Revelation 2:18-29

Thyatira is the fourth church mentioned in the book of Revelation.

It was located about 40 miles southeast of Pergamum.

Unlike Pergamum (a major political capital), Thyatira was the smallest and least significant of the seven cities, yet it received the longest letter from Christ.

Today, its ruins are located in the modern Turkish city of Akhisar.

It was a major commercial center famous for its trade guilds (labor unions)—including coppersmiths, bronze workers, tanners, and dyers. (Lydia, the "seller of purple goods" in Acts 16, was originally from Thyatira).

The patron god of Thyatira was Apollo Tyrimnaios (the sun god).

The Roman emperor was worshipped here alongside Apollo as a "son of the gods."

To make a living, citizens had to belong to a trade guild. Every guild had a ...