12 ¶ And to the angel of the
church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with
two edges; 13 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. 14 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. 15 So
hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I
hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto
thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 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 city of Pergamos (Greek) or
Pergamum (Latin) developed the use of parchment for a writing material and was
important in its manufacture.(4) The
monument to Zeus at Pergamos is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World and there were many other monuments to pagan gods that were honored at
Pergamos. The thing, though, that justifies that statement that this is where
Satan dwells is not only the rampant and ingrained paganism of the city but
also the doctrinal defection of many Christians who held to the doctrine of
Nicolaitanism. Mixing the Christian faith with paganism and heresy plagued this
church as it did historical church organizations within Christianity who
adopted pagan practices to make themselves more marketable to the heathen they
were trying to convert.
Antipas, whom we do not know from
Scriptures, was clearly a prominent martyr, important to God if forgotten by
history. Strong’s dictionary says that his name means, “like the father,” so I
am guessing he may represent a great many martyrs.
Sex was a common part of ancient
religious practices whether it be the temple of Aphrodite in Acrocorinth causing
the Christians to insist that the women in the Corinthian church have long hair
to distinguish them from the short haired temple prostitutes (1Corinthians 11:1-16)
or the heterosexual and homosexual temple prostitutes of Canaan that became
mixed with God’s religion (Deuteronomy 23:18; 2Kings 23:7).
Balaam caused the Hebrews to turn
from the practices that God demanded and to turn to the filthy religious practices
of the heathen.
What is hidden manna? It is uncertain but manna was food that God
supernaturally fed the Hebrews with in the wilderness. We have supernatural
food in God’s words.
Luke 4:4 And Jesus answered him,
saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word of God.
Could hidden manna refer to God’s word? It is interesting. What about the
white stone? Stones are important
throughout the Bible. In this they have a new name from God, a unique
identifier, that no one knows but them. Could this be that God knows us and
will know us in a unique way that is available only to Him and us?
(4) Unger, Archaeology and the New Testament, 275.
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