Background
We now move further round the circular route to the city of Thyatira. This is the longest letter to the most insignificant city. Thyatira was known for being the Gateway to Pergamum (The ancient capital of Asia). It was built by Alexander the Great as the speed bump for approaching armies. Thyatira’s main job was to hold the defensive line until Pergamum was ready to defend itself.
They made their name for making purple dye. Traditionally it was a very expensive process, but those in Thyatira worked a way to make it from earth, rather than molluscs. Lydia, we read of in (Acts 16:14-15) was from Thyatira.
Apart from that, the only distinguishing feature of Thyatira was, it had more trade guilds than any other city. And as trade for half the known world passed through Thyatira, some Trade Unions held a lot of power. If you didn’t belong to a guild, you couldn’t work.
The Letter Jesus dictated to the Church in Thyatira is of severe warning and judgement. But before he got to that, Jesus had great encouragement for the Church.
Commendation
18 “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. 19I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Revelation 2:18-29
Love, faith, service, perseverance and working hard. Jesus encouraged them and commended them for their love. They were faithful to Him, they weren’t ashamed of his name, nor did they deny their faith in him. During difficult times, in difficult circumstances they were doing a lot of things right, just like Smyrna. However, like Ephesus, they had a few problems.
Jesus continues.
Condemnation
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. Revelation 2:18-29
They were totally lacking discernment and accepted false teachers into their church. This then allowed immorality into the body of Christ. A false prophetess whom Jesus labels “Jezebel”, led the believers astray. And, as a result, the church was now full of sexual immorality.
The Woman Herself
A very brief history recap.
In the OT after the kingdoms split in two. The south, Judah’s kings maintained a direct line of David’s descendants. To the north, Israel’s monarchy followed “Succession of the strongest”. Ahab was 4th king of the north and one of his failings was marrying Jezebel, daughter of the Syrophoenician, priest-king of Tyre.
Jezebel was a fanatical worshipper of Baal. On staff she had 450 priests of Baal, and 400 priestesses of Ashera. She demanded her God, Baal, had at least equal footing with Yahweh in Israel. Which brought her into battle with Elijah, which we read about in 1 Kings 18. On the battle ground (two altars with sacrifices. One to Yahweh, One to Baal) Elijah confronted the Israelites and challenged them, “Whom will you serve?” They remained silent until, God’s holy fire fell from heaven and accepted the sacrifice and obliterated the enemy.
From what we read Jezebel was a formidable, unscrupulous, intimidating woman who had a powerful influence over Ahab. As well as opening the flood gates to formalised Baal worship to Israel, she convinced Ahab be an absolute monarch rather than in covenant-vassal with the Heavenly King.
Back to Thyatira
When we looked at the letter to Pergamum, we touched on the Nicolaitan cult who preached the Heresy: Dualism. That is, God is only interested in soul/spirit of a person. Therefore, it doesn’t matter what you do to the body, because God doesn’t care.
This false prophetess was teaching that the believers didn’t have to make a choice between their faith and earning an income. They could keep being good Christians and participate in pagan festivals. Eating food offered to idols, and sleeping with temple prostitutes and participating in other depraved activities involved was fine. God doesn’t care about your sex life or whatever you want to do to your body.
However, if you were feeling a tinge of guilt, that was okay, because God’s “Grace covers all sin.”
The Millstone
When I read of this woman, I feel ill. The responsibility and weight that comes with preaching, teaching, or prophesying God’s word is immense. Not only does it require hours of research and prayer, but ensuring your communication lines are open and you are hearing God clearly.
“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
All teachers, preachers, and prophets have a responsibility to discern the right and true word of God and share only that. For the penalty to do otherwise is great. As it was for the false prophetess in Thyatira.
Jezebel’s Influence
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. Revelation 2:18-29
God’s grace IS abundant, and it DOES cover a multitude of sins. BUT that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care, or he turns the other way. It means, His grace is abundant. This woman had been given time, and no doubt warnings, to repent, and she did not. So, her punishment was served.
The Choice
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 scepter 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. Revelation 2:18-29
The same grace is extended to us all: “Repent”. If you have fallen away, come back; when you have taken a wrong turn, come back; when you fall, get up and come back. We have been given an opportunity repent and come back to the truth. If, however, we choose not to, like Jezebel, our punishment will be served. God is gracious in our weakness, not amenable to our sin.
The Reward
To those who are faithful, Jesus says, “Hold fast. Stand firm. I am coming.” Those who honour me, I will honour says the Lord. Those who are faithful with small, will be given much.
We are at war and cannot have a foot in both camps. As Dualism allows. We need to make a choice: We either stay in the darkness and receive God’s justice; or step into the Light and receive the Morning Star – the Lord Jesus himself and share in His glory.
So What?
“As a Church, and as individual children of God, what are our goals and how do we live, in these rapidly changing times?”
When we look around the world today, as we hear some absolute rubbish preached as “Christian doctrine”, some behaviour practiced as “Christian witness”, and some “Words” spoken by supposed prophets, I am sickened. It is both embarrassing and highly insulting.
I think of our Lord Jesus and what he gave. I think of the Power of the Holy spirit given freely and the absolute love of the Father and it makes me so angry, furious, to see His perfect truth, and glorious name defiled atrociously.
We are the same as the early church. Our culture is different, but our practices aren’t. False teaching is still rampant, regardless of the “millstone” warning in Scripture to those who take on this responsibility.
So how has it spread like a virus?
It All Comes Down to Discernment
The thing is, responsibility not only lays at the feet of teacher/preacher/prophet. Is sits squarely on the shoulders of the listener. Discernment will keep us from falling under the influence of false teaching.
But where does discernment come from how do we get it?
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment, so that we may know who is genuine; moreover, we are united with the One who is genuine, united with his Son Yeshua the Messiah. He is the genuine God and eternal life.
21 Children, guard yourselves against false gods!
The Only Fail-Safe Way
In Christ.
How do we stay in Christ?
By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
How do we get the Holy Spirit?
By humbly submitting ourselves before God, acknowledging our weakness, our need and our utter wretchedness. By His grace, we are washed clean and adopted as children of the Most High. A sign, or a seal of this relationship and promise, is the gift of the Holy Spirit.
God’s holy Fire, the Holy Spirit, still leads and directs His people today.
Through the Holy Spirit we are gifted with:
- The Ability to remain in Christ, who is the Armour of God.
- Guidance, counsel, admonishment, inspiration and encouragement. So, when we need to know what is of God and what isn’t we have God dwelling within us.
Verify with The Fire of God
We are all warned to be extra vigilant, watch out, be alert, check the source of the email/text/message. Don’t believe everything you hear because scammers and hackers are everywhere. We are encouraged to use double verification so as not to fall victim and loose our savings.
Well, the Adversary has been scamming and hacking for eons and he is after more than our life savings, he wants our eternal soul. Because the stakes are so high, God has given us five points of verification:
- Prayer. if the answer is no, put it down.
- Scripture: If it doesn’t align with Scripture, back away.
- Jesus: If it is contrary to the example and teaching of Christ, decline the invite.
- The Church: If there is disagreement within the mature members of the believers, refer back to the previous three and tread with caution.
- Common Sense: If it doesn’t sit right, refer back to the previous four.
Be assured, throughout history, and perhaps even more so now as we draw closer to Christ’s return, we will be tested. The Adversary is fighting to steal as many faithful as he can before Christ returns through the message of false teaching.
Who will we serve?
Elijah stands on Mt Carmel and challenges us with the question, “Whom will we serve? Whose influence will we follow?”
Be sure, God does not want us to go astray. He went to great lengths to bring us home to him. If we are not sure of something, He wants us to go to Him. Jesus said,
9 “Moreover, I myself say to you: keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who goes on asking receives; and he who goes on seeking finds; and to him who continues knocking, the door will be opened.
11 “Is there any father here who, if his son asked him for a fish, would instead of a fish give him a snake? 12 or if he asked for an egg would give him a scorpion? 13 So if you, even though you are bad, know how to give your children gifts that are good, how much more will the Father keep giving the Ruach HaKodesh from heaven to those who keep asking him!” Luke 11:9-13
“As a Church, and as individual children of God, what are our goals and how do we live, in these rapidly changing times?”
We Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. He and his will, will be found. And even more so, the strength to stand in the testing. When we do this, we will know the path to follow and will receive the greatest reward of all, the Lord Jesus Himself.
