1 Ephesus

2 Smyrna
3 Pergamos
4 Thyatira
5 Sardis
6 Philadelphia
7 Laodicea
The
Pergamos
Church at
Pergamos
Smyrna

Ephesus
Revelation 2:12-17
Pergamos the Seat of Satan

The Altar of Zeus

 “And to the angel of the
church in Pergamos write;
These things saith he which
hath the sharp sword with two
edges;”(Revelation 2:12)
 “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.” (Revelation 2:13)
I know where you dwell!

Pergamum – Satan’s
seat
The true Christians at Pergamos had not
denied the Lord’s name even being in the
pagan city where the false god Zeus was
worshipped.

Hecate fights against Klytios (left); Artemis

against Otos (right)
 The Pergamum Altar is a monumental
construction built during the reign of King
Eumenes II in the first half of the 2nd century BC
on one of the terraces of the acropolis of the
ancient city of Pergamos in Asia Minor.
Athena

Dionysus the
Babylonian bull god.
Sacrifice to Dionysus the
Bull god

Antipas, Christ’s
martyr tradition says
was roasted alive in a
brass bull.
Asklepios was the
pagan Greek God of
medicine and
healing
The Rebuke

“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.”
(Revelation 2:14)
 Balaam was the son of
Beor and a prophet of Pethor in
Mesopotamia. The narrative
relating to Balaam is found in
Num. 22:24. According to this
narrative, Balak, king of Moab,
sent messengers to the
soothsayer, requesting him to
come and pronounce a curse
against Israel, with whom the
Moabites were at war, and of
whom they stood in dread. Balak
wanted the aid of the
soothsayer's powerful curse to
overcome his foe
What is the doctrine of the Balaamites?
- Telling the church it is OK to interpret the Bible according to the fallible
methods of fallible men. This ultimately undermines the authority of the
entire Word of God.

- This compromise the Bible’s teaching leading people away from simple
faith in God’s Word, which brings the Lord’s condemnation.

- It is teaching that it is okay to compromises with sin.

- It destroying the foundations of the gospel message, as we have often

demonstrated in this magazine.
- In essence, they are saying that God is unable
to communicate to us clearly. We have to trust
the fallible modern prophets, in popes, church
leaders, religious scholars, and even scientists.

- The worse thing they do is water down God’s

word. The cast a shadow over God’s word and
whether it is reliable or not.

- They put man as the authority over God’s word.

 “So hast thou also them that
hold the doctrine of the
Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”
(Revelation 2:15)
The word means, "Niko” to conquer and
“Laos” the people. It means simply this: The
Nicolaitan’s philosophy was that there was a
difference between the "laity" who were the people
in the pew, and the clergy who were the church’s
religious leaders.

What was the result of the

doctrine of the Nicolaitan’s?
Worshipping the Pope
 At Lystra when the people of the
city sought to worship Paul and
Barnabas how did the respond?

“And saying, Sirs, why do ye these

things? We also are men of like passions
with you, and preach unto you that ye should
turn from these vanities unto the living God,
which made heaven, and earth, and the sea,
and all things that are therein” (Acts 14:15)
 Peter when he came to Cornelius’
house and the Roman centurion
worshiped him…How did Peter
respond?

“And as Peter was coming in,

Cornelius met him, and fell down at his
feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took
him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am
a man.” (Acts 10:25-26)
Christ’s admonishment:

“Repent; or else I will come unto thee

quickly, and will fight against them with the
sword of my mouth.
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 2:16-17)
 Jesus says, “I will come quickly and will
fight against them"; meaning the Balaamites and
Nicolaitans, for their idolatry and uncleanness.

Church history has shown that these who have

taught from doctrine and lead God’s people astray
had suffered greatly.

Ultimately they will reap the judgment of God.

 “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 2:17)
1 Corinthians 2:14 explains the passage
is to saved people,

“But the natural man receiveth not

the things of the Spirit of God: for they
are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually
discerned."
 “And when the dew that lay was
gone up, behold, upon the face of the
wilderness there lay a small round thing,
as small as the hoar frost on the
ground.

And when the children of Israel

saw it, they said one to another, It is
manna: for they wist not what it was.
And Moses said unto them, This is the
bread which the LORD hath given you
to eat.

This is the thing which the

LORD hath commanded, Gather of it
every man according to his eating, an
omer for every man, according to the
number of your persons; take ye every
man for them which are in his tents.”
(Exodus 16:14-16)
 White stone represented
acquittal.

The black stone

represented
being found guilty

“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
2:17)