be sons of Zeus. But the church in Thyatira must give heed to the real Son of God. Jewish literature of the time often combined the identity of the Son of God from Psalm 2 with the Son of Man individual in Daniel 7.112 The Son of Man who received power and authority from the Ancient of Days is the eternal Son of God who holds the iron scepter in his hand.

Jesus commended the church in Thyatira for their deeds. Unlike Ephesus, the deeds of Thyatira got better. Their latest deeds were better than the first. They understood Jesus more. They gave more. They loved more. They served more. Jesus saw the growth. He saw the improvement when others did not. Growth is always the most imperceptible by the ones who are growing. Children rarely see that they are growing unless family members who haven’t seen them for a while say, “My, how you have grown!” Believers, especially new believers, may not perceive their growth in the Lord. But Jesus sees it.

There is a four-fold commendation from Jesus to this church, evidence that they had grown. They had love, probably love for God and love for one another. Many of our acts of kindness or love that we extend to others, or sacrifices we make because of our love for God, while may not be seen by others, are seen by God. We may not get our pictures in the paper, or in the latest blog news post. But Jesus does not allow any acts of love that we give to him or to others to be overlooked. The church in Thyatira also had faith. What some may assume is foolishness or superstition on our part (believing in a God we cannot see and holding to the truth of a book written thousands of years ago), Jesus sees that faith and is pleased. He knows that with that faith, mountains can be moved, and his church can grow. Jesus also commended the church for their service. The word for service, τὴν διακονίαν (ten diakonian), is closely associated with Jesus’ death in John 12:2, 26. Disciples are also to be willing to follow Jesus even unto death, loving service manifested in one’s faithfulness to death,113 accented by Jesus’ forth commendation of the church’s commitment to patient endurance.

It is nice to be noticed by Jesus when we are living our lives in love, faith, service, and patient endurance, similar to the church in Thessalonica. I experienced many times when I was playing baseball as a young person, when I came up to bat at the plate, connected on a solid, run-scoring double, only to look to the stands, deflated that no member of my family was there to see it happen. Well, Jesus is always “in the stands” to see when we hit a double for his kingdom. He always sees. Hebrews 12:1–2 reminds us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (those who have gone before us), let us throw off the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.” Why? Because his eyes of blazing fire are fixed on us.

Jesus knows the good, but He also knows when his church or those in the church are not following him. The problem in the church in Thyatira was that they tolerated a woman named Jezebel who called herself a prophetess. She taught and seduced the servants of Christ to do the same that Balaam had done when he seduced the Israelites at the time of Balak. They committed sexual immorality and ate food sacrificed to idols. There was compromise in the church to the local pagan celebrations, most likely with the hope that they would not be ostracized from the local trade guild.114

The church tolerated this false prophet rather than take active steps to remove her from the congregation. There was a church in my district when I was a pastor in Ohio where the music leader of the church for fifteen years was carrying on an extra marital affair while still leading worship. No pastor did anything about it until a new pastor came to the church. The new pastor, when he found out, lovingly yet firmly removed him from ministry in the church. This infuriated the worship pastor and he left, taking some with him. Was the church better off? They had less members, and a music program with less quality, but Jesus saw them and was pleased with what He saw.

Jesus had given the false prophetess time to repent, but she was unwilling. So, the punishment from Jesus was harsh and complete. Consider the harsh words used by Jesus and it reminds us how seriously He takes this sin. He would “cast her on a bed of suffering,” she would “suffer intensely, unless they repent,” “strike her children dead,” “I will repay each of you.” The Greek word, κλίνην (klinen), translated “bed of suffering” in the ESV and NIV, is a Hebraism that means “to become ill,”115 meaning that she would suffer a physical sickness, or plague of some kind, because of her wickedness. And if those who participated in her activities did not repent, they would suffer the “great tribulation” of suffering as well.

Jesus is Lord and King of his church. He will not have these kinds of behaviors muddying up the clothing of his bride and splashing dirt on her wedding gown. Can you imagine, as the groom, standing up at the altar waiting for your bride to come down the aisle? And while she approached the front, people in the pews stood up and threw waste on her, mud from the sewers, spit, and caked cow manure on her freshly made-up hair? Would you allow that? Of course not! You would go to the middle of the aisle and cast those offenders onto the streets. They had no place at the wedding. Jesus is protective of his bride. And anyone who chooses to muddy the bride will be cast out, because Jesus has the authority to do so.

Jesus will go after “her children” as well, meaning those who follower her teachings and become enamored by her idolatry. The judgment of death116 against the children can be linked to Ezekiel 33:27–31. Verse 27 says, “As I live, surely those who are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and whoever is in the open field I will give to the beasts to be devoured, and those who are in strongholds and in caves shall die by pestilence.” When the judgment of Jesus comes, it will vindicate his person as the One who knows the minds and hearts of others. This fits with the concept of his eyes as flames of fire, the eyes of judgment and discernment. In Jeremiah 17:10, the Lord says, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” What is clear to Jesus will be clear to all the churches as well (“all the churches will know”).

Jesus knew and judged those in the church who had compromised, but he also promised reward to those in the church who refused to succumb to the false teaching. The Scripture tells us to be wise about what is good, but innocent about what is evil. The followers of Jezebel apparently thought by knowing the ways of the devil they would be able to understand the spiritual world more fully. This “freed” them from the sin of sexual immorality and idolatry even though they participated in these things. But Jesus reminded the church that the “so-called deep secrets” of Satan are just that. Satanic knowledge. This is John’s ironic way of saying this in reality was what Jezebel’s teaching led to, rather than to the deep things of God.117

The faithful were called to hold fast, or persevere, until the coming of Jesus. Authority over the nations is the reward for the overcomer, just as Jesus now has authority over the nations because of his faithfulness to the witness of the word of God, and his faithfulness as the Son of God. They will rule with a rod of iron (see Psalm 2) just as Jesus.118 Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 28:18–19, before he ascended, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” We can continue the mission of Jesus because of the authority he has given us. And as long as we remain faithful, we will be able to go on in the authority of our Lord.

The faithful are also promised the authority of the morning star. The morning star is the prophetic image of the Messiah, as is the rod of iron. Jesus promises this to the faithful, all things that were claimed by him through his faithfulness to the cross and to the word of God. Interestingly, in Numbers 24:14–20, Balaam’s prophesy concerning Israel, the people of Israel are prophesied to be these bright lights in the world. Verse 17 says, “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel,” tying together both the idea of the star and the scepter as in Revelation 2:27–28. Daniel 12:3 as well says, “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” The glory of Jesus will become the glory of his people. He whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze, will establish the faithful as morning stars, shining in the universe.119

Conclusion

Our world needs this kind of authority. The church needs that kind of authority. We need a ruler who grants true freedom to those who serve him, a ruler who gives his life when we give it to him, and a ruler who promises us a share in his rule rather than a despotic, cruel king who serves only himself. This is the King to whom we must submit, going to war against all the powers of this spiritual world that rail against his kingdom.

Like the church in Thyatira, the church today must boldly stand against compromise and any form of idolatry, the Jezebels of the world who try to seduce us by secret knowledge and offers of security. Rather, in a crooked and depraved world, we must shine like stars (like the Morning Star) in the universe.

112. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 259.

113. Thomas and Macchia, Revelation, 105.

114. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 261–62, sees a parallel between the sins of those in the church in Thyatira to the sins of Babylon listed in chapter 18. In the Old Testament, Jezebel was a worshipper of Baal and a persecutor of God’s people.

115. Beale, The Book of Revelation, 263.

116. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, 105, citing James Moffat, The Revelation of St. John the Divine, 361 believes that this phrase, “to kill with death,” is a Hebraism that means “to slay utterly.” Aune does not agree (Aune, Revelation 1–5, 198), but does see the connection with Ezekiel 33. Also see the description of the dead in chapter 19, after Jesus comes back again.

117. Ladd, A Commentary on the Revelation of John, 53.

118. Other passages that apply Psalm 2 to Jesus are Acts 13:33, Romans 1:4, and Hebrews 1:2, 5; 5:5; 7:28.

119. See also Philippians 2:15.