The Church Of Thyatira: The Consequences Of Appeasing Jezebel

Thyatira was founded by the Macedonian conqueror Alexander the Great some 300 years before the birth of Christ. The name Thyatira means "unceasing sacrifice". It more than likely received this name because it was a military "buffer city", located some 40 miles southeast of Pergamos, the capital city of the province. Whenever enemy forces invaded, they would naturally approach Thyatira first. As its location did not allow itself to defend itself all that well, its mission was to "hold the enemy" just long enough for Pergamos to prepare itself for battle. As a result, Thyatira was destroyed and rebuilt numerous times during its history. Thyatira was also known for its commerce and significance as a major trade route for the region and Rome as well. The main product for which Thyatira was known was wool and the types of dyes produced there. They manufactured a very expensive purple dye valued by both royalty and the wealthy of the region. It was extracted from a certain shellfish brought up by divers. Each shellfish was able to produce a drop of dye. When combined with the waters of Thyatira, this dye produced a variety of colors not found anywhere else. This industry was mentioned in Acts 16:14. One producer of this dye was a woman named Lydia, who came to faith in Christ under the preaching of the apostle Paul.

Thyatira was also known for its trade guilds, similar to the ancient unions of the day. Workers from the varied industries of the city such as bakers, wool workers, dyers, bronze workers, potters, and others, banded together to set prices and give guarantees to their work. To refuse to join a guild was to give up all prospects of work. Like the other cities of the region, Thyatira had its share of occult and pagan worship. There was a temple in the city known for fortune-telling presided over by a woman named Sambathe. It was to the church operating in this city that Jesus sent this letter. We do not know who specifically founded the church in Thyatira, but it is possible that the Gospel was brought to the city by Lydia who was saved in Philippi (Acts 16:12-15) or was evangelized by members of the church of Ephesus. There was trouble in the church as it was being dominated by a woman whom the Lord Jesus refers to as "that woman Jezebel, who fancies herself a prophetess" (Revelation 2:20). I believe this situation parallels the warning about women exhorting pastoral authority over men (1 Timothy 2:12). I also believe that this is a form of ancient feminism, a movement not founded on issues such as equal pay for equal work and mutual respect but is in reality a form of witchcraft forbidden in Scripture (1 Samuel 15:23).

The Lord Jesus came to this church (2:18), presenting Himself in three ways. He comes as the "Saving One". He is the Son of God and reminds them that He is the Savior. He alone is worthy of worship. He is also the "Searching One" with "eyes like unto a flame of fire". He comes as One who sees all. He sees the works of the hands and the motives and thoughts of the heart. Here He is not the "meek and lowly" Jesus, but with His eyes blazing forth with anger over sin. He is also the "Sovereign One" with "feet like fine brass". He not only sees all but comes as the One able to judge all (Matthew 25:32; John 5:22; Acts 10:42, 17:31; Romans 2:16, 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:4-5; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). He will not tolerate any kind of compromise with the world, especially in His church, and this was the problem with Thyatira. It had allowed itself to fall into a type of marriage with the world that was corrupting its influence and testimony. Anytime the church tries to appease or make friends with ideologies or trends that are clearly opposed to the Word of God and the exclusivity of Jesus Christ, it spells the end of that church's ability or attempts to present the life-changing Gospel. If the church approves of, or worse, remains silent about the sewer that represents the world system, then what purpose does it serve? Thyatira, in terms of prophetic significance, represents the downward spiral the church found itself in between the years 600-1500 AD, known as the Medieval or "Dark" Ages, when the Roman Catholic "System" emphasized papal authority, ritual, traditions, and persecution of Christians who dared to say that the Bible needed to be in the possession of all people, not just the property of popes and priests.

The letters to each church apply to the churches of today, and if we truly have "ears to hear", then we need to both read and put into practice what Jesus teaches and expects of His people, especially as the days grow dark and the harvest still needs to be collected. Like the other letters to the churches that have already been covered, Jesus gives words of commendation to this church. Thyatira was an active church in good deeds and benevolent outreach. They are examples of service to the Lord and engage in authentic ministry to the city despite the rank heathenism that permeated it. They could not be accused of being lazy. However, within the church's structure, there was a festering sore that had to be addressed. This church was being led away from the Lord through the influential teachings of an influential woman in their midst. Jesus exposed her and her false teachings, calling her "Jezebel", a reference to one of the wickedest women referred to in the Scriptures. In the Old Testament, there was a wicked, idolatrous queen named Jezebel who was the wife of the equally wicked and corrupt King Ahab (1 Kings 16:31). She was a devoted, fanatical worshipper of the god Ba'al and she supported 850 "prophets" of this despicable religion that included the sacrifice of children. Baalism was a religion that also centered on perverse sexual practices. Baal was the god of fertility. Its adherents were no more than prostitutes and perverts.