To the angel of the church in Thyatira, write this: “‘The Son of God, whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like polished brass, says this: 19 “I know your works, your love, faith, service, and endurance, and that your last works are greater than the first. 20 Yet I hold this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, who teaches and misleads my servants to play the harlot and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her harlotry. 22 So I will cast her on a sickbed and plunge those who commit adultery with her into intense suffering unless they repent of her works. 23 I will also put her children to death. Thus shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds and that I will give each of you what your works deserve. 24 But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not uphold this teaching and know nothing of the so-called deep secrets of Satan: on you I will place no further burden, 25 except that you must hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 “‘“To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations. 27 He will rule them with an iron rod. Like clay vessels will they be smashed, 28 just as I received authority from my Father. And to him I will give the morning star. 29 “‘“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
Thyatira, located along a trade route, was famous for its wool and dye industries and for trade guilds of bakers, dyers, tanners, potters, wool workers, linen workers, leather, bronze, and other crafts. Trade guilds were like modern-day trade unions and if you did not belong to a guild, it was difficult to find employment. Guild members would join in the feasts in pagan temples. Lydia was a dealer in purple cloth and was baptized by Paul after hearing Paul preach the Gospel (Acts 16:14-15).
He who is unchangeable, all-knowing, and all-seeing praises the Christian community at Thyatira for its acts of love, faith, service, endurance, and for greater works than they did when they were first converted. However, some of them are being led astray by a false prophet who is encouraging them to commit acts of sexual immorality and eat foods sacrificed to idols. Infidelity to the One God whose bride was Israel was called adultery in the OT. Jezebel was a Canaanite woman who married the Israelite King Ahab and promoted the worship of Baal (1 Kgs. 16:30-31) thus the reference to her as a harlot.
This evil teaching was tolerated by the believers in Thyatira. Instead of learning the deep things of God they are learning the secrets of Satan, the perverse teaching of the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:15). He who is unchangeable, all-knowing, and all-seeing warns them that Jezebel will be placed on a bed of torment and if they do not repent, they will suffer greatly. Her spiritual descendants will be put to death. No further obligation is placed upon the Christians who are faithful to the One True God. They are to persevere in faith so they can share in the Risen Christ’s authority over non-Christians (1 Cor. 6:2, 9) and have victory over death and be glorified (1 Cor. 15:40-44; Mt. 13:43)
Almighty God, we praise you and we adore you for you are God, the maker of all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible. You made all things good, and in your goodness, you prepared a way back for mankind after the fall. In your mercy, let your angels lead our souls to salvation so that we may share in the glory of the Risen Christ forever. This we pray through the same Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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