Satan would steal
any blessing we may receive, this is truth. Ever hard at work, Satan tries to
undermine God at every opportunity. You may believe that growing closer to God
is without danger, but Satan does NOT like when we grow closer to our Savior. The spiritual war we are in much like
physical wars are more intense for those on the front lines. You can be a part
of a war and be safe at home just directing things. You can be a part of a war
effort while doing little more than collecting comfort of home supplies for
those far away engaged in the battle. I'm not saying each role in the war isn't
important and doesn't have a very real part in how things go, but we know
factually that those who are active soldiers in the thick of the actual
fighting are the ones who are most in danger and most likely to be wounded or
killed in the line of duty. You don't expect much of an enemy attack if you are
nowhere near enemy territory. In this spiritual warfare the closer we are to
Christ the closer the enemy is to us warring against us. The closer we are to
Christ the more chance of receiving battle wounds. As we seek a blessing
promised to us if we read the prophecies and keep the things in the book of
Revelation we are gaining the attention of Satan. He doesn't want us to be
blessed! Prayerfully we have to seek the
protection of the Holy Spirit, protection that won't keep all bad things from
happening to us, but will keep us safe in our Savior while they do happen. Please, Heavenly Father, bless us!
*******
Daniel and
Revelation By Uriah Smith
Revelation Chapter 2
Verse 12 And to the
angel of the church in Pergamos write;
These things saith
He which hath the sharp sword with two edges;
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest,
even where Satan's seat is:
and thou holdest
fast My name,
and hast not denied
My faith,
even in those days
wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan
dwelleth.
14 But I have a few
things against thee,
because thou hast
there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam,
who taught Balak to
cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel,
to eat things
sacrificed unto idols,
and to commit
fornication.
15 So hast thou also
them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes,
which thing I hate.
16 Repent; or else I
will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My
mouth.
17 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 hidden manna,
and will give him a
white stone,
and in the stone a
new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
The Church of
Pergamos.--
Against the
preceding church there was no word of condemnation uttered. Persecution is ever
calculated to keep the church pure, and incite its members to piety and
godliness. But we now reach the period of the Pergamos church, when influences
began to work which brought errors and evils unto the church.
The word
"Pergamos" signifies "height, elevation."
It was a period in
which the true servants of God had to struggle against a spirit of worldly
policy, pride, and popularity among the professed followers of Christ, and
against the virulent workings of the mystery of iniquity, which finally
resulted in
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the full development
of the papal "man of sin." 2 Thessalonians 2: 3.
The Commendation.--
"Where Satan's
seat is." Christ takes cognizance of the unfavorable situation of his
people during this period.
The language is
probably not designed to denote location. As to place, Satan works wherever
Christians dwell.
But surely there are
times and seasons when he works with special power, and the period covered by
the church of Pergamos was one of these.
During this period,
the doctrine of Christ was being corrupted, the mystery of iniquity was
working, and Satan was laying the foundation of a stupendous system of
apostasy, the papacy.
Here was the falling
away foretold by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3, cited already.
It is interesting to
note that the city of Pergamos became the seat of ancient Babylonian sun
worship. "The Chaldean Magi enjoyed a long period of prosperity at
Babylon. A pontiff appointed by the sovereign ruled over a college of
seventy-two hierophants. . . . [After the Medo-Persian occupation], the
defeated Chaldeans fled to Asia Minor, and fixed their central college at
Pergamos, and took the Palladium of Babylon, the cubic stone, with them.
Here, independent of
state control, they carried on the rites of their religion, and plotted against
the peace of the Persian Empire, caballing with the Greeks for that
purpose."
Antipas.--That a
class of persons is referred to by this name, and not an individual, there is
good reason to believe; for no authentic information respecting such an
individual is now to be found. On this point William Miller says:
"It is supposed
that Antipas was not an individual, but a class of men who opposed the power of
the bishops, or popes, in that day, being a combination of two words, 'Anti,'
opposed, and 'Papas,' father, or pope; and many of them suffered martyrdom at
that time in Constantinople and Rome, where the bishops and popes began to
exercise the power which soon after brought into subjection the kings of the
earth, and
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trampled on the
rights of the church of Christ.
And for myself, I
see no reason to reject this explanation of the word 'Antipas' in this text, as
the history of those times are [is] perfectly silent respecting such an
individual as is here named." Watson's Biblical Dictionary says,
"Ancient ecclesiastical history furnishes no account of this
Antipas." Adam Clarke mentions a work as extant called the "Acts of
Antipas," but gives us to understand that it is entitled to no credit.
The Cause of
Complaint.--
Disadvantages in
situation are no excuse for wrongs in the church. Although this church existed
at a time when Satan was making strong delusions, it was the duty of its
members to keep themselves free from his evil doctrines. Hence they were
censured for harboring among them those who held the doctrines of Balaam and
the Nicolaitanes. (See comments on the Nicolaitanes, verse 6.)
The doctrine of
Balaam is here partly revealed. He taught Balak to cast a stumbling block
before the children of Israel. (See a full account of his work and its results
in Numbers 22: 25; 31: 13-16.)
It appears that
Balaam desired to curse Israel for the sake of the rich reward which Balak
offered him. But not being permitted by the Lord to curse them, he resolved to
accomplish essentially the same thing in another way. He therefore counseled
Balak to seduce them, by means of the women of Moab, to participate in the
celebration of the rites of idolatry and all its licentious accompaniments. The
plan succeeded. The abominations of idolatry spread through the camp of Israel,
the curse of God was called down upon them by their sins, and twenty-four
thousand persons died.
The doctrines
complained of in the church of Pergamos were of course similar in their
tendency, leading to spiritual idolatry and an unlawful connection between the
church and
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the world. Out of
this spirit was finally produced the union of civil and ecclesiastical powers
which culminated in the formation of the papacy.
The Admonition.--
Christ declared that
if they did not repent, He would take the matter into His own hands, and come
unto them (in judgment), and fight against them (those who held these evil
doctrines); and the whole church would be held responsible for the wrongs of
those heretical ones whom they harbored in their midst.
Promise to the
Overcomer.--
The overcomer is
promised that he shall eat of the hidden manna, and receive from his approving
Lord a white stone, with a new and precious name engraved on it. Most
commentators apply the manna, white stone, and the new name, to spiritual
blessings to be enjoyed in this life; but like all the other promises to the
overcomer, this doubtless refers to the future, and is to be given when the
time comes for the saints to be rewarded. Perhaps the following comment is as
satisfactory as anything that has ever been written upon these several
particulars:
"It is
generally supposed by commentators that this refers to an ancient judicial
custom of dropping a black stone into an urn when it is intended to condemn,
and a white stone when the prisoner was acquitted. But this is an act so
distinct from that described in the scripture before us, 'I will give him a
white stone,' that we we are disposed to agree with those who think it refers
to a custom of a very different kind, and not unknown to the classical reader,
according with beautiful propriety to the case before us. In primitive times,
when traveling was rendered difficult from want of places of public
entertainment, hospitality was exercised by private individuals to a very great
extent, of which indeed we find frequent traces in all history, and in none
more than the Old Testament. Persons who partook of this hospitality, and those
who practiced it, frequently contracted habits of friendship and regard for
each other; and it became well-established custom both among the Greeks and
Romans, to provide their guests with some particular mark, which was handed
down from father to
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son, and ensured
hospitality and kind treatment whenever it was presented. This mark was usually
a small stone or pebble, cut in half, upon the halves of which the host and
guest mutually inscribed their names, and then interchanged with each other.
The production of this tessera was quite sufficient to insure friendship for
themselves or their descendants whenever they traveled again in the same
direction; while it is evident that these stones required to be privately kept,
and the names written upon them carefully concealed, lest others should obtain
the privileges instead of the persons for whom they were intended.
"How natural,
then, is the allusion to this custom in the words of the text, 'I will give him
to eat of the hidden manna;' and having done so, having made him partaker of my
hospitality, having recognized him as my guest, my friend, I will present him
with the 'white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man
knoweth, save he who receiveth it.' I will give him a pledge of my friendship,
sacred and inviolable, known only to himself."
In the new name,
John Wesley very appropriately says:
"Jacob, after
his victory, gained the new name of Israel. Wouldst thou know what thy new name
will be? The way to this is plain--overcome.
Till then all they
inquires are vain. Thou wilt then read it on the white stone."
The Time of the
Church.--
The period covered
by this church extends from the days of Constantine, or perhaps, rather, from
his professed conversion to Christianity in A.D. 323, to the establishment of
the papacy in A.D. 538.
*******
Revelation Chapter
2:12-17
12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos
write; These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges
Rev_1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and
out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the
sun shineth in his strength.
Our Savior was the
One that 'hath the sharp sword with two edges'.
13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest,
even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast My name, and hast not denied
My faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was
slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.
Satan's dwelling, if
we are to take just this and stop reading here we truly would be able to say
Satan's seat(throne) was located in Pergamos, but we don't stop reading, we
don't stop studying we include everything. And yes, in this TIME period this
representation is speaking of those who hold fast to God's truth even while
living among the father of lies, the worst place possible for a follower of
God. In the above explanation by Uriah Smith seemingly out of nowhere he begins
to talk of the papacy, but truthfully, if we'd studied the Book of Daniel
before this Book of Revelation- in the book we are quoting from (Daniel and
Revelation- by Uriah Smith) we'd have all the background we need to comprehend
what is being said about the papacy. Rather than back track and begin at the
beginning with Daniel in this particular study, because we've gone over in
times past, I'm going to keep on with this and hope you'll on your own feel
incline to study to find the truth of what is being said, rather than give up
simply because you read something you don't quite understand. If you are
reading this in my blog you can do a search for Daniel and find the study you
need.
14 But I have a few
things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of
Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
15 So hast thou also
them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate.
During this time
many are caused to stumble- we too can be caused to stumble if we allow
ourselves to fall into the trap of following blindly those we think have our
best interest at heart. We need to STUDY for ourselves. We need to SEEK God for
ourselves. We already know beyond doubt that the way of the broad path is the
way to destruction, that the popular way is not the way of the Lord.
16 Repent; or else I
will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My
mouth.
17 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 hidden manna,
and will give him a
white stone,
and in the stone a
new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
More tomorrow by the
grace of God!
All through Jesus
Christ our Lord, our Savior!
Amen.
