Revelation 2:18 Commentary and Bible Study

For nearly three centuries Thyatira had been a Roman ruled city. It was very much a trading city, a manufacturing city. Lydia, who was host to the apostle Paul at Philippi, was a seller of purple cloth, and she came from Thyatira, where in all likelihood she had learned her trade. It was a great trading place and manufacturing place, and it was a garrison town also.The church at Thyatira would have been a model church if all that the Lord said was put into practice. She was, if you like, seven-tenths a model church. She was a church of deep spiritual life and tremendous application to the things of God. But for some of the people in that church a great sin had come in, and the church as yet had done nothing about it and the teacher of that great sin. But with obedience to this one further point at which she was at fault, she presents to us a model church. ‘These things saith the Son of God.’ This is the only church out of the seven that is addressed in quite this way. It as though the church does need to stress particularly the divinity of Christ, and revere him. Reverence and obedience must be particularly emphasised because of the problem that the church had.‘Who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, [He sees and searches and knows all things] and his feet are like fine brass.’ This is another element of the vision taken from chapter 1, where Christ’s feet are ‘like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace.’ Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. It is produced at high temperature and is able to bear great heat. It reminds us of the fires of suffering which Christ has borne for his people in order to atone for their sins. It also teaches how he will judge the wicked and punish those who are disobedient. This adds force to the warnings which follow.