And this was a famous place of medicine.

Go back to John 6:51 and hear Jesus say, I am the bread of life. Ill give you Christ. Notice the Mys, would you? Why does He say hidden? The third promise to the overcomers was the promise of a new name. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. Satanic power was manifest right out of that city. 883( 2 *x109,!jVh Y],p|=|>/JI6M5|>Y'-;V ~/+\iID%|@ #MR0aDDsN=tQFYyo4/i [;R$*/kJJs %%EOF And once theyre intermarried, it will pull them in to all the idolatry life of Moab. God absolutely condemned such a union in Israel and here the Lord Jesus Christ condemns such a union in Pergamos. There may be an associated cost but there is always an option. Ramsay writes This school of thought and conduct played an important part in the church of the first centuryit affected most of all the well-to-do classes in the church, those who had most temptation to retain all that they could of the established social order and customs of the Greco-Roman world and who by their more elaborate education had been trained to take an artificial view of life. Im yours and youre Mine. This is sad the condemnation. There is still, I understand, a small Christian community in Bergama. 0000005240 00000 n It was an important religious center where the pagan cults worshiping Athena; Asklepios; Dionysius, which is another name for Bacchus the god of drunkenness and debauchery; Zeus all of these things were there. Then fifthly comes the condemnation. A multi-faceted educational tool designed to help you understand your spiritual heritage and explore the links between the past, present and future. Well you know what the manna was? The second letter was written to Smyrna, the persecuted church. Bar rooms, drinking, wasting money, involved in all kinds of sin. I said, Well Ill be happy to meet him and confront him. So I called and set up an appointment for a meeting place. And so Satan had set up his enterprise there and this little church was feeling the heat of it and it was in some ways succumbing to it. This particular city is less than a hundred miles from Ephesus.

Some say it represents simply a diamond, and Ill give you something that is very precious, namely eternal life. The faithfulness of that little church should be a challenge to all of us today.

All it takes is a conscious choice on our part. The doctrine of Balaam is the teaching that the people of God can intermarry with the heathen and thus will become what the heathen are.

In the temple harmless snakes slithered all over the temple floor.

Youre not dealing with it. So what did he do? 0000004845 00000 n Ill give you all the benefits of knowing Christ.

It provided for their physical needs and sustained them through the long journey.

Pergamos obviously was a church made up of Gentiles, primarily, who had been converted out of paganism. I say it again, true faith is not fragile. Were going to be looking at verses 12 through 17, the letter to the church at Pergamos. It is clear from the very letter which well study tonight as we go through it that Pergamos was compromising. 0000009715 00000 n It was built in 29 A.D., right about the time, of course, of the flourishing of the ministry of Jesus Christ. What concord has Christ with Belial? The worship of the Roman Emperor was very big. We just need God to give us the wisdom and discernment to recognize those options. And again I dont want to get caught up in geography lessons and sociology lessons, but just to give you a little bit of a feeling. Dont miss this. So the city had some prominence and some significance. In other words, you could engage in pagan rituals and embrace parts of pagan philosophy while still embracing Christianity. They had, no doubt, been converted to Christ and there was some great transformation but times have changed, and they have now gone back and picked up some of their pagan habits. One identified with an Old Testament character, the other identified with a New Testament period character, anyway, by the name of Nicholas. Since the UK is now no longer a member of the EU, you may be charged an import tax on this item by the customs authorities in your country of residence, which is beyond our control. 0000016891 00000 n Im not under any illusion. Those denominations have, for the most part, died in terms of spiritual life and live on only in name. They had held fast the name of Jesus and not denied their faith. And I walked up to him and said, Im here to speak with you, and pulled him away and said, This is the first and last time Ill ever meet you in a place like this. We went on to discuss the lifestyle, the patterns of the lifestyle. We noted that back in verse 9.

It basically means witness martus but it came to be martyr.

But as I have said before, true faith is not fragile, only false faith is, and they were standing against it. If we are willing to change the direction of our lives to suit His will then everything he has to offer the overcomer is ours for the taking. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam. HS]o0}R]&#$1M4(92|aey3P7KG((9Vf UPnd_?22LXs,J?cwe+{72 D_yf(7T&(5Af K%dQ&""T

Legend says that Pergamos was built by a son of Hercules. And that word went through an interesting metamorphosis. There have always been the Nicolaitans who in the name of perverted grace and ascended knowledge think they can live above Gods standard. Ill give you something that is very precious that would only be given to one who is deeply loved, and since I love you so greatly, like a man giving a woman an engagement ring, Ill give you a diamond to show you My love. Compromise never works. You know what parchment is?

You are living out the doctrine of Balaam. The courage of their faith is evident. Ill give you that bread which will sustain you. Which way are you headed? He was no longer seen as a political or military leader, but he was seen as a god. You are living out the teaching of the Nicolaitans. and was considered to be an almost impregnable city due to its height and the fortifications surrounding it.

You hold it right now, present tense. 0000027425 00000 n Every time you see it in the book of Revelation, who is it? Theres some good things to say. That would have been intensified in Pergamos, because it was the capital city for Caesar worship, and probably it was required more than just one day a year in this city. The church, of course, has become worldly. It advocated an extreme indulgence in sin, uncleanness, immorality, and orgies based upon a perverted understanding of Gods grace. You hold fast My name.

Thats how personal it is. The Lord pulled a sword on Balaam, and the Lord will come with a sword against a compromising church. But if we ever were in such a time, we are in such a time again today. H\j0z9& [icH|B>-]A- Y>;B It wasnt easy. If he couldnt curse them, hed earn his money another way. During that period of time, no doubt, the church at Pergamos was founded.

If we are willing to hold fast if we are willing to repent. Ephesus the starting point, and then on to Smyrna, and then on about 50 miles, 55 miles or so north to the city of Pergamos. My name, My faith, My witness, My faithful one. So personal. 0000013271 00000 n ]d{`XO5!_ZLuI9f.8&_E]U}qaNna` r:o0 f: They would always put their worship point at the heights in ancient times, and so they had built this famous throne, as it were, or altar to Zeus. You were faithful. What made it tough for Christians was they didnt worship Caesar at all. It was the death knell to spirituality and a profound fellowship with Jesus. Ill know mine and youll know yours and well know the Lord wrote them for each of us and for none of the others of us. Manna was well I guess the closest thing we could call it is angel food cake. Remember; Direction determines destiny. And so they are very instructive for us. LOUGHBOROUGH: WHAT DOEST THOU HERE ELIJAH? H\n0l/*R;hl FgU'-?u3t55B$6o=4NE$iZf`*z}o/:ks?8!mf@lSZeC!aH3z48FoU(8(Zo=EvH)9%!pzb~p|2? 0000001136 00000 n

It was merely a mass state religion. And one of the wonders of the world, this magnificent altar to Zeus, the largest most famous altar in the world was there.

You watched My faithful one. The first letter, you remember, was written to Ephesus, the church that left its first love. Whos that?

startxref You never denied My name or My faith, even in the day of Antipas.

And the emblem or the idol of Asklepios was a snake. Of course our Lord had called for a clean break but always there are the seducers, always there are those who come in and want to get Gods people to break from the separation and mingle with the world. I have a burden for my husband. You didnt deny Me, you never denied who I was, and you never denied your faith in My gospel, My truth. He is the one who picks up the quill, as it were, and puts the words that Jesus gives him. It makes weaker brothers stumble. But never give them the false security that they belong until they know Jesus Christ, which knowing is made manifest in their life.

But theres an interesting little historical note. Jesus words were simple. It became then the capital of Caesar worship. Now secondly, we look from the correspondent to the city itself. The word Pergamos literally means parchment. 0000014348 00000 n You stayed true. This introduction of Christ is the right introduction for the church at Pergamos. It looked like a throne, and it was set on the Acropolis. Anderson, R.A., (1956) Unfolding The Revelation, Pacific Press, Idaho, Ramsay, W.M. Now just what is Satans throne? The sword of the spirit is the word of God and if the church at Pergamos refused to repent Jesus himself would engage in hand-to-hand combat with them through the medium of his word. Please contact the publisher to obtain copies of this resource. 0000008298 00000 n So that with it He may smite the nations. It is a sword of judgment. That is the ancient god Asklepios, the god of healing. And that is perhaps the most dominant period in the church history when the Pergamos mentality was evident. Theres no room for compromise. Parchment is a writing material developed from animal skin. Make no mistake, my friend, his throne is not in hell. When a victor won in the games, whatever great games were being held, it was not uncommon for the victor to be given as part of his prize a white stone. This would not have been an easy task. And so, people are eating things sacrificed to idols and committing acts of immorality. Perhaps Hebrews 4:12 says it as well as any, For the Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any what? 10 0 obj <> endobj 23 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<9936825750851AC2D8B9F7BCDA400C09><173621AC382949F98C69B0A7F9EFCF94>]/Index[10 29]/Info 9 0 R/Length 77/Prev 128652/Root 11 0 R/Size 39/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream This is the place of his operation. %PDF-1.5 % There was a true church here; there was a growing church here; there was a real church there, a saved church, waging an uncompromising war right at the throne of Satan. This is an interesting allusion.

And thats what precipitates the fatality that occurs in this city to one of the members of the church. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. And the answer is as simple as understanding this text. He no doubt was a Libertine who believed that you could conduct yourself anyway you wanted it. For now, lets open our Bibles to Revelation chapter 2. The core of Christian people holding fast to the name of the Lord, that is to His person, not wavering on who He was and what He did, not denying the faith, firm in the gospel and believing it, were soft in dealing with error serious error, and all error is serious. But theres another element of their worship that fascinates me, and it certainly must be included in any understanding of Satans throne.

What did that represent? You must note also that He says here, where you dwell, where Satans throne is a mark of permanent residence. The church is impure. Back to verse 13, you held fast My name. In fact, it was such a significant library that it was later sent to Egypt as a gift from Antony to Cleopatra. He says, Write this, The one who has the sharp two-edged sword says this and Ive noted for you that every time these letters begin with a reference to the author. He needs help desperately. And I said, Whats the problem? She said, Its his lifestyle. Heathen priests became Christian priests. A lady will come to me any time I preach on the book of Revelation and say, What is the name that no man knows? Folks, I dont know what the name is.

The Acropolis means the highest place. There are always those of the ilk of Balaam who want to seduce Gods people into idolatry and immorality and paganness and tell them its okay. And Galen was the second most famous medical person in the ancient world, the most famous being Hippocrates.

0000026014 00000 n The subtle shifts began under the authority of Emperor Constantine. They had developed along with Caesar worship, of course, all of these other pagan forms of worship. Hes talking about personal faithfulness to Him. Jesus compares this philosophy to the doctrine of Baalam who led the Children of Israel into sin and idolatry through compromise in the wilderness. 0000007542 00000 n However, these letters transcend those churches, as do the letters of the New Testament which are typically written to churches or individuals and also transcend those churches and individuals to be applicable to all of us. Could it be that the overcomer will receive the ticket to the eternal victory in heaven? A white stone to the overcomer is the promise of a clean slate but the Judge of all the earth. Pergamos was famous for its temples the most prominent of which was the Temple of Zeus dedicated to Aesculapius, the serpent god of healing. In the Bible, names are symbolic of character. Please respond to confirm your registration.

0000017562 00000 n You didnt deny My name. It was a question of being soft and tolerant to error. leavens the whole lump. You allow that, it festers and it grows. Heathen days of feasting and drunkenness were made in to Christian days like Christmas and all other sort of saint days. The throne of Satan was this Gentile base of false religions. In Revelation chapter 19 we see the same imagery in verse 15. Modern correspondence ends with the authors name. Commenting on the doctrine of the Nicolaitans in his book The Letters to the Seven Churches W.M.

He offers us hope. 0000005526 00000 n 0000013036 00000 n The name Pergamos means height or elevation and was a fitting name for the city which was built at an elevation of 1000 feet. Youve got to hear this message. sy&=;]0l }Wpkvx nt@*~ B

When you know that Zeus was there and big upon the hill looming over the whole place was an altar to this false god, you know that Satan was there. And so weve got to deal with issues lest the Lord come against us and smite us with a sword out of His mouth. 174 0 obj <>stream

Jesus tells them not to do that.

But here is the very throne of Satan.



He felt that if Balaam would curse Israel, he had such prophetic powers, that Israel would be under the curse. If the Church at Pergamos is willing to repent Jesus promises them three things. Because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam. Verse 15, You also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Whats He saying? So the Lord is described as holding the leadership of the church in His hand and out of His mouth coming a sharp two-edged sword. Ill give you the true bread, the spiritual bread from heaven which the world doesnt see.

As you may be aware, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into full effect on 25th May 2018. Rather than go into the whole thing, the Lord directs Himself at exactly what He has in mind.

Right from the old serpent himself. Each is significant.

His power was unleashed from this city and some in the Pergamos church had fallen victim to Satan and become thoroughly engulfed, enmeshed, and even married to the world. They were teaching that.

0000003188 00000 n 0000002593 00000 n 0000012268 00000 n Interesting to think about them all. It has wed the world and has long since been judged by Christ and stripped of any power or any spiritual influence. two-edged sword. It is the Word of God coming out of His mouth that is like a two-edged sword. Here is the first negative introduction because this is a church that is facing judgment. White symbolized acquittal and black condemnation. And the Lord will come and make war with you sooner or later unless you repent.

In the letter to the church at Ephesus, He introduces Himself simply as the one who holds the seven leaders in His hand and moves among the churches, which are represented by the golden lampstands. We move from the city to the church.

Some say its the white stone thats similar to the one on the breastplate of the high priest called the urim and the Thummim, by which the high priest could determine the will of God. I belong to you and you dont deny it. It could be described as gluttonous orgies of lasciviousness. Not threatening at all, speaking about His control and His care and His concern as He moves through His church and His protection over its leaders.

And in this case you will notice that the description of Christ that is selected is that which articulates His judicial authority. And then this counsel is so wonderful, To him who overcomes who is the overcomer? endstream endobj 134 0 obj <>>> endobj 135 0 obj <>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 792.0 612.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 136 0 obj <> endobj 137 0 obj <> endobj 138 0 obj <> endobj 139 0 obj [/ICCBased 168 0 R] endobj 140 0 obj <> endobj 141 0 obj <> endobj 142 0 obj <> endobj 143 0 obj <> endobj 144 0 obj <>stream

Register. What was the city like? This city, Pergamos, was in a region of Asia Minor called Mysia. Its about 20 miles inland from the Aegean Sea. The message to the church at Pergamos is thought to refer to the period of church history spanning 313-538AD. You can go to the debauchery and the orgies and the festivals and the feasts and still come here and pay your homage to Jesus. Some of us arent even willing to sacrifice our popularity or our wrong desires for the sake of staying separated from the world. 0000020212 00000 n In the city of Pergamos also was a large university and a library we are told and this is quite remarkable in ancient times a library of 200,000 volumes. Tradition says fascinating he was burned to death inside a brass bull. We do know, according to Acts chapter 16 that Paul passed through the area. And so what it means is Ill give you a stone by which you can determine My will.

It sees Him as executioner. Ill never forget having an experience with a well-known and popular preacher and writer whose wife came to me and said, Could you help me? If we fail to exclude unbelievers from the fellowship of the body, we are in error. A lot of options. 0000002248 00000 n The church is never to be a place of the mingling of those things. The liberal or dead church, as we would perhaps want to call it today, those who have departed from the true faith and embraced the world are all around us. They wouldnt do that. Its designed for saints to uphold the truth and unbelievers to come and hear the truth and in hearing it be saved. Well again we dont know.