Revelation Study 2:12-13a by Jake Gurley III

Transcription

1 Revelation Study 2:12-13a by Jake Gurley III Verse Twelve 1. Then write to the angel of the church in Pergamum (alternate spelling, Pergamon, or Pergamos ), These are the words of him who has the sharp two edged sword A. Historical context of Pergamum. 1) The city of Pergamum was located 70 miles north of Smyrna, 16 miles inland just off the Caicus River. a) The city was in the fertile Caicus valley. b) The most prominent part of the city was the cone shaped mountain rising 1300 ft. above the valley floor, between two tributaries off the Caicus river. c) The lower part was residential areas while the mountain was terraced to locate important buildings such as palaces, shrines, theaters, and gymnasiums. d) At the top was an acropolis with an altar in the shape of a throne for Zeus, altars to the Caesars and Athene, the library, and a large amphitheater. 2) Population estimates for this period range from 120,000 to 200,000. 3) Legend tells of the city being named after the founder, Pergamus, or it may have been named after purgos, the word for citadel (the reverse may be also be true). a) Excavations of the city reveal a pre-history occupation, but it does not appear in literature until mentioned by Xenophon in 399 BC when he described its capture from the Persians by Spartans. b) It was eventually controlled and turned into a military fortress by Alexander the Great. c) Lysimachus, the king of Thrace and successor to Alexander in the region controlled the city. - He entrusted an officer, Philetaerus, to manage the city and its treasury. - Philetaerus revolted and joined forces with Seleucus (out of Syria) against Lysimachus. - Lysimachus died in battle and Seleucus was murdered in Thrace, eventually leaving Pergamum an independent kingdom. - Philetaerus began the Attalid dynasty, raising Pergamum to a regional power in the 3 rd century BC (since Philetaerus was a eunuch the dynasty continued through his brother Eumenes). d) In the beginning of the 2 nd century Attilas I began Hellenizing the region and led Pergamum to side with Rome against Macedon then Syria, accepting Roman rule by the end of the century. 4) Pergamum had erected the acropolis with the large altar to Zeus in the 3 rd century BC. a) There was a large Asclepius cult (the god of healing) with a large temple, smaller temples, a medical center, and amphitheater. b) There were temples dedicated to Athene, Demeter, Dionysus and others.

2 5) There were also temples dedicated to the dea Roma cult, Caesar Augustus, Trajan, and Caracalla (triple temple warden). 6) The city was the seat of government for the region with the Roman proconsul having a residence there. 7) Pergamum had one of the great libraries of the ancient world (reported to have 200,000 volumes) and developed a book production system using parchment (thin animal skins as a writing surface), a word derived from the name of the city. 8) There were a significant number of Jews living in the city but were not enough of an issue to mention in the letter. 9) Pergamum was an influential political, intellectual, and religious city during this period. B. These are the words see discussion on 2:1, 8. C. Of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 1) See discussion on 1:16. 2) This initial identification of Christ does not indicate the sword was from his mouth, as it does later in v. 16. a) This may be seen as an aggressive, threatening posture, aimed at the fortified city. b) But the ones threatened are not the pagans but the Christians, who need to repent from their misguided loyalties and return to Christ. Verse Thirteen 2. I know where you are living, where the throne of Satan is. A. I know where you are living 1) See 2:2 for a discussion on I know. 2) Some manuscripts have I know your works, where you dwell. a) However, the words your works do not appear in the earlier manuscripts (Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus, Codex Ephraemi, P43 ), and are likely a later scribal addition to harmonize with the phrase listed in 2:2, 19, 3:1, 8, and 15. b) Many of these manuscripts were not discovered until the 19 th 20 th centuries, which post dates many popular translations such as the King James. c) Normally, Jesus knowing works is a reference to the good things the churches have done, but knowing their environment highlights the difficulty of doing those works. 3) The Greek term, katokeis, combines kata (down) with oikos (house) referring to settling down in a house, live in a fixed location. a) The Lord knows the difficult situation the Pergamum Christians are in living out their faith in a hostile environment. b) He does not tell them to run away and hide, live in fear, or warn them to be careful due to their proximity to danger.

3 c) This same word is used to describe the indwelling of the power of God in Christ (Col 1:19), the indwelling of Christ in the hearts of believers (Eph 3:17), and the indwelling of the righteous in heaven (2 Pet 3:13), all of which may relate to this specific situation (the indwelling of the Holy Spirit uses oikeo only Rom 8:9). d) He may be reminding them that their dwelling place was not just Satan s dwelling, but the dwelling place of the all-powerful, living God dwelling in them they were not out-matched, overpowered, or helpless victims because the Creator/Sustainer of the universe was their safeguard. B. Where the throne of Satan is. 1) The Greek term, thronas, may refer to a specific seat, refer to the place of rule, or represent authority, power, or majesty of a king over a kingdom (as a crown refers to a king or the act of ruling). 2) The designation throne of Satan, was likely tailored to fit Pergamum like the synagogue of Satan fit the Jewish persecution in Smyrna (v. 9). a) The throne of the Roman proconsul was a judicial official who judged with the authority of Rome (judge s bench was called a thronos) in Pergamum, including against Christians brought before him. b) Worship of the Imperial cult, or dea Roma, the main enforcer to demand all (including Christians) to acknowledge Caesar as lord. c) The throne (seat) of medical science in the Asclepius cult. - Asclepius was considered the protector of Pergamum - an inscription on the temple was to Asclepius Soter (savior) - making the Christian God irrelevant. - Pilgrims came from all over the world to seek medical treatment which included snakes crawling over the ill. - The symbol of Asclepius was a serpent around a staff (serpent often symbolized eternal life because shedding skin appears to be renewing life), and to Christians represented evil (i.e. Garden of Eden, dragon in Revelation). d) The temple of Zeus on the top of the mountain was in the shape of a throne and appeared to dominate the entire valley as an omniscient, omnipotent god overseeing his people. - The dramatic bas-reliefs on the altar depicted the battle between the Olympian gods and giants was impressive (now on permanent display in Berlin). - The temple was a centerpiece in the acropolis complex which had pagan worship to other gods as well. - Pilgrims would come from all over to worship these various gods. e) By this time, the great library volumes had already been removed by the Roman General Antony as a gift to Cleopatra in Egypt, but still stood as a testament to the intellectual importance of Pergamum. f) It may be that the reference to the throne of Satan here refers to all of the efforts Satan makes to provide alternatives to mankind, distracting them from the true God.

4 - Emperor worship is trusting in the government to act as god. - Idolatry is making gods in man s image to do man s bidding. - Humanism is trusting in intellectualism, medicine, and philosophy, the false wisdom of men. - Pergamum possessed the best thrones Satan had to offer to condone sin, corrupt truth, and project man as the source of their own salvation. 3) In biblical imagery, the throne was included as a part of a larger motif of God s sovereignty over all of creation (Ps 103:19). a) The concept was based on man s sense of hierarchal organization with the ultimate authority ruling from a royal court centered on a throne, applied to the ultimate degree (i.e. the unimaginable splendor in Rev. 4). b) In reality, God is not a finite being on a physical throne in a palace somewhere in the heavens (i.e. Zeus in Olympia), but the throne represents God s authority, power, majesty, and governance with a holy and just rule over his kingdom in a concrete way man can understand (also typical of apocalyptic literature see separate discussion on Apocalyptic Literature). - The king imagery includes a royal court: joint authority (Lk 22:69, Acts 5:31, Rev 3:21); a heavenly council (Job 1-2); heavenly beings (1 Kgs 22:19, 2 Chron 18:18); those carrying out God s will (Gen 28:12-17, Isa 6:2, Rev 4:10), judgment (Ps 9:4, 7, Matt 25:31-32, Rev 20:11-12), and relief (Heb 4:16). - Expected elements missing are wise men to counsel God (omniscience makes it inadequate), and magicians (omnipotence makes it unnecessary), but even if the imagery fails to be an exact duplication or inadequately conveys a more complex reality (Isa 40:13-14) it was the best that could be used at the time. - The heavenly throne room is combined with a temple, indicating God does not relinquish his role as king, and worship is in order (Heb 8:1-2, Rev 4:10). c) Even though his called out people (Israel) did not need another king, he foresaw a day when an earthly king would be allowed, so that person was not to be a king by earthly standards, but a manager for the true King (Deut 17:14-20). d) As the heavenly king he diminishes the earthly rulers as small-time locals, whether they are attempting to storm the gates of heaven (Gen 11:1-9), standing in the way of his will (Deut 7:21-26), or challenging his power and authority (Job 2:1-6, Isa 14:5, Ezek 32:3). e) Throne imagery continues throughout the book of Revelation which tells the cosmic story to its conclusion, which is really a transition from part three to part four of the story. - Part 1 is the Old Testament from creation, alienation, reconciliation through a called out people with a written guidebook, to alienation again with its conclusion/transition. - Part 2 is the incarnation of Christ to fully reveal the plan of God, pay the price of sin (complete reconciliation), and resurrection inaugurating the kingdom of God (transition).

5 - Part 3 is the kingdom of God operating within the kingdom of men through the Holy Spirit, spreading the good news (gospel) of victory over sin, evil, and death, bringing this world to its conclusion/transition. - Part 4 is the fully completed and realized kingdom of God with all citizens present and living in the ultimate paradise, with the ultimate love, joy, and peace under the authority, power, and majesty of the ultimate king. Questions for further thought: 1. What city in the world today conveys the same majesty of ancient Pergamum? 2. What can be learned from Pergamum being so majestic to being in ruins 700 years later? 3. Is the best Satan had to offer Pergamum the same as he offers today? In what ways? 4. If ancient man understood throne imagery, how would modern man understand the authority, power, and majesty of God? 5. How can the church today overcome the same obstacles to the gospel that the church in Pergamum failed to overcome?