“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira. This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes are like flames of fire, whose feet are like polished bronze:
I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things. But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching (‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan, actually). I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come. To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, To them I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!
Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”
Revelation 2:18-29
Why have you gone back to the ‘Intro’ to Thyatira Ian?
Because it fascinates me; the fact that Thyatira was the smallest town and later became a city. It doesn’t fit the pattern. The pattern of this circular letter changes with Thyatira. Not only that but the introduction to Thyatira is twice as long as all the others. Why, and why choose the smallest church of all churches as a representative among the Seven? Note too the fact that the church in Thyatira is only a small portion of the focus of the whole of this particular introduction. Namely:
[This commendation is actually pretty good. We could say it’s the best Commendation of all seven churches.]I know all the things you do. I have seen your love, your faith, your service, and your patient endurance. And I can see your constant improvement in all these things.
Revelation 2:19
Then follows the Complaint:
[The complaint relates to the jezebel woman and not the church. The problem of the church in Thyatira was their tacit permission in allowing the woman to lead the church astray: the Threat from Within as I called it in Gem 2203.]But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. I will strike her children dead.
Revelation 2:20-23
Following that we have:
But I also have a message for the rest of you in Thyatira who have not followed this false teaching [‘deeper truths,’ as they call them—depths of Satan]. I will ask nothing more of you except that you hold tightly to what you have until I come.
Revelation 2:24
That too is pretty innocuous; actually it is quite positive. But sandwiched between these two elements we have this strong comment:
Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.
Revelation 2:23
This is a message for all churches not just Thyatira. I think I am beginning to understand what is going on here. That coupled with the example of the ermine and Josiah Wedgewood smashing pots which didn’t meet his standard together with Tertullian’s comment while preaching to the saints in Thyatira has me thinking. I want some more time to ponder this point. I am going to force the pause on you, my readers, as well.
Why was Thyatira chosen to be part of the Seven, when they were so small and insignificant? But isn’t that the point? That coupled with the fact that in the natural their town, soon to become a city, was hard to defend, situated in low rolling hill country. So much about these seven cities was so significant to the comments Jesus made to them and about them. Which leads me to another point. There are some commentators who hold to the theory that these Seven Churches represent dispensational ages through time. Oh I have been aware of the theory for years but have never bought into the thinking.
Here is why:
After having spent considerable time researching and pondering the nature of Jesus comments to these churches I can no longer entertain for one moment a dispensationalist view of the churches. The dispensationalist view just doesn’t stack up in my opinion. There is too much correlation between the details of Jesus’ comments and the historical situation of these churches which is true down to the minutest facts. Besides which, no two dispensationalists teach the same schema; trying to match General Eras to each of these seven churches just doesn’t work.
Churches | Traditional Dispensational Eras | Bailey’s Dispensational Eras |
---|---|---|
Ephesus | Churches in First Century AD | Early New Testament Church |
Smyrna | Persecution Period of 2nd and 3rd Centuries | Late New Testament Church |
Pergamum | Time of Constantine | Roman State Church |
Thyatira | Middle Ages | Dark Ages |
Sardis | Reformation | Middle Ages |
Philadelphia | Missionary Era (18th and 19th Centuries) | Holiness Era (John & Charles Wesley) |
Laodicea | Modern Church Era (20th and 21st Centuries) | Church of the Last Days |
Any match is so arbitrary as to be deemed irrelevant.
In this time of Pausing to Ponder, I want to investigate what would Jesus say (WWJS) to the other churches of the New Testament period mentioned in Scripture. To do that I will see what was said to them by way of Commendation and Complaint within the pages of Scripture. I will look in particular at Colossae, given the fact we have Paul’s letter to the Colossians. I will also see what I can turn up on the other churches of Asia Minor.
There are some other things I am pondering, not the least of which is the dichotomy between the Nicolaitans (Rule by the Priesthood) and Laodicea (Rule By the Laity). I suspect there is something significant in all this and would like to test it. That coupled with the fact that the true Christian Church of Christ grows the most and the fastest under persecution which appears to be the point of what emerges from History and what lies behind the introduction to these Seven Churches.
I am beginning to wonder why I ever attempted to Gem Revelation. How could I be so presumptuous? No-one can really have Revelation worked out. I would suggest reading Revelation Chapters 1 to 3 again in the light of what I have told you. It defies all attempts to categorise and tame it. Do some pondering of your own on the overall content of this Letter to the Seven Churches. Feel free to make comments and ask questions. I will pause the Gems while I dig into the things I have noted above. If nothing else read the comment to the middle church, Thyatira, again. It is curious to say the least. There is more to come on that one.
Pause and consider for a moment a Bible devoid of the Book of Revelation at the end. It would be missing the ending or the future.
Ian
Consider the fact that it is the only book of the Bible which promises a blessing for those who read the words of this prophecy and a curse on those who tamper with it.
David Pawson
Don’t lose sight of the fact this is a letter to all the churches listed among the Seven and to all other churches surrounding them in the Roman Province of Asia; it has even found its way to you on the edge of the earth in the 21st Century.
Ian
It is a pity it [Revelation] ever got into the New Testament.
Martin Luther
The only masterpiece of pure art in the New Testament. It is infinitely worthwhile to wrestle with until it gives its blessing and open its riches.
William Barclay
The Bible doesn’t need to be retranslated but it certainly needs to be reread.
Israel Bible Center
That is especially so when it comes to Revelation. My suggestion is to read the first three chapters of Revelation and ponder the things I have told you, or at least reread Thyatira again. Do they make sense; do you agree or disagree?
Ian
I know that this maybe a bit premature but the words ‘those that are faithful will rule nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.’ Not quite the job description that I was looking for. Seems a bit out of place at the end of the N/T.
Kevin
Thyatira may have been small and insignificant but isn’t that the point about size they were an example for others to emulate. The larger the town the more difficult to control whereas small as Thyatira was it was more manageable, and everyone knew each other and their character?