Revelation 2:18-29

4. Thyatira.

Vs. 18-29. Thyatira, the home of Lydia, Paul's first convert in Europe, still exists as a small city of perhaps twenty thousand inhabitants. It is supposed by some that Lydia may have carried the gospel to her native town; but of this there is no certainty. There was something to approve at Thyatira. "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first," 'Works' is mentioned first and last in the list, and the "last was more than the first." That is her last works were more and better than her first. Instead of retrograding from her first love and first works as Ephesus did, there was progress and commendable growth in Christian service.

But, "I have a few things against thee that woman Jezebel." Jezebel the wife of Ahab was bad in character and bad in influence seducing Israel to idolatry. This woman of Thyatira was called Jezebel for similarity of character and influence; that is, she was a second Jezebel. Pretending to be a prophetess or teacher, she was a bridge from the church to the temple of idols and the practices prevalent there. It is scarcely possible that the term indicates a collection of prophets, using the feminine for a plural.

The Alexandrine and Vatican manuscripts make "that woman" read, "thy wife." Whose wife? If this is the true reading, it would naturally imply the wife of the messenger or minister, the one to whom the message was addressed or by whom it was sent. It is quite possible, in the circumstances of mixed social life that the minister or messenger might have a heathen wife; and her influence in the church, with which she would necessarily come in contact, would seduce to idolatry and to the immorality associated with heathenism. "I gave her space to repent and she repented not." Therefore judgment is determined upon her, for an example to all the churches. But while the wicked shall meet their doom the faithful shall gain their reward.

The tutelary god of Thyatira was the sun-god represented by rays of light and feet of burnished brass. Accordingly Christ introduces himself as one "having eyes like unto a flame of fire, and feet like fine brass;" and promises to him that overcometh: " And I will give him the morning star."