Revelation 2:12-17

To the Church in Pergamum
12"To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:
These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. 13I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. 14Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. 15Likewise you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17He 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. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.



2:12 - Pergamum was host to a plethora of pagan cults including Zeus, Dionysos, Asklepios (the serpent-god who was referred to as "the savior"). The most important cult in Pergamum, though, was the Emperor cult. They had bult incredible temples to the Caesars and Rome and were extremely zealous about the Emperor cult. Of all of the seven cities in the Revelation, Pergamum was the most likely place to clash with the church. To this city that had worshipped the Emperor and Rome as the be-all-end-all, Christ declares that He is the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword, that is, the true words of life.

2:13 - It has been suggested that the reference to Satan’s throne is either a reference to Pergamum being the center of Emperor worship in Asia, the throne-like altar to Zeus or the temples to the serpent-god Asklepios who officially called "the savior." The most likely reference, though is in keeping with the central meaning of the text. Satan has already been tied to the synagogues of the Jewish community. Satan had been using apostate Judaism as his major weapon against the early Church. Much of the early problems between Rome and the Church was instigated by the Jewish community. Satan was the real force behind the persecution of the church, yet Christ holds up this Church as ones who remain true to my name. Just who Antipas was has been lost to history, but he must have been remarkable to merit being singled out for special recognition. Christ refers to him as my faithful witness, and we are told that he was put to death in your city. The name Antipas means "against all"; truly he lived up to the name and personified the strength of the church in Pergamum.

2:14-16 - Perhaps Antipas was held up to highlight the fact that some in the church had not lived up to his example. When Balak, the king of Moab, discovered that he could not defeat the Israelites militarily, Balaam taught him to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. This was Balaam’s plan to cause the ruin of Israel. In the same way, records John, some in Pergamum were holding to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. As stated earlier, those who hold to the teaching of Balaam and those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans were one is the same. The primary false doctrine being referred to here was to commit idolatry and fornication. The Nicolaitans taught that because of the sacrifice of Christ, Christians were free from the law. They could do whatever they wanted and the sacrifice of Christ would cover it over.

Christ calls those in the church to repent. Remember, Christ is speaking to the leaders of the church here. If they do not repent and call the church to discipline it will lead to the downfall of the church. The church that fails to exercise biblical church discipline will lose its lampstand. If they do not repent, Christ says I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. Again, this is not a promise of the Second Coming. Does this sound like a happy thing that the church would look forward to? Christ is promising that if they do not repent they will be judged according to the Word of God.

2:17 - The overcomer is promised three things: the hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name. The hidden manna is a reference to that which was hidden in the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 16:33-34; Heb. 9:4). Manna was the food of angels (Psalm 78:25) that was given to provide daily strength and sustenance to God’s people. The hidden manna, then, was the Words of Christ that provided the same sustenance for the church. The white stone is possibly a reference to the bdellium, with which the color of manna is compared (Num. 11:7). This stone is connected with and mentioned in the account of the Garden of Eden. (the NIV changes the name of bdellium to "aromatic resin"). Thus, it is intended to be a reminder of the Garden of Eden. The onyx stone had the names of the tribes of Israel engraved on them and placed on the priest (Ex. 28:9-12). It seems that John uses a common biblical device of combining imagery. In Gen. 2:12, onyx and bdellium are linked. Onyx and manna are linked in Numbers 11:7. Together they talk of the restoration of Eden in the blessings of salvation. John uses a Hebrew idiom here in which known refers to ownership. It is not that the name is a secret but it is exclusive to the individual. Only the owner belongs to the Covenant of Christ; no else can possess it.