Philadelphia (The church with Opportunity)

Philadelphia (The church with Opportunity)

After the harsh words Jesus had for Sardis, it’s a relief to see the contrast between it and Philadelphia.  Being the 6th of the seven churches we have not seen a single one yet that was doing everything right.  Every single one of them so far were condemned for at least one transgression and were warned to repent or suffer the consequences.  It is a sobering thought when one considers the state of the Lord’s church today and compares it with the fact that all but one of the churches addressed in Revelation had problems which threatened their standing with Jesus Christ.   This is not enough of a model to build a worldwide comparison by any means but it is significant enough to give any Christian sufficient reason for some serious reflection of their own standing with God.   It is truly an encouragement at this point to see that it is possible to please Jesus Christ with faithful and diligent service. 

Philadelphia was the youngest of the seven cities of Revelation.  It was founded by colonists from Pergamos in honor of, and named after, Attalus II Philadelphos of Pergamos during the reign of his elder brother, Eumenes II, king of Lydia.  The word “Philadelphos” literally means “brother lover” so the name Philadelphia came to mean the city of brotherly love. 

According to history, Attalus reigned over Philadelphia during the years of 159 to 138 B.C.  Philadelphia was established for a specific purpose.  It was a Lydian border town built where Mysia and Phrygia joined with Lydia.  It is located about 105 miles from Smyrna near the Cogamus River and on one of the main highways which led to the interior of Asia Minor.  The intent was to encourage the spread of the Greek language and culture into Lydia and Phrygia and this strategy was successful so that by A.D. 19 both of them had abandoned their native languages and spoke primarily Greek. 

Pagan Worship in Philadelphia:
Philadelphia had a nickname of “Little Athens” because of its many temples and festivals to pagan gods.  Philadelphia also preached loyalty to Hellenism.  The word, Hellenistic, is derived from the word, Hellene, which was the Greek word for the Greeks.  The principal meaning of Hellenism is the propagation of culture and religion from classical Greece to the rest of the world, with classical Greek culture and beliefs either replacing or joining with local culture and ideas.  So Philadelphia was in reality a missionary city with the intended purpose being to spread Greek culture to the rest of the region. 

The soil of the plain near Philadelphia was particularly fertile and was used for vineyards.  Wine was the chief source of revenue for this city. Baachus (the god of wine) was worshipped in Philadelphia.

Revelation 3:7
“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth”
Jesus makes some statements here about Himself to the Christians in Philadelphia.  First, He declares His holiness.  In several New Testament passages holiness is applied to Christ (Mark 1:24; Acts 3:14; 4:30).  Holiness is a characteristic which sets Jesus apart from mankind.  Jesus is without sin, guile or deception, in every way holy.  He is to be reverenced and obeyed.   This characteristic of Jesus is seen also in God the Father.  “Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts” was the song of the seraphs heard and recorded by Isaiah in 6:3.  “To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal (to him)? saith the Holy One” (Isaiah 40:25).  Throughout the Bible God is portrayed as the “holy one“.  The combination of words “God” and “Holy” occur 247 times in the King James translation.  Here we see this title claimed by Jesus Christ which positively identifies Him as sharing the attributes of God the Father.  John teaches us in chapter 1 of the Gospel account bearing his name that Jesus Christ was God in the beginning and took on flesh to live amongst man. 

“He that is true”
This statement refers to the nature of Jesus Christ.  In the Greek the word here for “true” is “Alethinos” which is similar to the word “Alethes“.  The latter carrying the meaning of a statement which is true, while the former refers more to the relation of the originator of the statement.  In simple terms “Alethes” is something that can be believed without question.  Jesus Christ who is here described as “Alethinos” is the originator of truth and can be believed without question.   Jesus Christ doesn’t just make statements that are true.  He is the source from which truth comes.  Not only can we trust and believe what Jesus said and taught as the truth, we can trust and believe in Him because of His nature. 

“he that hath the key of David”
A key is a symbol of authority.  Keys are used to open locks and doors which protect things of value.  Those who possess the keys have the authority and the right to grant access to that which is protected by locks or doors.   Jesus Christ said He would build His church in Matthew 16:18-19 and to Peter He gave the keys to the kingdom.  Peter and the others were given the authority and the right to grant access to the kingdom of Heaven.  Peter and the rest of the apostles would open the door of opportunity to all who would believe and obey.  There were no literal keys being exchanged, neither should we visualize a literal physical key in the possession of Jesus Christ.  These word pictures are meant to convey an idea to the reader of someone who has the authority to grant access to things which are concealed from general view. 

“he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and none shall shut, and that shutteth and none openeth”
This statement of Jesus is a direct reference back to Eliakim in Isaiah 22:22, “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; and he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open”  Shebna was an evil officer of King Hezekiah who was driven from office by God.  Eliakim was entrusted with the power of the key of David.  He was given the power to open doors of opportunity and duty to which no other could close and doors he closed remained closed.  Jesus claimed for himself the authority of the key of David.   

The key of the house of David is a reference to the promise God made to David as recorded in 2 Samuel 7:16, “And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.”  Jesus Christ in the flesh was a direct descendant through the lineage of David.  The house of David here is therefore a reference to the everlasting kingdom that was to be established in the future before him.  The “new Jerusalem” mentioned in verse 12 of this same letter is the spiritual kingdom that Jesus rules from the right hand side of God the Father in Heaven. 

Jesus likewise opens and shuts doors.  Doors represent the means by which something worthwhile is obtained or just opportunity in general.  When Jesus opens the doors to anything, no man can shut them.  And when He shuts those doors, no man can open them.  The doors to everlasting life have been opened by Jesus Christ.  And they will remain open until He shuts them.  And when they have been shut, opportunity to gain access to salvation will forever cease. 

Revelation 3:8
“I know thy works (behold, I have set before thee a door opened, which none can shut), that thou hast a little power, and didst keep my word, and didst not deny my name.”
As we learned earlier, Philadelphia was built for the purpose of assimilating Greek culture and language into the heart of Asia Minor.  It was built on a major highway that was used as one of the postal routes of the Roman Empire.  The church at Philadelphia had the same opportunity to spread the gospel as the original Philadelphians did to spread the Greek culture and language eastward into the interior of Asia Minor.  Jesus is telling them that this door of opportunity is open to them and that He put it there and it will not be shut by any man.  They were strong, they had been obedient to His will and they have not denied His name no matter what persecution they faced.  There was no shortage of Pagan worship in Philadelphia.  Christian persecution naturally arose in the presence of pagan worship due to the fact that Christians utterly reject any association whatsoever with pagan gods or the worship thereof. 

Jesus praised the church at Philadelphia for not denying His name.  This would be a great comfort to them in light of the fact that Jesus made this promise earlier in His teachings while still on earth.  “And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God” (Luke 12:8-9).  The church in Philadelphia had not denied His name and were praised for it. 

It is interesting to note here that the reward for faithful service to God is more work to do.  Philadelphia had proven to be faithful and her reward for this was the open door of opportunity for more work to do.  The life of the Christian is never one to set back and be at ease, rather it is the life of high endeavor and self sacrifice in service to God.  “…behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” John 4:35.  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1).

Revelation 3:9
“Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.“

The Jews who rejected Christ were bitter enemies of the Christians in the first and second century.  There were a lot of Jews living in Philadelphia   They had a Jewish synagogue there and all Jews made the claim that God entrusted them with the key of David.  They claimed that as God’s children they were the only rightful recipients of God’s heavenly kingdom and because of this, any member of the synagogue that dared to confess Christ as Savior or Lord was cast out (John 9:22; 12:42). 

What happened to Shebna, the servant of king Hezekiah, also happened to the Jews.  The power of the key of David was stripped from them and given to others. The power of the key of David entrusted to the Israelite nation was taken from them and given to the saints of the church.  The Christians in Philadelphia who were given the open door were able to take advantage of the opportunities associated with being the true Jews who were the “the children of God“. 

The Jews of the synagogue claimed to be the children of God but they were not.   Paul taught that those who were Jews outwardly were not, rather those who were inwardly spiritual were true Jews (Romans 2:28-29).   Paul was drawing a contrast between those who claimed to be Jews through the flesh from those who were true Jews of the heart.  All who believe and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and the Son of God, and who serve Him obediently, are spiritual Jews.   The Jews in Philadelphia falsely claimed something they did not have the authority to claim.  Jesus called them liars and identified their synagogue as being of Satan.  Certainly this bodes ill for them and in all their haughtiness and self important pride Jesus said they were ultimately going to be the ones who would come and worship before the feet of the spiritual Jews and know for a certainty that it was true children of God that He loves and not them.  The application for us today is that all who serve Christ are of the spiritual “Israel of God“, and who are the true “children of God” and these are the ones who God truly loves. 

Revelation 3:10
“Because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial, that (hour) which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
They had kept the word.  This means they had been obedient to the words and will of Jesus Christ through hard times.  Harder times were on the horizon for them.  The first sentence of Revelation indicates that the hardships described in the letter are in the not too distant future.  God promised the Christians at Philadelphia that because of their faith and obedience thus far, they would receive help from God in the trials yet to come upon them.  This is a promise made to all faithful Christians who keep the words of Christ and remain faithful during times of difficulty:

1 Corinthians 10:13
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it.”

All Christians are tried by the things that happen in the world.  The door of opportunity is ever open to all mankind to repent and to come to God and find salvation.  Unfortunately, it is the cross which Christians must bear to live with the consequences of sin in the world and with the consequences of the activities of the sinful.  Throughout history, the children of God have suffered because of the sinful activities of the Godless.  Our God is truly just and fair and every accountable living person on earth has the same opportunity that followers of Christ took advantage of.  God desires all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, therefore the Godless are allowed to wreak persecution on the God fearing and it is the duty of the saved to shine the way to the door of opportunity in the face of it all, even unto death.   

Revelation 3:11
“I come quickly: hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown.”
Jesus says He is coming quickly.  The Greek word for quickly also means suddenly and abruptly.  Scripture teaches that His coming will be like “a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10), suddenly and swiftly. 

Jesus admonished them to hold on to what they had.  Jesus had only praise for the works of the Christians at Philadelphia but they were warned here that they could lose it if they failed to remain faithful and persevere.  All of the churches of Asia started out on the right path and none of the other six were told they had a crown.  This crown could either be the crown of life or a crown of glory, either of which, if removed, put them into the same category as the others.  In danger of judgment and eternal loss. 

The entire core theme of Revelation is for the Christians to persevere, to remain faithful and never give in to the world around them, to overcome it, even to the point of death.  And this warning was given even to the one group that was doing everything right.  The importance of this cannot be overstated.  If the Christians living under the horrific persecution of the first century had to remain faithful unto death in order to receive eternal life, we can be assured today that it is no different.  Let us learn from the examples of the faithful Christians who went before us to glory and likewise strive to remain ever “faithful unto death“.

Revelation 3:12
“He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name.”

Here again we see Jesus use the words “He that overcometh”  All of the churches of Asia were exhorted to overcome.  All of the churches of Asia in Revelation had to remain faithful.  God was working against the Roman Empire from Heaven, but the Christians on earth had their part to play in it as well.  It was their responsibility to stay faithful and overcome all opposition against them while God worked His will on their oppressors.  The application for us today is no different.  Nothing about God’s will as expressed in the New Covenant under which we live has changed in the last 2000 years.  The principle of obedience and perseverance that applied to the first century Christians is likewise applicable to us today.  If they had to remain faithful and overcome, then so do we.

“I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out thence no more”
Philadelphia was built on the edge of plain called the Katakekaumenē, which means The Burned Land.  There was a volcano nearby and the ash deposits from it made the ground in that area particularly fertile for agriculture.  While Philadelphia enjoyed a thriving agricultural benefit from this, there were also perils associated with living this close to a volcano.  The same earthquake that destroyed Sardis in 17 A.D. also destroyed Philadelphia along with ten other cities in the region.  In the other cities, the earthquake was over and done with, but in Philadelphia the aftershocks and tremors continued for years afterward.  The citizens of Philadelphia would leave the city and go out into the plains and live in huts during these prolonged events when they would become severe enough to threaten their lives.  Some of the citizens lived in the city during this, but were sometimes driven out to safety during the worst of these earthquakes.  Eventually the earthquakes subsided but the memory of this lived on in the minds of the citizens of Philadelphia.  People in Philadelphia were well aware of what Jesus was referring to when He told them they “shall go out thence no more”.  This promise of Jesus assured them of the ultimate peace and security that awaited those who “overcome“.

“and I will write upon him the name of my God”
Those who overcome and keep the faith will have the name of God written on them as opposed to those who succumb to emperor worship and receive the mark of the god they serve.  This was not a literal name written on their physical bodies, but a means of identification of ownership.  Those who bear the mark of the beast belong to Satan, while those who bear the name of God belong to Him.  What a tremendous blessing it is to belong to God.  This is most certainly a blessing well worth the trials of life of the first century and any thereafter. 

“and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem”
As with the earthquakes we see the history of Philadelphia reflected in the words of Jesus.  After the earthquake in 17 A.D. destroyed the city, Tiberius gave them the necessary backing to rebuild the city.  Philadelphia was grateful to Tiberius for this so in his honor they renamed the city to Neocaesarea meaning The New City of Caesar.  During the reign of Vespasian, the citizens decided to change the name of the city yet again to Flavia, for Flavius was the family name of the Emperor Vespasian and of his two sons Titus and Domitian.  Neither one of these names lasted, and the name of the city was restored to Philadelphia.  Philadelphia was also nicknamed Little Athens because of all the pagan worship that went on there.  The readers of this letter who were citizens of Philadelphia knew what it was to receive “a new name”  And the name of the city promised to them was better than any that man could devise and would last forever. 

The “new Jerusalem” is the name given to this eternal city with the eternal name.  Old Jerusalem was where the Jewish Temple had been and from there worship to God was offered by the Israelite nation.  The city had been destroyed by Titus, son of Vespasian and the temple was torn down stone by stone and burned so that the soldiers could get to the gold used in the stonework.  Jerusalem represented the city of God in the minds of the first readers of the Revelation.  The “new Jerusalem” would therefore represent to the citizens of Philadelphia a city after which they could be named, a holy city, an eternal home with an everlasting name.  The application here for us today is that all who believe and obey Jesus Christ have their citizenship in this “New Jerusalem”  The new city of God, that will never be destroyed, with a name that will endure long after the Caesars and the rest of the evil rulers of the earth have passed, and on into eternity.   What a comfort this must have been for them and likewise what a comfort it should be for us today. 

“which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and mine own new name.”
The name of the eternal city being given to the overcomers is not coming from the earth, or from man in any fashion.  This name is coming from God, on His throne, in Heaven. 

Some in the religious world today who hold to millennial doctrine teach that this passage indicates that God will establish an earthly “New Jerusalem” here on earth some day.  The primary subject of this narrative is the “name“, not the “city“.  Jesus rules his kingdom from heaven (Ephesians 1:19-22).  His authority comes down to us from heaven where He is pictured as being seated on the right hand side of God the Father.  Christians on earth are members of His body, the church (Colossians 1:18), which he rules from Heaven; His spiritual kingdom.  A literal new city, named Jerusalem, is never going to descend from Heaven and be established upon earth.  The city mentioned here is a figurative term describing the church which is the body of Christ, the spiritual kingdom of God, ruled from Heaven, by Christ and already present in the first century and until this day and beyond.  “For our citizenship is in heaven; whence also we wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). 

The new name of Christ which will be written on them can be non other than the term “Christian“.   As previously stated, the term “written” is not to be taken literally, but is a means by which we are identified.  We are identified with and belong to God, as His children, when we live obediently and serve Jesus Christ before the world.  The faithful were called Christians by inspiration in the first century, they are likewise identified as Christians today.  This name given to us by God is the only name we wear.  Coming from God, this name is holy and revered by faithful and true followers of Christ who will utterly reject being associated with any other name.   This is the God breathed name given us by inspiration, it is therefore this name and no other that we should wear before the world.

Revelation 3:13
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
Every letter to the seven churches closes with this admonition.  It is similar to the one Jesus closed the sermon on the mount with:

Matthew 7:24-27
“Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock:  and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.  And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand:  and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.“

Those who overcome and persevere to the end have listened, heard and obeyed what the Spirit said and therefore have their houses built on the rock.

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Sardis (The Dead Church)

Sardis (The Dead Church)

Today Sardis is a ruined city in western Turkey.  Formerly an ancient capital of the kingdom and empire of Lydia located about 50 miles east of Smyrna. It lies in the Gediz Valley (earlier known as Hermus Valley) on a spur at the foot of Boz Dog Mountain, formerly known as Mount Tmolus. Through the city runs the little river Pactolus.

Sardis’ growth to wealth and importance was due to its rich deposits of gold, but it also benefited from having an excellent connection between the Anatolian highlands and the Aegean Sea. The gold was washed down from the mountains and was deposited in the sands of the Pactolus river. In the 6th century BC, Sardis made coins from the gold deposited in the sands of the river, which would come to revolutionize commerce.  Sardis was one of the first places on earth to use coins for a medium of exchange for trade.  This was the dawn of the age of currency. 

The wealth of gold near Sardis was explained through this well known myth: According to legend king Midas came upon a drunken satyr named Silenus who was passed out in his garden. Silenus was believed to be the foster father of the pagan god Dionysus.  According to legend, king Midas was kind to him and returned him safely to Dionysus in Lydia.  Dionysus then offered Midas his choice of rewards.  King Midas then requested that everything he touched would turn to gold.  According to myth, this ability was granted and king Midas soon realized that it was hard to eat food that had been transformed into gold.  Some accounts of this story record that Midas also embraced his daughter and transformed her into gold as well.  Realizing the reward he asked for was really a curse, he prayed to Dionysus, begging to be released from his wish.  Dionysus instructed him to bathe in the Pactolus River.  He did so, and when he touched the waters, his power passed into the river, and the river sands changed into gold.  This supposedly explained why the river Pactolus was so rich in gold.   Now of course we know this is only a myth and cannot possibly be true but it is interesting to know where these well known stories we grew up with came from. 

Sardis was likely started as an urban settlement as early as 1200 B.C.   During the time of Daniel, Artaphernes, the brother of king Darius of Persia lived in Sardis.  The Persian empire conquered Lydia about  547 to 546 B.C. under the rule of Cyrus.  Sardis then became the administrative capitol of the newly acquired Persian province of Lydia.  In 539 B.C. Persia then conquered Babylonia and absorbed the Babylonian empire into its own.  It was from Sardis that Xerxes, the son of Darius invaded Greece.  It was from Sardis that Cyrus the younger, son of the Achaemenian king Darius II and his wife, Parysatis, revolted and marched against his brother Artaxerxes and was killed in about 401 B.C.  In 334 B.C. Sardis was then conquered by Alexander the Great.  In 133 B.C. Sardis then passed to the Roman empire.  In 17 A.D. it was destroyed by an earthquake and the ruling Roman emperor, Tiberius, gave back the taxes the city had paid to Rome for the previous 5 years and the city was rebuilt, however it never regained its former stature.  In New Testament times Sardis was a city of no real importance. All that Sardis had was an ancient name and a reputation. In actual fact, it was almost a dead town. At the time the Revelation was written all of Sardis’ glory, wealth, and power lay in the past.  In 1402 A.D. Sardis was utterly destroyed and was never rebuilt.  Today, the original Sardis is not much more than an archaeological dig site.

Sardis was built on the edge of a mountain with three sides guarded by near vertical walls that dropped 1500 feet into the valley below with the Pactolus river running along its one open access in the front. With all this natural protection, Sardis was over-confident and none too vigilant a city. Guards and watchmen were rarely posted on the three sides where the mountain’s slope dropped 1500 feet into the valley below and because of this failure to watch, they were conquered twice. When King Cyrus of Persia first tried to conquer Sardis he failed in a frontal attack, but that same night, after watching a soldier of Sardis climb down a particular crevice to retrieve a lost helmet, a large number of Persian soldiers worked their way up that same crevice and thus entered and conquered the city from its unguarded rear.  Then in about 218 B.C. by Antiochus the Great the city was again captured in a similar way. Sardis fell because of their failure to watch.

Pagan worship in Sardis
Sardis was a wealthy city with a tendency to become soft and complacent.  They lived in luxury and splendor, and were a proud, arrogant, and overconfident people.  The pagan goddess Artemis, also known as Cybele, was the principal deity worshiped at Sardis, as well as at Ephesus and other cities. Artemis and her brother Apollo were said to be the children of Zeus and Leto.  In legends, Artemis is often pictured as a virgin huntress, fearless in opposing her adversaries. As the goddess of the city, she may have been perceived more in her role as a mother goddess, a provider of fertility and overseer of childbirth.  The worship of this pagan goddess included sexual orgies during festivals held in her honour.  It is interesting to note that the temple dedicated to the worship of Artemis was never completed.   Sardis was a city of uncompleted works.

Sardis had a priesthood dedicated to the goddess Roma by about 100 B.C.  Roma was principally used to instill loyalty among the provinces in the Roman empire, although, later on, she did have a temple in Rome itself. Temples to Roma were erected in Smyrna in 195 B.C. and a cult of Roma was reported in Ephesus and Delos. Her worship was made official by Augustus Caesar as part of a propaganda campaign.  In this way he deified the concept of Rome, building many temples to her (often as a ‘Temple of Rome and Augustus’ to make the imperial cult of Roma and emperor worship more acceptable to the people), with a copy of his Res Gestae, (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus), alongside inscriptions that popularized the new pagan goddess.  The Roman emperors manufactured gods to help control the populace and with them, they appointed groups of officials responsible for establishing these manmade gods throughout the empire and enforcing their worship. 

In about 27 B.C. Sardis tried to establish Asia’s first temple to Caesar Augustus. Although their initial attempt was not successful, the city had a local temple to Augustus by 5 B.C. To show their devotion to the imperial family, the city also consecrated a cult statue to Augustus’ son Gaius.  Sardis competed for the honor of building a temple to the emperor Tiberius in A.D. 26, although it was built in Smyrna.

Revelation 3:1
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.“

He that hath the seven spirits of God and the seven stars is an image of Jesus Christ.  Seven is the symbol for perfect completeness.  God has only one Spirit, not seven and the seven stars here is an image of the messengers to the churches as pictured in Revelation 1:20.  As discussed earlier these seven messengers could either be the eldership of each congregation or they could represent the one perfect complete messenger which was responsible for getting the message to man by inspiration. 

“I know thy works”
Jesus wastes no time informing the Christians he is aware of their works.  The application for us today is that irregardless of who we are or where we live and worship, God is aware of our works.  The denominational world will often say that our salvation is not by any works at all on our part, being saved by God’s grace alone.  Yet it is the works of Sardis that Jesus first comments on.  

“that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead.”
The city of Sardis had a reputation of wealth and splendor.  They were alive but they were not flourishing, not growing, setting back on their reputation of past glory and not looking ahead.  The city of Sardis thought it was alive, but in reality it was dead.  Jesus draws a parallel here between the overall state of Sardis and of the church.  It appears the church in Sardis was a reflection of the city it congregated in.  The church is Sardis had a name, but it was not growing.  Jesus told them “thou art dead”  I cannot think of anything worse than having Jesus Christ, the Son of God tell me that I am alive, but in reality I’m really dead.  A church that is dead does not give off light, it does not bear fruit, it does not grow.  They were once alive, they had a reputation, but now they are riding on their name, earned in the past, but not sustained in the present. 

Revelation 3:2
“Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God.”
Jesus says to be watchful.  What a thing to say to a church in a city that had been twice conquered because of their failure to be vigilant.  Jesus not only knew their present works, but He knew all about the city and all about their history and He made sure they knew He was addressing them personally when He emphasized something they could all relate to. 

Parents do this all the time with their children.  When a parent is confronting a child with an issue, it is common for them to bring something to the forefront that assures the child of the fact that He is indeed the one in the spotlight and that he is guilty before the conversation gets past the first sentence.  The child knows upfront what he is up against.  Jesus was two sentences into the letter and the Christians in Sardis already knew they were the ones being specifically addressed and they were the ones standing in condemnation.  There could be no argument, there could  be no denial, and there should not be any mistaking the message, especially when Jesus said “thou art dead“.  It was time for the Christians at Sardis to give pause, shut up and heed His words.  This is serious business and Jesus hit them over the head with a figurative hammer to get their undivided attention. 

Watchfulness should be the constant attitude of the faithful Christian.  This commandment appears in the New Testament more frequently than any other.  As vigilance was the price of liberty for the city of Sardis, so also is watchfulness a part of salvation.  There are many things we are to watch for:

  1. We are to watch against Satan, “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
  2. We are to be on the watch against temptation.  Jesus said, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).  The faithful Christian must be ever on guard against temptation.  “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”  Temptation is all around us every day.  The resistance against sin begins with watching, recognizing and avoiding situations we know will cause temptation.  “but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.  Then the lust, when it hath conceived, beareth sin: and the sin, when it is fullgrown, bringeth forth death” (James 1:14-15).  In the Christian life there must be unceasing watchfulness against temptation.
  3. We are to watch against false teaching.  When speaking to the church in Ephesus, Paul had this to say:  “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.  Wherefore watch ye” (Acts 20:28-31).  Jesus said “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15).
  4. We are to watch for coming of Jesus Christ.  He taught, “Watch therefore: for ye know not on what day your Lord cometh” (Matthew 24:42).  “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Mark 13:37).  We do not know when Jesus is going to return, so if we are to be assured of being found faithful when He does, we must be watchful and keep ourselves in a suitable position to greet Him when He does.  How ashamed the Christian would be to find himself in a state of sin when our Lord returns “as a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10), at a time when they do not expect it.  “Be ye also ready: for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Luke 12:40).

“establish the things that remain, which were ready to die”
Even though they were dead, there were a few things going on that showed a little life, but even these were in danger of dieing.  Those things which were being done that was the last spark of life in this church needed to be fanned to flames quickly.  Jesus is telling them to get lively, get out of their figurative pews and into the harvest.  Do something.  Show a little life, shine a little light, get something done before its too late. 

“for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God”
The word “for” introduces an explanation of what Jesus said earlier.  Why are the Christians at Sardis dead?  Because Jesus did not find their works perfect before God.  What does this say for the doctrine of Salvation by faith only?  Proponents of salvation by faith only claim that since the works of man contribute nothing towards one’s salvation that this somehow excludes man from the necessity of obedience to the will of God.  They teach that salvation is by the grace of God and that our works, including obedience to God, do not earn our salvation.  And they are partly right.   The punishment for sin is death.  The only person who ever lived who could offer a life in place of ours did just that and He saved us from an eternity of separation from God.  God gave up His life for us so that we could live.  We can’t repay that debt, so those who teach salvation by faith or grace only are correct when they say our works won’t save us.  But where they err is when they extend this to obedience of God’s will.  The best definition for God’s grace I have ever seen is the “undeserved favor of God.”  We do not deserve the chance we got for redemption.  We can’t earn it, we can’t buy it, but it is given freely to all who obey Jesus Christ, (Hebrews 5:9).  By grace we are saved through faith.  What kind of faith?  An obedient, penitent, submissive, active, grateful, loving, faithful to the end, faith. 

The Greek word for “perfected” means “finished” or “completed”.  The Church at Sardis had started things they had never finished and were condemned for it.  The application for us today is that works are indeed necessary.  And half planned, unfinished, unperfected works are not acceptable before God.  We can’t play Christianity and please God.  We have to live Christianity.  The works of our congregations are expected to be organized, implemented and carried out to completion. 

Revelation 3:3
“Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep (it), and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.“

Jesus is telling them to remember what they received and what they heard.  This would be the gospel in view here.  The tense of the Greek word for “remember” is in the present imperative which means to keep on remembering.  Do it every day and never allow yourself to forget what you received and what you heard and what you obeyed.

“and keep (it),”
Here is another present tense imperative which means continuous action.  Never stop keeping the commandments of the gospel.  Keep them, obey them, every day, never stop walking in the way of righteousness.  John wrote in an earlier letter about “walking in the light“.  He says that “IF” we do this, the blood of Jesus cleanses us continually (1 John 1:7).  Jesus is telling the Christians in Sardis to “walk in the light” daily, for life. 

“and repent”
Repentance is not a one time act on the part of the Christian.  This is without question the most difficult command to follow.  It requires a decisive action, a commitment on the part of an individual to change one’s life.  A one time repentance for the moment is no repentance at all.  True repentance is something that is maintained for life.   Anybody can repent and walk the straight and narrow path for a day, or for a week, or for a month.  But how about for a lifetime?  It’s not possible to live a sinless life.  So when we stumble, we need to repent anew and refocus our priorities and get back on track.  The Christians at Sardis were guilty of sin.  They were told to repent.  Even though Jesus said they were dead, there was yet hope and the road back to life begins with repentance all over again. 

“If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee”
Earlier Jesus instructed the Church at Sardis to watch.  Now He gives the consequences if they do not.  He will come suddenly upon them in the night, just like Cyrus and Antiochus came upon the city and conquered them.  He did not have to tell them specifically what would happen if and when He came upon them sleeping.  They already knew those consequences from their own history. 

Revelation 3:4
“But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.”
Even though the church at Sardis was dead in her works, there were some Christians there in the church who were still living faithfully.  They had not defiled their garments.  They were walking pure and righteous in their faith.  Those of the church who were not, needed to evaluate their position and use those who were righteous as examples to live by.  The church at Sardis had some among them that the others could observe and emulate.  They had a pattern of righteousness before them. 

The application for us today is that even though a church is dead in her works, there can be within them a faithful remnant who are spiritually alive and who can be found faithful before God in the end.  The exhortation here is for both parties, the unrighteous and the righteous.  Those who are unrighteous need to identify those among themselves who are and emulate their pattern of faithfulness.  And those who are righteous should recognize the importance of their example and keep on keeping on.  It is possible to be righteous when the majority is not.  Faithful unto death means faithful unto death. 

Revelation 3:5
“He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”

To the faithful few who overcome Satan and to those who will repent and return to righteousness we have three promises.

“arrayed in white garments”  White is the symbol for purity in the minds of the first century Christians.  Being clothed in white garments is representative of being presented “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27).

“and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life”
The Christians at Sardis are told that those who overcome and remain faithful will not have their names erased from the book of life.  There is a warning in this promise.  The church that Jesus said is dead in her works is in danger of falling short of these three promises if they do not repent.  Having one’s name written in the book of life is a blessing of incalculable value and to have that erased is the equivalent of losing one’s salvation. 

The book of life is mentioned 7 times in the new testament.  Once in Philippians 4:3 and 6 times in Revelation.  The Jews kept a register of their citizens which was called the book of the living (Isaiah 4:3; Ezekiel 13:9; Nehemiah 12:22).  Jews who were alive had their names registered in this book while they were alive.  Upon their death, their names were removed.  The Psalmist David drew a comparison between the literal “book of the living” and God’s book of life when he wrote, “Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous” (Psalms 69:28).  Malachi wrote in 3:16, “Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.”  God’s spiritual “book of life” is filled with the names of those who are spiritually alive, in Christ and living faithfully.  Those who have their names erased from this book were alive once, but have spiritually died. 

“and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels”
This is a direct reference back to what Jesus taught as recorded in Matthew 10:32 and Luke 12:8-9, “And I say unto you, Every one who shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: but he that denieth me in the presence of men shall be denied in the presence of the angels of God.”  Some will be denied by Jesus before God the Father, (Matthew 7:23; Luke. 13:27). It is significant to note that this blessing is given to Christians as a contrast to what will happen if they do not repent.  It is possible for the Christian to have their name erased from the book of life and find themselves denied by Jesus Christ before God.  Faithful unto death means just what it says. 

Revelation 3:6
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
Those who are willing to listen need to heed what the Spirit of God is saying to the churches through the inspired written words of John.  Notice that the churches are mentioned in the plural form.  The things being said to each one, in favor or in condemnation, are applicable to each and every one of them.  The application for us today is that we can take these blessings and warnings and apply them to ourselves today in our local congregations.  By emulating all the good things said to all the churches mentioned in Revelation and rejecting all the bad things which were condemned, we can be assured our local congregations are living and serving acceptably before God.

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Pergamum, the city in Hell’s Headquarters

Pergamum, the city in Hell’s Headquarters

Pergamum, also called Pergamos from the KJV translation is another city of the Roman province of Asia Minor that still exists today.  It is known as “Bergama”, and is located in modern day Turkey.  It is primarily a Muslim city now and as of 1996 had 15 Islamic mosques.  One of its mosques is a church building from ancient times.  Bergama (Pergamum), is built among the ruins of the ancient city, but is not nearly as large as it was in the first century.  Among the ruins today can be seen the base of the altar of Zeus, the theater, the agora, the gymnasium and several pagan temples.  Today, the chief export of Bergama is cotton, wool, leather and opium. 

Ancient Pergamos was located 3 miles from the Caicus river, and about 15 miles from the sea.  The Caicus river was navigable for small vessels.  Two of the tributaries of the Caicus were the Selinus and the Kteios. The Selinus river flowed through the city; the Kteios ran along its walls on the outside. On the hill between these two streams the first city stood, and there also stood the acropolis, the chief temples, and theaters of the later city. The early inhabitants of the town were descendants of Greek colonists from before 420 BC. 

From 283 to 263 BC Philetaerus founded the independent Greek dynasty of the Attalid kings. The first of this dynasty to bear the title of king was Attalus I (241 BC – 197 BC), a nephew of Philetaerus, and not only did he adorn the city with beautiful buildings until it became the most wonderful city of the East, but he added to his kingdom the countries of Mysia, Lydia, Caria, Pamphylia and Phrygia. Eumenes II was the richest king of the dynasty, and during his reign from 197 BC – 159 BC, the city reached its greatest height.

Art and literature were encouraged, and in the city was a library of 200,000 volumes  The books were of parchment which was developed here. The word “parchment,” is derived from the name “Pergamos.” Of the structures which adorned the city, the most renowned was the altar of Zeus, which was 40 ft. in height, and also one of the wonders of the ancient world. In 133 BC Attalus III, the last king of the dynasty, died and bequeathed his kingdom to the Roman government. The original Roman province of Asia was formed, and Pergamos was made its capital.  Upon the establishment of the province of Asia there began a new series of coins made at Pergamos, which continued into the 3rd century A.D.

Pagan Religions:
There were temples to the four pagan gods Zeus, Dionysus, Athena and Asklepios.  Asklepios was the pagan Greek God of medicine and healing.  The sick and crippled from all parts of Asia flocked to his temple. They would sleep in the court of the temple where they believed Asklepios would reveal to the priests and physicians the remedies which were necessary to heal their maladies. There was a school of medicine in connection with the temple.

Pergamos was also a chief religious center in the province for Roman emperor worship. In Pergamos, three temples had been built to the Roman emperors where they were worshipped as gods on earth.  Being the capitol city of the province and having three temples dedicated to emperor worship, Pergamos was also the headquarters of the Imperial Cult known as the “Concilia”.  This cult was responsible for the enforcement of state religion. This city was loyal to Rome and with 3 temples dedicated to Emperor worship, it was only natural that it would become a center for this imperial cult.  In 29 BC the Concilia built a temple for the purpose of worshipping Augustus Caesar.  They were unrelenting when it came to the enforcement of emperor worship, especially under Domitian who insisted upon it.  It was possibly this group that banished John to the isle of Patmos, most probably during the reign of either Vespasian or Titus. It was certainly the Concilia who saw to it that the material possessions were taken from the Christians when they refused to serve in the Roman army or refused to bow down to the “gods” of the Romans including the emperors.  It was the Concilia who issued certificates to those who they witnessed burning incense and offering worship to the Roman Emperors without which no one could buy or sell food, participate in land transactions or benefit from any government programs.  It is no wonder that the Christians located in Pergamum were suffering, as they were first in line for the dispensing of the persecution of this imperial cult empowered with the authority of the Emperors and supported by the full strength of the Roman army. 

Smyrna was a rival city and was a commercial center as well.  As it increased in wealth, it gradually became the political center. Later, when Smyrna became the capital, Pergamos remained the religious center.

Christianity was in Pergamos in the first century and it was to the congregation of Christ’s church located therein that this part of the Revelation was addressed. 

Revelation 2:12-17
“and to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword:”

Jesus is depicted again as having the two edged sword.  As mentioned previously this is a reference back to Hebrews 4:12-13 and from our study of Revelation 1:16 and 2:16 we know this sword comes from the mouth of Jesus which means that the sword represents the words of Jesus.  In Ephesians 6:17, Paul calls the word of God the “sword of the Spirit”.

“I know where thou dwellest,”
Jesus is aware of where these Christians are.  He is telling them He knows they are suffering, He knows of their persecution and their tribulations.  The application for us is that we serve a God who knows us personally.  He is aware of our goings on and our surroundings.  He knows of our triumphs and of our failures.  “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13).

“(even) where Satan’s throne is”
Pergamum was the capitol of Asia before Smyrna, home to three temples dedicated to the worship of Roman emperors and headquarters of the imperial cult called the Concelia. It was the chief religious center for the entire province and retained that status even when Smyrna became the capitol. 

The worship of Aesculapius or Asklepios who was the pagan Greek God of medicine and healing was characterized by the use of snakes in the healing rituals.   Non-venomous snakes were left to crawl on the floor in temple where the sick and injured slept. Asklepios had his own constellation called Serpentarius in Latin and Ophiuchus in Greek which means “serpent bearer” The name, “serpent-bearer,” refers to the Rod of Asclepius, which was entwined with a single serpent. This symbol has now become a symbol for physicians across the globe today. The “star of life” is the modern international symbol for the Emergency Medical Services which features the Rod of Asclepius as the centerpiece. 

Satan is often depicted as a serpent in scripture.  All Christians of all ages are well acquainted with the imagery of the serpent associated with Satan.  It is almost certain that when the Christians read of Satan’s throne, they instantly associated it with the worship of Asklepios. And if not, there was plenty of other activities going on around them that would identify Satan as having a seat of power and authority from this city.  

“and thou holdest fast my name”
The Christians in Pergamum were commended for holding fast to the name of Christ. In the Greek, this word (onoma), means a name in authority and character.  It is important as we work through these letters to the individual churches that we take note of the positive things Jesus says as well as the negative.  We know from scripture that Jesus is God (John 1:1), and that Jesus never changes (Hebrews 13:8), so we can be assured that if we take all the good things Jesus said to the churches and make sure we emulate these things in our lives, that it will be commendable for us as well.  It is as important to us that we assemble all the positive things Jesus says to all the churches and strive to add those things to our lives as it is for us to assemble all the negative things He said and eliminate them. 

We hold fast, cling, hang on to Jesus name, character and authority when we seek His will, obey His will and glorify His name.  We hold fast to His name when we insist on being identified as Christians only instead of manmade names which glorify someone other than Jesus.  We hold fast to His name today when we call the body of Christ by what it is; the church of Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:11-13.

“and didst not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwelleth.”
Jesus refers to the faith as being His faith.  Jesus is the one who suffered, bled and died for us.  He is the one that paid the purchase price for the faith, it is His faith.  We today need to be very aware of the fact that it is to His faith we are to be faithful to and not some manmade faith with man’s ideas of righteousness.  We are to seek only God’s righteousness (Romans 10:3-4).

Antipas was described as Jesus’ faithful witness.  He had been slain among them.  The Christian persecution was already well underway.  Secular writings place Antipas as an elder of the church in Pergamum, appointed by none other than John during the reign of Domitian.  History portrays the death of Antipas as having been publicly burned alive in the brazen statue of a Bull by the priests of Asklepios.  In Pergamum, the Christians had already been given an example of what was to come and Jesus held the death of Antipas up as a shining example for the rest to follow if need be. 

As a side note, the fact that Jesus here speaks of the martyrdom of Antipas in the past tense is strong internal evidence of the late dating of the writing of the Revelation.  According to history, Antipas was martyred in 92 AD.   

Revelation 2:14-15
“But I have a few things against thee, ”
Once again, as in previous messages, Jesus points out that the good they are doing does not outweigh the bad.  The application today is that we cannot do enough good in hope of offsetting the bad.  Those in the body of Christ who are guilty of sin cannot stand on judgment day before God and point to their good works as justification for any sin they may be guilty of.   

“because thou hast there some that hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also some that hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans in like manner.”
There were some members in the church at Pergamum who were going along with the teachings of the Nicolaitans.  We see here exactly what this teaching was, eating meat sacrificed to idols and committing fornication which could mean either physical or spiritual fornication, both of which the Nicolaitans were guilty of. 

In old testament times, Balaam was guilty of instructing Balak, a Moabite king, of how to defeat the Israelites.  Balaam knew that God would forsake the Israelites in battle if they were guilty of sin so he told Balak that if he would send women out to seduce and participate in fornication with the Israelites, that God would forsake them in battle and hand them over as punishment.  The women that were sent to seduce the Israelite men were successful and they were caused to stumble.  As a result of this stumbling block, twenty four thousand Israelites lost their lives. 

Corresponding to this, eating things sacrificed to idols was also a stumbling block to the Christians.  Under the Roman persecution, Christians were denied the right to buy food in the empire unless they offered worship to the emperors.  Food was hard to come by for the faithful yet there was plenty to be had if they wanted to participate in the great public feasts where the meat of the animals who had been sacrificed to pagan gods was being served to the public.  Hunger is a powerful incentive and many Christians gave in and participated in these public feasts which were often times accompanied with wild drunken, riotous and often times unrestrained sexual behavior which caused many of them to stumble.  Benjamin Franklin once quoted: “He that lieth down with Dogs, shall rise up with Fleas.”  In scripture were are commanded to “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22) and “Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? or what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever?  And what agreement hath a temple of God with idols? for we are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.  Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you,” (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

The Nicolaitans started out as Christians who participated in the public feasts and eventually stumbled and became just as bad as the pagans they associated with.  The application for us today is the same.  Stay away from evil influences.  Avoid situations that can cause one to stumble.  Shun activities that are not wholesome and righteous.  Do not join in with sinful worldly activities, lest we too become tempted and stumble.  It is a foolish individual who would dance with the devil and participate in activities where sinful behavior prevails.  Satan makes sin attractive but those who company with Satan flirt with death. 

Revelation 2:16
“Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.”

Jesus warns the church to repent.  Repentance is a sorrow of heart that leads to a change of behavior.  The church at Pergamum had to change their behavior.  They were accused of tolerating something Jesus hated.  This is a “repent or else” warning where Jesus said he would wage war with those who held to this doctrine.  Being in a position where Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would wage war against someone who was a Christian is a serious thing.  This is not a war that any Christian could hope to win.  In short, Jesus told these Christians to repent or die.  These were the options available to the Christians at Pergamum.  These same options are the only ones available to Christians in similar sinful situations today. 

Revelation 2:17
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
Notice what Jesus says here.  He knows this is being written down in words that Christians will read.  he knows this message is going to be delivered in written form.  The Christians who read this letter were going to hear what the Spirit was saying through the words written by John.  Today, we hear what the Spirit says in the same way they did in Pergamum.  Through the written word.  When we hear the Word of God, then we are listening to the Spirit.

“To him that overcometh”
To those who overcome.  To those who resist temptation, to those who prevail no matter what, to those who do not give in to Satan and worship idols and eat meat sacrificed to them, who remain faithful against all odds will receive the following rewards.

“to him will I give of the hidden manna”
Manna is what God sustained the children of Israel with during their time in the wilderness after they left the Egyptian bondage and before they were allowed to enter the promised land.  To the first readers of the Revelation, manna would represent that which sustains one’s soul.  Hidden from those who refuse to see it, but available to all who would accept it freely.  “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And he that heareth, let him say, Come. And he that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17).

“and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it.“

The Greek word for Stone in this instance means a pebble, so there is some disagreement among scholars as to what is meant here.  Following is my best guess as to it’s meaning.  Those who overcome become “fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God” which is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19-20).  White is a symbol for purity and truth and the chief cornerstone all faithful Christians receive is Jesus Christ.  The name written on the stone most likely represents either “Jesus Christ” or “Christian”.  Scripture teaches that the faithful “shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.” (Isaiah 62:2).  “The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).  Peter referred to followers of Christ as “Christians” in 1 Peter 4:16 and Agrippa told Paul, “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28). Secular writings about followers of Jesus Christ contain numerous instances of the name “Christians”.  This name was a well established designation both historically and scripturally.  Since all scripture is given by inspiration we  know that the term Christian, being inspired by the Holy Spirit, is from the mouth of God. 

And the only people who know this name are the ones who receive the name of Christ.  Our lives are “hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).  Jesus prayed: “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes” (Matthew 11:25). There are things hidden from man which only be fully known when Jesus returns and we see Him as He really is. (1 John 3:2).  Those who never receive the figurative white stone with the new name on it will never get to fully know Jesus Christ in all His glory. 

In Summary:

The Christians at Pergamos were living in a tremendous center for oppression and persecution.  They were for the most part faithful except for their leniency towards the Nicolaitans.  They were warned to modify this behavior or suffer the consequences of a war with Jesus Christ.

In applying this to our Christian life today, we need to take heed to the words of Jesus.  The circumstances under which the Christians in Pergamum were living did not have any effect on whether or not they were expected to be faithful to God.  Likewise today, we must be aware that we too are required to be just as faithful as they were then.   We must be intolerant of doctrinal error, ever vigilant and willing to persevere and overcome against all odds, even to the point of death if need be. 

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Smyrna, the Suffering Church

Smyrna, the Suffering Church

Smyrna is an ancient city (today İzmir in Turkey) that was founded by the ancient Greeks at a central and strategic point on what is today known as the western coast of the Aegean Sea.  Founded at the head of the gulf of Smyrna (today the gulf of Izmir) that reaches about 40 miles inland it was ideally located as a distribution point for a large portion of the region. 

The city originally founded by a people known as the Lelages was conquered and taken by the ancient Greeks about 1100 BC and became a prominent city of the region for hundreds of years.  around 627 BC the region was conquered and became the Lydian Empire.  Smyrna was conquered and sacked by a king named Alyattas III between 609 and 560 BC.  Smyrna was not utterly destroyed and continued to exist for many years but not as the grand city it formerly was. 

When Alexander the Great, a Greek, swept through with his conquests, Smyrna was included and became part of the consortium of nations united under him.  This became what is known as the Hellenistic age.  Alexander recognized Smyrna’s potential for trade and strategic advantage and ordered the city rebuilt.  During the years 301 to 281 B.C., Lysimachus entirely rebuilt it on a new site to the Southwest of the earlier cities, and surrounded it by a wall. Standing, as it did, upon a good harbor, at the head of one of the chief highways to the interior, it quickly became a great trading-center and the chief port for the export trade. In Roman times, Smyrna was considered one of the most prominent cities of Asia Minor, alongside Pergamos and Ephesus.

Pagan worship in Smyrna

Smyrna was loaded with Pagan worship to false gods in the first century. There were many temples dedicated to pagan worship built in the city.  Among them were the temples of:

Zeus, who in Greek mythology was the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and the god of the sky and thunder.  This is where the Olympian games were celebrated.  The Romans worshipped Zeus as Jupiter. 

Athena who was believed to be the daughter of Zeus and was an armed warrior goddess, and appears in Greek mythology as a helper of many heroes.

In 23 AD a temple was built in honor of Tiberius and his mother Julia, on the Golden Street, connecting the temples of Zeus and Cybele.  Tiberius reigned as Roman emperor in imperial Rome after Augustus from 14 AD to 37 AD. 

Cybele or according to the Romans, Magna Mater, which means earth mother was a particular favorite of emperor Augustus. Cybele represented the fertile Earth, a goddess of nature and of wild animals.  This temple burned in 111 BC and was rebuilt during the reign of Augustus.

Recent archaeological discoveries in old Smyrna have revealed the figures of Hermes, Hestia, Dionysus, Eros and Hercules. 

While this is not an exhaustive study of pagan worship in Smyrna, it is sufficient to demonstrate the level of false worship the Christians of the time were up against.  They worshipped the one true and living God for which there were no statues or idols or alters.  The God of the Christians was and still is absolutely intolerant of the worship of other Gods. In addition to this, Christianity requires us to stand against such pagan worship and this caused great tension and strife between the Christians and those who worshipped pagan gods. 

Also worth mentioning along with the pagan worship is the false worship of the one true and living God.  Smyrna also had a large population of Jewish people who were rightly proclaiming the one true and living God, but had rejected Jesus Christ as the messiah.  In addition to the persecution of the Romans, the Christians also faced the Jewish persecutions which was considerable. 

Christian Persecution in Smyrna

During the Roman persecutions many Christians suffered the most dreadful torments here. They were put to death at the stake, or by wild beasts in the amphitheater; their properties confiscated by the empire, enslaved, abused and tortured; and the only test applied to them was whether they would throw a few grains of incense into the fire as a sacrifice to the Roman emperor, or whether they would refuse.

The Jewish population hated the Christians and frequently turned them in to the Roman authorities as conspirators against the emperor for refusing to bow down to worship him. 

John had a disciple named Polycarp who was a prominent Christian leader in Smyrna. Polycarp was probably 25-30 years old when John died. Polycarp himself lived until he was martyred around 156 A.D. in Smyrna.  According to history. he was tied to a stake in the amphitheatre, pierced through the heart by a Roman soldier and then burned in front of an audience of tens of thousands of Romans screaming for his death. 

Later on in the Revelation, John writes of the wrath of God being poured out on His enemies in the form of natural disasters which depleted the wealth of Rome and eroded her power.  Smyrna was destroyed by an earthquake in 178 AD and had to be rebuilt by the Roman Empire.  It was too important a city located strategically and geographically to leave in ruins. 

Revelation 2:8
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These things saith the first and the last, who was dead, and lived (again):“

Angel means messenger. Some scholars believe this would be one of the men overseeing that particular congregation and some say it is the Holy Spirit symbolized in the perfect seven stars in Jesus’ right hand mentioned earlier.  Either way, the message delivered is the same. It is my opinion that the messenger is the one perfect complete divine Spirit of God. 

The first and the last, He was dead and lived again is obviously Jesus Christ.  No Christian would have any difficulty recognizing this symbolism, however someone unfamiliar with the resurrection of Christ would have no idea what this was referring to. 

It is significant to note here and in the individual messages addressed to the specific churches that Revelation is directed specifically toward them, not to people and circumstances 2000 years removed.  Whatever the Revelation meant to those to whom it was addressed is what it must mean today.  The principles taught within the Revelation are timeless, but the events depicted therein are of that time period. 

Revelation 2:9
“I know thy tribulation, and thy poverty (but thou art rich),

Jesus told the church at Smyrna He was aware of the tribulation they were living through.  The church at Smyrna was also poverty stricken.  The reason for this was that during the time of the writing of Revelation, the imperial cult known as the “Concilia” was enforcing emperor worship.  People who refused to worship the emperor were forbidden to buy or sell anything, their properties were confiscated and they found themselves homeless.  They could not have good jobs, they were rejected by the population and consequently were poverty stricken as a result.  The poverty they were suffering in this rich society was part of their persecution. 

How ironic it is that the poorest, social rejects and outcasts of society were the real priests and kings of the times.  All of the majestic wealth and shining temples meant nothing in the end.  The poorest people of all were the real saints, living off the table scraps of the wealthy, being oppressed, hated and rejected.  This was nothing new. 

2 Corinthians 4:8-11
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

They were poor in material wealth, but in the wealth that mattered they were rich beyond description.  What a wonderful way for Jesus to comfort them and assure them of their final victory.  Our wealth today is by no means measured by our material possessions.  We could have nothing and still be rich in Christ. 

Matthew 16:26-27
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world , and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”

“and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and they art not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”

The considerable Jewish population were said to be guilty of blasphemy.  Evidently they were participating in whatever they had to in order to avoid the persecution of the Romans.  They were most likely burning incense to the emperor which was all that was required to satisfy the requirements to worship him in most cases.  They claimed to be God’s children but they are not.  The synagogues they met in for prayer were not of God, but of Satan. 

“Fear not the things which thou art about to suffer:”
God is telling them it’s going to get worse, don’t fear. 

“behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried”
The devil is not literally going to throw them into prison.  This is going to be accomplished by his followers, those who are serving him, even out of ignorance.  Christianity, if not already, will soon be illegal in the Roman empire.  Christians are going to be thrown in prison and face death if they refused to renounce God and worship the emperor.  Some of the Christians in Smyrna, not all of them are going to face this imprisonment.

“and ye shall have tribulation ten days.”
Obviously this is not a literal period of time.  All of the Christians in Smyrna were not going to be rounded up at the same time and thrown in prison to be persecuted for 10 literal days.  The number 10 represents completeness so something is going to be brought to completion during this period of time.  

“Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.”
Those who are going to be cast into prison are commanded to be faithful unto death in order to receive the crown of life.  Many of the Christians cast into prison by their enemies are going to die.  God would not tell them to remain faithful unto death unless this was going to be necessary. 

A Christian is to be faithful unto death. The thought is to be faithful even if the price you must pay is death. It is said that Marcus Aurelius, a Roman emperor, was once enraged at 40 Christian men because they would not bow down and worship his image. He commanded them to be stripped naked and to stand on a frozen lake until they were ready to renounce God. But when dawn broke the next morning, 40 nude men were found dead on the ice. They were “faithful unto death.”

In the letter to the church at Pergamos Antipas was specifically mentioned as one who was “faithful unto death.“

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.”
Those who can and will listen must heed what is being said.  Notice the message is said to be what the “Spirit saith”.  Let’s call our attention back to the seven stars in Jesus’ hand.  Seven being the number which represents the perfect divine.  The message to the church at Smyrna like all the others is coming through the Spirit.  The one perfect messenger to all the churches then and today through God’s written word. 

“He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”
The second death will be the great day of the Lord as mentioned by Him in John 5:28-29 “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”  The second death is the resurrection of damnation where the unsaved will be cast into Hell. 

Let’s note that Jesus does not offer to take away the suffering of the faithful Christians of Smyrna.  In fact he acknowledges they are already being persecuted but informs them it is going to get much worse.  Nevertheless, He makes a promise to all who overcome that He will give them a crown of life. Christ tells them not to fear death for eternal life awaits them. This promise should be a comfort to us as well for it is made to all who would live faithfully and overcome the wiles of evil.  The Christians of the first century had to remain faithful unto death.  We can be assured we must be likewise faithful unto death today.  Those of all ages who overcome the persecutions, and tribulations to come and remain faithful unto death will not suffer the resurrection of damnation. 

In summary, Jesus had nothing bad to say to the Christians at Smyrna.  They were faithful.  Their works were acceptable just like the works of the Ephesians but the Christians in Smyrna obviously had their hearts in the right place.  Their deep poverty was nothing to be ashamed of, in fact they were rich in what really mattered.  The church in Smyrna serves as a shining example for us today.  Let us likewise be rich in works no matter what oppression may arise, and let us all be comforted by the fact that we serve a God that finds our works and love and dedication acceptable and offers us mercy and eternal life in the end.

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The Church who Left Her First Love, Ephesus

The Church who Left Her First Love, Ephesus

(ef’-e-sus) (Ephesos, meaning “desirable”): A city of the Roman province of Asia, near the mouth of the Cayster river, 3 miles from the western coast of Asia Minor, and opposite the island of Samos. With a harbor accessible to the largest ships, standing at the entrance of the valley which reaches far into the interior of Asia Minor, and connected by highways with the chief cities of the province  Ephesus was the most easily accessible city in Asia, both by land and sea.  See map

Ephesus, at the time of the writing of the Revelation, was a city of great importance in Asia Minor. This city, with an approximate population of 225,000 was the gateway to and the capital of the Roman province of Asia and as such it was a city of great wealth, great culture, and great corruption both politically and socially. Of the seven churches of Asia Minor, Ephesus is the only one that we can trace to the beginning.

It is believed Paul established this congregation of God’s people on the heels of Apollos who came through before him.  On Paul’s third missionary journey he remained there two years preaching in the Jewish Synagogue (Acts 19:8,10).  As a result of this, “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10).   Timothy was an evangelist in Ephesus when Paul wrote both letters to Him.  The church in Ephesus had elders, “And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church” (Acts 20:17).  Thus we learn that the church in Ephesus was a tremendous influence on the spreading of the gospel throughout the Roman province of Asia. 

This church was not a tiny little congregation of the Lord’s people nestled away in a remote community.  This congregation was the result of years of evangelism and instruction by Apostles and other great teachers.  This congregation was directly involved with the evangelism of the entire province of Asia.  This congregation was large and influential, located in one of the richest cities in all of the Roman Empire.  Thus the Christians in Ephesus developed a satisfied complacency in their service to God and allowed themselves to become a little too full of themselves.  As such they were not motivated by love and it appears that they desired the praises of men more than the praises of God. It is with this background that Christ addresses this Church.

The message to them was threefold.  Hard times are on the horizon, stop loving yourselves and return to your first love or suffer eternal consequences and he that overcomes will eat of the tree of life. 

Revelation 2:1
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:”

As discussed earlier this is Jesus Christ who walks among the congregations of His church which is His body over which He rules as the head.   

“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.”

Jesus calls attention to the good qualities the church was exhibiting.  They were rich in works and labor, they were being patient and faithful, they had encountered people who were evil and they could not bear them.  They had confronted and exposed false prophets.  They had worked for the name of Christ and not given up in spite of some pretty severe persecution. 

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

Notwithstanding all the good works they had done, Jesus had something against them.  The importance of being a well rounded Christian complete and sound in the faith cannot be overstated.  We are commanded to Love Christ “out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned” (1 Timothy 1:5), and to “follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Going through the motions of Christianity is not enough.  Evangelizing, visiting the sick, helping the widows and afflicted is for nothing if it not done out of love for Christ and for each other.  We are His bride, a bride is expected to love her husband. 

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

These Christians had fallen away from their first love.  They were going through the motions of Christianity but they didn’t have their hearts in the right place.  They were told to repent.  Their departure from their first love was sin and Jesus said if they did not repent and return, He would remove their candlestick.  This can only mean one thing.  Christians of the first century were warned by Jesus Christ that they could lose their standing as a congregation of His church.  And they were doing everything right with only one exception and if they did not fix the problem, they were going to be rejected by Christ. 

The Church who would claim Jesus as her head cannot depart or deviate from the truth and trust in their righteous deeds to pull them through.  All of the good deeds and works we can do will not erase unrighteousness.  Jesus was unwilling to overlook this one thing in favor of all the rest of the good things they were accomplishing.  The importance of this cannot be overstated.  An entire congregation of the Lord’s church can lose their candlestick, their light, their standing, their fellowship with Christ over a single shortcoming, except they repent. 

“But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

How significant this is that Jesus would mention the Nicolaitans at this time.  The Nicolaitans started their apostasy with a single transgression.  They had been around for a while when Revelation was written, but in the beginning of their existence they started by eating meat sacrificed to idols.   There was a lot of pagan worship going on in the Roman Empire and many of them included animal sacrifices.  When these sacrifices were completed, the meat from the dead animals was used for huge public feasts.  The Nicolaitans wanted to participate in these feasts and they did so in transgression of God’s will (Acts 15:29).  This was the beginning of their apostasy.  As time went on, they assimilated many of the other idolatrous pagan practices into their worship until it resembled nothing of Christian worship.   How fitting for Jesus to correct a church who was guilty of only one transgression and then conclude with an example of one that likewise started with one transgression and ended up far worse.  When Jesus mentioned the Nicolaitans to the Ephesian church, He used them as an example of where they could end up starting with but a single transgression. 

The application for us today is the same.  We are to be diligent to show ourselves approved (2 Timothy 2:15), contending earnestly for the faith that was once delivered (Jude 3), realizing and accepting that the commandments of men constitute vain worship in the eyes of God (Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:7).  Apostasy no matter how far from righteousness it may be in then end, starts with a single departure from the truth.  Jesus’ warning to the church at Ephesus has just as much significance for the church today as it did for the church in Ephesus 2000 years ago.

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

Finally, Jesus makes a promise to the faithful of Ephesus.  He was saying to them and to us today that He will give eternal life to those who remain faithful and overcome all obstacles and remain faithful to the end.  The application for us today is no different.  Christians of the 21st century are not any different than those of the 1st.  God’s will has not changed in 2000 years.  Those of us today who hope to inherit eternal life must overcome and endure to the end. 

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