Seven Churches of Revelation: The Church in Thyatira

Going east from Pergamum along the river, then south through some hills, you would then go into the long valley of Lycus. It would be a 40-mile journey and then you would reach Thyatira. Apollo, the son of head god Zeus/Jupiter, was especially honored in this city and considered god of the city.

Lydia in Acts was also from Thyatira (Acts 16:13-14). There was a number of trade guilds: woolworkers, linen-workers, makers of garments, dyers, leatherworkers, tanners, potters, bakers, bronze smiths, and sadly, slave-trade. Trade was of incredible importance in this world. While it was a big part of Thyatira, it had a huge role in all the cities of Revelation and all over the Empire. Especially in the coastal cities, people would be seeing goods of all things, including slaves, being imported and exported all day.

Trade was tied to most of their jobs. Many were either involved in these businesses or were farmers, especially producing olives and grapes, the biggest goods exported from Asia Minor.

Trade has a major role in Revelation, too. The economic systems of our world were strongly attacked in Revelation, most savagely in Revelation 18. Trade was important to Revelation beyond just an economic critique. Trade guilds were, as were all things, tied to paganism. This obviously entailed big religious problems for Christians. They were expected to open trade guild meetings with an offering to the gods. Christians of course had to refuse, even though refusing this was to refuse the guild connections which would be disastrous, as they were needed for economic survival.

“Deep Things” and Mystery Cults

Throughout these articles, I’ve been talking about the world of the initial audience of Revelation: a world of perverse sex, martyrdom, paganism, being unable to trade, and other elements.

The reason is this: now think about Revelation 13 with the Beast. When the churches in Smyrna and Pergamum read about the Beast rising from hell and making images of itself, not allowing anyone to buy or sell without worshipping its idol, and slaying those who refuse to worship the idols—these churches would say, yes, this was an accurate description of their current experience and lives. I talk about their world because it helps explain the imagery of cosmic conflict later in Revelation.

Moreso, have you ever been around weird pagan or witchy or demonic stuff and just had a dark feeling? Think of that darkness, and now think of Jesus saying to the church in Pergamum, “I know where you live, where Satan’s throne is.” Their entire city was a throne to the head of the pagan gods, Jupiter. That’s an incredible amount of darkness! Christians there would say, yes, Satan’s throne is an accurate description of their experience living there.

Typically the most dramatic and overtly demonic experiences you might encounter involve something like the occult or false religions: Ouija boards, dabbling in witchcraft, fortune telling, picking up some pagan souvenirs, or a history with the Freemasons or LDS (i.e., Mormon) church (pagan worship is deeply ingrained in their DNA). These are all simply remnants of what was once everywhere, part and parcel and deeply ingrained in the group life of these cities. There was an incredible darkness around them, and in contrast, light of the community of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

“There was an incredible darkness around them, and in contrast, light of the community of Jesus and the Holy Spirit.”

In the last article, I pointed out why Jesus calls Pergamum Satan’s throne—as it was a giant throne to Jupiter, who in Greek was called Zeus and whom Phoenicians called Baal. Jupiter was also called in Israel, Beelzebub. I point this out because of Jesus talking about the false prophet in the Thyatira church as teaching “the deep things of Satan.” Many modern cults likewise have “secrets” in which you only gradually learn that more and more are simply paganism.

One major example is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS). Dr. Reed Durham, director of the LDS Institute of Religion at the University of Utah and president of the Mormon History Association (and a Mormon himself), says of a talisman Joseph Smith had around his neck when he died:

“It is no secret that Smith was infatuated with occultic practices. All available evidence suggests that Joseph Smith the prophet possessed a magical Masonic medallion or talisman, which he worked during his lifetime…can now be identified as a Jupiter talisman…Jupiter being very powerful and ruling in the heavens, these intelligences—by the power of ancient magic—guaranteed to the possessor of this talisman the gain of riches, and favor, and power, and love and peace…”

It’s no wonder that it’s so common for deliverance ministries to often be dealing ex-LDS. As usual, the words to the Seven Churches are still very much for us.

“Many modern cults likewise have ‘secrets’ in which you only gradually learn that more and more are simply paganism.”

They also had “mystery cults” in this time where you would “advance” into more secret rituals and teachings. Of course, the paganism aspect wasn’t hidden back then. They were eager for it, to level up and obtain more “enlightenment.” The rituals could get really dark, such as baptism in the blood of bulls. Many Christians would have been involved in these mystery cults before converting. So it was easy for false prophets to play on these themes they were used to. Obtaining “more” enlightenment after joining a religious group would be a prevalent concept.

I should comment briefly that as people are more and more seeing the failures of the status quo in churches in America, there are greater chances for modern false prophets. There is more and more likelihood of your church facing situations which actually very closely parallel some of the worst of the false prophets teaching the deep things of Satan. Watch out!

The Influence of Jezebel

As referenced, Jupiter/Zeus is identified with the Phoenician god Baal in our Old Testament. Also coming from Phoenicia was Jezebel herself, a princess of Phoenicia who married the king of their neighbor Israel, Ahab. The Old Testament figure of Jezebel is important in the message to Thyatira. And, like Balaam, she will have a major role later on in Revelation. So I want to go ahead and put here verses about her.

Jezebel’s influence polluted Israel with Baal worship and sexual depravity. She was a main enemy of God’s prophet Elijah.

While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets…“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals. Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table…” (1 Kings 18:4, 18-19, NIV)

“Jezebel’s influence polluted Israel with Baal worship and sexual depravity.”

When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?” “How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebel abound?”…Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she put on eye makeup, arranged her hair and looked out of a window. As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri, you murderer of your master?” He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. “Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot… “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh…” So Jehu killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor. (2 Kings 9:22, 30-37, 10:6-11 NIV)

The Message to the Church in Thyatira

Here is Jesus’ message to the church in Thyatira from Revelation 2:18-29 (ESV):

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: “The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

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. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will shepherd them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Eyes of Flames, Feet of Bronze

We get to share in the Life of Christ, shining Him, and sharing His witness to the world. But Jesus examines us strongly by His eyes of flames of fire. And He can stomp out the evil within the Church with His feet of burnished bronze.

Sickness as punishment for sin is actually referenced often, even in the New Testament. Paul says there are those dying in Corinth because some took the Lord’s Supper who shouldn’t. It’s likely not a metaphor. And here in Thyatira we have two ironic contrasting beds: the same place for the sexual immorality Jezebel endorses will be the place for intense suffering and illness from refusing to repent. 

There should be an awareness that God punishes people for their actions in this life, and Christians can bring upon themselves the kinds of curses we read about in Deuteronomy, or face things like Ananias and Saphira, or Thyatira’s Jezebel. This is a clear pattern and even a promise in the Bible. There’s nothing to indicate that sort of thing stops. On the other hand, we certainly shouldn’t assume if bad things are happening to others it is punishment (like Job’s friends). But for our own sakes, we should be aware to examine ourselves and know that sin is a cancer that affects our lives in every aspect, even physically. Know your spiritual condition—individually and as a church—affects all aspects of life, individually and as a church.

“Sin is a cancer that affects our lives in every aspect, even physically.”

The Jesus movement, along with Jews whether Christian or not, saw sexual immorality as a moral horror. And it’s dealt with in that way by Jesus here. As his disciples, we should treat it as a moral horror too. I can’t emphasize enough that most American Christians do not appreciate the seriousness and the danger of sexual sin and sin in general.

Jesus tells the Church, You deal with her. The glorified Christ is the One who searches hearts and minds, who judges churches with His flaming eyes of fire according to their deeds. His blazing eyes see through Jezebel and deception in church, sees the churches’ ways, and with His feet He can stamp out those who oppose Him and His ways. We all need to take these things as seriously as Christ does.

Jezebel (and Balaam for that matter) weren’t deceiving only through sex. Idolatry as well was just as much an issue for them as the sexual sin. Of course, these two go hand in hand. Idol worship is very, very prevalent in the West. Idols of careers and materialism and, especially with younger people, romance, sports, and sex itself.

There also is overtly demonic idolatry. There is a looming possibility of people who come to your church intending to bring evils much worse than what you have ever expected or could expect possible. I have known people who followed overtly demonic movements behind the veil of “we’re Christians—but more.” Never be naive. If some teaching seems off, investigate, and if wrong, shut it down before it grows.

“Never be naive. If some teaching seems off, investigate, and if wrong, shut it down before it grows.”

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Obey the Lord! Don’t take it lightly! You have nothing to worry about if you have a resolve beforehand not to blindly allow those teachings or teachers, and to test the spirits and if you find them to be false, cast them out.

Hold Fast

The world is a very dark place. There certainly are challenges, yet all of which you don’t have to worry about so long as you follow Christ. He leads you through them all! As we see here, He gives clear, straightforward instructions nobody can be confused over. Not just here, but in all challenges, we have His Word and His Spirit.

Our walk is filled with challenges but filled with much greater victory in faith! Think of how these early Christians conquered. We know from the early history of the Church that just after this generation, the great heroes and faithful followers of the Messiah were predominantly Gentiles, those whose lives and identities were once totally in paganism. The churches of Revelation literally changed the ways of these nations. The ones who conquer, who step out in faith, will shepherd the groups that are their current enemies, those of pagan ways, into greater ways. They change the world. They experience victories they wouldn’t have believed possible if they hadn’t experienced it for themselves.

Whatever the hardships, the conquerors, even if they may have nothing else, have Christ, and Christ is all, and gives eternity. He is worth the sacrifices. Christ is giving himself to you.

“I am the root and offspring of David, the shining morning star.” (Revelation 22:16b, ESV)

“And I will give him the morning star.” (Revelation 2:28, ESV)

Excerpted from The Song of the Lamb: The Beautiful and Powerful Art and Message of Revelation by Jonathan Young. Used by permission.