The Letter to Pergamos (Rev. 2:12–17)
The Letter to Pergamos (Rev. 2:12–17)
In the Book of Revelation, John spoke of Pergamos as the place “where Satan’s throne is” (Rev. 2:13). This Satan’s throne could be a reference to the cult of emperor worship because Pergamos was the center where people pledged loyalty to the emperor of the Roman Empire.[1]The Correspondent
2:12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:The Lord Jesus Christ introduced Himself to the angel of the church in Pergamos as the glorified, exalted Christ, “who has the sharp two-edged sword” (Rev. 2:12). This description is also in the vision of “the One like the Son of Man” (Rev. 1:12–17).
The sharp two-edged sword refers to the word of God because it is more piercing than any two-edged sword and can judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12).
The apostle Paul also used the metaphor of a sword to describe the word (Eph. 6:17). That the blade is two-edged depicts the word’s potency and power in exposing and judging the innermost thoughts of the human heart. The word never wields a dull edge.
The Commendation
2:13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
Faithfulness
The Lord Jesus Christ praised the church’s angel in Pergamos for continuing to hold His name fast, even though he lived in the same place of Satan’s throne.
There are many suggestions for the identification of Satan’s throne. Some identify it with the magnificent altar of Zeus that dominated Pergamos. Others connect Satan’s throne with the worship of “the god Asclepius,” depicted as a snake and prevalent in Pergamum. Such symbolism would undoubtedly remind Christians of Satan (Rev. 12:15; 20:2).
Whatever the meaning of “Satan’s throne,” Christians faced persecution for their refusal to worship the gods of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) as they continued to dwell in Pergamos. Despite the persecution and suffering the angel of that church endured, he continued to hold fast the name of Christ and his faith. Therefore, Christ told him, “And you hold fast to My name and did not deny My faith” (Rev. 2:13).
Thus, the church’s angel in Pergamos had the grace of God’s power to maintain his faithfulness in Christ’s name and faith.
Christ came in the name of His Father and with His power and authority. The Lord Jesus Christ said, “I have come in My Father’s name” (John 5:43). In Hebrew, the name of Jesus is (Yehshua), which means Yahweh’s salvation. It is the name of God, our savior in Christ (1Tim. 1:1, 2:3; 2Tim. 1:10). Moreover, Christ is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).
Antipas the Faithful Witness
The church’s angel in Pergamos could maintain his faithfulness, even in the days of the martyrdom of “Antipas” (Rev. 2:13).
Nothing is known for sure about “Antipas” apart from this text. He was probably one of the priests of the Pergamos church. According to tradition, he was burned to death inside a brass bull during the persecution by Emperor Domitian. So, he paid the ultimate price for his refusal to compromise. Because of Antipas’ faithfulness, Christ called him, “My faithful martyr; witness,” the exact title of Christ (Rev. 1:5; 3:14).
Certainly, Antipas had a great faith associated with his godly life. He believed in God, who raised Christ from the dead, and that God would also raise him (2 Cor. 4:13). Antipas bore in his body the marks of Christ (Gal. 6:17). Moreover, he carried in his body the death of Christ so that God might reveal the life of Christ in his body (2 Cor. 4:10). Antipas’ way of life, courage, and faith rebuke those who fall under the temptation to compromise with the world.
The Concern
2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.Tolerating the Balaam’s Doctrines
2:15 Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Holding the Nicolaitians’ Doctrines
The Lord Jesus Christ was also concerned about another false teaching tolerated at Pergamos, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. As far as we know, the Nicolaitans believed a person’s spirit is inherently good, and a person’s flesh is intrinsically evil. They also thought anything done in their body did not affect their spirit. In essence, they were saying, “Live it up; immorality does not matter.” Such teaching tickles many people’s ears, even today. The Lord Jesus Christ was not pleased with loose living then, just as He is not pleased with it today. He knew that “a little leaven leavens the whole lump” (1 Cor. 5:6). Small compromises here and there will eventually corrupt the whole body.[2]The Lord Jesus Christ called the Nicolaitans’ teachings “which thing I hate” (Rev. 2:15), revealing that the heart of His Father hates such heretical teachings. In Leviticus, the Lord God commanded His people to keep the body as well as the self undefiled. He said, “For I am the Lord your God [I am Yahweh your Elohim]. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Lev. 11:44). “Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).
The Command
2:16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.The only remedy for any sinful behavior is to repent. “Repentance” is a word used in Scripture to describe a change of mind that results in a change of behavior. Repentance is God’s command to all people (Acts 17:30). He said in Ezekiel, “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin” (Ezek. 18:30). God is not “willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
The Counsel
2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it”Receiving the Hidden Manna
Receiving a White Stone
Receiving a New Name
Excerpt from: Revealing the Father through the Book of Revelation, by Hegumen Abraam Sleman
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[1] Nelson’s Illustrated Bible
Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
[2] Revelation: God’s Word for the
Biblically-Inept, Raymond R. Duck.
Excerpt from: Revealing the Father through the Book of Revelation, by Hegumen Abraam Sleman
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