1. Jesus’ message to Thyatira is the longest of the messages to the churches. Read Revelation 2:18-29 What was Jesus’ complaint with this church?
2. What do you learn about the character of the woman Jezebel from Revelation 2?
3. Look up the following verses on the Jezebel of the Old Testament. What similarities do you see between the Jezebel of Revelation and the Jezebel of the Old Testament?
a. 1 Kings 16:30-33 As Ahab was condemned for marrying Jezebel, so the church at Thyatira was condemned for tolerating her. What happened because Ahab married Jezebel? What happened because the church of Thyatira tolerated her?
b. 1 Kings 18:4, 13, 19 What position of authority did Jezebel have in 1 Kings? What position of authority did Jezebel have in Revelation? How are prophets involved in each case?
c. 1 Kings 19:1-3 How did Jezebel react even when she saw the power of God?
d. 1 Kings 21:1-16 How did Jezebel use God’s Law for her own purposes? How did she do this in Revelation?
e. 1 Kings 21:23-26; 2 Kings 9:10, 30-37 Compare the fate of Queen Jezebel and that of the Jezebel in Revelation?
4. Jezebel “calls herself a prophetess”. Only a few Bible references to prophets are listed below.
a. What is a prophet (Jeremiah 7:27 Amos 3:7 1 Corinthians 12:28 James 5:10 1 Peter 1:10 Revelation 11:18)? List the characteristics of a prophet.
b. What is a false prophet (1 Kings 18:4-40 1 Kings 22:4-40 or 2 Chronicles 18 Nehemiah 6:14 Isaiah 30:10 Jeremiah 5:13, 31; 6:13; 14:13-15; 23:9-31; 50:36; Lamentations 2:14; 4:13 Ezekiel 13:2-4, 9, 14; 33:28 2 Peter 2:1)? List the characteristics of a false prophet.
c. In what ways is Jezebel a false prophetess?
d. John Bevere in his book, Thus Saith the Lord explains that the motive behind a false prophet is covetousness—of money, reward, acceptance, etc. They will often prophesy someone’s desire in order to make what they say acceptable. Prophesying someone’s past, present or future (even if accurate) without the direction of the Lord is divination. Consider Balaam (Numbers 22-25) who was a false prophet or diviner, though God used Him to give far reaching prophecies. Or the heathen slave girl that accurately predicted the future (Acts 16:16-19).
Why do you think Jezebel gave false prophecies? Why did people accept them?
5. Examine the meaning of the key word “repent” in Revelation 2. Repent (“metanoeo–to perceive afterwards meta–after, implying change, noeo–to perceive; nous–the mind, the seat of moral reflection” Vine’s Expository Dictionary) is to change one’s mind or purpose.
a. Matthew 3:1-10? What did people who repented after hearing John’s message do? What would be “fruit in keeping with repentance”? (See also Acts 26:20)
b. What is the fruit of godly sorrow against sin according to 2 Corinthians 7:10-11?
c. How would Jesus or anyone else know whether Jezebel and those who had committed adultery with her had repented?
d. Perhaps this passage is symbolic–Jezebel did not commit literal adultery, but spiritual adultery or adultery against the Lord (God used the relationship of the prophet Hosea with his wife Gomer to show His relationship to Israel—book of Hosea and He used physical adultery to show the spiritual adultery of Israel—Ezekiel 23). If this is the case, how would we know Jezebel or those who had committed adultery with her had repented?
e. Physical and spiritual adultery often go together. Although this could be a study in itself, briefly examine how one kind of adultery influences the other (New Age teaching often results in sexual immorality).
6. Sometimes people think they can get away with sin because there doesn’t seem to be any immediate consequence to what they’re doing. They haven’t been caught, struck by lightning, and everything seems to be going well. Is it? Look up the following verses.
a. Romans 2:2 How does God judge?
b. Galatians 6:7-8 What are the results of sin? Why?
c. Psalm 73:1-20 How are evil men described? What is their end?
d Hebrews 13:4 Who will God judge?
e. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 How should be handle sexual temptation? How is sexual sin unique?
f. Romans 1:26-27 What is one way God judges sexual sins?
g Proverbs 6:32-35; 7:21-27 What is another way sexual sin is judged?
h. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 Who are we hurting if we sin sexually?
i. Galatians 5:19-21 Revelation 21:8; 22:15 What is the final consequence of unrepented sexual sin?
7. In Revelation 2:21-23 how does Jesus say He would deal with Jezebel and those who followed her teaching? What effect would this have on the churches?
8. The church of Thyatira tolerated the woman Jezebel. What should they have done? What should any church do?
a. 1 John 4:1-3 What is the first thing they should have done?
b. Matthew 18:15-18 What should we do if someone sins against us? What? What is our authority?
c. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Why was Paul angry at the Corinthian church? What should the church have done? What did Paul do?
d. 1 Timothy 5:19-21 What safeguard is there against false accusations? How is an elder to be disciplined?
9. How does Jesus describe Himself in relation to the church in Thyatira? Why? (The sacrifices in the Old Testament were made at the brazen [bronze] altar. Bronze is a symbol of judgment.)