TRUE PROSPERITY

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Opening Prayer

Patient Father, do not tire of repeating Your messages to me, because I am sometimes slow to learn Your truth.

Read REVELATION 2:18–29

^[18] “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. ^[19] I know your deeds, 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, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. ^[21] I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. ^[22] So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery 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, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. ^[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, ^[25] except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ ^[26] To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations- ^[27] that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’-just as I have received authority from my Father. ^[28] I will also give that one the morning star. ^[29] Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Meditate

“Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold” (Frances Ridley Havergal, 1836–1879). Spend a few moments contemplating your view of material possessions.

Think Further

The longest and most complex of the seven messages is addressed to the city about which we know least. What we do know is that money mattered in Thyatira. This was one of the first cities to use coins, and, as it was not in a strong position militarily, it relied on trade for its prosperity and importance. It was on major trade routes north and south, and in Philippi Paul met Lydia, a cloth trader from the city (Acts 16:14). With trade came trade guilds, which were as much religious organizations as they were economic, each having their own gods. So protecting one’s prosperity often meant a compromise in belief. To change religious affiliation always had economic consequences, as the Ephesians discovered (Acts 19:23–41).

Jezebel (20) was the wife of Ahab and arch-enemy of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 16—2 Kings 9). She is not singled out for sexual immorality but for leading God’s people to worship other gods (though that worship involved cult sexual practices), so we can also read the language of sexual immorality here as a metaphor for being unfaithful to God—as used by Old Testament prophets such as Hosea, as well as James (James 4:4).

To those who have continued in love, faith, service and perseverance (19), nothing more is needed. Echoing a letter in Acts (Acts 15:28,29), the message makes clear that there are no first- and second-class followers of Jesus. To all who stay faithful, the reward is not only to share in Jesus’ authority (27) but also to share in Jesus himself, the “morning star” (28; Rev. 22:16).

Apply

How am I using my money to honor God? Do I value financial prosperity more than faithfulness?

Closing prayer

Heavenly Father, my ultimate security is in You. Keep that truth ever before me.

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