To the Church in Smyrna
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna
write: ‘The words of the first and the
last, who died and came to
life.
“‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and
the slander of those who say that
they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not
fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of
you into prison, that you may be
tested, and for ten days you will have
tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I
will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear,
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who
conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Revelation 2:8-11
Next local church to be visited, Smyrna. The speaker is the first and the
last, “who became dead, and is now alive forever”—Jesus Christ,
of course. This church had suffered martyrdom and persecution and
was materially poor, but spiritually rich. There were some who were calling
themselves Jews and trying to bully these Christians into adding legalisms to
their doctrinal teaching. Jesus knew who they were, and that they belonged to
the congregation of Satan. Your suffering is not over, Smyrna. There will be
more. Ten periods of testing are ahead for you. You have the spiritual
equipment to handle it and remain faithful through it all. Steadfast faith
until death is rewarded with the crown of life which is a high prize for
believers who have honorably executed the Christian Way of Life (James 1:12).
In
verses 7, 11, 26; Rev. 3:5,12,21; Rev. 21:7 we see the word “conquers” in the
English Standard Version. In other versions it is rendered “overcomes.” The
original Greek word is nikao. It is exactly the same word used in I John 5:4-5
and it is defined as “to subdue—conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory.”
That is done only by our identification with Jesus Christ.
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that
overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? I
John 5:4-5
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.’ Revelation 2:12-17
The sharp, two-edged sword is the Word of God which pierces
to the dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow and discerns the thoughts
and intents of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). God’s Word created and rules the
universe. God’s Word will accomplish whatever He sends it to do. It will never
return to Him void (Isaiah 55:11). Heaven and earth will pass away, but God’s
Word will never pass away (Luke 21:33). Living things will fade and fall and
die, but God’s Word stands forever (Isaiah 40:8).
The church at Pergamum was established in a place of
iniquity, “where Satan’s throne is.” Pergamum was once the capital of the Roman province of Asia and had housed a fine library. This community practiced worship
of the Roman emperor and also was the location of an altar of Zeus in the local
acropolis. "Satan’s throne" would indicate that it was headquarters for occult
religion.
Even in the midst of all this evil, the church at Pergamum
was holding fast the name of Jesus and remaining faithful, though they had
witnessed the martyrdom of a faithful witness. Some, however, had apparently
been enticed to compromise their faith in the manner of Balaam’s teaching. When
Balaam couldn’t succeed in pronouncing a curse on God’s people in Numbers
chapters 22-24, he convinced the pagan king to simply allow his women to walk
in the presence of the sons of Israel. The Israelite men would thereby be
enticed to consort with those women, and gradually be drawn into the idol
worship which would lead to their destruction. Numbers 31 describes the result.
This is the inevitable result of compromising the Word of God to suit one’s
lust pattern. Remember, we mustn’t judge the idolaters, so let’s just wallow
with them. After all, God is love. If we demonstrate our faithfulness to God’s Word
and God’s will, they will accuse us of being bigots, won’t they? What kind of
witness is that? Well, brethren, faithfulness to God’s Word and God’s will is
exactly the witness He requires of His people, and is the quality He always
honors.
Jesus had commended the church at Ephesus for their hatred
of the deeds of the Nicolaitans, who distorted doctrine and practiced immoral
behaviors (“God loves us all. He made us. He wants us to be happy”). Repentance
is in order here. Shape up, or I (Jesus) am coming soon to correct the problem.
Are you listening? The Spirit is speaking!
The hidden manna was what physically sustained the Jews in their
wilderness journey. Jesus Christ is our hidden manna, Who sustains us spiritually in the
devil’s world. We don’t live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from
the mouth of God. The white stone was a balloting system used in judicial
decisions. The white stone was a vote of “not guilty.” All who have overcome by
believing in Jesus Christ are identified by that white stone, and it bears our
new name for all eternity.
