02.10. LECTURE No. 10 -- Rev_2:12-17
LECTURE No. 10 -- Revelation 2:12-17
The Book of Revelation Gives Us a Larger and a Better Understanding of the Nature and Person and Office Work of Christ - The Second Death Defined - The Lord’s Message to the Church at Pergamos - Satan’s New Method of Attack - Pergamos Was a Satanic Stronghold - The Church at Pergamos Was Troubled by the Baalamites - The Nicolaitanes Were Also Active in the Church - Hidden Manna Promised to Those Who Overcome BY the time we have concluded our study of the twenty-two chapters contained in this wonderful book, I am sure that many of us will have a clearer conception of the true nature and character and office work of the Lord Jesus Christ, than we have ever had from our study of any portion of God’s Word.
There is no other book in the Bible which presents Jesus in his relation to THINGS PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE, as the Book of Revelation. The Threefold Office Work Of Christ
Also, no other book in the Bible presents Jesus in His THREEFOLD OFFICE WORK as HIGH PRIEST, BRIDEGROOM and KING, such as we find here in the Book of Revelation.
Surely, by our study of this Book, our vision of the Christ will be increased, and our hearts will be warmed and set aflame with NEW HOPE, as we catch a vision of things which must shortly come to pass. The Seven Messages
We are now engaged in the study of the Seven Messages to the Seven Churches, which messages were given by the risen and glorified Christ to the APOSTLE JOHN on the Isle of Patmos, with commandment that he should write them and send them to the Seven Churches which were in Asia.
We have already studied the important message which the risen Lord sent to the CHURCH AT EPHESUS, which was filled with both commendation and rebuke, and also with a special promise to him that overcometh. In our last message we studied especially the message which the Lord sent to the CHURCH AT SMYRNA. While this message had a direct application to the local church addressed, we pointed out that it applied also in church history to what is spoken of as the “Smyrna period of the Church” which was one of supreme suffering and persecution.
Jesus who took note of their suffering and persecution sought to comfort them by saying in Revelation 2:10, “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” The Special Promise
Now let us notice the special promise which Jesus gave in Revelation 2:11 to those Christians at Smyrna. He said: “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches; he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
Here again in this verse is the same admonition which Jesus gave to the Christians of the Church at Ephesus, i.e., “He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.”
He knew that they were not all prepared to hear, and to understand the truth which he had just spoken. His admonition, therefore, was also a warning to those who refused to hear and to heed the truth which He had spoken!
What Is The Second Death?
Now, I am sure, someone will ask immediately, what is the second death? The promise here is, “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” In John 8:21, Jesus said to the Jews who refused to believe on Him, “I go my way and ye shall seek me, and shall DIE IN YOUR SINS: whither I go, ye cannot come.”
The second death, my friends, has to do only with those who die in their sins. It is mentioned and defined in Revelation 20:14-15, where it says,
“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. THIS IS THE SECOND DEATH, whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Also in Revelation 21:7-8 it says:
“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son; But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH.”
Now, concerning this subject of THE SECOND DEATH, in the Scofield Bible, Dr. Scofield has given to us this very interesting and helpful summary, quoting:
“The second death and the lake of fire are identical terms (Revelation 20:14) and are used of the eternal state of the wicked. It is ’second’ relatively to the preceding physical death of the wicked in unbelief and rejection of God; their eternal state is one of eternal ‘death’ (i.e., separation from God) in sins. (John 8:21-24). That the second death is not annihilation is shown by a comparison of Revelation 19:20, with Revelation 20:10. (Note) After one thousand years in the Lake of Fire the Beast and False Prophet are still there undestroyed. The word “forever and forever” (“to the ages of the ages”) are used in Hebrews 1:8, for the duration of the Throne of God, eternal in the sense of unending.” The Message to the Church at Pergamos
Now let us consider the message to the Church at Pergamos, recorded in Revelation 2:12-17, where it says,
“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 and thou holdest fast my name, and dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is; 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 stumbling block 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.”
It is very interesting to note that Jesus addressed Himself to each of the seven churches in a different way, and in each case His salutation was appropriate to the needs of that particular church.
To the CHURCH AT EPHESUS He addressed Himself as the one, “that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (or churches).
TO THE CHURCH AT SMYRNA, where men were being persecuted unto death, because of their faith in Christ, He addressed Himself as, “the first and the last, which was dead and is alive.” The Salutation The need at Pergamos, however, was different, and He addressed them, referring to Himself as the one, “which hath the sharp sword with two edges.” This was not a very charming way for the Lord to introduce Himself, I am sure, but He felt it was necessary, or He would not have done so. The very wording of this salutation would indicate, not only the authority of the speaker, but that conditions existed in the Church at Pergamos, which deserved rebuke and correction.
Now looking at this message to the Church at Pergamos as a whole, we may say that it represents the church under IMPERIAL FAVOR!
It represents a new and different method on the part of Satan to destroy and hinder the work and the influence of the church!
At Smyrna, and during the entire Smyrna period of the Church, Satan sought to destroy the church by PUTTING CHRISTIANS TO DEATH, but this method did not prove successful. Somehow the Church seemed to thrive on persecution and martyrdom, and instead of becoming extinguished, it spread more and more. It is an old saying that “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.” It was true then, and has been during every period of Church history. Somehow persecution strengthens the determination and causes men to avow allegiance to Christ as nothing else seems to do, and so the longer Satan persecuted the Church, the more powerful it became.
Satan’s New Method Of Attack
Having failed by this particular method of destroying the Church, Satan changed his method of attack from persecuting them from without, and by subtilty he lead them unto an unholy alliance with the world.
It was about this time that Constantine came to the Throne of the Roman Empire. Constantine himself was a heathen, but there is a legend to the effect that he saw in a dream a fiery cross burning in the heavens, and that he heard a voice saying, “by this sign conquer.” Because of this he professed to be a Christian, but there is every reason to believe that he was never truly converted. His profession of Christ was merely a shrewd political move.
By this time the Christians had increased in numbers, and rather than to oppose them he thought it would be far better to make peace with them. That Constantine’s profession of Christ was insincere, is evident from the fact that in the British Museum we are told there is a coin which was put out in the days of Constantine. On the one side are the Christian emblems, and on the other sides are emblems of the old Heathen Gods, and Constantine himself took the name of “Pontifex Maximus,” which being interpreted means, “The High Priest of the Heathen,” and so we see what an admixture his profession of Christ really was, and since he adhered also to the pagan ideas of the heathen.
We may truthfully say, therefore, that his supposed conversion and his profession of Christ were a spiritual tragedy, because it lead the church into a state of SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE WITH THE WORLD, which robbed them of their favor with God.
Instead of henceforth looking for the Kingdom of Christ, the poor deluded church leaders of that day began to believe that under Constantine’s reign, the Kingdom of God had already come, and the union of Church and State became an accomplished fact just as history reveals.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that in His message to the Church of Pergamos, Jesus said in Revelation 2:13, “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.”
Satan’s Seat
It is interesting and significant that Jesus referred to Pergamos as the place where Satan’s seat is, and where Satan dwelleth. This would seem to indicate that Pergamos was one of Satan’s strongholds. After all Satan is the God of this world, and there are certain places where he seems to center his influence more than at others, and Pergamos was one of those places.
Nevertheless in this stronghold of Satan, God had planted a Church, and there were Christians who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, and because of their faith were doing all they could to turn men from darkness unto light, and from Satan unto God. Therefore, Jesus said to them, “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is.”
Indeed, my friends, does it seem to you sometimes that you have been placed in the hardest circumstances of any Christian you know of? And does it seem to you that Satan is on every hand to trouble you, and to hinder your progress in your spiritual life, and to rob you of your witness and testimony to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, if this is the case, you can be comforted with the thought that Jesus knows exactly where thou dwellest. There is nothing concerning your life that escapes His notice.
Even though the Christians at Pergamos lived where “Satan’s seat is,” Jesus commended them because there were those who, in spite of these things, held fast His name and had not denied His faith, even though Antipas had been slain as a martyr among them. There is no question but that it takes a great deal of courage to be a Christian in the midst of such circumstances as those which are described here.
He Also Rebuked Them
After having commended those who were faithful among them, for their works and their faith, Jesus also found it necessary to rebuke them because of certain conditions which existed in the Church at Pergamos.
In Revelation 2:14 He said,
“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 stumbling block before the Children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.”
The Doctrine of Balaam In order for us to understand the doctrine of Balaam, referred to by our Lord in this passage, it will be necessary for us to refer to the Old Testament account of Balaam. It is one of the most interesting stories in the Old Testament.
The Children of Israel were on their way from Egypt to the Land of Canaan, and had pitched in the plains of Moab on this side of Jordon by Jericho. Balac, King of Moab, was afraid of the Israelites, and fearing to meet them in person he called for Balaam, the Prophet, and requested that he come and curse the King of Israel.
Almost every child knows the story of how Balaam went on his way riding upon an ass, and how he was met by an Angel in the way, who warned him against the purpose of his journey. Nevertheless he was allowed to go on his way, but was required to speak only those things which the Lord would require him to say.
Each time Balac, King of Moab, tried to get Balaam to curse the children of Israel, instead of cursing them, he blessed them and uttered great prophecies concerning the future of Israel. Not being allowed to curse Israel, Balac the King of Moab was very angry, and Balaam himself was greatly disappointed, for being a hireling prophet, he had hoped to receive a great reward for cursing the Children of Israel.
Therefore, having been hindered in his purpose of cursing the Children of Israel, Balaam conceived another plan for securing the reward which he desired.
Therefore, Balaam reasoned with the King of Moab that if he wanted to overcome the Children of Israel, he could do so by breaking down their separation with God. This he did by calling the people of Israel unto the sacrifice of their Gods, and by leading the Children of Israel to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. A Hireling Prophet
Thus, my friends, Balaam was willing to see Israel robbed of her glory, and thwarted in her purpose, for the sake of a mnetary reward! Because of this unholy alliance with the children of Moab, God sent a plague among them, and twenty four thousand of them died of the plague before the judgment of God was stayed.
And thus was Balaam a hireling prophet, who was willing to do anything for the sake of reward, and in the Church of Pergamos there were those who held to the doctrine of Balaam. They were willing to do anything for the sake of reward. Therefore, Jesus said, He was against them. Not All Dead Yet
Indeed, my friends, the Balaamites are not all dead yet, and there are those in many churches even yet today who are willing to do anything for the sake of reward. In John 10:12-13, it says, “But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”
Thus did Jesus give His estimate of the hireling shepherd.
In 2 Peter 2:15, the Apostle Peter speaks of those which have forsaken the right way and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor who loved the wages of unrighteousness. The Apostle Jude also says in Jude 1:11, “Woe unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”
Thus, my friends, we can see that the presence of Balaamites in the Church at Pergamos was a serious matter, and it is no wonder that Jesus spoke out against them in His message to the Church. The Nicolaitanes But the Church at Pergamos was not only afflicted with Balaamites, in Revelation 2:15, Jesus said, “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate!”
We have explained already in our study of the message to the Church a Ephesus just who the Nicolaitanes were and why it was that Jesus hated them.
Therefore it will not be necessary to repeat the same discussion here. Suffice it to say, that which had its beginning in the Church at Ephesus, had now become a doctrine; for Jesus here speaks of the work of the Nicolaitanes as the DOCTRINE of the Nicolaitanes, and as we see that this group was determined to divide the body of Christ into two separate groups, known as the clergy and the laity, and take the preeminence themselves, so that they might act as Lords over God’s heritage!
Seeing the work of this pernicious group within the Church, Jesus could not restrain from calling them by name, and expressing His hatred for them.
Since these conditions existed in the Church at Pergamos it was natural that He which had the sharp sword with two edges should send forth a clear call to repentance. Therefore, in Revelation 2:16 He said, “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”
Admonition And then He spoke those same words of admonition, saying, “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches.”
He knew they did not all have ears to hear the truth which He had spoken unto them in this message, but to those who were able to hear and obey this truth, He said, “To him that overcometh I will 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.”
This, my friends, is a wonderful promise.
We all know how the Children of Israel were fed with manna in the Wilderness, and we know also that Jesus Himself is the bread from heaven, and that if we desire spiritual strength we must feast upon Him, for He said, “I am the bread of life.”
In this promise He also made mention of a white stone, which He would give as a reward to those who overcome, and in that stone “a new name written which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.”
No doubt, this statement was taken from the Hebrew custom giving to one acquitted on trial a white stone! The white stone, therefore, became the symbol of innocence and of deliverance.
Indeed, my friends, what a joy it would be for you and for me to receive our white stone from Him who is the judge of all things; thus indicating our innocence in His sight, and indicating our deliverance from the judgments of those who would accuse us before the Throne of God. And on that stone there will be written a new name which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.
No doubt, it will be the name of our adoption which we are to receive and to own according to our place and position in the great family of God.
~ end of lecture 10 ~