Visions of the Lamb of God - Andrew Scott Brake

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parallel between the threat Balaam faced of being killed by the sword of the angel of the Lord (Numbers 22:23, 31) and his actual death when he did not heed the warning, and the threat to the church to be killed with the sword if they did not repent of his teachings—Beale, The Book of Revelation, 250.

      Revelation 2:18–29

      Jesus’ Message to the Church in Thyatira

      Introduction

      When our youngest son, Josiah, was little, the movie Toy Story came out. Josiah really liked Buzz Lightyear. He had a Buzz Lightyear toy that made cool sounds. One week, as Lora was praying for the kids before they went to school, she prayed that God would protect them. Josiah had asked her beforehand to pray that Buzz Lightyear would protect them. When Lora had finished praying and had not mentioned Buzz Lightyear, Josiah said, “You didn’t pray that Buzz Lightyear would protect us.” Lora said, “That’s because Jesus is able to protect you.” Josiah said, “But Jesus does not have lasers!” How about eyes of flames of fire and feet like burnished bronze!

      Jesus has power. Jesus has authority. He is the One we want in our corner. But he is not the One we want to be on the wrong side of. Of the many things lacking in our cultures, one of the bigger ones is the lack of good authority figures in people’s lives. Our authority figures have often proved disappointing. They lack integrity, or they don’t have the kind of leadership we need. Maybe our parents have been bad examples of authority figures. Politicians we know certainly have been bad examples of authority figures. Even policemen, and sometimes teachers, have been bad examples.

      With a lack of authority, there is an increasing sense of lost-ness or the feeling of chaos around us. “Who is in control anyway?” This is an especially crucial question in light of events that are happening around the world. In the book series, The Lord of the Rings, which was made into a motion picture, there is a time during the story where the four hobbits are walking through the old forest alone. There is no one to lead them. Their leader and teacher, Gandalf, had been detained by the once wise man who had succumbed to growing shadows of darkness. They were afraid, unaware of the dangers around them, and yet knowing that dangers were everywhere. Is this not an accurate picture of many we know? They are wandering this world with no leadership, and thus no direction, no purpose, and no hope; only fear and lost-ness and uncertainty.

      The good news is that Jesus is in control! Jesus has authority. It is an authority He had before He came to the earth, and an authority He won again when He came to the earth to give up his life, so that the Father could honor him with the rule and kingdom that would last forever. It is this authority we see very clearly demonstrated in the message to the church in Thyatira. What do we know about Thyatira? It is one of the least known cities, but we do know it was situated about 40 miles east/southeast of Pergamum, along the Lycus River in fertile valleys. It was a Roman colony with many trade associations (guilds), and a religion dedicated to Apollo. It was a wealthy city. And I’m sure they had many who claimed a certain kind of authority. But the little persecuted church in this wealthy city needed a reminder of the true and real authority, Jesus alone.

      Exposition

      Jesus commended the church in Thyatira for their deeds. Unlike Ephesus, the deeds of Thyatira got better. Their latest deeds were better than the first. They understood Jesus more. They gave more. They loved more. They served more. Jesus saw the growth. He saw the improvement when others did not. Growth is always the most imperceptible by the ones who are growing. Children rarely see that they are growing unless family members who haven’t seen them for a while say, “My, how you have grown!” Believers, especially new believers, may not perceive their growth in the Lord. But Jesus sees it.

      It is nice to be noticed by Jesus when we are living our lives in love, faith, service, and patient endurance, similar to the church in Thessalonica. I experienced many times when I was playing baseball as a young person, when I came up to bat at the plate, connected on a solid, run-scoring double, only to look to the stands, deflated that no member of my family was there to see it happen. Well, Jesus is always “in the stands” to see when we hit a double for his kingdom. He always sees. Hebrews 12:1–2 reminds us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (those who have gone before us), let us throw off the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.” Why? Because his eyes of blazing fire are fixed on us.

      The church tolerated this false prophet rather than take active steps to remove her from the congregation. There was a church in my district when I was a pastor in Ohio where the music leader of the church for fifteen years was carrying on an extra marital affair while still leading worship. No pastor did anything about it until a new pastor came to the church. The new pastor, when he found out, lovingly yet firmly removed him from ministry in the church. This infuriated the worship pastor and he left, taking some with him. Was the church better off? They had less members, and a music program with less quality, but Jesus saw them and was pleased with what He saw.

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