In this episode, J Mark examines Jesus’ letter to the church at Thyatira found in Revelation 2:18-29. Although this church was known for its love and perseverance, some believers had become captivated by deception and were drifting toward spiritual danger. Jesus addresses the seriousness of their compromise, warning them of judgment if they do not repent, while also encouraging those who remain faithful. This lesson explores Christ’s message to Thyatira through four key elements: the commendation, the accusation, the exhortation, and the compensation.
Transcript
The Greek poet Homer is well known in the literary world for his poem The Odyssey. It’s the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who wandered for 10 years trying to get home after the Trojan War. On the journey home, he had to sail his ship past the island where the sirens lived. Greek mythology depicts sirens as creatures with the bodies of birds and the heads of beautiful women. This beauty was visually appealing, but their songs were even more compelling.
Their songs combined the beauty of music with an almost intangible sense of longing. This created an experience that was both enchanting and deadly. The song of the sirens lured sailors to leave the safety of charted waters for dangerous, uncharted seas. This led many to be tragically wrecked on hidden reefs and shoals, resulting in unexpected deaths.
The allure of these mythical creatures was so powerful that Odysseus, while sailing through this area, had all his crew stuff their ears with cotton so they couldn’t hear the sirens’ songs. He kept his own ears uncovered but had his sailors tie him securely to the mast. He told them that no matter how much he begged, they shouldn’t untie him. As the ship sailed into the sirens’ domain, their enchanting song so captivated Odysseus that he begged his sailors to untie him so he could steer the boat toward the beautiful sounds. However, they followed his previous orders, and the ship safely passed the danger.
Many people unfamiliar with the poem still understand what is meant by “a Siren song.” The Sirens’ song serves as a metaphor for the irresistible pull of desire and the danger of self-destruction when succumbing to temptation.
Today, our study in the Scripture takes us to Revelation 2:18-29, the letter to the church at Thyatira. I’ve titled the study, “The Church of Alluring Apostasy.” Some in this church were captivated by the siren’s song of deception and were in grave danger of spiritual shipwreck and the Lord’s judgment. Surely, there are lessons for us in this text today, Revelation 2:18-29.
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write ‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.
22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.
23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
24 “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.
25 But hold fast what you have till I come.
26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations—
27 ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron;
They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’—as I also have received 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.”
Thyatira was established in 300 BC by Alexander the Great, following the destruction of the Persian Empire. Later, it was revived and grew under Roman Emperor Vespasian. The town was known for its commerce, trade guilds, and craftsmen who specialized in tanning, bronze work, pottery, and its famous purple dye. You may recall that Lydia, mentioned in Acts 16:14, was Paul’s first European convert and a seller of purple from Thyatira.
Purple dye was made from the mucus of snails found in the Mediterranean Sea. It took thousands of snails to produce just one ounce of dye, which made purple cloth extremely expensive and a symbol of wealth or royalty. Called Tyrian purple initially, it became known as Imperial purple during Roman times. In the first century, a pound of purple dye cost about half a Roman soldier’s yearly salary!
Although Thyatira was not a central religious hub like some other cities mentioned in Revelation, emperor worship existed there. The primary deity was Apollo, the sun god. Furthermore, each craft guild had its own patron god. To work in a trade or craft, members needed to belong to one of these guilds, which often meant feeling compelled to worship that guild’s god. Losing one’s place in the guild meant losing one’s livelihood!
This was the environment in which the church at Thyatira found itself.
Commendation
Jesus addresses Himself to the church at Thyatira as the Son of God. This is the only time Jesus uses this title in the entire Book of Revelation. Additionally, He is described as having eyes like a flame of fire (burning indignation), and His feet like fine brass (purifying judgment). I had to wonder, were His title and the accompanying descriptions a mockery of Apollo, the sun god who was worshipped in Thyatira?
The One who has eyes like a flame of fire KNOWS all things. He said, “I know your works; love, service, faith, and patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.” Interestingly, each of these works is preceded by the definite article. So, it is “the love, the service, the faith, and the patience.” Why is that significant? I believe it shows that the Son of God knows not just the general actions but the details. Would Jesus commend your church in this way?
Notice also that their later works were more numerous than their earlier ones. That suggests to me that, despite their struggles, they were a growing church. Further, they were the only church commended for their genuine, Christlike love (agape). They received more praise than any of the other six churches. However, they also received severe accusations.
Accusation
“Despite all the good in you, I have this against you: you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants into sexual immorality and to eat foods sacrificed to idols.” Considering all that was good in Thyatira, it’s hard to understand how this woman had enough shrewdness and sex appeal to lead God’s servants astray.
Spiritual deception and seduction aren’t new. Paul, writing to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:1, said, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons…” And Peter concurred in 2 Peter 2:1-2. “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.”
Whoever this person was in the mold of Jezebel, she proclaimed herself a prophetess, a position of authority. She was teaching and seducing some Christ-followers to engage in sinful behaviors prohibited explicitly by the decree of the Jerusalem Council. Some in this church were apostatizing, leaving their faith in Christ for alluring, sensual activities.
Notice that the sins mentioned here are the same as those taught by people in the city of Pergamum, but there they are attributed to Balaam. That shouldn’t surprise us because Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, was the Phoenician princess who introduced the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth into Israel, the northern kingdom. Both were considered fertility gods. The worship of these gods involved self-indulgence and gross immorality. Unrestrained appetites for food and sex are two primary avenues Satan uses to destroy the church today!
Jesus clearly stated that He had given this Jezebel figure a warning and a period of time to repent, but she refused. As a result, three severe judgments are pronounced on her.
1. “Behold, I will throw her violently into a bed of sickness and anguish.” That is contrasted with the sensual pleasure of adultery. Immorality and promiscuity are accompanied by sexually transmitted diseases that are resistant to cures. Even worse are the sicknesses of the mind and soul, and the eternal punishment awaiting those who refuse to repent.
2. “Those who commit adultery with her I will cast them, together into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.” Here, Jesus’ reference to tribulation lacks the definite article, so He’s not talking about the Great Tribulation. However, if John Walvoord is correct, and this is a description of the church in the Middle Ages, that was a time of great suffering as the Roman Catholic church apostatized. Religious rites and pagan ceremonies were mixed, with many religious ceremonies directly traceable to pagan practices.
3. “I will kill with death (pestilence) her children (spiritual progeny).” To kill with death is a powerful expression. Those who join in the sins associated with the Jezebel woman are in turmoil; they struggle to be loyal to the Messiah while functioning in their social and business environments. But her children have no such ambivalence; trained by her, they are fully committed to her teachings. Hence, their punishment, death, is worse than hers, a sickbed. You can observe this progression today in the lives of parents who try to keep one foot in the world and the other in the church. Usually, their children wash out spiritually, at least in part, because they despise their parents’ hypocrisy.
Jesus states that because of these judgments, all the churches will recognize that I AM the one who thoroughly examines the thoughts and intentions of the heart. To each of you, not just those who have fallen for these alluring seductions, but to the entire church, “I will give you according to your works.” This is the consistent rule established in the Bible by which God will judge everyone.
These are frightening accusations from the One who knows all things. A refusal to repent will bring severe judgment, not just to those in Thyatira, but to all who ignore the words of Jesus. Are you and I in danger of that coming judgment?
Exhortation
In verse 24, the Son of God introduces His exhortation to the church by saying, “Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden.”
Not knowing the depths of Satan’s depravity reminds me of Paul’s encouragement in Romans 16:19-20. “For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore, I am glad on your behalf, but I want you to be wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” We don’t need to fully understand every evil act committed by those with depraved and darkened hearts (Romans 1). Don’t worry about seeming out of step with the world because you don’t know the sordid details of sin. Remaining simple, or uneducated in these matters, is a blessing. Focus on becoming wise to what is good.
Some people in Thyatira clearly continued to resist Jezebel and her teachings. By consistently refusing what she offered, they did not experience the deep things of Satan. In 1 Corinthians 2:10, Paul writes that the Holy Spirit reveals the deep things of God to believers. In the same way, Satan reveals his “deep things” to those under his demonic control. These faithful individuals in Thyatira were fighting against Satan’s alluring temptations.
The words “no other burden” are apparently a reference to the decision of the Jerusalem Conference in Acts 15:28. In fact, the very same word is used, and mention is made of the two items, fornication and idolatry, in verse 20 of our text.
Jesus rounds out His exhortation to these faithful ones by saying, “Keep holding fast to what you have until I come.” I believe that is an exhortation that is very applicable to us in our time. We face continuing pressure to apostatize, that is, to abandon the faith once delivered for the saints (Jude 1:3).
Compensation
What is the reward for faithfulness? “And the one who overcomes and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations, and ‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels…’”
I draw your attention to Jesus’ statement, “the one who keeps my works unto the end.” These words echo Matthew 24, in which He instructed the disciples about end-time events. “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end shall be saved.” It is not enough to start well; we must remain faithful until the end!
The reward for the faithful is that they will be given authority over the nations. This promise aligns with Psalm 2:8-9, Revelation 19:15, and 1 Corinthians 6:2-3. Believers will be co-rulers with Christ. The prophet Daniel states it like this: “Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.” An incredible promise, but hardly a current reality, which it must be for those who claim we are in the millennium now.
This doesn’t mean that individuals will have exclusive power over nations, but we will reign with Him as He shepherds the nations with an iron scepter. This must refer to the Millennial Kingdom because there are nations to be ruled. In the new heavens and new earth of Revelation 21, there are no more nations to govern. Note that the scepter will be made of iron. The nations of the world will be broken by that mighty iron scepter, just like a piece of pottery is smashed to smithereens. The empires of the world will be shattered beyond repair, collapsing into a heap at the judgment of the nations.
Lastly, the overcomers, the faithful ones, will be given the morning star. What or who is being referred to here? I find it interesting that in Balaam’s final prophecy in Numbers 24:17, he states: “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel…” In Revelation 22:16, Jesus testifies, “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
Among other things, this is undeniably the promise of a bright and glorious future, a confirmation of the great good that will be given as a reward to the faithful ones.
Finally, like all the other letters, the concluding warning is given: “the one who has an ear to hear, must hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Are you being tempted by the siren song of the world and its systems; the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17)? Are you compromising your values and convictions to pursue financial gain (1 Timothy 6:9)? Are you a slave to addictions such as pornography and gluttony? Are wolves in sheep’s clothing leading you astray (Matthew 7:15)? If so, now is the time to repent before it’s too late! Otherwise, unimaginable horrors could lie ahead.
Or are you among those faithful ones, holding fast to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and rejecting the allurements of “Jezebel’s” teaching? Are you faithfully keeping the works that Jesus commanded to the end? If so, your rewards are secured by the Savior you obey. You will have the ultimate privilege of basking in His glory at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and reigning with Him over the nations of the world until He brings all authority under His feet!
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
