Letters to the 7 Churches of Revelation. Pt. 6 Pergamos: Where Satan Dwells
Psalm 96:1-5 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; show forth his salvation from
day to day. Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders
among all people. For the LORD is great, and greatly to
be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. For all
the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
Good morning to all. This text from Psalm 96 is a good way to begin this post regarding the church at Pergamos. This particular church was surrounded by devilish religion but the Psalmist reminds us that no matter how dark it gets where we live and worship, we will sing unto Jehovah.
We sing to the God who is living in eternity and who has come to this earth in the work and person of Jesus Christ. He brought salvation and gives eternal life to all who believe.
The Psalmist reminds us that we must declare His wonderful name among the heathen because they worship lifeless, powerless idols and the devil who inspired them.
What do we know about Pergamos?
We will probably need 2-3 posts to help us understand the message of Jesus Christ to this church. Pergamos is very much like Smyrna and Ephesus in terms of size, culture, false religion and economic prosperity. It enjoyed the same benefits of Roman engineering and infrastructure.
The photo below shows the Altar of Zeus. The Germans excavated this site and they dismantled the Altar of Zeus and reconstructed it in Berlin where it remains today. The photo below shows the altar and it is about 116 feet wide, 106 feet deep and about 40 feet tall.
We know that the serpent is a symbol of Satan. There was a large cult of the serpent celebrated at Pergamos. Other temples dedicated to pagan deities included Zeus, Demeter, Athena, Serapion, Bacchus and Aesculapius.
We will need to look deeper at a couple of these false religions in order to help us understand the message Jesus gave to this church.
Christ's letter to the church of Pergamos
Revelation 2:12-17 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”
Good morning to all. This text from Psalm 96 is a good way to begin this post regarding the church at Pergamos. This particular church was surrounded by devilish religion but the Psalmist reminds us that no matter how dark it gets where we live and worship, we will sing unto Jehovah.
We sing to the God who is living in eternity and who has come to this earth in the work and person of Jesus Christ. He brought salvation and gives eternal life to all who believe.
The Psalmist reminds us that we must declare His wonderful name among the heathen because they worship lifeless, powerless idols and the devil who inspired them.
What do we know about Pergamos?
We will probably need 2-3 posts to help us understand the message of Jesus Christ to this church. Pergamos is very much like Smyrna and Ephesus in terms of size, culture, false religion and economic prosperity. It enjoyed the same benefits of Roman engineering and infrastructure.
The photo below shows the Altar of Zeus. The Germans excavated this site and they dismantled the Altar of Zeus and reconstructed it in Berlin where it remains today. The photo below shows the altar and it is about 116 feet wide, 106 feet deep and about 40 feet tall.
We know that the serpent is a symbol of Satan. There was a large cult of the serpent celebrated at Pergamos. Other temples dedicated to pagan deities included Zeus, Demeter, Athena, Serapion, Bacchus and Aesculapius.
We will need to look deeper at a couple of these false religions in order to help us understand the message Jesus gave to this church.
Christ's letter to the church of Pergamos
Revelation 2:12-17 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.”
The Word of God is sufficient for all spiritual & practical needs
Jesus is presented as the Word of God with a sharp two edged sword going out of His mouth. This portrait of Christ is intended to bring the sufficiency of scripture back into view. Later in the letter Jesus points out two areas of doctrinal error that He commanded the church at Pergamos to deal with.
This is probably why He is shown in this specific letter as the Word Giver. (John 1:1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God).
Jesus knew their faithful gospel labors
Jesus commended them because He knew the full extent of their works and service for Him. Jesus knew the city where they lived was infested with pagan cults and that there was strong resistance to the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
In spite of all the opposition toward the Christians in Pergamos, they continued to hold fast to their profession of faith. "Holding fast" means clinging on to with all of your strength and energy with the intent of never letting go.
Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
They did not deny their faith in Christ. A cult of the Roman emperor was established in every one of these cities and the citizens were annually required to make a public confession that Caesar was "god." Sometimes those who refused to bow down to Caesar were sentenced to death.
Christians at Pergamos suffered intense persecution from the pagans and some were martyred including a saint named Antipas.
The center of Satan's government is at Pergamos
Pergamos is the place where Satan's seat is. The name "pergamos" means high or elevated and it reminds us of Satan's rebellion against Jehovah. Satan's name used to be Lucifer and 5 times he said "I will" in plotting to overthrow Almighty God.
John also noted that Satan "dwelleth" at Pergamos which means this was his home base. If this seems a bit overwhelming to think about these things, we must remember that each born again Christian is in a life long battle because we are the objects of Satan's hatred and wrath.
The parallel passage to Isaiah 14 is found in Ezekiel 28:12-19 where Jehovah declared His own "I will" statements that completely undo the devil's.
Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
In fact, the Greek word translated “seat” actually means a place designated for authority and judgment. Since the Bible describes Pergamos as the place of Satan’s seat it can be understood that Pergamos was where the devil actually administered his evil schemes.
Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
In the text above the apostle Paul warned about “spiritual wickedness in high places” and listed “powers and principalities” as components in the hierarchy of Satan’s kingdom. It is entirely possible that Paul had the reputation of Pergamos in mind, as he wrote those warnings.
The word "wiles" is found in the English word "methods" and it means the cunning trickery Satan uses to deceive people. He rules a kingdom of darkness that is powerful, global in scope, full of darkness and he plots depraved schemes from his throne in Pergamos.
Paul admonished the Corinthians to make sure that they did not allow Satan to gain an advantage over them. He tells us that we are not ignorant of the devil's devices. "Devices" means the evil thoughts and mental perceptions Satan uses in planning how to attack the worldwide church of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Points to Ponder....
May we all pray to the Lord of Glory daily for the help He has promised to provide and that we seek daily to put on the gospel armor. May we be faithful witnesses and faithful worshipers of the One, True God of Heaven.
Bob
Jesus is presented as the Word of God with a sharp two edged sword going out of His mouth. This portrait of Christ is intended to bring the sufficiency of scripture back into view. Later in the letter Jesus points out two areas of doctrinal error that He commanded the church at Pergamos to deal with.
This is probably why He is shown in this specific letter as the Word Giver. (John 1:1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God).
Jesus knew their faithful gospel labors
Jesus commended them because He knew the full extent of their works and service for Him. Jesus knew the city where they lived was infested with pagan cults and that there was strong resistance to the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
In spite of all the opposition toward the Christians in Pergamos, they continued to hold fast to their profession of faith. "Holding fast" means clinging on to with all of your strength and energy with the intent of never letting go.
Matthew 10:32-33 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
They did not deny their faith in Christ. A cult of the Roman emperor was established in every one of these cities and the citizens were annually required to make a public confession that Caesar was "god." Sometimes those who refused to bow down to Caesar were sentenced to death.
Christians at Pergamos suffered intense persecution from the pagans and some were martyred including a saint named Antipas.
The center of Satan's government is at Pergamos
Pergamos is the place where Satan's seat is. The name "pergamos" means high or elevated and it reminds us of Satan's rebellion against Jehovah. Satan's name used to be Lucifer and 5 times he said "I will" in plotting to overthrow Almighty God.
John also noted that Satan "dwelleth" at Pergamos which means this was his home base. If this seems a bit overwhelming to think about these things, we must remember that each born again Christian is in a life long battle because we are the objects of Satan's hatred and wrath.
The parallel passage to Isaiah 14 is found in Ezekiel 28:12-19 where Jehovah declared His own "I will" statements that completely undo the devil's.
Isaiah 14:12-14 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
In fact, the Greek word translated “seat” actually means a place designated for authority and judgment. Since the Bible describes Pergamos as the place of Satan’s seat it can be understood that Pergamos was where the devil actually administered his evil schemes.
Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
In the text above the apostle Paul warned about “spiritual wickedness in high places” and listed “powers and principalities” as components in the hierarchy of Satan’s kingdom. It is entirely possible that Paul had the reputation of Pergamos in mind, as he wrote those warnings.
The word "wiles" is found in the English word "methods" and it means the cunning trickery Satan uses to deceive people. He rules a kingdom of darkness that is powerful, global in scope, full of darkness and he plots depraved schemes from his throne in Pergamos.
Paul admonished the Corinthians to make sure that they did not allow Satan to gain an advantage over them. He tells us that we are not ignorant of the devil's devices. "Devices" means the evil thoughts and mental perceptions Satan uses in planning how to attack the worldwide church of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
Points to Ponder....
- Pergamos was a prosperous, prominent pagan city.
- Satan administered the kingdom of darkness from Pergamos.
- The Christians living in Pergamos faced powerful opposition and some were martyred for their faith in Christ.
- Jesus commended them for their faithful labors and holding fast to the name of Jesus Christ.
- Jesus acknowledged the evil enemies both human and spirit that they faced.
- The sufficiency of the Scripture is our weapon against the spiritual wickedness in high places that are arrayed against us.
- God has fully exposed the methods used by the devil so that we can be on guard against them.
- Our faith in Christ is secured by the hope we have in what God says in His word.
Born again Christians are in a war zone fighting for their Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Our duty is to live out the truths of the gospel and to be witnesses for Christ whenever we have an opportunity. God instructs us to put on the gospel armor and taken up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.
Our enemy is powerful, restless and seeking to devour Christians. However, he is already defeated by the cross of Christ and the Lord's resurrection. Our victory is secured and complete.
Bob
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