Today we will be covering the Exalted Christ’s message to the church in Thyatira (Rev. 2:18-29). Last time, in the Pergamum church, we saw evil doctrine and practice coming from within the church. This time, the evil doctrine and practice was coming from outside the church—from the world. This message is also the longest of the seven, showing that the message required more ink (i.e., that the subject is significant enough to warrant more coverage).
The first verse in this message to Thyatira is the following: “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze’” (verse 18). Jesus’ eyes are pure and holy, penetrating even the furthest reaches of creation. No good or evil can be hidden from His eyes, since He sees all (see verse 23b). His feet show that all of His conduct is also pure and holy, without even a hint of anything tainting it. He is also mighty to trample down all of His enemies in judgement. This is the Holy Christ who now speaks to Thyatira, which sends a clear message regarding what He expects and desires of that church.
As with the other churches, after introducing Himself in a way that fits the emphasis of His message to the particular church, He begins with a commendation. However, notice that His commendation is short, showing the seriousness of the error that He is about to point out to them in the verse afterwards. Verse 19 says this in commendation, “I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.” The all-seeing Exalted Christ has such a close and intimate connection to the church in Thyatira that He claims to “know” key things about their Christian life and the state of their hearts. This commendation is very far from what He would say to false believers, which is “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23). Rather, for Jesus to say that He “knows” them refers to His affirmation that they do have a saving relationship with Him. Their works honour Him, demonstrating true godward faith and love, and therefore a genuine otherward love. Not only that, but that they patiently endure hardship and persevere in loving practice according to the truth. Along with this patient endurance also comes good evidence of their growth in sanctification (growing in love, genuine good works, and thus Christlikeness from the heart). So, in this one verse, we see what the Bible teaches is the true evidence that one is saved, and here is Christ’s affirmation that they indeed are, based on that evidence. This can be a good way for us to evaluate ourselves as well. For instance, are our hearts actively pursuing the truth of God from His Word for the sake of loving Him? Do we view the truth of God as something to practice by the grace of God and with the fulness of our efforts and being? Does this practice translate into a love for others that points them to God? Do our good works reflect a heart that desires to please God above all else? Are these things something that abides in our hearts so that they reflect a new and permanent bent towards what God desires? And, are we increasing in these things or stagnating? These are good signs that our salvation is genuine. (Please note that no one is perfect in these things. We will falter at times, but the general thrust of our lives, if we are genuinely saved, will increasingly reflect these things—things that Christ highlights as proof of our saving relationship with Himself).
Verse 20 begins Christ’s warning, “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.” The word “tolerate” refers to permitting or allowing something to remain unhindered at that time. In other words, certain members of the church of Thyatira were being seduced to regularly commit sexual sin—likely in a cultic setting before idols—and to celebrate idol sacrifices and festivals alongside worshippers of those false gods. All sorts of perverse and wicked activities happened before idols, and some professing believers in Thyatira were regularly engaging in those things. Perhaps the worst part was that the elders and practicing members of this church were giving a blind eye to the life and conduct of some of its members. Sadly, many professing churches often do the same thing today. Rather than calling out the evil, and seeking for those practicing such evil to repent, many view the life and conduct of professing believers as their own business, which then allows evil to penetrate and invade the regular life of the church. Because the church in Thyatira was not willing to call out evil, the whole church bore the blame and responsibility for what they knowingly permitted. Romans 14:22b says, “Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.” Those who knew what was going on—and yet said nothing—are those who are thus reckoned as partaking in those sins themselves. They had a part to play in maintaining and enabling ongoing sin in the lives of professing members. We too, if we find out about ongoing unrepentant sin in other professing believers, are responsible to lovingly call them to repentance. If they do not repent, then we bring it to the elders. If they still refuse to repent, then it is to be brought before the whole church. If even then there is no repentance, then those who practice such things are to be excommunicated from the church, purging out the evil from among the brethren (Matt. 18). Truly, church discipline was lacking in the church in Thyatira, and, because of this lack, every member that became aware of the ongoing sin that was happening, but did nothing, are those who are reckoned by Christ as being active partakers and enablers of those sins. Those who say and do nothing are those who permit evil to fester and rot the church body from the inside-out. Rather, than seeking to contain evil, such people give evil a place for it to be fostered and to grow unhindered. They “tolerate” evil.
In the absence of the church in Thyatira calling out evil within their church, came a lack of calling out the evil around them—calling unbelievers to repent of their wicked ways. (Indeed, if they will not call out the evils happening within their own ranks, how can they be somehow expected to do so outside? Rather, if they are willing to do so inside, then they will also be better prepared and able do so outside. In that case, hypocrisy would not be an issue for them). Jesus said this about the wicked in Thyatira, “I gave her [Jezebel] time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality” (verse 21). Those in Thyatira knew that what they were doing was wrong—perhaps from those who remained true to Christian Faith and still called out evil. Jesus continues, “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, and I will strike her children dead” (verse 22-23a). All those who tolerate evil, without repenting, will face great judgement and be under a curse. God will destroy all of their works and all of those who follow such sins of their parents. Here, there is no distinction between those who are actively practicing the sexual immorality and idol worship, and those who actively tolerate (or excuse) that evil, even in professing believers. All who do not repent of these things demonstrate that they lack the evidence Christ gave in verse 19.
The rest of the message to Thyatira says,
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.’
In verse 23b, the Exalted Christ affirms that He both “searches mind and heart” and “will give to each of you according to your works.” In other words, Christ knows all our true motivations, all our thoughts, and everything that goes on in ourselves, and it is such things that He uses to determine how we will either be rewarded (for believers) or punished (for unbelievers). His deity gives Him this ability, showing continuity with what Yahweh said of Himself in the Old Testament (1 Sam. 16:7). In verse 24, we see that those who refused to learn and practice deep wickedness (cultic, sexual immorality, idol worship, etcetera) after they were saved, have no other expectation from Christ other than to, as verse 25 says, “hold fast what you have until I come” (i.e., to remain faithful and continue exhibiting what Christ described in verse 19). By contrast, those believers who are delving into the “deep things of Satan” need to repent, or they will show that they have never been saved to begin with. In verses 26 and 27, we can see that those who do hold fast (continue in what is described in verse 19 by God’s grace and their perseverance) will reign gloriously with Christ. Nothing will ever afflict them again, and all evil will be in perfect subjection. Matthew Pool’s Commentary on verse 28 helps us to identify what Christ likely means by the “morning star.” The morning star refers to . . .
Either the light of glory, the blessed vision of God, or a certain hope of eternal life; or the Holy Spirit, called so, 2 Peter 1:19; or rather, of myself. Christ himself is not called the Sun of righteousness, Malachi 4:2, but the Morning star, Revelation 22:16, because he excels all other stars in glory, and scatters the darkness of ignorance and error by the light of his gospel: I will make him partaker of myself.
Christ Himself will be our gift, and our partaking in Him. Lastly, all who are saved will take heed and obey Christ’s warning to the seven churches (verse 29).
Next time we will be looking at Christ’s message to the church of Sardis.