Troublesome Topic: The Possible Symbolism of Thyatira

What the city was known for: Guilds were very strong in Thyatira. They were highly loyal to pagan gods and their members participated in various rituals to those gods. These guilds would not allow anyone to be a member, or work in the industries controlled by them, unless he was also willing to join in the rituals to those gods. This was not just any economic pressure, but intense economic pressure that threatened the very livelihood of believers in Jesus.

What the city’s name meant: The name Thyatira meant “sacrifice of labor,” as if the demands of the guilds were warranted and no one should refuse them. Besides that, they seemed proud of these requirements for working in the guilds. I can hear them saying to the Christians, “What’s your problem? It’s just the way things are; it’s the price you have to pay to work here. You either play by these rules or you don’t play at all. If you want to hold rigidly to your Jesus-God then fine, but you won’t work and you won’t have food to eat. It’s your choice.” Another way to look at it is this: They offered their labor itself as an offering to the pagan gods, and they could not understand why the Christians were not willing to do the same.

The next lesson is: The Possible Symbolism of Sardis