Church For All Nations

And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul

Acts 16:14

 

The ancient city of Thyatira is now the modern Turkish city of Akhisar. Photos and engravings show the remains of the ancient columns and arches. 

The name is probably Lydian. It lies in the far west of Turkey, southwest of Istanbul and east-northeast of Athens. It is about 50 miles (80 km) from the Aegean Sea.

During every ministry I always try to give answers to most questions but as with the City of Thyatira the answers to certain questions cannot be found. We are not certain who founded the church in Thyatira, but two names are the forerunners to the answers to this question.

It is not clear whether the church of Thyatira was an extension of the apostle Paul’s ministry during his visit to nearby Ephesus, Acts 19:1;10

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. Acts 19:1

This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. Acts19:10

It is also unknown who planted the church at Thyatira, some scholars think that it was Paul, others say that it was Lydia who started the church.
Whether Lydia returned home to help start the church at Thyatira. we know that Lydia became an important figure in the church at Thyatira, and some of her family members came to Christ and were baptized following her conversion.

The book of Acts also notes an important detail about Lydia’s profession in relation to Thyatira: Lydia was a seller of purple fabrics (Acts 16:14).

One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.  Acts 16:14

Textiles, specifically the export of wool and dyed goods, boosted Thyatira’s economy, making it a regional powerhouse of commerce. Thyatira was known for its numerous trade guilds, including wool merchants, bakers, potters, tanners, and coppersmiths. Many of these guilds worshipped a particular deity and expected members to make sacrifices to it. Those who refused, often struggled to find work—which proved very complicated for Christians who had left idolatry behind.

V 18-19.  18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

The letter started of whom it was addressed to, to the church at Thyatira.

Jesus starts this letter with a note of praise for the church in Thyatira for their Charity, Service, Faith, Patience, and thy Works. Ministries within the church started well, not only did the church at Thyatira start as they followed the teachings of our Lord. The people also grew stronger in their faith and their ministries within the church which had started to grow, as Jesus stated in His letter, “Your deeds of late are greater than at first.”  

Many of today’s churches have started in the same way and their church were filled to capacity with worshippers, and before very long the eyes of some, had turned away from Jesus and back onto the world and what the world had to offer,

 

I can’t help looking back to the seven churches and comparing them with the church in our world today. We may not have gods of wood and stone in every home, on every street corner in the middle of the town or on the top every hillside and mountain, but look around your homes today, what is you god? What could you not live without?

 

Is it you television, radio or any other furniture in your home? What about outside or in your garage, could it be your car, your motorcycle or bicycle.

In relaxation or sport, your fishing equipment, tennis racket, football, golf clubs and many more.

Whatever you have that stops you from your daily bible readings and studies or your special time in worshipping God then you have put a false god of this world in place of worshipping the one & only True God.

 

What about the god of this world that nobody can live without, when misused it has caused people to lie, steal, fight and even kill to acquire as much as one person can have.

Money, the bible passage that is often misquoted which is as follows, “Money is the root of evil,” which is wrong, the true quotation is that “For The love of Money is the root of all evil.”

I should have mentioned gold as in the western time people would murder and jump the claim of gold mines after murdering everyone who was working the mine.

 

For the love of Money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10

 

There is nothing wrong with people being rich, it is what they do with their money that is sinful. Whether we have accumulated a vast fortune or we have just a little to get by on, we should always give to God 10% of what we receive each week or month whether in money, crops or weekly food.

 

V20-24 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

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21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.

22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

 

The church at Thyatira found it very difficult to find work as a Christian but many continued to live by the sharing of what they had. Many Christians were not strong in their faith and succumbed to the temptation of the outside world.

 

The Church in Thyatira eventually started to take its eyes off Jesus Christ, especially now, seeing that many non-believers who worshipped false gods were becoming wealthy, it wasn’t long before the church in Thyatira was joined by a woman who was Satan’s disciple, she must have been very persuasive and seductive, some of the people must have been beguiled as they listened to the false prophetess who was now brought in the midst of their church assembly.

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The statement "some of the people must have been beguiled as they listened to the false prophetess" indicates that some individuals were deceived or misled by the false prophetess's words. "Beguiled" implies a charming or deceptive influence, suggesting the listeners were persuaded or swayed by her pronouncements, even though they were not truthful. This highlights the persuasive power of false prophets and the susceptibility of their audience.

 

The statement describes a situation where some members of a church assembly were deceived by a false prophetess. The use of "beguiled" suggests that they were misled or tricked into believing her false teachings. The presence of the false prophetess in the church assembly implies that her influence was significant enough to warrant her being brought before the congregation.

 

Our Lord rightly calls her what she is “Jezebel”. The most wicked woman in the bible.

 

V20. You tolerate thar woman Jezebell, who calls herself a prophetess.

 

The name “Jezebel” had, in fact, become proverbial for wickedness. Thus, this disreputable, so-called “prophetess” was as wicked and dangerous an influence in Thyatira as 'Jezebel' had been to Israel in the OT. Note also that she “calls herself a prophetess” (1Kings 19:1ff)

37 And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel. 2 Kings 9:37

 

The problem within the church was that they were tolerating sin. They were an active, flourishing, busy, growing church, but they were in severe danger, and that danger came from sin. Churches must be intolerant of false teaching and of immorality. The church tolerated this woman — an idolatrous one, one that was into the deep things of Satan.

I have heard a few explanations by bible scholars of why they tolerated this woman and who she was. Some have explained that she was the leader of her own church????

Other explanations that the Christians thought that they were strong in their faith to change her way of life and bring her to Christ in faith????

When you are faced with this situation ask for the wisdom of God to fill your hearts and walk away. Take this problem to the leaders of the church.

 

It should have been the Bishop/Pastor and the church elders of the church in Thyatira to guide and to lead the people according to the word of God, to recognise the infiltration of wickedness that was entering the house of God and to stamp it out and to throw the memory and worship of this the wicked prophetess who our Lord had called Jezebel out onto the streets, followed by any members of the church who chose to follow her, and all who had turned their backs on the living God.

The place of worship should have been scrubbed and swept clean, the hearts of the people should have been brought before our Lord Jesus Christ in faith and repentance, but this did not happen, and the worship of that wicked woman continued to grow within the church at Thyatira.

 

V21-22.  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.

 

Her activity must have been going on for some time and all previous warnings have fallen on deaf ears and a closed heart.

Now, she would have to face sickness, and plagues would fall as a judgement on her and her followers.

 

V23.  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.

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Jesus states, "I will kill her children with death." This refers to the judgment He will bring upon those who follow the teachings of the "prophetess Jezebel" in the church at Thyatira, not literally killing their physical offspring. This verse highlights Jesus's authority and his commitment to purify the church by dealing with those who lead others into sin. Those who have sinned within the church have now been given a warning of what would happen if they continued to sin and follow the path of Satan.

The choice is theirs, to follow the road that they are now on or repent and to follow Jesus.

Eternal life or eternal damnation, the choice was now theirs.

 

V24-25.  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,

 

As there is a heavenly Wisdom which explores the deep things of God, so there is a counterfeit wisdom that promises to open up ‘deep things but be warned this counterfeit wisdom are ‘deep things of Satan’

Which is probably a reference to some form of Gnostic teachings. It is very dangerous to seek or receive the mysteries of Satan.

10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.

1 Corinthians 2:10

 

I will not impose any other burden on you: ie, than those imposed by the Council of Churches of Jerusalem.

25 Except to hold on to what you have until I come.’ To continue to grow in their faith, proclaiming the word of God, to feed the poor and to look after the Widows and Orphans and to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and to love your neighbour as yourselves. Matthew 22:37

 

V 26-29.  26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:

 

27 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.

28 And I will give him the morning star.

29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

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We now come to the conclusion of this message, Rev. 2:26-29. Here we have, 1. The promise of an ample reward to the persevering victorious believer, in two parts:—(1.) Very great power and dominion over the rest of the world: Power over the nations, which may refer either to the time when the empire should turn Christian, and the world be under the government of the Christian emperor, as in Constantine’s time; or to the other world, when believers shall sit down with Christ on his throne of judgment, and join with him in trying, and condemning, and consigning over to punishment the enemies of Christ and the church. The upright shall have dominion in the morning. (2.) Knowledge and wisdom, suitable to such power and dominion: I will give him the morning-star. Christ is the morning-star. He brings day with him into the soul, the light of grace and of glory; and he will give his people that perfection of light and wisdom which is requisite to the state of dignity and dominion that they shall have in the morning of the resurrection. 2. This epistle ends with the usual demand of attention: He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. In the foregoing epistles, this demand of attention comes before the concluding promise; but in this, and all that follow, it comes after, and tells us that we should all attend to the promises as well as to the precepts that Christ delivers to the churches. Taken from the Matthew Henry Bible Commentary.

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The Church of Thyatira, mentioned in the Book of Revelation, continued to exist within the ancient city of Thyatira, which is now known as Akhisar in Turkey. While the ancient city and its original church are no longer present in the same form, the modern city of Akhisar still exists and is a centre for agriculture, particularly tobacco and olive oil production. There are no known churches or active Christian communities within Akhisar itself. However, the region surrounding Akhisar has a history of Christian presence and some believers still live in the area. 

Once Christian communities allow sin to come into their fellowship and sin is embraced by the Christian community, that Christian church will eventually die.

 

We are now seeing this happening in the UK now, Christian church building over the past 20 years have been closing at a phenomenal speed whilst the Muslim religion have been opening more and more of their Places of worship.

 

In 2025 we have now seen an increase of people going to church services which is good news. As Christians we can no longer sit back on our laurels.

 

The phrase "Christians can no longer sit back on their laurels" implies that Christians should not be complacent or rely solely on past achievements or traditions but should actively engage with the world and their faith. It suggests a need for continued growth, outreach, and dedication to living out Christian principles in the present and future. This is often interpreted as a call to action, urging believers to be proactive in sharing their faith and contributing to society.

 

• If Jesus visited your church, what would He find?

• What would He have to say to your church?

• What would His letter to you say?

 

Please think and pray about this before it is too late. Jesus is coming quickly, don’t  ignore our Lords commandments and His final command.

 

Amen.

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