REVELATION LESSON 7


    We will begin this study with the church at Pergamos in Revelation
2:12.
    Revelation 2:12 "And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write;
These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;"
    Revelation 2:13 "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."

    The worship of the people around this area was of the false god
Zeus. Notice, this letter to Pergamos, again, is written to the
minister or the ministering spirit of the church.

    Jesus, again, calls Himself by a different name.  Here He is said
to have "...the sharp sword with the two edges..." The sword with two
edges is, of course, the Bible with the Old and New Testament.

    Pergamos was an important city located fifty miles north of
Smyrna. Many of the writers believe that the church at Pergamos is
symbolic of the state church.  Constantine had a type of forced
religion, and many believe that this is symbolic of that period. The
period when church was legislated.

    There are so many ways to view these, as I have said before.  For
our study, we will attempt to use the problems of this church to tell
us what not to do in our church today.

    God never changes. The things He was opposed to thousands of years
ago are the very things He is opposed to today. God never changes; we
change.  If we are not careful, these changes will make us complacent
about the sin in our life.

    In verse 13, Jesus not only knows their works, He knows everything
about them. Judgement begins at the house of God, because Jesus walks
to and fro checking them out continually.

    Jesus says that He knows where they dwell.  He is referring to the
very evil surroundings. This was an educational center. There were
great libraries and places of worldly education.

    Idol worship was prevalent here.  There were temples built for all
these gods: Zeus, Apollo, Athene, Dionysus, and Aphardite.

    This church is committing sin; compromising with the heathen
around them. Many times worldly wisdom and faithfulness to God are not
cohesive. The Bible says that "...The carnal mind is enmity against
God..." Romans 8:7.

    Faith is not fact. The educated mind wants to prove by facts.
Faith, I say again, is not fact; Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:2 "For by it the elders obtained a good report."

    The mind and heart, even though physically a few inches apart, are
miles apart in the Spirit.

    Jesus knew this church in Pergamos would have a very hard time.
The evil outside the church and the compromise in the church tries to
draw more of these people out of the church.  Maybe they had very good
intentions, but they got very bad results.  Jesus goes so far as to
call this evil city, "...Satan's seat...".  We know by this that evil
prevailed.

    Jesus says to this church, you have My name on your church and I
also am aware you have not denied Me.  Jesus even reminds them that He
is aware that Antipas was martyred because of his great faith in
Jesus. This Satanic influence had come against Antipas and killed him.
We must realize that we must not fellowship with those of unbelief. We
must witness to them, and then go home.  Fellowshipping with the world
brings compromise. The shame is that some of this has crept into this
church as we see in V-14.

    Revelation 2:14 "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."

    The "...doctrine of Balaam..." was very similar to the doctrine of
the Nicolaitans. They tore down the true meaning of the spiritual
gifts. In II Peter 2:1 "But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily
shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought
them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." II Peter 2:2 "And
many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of
truth shall be evil spoken of."

    They slip in unnoticed, and bring false teaching.  If you want to
know more about all of this false teaching, just read all of chapter
two of Second Peter. I will just touch on a few points.  See if you do
not re cognize our modern churches in this.

    II Peter 2:14 "Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease
from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with
covetous practices; cursed children:"  II Peter 2:18 "For when they
speak great swelling [words] of vanity, they allure through the lusts
of the flesh, [through much] wantonness, those that were clean escaped
from them who live in error." II Peter 2:19 "While they promise them
liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a
man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage." II Peter 2:20
"For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through
the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning." II Peter 2:21 "For it had been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have
known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them."

    Church how  much more worldly can you get, than to bring the
world's music and dance into the church?

    This church started off okay.  They taught the truth, until they
let the world in. We must not worship to please our own flesh. We must
worship God, because He is God. We are not God.

    Humanism is dangerous. It is especially dangerous in God's house.
Not just then, but even now, we must be especially careful what is
taught in our churches. A false doctrine can actually cause someone
not to come to the Truth of Jesus Christ.  So many of the doctrines
today elevate mankind above where he should be. Many believe that
Jesus was just a man who attained Godhood. Both are in serious error.
Jesus was God manifest in the flesh, Emmanuel, God with us. To teach
anything else, can cause people to get into error and actually be a
stumbling block. When we eat something sacrificed to idols, it is as
if we are accepting their idol.  Being free from sin in Jesus does not
give us the right to commit spiritual or physical adultery. God will
not permit either. God wants a people who desire to please Him, not to
please the lust of their flesh.

        Revelation 2:15 "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine
of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate."

    Here, too, we see that it is the doctrine of the Nicolaitans that
Jesus hates. If the Nicolaitans had repented, He would have saved
them. This doctrine, as we said before, has to do with being able to
commit sin all you want to, because you are judged not guilty of sin.
Just because we are a Christian, does not give us a license to sin.
That would be like nailing Jesus to the cross over again.

    Revelation 2:16 "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly,
and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth."

    Repent means to be truly sorry and turn away from evil.  Go a new
direction. Walk in right standing with the Lord.  The sword that Jesus
fights with is His Word.  There is nothing more powerful than the Word
of God. Jesus has not given up on them.  He just wants them to change
their ways.

    Revelation 2:17 "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]."

    As we said before, hear with our inner man. There is a battle, and
we are God's soldiers.  The Spirit and the flesh are locked in battle.
When we allow the Spirit of God to control our flesh, then we are His.
He is our God, and we are His people.

    I love the song we sing at our church "A New Name Written Down In
Glory". The song goes on to say, "...it's mine, O yes it's mine...".
The overcomers who will live with Jesus are all named a special name
by Jesus.  Jesus and the one receiving the name are the only ones who
know the name. The stone mentioned in V-17, most think was a diamond.
It was probably the stone worn by the high priest that had God's name
on it.  It was hidden from view next to the heartbehind thr Urim and
the Thummim.  The others' stones were symbolic for the Tribes of
Israel, and all 12 of them were on the breastplate of the high priest.

    We have recieved the name of Jesus Christ if we are truly His.  We
are Christians. Whatever the stone is, I am happy to know that our
name will be on it.

    Jesus will feed us His hidden manna.  Manna fell from heaven
 miraculously and fed the Israelites on their way to the promised
 land, Exodus 16:14-15. This manna was symbolic of Jesus who is the
 Bread of Life. We will eat of the Tree of Life (Jesus) and live
 forever.

    Whether this is spiritual or physical, I do not really care.  It
 will be all we need to sustain us.  The original Ark of the Covenant,
 which the earthly Ark was patterned by, has always been in heaven,
 hidden to earthly eyes.

    The mystery Jesus is revealing, as we said in the first lesson, is
Himself in His fullness.
                       He is the Tree,
                       He is the Bread,
                       He is the Manna,
                       He is LIFE.

    We, too, like Pergamos must repent and come to Jesus with all that
we are or ever hope to be. We are nothing until He fills us with
Himself.

    Extra scriptures to look up are: St.  John l:4, St.  John 14:6,
St.  John 6:31.

    Memorize Romans 8:7 and 2 Peter 2:1,2.


















                        REVELATION  QUESTIONS 7


1.  What two things did Jesus first say to this church at Pergamos?
2.  Where was Satan's seat?
3.  What two good things did Jesus say about Pergamos?
4.  Who was martyred for Jesus?
5.  What false god was the primary one worshipped in this area?
6.  What does Jesus call Himself when addressing this church at
    Pergamos?
7.  Where was Pergamos located?
8.  What do many scholars believe the church at Pergamos was a period
    of?
9.  The period when church was -------.
10. Our study tries to show what in this church?
11. When we change, what must we be careful not to do pertaining to
    God?
12. When Jesus says that He knows where they dwell, what is He
    referring to?
13. What kind of a center was Pergamos known as?
14. Besides Zeus, name some of the other false gods worshipped here in
    Pergamos.
15. In Romans 8:7, the Bible says the ------------------is enmity
    against God.
16. What is faith not?
17. What is faith in Hebrews 11:1?
18. Physically the mind and heart are inches away from each other, but
    what are they in spirit?
19. What do we know about this area, by Jesus calling it Satan's seat?
20. Fellowshipping with the world brings what?
21. What evil teaching had crept into the church?
22. What two very evil things had they taught?
23. The doctrine of Balaam was similar to whose teachings?
24. What did they teach?
25. In Second Peter, what do we read that these false prophets shall
    bring in to the church?
26. Who can they beguile?
27. How do they allure?
28. Where is humanism the most dangerous?
29. What thing does Jesus say He hates?
30. What does Jesus tell them to do?
31. What will Jesus fight with?
32. Those who overcome will receive what?
33. When can we be classified as God's children?
34. What is the white stone, probably?
35. What is the mystery that Jesus is revealing to us?
36. Write Romans 8:7.
37. Write 2 Peter 2:1,2.
38. What church in our society today do you see in this church at
    Pergamos?  Explain.