REVELATION STUDY NOTES (Pt.5)

The Letter To Pergamos

 - 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 Balac 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. (Revelation 2:12-17) -




Pergamos was about forty-eight miles from Smyrna. Prior to Alexander the Great, it really wasn't much more than a castle on a hill. It had an impregnable position and thus became useful as a treasury. It also became a major center for Greek culture. As Rome began to rise up and take over the Greeks, Pergamos allied itself with Rome very early. As a result it became extremely wealthy and prosperous. This is in addition to becoming the official capitol of the Roman province for two-hundred years. However because there was no proximity to the established trade routes, Pergamos eventually yielded the honor of capitol to its rival Ephesus. Today this is the Turkish town of Bergama. It has a population of about forty-two thousand, though it was much larger during the New Testament era, with population estimates around two-hundred thousand.

While Ephesus was the great political center, and Smyrna the great commercial center, Pergamos was the great religious center. Interestingly enough, it was said among the Greeks that this was the birth place of the god Zeus... and to celebrate that, there is a massive altar there. It resides on a cliff eight hundred feet above the valley floor. I believe it was 125ft x 115ft... that is a huge altar. Very prominent, very well known temple to Zeus.

Another venerated idol in Pergamos was Aesculapius, the Roman god of healing and medicine. He was depicted as a serpent. The caduceus was the emblem of the city. We've all seen this emblem at one time or another... this is the pole with two intertwined snakes and wings at the top. Other variations include a two headed serpent, and a single serpent. Interestingly enough, Pergamos was also called the City of the Serpent. However, most scholars acknowledge that the legend of Aesculapius is derived from the brazen serpent constructed by Moses.

- And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. (Numbers 21:5-9) -

Now if you're reading the Old Testament, desiring to understand the Lord and His ways... you would probably come away from this incident with more questions than answers. The people repented, lives were spared, and that's great... but what does a brass snake on a pole have to do with any of this? What does that even mean? Well, it doesn't begin to make any sense until we come to John's account of the Gospel and Nicodemus's night visit with Jesus.

- And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.(John 3:14,15) -

Now it begins to make sense as to why God did what He did in Numbers 21. The brass serpent on the pole was an anticipatory sign of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The serpent is a picture of sin, while brass symbolizes judgement and sacrifice. This was a sign pointing to the cross. In fact, it is this very conversation with Jesus that leads us to the most well known verse in the entire Bible.

- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) -

This is the appended to the explanation of Numbers 21... and while the brass serpent of Moses had been a symbol of deliverance, in time it became a fetish that was finally destroyed by king Hezekiah.

- Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. (2 Kings 18:1-4) -

Today the snake on the pole is used as a symbol for physicians and the American medical profession. And there are many articles that will say that it comes from the legend of Aesculapius... but that in turn comes from something much older, being Numbers 21.

Pergamos also had health institutions that were started by Hippocrates, a famous Greek physician. They dealt more or less with psychological things... sleep was induced by priests using drugs and whatnot. This was a strange intermingling of healing attempts and their religion...

- And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; (Revelation 2:12) -

The word "Pergamos" is the feminine form of the word "Pergamum" which is neuter. Some bibles use the neuter form, but they are both essential the same so don't let that throw you. Pergamos is a combination of two words in the Greek. The "per" as a prefux means mixed or objectionable. The suffix "gamos" means marriage. So Pergamos means mixed or objectionable marriage. Right away we can see that the theme of this letter is an inappropriate marriage. The title Jesus chooses for Himself as He addresses this church... the sharp sword with two edges, is the Word of God. This is the primary remedy for the situation arising out of Pergamos.

- 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. (Revelation 2:13) -

Some have asked if Satan actually has a literal seat in Pergamos... I believe he did. We must not lose sight of the fact that God alone is the only one who is omnipresent. The angels have locality as do the demons. Satan can only be at one place at one time... though he tries to convince us of other wise through various methods.

Who was Antipas? We don't know... however there are stories of an early church father that was martyred by being shut up in a brazen bull that was heated up red hot. Antipas in the Greek means against all. So apparently whoever he was, he stood against all odds and is commended by the Lord Himself as a faithful martyr. But getting back to the issue of Satan, we are reminded that we are dealing with a real person. (I have to eventually beat this into head of half the believers I meet.. and just about all of younger ones)

YOU. ARE. DEALING. WITH. A. REAL. PERSON.

He is not an idiom for evil in some broad sense. Nor is he simply power or influence. Jesus describes him as a real person. He is malevolent, a liar, a deceiver, a murderer, a sinner... he has a vast demonic kingdom of darkness. He commands the third of the angelic hosts that rebelled with him prior to Genesis 1:1. He also commands the demonic hordes. He is called the god of this current age, this world system... and is the prince of the power of the air. He is our adversary and the accuser of the brethren. He is supernatural but he is not supreme. He is more than man but less than God...
So, moving on... most of us know about Nimrod, the world's first dictator. He founded Babel which becomes Babylon. But what most do not realize is that when Cyrus conquered Babylon, the priests their initiates, and treasurers moved to Pergamos and set up shop. When Rome took over they transferred to Rome and set up there. So the center and path of all idolatry, false religion, perverted demonic worship, and occult practices begins at Babylon... migrates through Pergamos... and settles at the foundations of what will later be known as pagan Rome.

- But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14) -

Here Jesus makes an Old Testament reference to Balaam and Balak. I would submit that in order to understand the message here, it is necessary to take a look at the events surrounding these two individuals.

In short, Numbers 22 and 23 gives the account. Balaam was hired by Balak the king of Moab, to curse the children of Israel during their wilderness journey. For all of the peoples of the surrounding lands had heard the account of what God ha done for Israel, and were terrified. Interestingly enough, Balaam was a known prophet to the Moabite people, and he was not a Jew. Balaam was considered a false prophet not because of the absence of the knowledge or power of God... but because of the error of his perverse ways and his darkened heart. So Balak sends messengers with gifts to request Balaam's services. Balaam tells the messengers to stay the night and he would tell them what the Lord would speak to him in the morning.

- And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee? And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth: come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out. And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed. (Numbers 22:9-12) -

Despite what most pastors and scholars say, Balaam apparently had some kind of relationship with the Lord despite being a Gentile. Not only does he call the God of Israel Lord, but the Lord spoke to him that night, and warned him not to curse Israel. However, Balak offers even greater reward... so Balaam has the king's servants stay another night while he receives word from the Lord... and the Lord visited him.

- Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more. And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. (Numbers 22:19-22) -

I think it important that we are sensitive to the fact that God has two wills. His perfect will and His permissive will. This account is a clear example... Just because God permits us to do something doesn't necessarily mean He's pleased with our decision or wants us to do it. God basically told Balaam to go if you have to... but it was not His will for Balaam to fight against the Lord. I don't think Balaam understood that attempting to curse what God has blessed was the equivalent of picking a fight. And apparently there was indeed something to his ability to be a vessel for cursing or blessing. Hence the appearing of the Angel of the Lord (Jesus Christ Himself) for the purpose of killing him along the route. Balaam's donkey could see the angel but Balaam couldn't. Three times the Angel of the Lord appeared in the way with His sword drawn, and three times Balaam's donkey turned aside... even smashing Balaam's leg on one occasion, and falling down under him on another. The Angel of the Lord opens the mouth of the donkey to let it try and reason with Balaam... and Balaam would not be persuaded, but proceeds to argue.

So the Lord opens his eye's and he sees the peril he was in. Nevertheless, the Lord spares Balaam and allows him to continue on his way, with the command to only speak the word He puts in his mouth. Much to king Balak's dismay, Balaam can only prophecy blessings over Israel. After several attempts Balak finally gives up... but before they part ways Balaam tips Balak off on how to impede and eventually defeat Israel. (And he does this for free) His counsel was to have the most attractive Moabite women encamp around Israel and entice the young men away to their festivals. When the young men were drawn away by their lusts and sinned against the Lord, God would judge them (Numbers 31:16). This is an example of marriage with the world and really hits the theme of this letter. You see, Israel was forbidden to intermarry with the surrounding peoples... and even more specifically the Moabites.

- So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. (Revelation 2:15) -

The Nicolaitanes were covered in the previous letter. The difference here is that the deeds of the Nicolaitanes have now become doctrines...

- 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. (Revelation 2:16,17) -

What is the hidden mana? That's an easy one. Exodus 16 tells of how God sustained Israel with mana for forty years. It's described poetically in the Psalms...

- Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. (Psalm 78:23,24) -

- The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. (Psalms 105:40) -

However, the capstone of what Jesus is talking about as it concerns mana is John 6:26-58. Most of that is the famous "I am the Bread of Life" discourse. So if you want to understand about the mana just read John 6 and it becomes crystal clear that the mana is Christ Himself. Now what of the white stone? I must confess that most scholars have absolutely no idea, but plenty of conjectures. I won't go through them all because they are only conjectures. However there is one that appeals to me.

Apparently there was a Roman practice of giving a white stone with the receiver's name on it. This stone was a kind of identifying ticket that got you into the games and the coliseum, as well as bread to eat while you were there.

This pretty much sums up the letter to Pergamos. The commendations, concerns, and exhortations all deal with the idea of spiritual immorality. So the admonitory(to all churches)... is to purify your ambassadorship. The command is to hold fast my name. The personal application revolves around spiritual compromise. This is exactly what Balaam taught Balak to do. Israel not only compromised itself on a physical level with the Moabite women, but also on a spiritual level when they began to take on their idols. So who qualifies to be called an overcomer? This is explained in 1 John 5.

- For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?(1 John 5:4,5) -

The promises to the overcomer are to people faith. Now in looking at the prophetic application we need to take a glimpse at something called the Babylonian Legend... Tammuz, who is mentioned in your bible, was born to Nimrod and his queen Semiramis. He is associated with the sun god. He is thought to die during the winter solstice (December 22). That is when the days get shorter and shorter... and on the shortest day he is said to die. And he is resurrected as the days begin to lengthen. On the day that he dies it was celebrated by burning a "yule log." The word "yule" is Chaldean for infant. This log was burned in a fireplace and the next morning it was replaced with a trimmed tree. The mistletoe (fertility), wassail bowel, red and green colors, etc that most Christians believe have come from an English tradition actually have their roots in Pagan Rome... and can be traced back to Babylon. As I stated earlier, Nimrod founded the original Babylonian religion which eventually began to evolve into the worship of his widow Semiramis, and son Tammuz. Throughout history these two have had different names within different cultures. In Babylon they were Semiramis and Tammuz. In Phoenicia they are Ashtoreth and Tammus. In Egypt they are Isis and Horus. In Greece they are Aphrodite and Eros. In Rome they are Venus and Cupid. These are all simply different names for the same two Babylonian characters. (I would recommend checking out Dave Hunt's book, "A Woman Rides The Beast.")

 As stated earlier, the Babylonian priests moved to Pergamos after Cyrus conquered. And from Pergamos to Rome. Once in Rome the adopted Latin labels and formed the foundation for pagan Rome. If you study pagan Rome during the third and fourth century you find it nothing more than a Latin repackaging of the Babylonian system.

The title "Pontifex Maximus" was a title picked up by the Babylonian priests while they were in Pergamos. As this system migrates to Rome, this title was added to the list of titles that each new Caesar took on as he became the high priest of the religion in Rome. This all got codified in 378 A.D. when Damascus, the Bishop of Rome completed the absorption of Babylonianism into the Roman church. Now we need to go into some of the history of Rome, but I think this post is long enough... You could write volumes about the battles, the politics, the scandals, and the exploits of the different Caesars... Nero, Julius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus (Gladiator)... so I'll close after mentioning a bit about Constantine who was widely misunderstood. We are told that as Caesar he converted to Christianity. In 325 A.D. he issued his Edict of Toleration. You see, up until this point, Christianity was an illegal underground movement. The Christians were persecuted and suffered horrendous, torturous deaths at the hands of various Caesars. So this is a big break for the Christians. However, Constantine did not make Christianity the state religion, he only made it legal. He favored Christians at courts. He exempted Christian ministers from taxes. He issued a general exhortation to all his subjects to become Christians. And at 330 A.D., he moved the capital of Rome to Byzantium and renamed it Constantinople. This was his attempt at trying to escape the Paganism... which Rome was entrenched in. (Later Constantinople gets renamed Istanbul when the Muslims take over.)

Constantine has quite the record. He ceased the gladiatorial fights. He reduced the killing of unwelcomed children. Abolished the crucifixion as a form of execution, assumed headship of the church, advanced Christians to high offices, and declared Sunday a day of worship. He actually forbid work on Sunday which was an unbelievable break for slaves who never had a day off. So now the marriage between the world and the church has been consumated. After Constantine dies, Julian the apostate takes over and tries to restore paganism. He failed and was replaced after a few years by Jovian who reestablishes the Christian religion. This brings us to Theodosius who made Christianity a state religion. This caused forced conversions... and now the churches are packed with unregenerate people who had an ambition to rule, were used to heathenism, and pomp emerges within this co-mingling of paganism and "Christianity." This is regarded by most scholars as the perverted marriage of the church to the world...

Heathenism was Christianized. The pagan temples became churches. Heathen festivals were converted to Christian ones. Pagan priests slipped into office as "Christian" priests. All of the changes were mostly nomenclature... giving Christian names to their heathen practices. What Satan could not do through persecuting the Church, he accomplished through the Church marrying the world.


Ephesus is the Apostolic Church, Smyrna is the Prosecuted Church, and now Pergamos is the Married Church.



TO BE CONTINUED...