The Elitist Church: Thyatira-Rev 2:18-29

Revelation 2:18-29; Key Verse: Rev 2:23,24

“I am he who searches hearts and minds…to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets.”

Brief recap and overview: Ephesus is a loveless church. Smyrna is a suffering church. Pergamum is a compromising church. Thyatira is an elitist church; they claimed that their Bible teaching was superior, for it had “so-called deep secrets”—the deep things of God, secret knowledge, spiritual mysteries and elite Bible studies which makes them superior to others.

Elitism is a sin that is not usually addressed in the church. But it is a sin. Elitism is the attitude of a group who regard themselves as the best in a particular society or category. Jesus’ disciples were perhaps elitist in regarding themselves as superior to others. When they saw others casting out demons in Jesus’ name, they tried to stop him because “he is not one of us” (Lk 9:49). When a Samaritan village did not welcome Jesus, the disciples James and John wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy them (Lk 9:54). The disciples were immature, competitive and tribal. Perhaps, on account of being Jesus’ hand picked disciples, they were elitist. Thus, Jesus rebuked them (Lk 9:55).

Elitism makes a person proud–like the devil. Elitism is rarely addressed in church, sermons or Bible study, because it is a “hidden” sin that easily slips or slides under our radar, so that we are not aware of it, especially if we have elitist attitudes ourselves. Some years ago, my daughter said to me, “I thought UBF is the best church in the world.” I was surprised. I thought to myself, “Where the heck did she get such an idea from?” Then I looked in the mirror. Without being consciously aware of it, I was an elitist Christian, and I promoted elitism, often without consciously realizing that I was doing so. But it is true. I regarded my church as the best church in the world. What’s wrong with that? It made me proud. It caused me to be insular, isolated, and inward-focused. I hated to hear any criticism about myself, my church, the way I taught the Bible, or the way I served God. Whenever I heard any critique about my church, I became very angry, reactive, defensive and offensive. My arrogant elitist attitude of superiority was, “If you don’t like the way I do church, you can always go to another church! No one is holding you here.” Elitism invariably results in a Christian who is not humble, gracious or Christ-like. This sermon can be considered in three parts:

1. Bad Effects of Elitism (Rev 2:18-23).

• It blinds us (Rev 2:18-19).
• It believes bad Bible teaching (Rev 2:20).
• It blocks repentance (Rev 2:21).
• It brings God’s punishment/judgment (Rev 2:22-23; Jer 17:10).

2. Breaking Elitism (Rev 2:24-25): By holding firmly to the gospel and to whole counsel of God (Ac 20:24, 27). 3. Blessings That Follow (Rev 2:26-29; Num 24:17).

Thyatira: Being loving with elitist Bible study. To the church in Ephesus, Jesus commends them for persevering in sound Bible teaching (Rev 2:2-3)–for 40 years. But Jesus rebukes them for losing their first love (Rev 2:4). The church in Thyatira has the opposite problem. Their love for others has increased over time. They were a growing church, not so much in terms of size, as in Christ-like qualities: love, faith, service, perseverance (Rev 2:19). Whereas Ephesus was backsliding, Thyatira was moving forward. But Jesus rebukes them for tolerating false elitist teaching that led to idolatry and immorality (Rev 2:20, 24). As Ephesus had good Bible study without love, Thyatira was loving more but with faulty and elitist Bible study.

Costly to confess Christ as Lord in Smyrna and Pergamum. Thyatira is unlike Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamum–large cities and important centers of commerce dominated by various forms of paganism/idolatry. Ephesus worshiped Diana. Smyrna and Pergamum were filed with pagan temples and were centers of emperor worship. Christians faced imprisonment and death at the hands of the Beast–the Satanically empowered Roman government–which forced Christians to confess “Caesar is Lord” (at the point of a sword)–which is to take the mark of the beast. Otherwise, they were not allowed to buy and sell in the commercial and cultural city life (Rev 13:7, 16-17). It truly cost Christians to confess that Christ is Lord and Caesar is not.

Smyrna suffered for being faithful unto death. Christians were slandered by secular Jews who worshiped YHWH, and confessed the divinity of Caesar in order to do business and participate in the cultural affairs of the city. The Christians in Smyrna were arrested and imprisoned, and lived in abject poverty. Even though Satan persecuted them to the point of death, Jesus promises to give them the crown of life (Rev 2:10).

Pergamum resisted Caesar but not idolatry and immorality. Like Smyrna, Pergamum Christians refused to abandon Christ and confess the divinity of Caesar, and Antipas, was put to death (Rev 2:13b). But the Christians in Pergamum faced another, more subtle enemy in addition to the persecution of the Beast. They were deceived by false teachers, the Nicolaitans, who seduced Christians into not denying Jesus as Lord but compromising with idolatry and immorality. Pergamum is regarded as the place Satan lives and establishes his throne (Rev 2:13a).

Christ with the double edged sword will fight against you or for you. For tolerating idolatry and immorality, Jesus threatens Pergamum with his double-edged sword of truth (Rev 2:12, 16). For those who overcome, Christ promises them hidden manna–the promise of fulfillment through Christ (Jn 6:35), a white stone of purity and righteousness through Christ, and one’s hidden new name (Rev 2:17), which is a transformed life (2 Cor 5:17).

The temptation to make peace with the world. Thyatira (Akhisar today) was an insignificant place compared with the wealth and status of the other three cities. Dennis Johnson says, “the longest and most difficult of the seven letters is addressed to the least known, least important, and least remarkable of the cities.” Yet what Jesus says to the Christians in Thyatira, he also says to us. The same temptation to accept faulty Bible teaching and becom elitist is the same temptation Christians and churches face everywhere.

Using the template and pattern for all 7 churches, an overview of the church in Thyatira may be:

1. The Church: Elitist (Rev 2:24).
2. The Christ: The Heart Searcher “whose eyes are like blazing fire” (Rev 2:18) and “who searches hearts and minds” (Rev 2:23; Jer 17:10).
3. The Commendation: Loving more now than before (Rev 2:19).
4. The Condemnation (Rebuke): Embracing false teaching regarding sexual immorality and idolatry (Rev 2:20, 24).
5. The Command: Hold on (Rev 2:25).
6. The Caution: Cast on a bed of suffering, strike her children dead (Rev 2:22-23).
7. The Consummation (Promise): Give authority over the nations; give the morning star (Rev 2:26-27).

I. Bad Effects of Elitism (Rev 2:18-23)

• It blinds us (Rev 2:18-19).
• It believes bad Bible teaching (Rev 2:20).
• It blocks repentance (Rev 2:21).
• It brings God’s punishment/judgment (Rev 2:22-23; Jer 17:10).

Eyes that see all; feet that pursue evil. “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze” (Rev 2:18). Why the reference to eyes of blazing fire and feet of burnished bronze? There was a thriving bronze industry in the city. Gazing into a bronze smelter and seeing the molten metal may allude to the glory of the risen Christ who is the Son of God. The image points to Christ’s transcendent glory and purifying power. The eyes indicate that Jesus sees all and the feet indicate that he will certainly and swiftly pursue all that is evil.

God preserves his people, even in the fire. A furnace with molten metal and eyes like blazing fire may allude to Daniel 3, when Daniel saw one who looked like a “son of the gods” walking in the blazing furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo. Even as Jesus preserved these three young Hebrew men in the midst of a Babylonian furnace, so too, will he preserve the Thyatirans in the midst of their troubles. Jesus knows full well how to preserve his people when they suffer persecution at the hands of God’s enemies.

I love your love, but… Jesus first commends them: “I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first” (Rev 219). They did what the Ephesian church did not. Through their self-evident deeds of love and mercy they manifested their faith in Jesus, which grew over time. The Ephesians needed to love as they did at first (Rev 2:5). But the Christians in Thyatira were loving more now than they did at first. For this, Jesus commends them. But a rebuke will now follow. It were as though Jesus were saying to this church, “I love your love, but hate your tolerance and elitism.”

Being loving, yet engaging in immorality and idolatry. “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols” (Rev 2:20). As in Pergamum, Jesus refers to an incident in the OT to inform this church about their sins. Jezebel, the princess of Sidon and wife of Ahab seduced the people of Israel into the Baal worship. “In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years. Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him” (1 Ki 16:29-33).

Leading Christians to idolatry. Jezebel is barely mentioned in 1 Kings with Ahab receiving all the blame. But 2 Ki 9:22, 30-37 says that Jezebel was the source of the “witchcraft and idolatry” present in Ahab’s family. Her fate is spelled out. She was killed when her servants threw her down from a window and her body was eaten by dogs. Even though she has been dead for 1,000 years, her spirit, as it were, found new life in a woman in Thyatira. The story of Jezebel is symbolic of what someone was teaching in Thyatira. (There are many speculations and interpretations from commentators as to who Jezebel is. The most likely interpretation is that she was a member of the church whose elitist Bible teaching was leading many into idolatry and immorality.) She was an influential Bible teacher who was leading Christ’s people into the arms of the Harlot (Rev 17:3-5), even as the original Jezebel deceived Israel into Baal worship. The name Jezebel has thus become proverbial for wickedness.

Satan’s subtle seduction. The Jezebel of Thyatira fancied herself as a prophetess–claiming to reveal the secret things of God. Likely, she encouraged the Thyatirans to participate in pagan idolatry, which was associated with the local trade guilds, and which involved sexual immorality and eating meat sacrificed to idols. If Satan cannot conquer Christ’s church through the power of the Beast (Rome), he does so through false teachings, depicted throughout Revelation as seduction by the harlot, whose end is depicted in Rev 18:9-11 when Babylon the Great is destroyed.

God’s kindness and patience spurned. In the midst of Jezebel’s grievous sin, Jesus graciously says “I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling” (Rev 2:21). This false teacher was warned about the consequences of her actions. God’s patience and kindness should produce not complacency but repentance (Rom 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9). Yet she will not repent. She still encourages Christians to compromise. Not only will Jezebel not repent, the Thyatiran church did not cast her out, or speak hard truth to her in love (Eph 4:15). Therefore, Christ warns this church that he will come to them in judgment.

Punishment for adulterers. Jesus declares, “So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead” (Rev 2:22). As the harlot’s fall would cast her lovers into grief (Rev 18:9-11), so Jezebel’s fall will entail tribulation for her paramours. Jesus not only threatens to bring sickness and suffering upon her, but he will also punish all who commit spiritual adultery with her as well. Just as the original Jezebel was cast from her window and killed, Jesus threatens to bring death upon this woman and all who continue to follow her after being warned.

God searches hearts and minds. Warnings and threats of temporal punishment is not uncommon in the NT. God struck Ananias and his wife Sapphira dead, because they lied to the Holy Spirit (Ac 5:1-11). In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul warned of God’s judgment on all who do not discern Christ’s body in the Lord’s Supper. In Thyatira there is the threat of temporal punishment for disobedient Christians who commit spiritual adultery. God does not do this because he is cruel or because he is a tyrant. He does it to protect the purity and sanctity of his church. Jesus says to the Thyatirans: “Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds” (Rev 2:23). This echoes God’s word to Jeremiah: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve” (Jer 17:10). God will do what it takes to prepare a spotless and radiant bride for his Son. He will protect the church by whatever means he deems appropriate, including severe warnings and punishment.

Elitism claims superior knowledge and deep secrets. Jesus says, “Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets” (Rev 2:24), or “the deep things of Satan” (ESV, HCSB). There are faithful people in this church who have not listened to this woman teaching “Satan’s so-called deep secrets.” This probably plays on the phrase the “deep things of God.” She probably claimed to reveal “secret knowledge” through her Bible teaching. Perhaps among the deep things taught in her Bible study was the insight that bodily behavior is spiritually insignificant. So they could participate in idolatrous feasts, and indulge their sensual excesses, with impunity. They need not refrain from immoral and idolatrous celebrations! She advocated an adultery that was sexual and spiritual. Her siren song sounds sweet, but in her chalice is the blood of Jesus’ witnesses (Rev 17:6). She was more dangerous to Christians that a military oppressor. Though claiming elitism and superiority through her Bible study–she was revealing the deep things of Satan that made people proud and led them astray.

II. Breaking Elitism (Rev 2:24-25)

Only hold on. But to those who reject her elitism, Jesus said two things: “I will not impose any other burden on you. Only hold on to what you have until I come” (Rev 2:24b-25). First, no other imposed burden suggests that nothing is to be added to the revelation given in Scripture. There is no secret knowledge or deeper hidden truth other than what is already in the Bible. Second, “hold on” or “take a firm grip on” suggests that it would not be easy. “What you have” is the sum total of what the Bible teaches, which is the gospel and the whole counsel of God (Ac 20:24, 27). When we “hold on” until Jesus comes at the end of the age, we find that his yoke is easy and his burden is light (Mt 11:28-30).

III. Blessings That Follow (Rev 2:26-29)

Those who overcome will rule with Christ. As in each of these letters, Jesus ends this letter with a promise: “To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations–`He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery’– just as I have received authority from my Father” (Rev 2:26-27; 19:15). Jesus’ victory over his enemies is final and decisive in the end. To those who persevere in the faith in this small tiny church, they are promised that Christ will share with them his final decisive victory. Just as Jesus rules over the nations, so too, all those who are his will reign with him. To Christians in this small town, who felt powerless before such deeply entrenched idolatry, they were encouraged with the promise that they will receive one of the greatest privileges of all–ruling with Christ.

The greatest treasure of all. Jesus gives them something even better. “I will also give him the morning star” (Rev 2:28). In Num 24:17, Balaam saw a star emerging from Jacob, one who would ride forth from Israel and crush the Moabites. This star pointed ahead to a warrior-king. Later in Revelation, Jesus says, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star” (Rev 22:16). Therefore, Jesus not only promises this compromising elitist church that they will reign with him, but that they will be given a deeper joy, the greatest treasure of all, himself. Indeed the ultimate reward of the Christian is to be with Jesus.

The truly and only elite One. There is one who is truly elite (Rev 2:1, 8, 12, 18). He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords (Rev 17:14; 19:16). Though he was “in very nature God, (yet he) did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing” (Phil 2:6-7). He is the one who truly is elite. Yet there was no hint of elitism about himself. He was inconspicuous, unassuming and incognito. It was as though he “unelited” or delisted or deleted himself voluntarily “by becoming obedient to death–even death on a cross” (Phil 2:8). He did so for us–in order to be our bright Morning Star. Do you long for the morning star more than for any elitist “deep secrets”?

Application. Jesus warns us not to tolerate elitist Bible teaching that claims to reveal superior or secret things of God. Elitism easily leads to compromise with idolatry, whether it is to get a job, or a desire to be accepted by peers, or becoming seduced by immorality. Breaking elitism requires that we preach the gospel to ourselves. Jesus, who alone possesses all authority, will crush his enemies and all who hate him and persecute his church. He also gives us nothing less than himself as the morning star. We need not be elitists with superior secret knowledge. “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev 2:29). Amen!

Elitism often slides under our radar and makes us feel superior to others. It blinds us, causes us to believe bad elitist Bible teaching, blocks repentance and brings God’s punishment. Overcoming elitism requires that we hold on to Jesus alone by preaching the gospel to ourselves regularly, until the delight of Christ exceeds our desire to be elitist. There is only one who is truly elite. But he never considered how elite he was, and became the most ordinary of all. When we behold the beauty of how ordinary the Elite One was, God transforms us to be like Him.

Questions:

1. How does elitism blind us (cf. Rev 2:18, 23)?
2. For what attributes did Jesus commend them (Rev 2:19)? How would God rate us in these areas (1 to 10)? How could we do better in our weakest area and our strongest area?
3. Who was “Jezebel” (1 Ki 16:31-33; 2 Ki 9:22)? What sins did Jezebel’s false teaching lead people into (Rev 2:20-21)?
4. How might elitism have caused them to believe this woman’s bad Bible teaching (Rev 2:20-22)? What would you do if your pastor (elder) started teaching things you knew were not congruent with the Bible? What did God threaten to do about Jezebel (Rev 2:22-23)? What did He do first (Rev 2:21)? What does this teach us about God?
5. What are “Satan’s so-called deep secrets” (Rev 2:24)? How might this promote elitism? What does it mean to “hold fast” (Rev 2:25)? Are your members holding fast? What can you do to ensure that each member perseveres until Jesus comes (Ac 20:24, 27)?
6. What does Rev 2:26-27 teach about what we will be doing in heaven? What does “I will give him the morning star” mean (Num 24:17; Rev 2:28; 22:16; 2 Pet 1:19)?

References:

1. Johnson, Dennis E. Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation. Pillipsburg: P&R Publishing Company. 2001.
2. Morris, Leon. Revelation (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries). Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press. 1987.
3. Sermons on the Book of Revelation. Kim Riddlebarger, Sr. Pastor, Christ Reformed Church. Anaheim.
4. The Letter to the Church at Thyatira (Rev 2:18-29). Sam Storms.