Message to Thyatira
CHAPTER 2: 18-29
THYATIRA
18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira, write: These things says the Son of God, the One having His eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet like burnished brass: 19 I know your works, and the love, and the ministry, and the faith, and your patience, and your works; and the last more than the first. 20 But I have a few things against you, that you allow the woman Jezebel to teach, she saying herself to be a prophetess, and to cause My slaves to go astray, and to commit fornication, and to eat idol sacrifices. 21 And I gave time to her that she might repent of her fornication. And she did not repent. 22 Behold, I am throwing her into a bed, and into great affliction those committing adultery with her, unless they repent of their works. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches will know that I am the One searching the inner parts and hearts. And I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But I say to you and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, and who did not know the deep things of Satan, as they say: I am not casting another burden on you; 25 but what you have, hold until I shall come. 26 And the one overcoming, and the one keeping My works until the end, “I will give to him authority over the nations,” 27 and “he will shepherd them with an iron staff” (they are “broken to pieces like clay vessels”), as I also have received from My Father. Psa. 2:8, 9 28 And I will give to him the morning star. 29 The one who has an ear, hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Review
The Message to Thyatira
(To the Angel and the Church)
- Spirit – The Son of God, The One having his eyes like a flame of fire and his feet like burnished metal. The One searching the inner parts and hearts.
- Accomplishments – Works, charity, love, ministry, patience, more works
- Failure – a) Allowed a woman who is a false profit to teach and to cause His servants to go astray; b) Commit fornication c) Eating idol sacrifices d) Refusal to repent e) adultery 6) Satanic worship
- Commandment –To the ones still participating with Jezebel, She is judged! Repent! And stay away from her!
To the ones who did not participate with that Jezebel, hold what you have and keep doing Christ’s work.
Judgment
- Reward for Overcoming – a) Authority over the nations b) A shepherd’s staff c) The Morning Star – Christ
- Judgment for Failure – Great affliction and the death of your children
LESSON
The church at Thyatira was incorporated into Per’gamos. It was positioned on the Greek trade routes between Per’gamos and Sardis. Thyatira became a city of increased wealth. Jesus tells the angel of the church that he knows the work that the angel and the church does, the service, the faith, and the patience, and that the angel does more work now than at the past.
But as with Per’gamos, Jesus has a few things against Thyatira. The angel allowed a prophetess named Jezebel to teach and to seduce his servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. Jesus gave her space to repent, and she did not repent. Jezebel supported 450 prophets of Baal. God’s prophets were attacked by her orders.
Elijah got the people to rise against her ministers and they killed them at Carmel. In 1 Kings 21, Jezebel’s husband, Ahab was the King of Israel, and he wanted a piece of land that belonged to Naboth. Naboth refused to give the land to Ahab, saying, “The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of fathers unto thee.” Jezebel wrote a warrant against Naboth in her husband’s name and sealed it with his seal. She got two false witnesses to testify against Naboth and had him put to death. She and her husband received the prophet’s curse:
25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jez’ebel his wife stirred up. 26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. 27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. 28 And the word of the LORD came to Eli’jah the Tishbite, saying, 29 See thou how Ahab humbled himself before me? because he humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.
Understand this, repentance with our hearts keeps us from the wrath of God. Jesus by now has gotten fed up with this church and it’s idolatry with Baal and Ashtaroth. He makes this warning so that everyone who hears can clearly understand: “Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.” This means anyone taking part in the idolatry will suffer serious consequences. God is not happy about this at all! Jesus goes on to seek further consequences for these types of practices in the churches: “And I will kill her children with death”
This will happen and he will come like a thief in the night and destroy all those taking part in these types of practices. God is a jealous God and will not tolerate spiritual fornication in any way, shape or form. Jesus goes on to tell everyone listening the reason he will kill her children and he tells them so that they will repent and be forewarned that he means exactly what he says: “and all the churches shall know that I am He which searches the reins and hearts and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.” Jesus gave them a chance to learn the truth and to understand that their practices were evil and they chose not to listen to his message and will suffer the consequences because of it.
There are some in Thyatira who do not know the deep things of Satan and have not participated in those pagan practices. He tells them to hold fast till he gets there and he will place no other burden on them. For those Christians doing what they were supposed to, it was a big burden for them to see the others dishonor God with their idol practices. Jesus offers so much to the one who overcomes. He promises that those who overcome and does His work, he will give the power over the nations. And they will rule the nations with a rod of iron as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers even as Jesus received of Father. He also promises them the morning star, not the evening star that they had been worshipping.
Summary:
There is only one God, and to bring practices into the church that are idolatrous, places the church and Godfearing Christians at risk of perishing. What upsets me about this is that they don’t know. They don’t know better. They have been taught all their lives that as long as that person is in the pulpit claiming to speak for God, that he has to be telling the truth. They don’t know that all they have to do is open up the word of God and find out so much more. So they continue, and they teach their children to continue and they do it not because they intend to, but because they don’t know the word of God like they should. And they need to know. We all need to know.
If we want to be like the church of Philadelphia, we must not be blind to what God expects of us. If we love God with our hearts, then we will not have any Pagan practices in our worship with him. With Thyatira, Jesus tells us what the consequences of our actions will be if we not get out of the state of Per’gamos. Idolatry will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form, and it does not matter if the person is old or young, God will not stand for even the smallest amount of idolatry. A bride must be pure for her husband if she expects the marriage to take place. She must be. Spiritual fornication is the same as not loving God.
Actions Needed to Overcome At Thyatira: STOP IGNORING GOD AND REPENT! If you do not repent, Jesus will come upon you like a thief in the night and make an example of you so that “all the churches will know that I am he which searches the reins and hearts.” Jesus says that he will kill your children with death. REPENT!!! Don’t Wait! REPENT!
Chapter 2:18-29
Thyatira Test
- What was the church at Thyatira instructed to do?
- What is the reward for overcoming at Thyatira?
- Which Spirit is speaking to the church at Thyatira?
- List the good things about the church at Thyatira.
- List the bad things about the church at Thyatira?
- What did the church at Thyatira do wrong?
- What will God do to those at Thyatira who do not
overcome? - Who did Jezebel serve?
- Why didn’t the Lord kill Ahab?
- What does Thyatira and Pergamos have in common?