When Tolerance Becomes Diabolical
sermon reflection: the church of thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29
This is the second of two sermon reflections for Sunday October 25th. This essay reflects on the fourth sermon in my local church’s Book of Revelation sermon series.
If you appreciate these sermon reflections or any of my writing, please feel free to drop a tip in the tip jar, aka Buy Me a Coffee! Much appreciated.
Image: via Christianity[dot]com
The Message to Thyatira
18 ‘And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze:
19 ‘I know your works—your love, faith, service, and patient endurance. I know that your last works are greater than the first. 20 But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practise fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her fornication. 22 Beware, I am throwing her on a bed, and those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress, unless they repent of her doings; 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each of you as your works deserve. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call “the deep things of Satan”, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden; 25 only hold fast to what you have until I come. 26 To everyone who conquers and continues to do my works to the end,
I will give authority over the nations;
27 to rule them with an iron rod,
as when clay pots are shattered—
28 even as I also received authority from my Father. To the one who conquers I will also give the morning star. 29 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
All seven of the Revelation churches are located in Asia Minor, more commonly known as Turkey. The fourth of the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation, Thyatira, (modern day Akhisar), sits between Pergamum (modern day Bergama) and Sardis. We don’t know a whole lot about the church of Thyatira, however, we do see reference made to Thyatira in the book of Acts. Paul met Lydia, a seller of purple fabrics from Thyatira, outside Philippi and she converted to Christianity. It’s unknown if Lydia returned to Thyatira to help found the church there, however, if you read the passage in Acts, it seems she became an important figure in the church of Thyatira. It’s believed that Thyatira could have served as a satellite church to the church Paul founded in Ephesus.
image via Leon Maudlin
Acts 16:14-15 :: 14 A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15 When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.
So, we know that Thyatira had a reputation as a manufacturing and trading hub. In particular Thyatira had a lucrative dye industry. The city also had numerous powerful guilds which proved integral to the local economy. A businessman or craftsman had to join a guild in order to survive economically and socially. However, guilds often had an association with a patron deity, and members had to participate in wine libation, they had to eat idol-consecrated meat at guild feasts, and they had to participate in orgies of drunkenness and fornication. Those who refused didn’t get any business and faced trouble finding work. Yes, reader, cancel culture existed in ancient biblical times. The dilemma facing Christians became join the guild and compromise their faith life, or don’t join the guild and lose social opportunities and suffer economic losses. The Greek son-god and sun-god Apollo inspired an influential cult in Thyatira, and it had a close connection to the cult of Caesar, which saw Caesar as an earthly manifestation of Apollo.
The angel mentioned in verse 18 doesn’t mean a heavenly angel or a messenger of G-d. Instead, it refers to the messenger of the church of Thyatira. The Greek work, ἀγγέλῳ, can mean messenger. Verse 20 corroborates this interpretation—the Jezebel reference points to a celebrity figure in Thyatira who taught and promoted idol worship with the cult of Apollo. The author of Revelation, John the Theologian, clearly likens the “ prophetess” of Thyatira to Queen Jezebel from the scriptures, who urged Israel to seek visible help instead of trust in G-d. The “Jezebel” of Thyatira convinced Christians that they could and should compromise and tolerate the idolatrous culture of Thyatira. This leads us to a quote attributed to Eugene Peterson. Who will be the lord of my life? Live in the world not of the world. The reference in verse 18 to the Son of G-d having eyes of fire harkens to Daniel 10:6, in which Daniel, (a Jewish noble held captive for 70 years by the king of Babylon), sees a vision of an angel from G-d, who has fiery eyes and tells Daniel about spiritual warfare that will drive events in the future.
What wisdom can we derive from John the Theologian in his Message to Thyatira? The letter provides Christians with a three-pronged approach to spiritual direction from Jesus, as shown to John in a vision.1
Revealing the truth of reality
Rebuking and communicating consequences
Promise of Hope
Revealing the Truth. First of all, the message to the church of Thyatira reveals the truth of societal reality confronting Christians in Thyatira. They face a lot of pressure and threat of cancellation from the idolatrous society of the day. They choose between must compromising and tolerating the sinful culture, or facing social isolation and economic ruin. Some of my readers and most of my friends know about this, because anyone who refuses to bow down and worship the cult of Wokifada and/or the cult of identity gets instantly cancelled and faces economic ruin and social persecution. The Jesus Way teaches us not to judge anyone, only to know what’s the right course of action to choose in our faithfulness to G-d. How many readers can relate to this scenario that the Christians of Thyatira faced? I don’t know anyone, whatever the religion, whatever the thoughts about G-d, who doesn’t feel the pressure to accommodate the cult of Woko Haram and the Gender identity ideology god. 2SLGBTQIA+ owned businesses represent 12 billion dollars, that’s 1% of Canada’s gross corporate revenue, according to TMU. contributed by government. The Canadian government itself reports that it has poured $250 million into 2SLGBTQIA+ programs and projects since 2016.
In his message to the church of Thyatira, (delivered through John the Theologian), Jesus says look at Me and not cultural ideology and politics. Reader, what is the Lord of your life? We become what we worship. We become the unhealthy and untrue things which we compromise to accept. Why do so many around us accept obvious lies? Why do so many feast on idol-consecrated meals? I think of government funding for news media outlets as an idol-consecrated feast offered to hungry entities. Outlets who receive funding from the corrupt evil Liberal regime have lost the ability to call themselves purveyors of journalism with integrity. They become propagandists at the service of the state, similar to Thyatiran Christians partaking in guild feasts of idol-consecrated meat.
What does Paul tell the Roman in his epistle?
Romans 12:1-2 :: I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Rebuke and Consequences. In verses 22 and 24 Jesus tell the Thyratirans some strong words of rebuke. Casting the Jezebel messenger of Thyatira on a bed of suffering, imposing intense suffering on all those who follow her, those who compromise their faith in Jesus in order to tolerate the Jezebel’s idolatrous teachings. He reminds them that He searches their hearts and minds and metes out consequences according to their actions and behaviour. So, whilst men may know only our works and not our heart’s desire or our intentions, G-d does know— He never sleeps and He sees all. We cannot hide our idolatrous compromises from Him. Reader, the compromise to tolerate sin and idolatry and lies beckons and we must resist.
Image: The Death of Jezebel The Death of Jezebel, engraving by Gustave Doré
In verse 24 the deep things of Satan refers to the hidden qualities of malevolent deception. It refers to counterfeit wisdom, to seduction into sin—for which Christians require the gifts of discernment and patience. It’s worth remembering that terms like death and wrath refer to the reality that choosing sin leads us away from Jesus. The light of G-d cannot coexist with the dark of the Adversary aka Satan. Sin pays those who choose with the wages of death. Choosing sin means choosing suffering and death because we turn away from G-d. Note this requires nuance, it’s not theodicy, wrath refers to the unfortunate consequences of our poor and sinful choices. Free Will means we choose the consequences of our free choices. Jesus urges the Christians of Thyatira to turn toward Truth, to relinquish their old worldly ways, and to follow the Jesus Way. We each have a choice in life: following the pattern of the world versus following the Jesus Way.
Promise of Hope. Again, we see the use of strong language in verses 26, 27, and 28. Jesus gives a promise of hope to his faithful followers in line 27, when he likens their faithfulness and righteous to an iron sceptre, and describes as shattered pottery those who followed the false prophet and succumbed to the pressure to accept sinful culture. Anyone who follows the Jesus Way has conquered the world already. Jesus calls all who choose the narrow path of the Jesus Way to hold out, to cleave to faith in Jesus as they weather the storms of the temptation and sinful debauchery. Those who walk the Jesus Way cannot put the Word and work of G-d into the services of any arbitrarily chosen worldly institution or kingdom. Reader, remember 1 Peter 2:9? “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvellous light…” This reminds us that, through our faith in and obedience to G-d, we belong to him, that our steadfastness to Jesus calls us out of the darkness into a glorious light. Reader, remember, this is not the end, G-d is with us.
Historic Example to Inspire and Teach
We can apply the concepts of Thyatira in an examination of a notable historical example of Christians fighting institutional tolerance of sin in 1934. Christians Against Nazis, consisted of a group of Christians who opposed (Nazi) German Christianity after the fascist2 Nazi Party took power in Germany and sought to co-ordinate every area of public life with the Nazi party, including churches. Christians faced some tough questions about the church and Christianity — what does the church stand for? What does it mean to live a Christian life? What values must Christians and the church never compromise? What connection should the church have with the state? What happens for a Christian when the church embraces malevolence and idolatry? Can a Christian serve both a political master and G-d?
Image: via Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth
After Hitler swept into power in 1933, the German Christians seized power over the Lutheran church, backed by the Nazi party and Hitler himself. Martin Neimoller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer figured prominently in the development of the Confessing Church. Neimoller organised into the Pastors’ Emergency League a third of German clergy who opposed the dictatorship takeover of the church. They held confessing synods, their first one taking place in Barmen, and their second one taking place in Berlin-Dahlem. Karl Barth helped draw up a statement of principle to guide the Confessing Church. Neimoller endured a trial for treason charges and received a light sentence. Despite the light sentence, Hitler made a personal prisoner out of Neimoller, who spent the duration of the reign of the Third Reich in Concentration Camps. This period of his life shaped Neimoller’s beliefs profoundly and caused him to relinquish all prejudices.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer featured prominently in the ecumenical work of the Confessing Church. In 1935 he became the director of an illegal seminary in Pomerania. In 1937 the seminary closed and in 1938 the Nazis expelled Bonhoeffer from Berlin, and they banned him from speaking and then writing. Bonhoeffer continued his work, and the Nazis arrested him in 1943 and executed him on the last day of the war. Bonhoeffer recognised the dangers of the Jewish question early on and sought to awaken the church to the monstrous persecution the Jews faced at the hands of the Nazi machinery. He felt Christians should walk alongside their Jewish brothers in the face of persecution.
Barmen Declaration
In view of the errors of the “German Christians” and of the present Reich Church Administration, which are ravaging the Church and at the same time also shattering the unity of the German Evangelical Church, we confess the following evangelical truths:
1. “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved.” John 10:1,9
Jesus Christ, as he is attested to us in Holy Scripture, is the one Word of God whom we have to hear, and whom we have to trust and obey in life and in death.
We reject the false doctrine that the Church could and should recognize as a source of its proclamation, beyond and besides this one Word of God, yet other events, powers, historic figures and truths as God’s revelation.
2. “Jesus Christ has been made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption for us by God.” 1 Cor. 1:30
As Jesus Christ is God’s comforting pronouncement of the forgiveness of all our sins, so, with equal seriousness, he is also God’s vigorous announcement of his claim upon our whole life. Through him there comes to us joyful liberation from the godless ties of this world for free, grateful service to his creatures.
We reject the false doctrine that there could be areas of our life in which we would not belong to Jesus Christ but to other lords, areas in which we would not need justification and sanctification through him.
3. “Let us, however, speak the truth in love, and in every respect grow into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body is joined together.” Eph. 4:15-16
The Christian Church is the community of brethren in which, in Word and Sacrament, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ acts in the present as Lord. With both its faith and its obedience, with both its message and its order, it has to testify in the midst of the sinful world, as the Church of pardoned sinners, that it belongs to him alone and lives and may live by his comfort and under his direction alone, in expectation of his appearing.
We reject the false doctrine that the Church could have permission to hand over the form of its message and of its order to whatever it itself might wish or to the vicissitudes of the prevailing ideological and political convictions of the day.
4. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to have authority over you must be your servant.” Matt. 20:25-26
The various offices in the Church do not provide a basis for some to exercise authority over others but for the ministry [lit., “service”] with which the whole community has been entrusted and charged to be carried out.
We reject the false doctrine that, apart from this ministry, the Church could, and could have permission to, give itself or allow itself to be given special leaders [Führer] vested with ruling authority.
5. “Fear God. Honor the Emperor.” 1 Pet. 2:17
Scripture tells us that by divine appointment the State, in this still unredeemed world in which also the Church is situated, has the task of maintaining justice and peace, so far as human discernment and human ability make this possible, by means of the threat and use of force. The Church acknowledges with gratitude and reverence toward God the benefit of this, his appointment. It draws attention to God’s Dominion [Reich], God’s commandment and justice, and with these the responsibility of those who rule and those who are ruled. It trusts and obeys the power of the Word, by which God upholds all things.
We reject the false doctrine that beyond its special commission the State should and could become the sole and total order of human life and so fulfil the vocation of the Church as well.
We reject the false doctrine that beyond its special commission the Church should and could take on the nature, tasks and dignity which belong to the State and thus become itself an organ of the State.
6. “See, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt. 28:20 “God’s Word is not fettered.” 2 Tim. 2:9
The Church’s commission, which is the foundation of its freedom, consists in this: in Christ’s stead, and so in the service of his own Word and work, to deliver all people, through preaching and sacrament, the message of the free grace of God.
We reject the false doctrine that with human vainglory the Church could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of self-chosen desires, purposes and plans.
The Confessing Synod of the German Evangelical Church declares that it sees in the acknowledgment of these truths and in the rejection of these errors the indispensable theological basis of the German Evangelical Church as a confederation of Confessing Churches. It calls upon all who can stand in solidarity with its Declaration to be mindful of these theological findings in all their decisions concerning Church and State. It appeals to all concerned to return to unity in faith, hope and love.
Verbum Dei manet in aeternum.
The Word of God will last for ever.
Reader, what if we could all learn from Bonhoeffer the moral courage to resist to depravity and evil?
John the Theologian wrote the Book of Revelation whilst having visions from Jesus during his exile in Patmos.
No, Nazis weren’t socialists, they were far right nationalists, they were fascists
Nostra aetate: 60 years of appeasement of Islam by the Catholic Church
Part of Vatican II, Nostra aetate was published on 28th October 1965
https://hellish2050.substack.com/p/nostra-aetate-60-years-of-appeasement