The Seven Churches of Revelation Pt. 7 by Chris White

Remains of Pergamum today

‘ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’   --Rev. 2:17

Next on our tour of the Seven Churches of Revelation in Pergamum, the city on a hill.  Pergamum was a center of learning, healing, and great idolatry, but also a place where the gospel was planted and had begun to take root.  Pergamum was virtually an impregnable fortress built on a very steep hill.  It’s walls may have been impervious to invaders, but it was unable to keep the gospel out.  This is why missionaries no longer speak of closed countries but call them ‘creative access countries”.  The Lord is stronger than any of man’s fortresses and his plan is bigger than any of man’s efforts to stop him.  Many things could be said about the gross idolatry that Christians living in this city would have encountered and endured.  There was a gigantic altar to Zeus cut into the hillside that looked like a gigantic throne that could be seen for miles.  Burnt offerings were made on this throne day and night.  There was also a temple to the Egyptian god Serapis there that was known as place where people could be healed of vision problems and blindness.  The irony here is that while Serapis might heal your eyes, the idolatry you practiced in the process causes a deeper spiritual blindness.  The Christians there also had to deal with Trajan’s temple.  The Roman emperor Trajan required all citizens to burn a pinch of incense on the altar of his temple and take a loyalty oath which included the declaration that he was their Lord.  When a citizen did this he was given a certificate called a Libellus stating he has done so.  To not participate in this act would exclude you from participating in the economic life (buying and selling) of Pergamum.  This put great pressure on Christians to compromise or lose their livelihood.  To this the Lord Jesus says, if you resist I will give to you hidden manna.  Manna was God’s food supply to Israel when they lived in the wilderness and couldn’t possibly feed themselves on what was available.  We are being reminded here that God is not limited to economics as a means of meeting our needs and that he can be trusted for help if loyalty to Him means the end of our income.  Notice Jesus also promises he will give them a white stone with a new name written on it.  This too has local and universal significance.  The most striking thing about Pergamum is the huge amount of white rock lying around.  In Pergamum, when a romantic relationship grew serious, lovers would exchange small necklaces made from their white rocks as a token of belonging to one another.  I don’t think it too far a stretch to say that the Lord is telling us our loyalty to Him amidst trials and temptations is a demonstration of our deep love and devotion to Him even as He is devoted to us.  Last of all a “new name” is given to the recipient believer by the Lord.  Names in the ancient world were not given because they were popular or sounded good, they spoke of your person and character.  In a city that claimed their local god could heal blindness, Jesus says to the church, I see you more clearly than you see yourself, and in following Me, you will know who you really are and what you are destined to be.

With you on the journey,

 Chris