Revelation 2:12-17 ESV
To the Church in Pergamum
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:‘The words of him who has the sharp two- edged sword.
“‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you:you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it. ’
He is the one with the two edged sword. This might remind us that His word is life and judgement. He has the word because He is the word of God. It is the sword of the Spirit which defends the defenseless and conquers all enemies of a pure and righteous God.
Satan is formidable in the city, a stronghold as indicated by his having a throne there. Death and Satan come and go together. There is no separation between the two, just there is no separation between Life and God.
Though they hold fast in faith, there are some in their midst that have strayed from the gospel path. The warning of the sword and a call to repent seems to be primarily directed to those who reach out and hold on to something other than the truth of God. This is an example of the knowledge of evil. It looks good to the eye and is pleasing to the taste, just as the forbidden fruit in the Garden. A man's ways can seem good to a man, even make sense, though they might be far from God's way. There is one man that can rightfully say, "I am the way and the truth and the life". That was Jesus Christ, Son of God.
The hidden manna is the word of God. It falls to the earth from heaven like the light from the sun upon the world. The manna is hidden, or a mystery, unable to be seen by eyes who don't have or reject the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is present for the asking. God is merciful and is pleased to lavish this life giving manna to all that seek Him. We can have all we want and more. He promises this in the name of His Son.
The white stone may symbolize believers as pure stones of the new temple. The name on the stone would be the Son's name. He has a name that no one knows except those whom He chooses to reveal Himself. Earth dwellers, or the world, will not know that name, but all who believe, know, and take His name will enter the body of Christ and the house of God.
Isaiah 11:4
but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22
but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
Matthew 24:9-13
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Jude 1:3-4
Judgment on False Teachers
Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
2 Timothy 2:12-13
if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful—
for he cannot deny himself.
Ezekiel 44:9-14
“Thus says the Lord God: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment. They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before the people, to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord God, and they shall bear their punishment. They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, to do all its service and all that is to be done in it.
Ezekiel 3:20-21
Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul.”
Acts 17:30-31
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
Ephesians 6:17-19
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel,
No comments:
Post a Comment