Thyatira: The Corrupted Church: Revelation 2:18-29 • Thyatira is the smallest city of the seven. • Jesus has the most to say to it (12 verses) probably because it is in the greatest danger. Their True King Revelation 2:18 (NASB), “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like burnished bronze, says this:” • Jesus always begins His words to the churches with a vision of who He is. • Here, Jesus announces himself, as the Son of God. • Jesus has eyes like fire – He sees all and He is perfect in His judgements. • Jesus has feet like burnished bronze – He is immovable and perfect in purity. • The church would recognize these images of Jesus are coming from Dan. 7, Dan. 10, and Psalm 2. • Psalm 2 is quoted directly. Psalm 2, ends this way, “Serve the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. 12 Kiss the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way.” • In this introduction, Jesus is saying to the church, it is time to kiss the true Son, so His anger does not come up against you. Their Good Deeds Revelation 2:19, “I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.” • Christ commends the Christians in Thyatira in five ways: Their good deeds, love, faith, service, and perseverance. • Thyatira was a blue-collar town. • Work was valued. The trades and guilds (unions) were many: wool workers, cloth dyers, leatherworkers, tanners, coppersmiths, and other craftspeople. • This church, like their town, was doing good and skilled work for the Gospel. • We remember Lydia, the Christian businesswoman (Acts 16). She was from Thyatira. She was a “seller of purple” in Philippi (which she probably imported from her hometown). It’s possible Lydia, was among those who used her business connections to build up the church in Thyatira. Their False Prophetess Revelation 2:20, “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.” • Jesus performs a church biopsy and finds a dangerous cancer. • The cancer in the church is a person, a woman, everyone knew her. It’s Jezebel! • Jezebel is a stage 4 cancer, because her type of cancer is spreading into other parts of the body – with immorality and idolatry that is not stopping. • Jezebel was likely not her real name, but Jezebel refers to her real and deadly influence in the church body. • What Jezebel did to Israel (1,000 years before this letter) is what this new Jezebel is doing to the church. • Jezebel is mentioned about 20x in 1 and 2 Kings. Who is Jezebel? Jezebel’s name means, “Baal is the prince.” • Married King Ahab of Israel • Promoted and funded Baal worship • Incited King Ahab to do evil • A prophetess (“deep things of Satan”) v.24 • Promoted prostitution & witchcraft • Killed God’s prophets (threatened Elijah) • Conspired against Naboth • A force for evil (for 36 years) • For 36 years, Jezebel influenced King Ahab, her two sons when they were Kings, and her daughter Athaliah, who took the throne in Judah for 6 years and tried to wipe out the royal descendants of King David. • Jezebel is a female wrecking ball, attacking and usurping God’s rightful rulers and servants. • What happened to her? A new king in Israel was anointed. Jezebel put some makeup on, to work her magic one more time, but her servants threw her out the window and the dogs ate her. Revelation 2:22, “Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” • I take it that this Jezebel has been around the church a long time… perhaps years without any repentance. • Just like cancer must be removed to save the body, Jezebel must be removed to save the body of Christ. • The sickness she sowed, she sowed in her bed. • The judgement she will reap, will be upon her bed. Their Firm Remnant Revelation 2:24, “But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you. 25 Nevertheless what you have, hold firmly until I come.” • Thank God, that the rest, the faithful remnant, the ones who were not deceived by Jezebel, are still holding firmly to the truth. • They were not gullible, fooled or seduced by Jezebel. • Jesus gives them just this one command, “Hold firmly!” Their Future Radiance Revelation 2:26, “The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds until the end, I will give him authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are shattered, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” • The overcoming Christian is promised two amazing things in the future: Authority over nations and the morning star. • Authority over nations must mean that believers will rule and reign with Christ in His coming kingdom on earth. • The morning star is the promise of the light of Jesus Himself, with no more darkness and deception ruling in our lives. • When Christ reveals Himself as the true ruler and King of the world, His rod of iron will smash all evil. Application: “Do not associate with sexually immoral people.” - 1 Corinthians 5:9 “Do not be mismatched with unbelievers; for what do righteousness and lawlessness share together, or what does light have in common with darkness?” - 2 Corinthians 6:14 “I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.” - Revelation 2:23,