Angel of the church in Pergamos (Rev 2:12-17)
Rev 2:12-17
12“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
13“I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
14But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
15Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
16Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.
17“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.” ’
*These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges (ver.12)
Rev 1:16And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Eph 6:17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Heb 4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
2Th 2:8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
1Co 2:4And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
*I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is (ver.13 up)
II Thes 2:3-4 3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
There will be a place for Satan in the true church as Lord Jesus is preaching, similarly to a snake in the Garden of Eden.
Mat 16:21-23 21From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
*And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells (ver.13 low)
John 14:21, 23-24 21He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” 23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
Mat 24:45-46 45“Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
II Tim 4:7-8 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
*you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols (ver.14)
Jude 11-12 11Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
II Pet 2:15-16 15They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.
Num 22:5-chap24 Balak called Balaam to curse the Israelites. The rebuke received by the angels of church in Pergamum was that they had obeyed Balaam's teachings, and that they were told to eat things sacrificed to idols. Accepting worldly doctrines, which are of the devil and lies.
John 8 43-44 43Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
*and to commit sexual immorality (ver.14 low)
Committing sexual immorality is to offend one's body. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things. (Acts 15:28low)
Another type of sexual immorality is spiritual. Paul said(I Cor 10:21-22 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?)
Isa 65:11-12 11“But you are those who forsake the Lord, Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for Gad, And who furnish a drink offering for Meni. 12 Therefore I will number you for the sword, And you shall all bow down to the slaughter; Because, when I called, you did not answer; When I spoke, you did not hear, But did evil before My eyes, And chose that in which I do not delight.”
*Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate (ver.15)
Rev 2:6But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
*Repent, or else I will come to you quickly (ver.16 up)
Eze 18:30-32 30“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”
Eph 4:22-24 22that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
*will fight against them with the sword of My mouth (ver.16 low)
Rom 2:2But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.
John 12:48He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
Rom 2:16in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
II Thes 2:8-9 8And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
*To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat (ver.17)
Dan 12:4“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.”
Rev 5:1-5, 9 1And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. 4So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. 5But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”9And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
I Cor 2:13These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
John 4:34Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
*And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it (ver.17 low)
Isa 62:1-2 1For Zion’s sake I will not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, And her salvation as a lamp that burns. 2The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
Isa 65:15 You shall leave your name as a curse to My chosen; For the Lord God will slay you, And call His servants by another name;
New name is written on white stone, “white” is holy, “stone” Lord God’s chosen people; For Lord Jesus is the chief cornerstone and white stone is from Lord Jesus. Chief cornerstone bears white stone, those who are born of the true God are God’s children.
I Cor 10:4and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.
I John 5:1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
Eph 2:20-22 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
*no one knows except him who receives it (ver.17 low)
John 14:9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Rev 19:12His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.
Acts 2:38Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:12But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
John 14:16-17 16And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
From Bible Study Seminar 1982 (Chinese ver)