Revelation 2:18-28

Revelation 2:18: “And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;”

Thyatira represents the church of the Dark Ages (600 – 1517). These were the days before the Reformation, when the Catholic Church was in power.

Revelation 2:19: “I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.”

This was a church that was characterized by works, to such an extent that Jesus said that was their most notable quality. However, the Lord had a great deal against this church:

Revelation 2:20: “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.
22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

There is something very interesting going on in this passage. Verses like these are part of the reason why people think these letters are an overview of church history, and not just letters to a few local churches.

You see, Jezebel is a Phoenecian name. By the time this letter was written the Phoenecians had disappeared and been absorbed into the Greek culture. This means it was highly unlikely that there was anyone at that church who was actually named Jezebel. On top of that, this church was located in Asia Minor, not in Phoenecia – which makes it even more unlikely. This rather strongly implies that Jezebel is not an actual person, but is symbolic of something.

Throughout the Bible women are symbolic of religious entities. Sometimes they represent good entities (such as the Bride of Christ) and sometimes they represent bad ones (such as the Harlot that rides the Beast). Jezebel happens to be an especially important character, because she is the one who introduced paganism to Israel. Before she came to power Israel had been worshiping idols, but they had used the idols to worship God (which God hated). However, Jezebel changed that by introducing foreign gods and teaching Israel worship Baal – which is something they hadn’t done before. Jezebel led Israel into total idolatry.

What was taking place during the Middle Ages? Well, by that point the state church had become the Catholic Church, which is dedicated to paganism, idolatry, and false teaching. (I have documented this extensively elsewhere, so I will not go into it here.) It is very likely that Jezebel is symbolic of Catholicism.

Notice also that verse 22 says that this woman will be cast into “great tribulation”. This is another reason why these churches probably represent different periods of church history. After all, no woman who was alive in the days of John could possibly be forced to endure the Great Tribulation; she would have died millennia ago! However, if Jezebel is symbolic then it makes more sense. The Catholic Church still exists and has not repented of its sins; it still preaches a false gospel and is still leading countless souls to Hell. Because of this the Lord is going to punish it by forcing it to endure the Tribulation.

Notice also that Jesus said “I will kill her children with death”. What makes that judgment so interesting is that for 15 centuries the Catholic Church hunted down and executed people who believed that they were saved by grace through faith alone. The Catholic Church murdered God’s children, so in return God will kill her children. The only ones who will be spared are the ones who had nothing to do with “this doctrine”.

Jezebel is an excellent symbol of Catholicism. Jezebel lured Israel away from the true God by instituting all manner of idolatry; likewise Catholicism lures many away from the true God by instituting all manner of idolatry (icons; images; worship of Mary; salvation by works; etc.). The true Church will be raptured, but the Catholic Church will not.

It’s worth noting that out of all those who call themselves Christians, 1.2 billion are Catholics and 400 million are Protestants. Catholics overwhelmingly believe a works gospel, so it is very likely that hardly any of them are saved. As far as the Protestants go, polling data suggests that less than 10% of them are actually saved. If the Rapture were to happen today, it is very possible that less than 100 million people would disappear – which is less than 2% of the world’s population. It’s certainly enough to be noticed, but the number of people who will be left behind is staggering.

There is one more point that should not be overlooked:

Revelation 2:26: “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28 And I will give him the morning star.

For centuries the Catholic Church ruled over the nations. The Pope actually had armies at his command, and he sent them out to murder all those who refused to bow down to him. This must have been very disheartening to the true Christians who lived at that time, as they were ruthlessly hunted down and slaughtered. Here God is reminding them that He is the one who has all power, and promises that those who believe in Jesus will have the privilege of reigning with Christ. The Pope may have great power, but God has pronounced judgment upon him.

In other words, the Catholic Church, which once reigned over the nations, is destined for judgment. Believers, who were persecuted by the Catholic Church, are destined to reign over the nations with Christ. Those who put their trust in Christ instead of in their own works will inherit the Earth, just as He promised.