The Seven Churches - Pergamum

Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.

Pergamum is addressed as the throne or Satan or the place where Satan dwells. If Jesus refers so, it is like the city was so full of sin. It means that Satan felt like home in that city. History says that there was three big temples, a hospital and spa where even emperors where treated with snakes, a great library and a great theatre. Antipas mentioned here was the bishop of Pergamum and was a big threat to the locals because he drove demons out of people which was their investment. The death was inside a hollow bronze bull heated so that he would die being roasted alive. There is an altar of Zeus where human sacrifices were made which could have been called the throne of Satan. This altar was moved to Berlin in 1930 which was around the time Hitler started his infamous work killing the Jews.

In this tough time, seeing the death of Antipas, the church stood upright and still which is the appreciation Jesus gives to the church. This is a very good sign of a church where at whatsoever persecution, it holds fast to the name of the Lord. The name is dependable and when we remember at these times, we will not deny our faith. The church was not a secret church in the city of Satan.  It stood up in the time of tribulation even after Antipas was killed with the same faith as before. This is a very great sign of a church. But this strength was lost in another area.

Balaam’s teaching was accepted where a strong Israel became weaker with women and their idols. It became OK for them to eat with the sexually immoral people. Jesus is angry because the church did not accept the practice but accepted the teaching. The Nicolatian teaching was also accepted here. Speaking about this group in Ephesus, that church hated this group’s work which was positive, but the church in Pergamum accepted the teaching which is far worse that accepting works. If somebody comes here and teaching a doctrine, the church’s responsibility is to ridicule that teaching completely and clarify its members out of it. Sin establishes its throne inside a church not through members who fall, but through teaching. It is important for those who teach to ensure what comes out of their mouth to be aligned perfectly with the Bible as in Ephesians we read how Jesus is the corner stone, and the apostles and prophets become the foundation in line with Christ.

We should see that Balaam’s teaching was intended to Balak and to deceive Israel, but somehow this teaching is practiced inside Israel. That is the power of false teaching. Once an evil doctrine is taught like evolution it will strongly live. Likewise, accepting LGBT and other practices are popping up in churches and it is now necessary for churches to become so. These got a stronghold only in the last few years. Any doctrine that quickly spreads is a sign of the devil’s work.

God wants the church to repent. Repentance is turning away from sin and so, it should explain that churches should check what teachings allow men to sin and what do not. If there is such a teaching or even a tradition, the church should repent accepting that it is sin. Repentance brings salvation through the blood of Jesus and so there is a clear way out. But blasphemy as in the church of Smyrna directly serves Satan. Those men are clearly left out when eternal life comes. If the church repents everybody would repent including those who practices these things.

When Jesus introduces Himself, it is the sword that should be seen by the church. The double edged sword as in Hebrews 4:12, 13 there is nothing the sword cannot enter into. It makes way through bones and marrow and even the division of the soul and the spirit. A work of the sword will be painful to the tissues around it. A normal sword will not penetrate but cut, but a double edged sword will penetrate.

The hidden manna promised is Jesus Himself as in John 6:48-51. Without that repentance, seeing Jesus is not possible for the church. The experience of salvation is what referred here. This salvation will be so personal that nobody else can address Jesus with that wonderful name. The white stone refers to something like an ID card or a ticket that has the personal name of Jesus written.