The words of the Son of God who has eyes like a flame of fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze (Revelations 2:18).
Thyatira was a small town in which the textile industry flourished because the water in this region was so well adapted for the ‘dyeing industry’ It became so famous for its purple dye, which is today known as the ‘Turkish Red’. The manufacture of this purple cloth was considered to be a trade secret of the Thyatirian community of textile traders and membership in this trade guild was mandatory. In other words, to do business with this product, one must become a member of this guild and not joining the guild was equivalent to committing business hara-kiri. The catch – 22 situation for a Christian businessman to join this guild meant that -
- He should eat meat sacrificed to the idol of Apollo, who was worshipped as the sun god.
- Several times in a year, he needed to participate in pagan sexual rituals, recommended for better understanding between the members of the guild.
Most of the Christian textile businessmen and women were surreptitiously yielding to the demands of the guild – by making adjustments in life and live dangerously by infringing the commands of God for the sake of prosperity. Apollo, the god worshipped in Thyatira was depicted with flaming eyes and feet of burnished brass.
Jesus, the true Son of God revealed Himself to this church through the angel as one who had flaming eyes, with which He could see the abominations committed in the secret chambers of the guild. He warned the Christians in the guild, that He was coming with a feet of brass to crush the immoral and judge them if they do not repent of these sins.