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

The Seven Churches of Revelation Pt. 6 by Chris White

Mt. Pagus today

  ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but a synagogue of Satan.  Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ‘   --Rev. 2:9-10

After leaving Ephesus, our next stop is the Smyrna (modern day Izmir Turkey).  The name of the city means “sweet smelling aroma” or city of Myrhh.  Myrhh is an incense that comes from the sap of a shrub where the wood must be repeatedly wounded to extract it.  The church of Smyrna was a suffering church but through their persecution they would be rewarded by Christ.  Thirty years prior to this letter Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Roman Empire and Smyrna proved to be a popular enclave for the more rich and influential Jews who fleeing this war.  Within 80 years the Jewish community of Smyrna  conspired against the church there which resulted in one of the most famous martyrdoms in the early Christian era, namely that of St. Polycarp.   Polycarp was burned at the stake at the stadium above the city on Mt. Pagos.  Before and during the Christian era this stadium was the site of Olympic games where the winners in those days received a crown instead of a medal.  Surrounding the stadium was a ring of buildings and homes that would have looked at a distance like a victor’s crown.  A written account of his death was taken down and circulated around the Christian world and Polycarp’s testimony became a source of inspiration to all who have suffered for their steadfast faith in Jesus for nearly 1850 years.  A fascinating detail in the letter to Smyrna is the suggestion that their suffering and tribulation will last 10 days.  There was no known 10 day persecution in Smyrna, but if this were taken to encompass the Roman persecutions that touched Asia Minor, there were exactly 10 of them before the Emperor Constantine made Christianity a legal religion.  The point for all Christians to remember is that Christ patiently suffered at the hands of evil men and in so doing purchased our redemption and eternal life.  Those who are his disciples can expect to follow in his steps of suffering too.   Even as the sweet smelling Myrrh is extracted by the repeated wounding of a tree, so the repeated wounding of the church is a sweet smelling aroma of worship unto Christ.  Jesus doesn’t tell his suffering church to repent, just hang on and the victory will be won.

With you on the journey,

 Chris