The Seven Churches of Revelation Pt. 8 by Chris White

Remains of Ancient Church in Thyatira

 “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.  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.  I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.”

                                                                                                                                           --Rev. 2:19-21

Pliny the Elder, a Roman governor and historian living in Asia Minor during the early Christian era, wrote that the city of Thyatira was Inhonora Civitas or a city lacking any greatness.  In America we might call Thyatira a “wide spot in the road” or “Podunk U.S.A”.  We should all take comfort in the fact that Jesus has concern for all places, not just the important cities.   Thyatira is famous in the New Testament because one of its leading citizens named Lydia was on a business trip to Philippi and became one of St. Paul’s first converts when he preached the gospel there.  Lydia was known as a dyer of purple cloth which was quite desirable.  The purple dye came from the madder root which is a local plant in Thyatira.  This small town used so much water in the dying of fabrics that the Romans built them an aqueduct just to supplement their local river.  In the letter to Thyatira a direct rebuke is made by the Lord to an unnamed prophetess who is called Jezebel.  Jezebel in the Old Testament was not a prophetess, but was guilty of spending her wealth and energy convincing Israel to leave God and follow after Baal.  Apparently the Church of Thyatira was listening to this prophetess whose teaching included the freedom to join the local labor guilds.  It was as true in ancient times as it is today: if you want to succeed in business sometimes you have to go along to get along.  The first century Christians often faced a dilemma if they were in business.  You needed to be in a labor guild, but labor guilds sponsored community feasts dedicated to pagan gods and goddesses with sacrifices.  After the meal was over temple prostitutes were often brought in to help the participants properly celebrate.  Eating meat sacrificed to idols was often a much greater sin than eating food that has been defiled by idolatry.  The message to the church of Thyatira is that if they continue to heed and tolerate this kind of sin in the church, the Lord will chastise them with illness that the rest of the Body of Christ might be fearful about compromising with the world.  When the church teaches and acts like the world, like the world, it will come under the judgment of God.

With you on the Journey,

Chris