In His message to the church at Thyatira, sent by letter through the aged apostle John, Jesus listed several excellent qualities He observed being demonstrated by His church.
19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first. Revelation 2:19 (NASB)
What more could a church want than to have their good works, faith, and service directly praised by the object of their worship, Jesus Christ, through whom the entire universe had been created?
Unfortunately, the church did not have much opportunity to celebrate this good news. A bigger problem was not only eclipsing these good attributes, but endangering their very existence as a church.
Jesus continued:
20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. Revelation 2:20 (NASB)
The problem here is that the church at Thyatira was allowing itself to slowly be seduced and corrupted by a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. An influential leader named Jezebel was directing believers away from the pure worship of the Lord to a devotion to other gods, and rejecting God’s directives to keep sexual relations morally pure and within the context of a faithful marriage and family.
Jesus always gave strong warning to anyone who was guilty of leading vulnerable believers astray. In the gospel of Mark, Jesus stated:
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him if a heavy millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea.” Mark 9:42 (NASB)
This harmful teacher and prophetess Jezebel had introduced the leaven of sin into the church, and it had spread to almost completely take hold of them. Thyatira’s Jezebel was named after an evil Queen in the Old Testament, one who had played a key role in the corruption and eventual demise of the entire Northern Kingdom of Israel. Their spiritual downfall led to a loss of divine protection by the Lord, whom they had repeatedly turned their backs upon and rejected. Then, after defeat by neighboring Assyria, the people of northern Israel were removed from their land and carried off into a cruel exile there.
Jesus was not going to permit this same thing to happen to His church at Thyatira, at least not without a good fight. His severe warning to this later-day Jezebel and her “children”, those who followed her, provided them with one last opportunity to repent to avoid a similar, severe judgment. But they would not turn from their sin, and consequences were near.
Jesus message to the churches continues:
21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. Revelation 2:20, 22-23 (NASB)
This latter-day Jezebel faced a bed of sickness, and followers who emulated her were also at great risk of entering tribulation. This was a direct judgment of God.
It is important to note here that severe illness in itself is very common, and usually not a divine judgment. It is a consequence of living in a fallen world. Many people, including great faithful servants of God, face a serious bed of sickness. Some recover, but many do not. We must only read the book of Job to see that the good will suffer along with the bad until Jesus returns to wipe away every tear and to reign over His eternal kingdom.
Any false teacher in a church who leads believers away from God and towards sexual immortality faces severe potential consequences for their sin. Those who are misled by them but choose to remain in that way, refusing repentance, leading others astray, must eventually face their own correction or tribulation, perhaps even “plagues” that might cost them their lives. God will choose the best remedy to preserve and sanctify those in the church who remain faithful to Him and who seek to turn away from a former lifestyle of sin. These are His precious jewels which He purchased and redeemed by His blood. We are all invited to enter into His redeemed family by faith. Won’t you do so today if you have not yet tasted and seen that the Lord is good.
Reflection
The Lord has made provision for the forgiveness of sin at the cross of Christ. His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead paid the penalty for the sin of all those who have placed their faith in Him.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)
We confess our sin and seek to turn away from it to follow Jesus, claiming the forgiveness and divine life that He provides. God will also help us to identify any false teachers in our life who are seeking to block the Light of Christ, so that we may turn away from their influence and towards the holiness of the Lord.
Father God, thank You for loving us so much that Jesus died on the cross to redeem us from our sin and grant us eternal salvation. Help us to follow Him so that we may serve You and each other in a faithful manner, with purity and holiness. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a blessed day in the Lord today!
Times and Seasons - The Book of Revelation FOR TODAY 