Revelation 2:20 20But I have against you that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Verse 20 marks a shift in this short letter from positive praise to negative assessment. The two problems many early Christians faced were sexual immorality and idolatry. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church about these two problems and how to deal with them (1 Corinthians 5-10). Most cities of the Roman Empire, especially in Asia-Minor, had many idols to the pantheon of various gods and goddesses. Most meat would have been sacrificed in honor of the gods before being sold in the marketplace or eaten. Another major problem was the rampant immorality in these cities. Some temples and religions made prostitution a sacred practice. There was little commitment to purity in marriage, especially among unbelievers.
The problem in Thyatira was their toleration of these practices among them. The word used here (apheis) can meat accept or permit. These Christians did not stop the sinful practices but accepted them in their midst. Some people may think that toleration is only passive indifference, but it actually can be a form of quiet acceptance and can be interpreted as even endorsement.
The example Jesus draws upon is that woman Jezebel. Whether the cause was one specific influential woman is unknown, but possible. However, more likely, this is a symbolic reference to Jezebel, the wicked queen of Ahab. Ahab was one of the worst kings in Israel’s history. He took a wife like himself, full of evil. Jezebel was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. Ahab and she led Israel into idolatry with the worship of Baal (1 Kings 16:29-34). Her influence on Israel was extremely bad. Her life ended in tragedy with being thrown out a window, crushed by horses, and eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:30-37). The problem woman in Thyatira, if it was one individual and not symbolic, called herself a prophetess, proclaiming some teaching that was contrary to the truth of the gospel. People who claim to have divine words can be deceiving. The teaching was causing the church to compromise with its pagan culture, rather than following the way of holiness.
Jesus is calling the church in Thyatira to be different from the surrounding culture. These practices could easily enter church communities if new believers come from these lifestyles. The preaching of the truth of the gospel brings new knowledge and conviction. The gospel calls for holiness, and in most cases, this will lead us to be distinct from the lifestyles of the cultures in which we live, inevitably causing friction. The darkness rejects the light, leading to the persecution of believers. The temptation becomes to compromise in our lifestyles so that we fit into our cultures in acceptable ways. This temptation can lead to sin and eventually to rejection by Christ. Each individual must make a choice, reinforced through preaching, teaching, and modeling by the church’s leaders.