Number 9 In A Series of Studies on Revelation -

Thyatira: The Corrupted Church - Revelation 2:18-29

The message to the church at Thyatira is the longest of all the letters to the seven churches - 12 long verses, 293 words. And this longest letter was sent to the smallest city.

"Every conceivable church trouble is covered in these letters of our Lord in Revelation and by them any church can be examined, the trouble disnosed, and the remedy prescribed," Vance Havner.

If we used only three words to for this letter they would be: Jesus, Jezebel, Judgment.

1. City. Thyatira was located about 35 miles southeast of Pergamos. Around 300 years before Christ this small Greek colony became known as Thyatira. Doing the time of the writing of Revelation at had become a Roman colony. Today is the the modern Turkish city of Akisar.

This small city had two major strengths. One, they were a producer and exporter of cotton, wools, fruits and dyes. You may recall Lydia of Acts 16 was from Thyatira and was a seller of purple. The other thing that determined life in Thyatira was it trade unions and guilds.

2. Church, Revelation 2:18. "Unto the angel of the church of Thyatira write..." Isn't it amazing that the gospel had gone throughout the whole known world and believers had been organized into a New Testament church. That means they had Scriptural baptism (immersion of a believer), they observed the Lord's supper, they taught the apostles' doctrine.

3. Christ, Revelation 2:18. "Unto the angel of the church of Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass."

This is the only time in Revelation that Jesus Christ is called "the Son of God." Some cults and unbelievers calim Jesus never said He was the Son of God. Here is a clear contradiction to that notion.

John sees the Son of God with "eyes of fire." The eyes of the Son of God pierce the facades, the disguises, the pretensions, the hypocrisy of people. Nothing is hidden from His eyes.

Also, this One has "feet like fine brass." Brass in the Bible is always a symbol of judgment. Our Lord tramples down sin and wickedness under His feet. All things are under His feet, Hebrews 2:8.

4. A Commendation, Revelation 2:19.

What was good about this church was good.

"I know thy works...."

"And charity.." Ephesus was weak in love, but strong in judging false teachers. Thyatira was strong in love, but we will see that were weak in standing against heresy.

"And service.." This is the Greek word "diakonian," from which we get our word "deacon." These people had a servant-spirit. They weren't seeing what they could get out of, but what they could get into.

"And faith..." They were steadfast, dependable, reliable.

"And thy patience..." And they weren't quitters. They had sticking power. Patience here means endurance.

"And thy works; and the last to be more than the first..." They weren't standing still. They weren't slipping back. They were moving forward.

5. A Condemnation, Revelation 2:20.

What was bad about this church was bad.

"Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee..." What would Christ have against our church? Plenty, I am afraid!

"Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."

Jezebel was the most wicked woman in the Old Testament. For a women to be called a Jezebel would be like calling a man a Judas. Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, a king of Israel. She was the daughter of a pagan king who brought with her the worship of Baal, 1 Kings 6:29-33. She was a pagan and a prophet killer.

Outwardly, the Jezebel of Thyatira might have been attractive, articulate, charming, persusaive, but she was having a damning and deadly influence on her church.

Three things are sited in this condemnation.

Her instruction…she was allowed to teach. See what 1 Tim. 2:12-14 about women teaching in the church. The Bible clearly teaches that Christian women are not to be placed in a position of teaching men. "But I suffer (allow) not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." Many modern Christian movements that are being led by women are in violation of this Scripture.

This is not about some supposed inferiority of women or some supposed superiority of men, but of the unquestioned authority of God.

We are living in a day of "tolerance." We are told to allow everyone to have their own point of view, as if that is a Christian doctrine. Getting along with everything and everybody is church policy. But we cannot tolerate what God condemns! We should be as narrow as the Bible is thick!

Her influence…she was allowed to tempt. So many cults and false Christian denominations have been founded by women - Spiritism, Christian Science, Theosophy, the Holiness-Pentecostal movement. Jezebel was declaring that she was teaching "deeper truths" when she was really leading people into "deeper sin."

Ray Steadman gives us some important information about how this seduction took place. "In order to make a living in Thyatira, a citizen of the city was required to join a union or guild. The membership of these guilds was comprised largely of pagans. The problem for the Christians in Thyatira was that the meetings of the guilds were mostly devoted to idol worship and the licentious debaucheries associated with the Greek culture's erotic idols." - Source: Ray Stedman, God's Final Word, p. 57.

Here were the people's choice: make your physical survival and success your priority or be true to God at great cost.

You even hear people justify or excuse unethical or immoral business practice saying, "Business is business." You know, if Christian principles get in the way of your success in business, then it is those Christian principles that have to go.

The influence of one person cannot be overstated.

Adam was only one man, but death came to the whole race because of his sin, Romans 5:12.

Achan was only one man, but because of his disobedience 36 men of Israel died in the battle of Ai.

Her immorality and idolatry…She was allowed to lead to taint. These two sins are clearly condemned in Scriptures. They are not open for debate or negotiation.

Jezebelism is the mixing of paganism and Christianity.

There are things a church cannot tolerate.

A different gospel.

False baptism.

High-handed sin in high places or low places.

Divisiveness in the membership.

6. Counsel, Revelation 2:21-25. "And I gave her space to repent of her fornication;a nd she repented not..." So often the longsuffering and patience of God is misunderstood.

If God hasn't stopped me, He never will. Wrong!

God must not care. Wrong!

God doesn't have the power. Wrong, again!

Four times God says, "I will."

"Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds."

Three Bible "beds."

1. sleep, Luke 11:7.

2. sex (marriage), Heb. 13:4.

3. sickness. Jezebel's bed of sin would become a bed of sickness.

"And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works."

God was using this church as a warning to "all the churches" not to tolerate evil. There is a sever price to pay for compromise and corruption.

"But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put unto you none other burden." We are not to be lead astray by a brand of new Christianity that has been diluted to suit a generation that cannot endure sound doctrine.

"But that which ye have already hold fast till I come."

* Ephesus needed to go back and do what they used to do.

* Thyatira needed to keep doing what they were already doing.

"Till I come" refers to the return of Christ. This is the first reference in Revelation to the rapture. Revelation 1:7 is the second phase of the second coming. Believers are to be comforted by the rapture, 1 Thess. 4:18.

7. Comfort, Revelation 2:26-28."And he that overcometh, and keepth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.

God's faithful people will share in the millennial reign of Christ. Christ will give us authority over nations we we reign with Christ.

"And I will give him the morning star." This is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. The morning star is the planet Venus, second planet from the sun and the brightest object in the night sky. Pastors are also called "stars" in Revelation 1:20, but make no mistake about it, there is only one Bright and Morning Star!

8. Challenge, Revelation 2:29. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches..."

We are not left to ourselves - we have a Book. God's people live by faith. And our faith comes out of this infallible Book.

Hear and heed.

"Though many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come;

Tis grace has brought me safe this far,

And grace - and this Book - will see me home!

We must hold fast till Jesus comes!

"As you review these first four messages to the churches, you can see the dangers that still exist for the people of God. Like Ephesus, we can be zealous and orthodox, but at the same time lose our devotion to Christ. Or, like Thyatira, our love can be increasing yet lacking in the kind of discernment that is necessary to keep the church pure. Like Pergamos and Thyatira, we may be so tolerant of evil that we grieve the Lord and invite His judgment," - Warren Wiersbe, Be Victorious, p. 35.

Prepared and delivered by
Dr. Jerry D. Locke
Lake Worth Baptist Church
4445 Hodgkins Road
Fort Worth, TX 76135-2136