The Seven Churches of Revelation – Part 5 Thyatira – The Corrupt Church
Revelation 2:18-29 "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass: 19 "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works. 24 "Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 'HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON; THEY SHALL BE DASHED TO PIECES LIKE THE POTTER'S VESSELS'— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star. 29 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." '
Jesus sees what is happening in the Church better than anyone else. The Church IS Jesus body, and He is the great physician. In this hour, Jesus is releasing insight into the seven characteristic end-time Churches so that those with humble hearts will see where THEY need correction and repent. For the Church in Thyatira, Jesus is telling them that He sees where their loyalty really lies. Corruption has snuck into the Church, and many who know better are actually abiding the corruption because of political correctness. They know the word, what they lack is the fear of the Lord. This is foolishness, what God wants is the fear of the Lord…not for His sake, but for OUR sake:
Proverbs 14:26-27 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life because it is what makes a community of God’s people safe! Thyatira feared offending people more than they feared offending God! The Church at Thyatira, though they knew something wasn’t right in their midst, feared upsetting the leaders who were in error and the people who liked them. Because they are unwilling to rock the boat, those who knew the truth in the church were actually witnessing the falling away of Jesus’ body in their midst. Jesus is NOT ok with this! We are supposed to contend for the truth:
Jude 1:3-5 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Jude’s warning to Church agrees with Jesus’ warning to Thyatira: it is not ok to let error go in the Church…it actually reveals the quality of YOUR OWN LOYALTY. Those who know the word and are loyal to Jesus MUST stand in love and speak truth to authority no matter the personal cost.
This is one of the most pressing issues for the Spirit-filled Church in our day. A quick perusal of the most popular prophecy sites will quickly reveal to anyone who understands Jesus’ end time plan that MANY false prophets are operating in our midst both nationally, and locally. Any prophet or teacher who gives comfort to keep Jesus’ leadership at arm’s length, teaching the Church that Jesus’ highest priority is for people to just “blend in” with the world and somehow the masses will get saved, is watering down the truth of the gospel. Many will fall for this error because it appeals to the flesh. False grace sounds good because it agrees with our natural desires for comfort and popularity that each of us must deal with. We must all deal with the truth of SELF DENIAL being the main response of accepting the gospel. Many want the gospel without self denial. The problem is, your self is dying…and if you hang onto it, you are dying too.
There is only one gate and one way. Anyone who teaches differently is a FALSE prophet or teacher:
Matthew 7:13-15 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
The gate is narrow and the way is hard…on purpose! But many will teach otherwise. They will teach that you can have Jesus and hang on to your life too, like the world gets life! That is a straight up lie, but a VERY popular one. Who doesn’t want all the benefits of Jesus’ presence without the narrowness of His leadership? There is only ONE gospel, and this is the central tenant of Jesus’ good news:
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Anything less than this is a false gospel. There are MANY false gospels in the world right now. Again, according to Jesus’ exam of the end time church, 5 out of 7 of the churches…71 percent…will fall away if they don’t repent and get serious about His return. There is a very specific way disciples of Jesus are supposed to live in the world. We see it most clearly in Acts 5, which is actually the model for the Bride in the end times. The way we are supposed to live is an answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17:
John 17:15-18 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
Jesus prayed that we would be in the world, but not of it. Living here on earth, but sticking out like a sore thumb…even embarrassingly…because we were so different from the world. That is how Jesus rolled…sanctified…which means “set apart”…. Jesus loved the world, but he did not act like the world. He was like salt in many wounded hearts. This was designed to SAVE people. Jesus prayed His Bride would be like Him…not taken out of the world, but protected through the persecution that marks everyone living in a way that leaves them sticking out like a sore thumb in a world that is dying because it is chasing after darkness. In fact, persecution for this Jesus lifestyle is the pinnacle of the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are markers on the trail of the narrow road. When you get to this point in the narrow road, you are breathing rare air…because you are actually the living answer to Jesus’ prayer! You are sharing in His life!
Matthew 5:11-13 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
For a brief moment in Jerusalem, described in Acts 5, the Bride was functioning in unity and holiness…living answers to Jesus’ prayer. What resulted was the exaltation of the name of Jesus, because the fear of His name…the fear of the Lord…was touching the whole city. This resulted in the glory of Jesus…the very same power He walked in…being manifest in HIS reflection in His Brides face. They healed like he healed, prophesied like He prophesied, cast out demons like He did, and saved the lost like He did. THIS resulted in persecution, just as Jesus promised, not from unbelievers, but from religious leaders who were desperately trying to hang onto their own jobs as being representatives for God without giving in to God’s leadership! Why did those religious leaders take the job in the first place? Because they loved the praises of men. They liked the distinction of being the holy “leaders”…not submitted servants. They resisted the Bride that was walking in truth and POWER because the world saw truth in them and not in the old leaders.
In Acts 5 we see that the Bride was so united in agreement with God through the Holy Spirit that lying to the Bride was the same as lying directly to God. Heaven enforced this truth and Ananias and Sapphira found this out the hard way and died on the spot when they lied to Peter and his friends. Peter and the other servants of Jesus contended earnestly by calling out falsehood in the congregation and God backed them up in POWER. This demonstration of God’s agreement with the Bride released the fear of the Lord in a tangible way both in, and out of, the Church. THIS protected the Church in a very hostile environment, which Jerusalem was at the time. The fear of the Lord became a fountain of life for the early church:
Acts 5:11-16 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. 12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Thyatira’s problem, according to Jesus, is that they didn’t believe God was more powerful than the people around them, whose opinions they feared. They didn’t fear the Lord more than the people claiming to represent Him, and what resulted was the exact OPPOSITE of a fountain of life. They were promised death. Instead of building a Church that would be protected by the power of God manifest in holiness and unity…they were eroding the foundation of the Church by doing nothing as satan attacked from underground. The waves of error were washing away the very rock that would keep them safe in the storm…a storm is coming, and to endure it, you need to contend for HOLINESS:
Matthew 7:21-28 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' 24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,
A STORM IS COMING. If you watch the news and know the Bible at all, you should be able to plainly see the storm is already lashing the shore with waves. Let’s look at the four-fold pattern of how Jesus addressed Thyatira to see what WE need to do to batten down the hatches in a way that agrees with God and produces a fountain of life in OUR midst. The antichrist armies will come, but they will not overcome places that live like Acts 5:
1. Jesus addresses the church at Thyatira as the “Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass.”
Jesus’ eyes like fire describe the intensity of His gaze. He both sees everything Thyatira is doing, and DESIRES all of their heart. Jesus desires wholehearted love from Thyatira and He sees the areas that they are compromising. They are thinking “Jezebel is popular, she isn’t really hurting anyone with her compromised thoughts, and no one else is saying anything. Who am I to make a big deal about it? Nobody is perfect!” WRONG! Jesus is telling Thyatira HE SEES the compromise, and that compromise will hurt EVERYONE. He expects those who see like He does to STAND like He does…with feet like burnished brass. Feet like burnished brass is describing “feet of fire.” This is judgment. Jesus is describing himself as one who judges truth from error. He expects those who see like Him to stand like Him. To not judge what is right or wrong within the fellowship of believers is to actually rebel against God and harm the entire body:
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "PUT AWAY FROM YOURSELVES THE EVIL PERSON."
In Corinth, Paul addresses the same false grace that Thyatira is dealing with. Rather than address the error before Paul corrected them, Corinth was celebrating how “free” they were. Their freedom…called glorying…was actually celebrating the bondage demons were enjoying by keeping them “politically correct.” Only a couple of people were involved in the obscene sin, but the entire Church in Corinth stood corrected, because they refused to properly address the licentiousness. Paul said it isn’t just sexual sin that is the problem…it is taking the grace of God in vain in any area… the sexually immoral, or covetous (wanting the things of the world more than the things of the kingdom), or an idolater (worshiping life here rather than contending for real life when Jesus comes back), or a reviler (talking bad about those who are wholehearted), or a drunkard, or an extortioner (those who trade power or safety for loyalty to themselves). False grace is the problem, because it makes those who are salty bland…and the whole lump becomes good for nothing but increasing corruption in an ever expanding circle of friends. The difference between Christians and non-Christians becomes so unnoticable that no one gets saved and everyone thinks they ARE saved. This is tragedy when trouble comes.
2. 19 "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
Thyatira looks from the outside like a VERY successful church. They are feeding the poor and seeking out the lost. They LOVE Jesus. They sincerely are in love with the Son of God. They believe in the power of the name of Jesus…they have remarkable faith. They have patience. They are in this for the long haul. They are even GROWING in doing more and more to impact their city. Jesus loves all these aspects of who Thyatira are…but He says that this is not enough to make it through the tribulation. Jesus warns them that if they don’t repent, He is sending trouble in advance of the tribulation to get them to change course. He loves them too much to not judge them:
3. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
This is a very sobering warning. MOST of the Church at Thyatira did not even subscribe to the false teaching of this one who held herself up as a leader. BUT, they TOLERATED her, which Jesus says is an error that will lead to the death of many. This was very unpleasing to the Lord.
The amazing patience of God is on display here…because He had given the false prophet much time to repent. The people in the church assumed God must not mind the false teaching too much, because the teacher seemed to stay in power…what they didn’t understand was that the Lord was waiting on THEM to do something about it. He was testing THEIR loyalty to Him….and they were failing…big time. Jesus promised that what would result was the death of THEIR own children. Jesus said this would be an example to the other churches that His warnings were not just hot air. Jesus doesn’t teach stuff the Church doesn’t need to hear. His warnings REALLY matter to keep the Bride in endurance through the tribulation. There is a judgment for the false teacher, but an even worse judgment for the church that tolerated her. Jezebel would be thrown into sickness, but the church would be vulnerable to the Great Tribulation...if you understand what this means, then you understand how terrifying this judgment is. The great tribulation will be the worst time the earth has ever seen:
Matthew 24:15-22 "Therefore when you see the 'ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
Sorting out the issues of the Seven Churches now, while there is time, is essential to be kept safe through the hour of testing which must come upon the whole earth. Only one church, Philadelphia, was held up by Jesus as “safe.” If Thyatira will humble herself, repent, and do the hard work of holding her leaders accountable, she will move closer into agreement with Philadelphia and Jesus’ prayer in John 17…she will actually begin being the living answer to Jesus’ prayer while there is still time for her sanctification to protect her! Remember Acts 5…unity and holiness release power that instills the fear of the Lord IN and OUT OF the Church. This is one of the main ways Jesus will protect the end time Church from the persecution of the antichrist. To erode holiness is to actually erode SAFTEY. Our sanctification doesn’t benefit God, it benefits us! Listen to the reward Jesus promises Thyatira if those who know the truth will simply contend for the truth:
4. 24 "Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 'HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON; THEY SHALL BE DASHED TO PIECES LIKE THE POTTER'S VESSELS'— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.
The burden of holding leaders accountable for those who don’t hold Jezebel’s doctrine is still a burden…they must contend for the truth, but Jesus is saying this is all they lack. If they will choose to fear His opinion more than those who like the “freedom” Jezebel is selling, they WILL overcome the tribulation and will have shown themselves faithful to judge not just those in their own fellowship in Thyatira, but the NATIONS…forever. They will have shown themselves worthy to be a integral part of Jesus’ government over creation forever! They will be the ones sent out to the nations during the millennial reign of Jesus…the 1,000-year “extreme earth makeover” that will return the earth back to the Garden of Eden day by day as the nations are discipled into the saving and living knowledge of Jesus. Overcoming the false prophets in their midst…speaking truth in love…is what will give Thyatira a testimony to overcome sin globally in the age to come. We overcome by the Blood of the Lamb AND the word of our testimony.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
The second reward promised to Thyatira for overcoming compromise is even greater. Jesus promises them the “morning star.” The morning star IS Jesus!
Revelation 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
What Jesus is saying is that if Thyatira will stand like He stands, if they will desire Him more than the approval of the people, He will give them MORE of HIM! He will give them greater eyes of fire…to see more of Him…to know Him more. Everyone gets what they want in the end, and if God’s people will put on the fear of the Lord, making His voice the sole voice to obey, what they will find is that His voice will grow stronger and stronger…giving them more and more insight into who He is, what He loves, and HOW he loves them. This is perfect love that casts out all fear…but He will only give it to those that choose it by casting off every other lover and living faithful and true to the author of love:
1 John 4:17-18 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Jesus sees what is happening in the Church better than anyone else. The Church IS Jesus body, and He is the great physician. In this hour, Jesus is releasing insight into the seven characteristic end-time Churches so that those with humble hearts will see where THEY need correction and repent. For the Church in Thyatira, Jesus is telling them that He sees where their loyalty really lies. Corruption has snuck into the Church, and many who know better are actually abiding the corruption because of political correctness. They know the word, what they lack is the fear of the Lord. This is foolishness, what God wants is the fear of the Lord…not for His sake, but for OUR sake:
Proverbs 14:26-27 In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge. 27 The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, To turn one away from the snares of death.
The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life because it is what makes a community of God’s people safe! Thyatira feared offending people more than they feared offending God! The Church at Thyatira, though they knew something wasn’t right in their midst, feared upsetting the leaders who were in error and the people who liked them. Because they are unwilling to rock the boat, those who knew the truth in the church were actually witnessing the falling away of Jesus’ body in their midst. Jesus is NOT ok with this! We are supposed to contend for the truth:
Jude 1:3-5 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.
Jude’s warning to Church agrees with Jesus’ warning to Thyatira: it is not ok to let error go in the Church…it actually reveals the quality of YOUR OWN LOYALTY. Those who know the word and are loyal to Jesus MUST stand in love and speak truth to authority no matter the personal cost.
This is one of the most pressing issues for the Spirit-filled Church in our day. A quick perusal of the most popular prophecy sites will quickly reveal to anyone who understands Jesus’ end time plan that MANY false prophets are operating in our midst both nationally, and locally. Any prophet or teacher who gives comfort to keep Jesus’ leadership at arm’s length, teaching the Church that Jesus’ highest priority is for people to just “blend in” with the world and somehow the masses will get saved, is watering down the truth of the gospel. Many will fall for this error because it appeals to the flesh. False grace sounds good because it agrees with our natural desires for comfort and popularity that each of us must deal with. We must all deal with the truth of SELF DENIAL being the main response of accepting the gospel. Many want the gospel without self denial. The problem is, your self is dying…and if you hang onto it, you are dying too.
There is only one gate and one way. Anyone who teaches differently is a FALSE prophet or teacher:
Matthew 7:13-15 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
The gate is narrow and the way is hard…on purpose! But many will teach otherwise. They will teach that you can have Jesus and hang on to your life too, like the world gets life! That is a straight up lie, but a VERY popular one. Who doesn’t want all the benefits of Jesus’ presence without the narrowness of His leadership? There is only ONE gospel, and this is the central tenant of Jesus’ good news:
Matthew 16:24-26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Anything less than this is a false gospel. There are MANY false gospels in the world right now. Again, according to Jesus’ exam of the end time church, 5 out of 7 of the churches…71 percent…will fall away if they don’t repent and get serious about His return. There is a very specific way disciples of Jesus are supposed to live in the world. We see it most clearly in Acts 5, which is actually the model for the Bride in the end times. The way we are supposed to live is an answer to Jesus’ prayer in John 17:
John 17:15-18 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.
Jesus prayed that we would be in the world, but not of it. Living here on earth, but sticking out like a sore thumb…even embarrassingly…because we were so different from the world. That is how Jesus rolled…sanctified…which means “set apart”…. Jesus loved the world, but he did not act like the world. He was like salt in many wounded hearts. This was designed to SAVE people. Jesus prayed His Bride would be like Him…not taken out of the world, but protected through the persecution that marks everyone living in a way that leaves them sticking out like a sore thumb in a world that is dying because it is chasing after darkness. In fact, persecution for this Jesus lifestyle is the pinnacle of the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are markers on the trail of the narrow road. When you get to this point in the narrow road, you are breathing rare air…because you are actually the living answer to Jesus’ prayer! You are sharing in His life!
Matthew 5:11-13 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
For a brief moment in Jerusalem, described in Acts 5, the Bride was functioning in unity and holiness…living answers to Jesus’ prayer. What resulted was the exaltation of the name of Jesus, because the fear of His name…the fear of the Lord…was touching the whole city. This resulted in the glory of Jesus…the very same power He walked in…being manifest in HIS reflection in His Brides face. They healed like he healed, prophesied like He prophesied, cast out demons like He did, and saved the lost like He did. THIS resulted in persecution, just as Jesus promised, not from unbelievers, but from religious leaders who were desperately trying to hang onto their own jobs as being representatives for God without giving in to God’s leadership! Why did those religious leaders take the job in the first place? Because they loved the praises of men. They liked the distinction of being the holy “leaders”…not submitted servants. They resisted the Bride that was walking in truth and POWER because the world saw truth in them and not in the old leaders.
In Acts 5 we see that the Bride was so united in agreement with God through the Holy Spirit that lying to the Bride was the same as lying directly to God. Heaven enforced this truth and Ananias and Sapphira found this out the hard way and died on the spot when they lied to Peter and his friends. Peter and the other servants of Jesus contended earnestly by calling out falsehood in the congregation and God backed them up in POWER. This demonstration of God’s agreement with the Bride released the fear of the Lord in a tangible way both in, and out of, the Church. THIS protected the Church in a very hostile environment, which Jerusalem was at the time. The fear of the Lord became a fountain of life for the early church:
Acts 5:11-16 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. 12 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. 13 Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. 14 And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, 15 so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them. 16 Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.
Thyatira’s problem, according to Jesus, is that they didn’t believe God was more powerful than the people around them, whose opinions they feared. They didn’t fear the Lord more than the people claiming to represent Him, and what resulted was the exact OPPOSITE of a fountain of life. They were promised death. Instead of building a Church that would be protected by the power of God manifest in holiness and unity…they were eroding the foundation of the Church by doing nothing as satan attacked from underground. The waves of error were washing away the very rock that would keep them safe in the storm…a storm is coming, and to endure it, you need to contend for HOLINESS:
Matthew 7:21-28 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' 24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,
A STORM IS COMING. If you watch the news and know the Bible at all, you should be able to plainly see the storm is already lashing the shore with waves. Let’s look at the four-fold pattern of how Jesus addressed Thyatira to see what WE need to do to batten down the hatches in a way that agrees with God and produces a fountain of life in OUR midst. The antichrist armies will come, but they will not overcome places that live like Acts 5:
1. Jesus addresses the church at Thyatira as the “Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass.”
Jesus’ eyes like fire describe the intensity of His gaze. He both sees everything Thyatira is doing, and DESIRES all of their heart. Jesus desires wholehearted love from Thyatira and He sees the areas that they are compromising. They are thinking “Jezebel is popular, she isn’t really hurting anyone with her compromised thoughts, and no one else is saying anything. Who am I to make a big deal about it? Nobody is perfect!” WRONG! Jesus is telling Thyatira HE SEES the compromise, and that compromise will hurt EVERYONE. He expects those who see like He does to STAND like He does…with feet like burnished brass. Feet like burnished brass is describing “feet of fire.” This is judgment. Jesus is describing himself as one who judges truth from error. He expects those who see like Him to stand like Him. To not judge what is right or wrong within the fellowship of believers is to actually rebel against God and harm the entire body:
1 Corinthians 5:1-13 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. 3 For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person. 12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "PUT AWAY FROM YOURSELVES THE EVIL PERSON."
In Corinth, Paul addresses the same false grace that Thyatira is dealing with. Rather than address the error before Paul corrected them, Corinth was celebrating how “free” they were. Their freedom…called glorying…was actually celebrating the bondage demons were enjoying by keeping them “politically correct.” Only a couple of people were involved in the obscene sin, but the entire Church in Corinth stood corrected, because they refused to properly address the licentiousness. Paul said it isn’t just sexual sin that is the problem…it is taking the grace of God in vain in any area… the sexually immoral, or covetous (wanting the things of the world more than the things of the kingdom), or an idolater (worshiping life here rather than contending for real life when Jesus comes back), or a reviler (talking bad about those who are wholehearted), or a drunkard, or an extortioner (those who trade power or safety for loyalty to themselves). False grace is the problem, because it makes those who are salty bland…and the whole lump becomes good for nothing but increasing corruption in an ever expanding circle of friends. The difference between Christians and non-Christians becomes so unnoticable that no one gets saved and everyone thinks they ARE saved. This is tragedy when trouble comes.
2. 19 "I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
Thyatira looks from the outside like a VERY successful church. They are feeding the poor and seeking out the lost. They LOVE Jesus. They sincerely are in love with the Son of God. They believe in the power of the name of Jesus…they have remarkable faith. They have patience. They are in this for the long haul. They are even GROWING in doing more and more to impact their city. Jesus loves all these aspects of who Thyatira are…but He says that this is not enough to make it through the tribulation. Jesus warns them that if they don’t repent, He is sending trouble in advance of the tribulation to get them to change course. He loves them too much to not judge them:
3. Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. 22 Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. 23 I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.
This is a very sobering warning. MOST of the Church at Thyatira did not even subscribe to the false teaching of this one who held herself up as a leader. BUT, they TOLERATED her, which Jesus says is an error that will lead to the death of many. This was very unpleasing to the Lord.
The amazing patience of God is on display here…because He had given the false prophet much time to repent. The people in the church assumed God must not mind the false teaching too much, because the teacher seemed to stay in power…what they didn’t understand was that the Lord was waiting on THEM to do something about it. He was testing THEIR loyalty to Him….and they were failing…big time. Jesus promised that what would result was the death of THEIR own children. Jesus said this would be an example to the other churches that His warnings were not just hot air. Jesus doesn’t teach stuff the Church doesn’t need to hear. His warnings REALLY matter to keep the Bride in endurance through the tribulation. There is a judgment for the false teacher, but an even worse judgment for the church that tolerated her. Jezebel would be thrown into sickness, but the church would be vulnerable to the Great Tribulation...if you understand what this means, then you understand how terrifying this judgment is. The great tribulation will be the worst time the earth has ever seen:
Matthew 24:15-22 "Therefore when you see the 'ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
Sorting out the issues of the Seven Churches now, while there is time, is essential to be kept safe through the hour of testing which must come upon the whole earth. Only one church, Philadelphia, was held up by Jesus as “safe.” If Thyatira will humble herself, repent, and do the hard work of holding her leaders accountable, she will move closer into agreement with Philadelphia and Jesus’ prayer in John 17…she will actually begin being the living answer to Jesus’ prayer while there is still time for her sanctification to protect her! Remember Acts 5…unity and holiness release power that instills the fear of the Lord IN and OUT OF the Church. This is one of the main ways Jesus will protect the end time Church from the persecution of the antichrist. To erode holiness is to actually erode SAFTEY. Our sanctification doesn’t benefit God, it benefits us! Listen to the reward Jesus promises Thyatira if those who know the truth will simply contend for the truth:
4. 24 "Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. 25 But hold fast what you have till I come. 26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations— 27 'HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON; THEY SHALL BE DASHED TO PIECES LIKE THE POTTER'S VESSELS'— as I also have received from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.
The burden of holding leaders accountable for those who don’t hold Jezebel’s doctrine is still a burden…they must contend for the truth, but Jesus is saying this is all they lack. If they will choose to fear His opinion more than those who like the “freedom” Jezebel is selling, they WILL overcome the tribulation and will have shown themselves faithful to judge not just those in their own fellowship in Thyatira, but the NATIONS…forever. They will have shown themselves worthy to be a integral part of Jesus’ government over creation forever! They will be the ones sent out to the nations during the millennial reign of Jesus…the 1,000-year “extreme earth makeover” that will return the earth back to the Garden of Eden day by day as the nations are discipled into the saving and living knowledge of Jesus. Overcoming the false prophets in their midst…speaking truth in love…is what will give Thyatira a testimony to overcome sin globally in the age to come. We overcome by the Blood of the Lamb AND the word of our testimony.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
The second reward promised to Thyatira for overcoming compromise is even greater. Jesus promises them the “morning star.” The morning star IS Jesus!
Revelation 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star."
What Jesus is saying is that if Thyatira will stand like He stands, if they will desire Him more than the approval of the people, He will give them MORE of HIM! He will give them greater eyes of fire…to see more of Him…to know Him more. Everyone gets what they want in the end, and if God’s people will put on the fear of the Lord, making His voice the sole voice to obey, what they will find is that His voice will grow stronger and stronger…giving them more and more insight into who He is, what He loves, and HOW he loves them. This is perfect love that casts out all fear…but He will only give it to those that choose it by casting off every other lover and living faithful and true to the author of love:
1 John 4:17-18 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
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