Thyatira

“AND UNTO the angel of the church in Thyatira, write; These things saith the Son of God, who has His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which search the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already held fast till I come.

And he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev.2:18-29).

City Of Thyatira

Thyatira was located about thirty-five miles Southeast of Pergamos. It was a small garrison city, built on the plains with no natural fortifications, and was captured, destroyed, and rebuilt many times. The name is said to signify sweet savour of labour, or sacrifice of contrition. One author says that the name indicates weakness made strong and others give the meaning as never weary of sacrifice.

Thyatira at the time of this epistle was an important manufacturing city, its citizens being mostly poor and humble labourers, just the opposite of those in Pergamos. The workmen of Thyatira were organised into labour unions, or guilds. The two leading industries were the manufacture of instruments of brass, bronze, and other metals, and the manufacture and dyeing of cloth, especially of the royal purple. Homer speaks of the dyeing of red and purple cloth as being characteristic of the city. Over in Philippi of Macedonia the apostle Paul brought the gospel to a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira (Acts16:12-14). It is believed that the ecclesia of Thyatira owed its origin to the labours of Lydia after she returned home.

Eyes like fire feet like brass

Christ introduced Himself to the ecclesia in Thyatira as the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass. This language was very familiar to a people who worked in foundries with their flaming furnaces, where fine brass, bronze, and other metals were manufactured into all sorts of implements. Jesus travelled everywhere and saw everything. Nothing escaped His piercing, penetrating gaze, and there was a great deal to see that made His eyes blaze with righteous indignation. His eyes searched the reins and hearts of all who professed His name. He saw through the facades, the disguises, the postures and pretensions of his people. His feet trod down His enemies and broke them into pieces like a potter's vessel. The symbols represent the Son of God as searching out every evil deed, and trampling in judgment the workers of iniquity.

This is the only time the title the Son of God is used in the seven epistles or in the entire book. It appears that symbolic Jezebel representing false religion was usurping the authority of the Son of God. The backslidden and apostatised ecclesia failed to recognise His priestly service and sovereign authority, and assumed prerogatives that belonged alone to the Son of God. To Thyatira was sent the longest of the seven letters.

That Woman Jezebel

Some believe that Thyatira is equivalent to thygatira, meaning a daughter indicating feminine oppression by a woman who claimed to be a prophetess but was leading the ecclesia into apostasy; and that this false prophetess was an adulteress. Of the Jezebel of this prophecy one writer concludes: This woman was not a real prophetess, but a false one with loud claims and loose living. One is puzzled to know how such a woman had so much shrewdness and sex appeal as to lead astray the servants of God in the ecclesia.

Spiritual Jezebel was the tempter to the eclessia of Thyatira, as was literal Jezebel to Ahab and Israel of old. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of Sidon, who married Ahab, king of Israel. She brought with her the pagan religion of the Phoenicians and led all Israel into idolatry. We are told that as the result of his marriage with this heathen woman, “Ahab did sell himself to work wickedness and did very abominably in following idols” (1 Kgs.21:25, 26.). Ethbaal was not only king of Sidon but also priest of Astarte, and Jezebel was probably a priestess and prophetess of Baal worship.

Jezebel soon became the dominant power over the king and kingdom of Israel. Her will was supreme. She hated the prophets of God and persecuted them. To supplant the worship of God she imported 850 prophets of Baal, and made that false system the supreme religion supported and enforced by the state. From the time of Jezebel's marriage to Ahab the apostasy of Israel became general, and finally assumed such proportions that all but seven thousand of the millions of Israel were bowing their knees to Baal.

The Scarlet Woman

The symbolic woman of Revelation 17 is doubtless identical with the Jezebel of this letter. There she is pictured as being arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. She is said to be drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. In her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

Purple and scarlet were the predominant colours manufactured in Thyatira. Both of these symbolic women are declared to be harlots, being guilty of spiritual fornication. Jehu told Joram, the son of Jezebel, that there could be no peace “so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcraft’s are so many” (2 Kgs.9:22). Whether or not the ecclesia was deceived by a literal woman who claimed prophetic gifts, Jezebel certainly is an appropriate symbol of the false religious system that dominated Israel of the Old Testament

Spiritual Jezebel calleth herself a prophetess. This is the claim of the ecclesia of which she is symbolic. The office of a prophetess being a religious one proves that the Jezebel of our prophecy is symbolic of a false religious system introduced into the ecclesia.

Jezebel was swift to shed the blood of the prophets of God. During her persecutions the seven thousand of Israel who did not worship Baal, had to flee to the mountains and hide in the caves of the earth. A price was set on the head of Elijah, the great prophet of ancient Israel. This period during which Jezebel dominated the earth was likewise a time of persecution for the people of God.

The undisputed role of Jezebel continued three and a half years, which was a time of spiritual drought and darkness of Israel's history. It ended in a reformation led by Elijah, Elisha, Jehu, and others. Spiritual Jezebel ruled the world and persecuted the saints for three and half-prophetic years, a time of spiritual drought and darkness. During this time Gods loyal people had to flee to the mountains and remain in hiding. Many suffered martyrdom because they refused to join the great majority in doing obeisance to an apostate power.

Unfaithfulness to God is called fornication because throughout the Scriptures the covenant relation between God and His people is represented by marriage. Christ represented Himself as the Bridegroom and His ecclesia as the Bride. Any transgression would therefore be a form of spiritual adultery, harlotry, or fornication. This would especially be true of any union between the ecclesia and the world.

Opportunity to Repent

An opportunity was given spiritual Jezebel to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Through Elijah, Jezebel was warned and threatened and given ample opportunity to repent before she met her doom. Jezebel is threatened with judgment if she does not repent and reform. “I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and I will severely afflict those who commit adultery with her. I will lay her on a sickbed, and bring her paramour into sore distress.” The bed of sin would become the bed of sickness and suffering. The place of her sins would become the place of her punishments. This is the fate of all harlots and adulterers. Disease and suffering are the reward of their immorality. Jezebel is charged with spiritual adultery.

The weapons of Jezebel were turned upon her own head. Elijah the prophet said to her: “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine” (1 Kgs.21:19). Jezebel was so eaten by ravenous dogs that “they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands”(2 Kgs.9:35). In Revelation 19:17,18, we are told that modern Jezebel, or Babylon, will be devoured by birds and beasts of prey. The fate of Jezebel was foretold by His servant, Elijah and the fate of her antitype was predicted by His servant, John.

The Jezebel Family

And I will kill her children with death, is the judgment threatened upon the family of Jezebel. Ahaziah, Jezebels son, became a cripple from a fall, and spent the remainder of his life on a bed of anguish and affliction. The entire family was finally exterminated, as the Lord decreed. The two sons who became kings were slain, and the servants of Jehu “took the king's sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent them unto him to Jezreel.”

Spiritual Jezebel and her family will also be utterly destroyed. I will kill her children with pestilence, is the note in the Revised Version. The judgments upon Jezebel would reveal the fact that the One who searcheth the reins and hearts and gives to every one according to his works is indeed the Son of God.

The Reformation

It is believed that a reformation is referred to in verse 19, where a change for the better is to take place. “I know that of late you have toiled harder than you did at first” and “I know that your life of late has been better than it was at first” are other translations. “But to you I say, to the rest that are in Thyatira” (R.V.), indicates that the remainder of the epistle is addressed to those who espoused the cause of change, and have not known “the deep things of Satan” (R.V.).

None other burden was to be laid upon the faithful of this ecclesia except to keep themselves unspotted from, and to continually protest against, the Jezebel abominations. Abstinence from those evil things that are forbidden is called a burden in the decree of the Jerusalem council recorded in (Acts15:28,29). Only hold fast to that you have received until I come, is the admonition given.

Till I come includes the promise of his return, which would soon follow the reign of spiritual Jezebel. Paul declared that the falling away would end with a great reformation and the coming of Christ (2 Thess.2:3-8). This is the first of the seven epistles that mentions the return of Christ. Does this indicate that Thyatira is symbolic of ecclesial life near to the time of his return? God's people were to hold so fast to what they had of sound doctrine and spiritual experience that none could wrest it from them, till the coming of Christ would bring an end to the long and painful struggle between truth and falsehood.

The Promised Reward

Jesus declared that the overcomer who keepeth My works unto the end would be given power over the nations, which he would rule with a rod of iron, and that He would give them the morning star. He who conquers and is careful to live My life to the end or who obeys My commands to the very end or who lays to heart what I enjoin, are different translations. The works of Christ are here contrasted with the works of Jezebel. To the disciples, Jesus said of the one who would believe on Him: “The works that I do shall he do also.” The works of Christ are such as He can approve of, works that are in harmony with His Word and law.

Unto the end is doubtless a reference to the end of the race we must run, or the end of the world (Matt.24:13,14; Rev.3:10,11). It is not the beginning but the end of the race that determines the prize. To conquer is not enough; the victorious experience must be maintained to the end of the conflict. “I will give him authority over the nations,” is the promise to those who get the victory over sin. The tables will turn, and the saints who have been persecuted pilgrims and strangers in this world will inherit and rule over the earth, as was God's purpose in the beginning when He gave the dominion to Adam. The power and authority of Christ will be shared with His victorious saints, who constitute His bride (Matt.19:27,28; Rev.3:21).

Verse 27 is a quotation from Psalms 2:9, which is a prophecy of the Messiah. The Hebrew word for break is rendered rule in the Greek Septuagint. It literally means shepherd. “Shall be their shepherd” is the rendering in the Septuagint. Rod is better rendered sceptre as in Hebrews 1:8. The rule of Christ will be as absolute as that of a shepherd over his sheep, or a potter over the vessels he makes and then breaks in pieces in order to make better vessels. The breaking in pieces as the vessels of a potter is a reference to the destruction of the wicked, an event that must precede the absolute and everlasting reign of Christ as the Shepherd of His people (Dan.2:32-45).

The new order of things must be preceded by the breaking up of the old. The Master Potter breaks the old so He can reconstruct the new. Christ breaks in pieces all the wicked so that He will restore the kingdom of David with Himself as the King of kings and Lord of lords. The statement, “As I received of My Father,” is doubtless also taken from Psalms 2:7-9. Satan offered the throne and kingdom of this world to Christ, but He spurned the offer because of the conditions imposed (Luke 4:5-8); the Father appointed the cross as the only pathway to the crown.

The Morning Star

“I will grant him to see the Morning star” was the climax of the promise. Star in Revelation is symbolic of one in authority. Christ promises to share not only His throne but also His kingly authority and glory. He will clothe His servants with the glory of the brightness of the stars (Dan.12:3; Matt.13:43). The redeemed will reflect the glory and brightness of Christ, and shine with Him in the kingdom. Jesus is the royal Star that arose out of Jacob. He is the bright and morning Star who is to reign over the throne of David forever (Num.24:17; Matt.2:2; 2 Pet.1:19).

The promise of the morning star indicates that a night, or period of darkness, was coming to a close. The morning star is the sign and promise of greater light. It does not disperse the darkness but is a sign that the soon-rising sun will scatter the darkness of night and usher in the dawn of day, which will be followed by the perfect day of glory.