Revelation - Lesson 8

What Was Your Name Again?

Prayer: God as we study today about Sardis help us to learn the critical need for faithfulness and devotion.  Help us to do this as individuals, as a church body, and in the true Church - the body of believers in the world.  Amen!

Today we will be studying the 5th church of the 7 who were specific recipients of letters in the book of Revelation, the church at Sardis.

Established prior to 2000 BC, one of the oldest cities on the planet (or at least it was).  A number of Greek writers mention it as a city of renown.  During the time of the Lydian kingdom, established in the 7th century BC, Sardis was the capital.

Strategic location between Pergamum, Smyrna, Ephesus, Philadelphia & Phrygia; therefor it had favorable commerce & was a very wealthy city. Was located by the river Pactolus, in which Gold was discovered in the sand.  Gold & Silver "Lydian Staters" are considered the 1st coins in the world, and had their origin there.

The city itself was considered impregnable, it sat up high, with cliffs on 3 sides (each about 1000-1500 feet high), so only the Southern side (where access was available) needed to be guarded.  The river at the base of the mountain forms a type of moat.  However,  the cliffs were made of clay which caused problems with erosion, and the clay occasionally left cracks which could be exploited by enemies.

In 549 BC the city was taken by the Persians under Cyrus, the soldiers climbed one of the unguarded cliffs at night & snuck into the city and overtook it - it is said by historians that it was taken "like a thief in the night".  In 214 BC the city was taken by the Seleucid Empire under Antiochus in the same manner, again taken "like a thief in the night".  Sardis becomes a "proverb" of sorts, they appear secure, but aren't really so.  The city was defeated at least 3 more times in history, and became known as a city characterized by: Promise without Performance, Appearance without Reality, False confidence that brought Ruin.  Historically it is a city without Watchfulness or Diligence.  We're going to see, as we read the letter, that this also is reflected in the behavior of the Sardis church.

By New Testament times the earlier dignity and splendor of Sardis was gone, in 17 AD (before the writing of this letter) a severe earthquake caused major damage.  In the first century the population was estimated to be about 120,000.  The town ceased to exist in 1402 AD when conquered by the Turks.  Archaeological excavations were begun at the site in 1910, but the city wasn't uncovered until 1958.  The little town of Sart now in that location only has a few Greek pillars dating back to 1st century Sardis.

Architecture:

• Not much left today, at one time a famous, strong, wealthy city.
• Some ancient architecture remains is from the 2nd & 3rd centuries (after the time of this letter)

Religion:

• Patron deity - Cybele: goddess of the moon.  In Greek legend Cybele's son was said to be Midas the wealthy king of Phrygia (Midas touch), he may or may not have been a real person.
• Apollo - god of the sun (brother to Cybele) was worshiped alongside Cybele - both were nature religions.
• Artemis - a nature cult that built on the idea of death & rebirth.

The Letter to Sardis: read Revelation 3:1-6

Name of the city: Sardis - some believe the name may mean "Remnant" but there is no linguistic link for that, the link comes from the content of this letter.  Nobody really knows what the name means anymore, you'll sense this theme in this letter.  There was a stone called Sardis that was a precious stone, one of the stones of the breastplate of the high priest, believed to be a red stone - it was precious but became common.  No one can be sure what the Sardis Stone actually is, it is not identifiable. Both the City and the Stone have a name but no significance, an empty name, that theme runs through this letter.

Title of Christ: "him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars"

Seven Spirits / Seven-Fold Spirit - Holy Spirit (reference lessons on chapter 1).  That Jesus holds the seven-fold Spirit would indicate that He is the one that sends the Spirit to enliven.  Only the Holy Spirit can make spiritually live what was spiritually dead.

Seven Stars - Angels to the Seven Churches

Commendation:  (none)

Concerns: "you have a reputation of being alive but you are dead"

There are works, they carry a label, but they are dead!  They are what I call "Garage Christians" - sitting in a church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car.  I'm going to take it even further by saying that your involvement, your actions / works, though they may cause you to "look like" a Christian have nothing to do with you "being" a Christian.  Matthew 13:24-30; Hebrews 11:6.

My personal opinion is that those who have "grown up" in the church are at greatest risk.  They have always considered themselves Christians, and may never have had any inkling that they are Christian in label only - I know many people like this & that is a sad state of affairs, they're also the hardest to witness to because they think they're "ok", they're "in", they've got this "figured out".  I used to be one of those, and I was zealous for my beliefs, when I became a true believer my friends were puzzled because they already thought I was a believer!  This was 30 years ago, and some still don't get it.

Exhortation: "Wake up!  Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.  Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.  But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."

Watch out, strengthen what you have - the church is in danger of spiritually eroding away, just like the city was in danger from physical erosion.

What does it mean to be Watchful?

• to be vigilant - Matthew 25: 1-13; Romans 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 16:13.

What should we be Watchful of?

• the wiles of the devil - 1 Peter 5:8.
• temptation - Matthew 26:41.
• Jesus coming - Matthew 24:42-43; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6.
• false teachers - Acts 20:29-31.  
• don't believe in justification by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
• don't believe in the inerrancy of the scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16).
• don't believe in the depravity of man (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23)
• don't teach redemption by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22)

Your deeds are not complete - incompletion due to the lack of underlying belief.  Just as faith without works is dead, works without faith are of no value.  Matthew 7:21-23.

Remember what you have seen and heard & hold fast - they had been given the truths of Christ, had witnessed the works of the Holy Spirit, but many who had joined the ranks had not repented and become obedient to Christ - it had become a "nice social club" as many churches were in the late stages of the Reformation & as some are today.

Those who repent will not be caught by surprise, those who don't will be surprised when Jesus "comes like a thief".  This threat that Jesus will "come as a thief" at a time they're not expecting fits the history of the city of Sardis, and it should have been a clear warning to the church there.

Promise to the Overcomer: for the few true believers "who have not soiled their clothes (pooped their pants) & for those who repent: "he walk with me, dressed in white... I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels."

Those who are true believers not only are clean in God's sight while in this world, but will be clothed in white garments (purity, free from corruption) in the next. 1 Corinthians 15:50-54.

Name will not be blotted out of the book of life - in ancient times when your name was blotted out of the city ledgers you lost your citizenship.  Don't get me wrong, I don't believe that this it speaking of people loosing their salvation (that's a subject we won't cover here) because I don't believe you can loose your salvation, but I think there's the implication that Jesus has extended His invitation to all mankind - but there are those who refuse the invitation & thus have their names removed from the guest list.

Acknowledge name before the Father and his angels - Jesus will bear witness of His faithful, being their advocate. 1 John 2:1-2 speaks of Jesus as our advocate, verse 2 is one of those passages that points to the invitation to faith & thus forgiveness being available to all.  We will be acknowledged before the Father and his angels.

Matthew 10:32-33; Luke 12:8-9.

Closing Statement: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"

Historical Church - the Reformation / Protestant Church (1400-1800): 

Early roots of the Reformation were in the 1200s due to the problems with the papacy & church officials - greed, immorality, corruption of all kinds.  The church at the time owned 1/5 - 1/3 of the lands of Europe, tax free, which brought envy and resentment by the peasantry - who were starving.  

In the 1300s John Wycliffe attacked the papacy regarding: sale of indulgences, excessive veneration of the saints, moral and intellectual standards of ordained priests.  To reach the common people he translated the Bible into English, prior to that it had been available only in Latin.  It had been in Latin in order to control access to the scriptures - there are "churches" today that also control access, some forbid reading of materials outside what they publish or unless accompanied by what they publish, some take away the Old Testament.

Wycliffe's teachings spread to Bohemia where John Huss became a powerful advocate.  John Huss was executed in 1415 for his teachings, leading to the Hussite wars.

The Gutenberg Press was invented, with the 1st print book (Bible) being printed in 1455.  Efficiency in printing resulted in a more literate population, fueling the spread of ideas and thus the 16th century Reformation in Germany.

Martin Luther was born in 1483, he originally planned to be a lawyer (he was a scholar) but in 1504 had a life changing event that came in the form of a violent storm, this cause him to pursue a doctorate of Theology.  He visits Rome and is disillusioned by the state of the church, on October 31st 1517 he nails 95 theses to the door at Wittenburg College - calling for reform in the church, in 1520 he's excommunicated and became a leader in the reformation.  Luther's life verse was Habbakuk 2:4.

Reformation claimed that the Bible was the authority, not the church & its traditions, and taught that salvation came by faith rather than works.  Since the Bible was available in printed form in common language, and since the common people were becoming more literate, the reformation was able to take place & gain ground.  There was much political & religious upheaval, more than we have time to go into here.

The Reformation brought about the rise of many varied Protestant denominations, each with their unique flavor & opinions, but most (over time) marked by: increased softness in interpretation of scripture (belief that the Bible contains the word of God rather than is the word of God) - so not taken literally in many cases, denial of the literal Millennial Reign of Christ depicted in Isaiah & Revelation, denial of Israel's prophetic destiny (replacement theology & such), absence of a Biblical devotional life, de-emphasis on the Gospel of Christ, ordination of Homosexuals (and similar offenses to the pure teachings of scripture).

How is your life like the life of the church of Sardis?  Are you coming in, being active, but not really having a heart & life change that comes from complete whole-hearted devotion to Christ? Is Jesus your Lord & Savior, have you voluntarily laid your whole life down before Him in sacrifice?

How is our church like the church of Sardis?  Are we just being a friendly place for people to come or are we having a real impact for the Lord on people & our culture?  Has our church become so large that there are birds in our branches (Luke 13:18-19)?

Prayer:  God, help us to be faithful followers and not just pretenders, help us to work with seekers to bring them to true faith - to disciple them.  Help us to do this as individual believers and as a local body of believers, so that as many as possible may have their names written in the Lord's book of life.  Help us Lord to be a people and a church of devotion & faithfulness.  Help our church and our homes be places where people are growing in faith and devotion to you, where the only thing we boast in is Jesus Christ.

Revelation - Lesson 7

Give your Daughter an Inch & She'll take a Mile

Prayer: God as we study today about Thyatira help us to learn about the danger of allowing false doctrines to be adopted by the church, to be watchful as compromise tries to work its way in, to remember to keep our worship pure & based on the truth in Your Word alone.  Help us to do this as individuals, as a church body, and in the true Church - the body of believers in the world.  Amen!

Today we will be studying the 4rd church of the 7 who were specific recipients of letters in the book of Revelation, the church at Thyatira.

Prior to the 3rd century BC the city had been named Semiramis (after the consort of Nimrod - think Tower of Babel).  Semiramis, along with Nimrod & their son Tammuz, are the 3 people on which the Babylonian legends are based - paganism finds its roots in these legends.  It is not surprising that the city had been named after a woman, since Thyatira had been part of a Lydian society which was known to have a matriarchal nature.

An inland city, in the 1st century it stood at the juncture of 3 roads leading to Pergamus, Sardis, and Smyrna - it was considered a frontier fortress (or garrison town) to guard those 3 critical roads which were main lines of communication and trade.  Of the seven cities of Revelation it's the least important politically; however, it was a thriving and prosperous manufacturing and marketing center, home to numerous trade guilds including coppersmiths, tanners, dyers, leatherworkers, woolworkers, linenworkers, etc.  

Thyatira was famous for its high quality dyes & dyed goods, and was the center of the dyeing industry: Lydia, a believer and "seller of purple" was from Thyatira - reference Acts 16:14; she later moved to Philippi and her home was the meeting place of the church there.  A "seller of purple" would have been wealthy & powerful, so from this we again see Thyatira's acceptance of women in powerful positions.

More guilds were found in Thyatira than any other city at its time in the province of Asia.  These guilds were problematic for Christians as many were tied into the worship of pagan deities.  Each guild owned property, made contracts, and wielded wide influence in political, economic, social, and religious life.  Each provided benefits and took action to protect its interests - kinda sounds like some of the Unions we have today, and is believed by some to be where our modern-day unions got their start.  Each guild had a patron deity, they held festivities at which wild orgies ensued and banquets featuring food sacrificed to idols took place.  Guild membership was compulsory for anyone who wanted to pursue a trade - needless to say this caused problems for Christian craftsmen.

One source mentioned that church at Thyatira ceased to exist when the city itself was defeated, I believe the reference is to a battle that occurred in 366 AD but I'm not certain.

Today the city in the location of ancient Thyatira is named Akhisar (or Ashisar) and is home to about 80,000 people; the city and its region produce olives, cotton, tobacco, graphite, wool, raisins, and dyes. 

Architecture:

• Temples to pagan deities
• No major fortifications & not much else known about its architecture.

Religion:

• Worship of Apollo (sun god) which was mixed together with Emperor worship.
• Worship of Sambeth (goddess).  This particular form of paganism had Sibyls (oracles / prophetesses) who claimed to speak for Apollo.  At the time of the 1st century there was a powerful Sibyl presiding over this temple.  It is believed that at times the presiding Sibyl was a proclaimed Jewess or Christian, and was attempting to influence her culture by imitating pagan oracles in order to attempt to win converts.

Before reading I want to point out that this letter has a tone of impressive might and irresistible will, and in places it expresses the fury of a holy God who has been offended.  The Letter to Thyatira: read Revelation 2:18-29 (18-19, 20-21, 22-23, 24-25, 26-29)

Name of the city: Thyatira - Daughter, named around 301 BC by Nicator (nick-A-tor) after he'd defeated the city, because he had just been informed that a daughter had been born to him.

Title of Christ: "the Son of God whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze"

Son of God: this title may have been chosen in order to be in stark contrast to the "Jezebel" mentioned in later verses.  Jezebel was a powerful queen in the history of Israel, if you don't know who Jezebel is from the Old Testament scriptures just hold on, you will before we're done.

Eyes like blazing fire - these are eyes of inspection, eyes of judgement - nothing is hidden from Jesus vision.  Blazing fire would have been a powerful & easily understood symbol due to the foundries of the city.

Feet like burnished bronze - Feet speak of the walk, brass (burnished bronze) being able to withstand fire (judgement).  The word translated brass or burnished bronze is "chalkolibanos" and isn't used in any other book of the Bible.  It is believed that this may have been a specialized product of one of Thyatira's trade guilds - perhaps a particularly bright or golden-hued bronze.

I get an overall sense from the title chosen that we are seeing Jesus here as furious, outraged by the hideous practices occurring within this body of believers.

Commendation:  "I know your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first."

Their walk is not only good, its improving!  They are even more active in their faith than they were initially.  Wow, if this is as far as we went they sound like they're in great shape... but this isn't all that is needed, sound doctrine & godly living are also needed.

Concerns: "You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess.  By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. " with verse 24 indicating that some had been involved with Satanic practices.

Who is Jezebel in the Old Testament?

Jezebel is the daughter of Eth-Baal, King of Sidon & Preist of Astarte (a.k.a. Asherah) - he murdered his predecessor in order to seize the throne.  She was married to King Ahab, one of the kings of the Northern kingdom of Israel (during the time of the divided kingdom) - their marriage was arranged for political & financial reasons.  Jezebel was a worshipper of Baal & Astarte, pagan deities with roots in the Babylonian legend, she also actively sought to exterminate the prophets of God.  Jezebel & Ahab ushered in the worst period of Old Testament History.

A short historical excursion - you really should know who Jezebel is as a reference:

Our first passage is when Elijah confronts King Ahab - this is after Jezebel has been trying to kill off all of the prophets of God.  1 Kings 18:16-40 (16-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-35, 36-40).  Our second passage is when Jezebel hears about what Elijah has done to the prophets of Baal.  1 Kings 19:1-2.  Our third passage is what happens when Ahab doesn't get what he wants so Jezebel takes it for him. 1 Kings 21:1-16 (1-4, 5-10, 11-14, 15-16) - the study notes on verse 13 indicate that not only was Naboth killed, his sons were also killed, resulting in him having no heirs.  Finally we get to Jezebel's death.  2 Kings 9:22, 30-37 - her death was as prophesied in 1 Kings 21.

Who is "Jezebel" in Thyatira?

Jezebel calls herself a prophetess, the wording here indicates that she's a false teacher or a teacher bringing in idolatry.  I believe this was a specific person, a woman, leading a movement within the church that was causing issues; however, it is also possible that "Jezebel" is used to indicate those acting in the manner and/or spirit of the Old Testament Jezebel.

Jezebel is misleading Jesus servants into adultery.  The NIV translates the Greek word for adultery into "sexual immorality", but as a literary term adultery could imply either sexual immorality or paganism or both.  It's likely that it's both, since most pagan practices included sexual immorality, and since it specifically mentions leading people to "eat food sacrificed to idols".  It is possible that Jezebel was one who advocated tolerance for the guild festivities & practices, arguing that these guild deities need not be taken seriously - a tempting compromise for believers struggling to earn a living.  Keep in mind, however, that guild festivities would have included orgies & feasts in honor of their deities.

It's also implied that Jezebel is bringing Satanic mysteries into the church.   Consider this, it's possible that a Sybil has entered into the fellowship of this body of believers and is trying to exercise influence within the church.  If this is the case then the tone of fury & might of this letter is easier to understand.

We're told in the passage that Jezebel is given the opportunity to repent, but does not; however, the problem isn't just Jezebel, the problem is that the church is tolerating & condoning Jezebel!!  They were allowing Jezebel's teachings, even giving her a leadership roll, some were embracing her heretical teachings & those who didn't embrace her teachings weren't doing anything to stop her.

Those who are "in bed" with Jezebel will, like her, be forced to suffer - to suffer intensely unless they repent of her ways.  Those who continue to follow her (called her children) will be stricken dead so that all the churches will know that Jesus is the one who searches hearts and minds, and He will repay us according to what we have done.

Thyatira has been titled by some "the adulterous church", indicating problems worse than those in Pergamum where the world's influences had been felt, and going so far as having pagan influences accepted within the church.

Exhortation: Generally to all: to get away from / keep away from Jezebel and her ways.  Specifically, to those who have not followed Jezebel or learned Satan's so-called deep secrets: "hold on to what you have until I come."

Despite this church being troubled there is a faithful remnant within the church, there are those who haven't gone along with Jezebel's teachings or practices.  Here we also get an explicit reference to the 2nd coming of Christ.

Satan's so-called deep secrets - esoteric mysteries of the Babylonian cults.  It's interesting that in 378 A.D. the Bishop of Rome took on the title & office of Pontifex Maximus - the title belonging to the high priest of the Babylonian religion - thus combining the Christian church in Rome with paganism.  The fallout from this in the history of the Roman Catholic church is incredible, as it went through centuries of evil & corruption, but that's way too big a topic to cover here.

Promise to the Overcomer: "authority over the nations.  He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery... I will give him the morning star"

The ambition of Jezebel in the Old Testament was to have power, there may have been a false promise being given by this "Jezebel" regarding power that would come from following in her ways.

Iron scepter (rod of iron) - expressive of might arising from innate strength rather than coming from formal authority.

Dash to pieces like pottery - a greater, more irresistible strength than even that of the mighty Roman empire with all its legions.

The morning star being given - implies that Jesus presence will be given as a gift to the overcomer.

Who has the authority & does the ruling & dashing to pieces? Jesus, yet He shares this authority with His true church, His people.  Keep in mind that we belong to another, we belong to the King of Kings, we are not of this world, our authority is other-worldly & above any human government or authority.  The more defeated Christians may appear in this world the stronger we become, where Christians are persecuted faith is purified and strengthened, where killed for our faith we gain eternal life - we are powerful & cannot be defeated because we have the living God living in us!

This promise to the overcomer has a millennial aspect to it as well, as believers will rule and reign with Christ in the millennium.

Closing Statement: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"

Thyatira in church history represents the Medieval Church or the church of the Dark Ages, approximately A.D. 590-1350.  During this time idolatry was mixed with Christian works, the papacy gained secular power, worship of the Virgin became part of the church service, Mass was said for the dead, and the Inquisition took place.  Many of the popes during this period bought their office, abused their power, many had residences that were nothing more than brothels, appointed friends/family to church offices or sold the offices to those with money.  Some declared war against & killed off any Christian groups that held to the pure teachings of the scriptures rather than the rule of the Roman church.

How is your life like the life of the church of Thyatira?  Where have you let idolatry or compromise sneak in?  What practices are you involved in or approving of that are offensive to Christ?  Where have you strayed from the pure truths of God's Word?

How is our church like the church of Thyatira?  Where has our church allowed compromise in?  What practices are in our church that are offensive to Christ?

Prayer:  God, show us our errant ways, help us to humble ourselves to your holy will as individual believers and as a local body of believers.  Help us Lord to be a people and a church that seeks to be doctrinally pure.  Help us Lord to resist outside pressures that might tempt us to compromise.

Revelation - Lesson 6

Watch What You're Getting Mixed Up In

Prayer: God as we study today about Pergamum help us to learn from them about being faithful and dealing with compromising influences.  Help us to be knowledgeable of the forces of evil, and careful not to let our curiosity about these dark powers lead us astray.  Help us to do this as individuals, as a church body, and in the true Church - the body of believers in the world.  Amen!

Today we will be studying the 3rd church of the 7 who were specific recipients of letters in the book of Revelation.  Last time we studied Smyrna, this time we are studying Pergamum.

In the first century Pergamum was a city of about 150,000-200,000, it was one of the most influential cities in the Roman Empire.  Today all that is left of ancient Pergamum is ruins; however, the area is not unpopulated, the modern city of Bergama is currently located there with a population of around 55,000.

Pergamum was a beautiful city and well fortified, it was built entirely on a cone shaped hill (small mountain) rising 1000 feet above the surrounding valley, and was fortified with a stronghold (acropolis) to withstand enemy attack.  This city dominated the entire region of the broad plain of Caicus, in which the city's hill stands out, with the original city being built between the two rivers that flowed into the plain.  Because of its impregnable position it was used as a treasury.

Pergamum was the place Caesar Augustus would go when the weather in Rome got cold.  It had a famous healing center (more on that later) that was used by people from all over Rome.  The people of Pergamum perfected a parchment made out of calfskin - we get our modern word for Parchment from the name of the city.  Pergamum was not a coastal city, and was located off the great trade routes, so it was not a great commercial center; instead, Pergamum was known as a great religious and intellectual center.   It was an early ally of Rome, and was the capital of the province of Asia for 2 centuries; however, its lack of proximity to trade routes caused Rome to select Ephesus to replace it as the capital.

Architecture:

• Library - Pergamum just prior to the first century had housed the greatest library of the Pagan world, it held over 200,000 volumes.  This is the Library that Marc Anthony gave to Cleopatra as a wedding gift - she subsequently lugged it off to Alexandria in Egypt & the library in Alexandria was considered the greatest library the world has ever seen.
• Theater - seated 10,000, the acoustics were said to be so good that a whisper on stage could be heard all the way in the top row.
• Altar of Zeus - one of the Seven Wonders of the World, known as the largest altar in the world.  This was set on a high hill, with its altar towering 800 feet over the plain.  The altar itself stood on a foundation 125' x 115', over 50' high, set in a colonnaded enclosure. In the 19th century German engineers dismantled the altar and took it to Berlin, it went on display in a Pergamon Museum in 1930, just in time to inspire one of the most brutal dictators the world has ever seen.
• Aesculapion - part hospital, part spa, and at the same time a temple dedicated to Aesculapius (Greek god of healing).  It was the Mayo Clinic of its day, healing by a wide variety of methods - medicine & surgery (we get our word "Scalpel" from "Aesculapius"), psychology, hot baths, mud baths, massage, theater with healing messages, voices speaking positive messages through holes in the ceiling, dream interpretation.  One form of healing was being sedated and left at night in the temple to sleep, with non-poisonous snakes let loose to crawl over you - if one crawled over you it was a sign that healing power had come to you, this would be followed up by a dream interpretation.  The Aesculapion didn't accept terminal patients, and any who happened to die were taken out a "back door" to avoid tarnishing the hospital's reputation.  Caesar Augustus liked to go there - he wasn't sick but rather an alcoholic, and he'd go once a year to dry out.  People came from all over the world to this hospital, and though good medicine was practiced there the place as a whole was basically Satanic.

Religion:

• Pergamum was considered a great religious center (paganism)
• The official center for Emperor worship in Asia, it had the first temple dedicated to Caesar and was a rabid promotor of the Imperial Cult.
• Greek god / goddess worship flourished (includes Zeus & Aesculapius)

A bit about Aesculapius before we dig into the letter to Pergamum - sculptures depicting Aesculapius have him holding a pole with a snake, and its believed that the legend of Aesculapius derives from the episode where the people of God encounter snakes in the wilderness, read Numbers 21:4-9. This same brass snake on a pole is mentioned by Jesus to Nicodemus in John 3:14, this is speaking of His impending crucifixion (remember that brass is symbolic of judgement, the serpent is symbolic of sin).  The particular serpent-pole made in Moses time had to be destroyed during the reign of king Hezekiah (good king) because the people had started (in true pagan fashion) to worship the brazen serpent, read 2 Kings 18:4.

The Letter to Pergamum: read Revelation 2:12-17

Name of the city: Pergamum - Greek word means "Citadel", it also means "Mixed Marriage" (objectionable) or "High Marriage".

Title of Christ: "Him who has the sharp double-edged sword" - this "sword" we discussed in a prior lesson as being the active Word of God, and as representing Judgement being issued forth from the mouth of Jesus.  Read Hebrews 4:12 - a city rife with false religion desperately needed the purifying work of this sword.

Commendation:  "I know where you live - where Satan has his throne.  Yet you remain true to my name.  You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city - where Satan lives."

Believers here were living in Satan's seat of power!  Remember, Satan is not currently in hell, that is his future abode.  Satan is loose and is the prince of this world, controlling kingdoms and seeking out whomever he may devour.  Retaining a clear identity as a church of the Lord Jesus in an evil environment is worthy of commendation, they were in effect a small light in a sea of wickedness.

Pergamum had become one of the greatest centers of pagan religion in the world at that time.  A brief history of paganism: Nimrod founded Babel and is believed to have instigated a form of paganism, there are indications that Astrology may have its roots there - being a twisting of signs in the heavens given to remind people of the things of God (this is an entire study unto itself).  At that time Satan's seat of power would have been Babel.  Later Babylon is believed to have inherited the mantle from Babel, and after Babylon fell Pergamum was believed to have inherited the mantle from Babylon when the priests and their initiates moved their treasures & mysteries at the fall of Babylon under Belshazzar.  Why do you care about any of this?  It is important to remember that Satan is powerful and has many forces at his disposal, but Satan is a created being and is limited.  Satan is not omnipresent.  At the time of the writing of Revelation - by what Jesus is telling us - Satan had set up his throne at Pergamum, this is where he chose to be located.  Could he move around to other locations?  Of course he could, but this was his chosen center of operations at the time.

Antipas was only one of many martyrs in Pergamum.  Antipas was the bishop of Pergamum, ordained by John (writer of Revelation).  According to one source Antipas was so successful at driving out demons that the pagan priests (spurred on themselves by demonic forces) turned him in for failing to perform the rites of Emperor Worship.  After being turned in he continued to refuse to perform pagan rituals and was sentenced to death on the altar of Zeus - part of that altar was a hollow bronze bull designed for human sacrifice.  The sacrifice to Zeus would be placed inside the bronze bull, with their head in the bull's head, and a fire would be lit under the bull.  The person inside would slowly roast to death.  As the victim would cry out his cries would come out through the pipes in the head of the bull appearing to make the bull come to life.  It is said that Antipas, in being put to death by this method, died praying for his church.

Concerns: "You have people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality.  Likewise you also have those who hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans."

They had not kept out false teachers, they had not embraced those false teachings (at least not yet) but they had allowed these false teachings to come into the church and an evil influence to fester.  Uh-Oh!  They've let the "world" enter in to the church, having a "mixed marriage" (one meaning of Pergamum) - they were both faithfully following Jesus and allowing in errant teachings.

Who are Balaam & Balak?  If you don't know I'm going to encourage you to read Numbers chapters 22-24 on your own, there isn't time to cover this here.  I will sum up - Balak was a king who wanted to defeat the Israelites, Balaam was a pagan prophet - he was a prophet but not a prophet of God.  God frustrated Balaam by forcing him to prophesy for rather than against Israel, Balaam tried to go against God and for Balak - but was undermined by God in several ways, he was even rebuked by his donkey (who God enabled to speak) - it is a rather humorous account.  In the end Balaam does God's bidding, and if that were all scripture had to say about him you might think he changed his ways and served God.... but there's more!  We're going to read a couple more scriptures concerning him: Numbers 25:1-3; Numbers 31:15-16; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11.  Balaam taught corruption by encouraging compromise, friendship with the world, and intermarriage with the world.  The Jews hadn't been able to be brought down by false prophecy, but instead were brought down by friendship with the world.

I discussed the Nicolaitans when we covered Ephesus, so if you missed that lesson please check lesson #4 in this series for more information.  We don't know for sure what they believed, but it was obviously heretical.

We see Satan at work here - if he can't destroy by direct assault he makes inroads by deception and compromise.  Satan likes to take what is good and twist it into something evil.

Exhortation: "Repent therefore!  Otherwise I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."

For the heresies in this church Jesus emphasized that He would come against the heretics with the two-edged sword - a sword of judgement.  That two-edged sword would separate out the world from their midst, whether through their own acts of repentance or the direct intercession of Jesus.  It is always better to willingly repent than to face chastisement from the Lord.

There is a firm warning here - the Church is not to invite in that which is not of Christ, and the Church is not to remove or hinder that which is of Christ.  To do either invites the disapproval and chastisement of the Lord.  Loving sinners is good, but affirming behavior God calls sinful is compromise - a spiritual form of adultery.  In our culture today living and loving others God's way is a tightrope - it requires careful action and balance!

Closing Statement: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"

Promise to the Overcomer: "I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it."

Hidden Manna - The word "manna" means "what is it?"  Manna is the bread that came down from heaven to feed God's people as they wandered in the wilderness.  Hidden Manna is Jesus is the Bread of Life, the true bread from heaven (John 6:32-35,51), feeding on Christ is the only means of Spiritual Growth.

White Stone - there are several possible meanings here:

• It may have been a reference to a stone like the Urim, which was worn by the High Priest when he entered the Holy Place and had access to the Ark of the Covenant (God's chosen throne on the Earth) - inside which was hidden some of the manna from the wilderness wanderings.
• People of Asia had a custom of giving intimate friends a "tessera" - a cube or rectangular block of stone or ivory with words or symbols engraved on it - it was a secret, private, possession of the one who received it. 
• Another use for a white stone in those days was by a Judge - a Judge would use a white stone to vote for acquittal for one who was on trial.
• A common Roman practice was to give you a white stone with your name on it which gave you access to the games as well as food - a sort of ancient "ticket".  This white stone could be similar in that it gives a special right and/or privilege in God's kingdom.
• White stone may have simply represented purity among a corrupt environment.

New Name - again some possible meanings:

• A specific identifier recognizing a persons particular mix of gifting and/or calling, reflecting service to the Lord in this world (and perhaps throughout eternity).
• A special name of communication and fellowship kept private between the Lord and His faithful one.
• McGee thinks the new name will not be a name representing us, but rather a name representing Jesus - as He means something different to each of us.
• In general, in scripture a name specifically represents the character and calling of a person.

So though we don't know the specific meaning of the White Stone with a New Name, we know that it is a special gift given by Jesus to those who overcome.

Pergamum in church history represents the Married Church - as in Married to the world - also known as the Pagan church AD 314-590.  Constantine did much to protect and promote the Church, that is the start of this period.  The problems became much more pronounced when it became the official state religion under Theodosius and people were forced to accept Christianity as their religion, with many false converts came an influx of pagan persons and pagan practices.

One last thing - I mentioned last week the crown cities, we have now studied all 3 of them, these were designated by the Romans as Royal cities in Asia:  Ephesus - political center, Smyrna - commercial center, Pergamum - religious center.

How is your life like the life of the church of Pergamum?  Have you become so accepting of others and their lifestyle choices that you have allowed compromise to sneak into your life?  Do you sit silently while people espouse teachings that contradict the clear teachings of scripture?

How is our church like the church of Pergamum?  Is our church voting in or allowing practices that are contrary to the teachings of Christ?  Is our church voting out or excluding practices that Christ wants us to be involved in?

Prayer:  God, show us our errors, help us to have a clear picture of how we should operate as individual believers and as a local body of believers.  Help us Lord to be a people and a church without compromise, yet a people and a church that demonstrate love.  Help us Lord to walk that narrow road, a road that sometimes feels like a tightrope, so that we are a shining light to the dark world in which we live.

Revelation - Lesson 5

Your Poverty brings Riches & Your Death brings Life

Prayer: God as we study today about Smyrna help us to learn from them about handling suffering, affliction, and resisting temptation to compromise.  Help us to value the riches we have in You over the riches the world has to offer.  Help us to do this as individuals, as a church body, and in the true Church - the body of believers in the world.  Amen!

Today we will be studying the 2nd church of the 7 who were specific recipients of letters in the book of Revelation.  Last time we studied Ephesus, this time we are studying Smyrna.

Only two of the seven cities that received letters have been continuously occupied to this day, Smyrna is one of those, though it now goes by the name of Izmir.  The church in Smyrna continues to this day; however, it is now a small underground church because of persecution. This city has been inhabited since it was founded by the Hittites in 2000 BC.  Today the city of Izmir is a commercial city with a population of around 2.8 million people (a little larger than Chicago), with around 3.4 million in the greater metropolitan area.  The current city of Izmir is considered one of the most beautiful cities of the world, at times called "Paris of the Levant" (Levant = Eastern Mediterranean).  Historically Smyrna has been a prosperous city - despite being devastated by conquest & earthquake it continues to come back & thrive.

In the First Century Smyrna was a thriving and beautiful Asian city of about 100,000 people, with strong ties to Rome.  It had an excellent double harbor, the outer of which was a deep water mooring ground, the inner was much smaller & has since filled with silt.  It was a major trading port, strategically located between Europe and Asia. 

Architecture:

• Wide boulevards
• Its Acropolis (fortification) was encircled with flowers, a hedge, and myrtle trees - it is because of this feature that Smyrna at that time was called a "flower" or "ornament" and the "crown of Asia" - one of three "Royal Cities" or "crown cities"
• Noble Buildings
• Theater
• Odeum (music center)
• Stadium
• Beautiful temples to: Zeus, Diana, Aphrodite, Apollo, and Asclepius.

Religion:

• Pagan city recognizing many deities.
• Enormous temple to Zeus
• An entire "golden street" of pagan shrines
• Primary worship was of Cybele, the "giver of wealth", and the worship is described as wild & unrestrained.

The people of Smyrna were eager to please Rome, as such they readily adopted Caesar worship, building their first temple to Dea Roma (goddess of Rome) in 196 BC.  Smyrna became an important center of the Roman Imperial Cult, worship was compulsory (required by law) for all but those of other formally recognized religions - Rome recognized Judaism but not Christianity.  Each year a Roman citizen had to burn a pinch of incense on the altar and to acknowledge publicly that Caesar was supreme lord, in return he received a formal certificate.  Anyone refusing to proclaim Caesar as Lord would be excluded from the guilds - resulting in unemployment and abject poverty.  This was an issue for Christians for two reasons: 

• there was the temptation to "go along" in order to be able to survive economically
• there was the threat of death for refusing to worship Caesar - many who refused died by being burned at the stake or torn apart by wild beasts in the arena

Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (appointed by John) was one of Smyrna's most famous martyrs, put to death in 166 AD.

The following is an excerpt from Fox's Book Of Martyrs:

The Letter to Smyrna: read Revelation 2:8-11

Name of the city: Smyrna - its Hebrew root is Mur (or Myrrh) which means Death and carries the meaning of Suffering or Sorrow or Bitter.

Myrrh was 1 of the 3 gifts given by the Magi to the Christ child, it is a naturally occurring oleoresin (we might call it a sap) and has a variety of uses:

• Perfume
• Anointing Oil for Priests
• Purification product for Women
• Pain Reliever
• Primary use: Embalming

Myrrh is interesting in that it gives off its fragrance when crushed - there are symbolic implications that tie to Christ, but that's another study.

Title of Christ: The First and the Last, who died and came to life again.  Jesus is the First Word & will have the Last Word, He is in control!  The suffering they would face is for God's purposes and according to His perfect plan - as Christians in the U.S. we  find the persecutions they had to face appalling, how little we understand God's ways - how He uses persecution to purify & strengthen His Church, much like the refining and tempering of metal.  Jesus mentions His death and resurrection to this church of sorrows whose very name means death, this church experienced much martyrdom so reminding them of His resurrection would given them hope that they too would be resurrected.

Commendation: Jesus knows their afflictions and poverty, yet He tells them they are rich; also, Jesus recognized that they were being persecuted by some false-Jews that He called a "synagogue of Satan".

Having refused to worship Caesar Christians would be unemployed / unemployable and impoverished.  In Greek there are two words for Poverty, this is the stronger of the two: ptocheia (pronounced toe-chay-uh) - the state of having nothing at all, implies beggary.   Remember that poverty could have been alleviated by a pinch of incense offered to Caesar, but at what cost Spiritually?

Jesus tells them that though they are poor in this world they are Spiritually rich - rich in the things of God, riches stored up in heaven.  It's interesting that only in the book of Revelation is the city of Smyrna mentioned.  Jesus specifically recognized this struggling church, this church may not have had the approval of "man" or "the world", but they had the approval of the Lord.  Paul describes well what hardships did for his ministry - 2 Corinthians 6:3-10 - the church at Smyrna could be described in like manner.

Smyrna had a large and actively hostile Jewish population, which would have made being a Christian there particularly difficult.  Were these the ones Jesus called false-Jews and a "synagogue of Satan"?  We don't know for certain, but here are some possibilities:

• perhaps the Jews hostility caused them to "turn in" Christians to the Roman authorities, resulting in arrests / persecution / martyrdom - we know that in the 2nd Century the Jews in Smyrna were instrumental in persuading the Roman officials of the city to execute Polycarp & even went so far as to carry logs to the pyre on which he was burned.
• perhaps these were Jews in nationality only, who went along with the Caesar worship, but still claimed to be Jews (perhaps keeping them from being forced into Caesar worship themselves).
• perhaps these were Jews claiming to be "true Jews", claiming conversion to Christ but attempting to inject Jewish Legalism (circumcision party) - Acts 15:1-11
• perhaps these were Jews claiming to be converts but attempting to continue the priesthood (thus calling them a synagogue).
• perhaps these are not Jews by nationality, but claiming to be those who have "replaced" the Jews in inheritance (i.e. inheriting the promises of God given to the Jewish peoples).  These teachings are alive today, we call them "replacement theology"; these teachings are in error in that they assume the Church has replaced the Jews in God's plans.  They ignore the scriptures that show God is not finished with the Jews, we will see that later in the book of Revelation.

Concerns: None - which makes it interesting that the city (though renamed) and its church (though small & underground) are still in existence.

Exhortation:  They were encouraged not to be afraid of what they were about to suffer.  They were told that the devil would put some of them in prison to test them, that they would be persecuted 10 days.  They were encouraged to be faithful even to the point of death, that if they did so Jesus would give them a crown of life.

What is it Jesus is doing here?  He is encouraging them to continue in their faithfulness, but He is also telling them their sufferings are going to increase.  This sounds "wrong" in the minds of most of Western culture, since we are of the opinion that we get what we deserve - but these faithful ones didn't "deserve" more suffering, they hadn't done anything wrong!!  So in a way this sounds cruel, but in actuality the Lord is showing them kindness.  Part of the problem is that our thinking is based on the teachings of other religions prevalent in our culture - teachings about Karma and the like - but these teachings are pagan!  The truth of the matter is that if you belong to God you have very real enemies in the spiritual realms - Ephesians 6:12.  Jesus himself is pointing out that the devil is the source their suffering, this suffering is not chastisement for a wrong they have committed.  These spiritual forces of evil want you to believe that you get what you deserve; but the truth, God's truth, is that you get what you don't deserve - both in suffering John 15:18-19 and in grace  Romans 11:6.  He is warning them that suffering is going to come, allowing them to be prepared for the suffering they don't deserve; however, they are recipients of His grace, a reward that no man deserves.

Jesus reminds them not to be afraid to face the sufferings to come, the very title He used of Himself would remind them ultimately who was in control - the author of life who was victorious over death was the one speaking to them!  He also let them know that there were limits on their suffering of "10 days", limits He was enforcing.  I don't know about you, but as for me I am much more able to endure pain & suffering if I know that it will end.

What are these 10 days & when did they happen?  Ok, here's where there are differences of opinion.  Apparently the expression for "days" in Hebrew can be idiomatic for epochs, or short periods of time.  It may be that there was a specific literal 10 day period for which we don't have a historical record - it wouldn't be surprising for that to be the case.  If seen idiomatically there is a "10 day" record of persecutions - there are 10 Roman Emperors that specifically targeted Christians for persecution, starting in AD 54 with Nero and ending in AD 313 with Diocletian, with none of their reigns being consecutive (breaks between each era of persecution).

They were told to be faithful even unto death - and many were martyrs, they were promised a "crown of life".  This crown is not believed to be salvation - which cannot be earned by a work, even if that work is martyrdom - but a special reward stored up in heaven for those who suffer for Jesus sake.  The word for "crown" here is not a royal crown but a victor's crown - more like a trophy, a medal, or a blue ribbon of today. 

Closing Statement: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches"

Promise to the Overcomer:  The overcomer will not be hurt at all by the second death.  The first death is physical death, the second is death of the soul and spirit - not a ceasing to exist but rather a permanent state of separation from God.  This is a continuation of the idea prevalent through this letter to Smyrna - they will face persecution to the point of death, but the one who is victorious over death has assured their victory over death as well.

Looking at overall church history Smyrna represents the Persecuted church or Martyr church, a time frame in church history of approximately AD 100-314.  Smyrna - Myrrh - Death & Sorrows - the name certainly fits.  Have persecutions stopped?  No!!  In fact persecutions are on the rise, in the last century more people have been martyred for the faith than in all the previous centuries combined.  It is costly to be dedicated to Christ, in some places more than in others.  As end-time pressures increase persecution will also increase, God's people need to be ready to face the fires of persecution.  Will we remain faithful?  To do so will we in America have to resort to becoming an underground church like the one that still exists in Smyrna (Izmir) today?

How is your life like the life of the church of Smyrna?  What sorts of persecutions do you face?  Are your persecutions increasing?  Are you standing firm & refusing to burn the incense that the world insists you burn?  If the time comes when faced with a choice to stand for Christ or loose everything will you be ready?

How is our church like the church of Smyrna?  What sorts of persecutions does our church face?  Where has society or government attempted to force our churches into compromise or silence?  Are you seeing an increase in persecutions?  Will our church stand firm?  Are we willing to go underground, loosing all of our wonderful buildings and programs in order to stay true to Christ?

Prayer:  God, thank you for your grace, we don't deserve it and can't earn it.  Help us Lord to be a people and a church that are prepared for persecution, the world hates Jesus & it will hate us too.  We've lived a well-cushioned & safe existence in this country, but things are changing - help us not to be afraid, help us to stand strong - even if it means imprisonment or death.  Help us as we face persecutions to focus not on our momentary struggles, but rather on an eternity in your presence when all sufferings will have ceased.  Amen!