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2¹⁸ “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. ¹⁹ I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.²⁰ Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ²¹ I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. ²² So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. ²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.²⁴ Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, ²⁵ except to hold on to what you have until I come.’²⁶ To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— ²⁷ that one ‘will rule them with an iron sceptre and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. ²⁸ I will also give that one the morning star. ²⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Thyatira’s star is luminous and this community is highly commended. This is also reflected in the form in which the Lord manifests, the Son of God. The Lord approaches in the glory of His Father. The Son of God is portrayed here as all knowing and all-powerful, omniscient and omnipotent. The elect in Thyatira abound in faithful service, striving ever harder. They are commended for their patience and works. The hallmark of this is Love, faith and perseverance, always improving and not static.

However, the failing here is the ‘loud and domineering womanhood’. These have lost their pristine role as quiet unassuming leaders in spiritually orientated goals (prophetess) and have become false prophetesses. By imitating man in his work and in putting themselves forward, they have donned the mantle of materialism. Jezebel taken from the book of Kings in the Old Testament has long been assumed to symbolize fallen womanhood. The activity of fallen womanhood misleads striving human spirits in this community, especially, in sexual immorality and other pre-occupations that have become veritable idols. Sexual immorality here may indicate unfaithfulness to our spiritual goal.

Because of the higher spiritual position of womanhood, many will follow fallen womanhood in this path, which she is no longer willing or able to change. The phrase ‘commit adultery with her’ used in this context implies this association, this succumbing to her lead. A heavy judgment awaits fallen womanhood, even among the community of believers. The fruit of such materially orientated labour will have no place in God’s Kingdom and apart from the general judgment of fallen womanhood and her following, each individual will also be judged according to their deeds; for we are responsible for our individual actions.

We cannot displace our failings on misguided womanhood or even on Satan. The judgment of Jezebel is severe as is that of those who succumb to her lead (her children). Nevertheless, the judgment is based on individual standing. The judgment of Jezebel will resonate in all the seven churches (see the judgment of the scarlet woman).

The strength of Thyatira is in those who have not succumbed to Jezebel. The Lord is happy with them and will impose no other burden on them. However, they need to hold firmly to what they have until He comes in judgment. Even those who have not wholly succumbed to Satan and the misguided direction of humanity (the rest of Thyatira) will still have to stay alert and strive very hard to remain in the faith. The elect cannot afford to relax their vigilance or to become indolent. No further burden apart from the need to remain vigilant and steadfast is imposed on them.

The Lord again ends by addressing the individual striving spirits in this community. Only he who overcomes and does the Will of God to the end will receive the promised reward. To such will be given the authority to rule; a very high reward indeed. Those who emerge in and with pure womanhood will be the purest human spirits and to them He will also give the morning star.

The significance of the morning star is uncertain. It may be another form of representing the Knowledge of the Truth, the Message of the Son of Man. The Son of Man again concludes that they must listen to the Message to the seven churches. Clearly, since each specific letter is sent to a specific church, what the spirit says to the churches is a different Message from the content of the letters.