Previous Section: Chapter One - Prologue
OTY: The Revelation (5)c -Revelation Commentary
Revelation 2:18
(1) "And to the angel of the church in (2) Thyatira write: (3) The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this:
1. Salutation
2. Thyatira = a church of compromise
3. Identification of Christ as Sender = the title "The Son of God" occurs 46 times in the New Testament. It occurs only once in the book of Revelation. This lone exception is unique. This is the only example of the title used with a transitive verb. Instead a description, Jesus is speaking as "The Son of God." What is it about the church at Thyatira that demands such a unique testimony? It receives the longest message. It is probably the most difficult to understand and perhaps the most unimportant of the seven cities. Any doubt about the identity of the person speaking in Revelation 1:12-16 is dispelled at this point, particularly in light of the subsequent phrases that repeat Revelation 1:14b and 15a.
Revelation 2:19
(1) 'I know your (2) deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.
1. Assertion of knowledge = same as above.
2. Comments = the deeds of the Thyatirans are described by four nouns:
a. Love = mental attitude.
b. Faith = dependability or faithfulness.
c. Service = attending someone for the purpose of performing a task.
d. Perseverance = the correct way to respond to suffering by the overcomer.
Revelation 2:20-23(1) 'But I have {this} against you, (2) that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, (2a) who calls herself a prophetess, and (2b) she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit {acts of} immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. (2c) 'And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. (3a) 'Behold, I will cast her upon a bed {of sickness}, and (3b) those who commit adultery with her into (3c) great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. (3d) 'And I will kill her children with pestilence; and (4) 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.
1. Criticism of the Unfaithful in Thyratia = but indicates strong contrast with what precedes.
2. The indictment = "You tolerate the woman Jezebel…" The Lord states that the Thyatirans "tolerate the woman Jezebel." Revelation 2:24 indicates that some in Thyatira "do not hold to this teaching." This suggests that the meaning of "tolerate" in verse 20 is that some have actually adopted the teachings of this woman. This woman is the personification of a woman who lived in Israel eight hundred years earlier. The name Jezebel is picked up from 1 Kings 16:31. An evil woman who influenced King Ahab of Israel to worship the Canaanite gods. If not the most wicked, Ahab was certainly among the worst kings of the ten northern tribes. His wife died the worst death of any person among the kings of Israel—eaten by dogs. She was despicable. It was in no way a compliment to be called Jezebel. The Lord's choice of the name suggests the level of hate He has for this woman.
2a. Who calls herself a prophetess = she has no authorization from God at all. She is self-appointed.
2b. She teaches and leads my bond-servants astray = what she teaches is not directly stated. However, the impact of her teachings can be seen in the conduct of the bond-servants. That the bond-servants are true followers of Christ can be inferred because "The Son of God" calls them "bond-servants." She teaches the bond-servants to commit fornication (illicit sexual activity) and "to eat things sacrificed to idols" as an act of worship. Paul taught the Corinthians that in and of itself eating meat sacrificed to an idol was not wrong (1 Cor. 8). However, to eat as an act of worship is inherently wrong. To eat with the mindset that the idol is a true god is wrong.
2c. I gave her time to repent = indicates that this problem had existed for some time. The Lord requested repentance. How the Lord communicated the need for change in the life of this woman is not indicated. The meaning of "to repent" is indicated in the statement, "she does not want to repent of her immorality." To repent means to turn away from. This woman flatly refuses to change her conduct.
3. Threat = the willful refusal to turn away from cultural compromise results in direct action from the Lord.
3a. Behold, I will cast her upon a bed [of sickness] = indicates that this event will happen in the immediate future. To cast upon a bed is a figure of speech. The verb ballo is used in the New Testament to refer to someone sick in bed. Matthew 8:6 and Mark 7:30 support this conclusion. The Bible is replete with examples of individuals thrown down with sickness because of sin. What sickness is not indicated, however, the degree of sickness is parallel to the punishment indicated for those who follow Jezebel’s teachings.
3b. And [I will cast] those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation = indicates a punishment for those who have joined in with Jezebel’s cultural compromise. Adultery can be either literal or figurative. It should be understood as the literal breaking of the marriage vows. There is nothing in the text to indicate that married individuals were not participating in Jezebel’s activities. Just as they were physically eating meat offered to idols, they were engaging in illicit sexual activity. The penalty for this conduct is "great tribulation."
3c. Great tribulation = is used again in Revelation 7:14 with the definite article. Matthew 24:21 records the Lord’s prediction of a future time of "great tribulation." In Matthew 24, the Lord indicates that He will return after a "great tribulation." Revelation 2:22 indicates that unfaithful bond-servants will be cast into a "great tribulation." Revelation 7:14 posits that an incalculable host suddenly appears in heaven who come out from the midst of "the great tribulation." That members of the church at Thyatira will be cast into "a great tribulation" demands the presence of the church of Thyatira on earth during "a great tribulation." This effectively places this punishment outside the eschatological "great tribulation" connected with Daniel’s Seventieth Week. However, the fact that unfaithful members of the church at Thyatira could suffer "a great tribulation" certainly leaves room for the church to suffer "the great tribulation."
3d. And I will kill her children with pestilence = a case can be made for either physical or spiritual children. The outcome is the same—death.Pestilence is spoken of as the method of judgment. This event is specifically indicated to be authorized by the Lamb who is "The Son of God."
4. All the churches will know = this indicates that all churches will be aware of what is going to happen to each other. Each church is promised to be dealt with according to their deeds. Thus, every church will be able to determine the nature of every other church’s obedience or disobedience. A church will either be persecuted for righteousness (Smyrna), protected for faithfulness (Philadelphia), or killed for compromise (Sardis, Laodicea, Thyatira, Ephesus or Pergamun).
Revelation 2:24
'But I say to you, (1) the rest who are in Thyatira, (2) who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, (3) as they call them--I place no other burden on you.
1. Commendation of the Faithful = "the rest who are in Thyatira," this is one of the places in Revelation 2-3 where the angel of the church is no longer addressed, but a specific group within the church receive direct address. These are clearly individuals who have nothing to do with Jezebel.
2. Who do not hold this teaching = this group has completely stayed away form this teaching.
3. The deep things of Satan, as they call them = taken at face value means that Jezebel and her children had association with Satan personally. The church at Smyrna faced a "synagogue of Satan," the church at Pergamum lived "where Satan’s throne is," and the church at Thyatira fought against "the deep things of Satan." The level of satanic involvement in the church should not be underestimated.
Revelation 2:25
(1) 'Nevertheless what you have, hold fast (2) until I come.
1. Exhortation = while the Lord does not want to add another burden to his faithful bond-servants in Thyatira, they must "hold fast." The issue is urgency. Be all the more tenacious to not yield to the compromise that surrounds them, is the sense here.
2. Until I come = is a clear reference to the last days, since Christ hadn’t come by the time Revelation was written, generally accepted to be approximately AD 90-95. (Revelation 2:5; 2:10; 2:16-17; here; 3:3 and 3:11) This represents the far application of Revelation 2-3.
Revelation 2:26-29
(1) 'And he who overcomes, and (2) he who keeps My deeds until the end, (2a) 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 to pieces, as I also have received {authority} from My Father; (2b) and I will give him the morning star. 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'
1. Promise = unlike previously stated, here the overcomer is clearly defined.
2. He who keeps My deeds until the end = defines the overcomer. One does not normally speak of "keeping" or "obeying" deeds or works.Tareo can mean to obey, but it also can mean to guard, which is the better sense here. He who guards My works is the literal sense of the phrase. The particular works of Christ are those which establish and maintain local churches. Until the end refers to the parousia of Christ, which is mentioned in verse 25.
2a. I will give authority over the nations = is the first reward given to those who guard the works of the Lord (the overcomer). This phrase and the subsequent ideas are modeled after Psalm 2:8-9. Christ is giving His authority to His bond-servants who are overcomers over the nations. The nations (tov ethnon) should be translated "the Gentiles." The overcomers will rule (exercise the Lord’s sovereignty) over the Gentile nations. Jesus promised the apostles rulership over the twelve tribes of Israel," (Matt. 19:28). King David is promised a resurrection from the dead to rule over Israel and Judah, (Jeremiah 30:9).
2b. I will give him the morning star = since there is only one morningstar, but all overcomers are promised it, we know this is a figure of speech. The Lord’s point here is this: He will grant great honor.
Next Section: Chapter Three - The Seven Churches, Part 2
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