Read & explore together
To the Church in Thyatira
In this message to Thyatira, the Son of God speaks with both approval and warning. The vision shows that growing service is good, yet a church must not tolerate teaching that leads the speaker’s servants into sin.
Understanding the passage
The setting of this message
Revelation 2:18–29 is a message addressed to the angel of the assembly in Thyatira. The speaker names himself as the Son of God and describes himself with fiery eyes and burnished-brass feet. He addresses the assembly’s works, its tolerance of corrupt teaching, and the promises given to those who hold firm.
Revelation 2:18–29Main takeaway
The Son of God praises faithful, growing service, judges teaching and deeds that lead his servants into sexual immorality and idol sacrifice, and calls the faithful to hold firmly to his works to the end.
Explore the message
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01The Son of God sees their faithful worksThe message opens with a majestic description of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished brass.
Explanation
The message opens with a majestic description of the Son of God, whose eyes are like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished brass. He knows the assembly’s works in detail: love, faith, service and patient endurance. Their later works are more than their first, so growth in faithful action is clearly recognised.
02A tolerated teaching brings a serious chargeThe praise does not remove the rebuke. The assembly tolerates a woman called Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.
Explanation
The praise does not remove the rebuke. The assembly tolerates a woman called Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. Her teaching seduces the speaker’s servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. She was given time to repent, yet she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
03Judgement reveals the one who searches heartsThe warning is severe and tied to deeds. The speaker says he will throw her, and those who commit adultery with her, into great oppression unless they repent of her works.
Explanation
The warning is severe and tied to deeds. The speaker says he will throw her, and those who commit adultery with her, into great oppression unless they repent of her works. He also says all the assemblies will know that he searches minds and hearts and gives to each according to deeds.
04The faithful must hold on and hear the promiseThe rest in Thyatira do not have this teaching and do not know what some call “the deep things of Satan”, a label the passage presents as part of the rejected teaching.
Explanation
The rest in Thyatira do not have this teaching and do not know what some call “the deep things of Satan”, a label the passage presents as part of the rejected teaching. They are told to hold firmly until he comes. The one who overcomes and keeps the speaker’s works receives authority over the nations and the morning star, a promised gift in this vision.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01Which qualities does the Son of God say he knows in Thyatira, and how are their later works compared with their earlier ones?
Read the list carefully and include the final comparison about their last works and first works.
02What exactly does the teaching connected with Jezebel lead the speaker’s servants to do?
Answer with the two actions named in the verse, then notice that she is also said to refuse repentance.
03What are “the rest” in Thyatira told to do, and what two promises are named for the one who overcomes?
Combine the command in verses 24–25 with the promises stated in verses 26–28.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Revelation 2:18–29
18“To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write: “The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things:
19“I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first.
20But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols.
21I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.
22Behold, I will throw her and those who commit adultery with her into a bed of great oppression, unless they repent of her works.
23I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.
24But to you I say, to the rest who are in Thyatira—as many as don’t have this teaching, who don’t know what some call ‘the deep things of Satan’—to you I say, I am not putting any other burden on you.
25Nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come.
26He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations.
27He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots, as I also have received of my Father;
28and I will give him the morning star.
29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.