40 blogs of Lent – Day 16

Judgement

Messages to the churches – Day 13

Thyatira – Day 1

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

Thyatira is located in western Asia Minor about 42 miles inland from the Aegean Sea. The ancient city was known for its textiles and dyeing trade, and is now known as the Turkish city of Akhisar. 

The picture of Jesus here is one with eyes of flame and feet of burnished brass. This is one who srushes enemies under his feet. Later on, in Revelation 19, the one with eyes of fire, here identified as the word of God, will tread the wine press of the fury of the God Almighty.

To say that this would not be a comforting image to those it was written to is an understatement, when we come to rely on Jesus do not thing that he is nice or safe. To repeat what I have said earlier in these blogs about Jesus, in the words from the Chronicles of Narnia: Of course he isn’t safe, but he is good.

It is ironic, given the context of the book of Revelation that the one who is victorious, who defeats the dragon and the beast, who treads the winepress of God’s fury is shown to be a lamb, the lamb that was slain. God’s victory is not achieved by wiping out his enemies, it is achieved passively, by absorbing their anger.

But Jesus will judge, and his judgement will be fair. For there to be no judgement means there will be no justice and justice is one of the things that God cares about.

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

‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practise sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 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, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 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. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Revelation 2:18-28

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Seven Churches – Day 1