The fourth letter to the church of Thyatira has both words, with some additional stipulations. We look at this letter today.

Thyatira: The Church of Romanism

About 35 miles SE of Pergamum was the city of Thyatira. It was a city known for its numerous trade guilds and its wool and dyeing industry. In fact, Thyatira was the center of the dyeing industry at that time.

In the Greek, the name of the city is “Θυάτειρα,” transliterated it is “Thyateira.” The name means “odour of affliction.” Another picturesque name given what Jesus has to say to this church.

Thyatira is representative of church history between the Dark Ages of A.D. 590 to approximately A.D. 1000.

Jesus’ Letter to the Church at Thyatira

“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this.” –Revelation 2:18.

We now see a fourth description of Jesus, in His role as the Son of God in judgment. Jesus says His eyes are like “a flame of fire.” These are eyes that see everything; nothing is hidden from Him.

He also says His feet are like “burnished bronze.” Whenever you see the element of bronze in the Bible, it’s figurative of judgment.

The word used in the Greek is “χαλκολίβανον.” Transliterated it is “chalkolibanon.” The King James version translated the word as “brass.” The New American Standard is “bronze.” Either way, the word is indicative of a highly precious metal. And that’s God’s judgment: it’s pure, undefiled, precious, and highly valuable. Moreover, it isn’t malleable. It’s unchangeable.

The Good News

“‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.’” –Revelation 2:19.

Jesus has six specific commendations for Thyatira:

1. Deeds or Works
2. Love
3. Faith
4. Service or Ministry
5. Perseverance or Patience
6. “Deeds of late are greater than at first.”

These are similar to the “fruits of the Spirit” found in Galatians 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The key to the commendation is the last one. Jesus’ praises the Thyatiran church for the increase in good works! Would Jesus say the same to your church? Would He write this letter to you personally?

The Bad News

“‘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 acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.’” –Revelation 2:20.

The character of “Jezebel” here hearkens back to the Jezebel of old, found in 1 Kings 16-21 and 2 Kings 9:30-37. Here in Revelation, the usage of the word “Jezebel” may not no much refer to it being a woman’s name, rather a title. In other words, it could be more like calling someone a “Judas” who is a traitor or “Hitler” of someone who is evil. Even today, calling a woman a “Jezebel” isn’t a term of endearment.

Either way, this woman is a prophetess in her own estimation. Jesus warned us of such a one as this:

“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” –Matthew 24:11.

“I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.” –John 5:43.

J. Vernon McGee has this to say about the historical implications of this “Jezebel” as it relates to church history:

Concerning the historical period of the Dark Ages which the church at Thyatira represents, pagan practices and idolatry were mingled with Christian works and worship. The papacy was elevated to a place of secular power under under Gregory I (A.D. 590), and later by Gregory VII, better known as Hildebrand, (A.D. 1073-1085). The introduction of rituals and church doctrine supplanted personal faith in Jesus Christ. Worship of the Virgin and Child and the Mass were made a definite part of the church service. Purgatory became a positive doctrine, and Mass was said for the dead. The spurious documents labeled Donation of Constantine and Decretals of Isidore were circulated to give power and rulership to the pope.

As Jezebel killed Naboth and persecuted God’s prophets, so the Roman church instituted the Inquisition during this period.

More Bad News

“‘I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.’” –Revelation 2:21.

It’s interesting that Jesus specifically calls out the Roman church and still to this day, that church refuses to repent, even to the point of supplanting the Bible with “tradition” as being the authority.

“‘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. And I will kill her children with pestilence, 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.’” –Revelation 2:22-23.

The imagery here reminds me of what God said in Hosea:

Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. Their liquor gone, they play the harlot continually; their rulers dearly love shame. The wind wraps them in its wings, and they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices. –Hosea 4:17-19.

Jesus says in Revelation that he will throw the Thyatiran church on a “bed of sickness.” In other words, He will let them live out the consequences of their choices unless they repent.

“The minds and hearts” means that Jesus can see the thoughts, the feelings, and the purposes of the people.

A Little More Good News

“‘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.’” –Revelation 2:23.

Another way of saying this is: “To those who have not been seduced by these false doctrines, these deep things of Satan, I will place no other burden upon you.”

“‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.’” –Revelation 2:25.

A short verse, but oh how we can see the fulfillment of this drawing nigh.

The Promise to the Overcomer

“‘He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken into pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” –Revelation 2:26-29.

Verses 26 and 27 are taken from Psalm 2:

“‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.’” –Psalm 2:8-9.

Here Jesus says that the overcomer will rule the nations with Him! We will share the millennial rule with Christ! But beware: this is during the Millennium: not now!

Jesus Himself is the “bright morning star” (Revelation 22:16). It is in this appearance that the believer’s hope rests:

Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. –Titus 2:13.

This is Roman church: the church at Thyatira.

Next time we will look at the Protestant church, the church at Sardis.

May He Increase!

On Monday, I went to the bookstore and bought a new book called “Get the Job You Want Even When No One’s Hiring,” by Ford R. Myers. So far, I like it a lot. Today I will be going through one of the many exercises he has called “Your Ideal Workday.”

I’ve been doing this type of searching for over two and a half years. Some might say that I have to be over-analyzing it all if I’ve been doing it for that long. However, I suppose I look at from Socrates’ standpoint:

The unexamined life is not worth living.

Now, this is a Christian blog and I’m not necessarily putting man’s wisdom above God’s. Surely the Bible says the same when David says:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. –Psalm 139:23-24.

“My anxious thoughts.” Boy, is that me lately.

This whole season in my life has showed me my own covetousness and worries about “stuff.” It’s all junk! It’s all going to rot away. Why am I worried about “stuff?” I ran across a blog post today at Truth Matters, called “The Emptiness of the American Dream.” It was a re-posting from Shepherd’s Fellowship. I don’t want to re-post it here in it’s entirety, rather I would like to point out the highlights from Ecclesiastes as I feel they are appropriate for this time in my life (and maybe yours).

King Solomon was the richest and wisest man of his day. You may recall the story. God came to him in a dream and told him that He would give him anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom. God rewarded his humility by granting him wisdom and all the worldly riches he could handle because he did not ask for riches. (1 Kings 3:3-15.)

However, God gave Solomon a few provisions for the granting of his desire.

If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days.” –1 Kings 3:14.

Unfortunately, like all fallen and sinful men, Solomon used his great wealth and power to try to find fulfillment. He forgot that his fulfillment, joy, and contentment are found in God alone. His mistakes included trying to find joy and contentment with:

• Pleasure (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3)
• Hard work (Ecclesiastes 2:4–6)
• Material possessions (Ecclesiastes 2:7–8)
• Popularity and prestige (Ecclesiastes 2:9–10)
• His own wisdom (Ecclesiastes 2:12–14)

But remember, God did grant Solomon great wisdom. So although he he experienced “much grief, and increasing knowledge result[ed] in increasing pain,” (Ecclesiastes 1:18), Solomon discovered the secret to joy and contentment in this life, this side of heaven.

There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen that it is from the hand of God. For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him? For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind. –Ecclesiastes 2:24-26.

God has given to each of us the gift of enjoying this life while living in obedience to Him. That is the the secret to joy and contentment in this life. Our lives will have ups and downs (Ecclesiastes 3:4), but through it all, we can be made whole through the love of God.

No matter what gets stripped away, there is something that no one can take away and that’s God’s love for you and I.

“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” –John 16:22.

Jesus here is speaking of His Second Coming. That is the believer’s Blessed Hope (Titus 2:13). That’s where we can rest and find that joy and contentment no matter what our circumstances may be here.

May He Increase!