Revelation 2:12–17 (ESV)
To the Church in Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my
faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war 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 the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Dear fellow redeemed: In the third letter our Lord has dictated for us comes through the church in Pergamum. He sent it to them, but we are CC’d on the mailing list too. In this letter, there are more symbolic images than we have seen so far. The sharp two-edged sword is familiar. But then we have Satan’s throne, the days of Antipas, the teaching of Balaam, the Nicolaitans again, then the hidden manna and the white stone.
We also see the same pattern as before: The greeting, the compliment, the warning, and the promise. Only this time the warning is the greater part of the message.
John, the last living apostle, is on the island of Patmos, and Jesus dictates these letters to the churches. Because this Revelation is one composition, I think that the whole letter might have been dispatched to Pergamum and the other churches by John, and each paid special attention to what was written to him.
To begin with, these are The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. As we see
so often in Scripture the sword is the power of God expressed through His word. It has the power to call the universe into being, and it has two edges, the power to save and the power to destroy. Mr. Pastor at Pergamum, you and your people just got a letter from the Lord of the Universe, and it could go either way! Remember the word of God will accomplish His ends eventually, as Isaiah wrote: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10–11, ESV) First, Jesus has words of encouragement and comfort for the faithful in Pergamum. 13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
For our Lord to say “I know you” should comfort you. He is watching over you. He knows the enemies that you face and your afflictions. He knows that Satan, your accuser, and adversary of all that is good, has a seat of power there. This goes for us at Faith and Our Savior, also. He knows us and he knows our struggles. He knows that we live where Satan is powerful: We have a thriving drug culture, porn is available at the click of a mouse, professional counselors who help people deal with their sinful and perverse impulses
are fined, and false teachers are given positions of power and authority in their churches. We are Satan’s prey, and he seeks to devour us by leading us into indifference, impenitent vice, unbelief and despair. This is a spiritually dangerous place in spiritually dangerous times. He knows our danger and grants our prayers for spiritual strength, by giving us faithful pastors and the truth of His word – if we will make use of them. Because of His word, the faithful in Pergamum remained steadfast in the faith: Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness,
who was killed among you. Those must have been terrible times for the church. We have seen worse in China, Africa, and the Middle East, where Christians have been killed in their towns, or kidnapped, sold into slavery, and never seen again. The only thing we know about Antipas is a HUGE thing! Jesus calls him “my faithful witness.” The word for witness is “martyr.” What greater title could be given a person than “faithful witness”? And so far, you have been faithful.
BUT there is also a warning, and not over just one thing, but more: 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. This goes back to the principle that Satan can destroy our faith through indifference or seduction easier than through threats. Balaam was forbidden to curse the Israelites as Balak the king of Moab demanded, so he could destroy Israel. Instead, Balaam blessed Israel and Israel was preserved from Moab’s aggression. Nevertheless, Moab ended up weakening Israel because Israelite men consorted with Moabite, women, who invited them to participate in the pagan sexual rites of Baal. The teaching of the Nicolaitans went along with this, saying that the Christians could go right along with their pagan neighbors without a qualm, and still call themselves Christians. So in our day, among all those who identify as Christians the abortion rate is about the same, the divorce rate is about the same, and the unmarried cohabitation rate is about the same. Yes, we are saints who sin, but woe to the person who defends the sin or makes allowance for it! 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.
Side with what is evil and the Lord Himself will make war against you! First it is with His word in the mouths of the faithful. When I say to one of the false teachers, like ELCA or Episcopal or United Methodist “pastors” and “pastorettes’ that they are doing the work of the devil, that is God’s condemnation. When we call to repentance those who want to temporize with what is evil and tolerate or approve what God condemns, that is God’s call.
And now finally, Jesus tells us to listen as He gives us His promises. This time it relies heavily on symbolism: 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’ To the one who conquers: Before you despair of conquering the devil the world, and our sinful flesh, remember that to conquer is to be part of the Lord’s army, for He has conquered over them all, and we share in that conquest by faith.
Next, see what He gives. “The manna is Jesus and all he did to win eternal life for us. “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33). To eat this manna means to believe the gospel message of Jesus. This gospel and its reward of eternal life are hidden from those whose false pride claims a better avenue to God2” “The white stone corresponds to the voting stones that juries in that part of the world used to arrive at their verdict. If they gave the judge a white stone, they indicated acquittal. They returned a guilty verdict by giving him a black stone. In the Bible, a new name often signifies a new relationship with God. The white stone and the new name assure each believing heart that it has been declared innocent before God.3”
In spite of all the dangers, we are conquerors with Christ when we endure in the faith. We are justified – acquitted – before Him and welcomed into heaven.
This is the hope in which we live and it is most certainly true.
AMEN.
JESUS
• sharp two-edged sword
• The word of God’s Son – sharpness implies effectiveness (Isaiah 55:11). It can both kill and save/defend.
Law and gospel
• He both condemns and instructs on the one hand and comforts and promises on the other
COMPLIMENT AND COMFORT
• Satan’s throne is — Satan dwells
• He knows where they live & trouble they have
• Throne = seat of power. Pergamum was a center of emperor worship, of Zeus worship w/sexually immoral
rites. – any place where evil has influence.
• Impacts the church.
• days of Antipas
• Terrible time for the church. But remember Antipas as a “faithful witness” – a great honor. Witness = martyr
• We should remember the faithfulness in tribulation.
WARNING – REPENT or soon suffer judgment
The whole congregation was held responsible for the faithless ones because they tolerated and did not discipline them.
• teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak Numbers 22-24
• Although Balaam could not curse the Israelites directly, he did teach Balak how to corrupt them and weaken
them by fitting in with the culture (food sacrificed to idols; worldly ways to get ahead) and by sexual immorality
• How many Christians are lost because they must fit in and are seduced into impenitent immorality? How many are lost to “living together,” hook-up culture, and porn?
• Nicolaitans
• Teaching that you could indulge the flesh and still be ok with God. (Gal 5:19-21)
• A whole spectrum, from justifying all the sexual sins to saying that such sin can be consistent with faith.
• sword of my mouth
• The sword of his mouth is mentioned twice, in verses 12 and 16. Jesus says that his words are “what the
Spirit says.” Jesus taught his disciples that the Holy Spirit’s witness coincides with his own: “The Holy Spirit
… will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26).4
o Warning of judgment and condemnation.
PROMISE
• hidden manna
o Pergamum receives the promise of hidden manna and a white stone. The manna is Jesus and all he did to
win eternal life for us. “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world”
(John 6:33). To eat this manna means to believe the gospel message of Jesus. This gospel and its reward
of eternal life are hidden from those whose false pride claims a better avenue to God5
• To hear and believe and remain faithful means that we will be given the mystery of God – the gospel. It is
unknown, hated, and condemned in our day, and revealed only in preaching, teaching, and the written
Word.
• white stone, with a new name written
• The white stone corresponds to the voting stones that juries in that part of the world used to arrive at their verdict. If they gave the judge a white stone, they indicated acquittal. They returned a guilty verdict by giving him a black stone. In the Bible, a new name often signifies a new relationship with God. The white stone and the new name assure each believing heart that it has been declared innocent before God.6
o In spite of all the dangers, we are conquerors with Christ when we endure in the faith. We are justified – acquitted – before Him and welcomed into heaven.