Revelation 2:12-17 (Pergamum)

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 2

To the Church in Pergamum

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

So far we’ve looked at Jesus’ words to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna, and now, this week we turn to Jesus’ letter to the church in Pergamum. Now, if you weren’t here for the last two sermons on Ephesus and Smyrna I encourage you to head over to our website and take some time to listen to them. While we look at each letter individually we also see that, in many respects, these letters are connected, and even build on each other. These letters were written to real congregations that existed in history, and they were all contemporaries of one another. They were all undoubtedly aware of each other’s existence and were subject to many of the same, or similar circumstances.

Therefore, we find that what impacted Ephesus also impacted Pergamum. And each church responded to those circumstances differently. Similarly, when we look at the church in our day, many of the churches in our country face comparable circumstances, but individual congregations may respond differently to those circumstances. So as we survey these letters to the churches in John’s day they’re intended to stand as a sober warning that we too are at risk of falling prey to many of the same evils they did, but these letters are also given to us ultimately to preserve the church in our day.

Pergamum

That being said, let’s look now at Jesus’ letter to the church in Pergamum. The name Pergamum or Pergamos literally means citadel or fortress, descriptive of a fortified city. It was located on the south side of a hill approximately 1,000’ above a surrounding plain, which provided the city with natural military security, forcing an attacker to approach from below. The poor lived near the bottom of the hill, above them was the business district, above that lived those who were wealthy, and near the top of the hill sat the city’s public buildings and religious temples. The city was about 55 miles north of Smyrna along the Roman mail route, and approximately 15 miles from the Aegean Sea. You may recall, both Ephesus and Smyrna were cities located along the coastline, but all five remaining cities, like Pergamum, were further inland.

Pergamum is believed to be the oldest city in Asia Minor, and while it doesn’t exist today the Turkish town of Bergama sits below the old city. Evidence of the old city can still be seen today, including its famous Pergamum Theater which had a capacity of about 10,000 people, a public library containing more than 200,000 handwritten scrolls, sitting above the city was a temple and alter built to the Greek god, Zeus, near the city limits there was a complex of buildings that served as a combination hospital-temple built for Asclepius (uh-sklee-pee-us), the Greek god of healing. The symbol of Asclepius was that of a snake wrapped around a pole, which is still a familiar icon in the medical industry today. The city was also known, at the time, especially for it’s emperor cult worship, around 29 B.C. they erected a temple to the emperor Augustus. Many historians point out that Pergamum stood at the very heart of Roman emperor cult worship, which, as you can imagine would ultimately be a recipe for conflict with Christianity.

Sharp two-edged sword

And so Jesus writes to the church in Pergamum, and begins by introduction there in verse 12,

English Standard Version Chapter 2

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

We’ve seen this language before in John’s Apocalypse, in chapter 1, verse 16 when John described Jesus as holding seven stars in his right hand, and from his mouth coming a sharp two-edged sword. This language is prevalent throughout the Scriptures, describing the cutting nature of God’s words and his judgments, as the writer of Hebrews describes, that his words pierce to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart, that no creature is hidden from his sight, but that all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him, to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:12)

This is why the Bible is so unpopular in our culture. The word of God doesn’t speak like we do, it doesn’t beat around the bush, mince words, or tip-toe around subjects it gets right to the point and at the heart, it’s cutting. It has sharp edges and hard corners, whereas we would much rather dull its edges and soften those corners. We’re tempted to dull the blade that we might not get hurt. When the Apostle Peter preached on Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 we read that at Peter’s words the people were cut to the heart. The nature of God’s word is to cut and expose.

An in chapter one the church is meant to see this as comforting, that the wickedness of their persecutors will not go unnoticed or remain hidden from his sight, but that from his mouth comes a sharp two-edged sword with which he will strike them down. And while this is undoubtedly the message here as well, later, in verse 16 we’ll see that Jesus warns the church in Pergamum that this weapon will also be turned against them if they don’t repent.

Holding fast my name

The church in Pergamum is both commended and rebuked, but at first it’s praised for its faithfulness. We read there in verse 13,

English Standard Version Chapter 2

13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

Now, we don’t know anything about Antipas, except that he was obviously a martyr, a faithful witness. The word witness is a translation of the Greek word martys, from which we get the word martyr. Antipas was a faithful witness, even unto death. This is the same description John uses to describe Jesus back in chapter 1, verse 5, when he writes,

English Standard Version Chapter 1

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

Jesus had set an example, and Antipas had followed that example, he had taken up his cross and followed Jesus, even unto death, and the whole church is commended for a similar faithfulness, not denying the faith. While Jesus had warned the church in Smyrna earlier that they were about to suffer, some being thrown into prison, and others being put to death, the church in Pergamum had already tasted these kinds of trials. The birth pangs had already begun.

Satan’s throne

It also says that they held fast to his name, despite dwelling where Satan’s throne was. As I mentioned earlier, Pergamum was at the heart of emperor cult worship, having even a temple built to worship the emperor Augustus himself. If you recall, there are two beasts described in Revelation chapter 13, one in particular, the first beast that rises out the sea, signified the Roman Empire. This beast is demonically animated by the dragon himself (who is the devil), and to the first beast the dragon gives his authority, and we’re told that they worshipped the beast. Now, the beast worship described in Revelation 13 is a portrayal of the emperor cult worship that took place throughout the Roman Empire, the people’s worship of Rome and her emperors, of which was present especially in Pergamum. So prevalent that Jesus describes Pergamum as where Satan’s throne is.

Therefore, the church’s faithfulness in Pergamum is especially remarkable. Read there again in verse 13,

English Standard Version Chapter 2

13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

Notice the emphasis that Jesus puts on this, referring twice to his awareness that they have held fast to his name despite dwelling “where Satan’s throne is” or “where Satan dwells.” Jesus knows where they live, he recognizes the real danger they face dwelling where Satan’s throne is, and their faithfulness has not gone unnoticed. What a commendation! Despite dwelling in the enemy’s camp they have remained faithful. What an example for us to follow, unrelenting faithfulness in the face of the most extreme circumstances. Unwilling to deny the faith even when faced with death. Would the Lord see fit to give us that same courage!

Teaching of Balaam

However, despite this commendation we read there in verse 14,

English Standard Version Chapter 2

14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans.

This is one of the issues that we see explicitly impacting at least three of the seven churches. It’s also an issue that we see specifically addressed in the Book of Acts during the Jerusalem council, and again later in some of the Apostle Paul’s letters to the churches. These two categories of idolatry and sexual immorality. These sins appear to be particularly associated with a group known as the Nicolaitans, of which we know little to nothing about, except that their teaching and practices were akin to the likes of Balaam and Jezebel of the OT. We’ll see in the next letter addressed to Thyatira that these sins are likened to Jezebel, while here in the letter to Pergamum that these sins are likened to Balaam.

Now, to better understand what these churches were facing let’s take a moment to recall the Israelites first encounter with Balaam. The story is found in Numbers 22-25, before the Israelites crossed over the Jordan river to enter the promised land. They had just made quick work of the Amorites, and they were encamped in the plains of Moab on the east side of the Dead Sea. And this had put fear into the hearts of the Moabites living there, and we’re told that Balak, the king of Moab, was greatly troubled by Israel’s presence, because they were great in number. Balak feels threatened by this mob of Israelites wandering around in the wilderness, and he says, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” (Num. 22:4)

Therefore, Balak hired a man named Balaam, one who practiced divination to help, and Balak said to him, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt, and it covers the face of the earth. Now come curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to fight against them and drive them out.” (Num. 22:11) So, Balak’s plan was to drive the Israelites out of the land, but he believed it was necessary to have Balaam curse them first in order to give him the advantage, in order for him to be successful.

However, throughout the story God makes it very clear that he will not allow Balaam to curse Israel. In fact, Balak had to beg him to come at all because of the Lord’s opposition, and when he finally did saddle up the Lord sent an angel to hinder his travel plans by obstructing his donkey’s path. We read in Number 22:32, “Behold, I have come out to oppose you because your way is perverse before me.” Balaam is not a good guy, he practices divination for money, and he is not a prophet for God, we’re told his way is perverse.

However, Balaam eventually arrived in Moab and rather than cursing Israel God forced him to bless Isreal, and despite Balak having Balaam try again and again, as many as three times, Balaam blessed Israel again and again, until finally, Balak and Balaam gave up. However, this wasn’t the end of the story, listen to what it says in at the beginning of Numbers chapter 25 immediately after those events,

English Standard Version Chapter 25

25 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

So, while God had thwarted Balak’s and Balaam’s plans to curse Israel, we’re told that a different stumbling block was put before Israel, or as Jesus described it here in his letter to the church in Pergamum, “the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.” (Rev. 2:14)

Corruption

In other words, there was apparently more to the story than just Balaam’s failed attempts to curse Israel, but that he later taught Balak how to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel. That Balak enticed the sons of Israel with their women, causing them to whore with the daughters of Moab, and then these women invited the people of Israel to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

If Balak couldn’t conquer the Israelites from without, then maybe he could conquer them from within. Rather than taking them head on, then maybe he could conquer them by corrupting them. And apparently this was the danger of the Nicolaitans to the church in Pergamum, that there were some in the church who held to the teaching of the Nicolaitans, and that it wouldn’t be long before their teaching would corrupt the entire church. That the teaching of the Nicolaitans would entice the church to practice sexual immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols, leading ultimately to their demise.

You see, there’s more than one way to attack the church, one is to seek its outright destruction, to snuff it out. The death of Antipas earlier in verse 13 is an example of just that. However, another way is to corrupt the church, an often more subtle and cunning approach, usually over an extended period of time. And, apparently, this was the strategy prescribed to Balak after he failed to have Israel cursed and overcome by military might, instead Balaam instigated Moab to corrupt the Israelites from within, taking for themselves Moabite women, committing acts sexual immorality, and leading them away from Yahweh into idolatry. This was the danger the church in Pergamum faced. While Pergamum had done well against overt persecution, they had begun to be corrupted from within.

As we saw with the church in Ephesus we must never forget the essential nature of sound doctrine, not so that we can beat the drum of self-righteousness, but that we might stand against the attacks of the devil. Because like the church in John’s day we too are susceptible to that same corruption. After the sexual revolution of the 1960’s sexual fornication became more widely acceptable within the culture, and the church at large became increasingly slack toward such sexual immorality, becoming common place for professing Christians to live with one another and sleep with one another before ever being married, if they ever got married at all.

Whether in the name of keeping the peace, not losing members, or for other various reasons the church increasingly turned a blind eye to sexual immorality. However, it hasn’t stopped there, other forms of sexual immorality have crept into the church, homosexuality and transgenderism have all but walked right through the front door in many churches. To one degree or another many churches have caved to the pressure to embrace sexual immorality under the guise of love, many churches have sought a so-called middle way, but others have gone so far as to ordain homosexual or transgender ministers.

We saw, just last week, that while the Church of England will not authorize so-called same-sex marriages, it will permit its clergy to bless so-called same-sex unions. To speak frankly the Church of England is permitting its clergy to bless homosexual behavior, to allow men to lie with men and for women to lie with women, and to bless these behaviors. The bishops are corrupting the church by teaching these things, just like the Nicolaitans would eventually corrupt the church in Pergamum.

This is fundamentally a failure of the church to identify, confront, and discipline sin. In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians he wrote to them on account of sexual immorality having been reported among them, and he tells them that the one who has done this should be removed from among them (1 Cor. 5:2). He says “do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump.” Then he goes on to say, “I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people … [and] I’m writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler - not even to eat with such a one” (1 Cor. 5:7) that you must “purge the evil person from your midst.” (1 Cor. 5:13) While these are certainly not easy prescriptions, they are absolutely necessary for preserving the life of any church.

Repent, or else

And so Jesus says there in verse 16,

English Standard Version Chapter 2

16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

The same sword that could be used to vindicate them against their enemies, and that is meant to bring them comfort, could also be a weapon turned against them if they do not repent. And do not forget that Jesus’ warnings are meant to protect the church. While Jesus speaks sharply to them, he does so that they might heed his warnings and be kept from sin. If he were merely mean and capricious he would not have warned them at all, rather he warns them precisely because he loves them. Unfortunately, we often think that the loving action to take when we see a brother sinning is to take no action at all, and to say nothing at all, but this is not the example Jesus gives us. He warns his people because he loves his people, and so he calls them to repentance and says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the church.” He implores them to heeds his words.

Hidden Manna

And more than that, he says there in verse 17,

English Standard Version Chapter 2

To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’

There was a tradition among the Jews that before Babylon destroyed the Temple in 586 B.C. that the prophet Jeremiah, when he fled to Egypt, had taken the ark of the covenant, and with it the golden pot of manna from Israel’s time in the wilderness. And some Jews believed that when the Christ would come and establish his kingdom that Jeremiah would also return and serve a feast of manna that had been hidden for centuries. Therefore, when Jesus came feeding the multitudes, miraculously, with only a few loaves of bread it seemed to some that maybe Jeremiah had come.

In John 6:14, after Jesus had fed a crowd of about 5,000 we’re told that “when the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’” And when Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 16:13, “‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ They answered and said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’”

However, the point Jesus was making when he fed the multitudes was that he was the bread of life, that he was the true manna that had came down from heaven to give life to the world. Later in John 6:32 we read, “Jesus … said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

You see, the hidden manna is Christ himself! Jesus said in John 6:58, “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” I think the idea here is that if the believers in Pergamum abstain from eating food sacrificed to idols, that rather than communing with demons, they’ll commune with Christ himself. That Christ is far better than food sacrificed to idols.

White stone

Then Jesus says that he will give the one who overcomes a white stone, with a new name written on it that no one knows except the one who receives it. This is admittedly one of the more challenging symbols in all the letters to the churches. I suspect what was obvious to them, is now lost on us, and we only have a few scriptures that may help us piece together what Jesus is saying. In short, Jesus may be referring to the stones associated uniquely with the Garden of Eden, what Genesis 2:12 calls bdellium and onyx. We read that in the garden there were bdellium and onyx stones.

In Numbers 11:7 the manna in the wilderness is described as having the appearance like that of bdellium. It’s believed that bdellium was a white or crystal colored stone. In Exodus 28:9 the High Priest was instructed to wear an ephod with two onyx stones that had the 12 tribes of Isreal engraved on them, probably intended to remind them of Eden and God’s intent to restore them to it.

The idea here I think is that those who overcome are given a new name signifying their new identity in Christ, and that their name is unique, known by no one except the one who receives it, and that their name will be written on a stone that comes from Eden, signifying their re-admittance to the Garden. That through Christ they will be granted access again to the Garden from which our father Adam was exiled.

Conclusion

While the church in Pergamum was commended for it’s faithfulness to Christ, their holding fast to his name, Jesus tells us that corruption had crept in, and that if they did not repent he would make against them with the sword of his mouth. A warning that we too should take seriously in our day. But that if they heeded his words, that if they overcame, that he would give them some of the hidden manna, the bread that whoever feeds on it will live forever, a promise that was for them and is for us, and that he would give them a stone with their new name on it for re-admittance to the Garden of Eden. That if we turn from our sin, and run to Christ that we too will have everlasting life.

Prayer