Letters From God: to the Church in Thyatira

Thyatira: Revelation 2:18-29

It’s been a while since I’ve been here, but when I was here last, I had started going through the seven letters written to the seven churches in Asia, as recorded in Revelation 2-3. As we started through them, it’s amazing how relevant these words are today, even though they were written nearly two thousand years ago to a people far from us physically and culturally.

Thyatira was founded as a military outpost by the Greeks, but fell to the Romans and enjoyed stability and prosperity. It was known as a center of manufacturing and marketing. In Acts 16, we meet “a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira.” It’s often good to live in a prosperous city, but there was a problem. The manufacturing sector was dominated by trade guilds whose membership was intertwined with religious observances. Think of trying to serve pork in a closed Muslim nation. It’s not going to happen. You can try, but you’re going to have trouble. At best. What I’m saying is that in Thyatira, to belong to a trade guild, to buy and sell, you have to buy into their religious observances. In a city whose economic life was dominated by trade guilds in which pagan religious practices had become the criteria for membership, Christian converts would be faced with the problem of compromising their stand at least enough to allow participation in a common meal dedicated to some pagan deity. To reject this accommodation could mean social isolation and economic hardship.[1]

Into this context, the letter is written from the Son of God. There is a reason that this title is used; here in Thyatira, they worshiped a deity who was a combination of Apollo and the emperor (who they called Apollo incarnate). Thus it is not the emperor or the guardian deity of Thyatira, but the resurrected Christ, who is the true son of God. [2]


The Son of God has blazing eyes, which comes as a reminder that God can perceive even our deepest thoughts and motives. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13) So as we read this letter, we can understand that with his blazing eyes, Christ can see through the seductive arguments of Jezebel and those who were being led astray by her teaching. Feet like burnished bronze convey the idea of strength and splendor[3], with which he can stamp out any opposition to his rule. 

But in the difficult context, the people of the church are known for their deeds, their love and faith, and their service and perseverance, and that they are doing more now than even what they did at first.

But there is a problem. The letter wasn’t written just to say, “Great job; you’re doing fine.” The problem is Jezebel. Probably a prominent woman within the church who was influencing the people of God to forsake loyalty to God by promoting a tolerance toward and involvement in pagan practices.

In other words, she was convincing Christians that it wasn’t so bad to conform to the cultural standards around them. Tolerance is a big word in American culture; it used to mean “to put up with” what others were doing, even if you don’t like it or approve of it. But lately it has come to mean “fully accept what others are doing and never speak ill of it.” But the reality is: sin is sin. Even if it is widely accepted in the culture around you, that doesn’t make it right. While the sin in Thyatira was participation in pagan rituals in order to gain acceptance with the trade guilds, the church is often guilty of accommodation.

The Lutheran Church of 1930s Germany accommodated the Nazis, turning its back on the atrocities committed. Parts of the church in America are guilty of accommodation to culture as they change their rules about homosexuality. It’s easy to point fingers at “them” but where are we guilty of accommodation here in Zambia? We are often guilty of accommodating the dangerous “health and wealth” gospel, saying if you work and pray hard enough, then you’ll get money and health and if you are sick then you must be guilty of sin. Friends, the Bible doesn’t say anything like that. Jesus even says that we will have trouble in this world.

We are often guilty of allowing, even supporting men who sleep around, never speaking out about marriage being between one man and one woman. We are guilty of accommodation when we turn a blind eye to gender based violence, even within the church. We are guilty of accommodation when we not only allow sin but celebrate it.

We often think of Jesus like a grandmother, kind and forgiving and nice, but kind of a pushover. When I was a boy and I went to my grandmother’s house, my mother would tell her, “Only one hour of TV.” But since I didn’t have a TV at home, I wanted to watch TV all day, and my grandmother would let me.

That is not Jesus’ character! Did you hear what he said about Jezebel? This isn’t very popular in worldly culture, but Jesus says: I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Doesn’t sound like a kindly old grandmother, does it? While we’re on the subject, let’s throw out the picture of Jesus who just accepts us where we are and leaves us like that. Jesus loves us too much to leave us in our sin, but he will allow us to make our choice. He won’t force us to follow. But if we don’t follow, be prepared to suffer the consequences of our choices.

So Jesus tells the church that severe consequences are coming for those who accommodate the sinful world. A good lesson for us today. And for those who remain faithful, his only command is to hold on to what you have until He returns. What do they have? They have the Holy Spirit. They have His commands. They have faith. They have love. They have increasing good deeds. And to the victorious, he gives authority and a morning star. Now, it is unclear just what the morning star is, but suffice it to say, we will be rewarded for our faithful allegiance to Christ, that which allows us to overcome in the hostile environment of pagan values and practices.[4] The letter concludes with the exhortation: Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Jesus concludes his Sermon on the Mount the same way. If you have ears, hear what the Spirit is saying to us today. And if you hear, obey.





[1] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 86). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[2] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 85). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[3] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 85). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[4] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 90). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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