TO THYATIRA--JESUS' BLAZING EYES SEE YOU

Passage: Revelation 2:18-29

Key verse: 18

NIV

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira(A) write:

These are the words of the Son of God,(B) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.(C) 19 I know your deeds,(D) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,(E) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.(F) 21 I have given her time(G) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.(H) 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery(I) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,(J) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.(K)

24 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, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,(L) 25 except to hold on to what you have(M) until I come.’(N)

26 To the one who is victorious(O) and does my will to the end,(P) I will give authority over the nations(Q)— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter(R) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[a](S)—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.(T) 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear(U) what the Spirit says to the churches.

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Footnotes
  1. Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, (A)who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

19 (B)“‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman (C)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants (D)to practice sexual immorality and (E)to eat food sacrificed to idols. 21 I gave her time to repent, but (F)she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he (G)who searches mind and heart, and (H)I will give to each of you according to your works. 24 But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call (I)the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I (J)do not lay on you any other burden. 25 Only hold fast (K)what you have until I come. 26 (L)The one who conquers and who keeps my works (M)until the end, (N)to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and (O)he will (P)rule[a] them with a rod of iron, (Q)as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him (R)the morning star. 29 (S)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

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Footnotes
  1. Revelation 2:27 Greek shepherd
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Eyes like blazing fire (18-25)

Jesus sees everything. His blazing eyes saw the growing love, faith, hard work and perseverance of the believers in Thyatira. He also saw one influential woman in the church who taught that free sex and eating meat offered to idols were matters of personal preference. She was given the opportunity to repent, but she didn't. She would be punished; she should be shown no sympathy.

2. To him who overcomes (26-29)

Satan makes slaves of those whose curiosity leads them to experiment with sinful practices or with the occult. But to those who overcome and do God's will to the end he will give the authority to rule over the nations with him. To him who overcomes, Jesus gives the morning star. The morning star is a symbol of hope. It shines in a dark sky just before the dawn. Jesus himself is the Morning Star. (Rev 22:16)

Prayer: Lord, keep me from compromising with sin and from sympathizing with evil-doers. Put the Morning Star in my heart.

One Word: Jesus sees everything