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And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

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 ° Balac 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.

Revelation 2:12

2:12 Pergamos. Pergamos was sixty miles north of Smyrna. It was a center of idolatry, with the great altar of Zeus, the largest altar in the world, located there. As the church at Ephesus had been infiltrated by false apostles, losing its “first love” as a result, and the Smyrna church by Judaizers, so Pergamos was impacted by compromise with the paganism surrounding it. Ever since the beginning of the church age, the church has been affected by either sacerdotalism, legalism, evolutionary pantheism, or all of these.

Revelation 2:13

2:13 Satan’s seat. “Satan’s seat” is literally “Satan’s throne.” This may be a reference to the great altar of Zeus at Pergamos, but there is also some evidence that the priesthood of Babylonian idolatry had moved to Pergamos when Babylon fell to the Persians.

Revelation 2:13

2:13 Antipas. “Antipas” means “against all.” Although Antipas may have been an otherwise unknown martyr (i.e., “witness”) at Pergamos, the Lord may have included his name here to represent all His faithful witnesses who take a clear stand for Christ “against all” the forces of Satan, even at the possible cost of martyrdom.

Revelation 2:14

2:14 doctrine of Balaam. See Numbers 31:15-16. The “doctrine of Balaam,” which had apparently infiltrated the Pergamos church, was that of compromise with the immoral and ungodly life-style of the pagans around them, in similar fashion to the way Balaam had influenced the Israelites to take Moabite wives.

Revelation 2:15

2:15 doctrine of the Nicolaitans. See Revelation 2:6. The deeds of the Nicolaitans (“overcomers of the people”) troubled the church at Ephesus; their doctrine infiltrated the church at Pergamos. Christ hates both the deeds and the doctrines.

Revelation 2:17

2:17 hidden manna. The “hidden manna” refers to the manna preserved in the Ark of the Covenant (Hebrews 9:4; Exodus 16:33-35), no doubt picturing the One who was “the bread of God…which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world” (John 6:33).

Revelation 2:17

2:17 new name. Like Abraham and Israel, the Lord Jesus will give each overcomer a new name appropriate to his own character and service. Like the names in the precious stones on the breastplate of the Aaronic priesthood (Exodus 28:15-21), it will be inscribed in a pure white stone, perhaps a diamond.

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