The Church at Thyatira as the Sinanitic Covenant

 Shema 

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

• Within Revelation itself, we are reminded of His appearance to John when he was removed from Patmos to  heaven.  John was in captivity & exile.   
• In Exodus, Israel is in captivity & in exile in Goshen.   As the Lord paracleted John on Patmos, so the LORD in Exodus paracleted Israel in Egypt.
• This also refers to Moses on Sinai with the LORD. 

Historical Prologue 

19 “ ‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. 

• The LORD prophesies over the two generations in the Mosaic narrative.  One generation was delivered out of bondage in Egypt.   The LORD winnowed them, & the second generation is the one who conquered Canaan. 
• Subsequent generations fell into sin.  The tribes lost their lands off & on to Canaanite peoples.   By the end of that era, however, Samuel was their last Judge, & his ministry is more commendable than Samson’s. We also see hope in the days of Ruth, Boaz, & Naomi. 

20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

 21 I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, 23 and I will strike her children dead.

• This is precisely the story of Moses & the Children of Israel.  Jezebel is Egypt.  As we know from Aaron’s capitulation to the People at Sinai they had learned the ways of polytheism, idolatry, & witchcraft.  This legacy encompassed the worship of the goat god (Lev. 17) & eventually led to the incident @ Meribah in which the LORD allowed a culling of the People via their relationships with the Moabites. 

 And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. 

• This refers to Egypt, her Pharaoh & Religion; the Angel of Death’s visitation; the Children of Israel worshipping the Golden Calf & the goat “god” highlighted in Lev. 17; & to the expiration of the first generation that gave way to the 2nd who then became those who took back Canaan from the Enemy. 
• God proverbs people, including those who are formal members of the covenant community. 

General & Specific Stipulations 

24 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. 25 Only hold fast what you have until I come. 

• Levi drew swords to purify Israel.   They were also charged with the care & maintenance of the Tabernacle & the holiness code.   They also participated in the administration of justice & the medical care of the people.   

Document Clause & Witnesses 

26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

• Like Deuteronomy 17, the text anticipates the rise of kings in Israel. 
• The generation Joshua led did, in fact, succeed in repatriating the land. 
• Giving the one who conquers the morning star alluded to the authority of the LORD & His people over Satan, demons, & the Nations.  The Prophets elaborate on this in the Monarchial Covenant in which the Nations flock to Israel for justice.