A Revelation Invitation

“‘But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come.’” (Revelation 2:24-25 ESV)

I’m no expert on Revelation, but I love the book. One need not be an expert to encourage others with its message. Being an expert is not my goal. That is not my priority. I simply want to share with others from what I’ve learned so that they may benefit as I have. I have read enough commentators to recognize a Revelation expert when I meet one. We certainly benefit from them. So, we shouldn’t feel abashed for not comprehending an admittedly complicated book. However, some who like to think of themselves as experts have formulated many misinterpretations of Revelation revealing a misunder-standing of the Bible as a whole. Revelation is so much more than a code to crack as some present it. It is rather a blessing that edifies. It is a warning to be heeded. It is an adventure to be experienced. It is an encouragement to be welcomed. It is a love letter to be embraced.

The church in Thyatira included some “experts” in their fellowship whose pride of knowledge was used to justify accommodation with the culture. They wanted to avoid the suffering that faithful witness would incur. They justified their compromise by claiming special insights of the spiritual realm, insights that impressed the weak but were false. Their teaching had the appearance of wisdom but the effect was foolishness. Their influence was evil and destructive.

Warning of false prophets Jesus counseled to judge a tree by its fruit. Did these teachers unite or divide? Were they faithful to the word or did they compromise it? Did they accept the suffering of faithful witness or avoid it through accommodation? Who does their teaching benefit most: themselves or the weak among them? Jesus described false teachers as wolves in sheep’s clothing, indicating that their evil intent is not immediately obvious. So look for the fruit.

After warning against the false teachers in their fellowship, Jesus counseled the faithful to “hold fast what you have until I come.” They were not to be passive. They knew what faithful witness entailed. They were not to shrink back from it. They were to live as they had been taught from the beginning no matter what consequences their witness to Christ brought upon them. When he returns, everything will be made right.

Dear Lord, protect your church from false teachers. Help me see through fine sounding words to recognize bad fruit when I see it. Revelation may be complicated, but the gospel is not. And discerning the difference between good fruit and bad isn’t difficult either. May your word guide me so that I will hold on to you until you return. Amen.