To the angel of Messiah’s community in Thyatira write: “Thus says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire and feet like polished bronze: I know your deeds and your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your last deeds are greater than the first.

 “But this I have against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess—yet she is teaching and deceiving My servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.  I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation—unless they repent of her doings. I will also strike her children with a deadly disease. Then all of Messiah’s communities will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you according to your deeds.

“But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to this teaching and have not learned the so-called ‘deep things’ of satan—I place on you no other burden. Only hold firm to what you have until I come. To the one who overcomes and guards My deeds until the end, ‘I will give him authority over the nations and he shall rule them with an iron rod as when clay pots are broken into pieces.’

Even as I have received from My Father, so I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Ruach is saying to Messiah's communities.” Revelation 2:18-29

The message begins, “Thus says the Son of God...” (v. 18). These words went straight to the heart of the pagan worship of the culture. Thyatira's chief diety was Tyrimnos, the son of Zeus (himself a diety). Another was the infant son of Domitian (a man who proclaimed himself “god” and deified his son following his child's early death). In Psalm 2, we read the prophetic royal Messianic decree in which God declares, “You are My Son—today I have become Your Father.” Let's establish who's the boss!

The message speaks the language of these hard-working people: “I know your deeds...” (v. 19), “I will give to each of you according to your deeds...” (v. 23), “To the one who overcomes and guards My deeds until the end...” (v. 26). It gives a nod to Jeremiah 17:10: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

The message closes with this promise to the overcomer: “I will give him authority over the nations” (v. 26). Again, this is a direct reference to Psalm 2 where the Lord says, “Ask of Me, and I will give the nations as your inheritance” (v. 8 ).

From beginning to end, this letter to Thyatira is clear in the message of Messiah Yeshua's supremecy as God of gods, Lord of lords.

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Community Reputation: The Tolerant Church

Correction Needed: Repent from tolerating sexual immorality

Promise Given: Overcomers who guard His deeds to the end will have authority over the nations

Marble remnants are scattered throughout the ruins found in the heart of Akhisar, the modern city of Thyatira.

Spiritual Inheritance

Persistence and patient endurance

to hold fast to God's truth