Thyatira and Jezebel prt 2.
I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve. – Revelation 21-23 NLT
Adultery is an unholy and forbidden alliance. Revelation 17 will pick up the same theme. Spiritually the church came intertwined with the state and used the power of the state to enforce her decrees. This theme will be picked up again in Revelation 13, 14 and 17-18
The word ‘Thyatira is made up two Greek words ‘thy’ meaning ‘sacrifice,’ and ‘tereo,’ meaning ‘to keep’ which would give us the phrase “keep the sacrifice.”
The content of the letter to Thyatira reveals Jezebel, who taught Israel to sacrifice to the false god, Baal. This led to the confrontation between the prophet Elijah and the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel. The point of the letter is that Thyatira must keep the true sacrifice, the one offered by Elijah, and which has now been offered on our behalf in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ puts no other burden upon His church beyond keeping the true sacrifice. The benefits of this are now being offered in the heavenly sanctuary by Jesus, the Son of God and our High Priest.
We know very little historically about the actual church at Thyatira. In the seven letters to the churches however, it receives more counsel from God than any of the others.
All non-Jews in the Empire were required to participate in Roman civil religion. The Romans tolerated all kinds of religious practices, but no matter what your religion was or where you came from, you were also expected to participate in the ceremonies and public events of Roman society. The city began as a Macedonian colony founded by Alexander the Great. Today it lies buried beneath the contemporary Turkish city of Akhisat, known for its rug making industry. Lydia, in Acts 16:14, who was a seller of purple dye was one of Paul’s first converts in the city.
There were serious consequences for citizens who did not participate in the civil religion, even when the death penalty was not in view. They would be ostracized from the trade guilds, where people networked to build their businesses. They would lose their influence on the development of society or the improvement of their position within it. Lack of participation in the civil religion also resulted in the loss of social opportunities. As a result, those who refused to participate in Roman civil religion became poor, powerless, social outcasts.
In the Western world, today wealth and security seem to represent the highest goals of secular society. But in the Greco-Roman world, there was an even higher goal, status. It was a world that revelled in the honour and esteem of others and poured shame on those who did not conform. In such a world, the restrictions of Christian life and practice virtually guaranteed exclusion from honour and status in one’s own neighbourhood.
So first-century Christians who refused to participate in Roman civil religion suffered serious consequences in business, civil affairs and social contact. The gospel is free but it can cost us our reputations, our families, our jobs, and even our lives. Jesus calls His followers to total commitment, no matter what the cost. That total commitment is rewarded with meaning and purpose in this life and exalted status in the life to come. TBC