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| Thyatira
(Akhisar) was an
insignificant town until it was refounded by Seleucus
Nicator in the beginning of the 3rd century BC. It was
originally a military fort but lost this purpose with the
Pax Romana and became a wealthy commercial city. The city
had a number of trade guilds. Every skilled worker was a
member of a union (listed as tailors,
woolworkers,tanners, potters, bakers, etc).
Commercial guilds in Thyatira were connected with the
pagan religions of the city and involved participation in
pagan rituals,feasts and celebrations. |
The
ancient city of Thyatira (Akhisar) is located approximately 80 Kms to the north-east of Smyrna
(Izmir) and lies mostly under the current city of Akhisar. Only the temple of
Apollo, an
ancient church and a collonaded road remained till today.
The city was founded by Lydians and named as Pelopio. Selucus
Nicator, one of the generals of Alexander the Great, took over the
control of the city in the 3rd century B.C. and changed its name to
Thyatira. During the
following centuries Pergamum became the ruler of the city. It was lying on a very flat
land and was very hard to defend.
Apollo was the most influencial god of Thyatira.
After 100 B.C. the Roman influence was very apparent. The earliest settlers
of the city were the Jews. There was a large colony of Jewish settlers known to be living
in the city throughout the centuries.
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In his letter to the church and the Christian citizens of
Thyatira, St.John
was writing :
Revelation
(2:18) To the angel of the church in Thyatira write :
This is the message from the Son of God, whose eyes blaze like fire, whose feet shine like
polished brass.
(2:19) I know what you do. I know your
love, your faithfulness, your service,
and your patience. I know that you are doing more now than you did at
first.
(2:20) But this is what I have against you : you tolerate that woman
Jezebel,
who calls herself a messenger of God. By her teaching she misleads my servants into
practicing sexual immortality and eating food that has been offered to
idols.
(2:21) I have her time to repent of her
sins, but she does not want to turn from
her immortality.
(2:22) And so I will throw her on a bed where she and those who committed
adultery with her will suffer terribly. I will do this now unless they repent of the
wicked things they did with her.
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(2:23) I will also kill her
followers, and then all the churches will know that
I am the one who knows everyone's thoughts and wishes. I will repay each one of you
according to what he has done.
(2:24) But the rest of you in Thyatira have not followed this evil
teaching; you
have not learned what the others call 'the deep secrets of Satan.' I say to you that I
will not put any other burden on you.
(2:25) But until I
come, you must hold firmly to what you have.
(2:26-28)
To those who win the victory, who continue to the end to do what I
want, I
will give the same authority that I received from my Father : I will give them authority
over the nations, to rule them with and iron rod and to break thm to pieces like clay
pots. I will also give them the morning star.
(2:29) If you have
ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!
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