Bible End Times Prophecy Series – Week 44
The Seven Churches of Revelation
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| Ruins at Pergamos. Wikipedia. |
Revelation 2:12-17 (NLT)
Letter to the church at Pergamos (or Pergamum)
12 “And
to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
‘These things says He who has the sharp
two-edged sword:
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.
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.
15 Thus
you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I
hate.
16 Repent,
or else I will come to you quickly and will fight 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 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.” ’
Background and commentary
John the apostle is considered the writer of the Apocalypse
or Revelation. He wrote down what the risen Lord Jesus Christ indicated to him
in a series of visions of the future. The letters to the seven churches in Asia
Minor, which were given before the futuristic messages, are messages and admonitions
that apply to the Christian church today as well as to individual believers.
In John’s time, according to historians, Pergamos was considered
a bustling city noted for its pagan temples and the Altar of Zeus. According to
Christian researchers, the principal idols that predominated the Greek culture
at the time, and including the altar to Zeus, were depictions of much older or
ancient objects of worship. [1] In other
words, the worship rituals associated with paganism tend to involve the
invocation of evil spirits: pagan idols are not neutral, and they are not of
God. See also link to CBN film on Pergamos [2] Today, Pergamos and its ruins can
be found near Bergama, Turkey, about 16 miles from the Aegean Sea coast [3].
Jesus made a point of commending the early Christians there
for holding up under the intense cultural pressures that existed. He also said “satan’s
throne” (probably the Zeus altar) was located there, Rev. 2: 13 [a], and that
the believers lived “where satan dwells,” Rev. 2:13 [c].“ The words of Jesus should
provide ample clues as to the kind of degradation that the Christian Gentile
converts were saved from and exposed to daily.
The references to the Moabite King Balak and the corrupt
prophet Balaam speak of a time when the Israelites were tempted to sin through sexual
immorality and idolatry that included the eating foods sacrificed to idols. The
Lord judged the Israelites severely for following after these forbidden practices.
You can read the account in the Old Testament Book of Numbers, chapters
22-24.
According to Renner.Org, the objection to the “doctrine of
the Nicolaitans” most likely stemmed from the willingness of Nicolaitan-influenced
Christians to compromise their Christian faith by failing to fully repent from the
prevailing paganistic and occult practices [4]. It’s no wonder that Jesus tells
them to “repent” (Rev. 2:16), an admonition that also applies to many
modern professing Christians.
Jesus also mentions two interesting rewards for the overcomers
in Pergamos. In the modern world, we can imagine places like those influenced
by the paganistic Greek and Roman empires in which Christian converts must live
and work within heavily idolatrous cultures. Jesus said He will provide “hidden
manna” to sustain them and give them a stone with their new name on it (Rev.
2:17 [b], [c]).
Live a victorious life in Christ
John 15:4 “Remain in me, and I
will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the
vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
1 John 2:16 (NIV) – “For
everything in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of life--comes not from the Father but from the world.
1 John 2:16 (NLT) – “For
the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything
we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the
Father, but are from this world.”
Jesus Christ, the Savior: You must be born
again.
The sinless Jesus Christ took on the sins of the world AND
the punishment for those sins so that we could be saved.
Today, if you do not know Jesus, receive His free offer of
salvation and put all your trust in Him.
John 1:29 (NLT) – “The next day
he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb
of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
2 Corinthians 6:2 – “ For
God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.”
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of
salvation.”
Acts 2:38 (NLT) – “Peter
replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
Shalom
Faith Today Christian Ministries
Note 1: For a full discussion on the development of Greek
and Roman pagan cultures, from a Christian perspective, read “Veneration” by
Derek and Sharon Gilbert; Defender/2019).
Note 2: CBN’s Gordon Robertson produced an excellent short
film on Pergamos (Pergamum). Here is a link to the video CBN film
Note 3: Wikipedia.
