19 Nov. John decries sexual immorality in Thyatira
"Write this to the angel of the church in Thyatira;"
"The Son of God, who has eyes that blaze like fire and feet like shining bronze, says this:
I know what you do. I know about your love, your faith, your service and your patience. I know that you are doing more now than you did at first."
"But I have this against you:
You let that woman Jezebel spread false teachings. She says she is a prophetess, but by her teaching, she leads my people to take part in sexual sins and to eat food that is offered to idols."
"I have given her time to change her heart and turn away from her sin, but she does not want to change. So I will throw her on a bed of suffering. And all those who take part in adultery with her will suffer greatly if they do not turn away from the wrongs she does..."
"But others of you in Thyatira have not followed her teaching and have not learned what some call Satan's deep secrets. I say to you that I will not put any other load on you. Only continue in your loyalty until I come."
"I will give power over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and continues to be obedient to me until the end. 'You will rule over them with an iron rod, as when pottery is broken into pieces'." [Psalm 2:9]
(Revelation 2:18-27)
Thyatira was founded by the Lydians, and conquered by Alexander the Great’s general Seleucus Nicanor in the 3rd century BC. By the 1st century AD, it was well known for its cloth making and dyeing industries, using an expensive purple dye extracted from the bodies of thousands of murex shellfish.
In Philippi, Paul had met and converted Lydia, a Jewish woman who may have been the overseas agent for a Thyatiran cloth manufacturer (see Acts 16:14).
In writing to this city, John criticised some of the Christian believers for practising pagan rituals involving sexual immorality, and eating food which had been offered as a sacrifice to idols.
The immoral sexual practices - including adultery - were being encouraged by a woman whom John called 'Jezebel' - a reference to the notoriously immoral wife of Israel's King Ahab at the time of the prophet Elijah (see 1 Kings 16:29-33).
On the other hand, John praised some of the believers for their faithfulness under persecution. He urged them to continue their loyalty to Jesus Christ, and promised them a victorious reward at the end of time: "I will give power over the nations to everyone who wins the victory and continues to be obedient to me until the end." (Revelation 2:26)
Little remains of Roman Thyatira, though a small archaeological garden in the heart of the modern Turkish city of Akhisar contains fragments of ceremonial arches and Corinthian capitals (see the photo).
You can read more about Thyatira @ https://www.thebiblejourney.org/…/the-messages-to-the-beli…/