To the Angel of the Church in Thyatira...

 We see Jesus’ heart for the Church in Revelation 2-3. As with the entire overarching theme of the Bible, God is redeeming His people back to Himself through salvation and sanctification in Christ. Jesus wrote these letters to correct specific issues within His early Church, but also for the benefit and sanctification of all believers through His Holy Word. His righteous judgment is cleansing the Church of her impurities, even if that means he must impose judgment and condemnation upon the unfaithful among the early churches. The church in Thyatira was a faithful congregation, but they let their guard down and were infiltrated by a false teacher.  

To the Church in Thyatira, Christ writes a letter that starts off strong with some high praise to their works. Even in the midst of judging His people, Jesus does not forget the good works of His people. However, he also does not withhold his correction just because of their good deeds. Before giving criticism, Jesus acknowledges their works. Paul reflects on the character of God in Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the  saints, as you still do.” Jesus begins his commendation by calling them patient, loving,  faithful, and servant-minded. (Revelation 2:19) What does this remind you of? The  Church in Thyatira displays the fruits of the Spirit. They are actively pursuing lives of holiness that reflect God’s character, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is evident in 

their works. Jesus also writes that their "deeds of late are greater than the first”  (Revelation 2:19). He continues the commendation by acknowledging that they are doing more good works for the Kingdom than ever before, continuing to grow the ministry. The Apostle Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3-11 if you are increasing in the fruit of the Spirit, that is evidence and confirmation of your calling and election.  

While Jesus’ commendation was one brief sentence, his plan for judgment is quite a paragraph. It is a warning we should use to examine our own lives. Jesus writes about Jezebel. We don’t know many specifics about this woman, but we can gather that she was a woman of strong influence within the church who was misleading Christians into a lifestyle of sexual immorality. The church allowed her to have a leadership role, contradicting biblical teachings of eldership reserved for males. They allowed this woman to lead them in immorality. Jesus warns the church in Thyatira, and us, that allowing false teachers to counterfeit God’s Word is not tolerated. No matter how good their deeds were and how many faithful followers were members of this church, a false teacher was still given the opportunity to corrupt the congregation. We do have hope here, as Jesus continues his letter by describing how he will vindicate his church, he will defeat this unrepentant woman, and he sees those who remained faithful  (Revelation 2:21-25). 

The city of Thyatira was on flat land, making it an easy target for plunderers and conquerors. Just as the city was easy to infiltrate, so was the church. They thought that they were guarded against the enemy, and yet the enemy sought to destroy through  Jezebel by misleading and tearing down the church from the inside out. But God, in His great mercy and sovereign power, will not be defeated by the adversary’s schemes. Job 42:2 says, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be  thwarted.” What a beautiful promise that God will redeem all things for His glory and purpose! 

Works Cited  

MacArthur, John. Because the Time is Near: John Macarthur Explains the Book of  Revelation. Moody Publishers, 2007.  

The ESV Bible. Crossway, 2001, www.esv.org/.