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Pergamum,
the city in Hell's Headquarters
Pergamum, also called Pergamos from the KJV translation is another city
of the Roman province of Asia Minor that still exists today. It is known as "Bergama",
and is located in modern day Turkey. It is primarily a Muslim city
now and as of 1996 had 15 Islamic mosques. One of its mosques is a church
building from ancient times. Bergama (Pergamum), is built among the
ruins of the ancient city, but is not nearly as large as it was in the
first century. Among the ruins today can be seen the base of the
altar of Zeus, the theater, the agora, the gymnasium and several pagan
temples. Today, the chief export of Bergama is cotton, wool, leather
and opium.
Ancient Pergamos was located 3 miles from the Caicus river, and about
15 miles from the sea. The Caicus river was navigable for small
vessels. Two of the tributaries of the Caicus were the Selinus and the
Kteios. The Selinus river flowed through the city; the Kteios ran
along its walls on the outside. On the hill between these two streams the first city
stood, and there also stood the acropolis, the chief temples, and theaters
of the later city. The early inhabitants of the town were descendants of
Greek colonists from before 420 BC.
From 283 to 263 BC Philetaerus founded
the independent Greek dynasty of the Attalid kings. The first of this
dynasty to bear the title of king was Attalus I (241 BC - 197 BC), a
nephew of Philetaerus, and not only did he adorn the city with beautiful
buildings until it became the most wonderful city of the East, but he
added to his kingdom the countries of Mysia, Lydia, Caria, Pamphylia and
Phrygia. Eumenes II was the richest king of the
dynasty, and during his reign from 197 BC - 159 BC, the city reached its greatest height.
Art
and literature were encouraged, and in the city was a library of 200,000
volumes The books were of parchment
which was developed here. The word "parchment," is derived from the name
"Pergamos." Of the structures which adorned the city, the most renowned
was the altar of Zeus, which was 40 ft. in height, and also one of the
wonders of the ancient world. In 133 BC Attalus III, the last king of the
dynasty, died and bequeathed his kingdom to the Roman government. The
original Roman province of Asia was
formed, and Pergamos was made its capital. Upon the establishment of
the province of Asia there began a new series of coins made at Pergamos, which continued into the 3rd
century A.D.
Pagan Religions:
There were temples to the four pagan gods Zeus,
Dionysus, Athena and Asklepios. Asklepios was the pagan Greek God of
medicine and healing. The sick and crippled from
all parts of Asia flocked to his temple. They would sleep in the court of
the temple where they believed Asklepios would reveal to the priests and physicians
the remedies which were necessary to heal their maladies. There was a school of medicine
in connection with the temple.
Pergamos was also a chief religious center in
the province for Roman emperor worship. In Pergamos, three temples had
been built to the Roman emperors where they were worshipped as gods on
earth. Being the capitol city of the province and having three
temples dedicated to emperor worship, Pergamos was also the headquarters
of the Imperial Cult known as the "Concilia". This cult was
responsible for the enforcement of state religion. This city was loyal to
Rome and with 3 temples dedicated to Emperor worship, it was only natural
that it would become a center for this imperial cult. In 29 BC the
Concilia built a temple for the purpose of worshipping Augustus Caesar.
They were unrelenting when it came to the enforcement of emperor worship,
especially under Domitian who insisted upon it. It was possibly this
group that banished John to the isle of Patmos, most probably during the
reign of either Vespasian or Titus. It was certainly the Concilia who saw
to it that the material possessions were taken from the Christians when
they refused to serve in the Roman army or refused to bow down to the
"gods" of the Romans including the emperors. It was the Concilia who
issued certificates to those who they witnessed burning incense and
offering worship to the Roman Emperors without which no one could buy or
sell food, participate in land transactions or benefit from any government
programs. It is no wonder that the Christians located in Pergamum
were suffering, as they were first in line for the dispensing of the
persecution of this imperial cult empowered with the authority of the
Emperors and supported by the full strength of the Roman army.
Smyrna was a rival city and was a commercial
center as well. As it increased in wealth, it gradually became the political
center. Later, when Smyrna became the capital, Pergamos remained the religious
center.
Christianity was in Pergamos in the first century and it was to the
congregation of Christ's church located therein that this part of the
Revelation was addressed.
Revelation 2:12-17
"and to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he
that hath the sharp two-edged sword:"
Jesus is depicted again as having the two edged sword. As
mentioned previously this is a reference back to Hebrews 4:12-13 and from
our study of Revelation 1:16 and 2:16 we know this sword comes from the
mouth of Jesus which means that the sword represents the words of Jesus.
In Ephesians 6:17, Paul calls the word of God the "sword of the Spirit".
"I know where thou dwellest,"
Jesus is aware of where these Christians are. He is telling them
He knows they are suffering, He knows of their persecution and their
tribulations. The application for us is that we serve a God who
knows us personally. He is aware of our goings on and our
surroundings. He knows of our triumphs and of our failures. "Neither
is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things
are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do"
(Hebrews 4:13).
"(even) where Satan's throne is"
Pergamum was the capitol of Asia before Smyrna, home to three temples
dedicated to the worship of Roman emperors and headquarters of the
imperial cult called the Concelia. It was the chief religious center for
the entire province and retained that status even when Smyrna became the
capitol.
The worship of Aesculapius or Asklepios who was the pagan Greek God of
medicine and healing was characterized by the use of snakes in the healing
rituals. Non-venomous snakes were left to crawl on the floor
in temple where the sick and injured slept. Asklepios had his own
constellation called Serpentarius in Latin and Ophiuchus in Greek which
means "serpent bearer" The name, "serpent-bearer," refers to the Rod of
Asclepius, which was entwined with a single serpent. This symbol has now
become a symbol for physicians across the globe today. The "star of life"
is the modern international symbol for the Emergency Medical Services
which features the Rod of Asclepius as the centerpiece.
Satan is often depicted as a serpent in scripture. All Christians
of all ages are well acquainted with the imagery of the serpent associated
with Satan. It is almost certain that when the Christians read of
Satan's throne, they instantly associated it with the worship of
Asklepios. And if not, there was plenty of other activities going on
around them that would identify Satan as having a seat of power and
authority from this city.
"and thou holdest fast my name"
The Christians in Pergamum were commended for holding fast to the name
of Christ. In the Greek, this word (onoma), means a name in
authority and character. It is important as we work through these
letters to the individual churches that we take note of the positive
things Jesus says as well as the negative. We know from scripture
that Jesus is God (John 1:1), and that Jesus never changes (Hebrews 13:8),
so we can be assured that if we take all the good things Jesus said to the
churches and make sure we emulate these things in our lives, that it will
be commendable for us as well. It is as important to us that we
assemble all the positive things Jesus says to all the churches and strive
to add those things to our lives as it is for us to assemble all the
negative things He said and eliminate them.
We hold fast, cling, hang on to Jesus name, character and authority
when we seek His will, obey His will and glorify His name. We hold
fast to His name when we insist on being identified as Christians only
instead of manmade names which glorify someone other than Jesus. We
hold fast to His name today when we call the body of Christ by what it is;
the church of Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:11-13.
"and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of
Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan
dwelleth."
Jesus refers to the faith as being His faith. Jesus is the one
who suffered, bled and died for us. He is the one that paid the
purchase price for the faith, it is His faith. We today need to be
very aware of the fact that it is to His faith we are to be faithful to
and not some manmade faith with man's ideas of righteousness. We are
to seek only God's righteousness (Romans 10:3-4).
Antipas was described as Jesus' faithful witness. He had been
slain among them. The Christian persecution was already well
underway. Secular writings place Antipas as an elder of the church
in Pergamum, appointed by none other than John during the reign of
Domitian. History portrays the death of Antipas as having been
publicly burned alive in the brazen statue of a Bull by the priests of Asklepios.
In Pergamum, the Christians had already been given an example of what was
to come and Jesus held the death of Antipas up as a shining example for
the rest to follow if need be.
As a side note, the fact that Jesus here speaks of the martyrdom of
Antipas in the past tense is strong internal evidence of the late dating
of the writing of the Revelation. According to history, Antipas was
martyred in 92 AD.
Revelation 2:14-15
"But I have a few things against thee, "
Once again, as in previous messages, Jesus points out that the good
they are doing does not outweigh the bad. The application today is
that we cannot do enough good in hope of offsetting the bad. Those
in the body of Christ who are guilty of sin cannot stand on judgment day
before God and point to their good works as justification for any sin they
may be guilty of.
"because thou hast there some that
hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock
before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to
commit fornication. So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in
like manner."
There were some members in the church at Pergamum who were going along
with the teachings of the Nicolaitans. We see here exactly what this
teaching was, eating meat sacrificed to idols and committing fornication
which could mean either physical or spiritual fornication, both of which
the Nicolaitans were guilty of.
In old testament times, Balaam was guilty of instructing Balak, a
Moabite king, of how to defeat the Israelites. Balaam knew that God
would forsake the Israelites in battle if they were guilty of sin so he
told Balak that if he would send women out to seduce and participate in
fornication with the Israelites, that God would forsake them in battle and
hand them over as punishment. The women that were sent to seduce the
Israelite men were successful and they were caused to stumble. As a
result of this stumbling block, twenty four thousand Israelites lost
their lives.
Corresponding to this, eating things sacrificed to idols was also a
stumbling block to the Christians. Under the Roman persecution,
Christians were denied the right to buy food in the empire unless they
offered worship to the emperors. Food was hard to come by for the
faithful yet there was plenty to be had if they wanted to participate in
the great public feasts where the meat of the animals who had been
sacrificed to pagan gods was being served to the public. Hunger is a
powerful incentive and many Christians gave in and participated in these
public feasts which were often times accompanied with wild drunken,
riotous and often times unrestrained sexual behavior which caused many of
them to stumble. Benjamin Franklin once quoted: "He that lieth
down with Dogs, shall rise up with Fleas." In scripture were are
commanded to "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness,
faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart"
(2 Timothy 2:22) and "Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what
fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light
with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what
portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement hath
a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as
God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come ye out from among them,
and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will
receive you," (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).
The Nicolaitans started out as Christians who participated in the
public feasts and eventually stumbled and became just as bad as the pagans
they associated with. The application for us today is the same.
Stay away from evil influences. Avoid situations that can cause one
to stumble. Shun activities that are not wholesome and righteous.
Do not join in with sinful worldly activities, lest we too become tempted
and stumble. It is a foolish individual who would dance with the
devil and participate in activities where sinful behavior prevails.
Satan makes sin attractive but those who company with Satan flirt with
death.
Revelation 2:16
"Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war
against them with the sword of my mouth."
Jesus warns the church to repent. Repentance is a sorrow of heart
that leads to a change of behavior. The church at Pergamum had to
change their behavior. They were accused of tolerating something
Jesus hated. This is a "repent or else" warning where Jesus said he
would wage war with those who held to this doctrine. Being in a
position where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would wage war against
someone who was a Christian is a serious thing. This is not a war
that any Christian could hope to win. In short, Jesus told these
Christians to repent or die. These were the options available to the
Christians at Pergamum. These same options are the only ones
available to Christians in similar sinful situations today.
Revelation 2:17
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the
churches."
Notice what Jesus says here. He knows
this is being written down in words that Christians will read. he
knows this message is going to be delivered in written form. The
Christians who read this letter were going to hear what the Spirit was
saying through the words written by John. Today, we hear what the
Spirit says in the same way they did in Pergamum. Through the
written word. When we hear the Word of God, then we are listening to
the Spirit.
"To him that overcometh"
To those who overcome. To those who resist temptation, to those
who prevail no matter what, to those who do not give in to Satan and
worship idols and eat meat sacrificed to them, who remain faithful against
all odds will receive the following rewards.
"to him will I give of the hidden manna"
Manna is what God sustained the children of Israel with during their
time in the wilderness after they left the Egyptian bondage and before
they were allowed to enter the promised land. To the first readers
of the Revelation, manna would represent that which sustains one's soul.
Hidden from those who refuse to see it, but available to all who would
accept it freely. "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he
that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he
that will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17).
"and I will give him a white stone, and upon
the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth
it."
The Greek word for Stone in this instance means a pebble, so there is
some disagreement among scholars as to what is meant here. Following
is my best guess as to it's meaning. Those who overcome become
"fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God" which is
"built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone" (Ephesians 2:19-20).
White is a symbol for purity and truth and the chief cornerstone all
faithful Christians receive is Jesus Christ. The name written on the
stone most likely represents either "Jesus Christ" or "Christian".
Scripture teaches that the faithful "shall be called by a new name,
which the mouth of the Lord shall name." (Isaiah 62:2). "The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26).
Peter referred to followers of Christ as "Christians" in 1 Peter
4:16 and Agrippa told Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a
Christian" (Acts 26:28). Secular writings about followers of Jesus
Christ contain numerous instances of the name "Christians".
This name was a well established designation both historically and
scripturally. Since all scripture is given by inspiration we
know that the term Christian, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, is from
the mouth of God.
And the only people who know this name are the ones who receive the
name of Christ. Our lives are "hid with Christ in God"
(Colossians 3:3). Jesus prayed: "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes" (Matthew 11:25). There are
things hidden from man which only be fully known when Jesus returns and we
see Him as He really is. (1 John 3:2). Those who never receive the
figurative white stone with the new name on it will never get to fully
know Jesus Christ in all His glory.
In Summary:
The Christians at Pergamos were living in a tremendous center for
oppression and persecution. They were for the most part faithful
except for their leniency towards the Nicolaitans. They were warned
to modify this behavior or suffer the consequences of a war with Jesus
Christ.
In applying this to our Christian life today, we need to take heed to
the words of Jesus. The circumstances under which the Christians in
Pergamum were living did not have any effect on whether or not they were
expected to be faithful to God. Likewise today, we must be aware
that we too are required to be just as faithful as they were then. We must be intolerant of
doctrinal error, ever vigilant
and willing to persevere and overcome against all odds, even to the point
of death if need be.
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