Thyatira - a lot more than meets the eye, and most of it you can’t see

I get the privilege to introduce Thyatira for the purposes of this blog.  I will be explaining not only what Thyatira looked like but how it felt to be there, and hopefully give an accurate representation of the city in ancient times with a background on what the city of Thyatira has been up to since the ancient times.   Following a historical commentary on the city, I will talk about how it is also the fourth city to be mentioned in Revelation.

Pulling into the busy city of Thyatira was not exactly the most thrilling considering most of us were asleep until we heard the call the get off of the bus because we had arrived.  Slowly arising from my seat and leaving the bus I realized that the “ancient” city that I was visiting was not so ancient after all.  Unless they were selling double chocolate ice cream bars back when John and Peter were walking the earth. 

After walking across the busy intersection where mopeds threatened to take out our legs we entered through a large metal gate which opened up an ancient ruin filled with huge stones that looked as though they were very important at one time.  So like clockwork we all met in the middle of the one block parcel of ancient land surrounded by not so ancient buildings and listened to Cenk (pronounced Jenk) our tour guide talk.  As he talked I remembered many things I read in the Mark Wilson book Biblical Turkey.  Thyatira was a intersection point between the ancient city of Pergamum and Bithynia (watchtower garrison), and a central road junction in northern Lydia.  Naturally, because it sits upon valuable ground the city was desired by many which is shown in the following history.  Seleucus I settled the land in 281 BC forming a military settlement.  Then in 190 BC the Seleucids under Antiochus III held the city, then Prusias of Bithynia in 150 BC, Then Aristonicus 133 BC.  The transferring of power in critical cities in this time was not uncommon. 

Some of the snails that cling to the monument fragments today

When Thyatira was a roman city it became very wealthy by selling purple cloth.  Purple die during this time period was very important, it was obtained by smashing snails because it was naturally created inside of them.  The wealthy people were identified by wearing purple because it meant royalty.  The common person wore dust white clothes normally because it was expensive to buy colored clothing and was only for the upper class.  Soldiers wore red to identify themselves as soldiers with power.  There is thought to have been a bronze or metal worker industry judging by some of the buildings found and inscriptions deciphered. Overall, unlike Smyrna, Thyatira has no temples or alters on record.

Now continuing in time, Thyatira was not found until the 17 Century AD by a British man by the name of Paul Rycault when he was visiting the 7 cities of Revelation. Although most of the ancient city is covered by the now modern city there is the one block section that we stood in.  As we listened to Cenk, I began to realize what we were standing on.  It was a church that was built in the 6^th century AD that had a cemetery behind it unsuspectingly covering a Roman street, column bases and drums, Corinthian columns that made up a monumental entrance, and the walls of a 6 Century AD Administrative building.   Naturally there was an odd feeling of awe, not the same type of excitement coming from a mountaintop experience, or the acropolis temple views, it was a sense of awe of the unseen.  The seen eluded to the unseen, in that, one unusual block in the middle of the city gives proof that not far underneath many other buildings are the same types of ruins.   

In Revelation 2:18-29, the writer John records the longest letter out of all of the letters to the churches of revelation, to Thyatira.   Some say that it is the longest letter to the most insignificant city.    Verses 18-20 talk about The son of God with eyes of fire and feet like burnished bronze talking to the angel at Thyatira saying he was satisfied with their perseverance.  This goes along with the theme of faithfulness to the end that john emphasize.  Verses 20-23 talk about Jezebel, who represents someone who would draw the people away from the God.  This is where we see some irony used with a bed.  It says that she will be cast on a bed of suffering, when usually a jezebel would be using this bed to seduce men away from their morals.  Then again he talks about being rewarded for your deeds. Verse 24 says “deep secrets” which refers to Gnosticism: the idea of pulling away from the physical and embracing the spiritual. Verses 26-29 highlight the importants of being faithful to the end. 

Thyatira is one of many cites to see, however Thyatira in particular is more like an ice-burg: it’s a lot more than meets the eye and most of it you can’t see.

--Eric