Revelation 2:12 – To 17 “To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits. Yet you have held fast to My name and have not denied your faith in Me, even in the day when My faithful witness Antipas was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. In the same way, some of you also hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.”
The name “Pergamum” doesn’t mean too much to most people these days, but Pergamum or Pergamos was the political capital of the Roman Province of Asia Minor and a very important city. Pergamos had a huge library, many temples to various gods, and three temples dedicated to Roman Emperor worship. Notable is the fact that among the temples, one of the temples was dedicated to Dionysus, a god noted for drinking, orgies, etc.
Pergamos was also the center of worship for Asclepios, a god of medicine and healing. There was a large medical school and a treatment center associated with the temple. Treatments included sleeping in the temple at night and allowing tame snakes to crawl over one’s body; the touch of the snake was believed to bring healing. (It is from Asclepios that the snakes on the Caduceus symbol traditionally used in medical circles originated.)
Remember the Nicolaitans? Pergamos/Pergamum and Ephesus were the two cities where the Nicolaitan cult flourished. One wonders if the orgies associated with the worship of Dionysus might have fed into the practices of the Nicolaitans.
“These are the words of the One who holds the sharp, double-edged sword.” God says in Hebrews 4:12 – 13 “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it pierces even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” This sword represents the word of God. Jesus is assuring all those who hear or read this message that He knows everything and that nothing is hidden from Him.
“I know where you live, where the throne of Satan sits.” Pagan temples, people allowing snakes to crawl over them, Nicolaitans indulging in all kinds of immorality and idol worship – all of these things combined to make ancient Pergamos a center for Satanic activity. One believer named Antipas had even died for his faith. And the Christians at Pergamos were generally holding fast and standing firm in the face of all this demonic activity……. but…
Somewhere in the congregation, there were those who had begun compromising with the Nicolaitans. Perhaps they were eating meat sacrificed to idols when they knew that they were essentially taking part in the idol worship. Perhaps they were visiting temple cult prostitutes. All we know is that some believers were falling away. Jesus refers here to Balaam because it was Balaam who tried to earn his high payments from the king of Moab by teaching the Children of Israel to indulge in idol worship and orgies when God refused to allow him to curse the Israelites. (Numbers 23 – 24)
“Therefore repent! Otherwise I will come to you shortly and wage war against them with the sword of My mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” There is a traditional hymn entitled “Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild.” Unfortunately, many people only think of Jesus as a wimp in robes and sandals. Nothing could be further from the truth! Jesus has conquered death, hell and the grave and he is the risen and glorified Lord. Now Jesus is warning the Christians in Pergamum to repent because he is about to come clean house!
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.” Jesus is promising believers that they will not always face persecution. On the day when Jesus returns, those who have been true to Him will be rewarded. “Hidden manna” refers to the manna the Israelites ate in the wilderness. This substance appeared every morning 6 days a week and was very nutritious. All the Israelites had to do was to go out and gather the manna. Jesus is promising his followers that he will give them special nourishment to strengthen and uphold them. There are special blessings that only those who love Jesus will ever know. Jesus also promises that those who have been faithful to Him will receive new names signifying their faithfulness and love for Him. It is impossible for us to know those names now because they will be in the language of heaven, a language as yet unknown to any of us! Hearing those names will be like hearing the voices of all our loved ones at once.
PRAYER: Father God, help us to be faithful. Help us to follow hard after you, no matter what happens, no matter our circumstances, no matter the opposition. Thank you for your wonderful and precious promises that are beyond anything we can think or imagine. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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