The Book of Revelation
The
Church at Pergamos
Rick Joyner
The Church at Pergamos—“Elevated”
(Approximately A.D. 323 - 538)
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
‘These things says He Who has the sharp two-edged sword:
“I know your works,
and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. “And you hold fast to My Name,
and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful
martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
“But I have a
few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of
Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of
Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
“Thus you also
have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
“Repent, or else
I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My
mouth.
“He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I
will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone,
and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives
it”’
(Revelation 2:12-17 NKJV).
Fittingly, the word Pergamos means height, elevation, or elevated. At
this time, the church went from suffering its worst persecution to becoming the
state religion of the Roman Empire. One day Christians were hunted and killed,
and the next they were honored citizens. Soon one had to be a Christian to hold
positions of authority in the government or favored status as merchants and
landowners. While a time of elevation for the church, it came so fast that it
created dramatic problems, including an influx of evil and evil-intentioned
people the church did not do well resisting.
The
Lord begins His exhortation to this church period by reminding them of the
two-edged sword—His Word. His Word contains clear warnings about the corruption
that starting to flood into the church. This corruption dominated the
institutional church for over a thousand years until His Word, the Scriptures,
were again esteemed as the only source of church doctrine.
Next
the Lord acknowledges that this church dwells where “Satan’s throne” is.
Pergamos had a literal altar to the god Baal called “Satan’s throne.” In the
1930s, German archeologists excavated this altar and moved it to Berlin where
it still resides in The Pergamon Museum. Interestingly, the Nazis came to power
in Germany the same year this altar was moved to Berlin.
This
church is also commended for being faithful even in the days of Antipas, whom
the Lord called His “faithful witness.” It is no accident that this is linked
to “Satan’s throne.” Paul wrote in II Thessalonians 2:3-4:
Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day
will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is
revealed, the son of perdition,
who opposses and exalts himself
above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in
the temple of God, showing himself that he is God (NKJV).
The
early church fathers who addressed this subject seemed to agree that they
expected this “man of sin,” or the “abomination of desolation” as Daniel
referred to it, to take its seat in the temple of God—or since Christ, the
church. None of the early church fathers, or even the Reformers until the 1844
Advent Movement, foresaw a rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, or the
man of sin manifested there. Rather they saw him being manifested in the
church.
Antipas means “anti-pope” or “anti-father.” This was a movement that
rose up after the church became the state religion of the Roman Empire. It
specifically resisted the exceptional authority given to the bishops,
especially to the bishop of Rome, by the Emperor. Those in this movement
believed that the only Head of the church was Jesus. No man should presume His
rightful place or be called “father”—a title that should be reserved for the
Lord alone.
Over
a thousand years later, the Reformers also rose up as “Antipas.” They declared
the institution that exalted men as the head of the church in Christ’s rightful
place as the “abomination of desolation,” or “the abomination that desolated”
the church by separating the people from their direct relationship to the Lord
by putting men in His place.
There
are many other factors to this issue that deserve a deeper study of the
writings of the early church fathers and the Reformers. We will cover some of
this as we continue this study of the Book of Revelation.