THE CITY OF THYATIRA

Thyatira has been translated by some to mean "sweet savor of labor" or "sacrifice of contrition."  It was a city in the province of Asia, on the boundary of Lydia, and Mysia. It had no illustrious history and is scarcely mentioned by ancient writers. It was located in a small outpost town of little importance, compared to the other 6 cities. Thyatira was also a garrison town, afort along the foad in a long narrow valley.  It had been overcome by various raiders many times, each leaving a heritage of idolatry behind.  It had been under Roman rule for 300 years, and had become a center of commerce, and the records preserve references to many trade-guilds. Lydia, whom Paul met in Philippi, was a Thyratiran seller of "turkey red", the product of the madder-root. Necessity for guild membership in a trading community must have strengthened temptation to compromise.

The word Thyatira may come from the Greek words, thea, "a female deity, goddess," and the name Tyre, related to the Hebrew word Tsur, which means "rock" and refers to its strength as a fortress. Thus we have the “fortress of the goddess.”

There appears to be a spiritual connection and very possibly a physical connection between the city of Tyre, Jezebel’s home, and the city of Thya-TIRA. Both names incorporate the concept of a rock, fortress, or castle. Both cities were famous for their purple dye and had trade unions, or guilds, to protect themselves from competition.  Both cities worshipped the sun-god and a female counterpart.  Ashtoreth was the goddess of the Zidonians (1 Kings 11:33). She was the female consort for Baal and represented the earth, even as Baal was the sun-god. So also we find that the city of Thyatira had a goddess to go with their sun-god. According to The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, "Another temple at Thyatira was dedicated to Sambethe, and at this shrine was a prophetess, by some supposed to represent the Jezebel of Rev. 2:20, who uttered the sayings which this deity would impart to the worshippers."

King Ahab of Israel married Jezebel, who was the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians (1 Kings 16:31). He ruled from the city of Tyre.  According to historians, Ethbaal was the high priest of Baal and as high priest of the religion, he represented Baal on earth. As king, he ruled with temporal power as well. Hence, his name was actually a title: Eth-baal, one who rules with Baal, or by his authority, or in place of Baal. The name Ethbaal means "with, near, or together with Baal." In Roman terminology, he would be the Vicar of Baal. The kingdom of Tyre in the days of Jezebel was a spiritual kingdom of Baal on earth, and its high priest ruled supreme as king.

King Ahab of Israel married Jezebel, and in so doing, he joined himself with her god, Baal. Thus, he placed Israel under the power of the kingdom of Baal on earth. This set the stage for an era in which Ethbaal—through his daughter Jezebel--was the real power behind Israel’s monarchy. Ahab was a mere king; Ethbaal was a king of kings to all who worshipped Baal. In Israel, the laws of Baal replaced the laws of God as given by Moses, and it became unlawful to think differently. Jezebel then persecuted the true prophets of God and the Remnant of Grace during the days of Elijah (1 Kings 18:13). A similar environment existed in Thyatira.

THE LETTER TO THE CHURCH AT THYATIRA

Jesus describes himself as:  The Son of God, whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like polished brass; the flaming eyes and feet of brass speak of the Lord’s anger and his judgment against the people of the church in Thyatira. The Lord took time to commend them on their works, love, faith, service, and endurance, and that their last works were greater than the first works. 

Yet this church, the only one that is commended for an improvement in spiritual things, tolerated Jezebel and her idolatrous ways.  The worship of the moon goddess and the fertility goddess often involved sexual immorality as well as idolatry, and so we get the overtones of sexual wrongness attached to the name.  But far worse in God’s eyes is the idolatry vs the behavior.  He hates our worship of other things over him, and will judge it in this life.  He promises sickness for the teachers and great Tribulation for the practitioners of her ways, marking this as a last days church – how else can they be cast into great tribulation?  Further, the Lord promises to ‘kill her children with death’, and at a minimum it is physical death, but if the children have been corrupted beyond salvation, the second death applies. Idolatry is a grave offense in the sight of God.

Overcomers promise:  “to him will I give power over the nations:  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.  And I will give him the morning star.”  The reward in heaven for the Overcomers is the gift of Jesus himself, the morning star.  “At the midnight of our personal darkness we need only remember that Jesus, the star, comes to the horizon of our lives, ushering in a new day of light in which the darkness of our blackest night is chased away. And, like the wise men seeking the newborn King, we are compelled to profess to all the world, "We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." With saints of old, seekers of today, and the celestial choirs of forever, we join in riotous praise as the oppressive gloom of sin and death flees before the shining Morning Star! At His feet we bow our hearts and minds and adore Him.”  Tami Rudkin, Casper, Wyoming; http://www.cog7.org/BA/NowWhat/Articles/Jesus/JesusBrightMor.html