Scripture to Read: Revelation 2:21-23
Jesus closes out Revelation 2:19 with a final word of affirmation by telling the church in Thyatira that they have demonstrated an increasing fruitfulness in their love, faith, service, and perseverance. So, the church had not just been faithful in the past, but they continued to grow in all four areas. Again, God desires us to grow in our love, faith, service, and perseverance. But then in Revelation 2:20, our Lord Jesus Christ rebukes the church in Thyatira by saying, I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. So, the focal point of the corruption in the church of Thyatira was a woman Jesus called Jezebel. We are not sure if this was the literal name of a woman in the church or simply a title that represented a prophetess in the church whose lifestyle imitated that of Jezebel in the Old Testament. The Old Testament Jezebel (1 Kings 16-21 and 2 Kings 9:30-37) used her power to negatively influence the Jews into sexual immorality and gross idolatry by mixing their worship of God with their worship of the false god called Baal. Our Lord’s rebuke is that the believers in Thyatira tolerated this “Jezebel” in the church. This “Jezebel” called herself a prophetess. This was the worst kind of deception because she would have claimed God sent her. Jesus, in Matthew 24:11, warned of false prophets who would rise up and deceive many. We must be on constant guard against being misled by false teachers, no matter how convincing they might sound.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today through His rebuke of the church of Thyatira?
2. How are you making sure you are planting God’s Word in your heart so that you are not misled by false teachers?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!