19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 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. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 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, 23 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. 24 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. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 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. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
DESCRIPTION
- Destination is Thyatira
- Means "continual or perpetual sacrifice" (Fruchtenbaum) or "odor of affliction" (Enhanced Strong's Lexicon)
- Note: modern name is Ak-hissar, i.e., "white castle"
- Longest message and probably the smallest church
- The town boasted a special temple to Apollos, the "sun god," son of Zeus
- The local god was Tyrimnas who worshippers said was a son of the gods. He is pictured in coins as a warrior riding a horse and wielding a double-edged battle axe in judgment
- A military town and a commercial trade center
- A lot of trades guilds which usually also meant idolatry and immorality … more guilds are known in Thyatira than any other contemporary city in the Roman province of Asia (inscriptions mention the following: wool-workers, linen-workers, makers of outer garments, dyers, leather-workers, tanners, potters, bakers, slave-dealers, and bronze-smiths)
- Required to sacrifice to the patron god of the guild
- Required to participate in the pagan practices (orgies)
- Refusal to participate in guild, could not work there (not a right-to-work area)
- Lydia, a business woman who was a dealer in purple cloth, was from Thyatira. The city was known for dying cloth. Paul met Lydia in Philippi. She was the first convert in Europe. Lydia was a Jewish proselyte. Her ability to put up Paul in her home suggested she was wealthy as well
LITERAL
/ PROPHETIC
- What is the point of the description of Jesus, the Son of God, eyes like blazing fire, and feet like burnished bronze?
- Use of title "Son of God" conveys the idea of Jesus' deity (and in direct contrast to the sons of gods in Thyatira) and right to Judge
- Greek is similar as well (look at Greek)
- Blazing eyes suggest discernment and severe judgment (God can see our sins, we cannot fool him)
- Burnished bronze suggests steadfastness (We have to remain steadfast with truth; local culture does not override truth. Especially true in regard to homosexuality today)
- What do we learn about the church from the commendations?
- Love and faith -- care for others; trust in God
- Service and perseverance -- works despite the results
- Doing more now than before -- good works were increasing
- What do we learn from the condemnation?
- It is very lengthy (also longest period of time) in comparison to the others (only Laodicea is worse), so this would not be a high point in church history
- Emphasis is on Jezebel, who is she and why?
- Some scholars do not think there was a real person Jezebel. The name is Phoenician and the people has disappeared
- Some think the unlikelihood of a specific person gives more weight to the historical-prophetic interpretation
- When a woman is used symbolically in scripture, she represents a religious entity, positive or negative
- True of Israel as wife of Jehovah, Church as bride of the Messiah, and the Great Harlot (later in Revelation)
- Other possibility (or allusion to) is Jezebel of the OT
- While Jeroboam brought back the calf worship, he corrupted the true religion
- Jezebel brought an entirely new system with new gods and system of worship
- Therefore, someone was encouraging the believers to add the local ideas of worship and guild practices to their Christian worship
- Warning is that God will strike her children dead
- The exhortation is to whom and about what?
- To those not a part of Jezebel (this religion) and not an adherent to Satan's so-called deep secrets
- There is only one obligation, to hold fast (to what is true). Which was apparently quite difficult during the dark ages
- The promise is "authority over the nations and the bright morning star" and what does it mean "do my will to the end?"
- To continue to do God's will even when it is not popular, even religiously popular
- Authority denotes positions of responsibility in the millennial kingdom
- The bright morning star is Jesus. They will possess Jesus, which is true faith
PROPHETIC
- For the purpose of the historical-prophetic interpretation, Thyatira is the "Church of the Dark Ages" and covers the period of AD 600-1517
- Meaning of word is reflective of the Roman Catholic doctrine of continual sacrifice in Mass (transubstantiation where the bread and wine become the real body and blood of Jesus Christ)
- For a long time, the laity was only given the bread for fear that they would spill the blood
- Consequently, there was a distinction between the clergy and the laity
- Church was known for good works, but good works began to drive the church
- Like Jezebel introducing false worship. Roman Catholic church mixed paganism in to create a new system
- Justification by works -- not simply by grace through faith
- Baptismal regeneration -- saved by baptism
- Worship of images
- Celibacy
- Confessionals
- Purgatory
- Transubstantiation
- Indulgences
- Penance
- Mariolatry
- Authority of Papacy
- Authority of Tradition
- Excommunication
- Last Rights
- Prayer for the Dead
- Being thrown into the "great tribulation" could mean that the church (as a majority) will not escape the tribulation, or that something will incapacitate her
- This church age ended with repeated attacks of the black plague, beginning in the mid 1400's and continuing through the 1500's
- Usually "deep secrets" refer to Gnosticism. There are some Catholic orders that might fall into this bin
- APPLICATION: Don't mix modern cultural norms and worldly wisdom with the truth of God's word. Living together before marriage, homosexual marriage, rudeness and incivility as a way of life (think TV show "House")
- Be wary of people who talked about secret things of God
- Be wary of doctrine that has no basis in scripture, especially if it is only based on tradition
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