Revelationstudy 5: Chapter 2, Verses 12-17

RevelationStudy 5: Chapter 2, Verses 12-17

“Holdfast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”

2 Timothy 1:3

12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this:

“The church at Pergamum had failed to take the warnings about worldliness seriously.”

-John MacArthur

“the one who has the sharp two-edged sword”

- Jesus (Rev. 1:16) (Rev. 19:15)

This is a sharp statement meant to imply some severity

Pergamum

• 100 miles north of Ephesus
• Smyrna was halfway in between
• Located in the Caicus Valley 15 miles inland from the Aegean Sea
• Ancient capital of Asia at least for 250 years by the time John wrote Revelation
• considered Asia’s greatest city
• Last of the Pergamenian kings bequeathed his throne to Rome in 133 B.C.
• Built on a hilltop 1,000 feet above the plain it overlooks
• Second largest library in the world
• rivaled the library at Alexandria
• Important center of culture and learning
• Considered itself the defender of Greek culture in Asia minor
• Important for worship in Athena, Asklepios, Dionysos, and Zeus
• Center of emperor worship
• First temple built to worship the Emperor was constructed (Built to Augustus)
• Later, temples built for Trajan and Septimus Severus
• There was also widespread worship of Asclepius and Zeus
• Antipas was martyred for not worshiping emperor
• Today is the Turkish city of Bergama

13 I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

“I know where you dwell” – a statement of intimacy

“where Satan’s throne is”

• The center of the imperial cult (temple was suggested to have look like a throne)

• Asclepius was worshiped; was a god of healer, and many came from all over to be healed; this god was depicted as a snake; nonpoisonous snakes roamed freely in the temple.

“and you hold fast to My name and did not deny My faith”

• Despite difficult circumstances, Pergamum courageously maintained their faith in Jesus Christ
• Held fast His name although living where Satan’s throne is
• There is a monumental colonnaded court in the form of a horseshoe, 120 by 112 feet; had a podium on the altar that was almost 18 feet tall

Antipas, My witness

• Not much is known about Antipas (tradition holds that he was roasted to death inside a brass bull by Domitian.)
• Witness- (martus) where we get the world martyr

“My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells”

Antipas is called, “My faithful one” because he stood in the place where Satan was dwelling and stood against him so strongly that it cost him his life

14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality.

“because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak”

• False teaching was starting to happen

• Teachings of Balaam (Numbers 22-25)
• Balaam used sexual immorality to seduce the Israelites

Notice that Pergamum had “some”

• The majority of the believers at Pergamum did not participate in the errors of either heretical group; Their sin was not doing anything.
• Didn’t practice church discipline

15 So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

The Nicolaitans, whoever they were, also had a presence as well

• Does the existence of sexual immorality possible substantiates that it was an adherence to sexual sin?

16 Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.

They are given a sharp word to repent; otherwise Jesus would come quickly and handle the problem.

17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.'

A charge to them to listen.

“to him I will give some of the hidden manna”

The true spiritual food that nourishes the soul

“I will give him a white stone”

A stone that cannot be destroyed

“a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.”

On this stone would be written the name that God knows us intimately by

Promises are addressed to he who overcomes

1 John 5:4-5

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?