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Thyatira was another one of the churches we read about in the letters to the churches in the beginning of the book of Revelation.

We can read about the church of Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29:

“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give that one the morning star. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.



It sounds like there is yet another church that is told they have done a lot of good, but have that problem. This is quite the recurring theme in these letters to point out any positive and then the biggest issue at hand.

In Thyatira we find that it mentions a woman, Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. Some people believe that this is literally the Jezebel we read about in the book of 1 Kings. Other say that the name Jezebel has been used after Queen Jezebel to describe an immoral woman (and is perhaps relating back to a Bible story that others would understand). Maybe some of us have heard the term "Jezebel spirit," as well.

Either way, in the church of Thyatira there was a woman who was misleading other believers in that church to do things that God forbids such as sexual immorality, worshipping idols, etc.

God noticed that this church tolerated the false prophetess' behavior. Even though she had been given the opportunity to repent of these sins, she was unwilling to do so. Needless to say, these things don't make God happy.

As far as history of Thyatira goes, it was an ancient Greek city in Asia Minor. In todays' modern times, it is the Turkish city of Akhisar. Thyatira was located roughly 25 miles southeast of Pergamos. This city has also seen it's fair shares of wars, destruction, and reconstruction.

Those in Thyatira were often poor unlike some of these other cities of churches that we read about that were often far more wealthy. In Thyatira there were many guilds for workers and artisans, with groups of unionized workers. While there were many laborers in Thyatira, they were big time manufacturers of metals such as brass and bronze and they often dyed clothes - many times of royal purple. Back then, if you had money or high status, purple was the color to wear - it was often beautiful yet expensive. It's often said that it was a wealthy city with many poor, hard working people.

So, while their trade route wasn't as prime as Sardis, Thyatira was still a lesser trade route.

Some belived that the purple dye that was used in Thyatira was made more of the madder-root instead of shell-fish. This color today is referred to as Turkish red.

Perhaps some of us who have come across churches that we feel have been a bit tolerant of believers whose behavior was rebellion against God's word. Perhaps we've been the person whether intentionally or by mistake that had before led others astray.