Revelation 2:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Even if He praises them for faith, service, good courage, and patience, He rightly reproaches them for permitting the heresy of the Nicolaitans. Because of its impiety and vices it is figuratively called Jezebel. It gives the faithful occasion for stumbling and draws them into idolatry, which they had formerly renounced well. It must be destroyed, because with the aid of an evil spirit it falsely claims to possess prophecies.

He testifies that He knows the works, love, faith, service, and patience of His Church. "And your latter works," He says, "are greater than the first." He indicates that there will be a great number of saints at the end of times, when, during the coming of the man of sin, the son of perdition, countless thousands of saints will be sanctified by their own blood.

He says: "I know your works, and love, and service, and faith," as though He said, "I praise all your devoted zeal." For he used "I know" instead of "I praise," since He said to Moses, "I know you above all men" (Ex 33:12).

Also, "the Lord knows the way of the righteous" (Ps 1:6). By service he means the assistance given to those in need. "And your last works are greater than the first." Here it is shown that, with time, they advanced in fulfilling the commandments.

The translation follows the Septuagint.

Almost nine hundred years before Christ, the impious Ahab reigned in Israel. In his days idolatry reached an extreme degree. He was married to Jezebel, daughter of the king of Sidon, a corrupt woman with a malicious heart. She slew all the prophets of God in the kingdom of Israel.

She introduced public acts of fornication among the people and deceived them with various forms of sorcery. To establish seductive groves and pagan abominations, she maintained five hundred false prophets at her own expense.

In the Apocalypse, under the name Jezebel, there is depicted a heresy that corrupted the minds of the simple people and pretended to have the gift of prophecy. But Jezebel was thrown from the window of her palace, trampled by horses, and eaten by dogs.

What did the Lord command to be written to the angel of the Church in Thyatira? Rev 2:18-29. That, despite all the strength of faith, love, and patience, and despite a visible increase in good works...

Then the Lord addresses the Church of the city of Thyatira, situated in northern Lydia, as the Son of God, whose eyes are like flame and whose feet are like chalcolibanus.

The Lord designates Himself in this way to show that the errors of the Thyatiran heretics and dreamers cannot be hidden from Him, although they presented themselves as true prophets.

Likewise the Lord's feet, like chalcolibanus or molten bronze, must burn and wipe from the face of the earth every exaltation of these proud dreamers.