Revelation (Part 14) - Chapter 2: Pergamum and Thyatira 4/28/09

In Revelation 2 and 3 we find the messages to the 7 churches that Christ tells John to write. The messages all fit a basic pattern providing (1) a description of Christ relating to the message, (2) usually a commendation for what the church is doing well, (3) usually a rebuke for what the church fails to do, (4) an exhortation for correction or continuance, (5) a warning if the church fails to overcome, (6) a witness call to all the churches, and (7) a promised blessing for overcoming or conquering.

We discussed the messages to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna last time. The emphasis of the message to Ephesus was Love in Relationship. Smyrna’s emphasis was Endure Trials from Without. This summary will cover the messages to the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira.

To the church in Pergamum, Christ presents himself as the one who has the sharp, two-edged sword. The sword is often used as a symbol of judgment. Ezekiel uses this image several times in discussing judgment on both the nations and on Israel. But New Testament imagery brings something else to mind. Paul speaks of the Word of God as the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). And the author of Hebrews mentions also that the Word of God is “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). This, I think, is the intention in Revelation 2. Although judgment will figure heavily in the book, these messages to the Christian churches emphasize faithful activity, especially relating to sound doctrine. Christ’s two-edged sword speaks of discernment in separating the false from the true, and is appropriate to the context of this message in particular.

The Christians in Pergamum are commended for holding fast the name of Christ. They did not deny the faith even when persecution led to one of their number being put to death. The tribulation they experienced seems particularly difficult since they are described as living “where Satan’s throne is.” This phrase is in reference to the pagan worship that was part of the normal, cultural life of the city. On the top of the highest hill of the city, dominating the skyline, was a temple to Zeus. But perhaps more to the point was that Pergamum was noted as a center for emperor worship. Emperor worship began after Augustus’ death. He was posthumously proclaimed a god. A huge altar was built in Pergamum for Augustus. Other (but not all) emperors were given divine status after their deaths. Domitian, the emperor at the time of the writing of Revelation, was the first emperor to declare himself a god while still living.

The main activities of pagan worship included the sacrifices to the gods (performed by the priests), the temple feasts, and sex acts associated with worship. Christians not wanting to associate with the idol worship were mocked, imprisoned, and even put to death.

Christ tells the Pergamum Christians that he does have something against them. Some of their members had accepted the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. While we do not know many specifics of the Nicolaitan teaching, there appears to be a play on names involved here. The Hebrew name Balaam is derived from two Hebrew words—bela, meaning conquer, and ha’am, meaning people. The name Nicholas is a Greek name made up of two Greek words—nikon, meaning conquer, laos, meaning people. The intrinsic idea is that these heresies conquered people’s hearts, minds, and loyalties.

Although we do not know much of the Nicolaitans, from the name and association with Balaam and heretical ideas, many have surmised that the philosophy was a blend of Gnostic heresy creating a hierarchical order, giving more power to “those in the know.” We do know more about Balaam. In Numbers 22 through 24 we read the story of how Balak, king of Moab, came to Balaam, a diviner, asking that he would curse the threatening horde of Israelites that had camped in their land. Through posturing and negotiation, Balaam finally meets Balak at a mount overlooking the valley in which Israel was camped. But instead of curses, Balaam pronounces only blessing—that which God told him to say. Strangely, however, in the chapter immediately following these blessings, we read, “While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor” (Numbers 25:1-3). The answer as to why Israel fell into sin immediately after being blessed is found in Numbers 31. Verse 16 tells us, “Behold, these, on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor.” It appears that although Balaam did speak the blessing of God on Israel, he advised Balak to give the daughters of Moab to the Israelites so that they would go after other gods (as they, in fact, did), resulting in Israel’s God no longer blessing them.

This is the idea we are to have in mind as we understand the activity within the church in Pergamum. Although they would not deny Christ (2:13), the intense societal pressure of the pagan practices made many Christians attempt justification of the practices. Maybe they could participate, they thought, because they didn’t really believe in those idols. They would just go with friends, neighbors, and relatives to eat together at the feasts. Even the sex acts weren’t really hurting anyone. They weren’t being asked to go murder or steal or do any harm at all. No one would be hurt. Maybe these activities weren’t really wrong at all. They would never deny Christ, but this eating meat and temple sex…it’s just what everyone does.

We Christians, living in the world, must be careful about not becoming of the world (John 15:19). The non-Christian value system judges that which does not hurt anyone else as acceptable behavior. But the Christian’s standard for right and wrong is not the effect on other people. Christians believe in an absolute standard fixed in an external reference point. That fixed, reference point is God. Intrinsic to God’s very essence is goodness, truth, and beauty. Therefore, God’s call to be pure, both in mind and body according to the worship of him, is the basis for our morality. The greatest of the commandments, Christ told us, was to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds (Matthew 22:37). This, then, determines our action. The Pergamum Christians adopted the non-Christian standard on which to make their decision.

For this, Christ calls them to repent. He warns that if they do not repent, he will war against them with his sword. Consistent with our understanding of the sword in this passage, the meaning appears to be an awareness of the hypocrisy within one’s own life so that the unrepentant Christian continues in a miserable psychological state no matter in which world/activity he or she presents him/herself.

To the one who conquers, Christ’s promise is in direct opposition to the pagan world. Instead of the meat offered to idols, he provides hidden manna of heaven. Instead of the temple sex activity, he gives a white (pure) stone (strength). The emphasis of this message to Pergamum is to Keep Pure Within.

We do not see much change in the wrong practices of the Thyatiran Christians. But the emphasis of Christ to them is a bit different. Thyatira is the smallest of the 7 cities but it receives the longest message. As other cities, Thyatira had diverse industries, but they specialized in two: dyed fabric (in Acts 16, Lydia, a seller of purple, was from Thyatira) and bronze-smithing. In Thyatira (as also in other cities) these industries or professions were organized in guilds. To have work, you had to be a member of the guild. Each of these guilds also professed allegiance to a particular god, for the supposed watch-care and devised success for their profession. Guild meetings took place within their god’s temple, and the meetings included worship activities (eating and sex).

Christ is described for the Thyatirans as having eyes like flame—discerning eyes of judgment. His feet were like burnished bronze. The Greek word translated here as burnished bronze is not really used elsewhere and therefore its meaning is not sure. However, because of the industry of Thyatira and the connection with Daniel and Ezekiel, a shining bronze is the likely meaning. The word could be a specific type of bronze that the Thyatirans produced, or it could possibly be describing the look of the shining molten bronze which would figure in well with the emphasis of Christ’s description and message.

Christ commends them for their love, faith, service, and patient endurance. He even goes on to say that their works exceed what they did at first (unlike the Ephesians whose love for each other had degraded). But Christ does bring up something that he has against them. He rebukes their toleration of a woman called Jezebel.

The OT Jezebel was a Sidonian whom King Ahab married. She brought in to Israel “whorings and sorceries” (2 Kings 9:22), actively instituting pagan worship. It appears that this Jezebel (whether an actual person or faction) of the Thyatiran church was doing the same thing—urging Christians toward the pagan ceremonies in which some of the Pergamum Christians had also indulged. It was, after all, much easier all around for them to partake of the temple feasts and sex practices. The pressure of society both socially and economically (to continue membership in the professional guilds) probably made it easy for many Thyatiran Christians to give in.

But Christ has stern words for Jezebel and her followers. He gave them time to repent, but if they would not, he would act in his authority to root out their evil. His warning here is in direct opposition to what the faithful Christians were doing. They were tolerating. They did not call down the heresy of Jezebel. But Christ, with eyes of flame, discerns the evil and promises to remove it. This is what the Thyatirans lacked—a corrective reproof of that which is antichristic.

Christ tells them to hold fast until he comes. He promises them authority from God and that they would receive the morning star—a sign of wisdom and proclamation. The emphasis of this message is Do Not Tolerate Heresy.