Pastor paul leboutillier of calvary chapel ontario oregon teaches through the bible from the book of revelation. It is a great book to study and i hope you are enjoying it. Interactive map of the seven churches in revelation. It was a center of ancient sun worship, and the place where the famous altar of zeus stood on a terrace on the slopes of the mount. It was the seat of roman government for the province and the center of the imperial cult. With these thoughts in mind, lets turn our attention to the lords words to the church in pergamos. One church leader named antipas had already been martyred in the city.
I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where satans seat is. The sharp two edged sword is the bible, see hebrews 4. Pergamon or pergamum also referred to by its modern greek form pergamos greek. Christs reference to satans throne verse may have alluded to the citys altar of zeus. Jan 02, 2020 the message to the pergamene church was from the lord jesus christ, specifically addressed to the angel or messenger of the church. Hopefully you are not getting too stressed out or too burdened down by some of the messages in this book.
Revelation 2 the message to the churces of ephesus, smyrna. The sword is an instrument of war, hence christ threatened to wage war against the church in pergamos, because of the evils within it, with the weapon designated the sword of my mouth. The church of pergamos was rebuked for swerving from the truth and embracing the doctrines of balaam and the nicolaitanes. The fourth church, thyatira, has a problem even more serious than the problems of the church of pergamos. Were going to be looking at verses 12 through 17, the letter to the church at pergamos. For now, lets open our bibles to revelation chapter 2. To the church in pergamum to the angel of the church in pergamum write. If this problem applies prayerfully deal with it according to the word of god. These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. There is especially one feature of the church at pergamos rev. May this be a reminder to christ followers that jesus wants all of us, not just a portion of us.
In the book of revelation, we see jesus in the midst of seven churches. The greatest persecution from the world could not annihilate the church. Jun 03, 2015 the church is spoken of in revelation 2 and 3 have multiple meanings on multiple applications. The entire church age is brought before us in the purview of these letters. The church of pergamos was one of these congregations revelation 1. And this church has decided that it can maintain some kind of christian credibility and also associate itself with the sins of the past. There is a book from 1989 called the revelation of jesus christ by john walvoord. Pergamos, to which the ancient writers also gave the neuter form of the name, was a city of mysia of the ancient roman province of asia, in the caicus valley, 3 miles from the river, and about 15 miles from the sea. Every christian belongs to one of the 7 churches of revelations. This gigantic altar at pergamos was likely the one referenced in revelation 2 when god said he knew his church in the city resided where satans throne is revelation 2.
The farthest north of the seven churches, a city once the capital of the kingdom of pergamos, which was great and flourishing when john wrote. What lessons might we learn from about integrity of faith in a modern world that offers us many opportunities to compromise. Click on any of the map markers and more information about that place will pop up. He was the only person named in book of revelation as a martyr. This church is beginning to be linked inseparably to the world. Revelation bible study part 4 letters to the churches at. It was one of the chief cities of romandominated asia and competed with places such as pergamos and ephesus for the title first city of asia. Lets look closer at the letter jesus dictated to john for the church at pergamos. So, forgive me as we move quickly through two letters.
The letter to the church at smyrna and the letter to the church at pergamum. The church of pergamos, or pergamum, received a message from jesus christ at. To pergamos, the third church, of the 7 churches of revelations, jesus reveals himself as the one who holds the sharp two edged sword. In chapters 2 and 3 of the book of revelation there ar. Pergamum was situated around 40 miles past smyrna along the ancient roman postal road in the area known today as western turkey and near the modern city of bergama, about 16 miles inland from the aegean sea. Smyrna, originally peopled by asiatics known as the lelages, is located 56 kilometers 35 miles from ephesus and 79 kilometers 49 miles from pergamos pergamon. Background the city of pergamum pergamos had been the capital of the roman province of asia for two centuries after its last king,attalus iii, bequeathed it to rome in 3b. Pergamum, ancient greek city in mysia, situated 16 miles from the aegean sea on a lofty isolated hill on the northern side of the broad valley of the caicus. It was the first to erect a temple to the caesar, augustus as well as to zeus and the serpentgod asclepius. These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges.
It has been said that paul feared the clergy, while ignatius feared the people. Letters to ephesus, smyrna, pergamos, and thyatira 1 unto the angel of the church of ephesus write. The church at pergamos pergamum rms bible engineering. The letter to the church in pergamum by chris donato. What was jesus message to the church in pergamum in revelation. Pergamum was the chief center of cultural and intellectual life of the hellenistic. This sermon was delivered at the iron hall evangelical church in belfast, northern ireland, by pastor david legge. These are the words of him who has the sharp, doubleedged sword. What was jesus message to the church in pergamum in. It was probably started by paul or a disciple from ephesus. The pergamos period of the church is thought to be from around 3 a.
The third study about the seven churches of revelation is concerning johns letter to the church in pergamos. So why does the book of revelation call it the dwelling place of satan. Covenant prc ni satan and his work revelation nt book church institute. Revelations use of the balaam typology underscores the book s reliance on old testament. Pergamos, the church where satan dwells offers us a unique view of city and culture finely tuned to be the center for satans operations in not only that city but the region. It corresponds to the third of seven kingdom of heaven parables told by our lord jesus in matthew chapter which is the parable of the mustard seed.
This vision included messages to seven congregations of the church of god in asia minor. Here parchment was first perfected and a library of 200,000 volumes formed, which was eventually sent to alexandria. The leader of pergamos used the same ancient title and vestments as. It was noted for its wickedness, insomuch that our lord says satans seat was there. Pergamos, to which the ancient writers also gave the neuter form of the name, was a city of mysia of the ancient roman province of asia, in the caicus valley, 3 miles. Seven churches of revelation bible study david jeremiah blog. It was the first to erect a temple to the caesar, augustus as well as. The imperial cult temple housed a white stone stele inscribed with a decree issued by fabius, the governor of asia, around 9 b. Pergamos, a compromising church revelation 2c faithlife sermons. Jul 15, 2015 the works ascribed to the church at pergamos perfectly depict those of many protestant christian denominations today, which although rejecting the authority of the beast and holding fast to jesus name, they nevertheless allow erroneous doctrines to filter in, such as sunday worship and pagan holiday observance in the name of god among other things examples of the deceiving doctrines of. Feb 18, 2017 part 4 of pastor daves teaching on the book of revelation. Holman christian study bible this is described as the teaching of balaam and the nicolaitans 2.
In this study pastor dave continues his teaching on the churches in revelation this time giving an exposition of the letters written to. It is said that the pagan priests went to the roman governor and complained that the prayers of antipas were driving their spirits out of the city and hindering the worship of their gods. Both the actual congregations of the first century ad and of our church down through time, and the end time. Pergamos, the church where satan dwells offers us a unique view of city and culture finely tuned to be the. In this article we will consider the history of the city of. A letter to pergamos seven churches of revelation 2. These are the words of him who has the sharp, doubleedged sword revelation 2. Let us examine ourselves and prayerfully seek gods face and forgiveness. The letter to the church at pergamum the bible study.
Pergamum, the compromising church begin transcription this is the halfway point in our study. Each of these messages includes a specific word to a specific church, but there are also lessons applicable to the lives of believers today. The mistakes of the pergamum church are important lessons to all christians who must struggle to keep their spiritual balance in a darkened world. One of the seven churches was planted here revelation 1. Map shows the approximate locations of the cities with the seven churches that are mentioned in the bibles book of revelation. Pergamos at the time of the apocalypse was the capital of the roman government in asia. To fit these seven letters into the assigned time period that i have it is necessary for me to take two of them today.
Pergamum international standard bible encyclopedia. Pergamos inherited the ancient system of sun worship from babylon. Christ says he knows the works, charity, service, faith and patience of thyatira. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my. The letter to the church at smyrna and the letter to. Except for revelation chapters 1 and 2 we would have no knowledge of this church. Pergamos, a compromising church revelation 2c faithlife. Gods message to the church at pergamos both commends them and calls them to repent of entrenched sins. Pergamos is a picture of any church that courts the world, any church that marries paganism in any form. The thyatira period of the church is thought to be during the church dark ages when the roman catholic church reigned from about 538 a. Personally there is a word here for our church and for the individuals in our church today. Jul 16, 2015 this is the fourth part in the bible study series.
It still exists with about 14,000 population, of whom over 3,000 profess to be christians. He who has the sharp two edged sword this sword is identified in two places. This particular church symbolizes the church as it existed during the years 3590 ad, when the church married the world. These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges i know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where satans seat is. It was transcribed from the sixth recording in his the book of the revelation series, entitled pergamos, the compromising church transcribed by preach the word. It was a letter the likes of which he had never before received. Young, was a celebrated city of mysia, near the river caicus. The city itself, pergamum, once the center of a small kingdom, is here labeled a place where satan has his throne, or where satan lives v. This makes pergamos the only one of the seven churches of asia minor known to have had a martyr before john wrote the book of revelation. The same held true for the third church addressed in saint johns apocalypse. In the new testament book of revelation, the faith of the pergamon believers, who dwell where satans throne is is commended by the author. One reason often suggested for this statement is that pergamum housed a famous temple to asklepius, the greek god of healing.