2025/03/31
189. The Seven Disciples and the Seven Letters (Fourth Letter)
Considering that there may be a correlation between the seven disciples who encountered the risen Jesus at the scene of the great catch by the Lake of Tiberias in the Gospel of John and the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, we have been examining its possibility by assigning the disciples to the seven churches in the order given in the Gospel of John. The gospel describes the seven disciples as "Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathan'a-el of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zeb'edee, and two others of his disciples were together" (Jn 21:2). In this context, the fourth and fifth letters (cf. Rev 2:18-3:6) correspond to the "sons of Zebedee". This time, we will examine the fourth letter, the letter to the angel of the church in Thyatira.
At the beginning of the letter, it describes the sender of the letter as follows: "The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze" (Rev 2:18). This description is very similar to a part of the description of the one who spoke to John, the author of the book of Revelation, filled with the Spirit on the Lord's Day: "His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace" (1:14-15). This clue indicates that the voice that spoke to the author John was that of "the Son of God", and at the same time, it suggests that the "angel of the church in Thyatira" in the fourth letter is someone similar to the author John. That is, James.
James was one of the chosen disciples who always accompanied Jesus with Peter and John in crucial situations. So, Revelation says, "I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first" (Rev 2:19). On the other hand, Jesus gave the name "sons of thunder" (Mk 3:17) to James and his brother John. They tended to be forward-thinking and pushy, and Jesus chided them for this (cf. Mk 9:38, Lk 9:49, 54). Furthermore, they were also ambitious (cf. Mk 10:35-41). They were indeed very similar.
In the letter, the "Son of God" points out as follows: "But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jez'ebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols" (Rev 2:20). Here, Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, the king of Israel who appears in the Book of Kings, is being referred to (cf. 1 King 16:31-21:25, 2 King 9:7-37). What this passage points out suggests a tragedy that will inevitably occur in a church community if a priest treats a woman who is close to him and convenient to him preferentially, as King Ahab did.
Many women served in the church community from the beginning (cf. Luke 8:1-3). If the priest "tolerate" what one of them does, various thoughts of the community will be directed towards her. And if she has the appropriate abilities, a "Jezebel" will emerge between the priest and his community. She will act as an authority figure towards the congregation and teach them in her own way, with the backing of the priest as the letter says that Jezebel "calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and beguiling my servants." The phrase "beguiling my servants to practice immorality" means that she deceives people with her attitude and abilities and makes them do what she says. And making them "to eat food sacrificed to idols" means that those who do what she says become used to her actions, which undermine the purity of their faith, and accept them without question.
The letter continues, "I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her immorality" (Rev 2:21). When she finds people who "do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan" (2:24), she will punish them, just like Jezebel in the Book of Kings did. Some of the believers will escape from such a community. It will take time for the priest to realise what is happening in his community. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read, "About that time Herod the king laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword" (Act 12:1-2). James, in situations like these, must have been caught off guard.
The "Son of God" who can see through people's thoughts and judgements will give each person what their works deserve. He encourages those who "do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan" by saying, "I do not lay upon you any other burden; only hold fast what you have, until I come" (Rev 2:24-25). For believers, the genuine authority is the "morning star" (2:28) given by the "Son of God", that is, Jesus himself (cf. 22:16).
To be continued.
Maria K. M.