“Only hold fast what you have until I come.” Revelation 2:25
The Lord just told the faithful He gives them no other commandments. They should keep doing what they are doing. Remember at the beginning of the letter to Thyatira the Lord commended the church for their works, love, service, faith, and their patience;. Additionally the Lord was pleased they were moving in the right direction – their works were growing in quantity and quality. So the Lord is pleased. This group of faithful believers has drawn near to the Lord. Temptations and troubles will often cause us to do that but there is also a danger. The second law of thermodynamics tells us that heat always flows spontaneously from hotter to colder regions. The Lord knows this is true spiritually as well. So He clarifies that while there is nothing more the faithful remnant should do, the one thing they can’t do is quit doing what they are doing.
Only The word means nevertheless or however. When used as an adverb at the beginning of a sentence it unfolds and expands on what has just preceded it. When the Lord says there is no other burden He also means this.
Hold fast The words mean to not discard or let go; to keep carefully and faithfully; to continue. This is an important concept in scripture. Multiple times believers are told to hold fast or endure. For example Hebrews 10:23 tells us “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” We are not to lose our confession of our faith in Jesus Christ. I Thessalonians 5:21 tell us “examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.” Good means what is excellent or honorable in God’s eyes. Finally Deuteronomy 10:20 tells us “You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.” So we see that hold fast refers to our faith, trust and obedience to God. It is as if the Lord is reminding the faithful in Thyatira that they cannot succeed in their own strength. They will not be able to withstand the temptation to sin unless they abide in Christ.
What you have The Lord tells them to hold fast to what they possess. What did they have? Faith in Jesus Christ and works produced as they abided in Him – works that were worthy of eternal reward. There is a warning here. A believer can serve the Lord and then drift away. But what happens to what this person once did for the Lord? John warns his listeners of this danger. “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.” We see why the Lord would tell the faithful to hold on to what they have – it is possible to lose the rewards of what was once done for the Lord. In the military this is called being “stripped of one’s rank”.
Until I come The Lord gives one last piece of important information. How long should we hold on? The Lord makes clear that our dependence on Him and abiding in His strength is to last until He comes. This means to our death or the rapture – in both instances this will be the time when God has determined we will meet our Savior face to face.
What can we learn? Living for Christ is a serious thing. Living our entire life for Him is important. With just two words the Lord reminds us not to drift away.