Revelation 2:-18-29
Please read your Bible text: Rev 2:18-29
Thyatira is a city noted for its numerous trade guilds and for its wool and dyeing industry. Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth, was from Thyatira (Acts 16:14)
Nothing escapes His blazing eyes – vv.18-19
Notice the Lord came with His blazing eyes and burnished bronze feet. The corrupt teaching of the dark prophetess Jezebel would be scrutinized by Jesus’ blazing eyes and brought to judgement at His feet (bronze typified judgement).
Every good deed cannot escape the Lord’s notice, so also every dark secret cannot avoid His blazing eyes! Notice the Lord commended Thyatira Church for her good deeds. However, the church did nothing to stop the evil Jezebel-heresy. By doing nothing, the Jezebel-heresy had sunk the church into the abyss of darkness. Is there a Jezebel-heresy in your life? A ‘skeleton in the closet’ in a dark area of your life? Behold, the blazing eyes of the Lord!
Tolerance with evil teachings – vv.20-23
Tolerance by itself is a good virtue, but tolerance with evil teaching leads to corruption. Thyatira had tolerated the deceitfulness and bad teaching of the wicked Jezebel. The dark prophetess may have been named Jezebel but more likely she may be a well-known woman of Thyatira whose actions made her a contemporary counterpart of the notorious Jezebel of the Old Testament (1kings 16 & 21 and 2Kings 9).
Jezebel-heresy apparently taught that there were deep secrets or philosophies in the pagan system around the church. An attempt was made to graft on to the Christian faith the mysteries of darkness, which included the practice of sexual immorality and paganism. Prophetically this church represented the dark or the middle age of church history – dominated by the Roman Catholics from the mid 500 to early 1500 BC. During this period, the Catholic Church System accepted so many pagan practices that the truth of God’s Word was quickly adulterated. Those who opposed this system were killed, it was this period that the church sunk deep into darkness (dubbed the Dark Age by church historians).
Hold fast to what you have until He comes – vv.24-29
Intense suffering would be the judgement for Jezebel-heresy and all who followed her. The “bed of sufferings” here appropriately described the consequence of her immoral actions. But to the remnant that stood pure – the Lord’s counsel was to “hold fast to what you have till He comes”.
It is so easy to envy others what we do not have and forget what we have. Thus, our itchy ears crave for strange teachings, and not satisfied with the pure gospel we adulterate it with mystical teaching of darkness. Thyatira church was enticed by the so-called deep secret of paganism and sound doctrines were tainted. Thus, the Lord’s counsel to them is to hold fast to the pure Gospel (the Truth) until He comes.
Those who overcome shall rule with Christ in the coming millennium, but best of all they shall possess the Morning Star – a reference to Christ Himself (2 Peter 1:19).
Think: Is there a ‘Skeleton in your Closet’? Keep yourself pure until He comes.
Prayer: Lord, by your enabling grace—get rid of any corruption in my mind and heart. Help me stay pure till You come.
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