The whole book of Revelation is highly symbolic and open to many interpretations, including the seven letters to the churches that are featured in chapters 2 and 3.  I chose to research the background and character of the original church and see what teachings and warnings we can glean from it for our own churches and personal lives.  The letter for the church at Thyatira is the fourth letter.

Thyatira is where modern Turkey is situated.  It was a thriving manufacturing and commercial centre during New Testament times and the city was famous for dying purple cloth.  There is archaeological proof that it would have been a city that was involved in pagan customs and practices such as superstitious worship, feasts using food sacrificed to pagan gods, and loose sexual morality.  In this letter to the church of Thyatira, the letter refers to a certain woman known as ‘Jezebel’ who taught and tempted the Christians at Thyatira to conform to the paganism and sexual immorality of their surroundings.

One of the titles that has been given to this church is ‘the compromising church’ as there were some who were following the teaching which undermined loyalty to God by promoting tolerance towards pagan practices.  The church in Thyatira were warned of punishment and told to repent.  The others in the church who didn’t follow the destructive teaching were encouraged to hold on.

In the painting there are two lots of church steeples.  Some are directed upwards towards God and heaven and are coloured with purple and gold.  Purple is a royal colour, as well as it being the colour dye that the city was known for.  Gold is the colour I use to indicate God’s presence.  The other steeples have their direction pointing down and are black, and are in the negative space of the other steeples.