by Beth Moore
Exhortation. "Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth" (2:16).
Encouragement. "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. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it" (2:17).
Christ identified Himself to the church of Pergamum as Him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. The word picture could mean many things in Scripture. One primary purpose of a double-edged sword is to divide. As Christ "walked among" the people of this lampstand, He obviously found those who were true to His ways and those who were not. Likewise, as He walks among our lampstands today, Christ sees us as individuals who together comprise a church. The faithfulness or rebelliousness of any given individual never gets swept up or "grayed" in the corporate whole. How I wish at times it did!
In defense of the young church in Pergamum, we can only imagine what kind of warfare they experienced. Christ referred to the city as the place "where Satan has his throne." Since Satan is not omnipresent, Christ's claim is hair-raising. We can't be certain what He meant, but historical evidence from the first century tells us Pergamum was the uncontested center of pagan worship in Asia Minor. Keep in mind that Satan's primary goal is to keep people blinded to truth while providing something that momentarily seems to assuage their spiritual hunger. Pergamum delivered. Christ spoke about the church in Pergamum remaining true to His name. Goodness knows, inhabitants had plenty of names to choose from. Within its walls were temples to Dionysus, Athena, Asclepius, and Demeter; three temples to the emperor cult; and a huge altar to Zeus.
Although the philosophy of the city seemed to be "pick a god, any god," two primary religions exceeded all others in Pergamum: the worship of Dionysus, considered god of the royal kings (symbolized by the bull), and the worship of Asclepius, called "the savior god of healing" (symbolized by the snake). Does that second title make your skin crawl like it does mine? I know the Savior God of Healing, and I assure you it isn't the snake. God heals in many ways, but He alone is Jehovah Rapha.
I'm reminded of God's words in Hosea 11:3. The prophet said of Israel, "They did not realize it was I who healed them." All healing is meant to reveal the Healer. Satan will do anything he can to block the connection. The first psalm I memorized was Psalm 103. I still love it. It urges us to praise the Lord and not to forget His benefits. When given the opportunity, Satan gladly supplies a counterfeit "savior" providing a dandy benefit package. Any world religion or brand of humanism will do.
Since man was created to seek God's benefits, Satan works most effectively if he is able to offer alternatives. For instance, he's sly to suggest other ways for people to unload their guilt. One workable way is to convince them they haven't sinned. He also needs to address health issues. Worship of the body works nicely as a preoccupation. He has all sorts of means of providing counterfeit "redemption."
Not long ago I received a letter from a loved one with whom I shared my testimony about the transforming power of God's Word. He, a practicing Buddhist, wrote me his own testimony about how life had improved since he changed his "karma. My heart broke over the inevitable disillusionment of self-worship. At some point surely a self-worshiper looks in the mirror and says, "If I am as good as God gets, life stinks." What about love and compassion? Counterfeits can be sold or manufactured on any corner. And the renewal of youth? One of the hottest moneymakers in the world economy. Keeping people preoccupied is big business to the devil.
Though surrounded by counterfeits, Christ's commendation tells us many believers in Pergamum remained true and did not renounce their faith even when Antipas was put to death. Several sources say that Antipas was publicly roasted in a bowl-like vessel. Others claim we have no dependable information on him. Perhaps all we have for certain is the meaning of his name, "against all." Sometimes I travel to countries all by myself. One was particularly dangerous, and the thought occurred to me that I could find myself in trouble without a single local ally. The odds of one-againstall can be overwhelming.
We don't have to cross an ocean to feel those kinds of odds. All some of us have to do is go to work. Or go home! At times when we realize we're "against all" in a given environment, we are wise to ask God to confirm whether or not we are right. Sometimes I've been out on a limb when God confirmed that I wasn't even in the right tree!
On the other hand, if God confirms our positions, we are challenged to gracefully accept them as opportunities to display His glory. Romans 8:31 becomes our watchword: If God is for us, who can be against us? The day Antipas died, God was for him. Like Polycarp, Antipas stood against all and he overcame. You and I are going to learn something vital from our study of Revelation: death doesn't always mean defeat.
Not every member of the church in Pergamum was a faithful witness like Antipas. Christ rebuked an undesignated number for holding to the teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. If Christ commanded the repentance of the whole church, the number had to be significant. Although God esteems repentance of the faithful on behalf of the unfaithful, He doesn't require it from people who haven't sinned. Look back at His commendation to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:2. I suspect the church in Pergamum may have tolerated "wicked men" and false apostles more than the church of Ephesus.
We can't dogmatically identify the teaching of the Nicolaitans, but they are closely associated with the teachings of Balaam. The account of Balaam and Balak is found in Numbers 22-24. In a nutshell, Balak, the king of Moab, greatly feared the Israelites as they settled in the promised land. He hired Balaam the soothsayer to curse Israel, but he blessed them instead. Balaam did, however, instruct Balak how to defeat the Israelites. He told Balak to seduce them into idolatry through the harlotry of the Moabite women. Based on all I've read, I believe the basic concept of Balaam's teachings is this: If you can't curse them, try to seduce them!
The whole idea makes my blood boil. You see, Satan is waging war on our generation with Balaam's weapon (see 1 Tim. 4:1). Satan can't curse us because we are blessed (Eph. 1:3) children of God, covered by the blood of the Lamb. If the devil can't curse us, then how can he defeat us? He can try to seduce us! How does seduction differ from temptation? All seduction is temptation, but not all temptation is seduction. Many temptations are obvious. The aim of seduction is to catch the prey off guard. That's why Satan's best henchmen (or women) are often insiders rather than outsiders. Some in the church of Pergamum were enticed into sin by others among them. Whether or not the seducers were truly saved is unclear. Either way, Christ expected the church to jump to action.
If the seducers were true believers, they needed to be confronted properly and restored when repentant. Some may wonder how believers could be used by Satan to seduce. Beloved, seduced people seduce people. If the devil's scheme is not exposed and the chain is not broken, it perpetuates. Without a doubt, some of Satan's most effective seducers can be within the church. We must develop discernment and guard our hearts jealously without becoming fearful and suspicious. Authentic godliness rather than religiousness is our best defense against seduction.
Christ's letter to the church in Pergamum must have hit hard, but the tenderness and encouragement of the conclusion spared their hearts.
Christ promised two things to those who overcame: hidden manna and a white stone. The hidden manna contrasts beautifully with the food sacrificed to idols. Jesus Christ was the Bread of Life sacrificed on the altar before the one true God. Now His Spirit falls like manna from heaven to all who hunger. Jewish tradition holds that the ark with the pot of manna in it was hidden by order of King Josiah and will be revealed once again during the earthly reign of the Messiah.
The most probable meaning of the white stone in verse 17 is remarkable. In an ancient courtroom, jurors voting to condemn the accused would cast their vote by tossing a black stone or pebble. In contrast, jurors vot
ing to acquit the condemned would cast their vote by tossing a white stone or pebble. Scripture actually records this ancient practice, but our English translations don't portray it. In the course of sharing his testimony, Paul said he "cast a vote against" the Christians (Acts 26:10). The original wording is katenegka psephon. The Greek word katenegka means "to deposit or cast." The Greek word psephon means "pebble or stone," and is only used in Acts 26:10 and Revelation 2:17. Paul formerly deposited or cast his pebble to vote against the saints.
If we're on target, the terminology Christ used was perfectly fitting for Pergamum. Do you remember one of the first facts we learned about the city? It was the legal center in the district. How I praise God that the Judge of all the earth pitches a white stone to acquit us-not because we're innocent but because Someone already served our sentence. And the new name on the stone? It could be Christ's, but I also think we each have an overcoming name not unlike Abram had Abraham, Simon had Peter, and Saul had Paul.
I'll be honest with you. I'll be glad to leave Pergamum. I learned plenty from the annals of their famous library, but I'm not crazy about the food. I'm also petrified of seducers. But the manna and the stone? Those were worth the trip. See you in Thyatira!
Chapter 40
TO THE CHURCH
IN THYATIRA
Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman jezebel who calls herself a prophetess. (Revelation 2:20)
Let's take the inland route and travel about forty-five miles east of Pergamum to the city of Thyatira. Few ruins can be explored today because the modern city of Akhisar in Turkey stands atop its ancient history. Perhaps we're better off. She has a shady past. We'll learn as much as we need to know and be thankful God spared us further details. As we walk through the ancient city gates today, we won't find the splendor and opulence we witnessed in Smyrna and Pergamum. Thyatira was not known for her beauty. She was known for her commerce. We read her story in Revelation 2:18-29. Here are the highlights:
Identification. "These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze" (2:18).
Commendation. "I know your deeds, and your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first" (2:19).
Rebuke. "Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed unto idols" (2:20).
Exhortation. "Only hold on to what you have until I come" (v. 25).
Encouragement. "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations-
'He will rule them with an iron scepter;
he will dash them to pieces like pottery'-
just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star" (vv 26-28).
Thyatira found her significance in two identities, both of which Christ intimates in His letter. During the Greek epoch the city originally was an important military headquarters. Thyatira unfortunately suffered under one conqueror after another but never stopped thinking of herself as a power. Her military legacy continued under Roman rule, but she evolved into one of the most thriving commercial centers in all of Asia. Her city walls bulged with wool and linen workers, dyers, leather workers, potters, tanners, bakers, slave dealers, and bronze smiths.
Many scholars believe Christ described Himself with blazing fire and burnished bronze because inhabitants of Thyatira took such pride in their metal works. Thyatira's dual identity was captured in a commemorative coin struck by the Roman government in her honor. The coin depicted "a metalworker seated at an anvil hammering out a helmet in the presence of the goddess Athena, who stands ready to receive it."1 A metalworker representing commerce, a helmet representing military government, and a goddess representing feminine influence. Don't forget those three inscriptions. They tell the story of Thyatira.
The New Testament mentions the ancient city of Thyatira one other time. Not coincidentally, the two references fit together as contrasting puzzle pieces inviting us to reflect on the best and worst of womanhood. This lesson is one in which this female author will act on the right she reserves to completely single out women. A brother is welcome to observe, but it's not for him, ladies. This one's entirely for us.
Acts 16:13-15 tells about Lydia, the businesswoman who became the first named convert in Europe. Lydia was from Thyatira. I love the words of verse 14: "The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message." Then her entire household followed Christ.
Scripture associates Thyatira with two different women: Lydia and Jezebel. Some scholars interpret Jezebel as a reference to a false doctrine, a type of demonic spirit, or a behavioral concept. Others believe she was a flesh-and-blood woman who played havoc in the church at Thyatira. I am strongly inclined to agree with the latter, but I am also thoroughly convinced she is representative of a kind of woman none of us want to be. "Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling" (Rev. 2:20-2 1).
Jezebel could have been the woman's actual name, but Christ was far more likely drawing the parallel between the woman in Thyatira and the brazen wife of King Ahab. The account of the "original" Jezebel can be found in bits and pieces from 1 Kings 16 to 1 Kings 21. She came from Sidon, a commercial city not unlike Thyatira, known for idolatry and licentiousness. She married Ahab, a king of Israel, and moved to Jezreel. The city served the one true God, but she determined to turn it into a center of Baal worship. The wicked, idolatrous queen soon became the power behind the throne. Obedient to her wishes, Ahab erected a sanctuary for Baal and supported hundreds of pagan prophets.2 She massacred the prophets of the Lord when they opposed her. Many of those who escaped her hid in caves. Elijah became and remained a thorn in her flesh. He was a man who witnessed inconceivable wonders of God, defeating her prophets as God sent fire from heaven. Yet Jezebel wielded such power and intimidation that when she threatened Elijah, he ran for his life and for a time fell into deep depression.
After Ahab died in battle, Jezebel retained her control for the next ten years through her sons Ahaziah and Joram. After their bloody deaths, the servants threw Jezebel from a window just as Elijah had predicted. Her body was trampled by horses and eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:33-35). A gruesome death, indeed, but had we seen her factual story in a movie, her demise would have been the moment when the audience cheered.
Fast-forward to the New Testament and a woman who bears her predecessor's name. The ancient city of Thyatira tells the story of women and power. It's a story we may not want to hear but we need to hear. Surrounded by a male-centered culture, Thyatira was, in tired twentieth-century terms, "liberated." Women could be quite successful, which was-and is-admirable. Just leave it to someone to give it a bad name. Since the fabric of the ancient city was practically woven in military green, the bigger the stick one carried, the better. Authority was everything. You can even hear Christ intimate their authority issue in His promise to overcomers. "To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations" (Rev. 2:26).
Under Roman rule, the evolution of Thyatiras commerce shifted militant authority to successful merchants. Almost every commentary I researched talked about the powerful trade guilds that ran the city like the mob. Clubs and societies, some of which were "underground," were not only social but also highly political. They were strangely "religious" because they entrenched their members in all sorts of idolatrous practices. Much pressure for membership existed, and refusal automatically tagged you an enemy.
The networking between these trade clubs and societies was more like a web. They came with offers a citizen wasn't wise to refuse. Not only did unethical deal
s and practices prevail, sexual immorality was rampant. Somehow, extramarital sexual expression got twisted up in their concept of liberation. Of course, nothing provokes more bondage than sexual immorality, but Satan is ever the liar, isn't he?
The Revelation 2 Jezebel was a very powerful woman in Thyatira. Likely up to her elbows in secret guilds and society climbs, she did everything she could to infiltrate the church with them. Lydia was also a powerful woman in Thyatira. Together they provide a lesson on abuse versus wise use of authority. Let's perform a character sketch of Jezebel and invite Lydia to hold up a lamp of contrast in her counterpart's insidious darkness.
You and I live in a culture in which women can be very successful and hold many authoritative positions. Many women have strong gifts and rise to the top in various professions. That's wonderful-as long as they know what to do with position. Unless we are women actively submitted to the true liberation of Christ's authority, we can be terrifying. If God has gifted us professionally, we want to be Lydias. The following characteristics describing Jezebel will help shed light on any shred of her character living in us.
1. Jezebel assumed places of authority God did not assign her. "You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess" (v. 20). Before you jump to the conclusion that her infraction was assuming a role that could belong only to men, note the Scriptures below and the association between women and the gift of prophecy.
· "There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eightyfour. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying" (Luke 2:36-37).
· "In the last days, God says, / I will pour out my Spirit on all people. / Your sons and daughters will prophesy, / your young men will see visions, / your old men will dream dreams. / Even on my servants, both men and women, / I will pour out my Spirit in those days, / and they will prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18).