Tacitus records that the city was founded in 1400 BC, with an early temple to the Mother Goddess and ancient Hittite fertility deity who subsequently became identified with Diana. Ionian colonists from Athens settled there about 1100 BC
In the middle of the 6th century BC, the Lydians captured the city. Croesus, their king, was routed by the Persians in 541 BC and Ephesus was joined to other cities in the Ionian confederation. It was at this time that the tutelary deity became identified with Diana (or Artemis).
Ephesus was involved to its own disadvantage in the Peloponnesian and Persian wars and served as a key naval base. In 334 BC it fell to the Macedonians under Alexander. After his death, Lysimachus became master of the city and added great improvements.
Ephesus unwisely sided with Antiochus of Syria against the Romans. It eventually became the Roman capital of the province of Asia. But as a free city, Ephesus had its own municipal government and senate (mentioned both by Strabo and Josephus).
Ephesus was called the “Queen of Asia”: she was the proud capital of Ionia and chief harbor of proconsular Asia. It was an extremely wealthy and beautiful city, located near the mouth of the river Cayster (now Lower Meander). It was the principal line of communication between Rome and the eastern provinces. One major road ran eastward through a pass to Sardis and then to Galatia and beyond. Another led to Magnesia and up the valley of the river Meander to Iconium; a third ran through Collasae and Laodicea to the Euphrates. Trade with Greece and Italy ran through the port regularly.
Architecturally superb, its theater was 495 feet in diameter and held 25,000 people (Acts 19). The Marble Way, lined with statues and fountains, ran from the temple of Artemis through the city to the Megnesia Gate. The Arcadian Way, another main road from the theater to the harbor, was 1735 feet long and 70 feet wide, lined with columns and shops and illuminated at night. The most outstanding architectural feature was the temple of Diana (daughter of Zeus, sister of Apollo).
The temple of Diana, one of the “seven wonders” of the ancient world, was four times as large as the Parthenon at Athens, and stood on a platform 425 feet by 220 feet. The building itself was 340 by 165 feet, had 120 Ionic columns, each 60 feet high.
Ecstatic, sexual rites took place at the temple, involving both male and female prostitutes. Its income was threatened by Paul’s preaching—this led to his departure. The temple was also an asylum for the criminals.
The first bank (in the world?) functioned at the temple under the chief priests.
In the New Testament period Ephesus was the largest city of its day. As the harbor gradually became unusable, traffic diverted to Smyrna.
Ephesus was the center for the study of arts and magic; renowned over the world for talismans, incantations, books, charms, etc. (Burnings, Acts 19:19).
Paul’s first visit was brief and was directed toward the Jewish community; he later made a second visit—he was driven from the synagogue and settled in the school of Tyrannus for two years until the uproar in 58 AD (Acts 19:24-41; Acts 20:1). Ephesus later became the center for missionary operations throughout Asia. Imitators followed, but without power. (Seven sons of Siva: Acts 19:12-17.) After Paul left Ephesus and journeyed through Macedonia, he returned (to Miletus) for his famed farewell to the Ephesian elders.
Timothy is alleged to have become its first bishop (1Ti 1:3). It is here that we find Aquila, Priscilla and Apollos. I Corinthians was penned during his second visit. (Paul’s Epistle to Ephesus was written from Rome.)
Jhn is said to have spent time in Ephesus with Mary, the Lord’s mother. According to Eusebius and others, John returned there in 95 AD after Patmos, and spent his closing years there. His Gospel was apparently written from there. His tomb is there. The reputed home of Mary is now a shrine.
The bishop of Ephesus was accorded rank and authority of a patriarch over the churches in the province of Asia. In 431 AD, Emperor Theodosius II called a general church council at Ephesus to consider the hotly argued question of the time whether the Virgin Mary should be described as the mother of God, and 200 bishops at this Third Ecumenical Council decided in the affirmative.
Its chief rival city was Miletus, but alluvial deposits gradually silted up the harbor of Miletus; Ephesus (for a while) eclipsed its rival in importance. (The Romans stripped the land of its wooded mountain ranges; soil eroded and the resulting silt transformed the harbor to a swamp; today 20 miles of land has cut off the city from the sea. (Even in the first century, Paul landed at Miletus—after one of the many dredgings—in Acts 20.)
The present unpretentious village of Seljuk (Ayasaluk?), built by the Byzantines, is but a sad remainder of its former glory. After its destruction by the Goths in 262 AD it never regained its former glory.
(Jesus’ letter about 35 years after Paul’s departure.) For background read Acts 18-20, Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians and John’s Epistles.
[1] “...he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden [lampstands]”: Cf. 1:20. A lampstand is a bearer, not a source, of light. Oil is emblematic of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is in (our) midst, yet He holds us in His nail-scarred hands (Jhn 10:28).
[2] (1) I know thy works, (2) and thy labour, (3) and thy patience, (4) and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: (5) and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
“I know thy works”: Mat 6:2,5, 16-18,...“work... labor... patience,” cf. 1Th 1:3 (Love and hope are casualties to the heresy-hunting.)
Testing doctrines:
Paul’s farewell warnings: Acts 20:25-31;
John’s warnings: 1Jo 4:1-3 also, 2Cr 11:14-15;
1Th 5:20-21; 2Jo 9-10.
[3] (6) And hast borne, and hast patience, (7) and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. [Note seven-fold commendation, cf. Isa 40:31.]
[4] “...thou hast left thy first love”: The word “first” is {pro’-tos} one of rank; the “best” love. [4413 protos: contracted superlative of 4253; TDNT - 6:865,965; adj; AV - “first” 85, “chief” 9, “first day” 2, “former” 2, misc 7; 105.]
1) first in time or place;
1a) in any succession of things or persons;
2) first in rank;
2a) influence, honor; 2b) chief; 2c) principal;
3) first, at the first.
Love of espousal. The joy of their salvation (Psa 51:12; Jer 2:2; 2Cr 11:2; 1Jo 4:19). The first-named fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal 5:22); 20 references to this grace are found Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians (cf. Paul’s epistle to Ephesus, Chapter 5).
God uses the marriage to communicate His most intimate truths...
Never were they busier... but activity in the King’s business is no substitute for time with The King. He wants devotion, not doctrine.
Compare David’s reign with Solomon’s. David pervades the Scripture; Solomon is mentioned only with adverse comments (Mat 6:28, etc.). Solomon sought wisdom, but later became apostate through his foreign wives. David simply sought fellowship: to dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psa 23:6).
First commandment: Thou shalt love... (Sh’ma: Deu 6:4-5).
First love is the abandonment of all for a love that has abandoned all. No thought of self. (“If I speak with the tongues of men....” 1Cr 13:1 ff.)
Note: The very names of the churches in these letters is significant: “Ephesus” = maiden of choice; darling.
[5] Remember. Repent. Aorist tense used envisaged no delay. Repeat.
[6] “...thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate”: nikao (conquer) + laos (people). Clergy over laity. Cf. Jhn 13:14, 16; 1Pe 5:3 (even suggests that Peter might have had a premonition that he himself would be attributed to such abuses...).
A sect? Irenaeus alleges a sect founded by Nicolas of Antioch, (one of the 7 deacons of Acts 6:5). Tertullian describes the sect as gnostics and libertines. Clement of Alexandria refers to their unbridled and excessive lusts. Note: He hates the deeds, not the Nicolaitans. These will become doctrines in the Letter to Pergamos.
It has also been suggested that the Greek word represents a translation of the Hebrew name “Balaam” (cf. Rev 2:4), although they appear as separate teachings. (Balaam: Num 22:24; Num 31:16; Num 25:1-9.)
[7] Multiple Audience: 1) He that hath.... Personal; 2) (all) the churches.
Structural element: First three vs. last four. Is this pattern an accident? or deliberate? If so, why? [to be detailed later...] The “he that hath an ear” phrase occurs in seven other locations: Mat 13:9, 43; Mat 11:15; Mar 4:9, 23; Mar 7:16; Luk 8:8.
[7] “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
Myths of the heathen hold their flickerings:
Paul’s warning in Acts; John’s letter(s). Where’s their lampstand today? Ephesus is over six miles from the sea, unapproachable by ship. What was a major harbor is now a marsh dense with reeds. What once was the key city in Asia is now a desolation.
Even at the end of the first century (when this was written) the church was in trouble. Thus, even the “Church Fathers” are not a reliable model. Paul’s letter to Galatians exhorts not to “perfect in the flesh what was begun in the Spirit.” The only exemplar model is the Book of Acts. Study to notice the emphasis on:
Today Smyrna is called Izmir, and it is the third largest city in Turkey (pop. 300,000; NT: 100,000?). It exports tobacco, grapes, figs, cotton, olives, and olive oil.
Smyrna possesses an excellent harbor and is encircled by cypress-clad hills (Catalkaya, Pagos or Kadifekale, Nif or Kemalpass, and Yamanlar).
Smyrna was inhabited by the Asiatic Leleges in about 3000 BC, with indications of later Hittite influence. In the 11th century BC Aeolian colonists from Cyme settled in the area. About 900 BC, according to Herodotus, the area fell into the hands of the Ionians from Colophon, and there commenced the most glorious phase of Smyrna’s history. During this period the poet Homer was born, lived and died in Smyrna. Three centuries of greatness ended, however, with the attack of the Lydians.
Smyrna stood at the entrance to the broad fertile valley of Mermus, at the mouth of the river Meles, and on the well sheltered gulf of Smyrna. It was strategically placed for trade between Europe and Asia. It was, thus, a rival to Sardis and the Lydian kingdom.
An expedition under Gyges was defeated and driven back, but a later one under Alyattes, then king of Lydia, was successful. Smyrna was devastated and ceased to exist for three centuries. A pathetic end to a history of two and one-half millennia.
In the 4th century, Alexander the Great, in response to a dream, ordered Lysimachus, one of his four generals, to build a strong, well-planned city, the most beautiful in Ionia, which became known as “the Flower of Ionia.” It prospered into one of the greatest of the then-known world.
Smyrna came under control of the Romans in 27 BC, having proved a faithful ally to Rome in the Syrian and Mithridatic wars. From 27 BC to 324 AD she enjoyed great material prosperity. Strabo described it as the most beautiful city in the world. It was about 42 miles north of Ephesus and possessed an excellent double harbor. The outer harbor was a deep water mooring ground; the inner (now silted in) had a narrow entrance that could be blocked with a chain.
The city suffered many vicissitudes. In the reign of Tiberius, it was almost blotted out by an earthquake. Between 178 and 180 AD it suffered a succession of seismic disturbances which again reduced the vulnerable city to ruins. Marcus Aurelius once more restored it (and parts of the new agora are still standing). In 378 another earthquake demolished the city, but the intrepid Smyrneans again rebuilt. Even today, bustling Izmir has been termed the “Paris of the Levant.”
Smyrna was richly embellished with temples and splendid buildings, and the perfection and symmetry of those encircling Mount Pagos resulted in the title “the crown of Smyrna.”
At the foot of the mountain stood the temple of Zeus, the father of the gods, reputed to be the lord of the sky, rain, clouds, and thunder. Along the Golden Street stood the shrines of Apollo the sun-god, Aphrodite the goddess of love and beauty, Aesculapius the god of medicine, and finally, close to the sea, Cybele, a Phrygian nature goddess. At the Agora (the commercial and political center) were statues of Poseidon the sea-god, and Demeter the goddess of corn.
The priests of the various deities were termed stephanophori, in reference to the laurel or golden crowns which they used to wear in public processions. They were awarded this honor at the end of their year of office. (The term stephanos is alluded to in Rev 2:10.)
The tutelary goddess of Smyrna was Cybele (later, the Greek Rhea, the daughter of the sky and the earth and the mother of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades). Her worship was wild and unrestrained. As the giver of wealth, she became recognized in the great cities as the goddess of the settled life and of towns, hence her crown of walled cities. She appears on Smyrnead coins depicted as enthroned and wearing a crown of battlements and towers. [Goddess of fortresses, (“god of forces”) Daniel 11:38 ?]
In addition to the usual deities, Smyrna readily accepted Caesar worship. In 196 BC the Smyrneans erected a temple to Dea Roma, the goddess of Rome, and they subsequently built one to Tiberius. The worship of the emperor was compulsory. Each year a Roman citizen had to burn a pinch of incense on the altar and to acknowledge publicly that Caesar was supreme lord. In return, he received a formal certificate that he had done so. Originally the action was intended simply as proof of political loyalty, since the individual was permitted to worship whatever god or goddess he chose once he had offered to Caesar. This was a means of unifying and integrating the many and varied elements in the vast empire of Rome. However, this act of worship presented a vital test for the Christian, and many who refused perished at the stake or by wild beasts in the arena.
In 169 (155?) AD, the bishop of Smyrna, Polycarp, refused to recant. “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me wrong. How can I now speak evil of my King who has saved me?” The old man was burned at the stake on the sabbath day, an object of Jewish hatred as well as from the Roman persecution.
[8] “And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive”: The name “Smyrna” comes from the Greek word “Smurna” from Hebrew root that is translated “myrrh.”
Myrrh is a bitter gum and costly perfume which exudes from a certain tree or shrub in Arabia and Ethiopia, or is obtained by incisions made in the bark: as an antiseptic it was used for embalming. It was also an ingredient in perfume (Psa 45:8), prominent in Song of Solomon, etc. It was also an ingredient in holy anointing oil for priests (Exd 30:23) and the purification of women (Est 2:12). It was used in embalming (Jhn 19:39) and was a gift of the Magi at Christ’s birth (Mat 2:11):
Gold = royalty
Frankincense = deity, priesthood
Myrrh = suffering, death
In Jesus’ Second Coming gold and frankincense are offered, but NO myrrh (Isa 60:6) since his death is now behind him—but it was offered to Christ at cross (Mar 15:23). The body of Jesus was embalmed by Joseph & Nicodemus (Jhn 19:39-40). Myrrh yields fragrance by being crushed. Note the “death” theme throughout this letter.
[9] “I know thy works, and tribulation”: Tribulation = thlipsis.
[This is not “the Great Tribulation”; we all shall have tribulation, trouble, persecution (Jhn 16:33; 2Ti 3:12, etc.).]
“Poverty but rich” vs. Laodicea, rich but poor (Rev 3:17; 2Cr 8:9).
Two words for poverty in the Greek: penia, the state of having nothing superfluous; ptocheia (here), the state of one who has nothing at all; implies beggary.
“I know your suffering”: Jhn 16:33; 2Ti 3:12. [It could have been relieved by simply a pinch of incense offered to Caesar...]
Blasphemy: Jews who are not (Synagogue of Satan). The Writer knows about blasphemy of Jews (Jhn 8:44). The Jewish Christians demanded Gentile circumcision (Acts 15:1, 10). Legalism: leaven of Galatians. Peter is rebuked by Paul (Gal 2:11, 17-18; Gal 3:1-3). Peter agrees (2Pe 3:15-16). Early persecution was brought on by the Jews, not the Romans in Antioch (Acts 13:50), Iconium (Acts 14:2, 5), Lystra (Acts 14:19), and in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5).
Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, was burned alive on the Sabbath Day by the Jewish leadership (cf. Acts 15:1-18; Gal 2:11-21; Gal 3:1-6; 2Pe 3:15-16).
One of the most tragic heresies of the Church today is the view that Israel is over. Very early in Church history the Church became anti-semitic. Tragic for the Jews (who suffered atrocities under the banner of “Christ”), but also for the Church because we lost our Jewish “roots.” The Church’s knowledge of the Old Testament is tragically lacking.
[Do you feel “Jewish”? Cf. Rom 2:28-29; Deu 10:16; Deu 30:6.]
[10] “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer”: Diseases brought back from the Parthian wars devastated much of Rome; inundation from the Tiber put much of the grain storehouses under water; famine and pestilence followed. The Christians were a convenient scapegoat: These disasters were brought on by the gods provoked by this new religion, and Christianity became a crime...
“10 days”:
Nero (54-68): Paul beheaded; Peter crucified upside down.
Domitian (95-96): John exiled.
Trajan (104-117): Ignatius burned at the stake.
Marcus Aurelius (161-180): Polycarp martyred.
Septimus Severus (200-211): He killed Irenaeus.
Maximinus (235-237): He killed Ursula and Hippolytus.
Decius (249-251); Valerian (257-260); Aurelian, (270-275);
Diocletian (303-313); The Worst of all!
Ten total: 250 years!
In Fox’s Book of Martyrs: Five million believers died for Christ during this period.
“Tares” or major heresies, which had their start in the early Church period:
[Note: No “Criticism” in this letter. The Lord has no word of complaint. They were satisfying His heart (2Cr 8:9).]
[10] “...be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life”: There is not a single promise to them that they should escape their suffering.
“Crown”: Reward for works (not salvation) Jam 1:12. Their reward is with Him: “Bema” seat.
•; Crown of life (Jam 1:12; Rev 2:10)
for those who have suffered for His sake;
•; Crown of righteousness (2Ti 4:8)
for those who loved His appearing;
•; Crown of glory (1Pet 5:4)
for those who fed the lambs, sheep, flock;
•; Crown incorruptible (1Cr 9:25)
for those who press on steadfastly;
•; Crown of rejoicing (1Th 2:19)
for those who win souls.
Smyrna is only one of two letters (the other is Philadelphia) with no condemnation! [And they are the only two which have had a continuous existence!]
[11] “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”;
“He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. Second death”: Rev 20:6; cf. Jud 12, “twice dead.”
[Pergamos is the feminine form; Pergamum is the neuter form of the name; both were used.] Pergamos was located 70 miles north of Smyrna. Smyrna was the great commercial center; Ephesus, the great political center; Pergamos, the great religious center.
Its early history is obscure; there are evidences that it was occupied during the stone and bronze ages, but prior to Alexander the Great, Pergamos was little more than a castle on top of a hill.
Its foundation is ascribed to Arcadian colonists under the Heracleid Telephus (who routed the Achaeans on their landing in Mysia to attack Troy). Its name is said to have been derived from the son of Pyrrhus and Andromache who made himself king of Teuthrania by killing the king in single combat. After the defeat of Antigonus at Ipsus in 301 BC, the northwest Asia Minor was united to the Thracian kingdom of Lysimachus. Its impregnable position lent itself to its use as a treasury. However, Philetaerus betrayed Lysimachus’ trust by allying himself with Seleucus, Lysimachus’ rival. Subsequent rulers skillfully established themselves as a dominant power in Asia Minor and one of the principal centers of Hellenistic culture. Wisely allying with Rome, it became an extremely wealthy and prosperous city, and for two centuries it became the official capital of the Roman province of Asia. Lacking proximity to the key trade routes, it eventually yields economic advantages to its better located rival, Ephesus.
Pergamos is about 18 miles from the sea, about 80 miles north of Smyrna. The present city of Bergama has a population of only 20,000 (vs. almost 200,000 of old).
Zeus is said to have been born there. The great altar stood on a foundation 125 ft by 115 ft, over 50 ft high, set in a colonnaded enclosure (Satan’s throne? Rev 2:13).
Aesculapium—health institutions before the scientific medical practice begun by Hippocrates—prospered for eight centuries. Functioning mostly by psychiatry and suggestion; sleep was induced and priests used their own methods (drugs and others) to cause patients to dream, and then interpret, etc. Bathing, whispered consultations, music, plays, and other techniques were employed as therapeutic aids.
Long before the New Testament days, Aesculapius had been recognized as a god (the son of Apollo and the virgin Cornois). He was termed “Savior” and it was claimed that he had the power to avert death. He was originally represented by the Anatolians as a serpent, and the Greeks later depicted him holding Hermes’ staff (the Caduceus) with the two-headed snake. [The original idea emerging from the brazen serpent of Numbers 21:8-9; Jhn 3:14; (also, 2Ki 18:4).] The Caduceus is the official emblem of the city. [Hermes is the god of commerce...]
Although not the seat of imperial and judicial authority, Pergamos became the center of the official religion of emperor “Caesar” worship. Augustus inaugurated emperor worship in order to give the empire a bond of common sentiment, and the first temple of this cult was erected at Pergamos in 27 BC Under Vespasian and his successors, it became a test of one’s faith if one would or would not offer incense to the statue of the emperor.
Aesculapius was identical to Phaethon—or Nimrod—who founded the original Babylonian religion—eventually developing into the worship of his widow Semiramis and his posthumous son (the Ashtoreth and Tammuz of Phoenicia, Isis and Horus of Egypt, Aphrodite and Eros of Greece, Venus and Cupid of Rome, etc.). (Hislop)
When Cyrus conquered Babylon, they founded a new center at Pergamos and that king became Pontifex Maximus, the high priest of that pagan system. (Pember)
Both Hislop and Pember trace the subsequent transfer of the cult from Pergamos to Rome, with the appointment of successive Caesars as high priest and ultimately, to that office in 378 AD of Damasus, the Bishop of Rome, with the complete and permanent absorption of “Babylonianism” into the Roman Church (re: Thyatira).
In 312 AD, Constantine set out to defeat the forces of Maxentius, his rival, for supreme power in the empire. His father had prospered when he had prayed to the God of the Christians, and Constantine, in his extremity, resorted to the same action. It is said that on the next day he saw a shining cross in the sky with an inscription above it: in hoc signo vinces. “In this sign thou shalt conquer.” He defeated Maxentius at the Milvan bridge, and immediately declared his conversion to Christianity. He assumed headship of the church, repealed the persecution edicts of Diocletian, and advanced Christians to high office in the state.
Heathenism was Christianized; pagan temples became Christian Churches; heathen festivals were converted into Christian ones; pagan priests slipped into office as Christian priests. Change was mostly nomenclature.
[12] “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges”;
Per = mixed, objectionable (pervert, perturbation, etc.)
gamos = marriage (bigamy, monogamy, etc.)
“Two-edged Sword” (Heb 4:12; cf. Rev 1).
jus gladii: The “Right of the Sword”; the highest official authority; the power of life and death.
[13] “I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, [even] where Satan’s seat [is]”:
Nimrod => Phaeton => Aesculapius
Serpent: Caduceus, emblem of Pergamos.
| Marries Semiramis, bears Tammuz, their son: | ||||||
| Astoreth | - | Tammus | (Phoenica) | |||
| Isis | - | Horus | (Egypt) | |||
| Aphrodite | - | Eros | (Greek) | |||
| Venus | - | Cupid | (Rome) | |||
Tammuz is supernaturally born to Nimrod and Semiramis. He is associated with the sun god; he “dies” at the winter solstice (Dec. 22, 23) and is “resurrected” as the days get longer...
This is celebrated by burning a “yule” (Chaldean: infant) log, replaced by a trimmed tree the next morning... Also involved was mistletoe (fertility); wassail, etc. [re: Hislop, The Two Babylons.] Celibate priests, the crucifix, purgatory, infallibility, Mariolatry, the yule log, the Christmas tree, mistletoe...all trace their origins to pagan Rome...a thin veneer over the Babylonian system (Rev 17:15-18).
“Antipas”: Said to have been a dentist and a physician, accused of disloyalty to Caesar, condemned to death by being shut up in a brazen (or copper) bull which was then heated red-hot. (Tertullian legend)
“Drunk with the blood...” covered in Chapter 17. Satan is not omnipresent. Demons seem to be territorial (Dan 10; Gog, Amos 7:1; Eze 38.)
[14] “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication”: Balaam, a prophet greedy for gold.
“Doctrine of Balaam” (Rev 2:14), spiritual unchastity; marriage with the world. “Way of Balaam” (2Pe 2:15) , a hireling = making a “market” for his gift.
“Error of Balaam” (Jde 11). Balaam was hired by the enemies of the People of God to curse them; warned not to by God (Num 22:12). Not satisfied with this (sufficient) answer, he makes further request to go, given permission but not allowed to utter anything but blessings (Moses’ summary, Deut. 23:4-5). Deprived of rewards promised by Balak, King of Moab, Balaam’s covetous heart conceived an evil thought: If he could counsel the women of Midian and Moab to tempt the Israelites and cause them to sin, God would have to punish His people: Balak’s purpose would then be served, and Balaam would be rich. The seduction worked (Num 25:2-3; Num 31:16), but Balaam had not counted on God’s grace.
The Doctrine of Balaam (Rev 2:14). Balaam took the way of Cain, lived riotously afterward, but perished miserably with the enemies of God at last (Josh 13:22).
“The error of Balaam for hire” (Jde 6, 11). Sacrificing of eternal riches for temporal gain. Lust for the “pleasures of sin for a season”; greed for the “treasures of Egypt” (Heb 11:25; Mark 8:36). Cf. Demas: “having loved this present world” (2Ti 4:10).
Also, natural reasoning = supposed a righteous God had to curse the evident immorality in Israel.
“Fornication”: 1Cr 10:20-21, 25-29; 2Cr 6:14, 16.
“Stumbling block”: Acts 15; 1Cr 10:25-29.
[15] “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate”: Nicolaitans: Deeds (works) => Teaching (doctrine). 1Pe 5:3; washing of feet, Mustard Seed Parable...
[16] “Repent”: 1Jo 1:9, the “Christian’s Bar of Soap.”
“Sword”: cf. sword of Rev 2:12 (Heb 4:12). The Sword of Eph 6:17; the Roman machira. It was effective only with special training; designed for use in close quarters...one-on-one.
We make a mistake when we think that the church has the authority to decide what is right and wrong. Only God makes these distinctions! [We need more Christian conversationalists! Atomization, not organization.]
[17] “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”;
“Hidden manna”: Exd 16:15, 32; Psa 78:24-25 (“angel’s food”); Jhn 6:31-58. Manna ceased when Joshua crossed over Jordan.
“White Stone”: Pergamos worshipped an Asiatic goddess whose symbol in the temple was a black meteoric stone; the black aerolite presented by King Attalus to Rome as symbol of friendship, upon the verge of Hannibal’s attack in 205 BC]
Psephos: ballot; white = acquittal. Jurors cast either white or black stone to indicate guilt or innocence.
Tessera, white stone, given to the victor at the games. Tessera hospitalis, bestowed on close friends, passed on as guarantees to heirs and assigns (Zech 3:1-10; esp. Zech 3:9; Stone + 7 eyes? Deu 27:1-10, on Mt. Ebal.)
Isa 28:16: Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
Eph 2:20: And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];
1Pe 2:4: To whom coming, [as unto] a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, [and] precious,
1Pe 2:6: Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
Psa 118:22: The stone [which] the builders refused is become the head [stone] of the corner.
Mat 21:42: Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
Mat 21:44: And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder (cf. Mar 12:10; Luk 20:17).
Peter in Act 4:11: This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
1Pe 2:7: Unto you therefore which believe [he is] precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.
Isa 8:14: And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
1Pet 2:8: And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, [even to them] which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
Dan 2:34: Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
Dan 2:45: Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is] certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Zech 3:9: For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone [shall be] seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. Cf. Rev 5:6 [Your concordance can be a powerful tool!]
[17] “New Name”: Abram became Abraham (Gen 17:5); Jacob becomes Israel at Peniel (Gen 32:28); Isa 62:2.
Pergamos means “mixed marriage.” The virgin Bride of Christ became married to the world.
The road from Istanbul to Izmir runs through the small and unattractive town of Akhisar (population: 30,000) which now occupies the site where once stood the important military city of Thyatira. In New Testament times, the city stood at the junction of three main roads leading to Pergamos, Sardis, and Smyrna.
It was originally a Lydian town bearing the name of Pelopia, then Semiramis, and then Euhippia. It was taken by the Persians and then Alexander, and is ultimately passed to the possession of Lysimachus, one of Alexander’s four generals. In 301 BC, however, Lysimachus was defeated by his rival Seleucus I (Nicator) and it thus became part of Syria. The city was converted into a frontier fortress to guard the way to Pergamos.
Nicator named it “Thyatira” (Greek, thygater, for daughter) on being informed that a daughter had been born to him; cf. “Jezebel.” [Another meaning is “continual sacrifice” which many scholars associate with the doctrine of the mass.]
Growing in commercial importance, Thyatira became a well-known center for trade guilds. Membership in these was compulsory and essential if one was to pursue a trade. These were well- organized corporate bodies, providing specific benefits and taking actions to protect their interests, often owning considerable property. Each guild was under the patronage of some pagan deity, and all proceedings and feasts commenced with paying homage to the patron god or goddess. The dilemma of the Christian tradesman continues in our own day: Is it necessary for the believer to participate in the production of films, plays, books, or music which have an essential appeal to the flesh? It is a choice between Christ or the world.
Thyatira was known for its dyes—particularly its purple (which was scarlet rather than purple, derived from the madder-root which is prolific in the area. (Alternatives also included the murex, a shellfish from whose throat a drop of dye could be extracted.) Cf. Lydia, a wealthy sales rep for Thyatira dwelling in Philippi (Acts 16:14-15).
Thyatira portrays the medieval papacy from 600 to 1500 AD The dream to establish and enforce the pretensions of the Roman church constitute the major part of the history of the Middle Ages.
The Chaldean priest who interpreted the esoteric doctrines of the Babylonian mysteries was called Peter (i.e. “the interpreter”). He wore an insignia of the two keys of Janus and Cybele, which still appear on the Papal arms as symbols of spiritual authority.
The danger to the church at Thyratira did not arise from the persecutions of imperial Rome nor from the animosity of Jewish attitudes. It arose from within the church itself—all the more serious and dangerous to deal with.
[18] “And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write...”: Thyatira (formerly, Semiramis) = “daughter.”
“Son of God”: The only mention in Revelation! Cf. Peter’s own confession (Mat 16:16-18) vs. “Queen of Heaven”?
This is the central letter (of the seven); Jesus asserts His power and authority.
“Brass, fire” = symbols of judgment!
[19] “I know thy works...”: He loves us so much He can’t take His eyes off us! He is always fully informed on our actions and conditions.
“works...love...faith...service...faith...patience...works”: Jesus names six positives...and tells them they are improving!
[20] “...thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols”: The chief sin of this church—which was fatal—simply consisted of failing to raise a protest against this woman, who claimed to be a prophetess, who led them into idolatrous doctrines and practices. [Cf. Acts 15:29 injunctions.]
Jezebel was the daughter of Eth-Baal, King of Sidon, Priest of Astarte, the murderer of his predecessor, Pheles, whom he killed to seize the throne.
She married King Ahab to seal a profitable trade alliance between Israel and Phoenicia. [“Reasonable compromise”?] A worshipper of Baal and Astarte (originated in Babylon), she and King Ahab usher in the worst period in OT (1Ki 16:30-33). She seeks to exterminate prophets of YHWH (1Ki 18:13). The queen is running things; of all the women seen in the Old Testament, none was more cunning or more daring or more unscrupulous...she obtained lands through “inquisition.” Read the incident of Naboth’s Vineyard (1Ki 21). A vivid picture of the medieval church for a thousand-year period, including the Dark Ages.
“Queen of Heaven”: A Babylonian concept: Jer 7:18; Jer 44:15-30.
“Deep things of Satan”: Esoteric mysteries of the Babylonian cults... Read about Ashtoreth (Jdg 2:13; Jdg 10:6; cf. 1Sa 31:10; 1Ki 11:5, 33); The Groves (phallic symbols), Deu 16:21; and the Abomination of Sidonians, 2Ki 23:3, 6, 7; Eze 36:15.
Compare Jezebel with the Woman & the Leaven parable in Matthew 13. See also Lev 2; 1Cr 5:7-8.
How many sects have been started by women? The church at Thyatira only “tolerated” it: they raised no protest.
In 378 AD, Damasus, the bishop of Rome, took on the office of Pontifex Maximus, (high priest) of the Babylonian religion, which had previously been the prerogative of the Roman emperor, thus combining the “Christian” church with pagan religion—an act which has never been subsequently separated:
The ceremonies, rites, titles, vestments...celibate priests, Mariolatry, image and crucifix worship, veneration of saints, adoration of the host...papal infallibility, transubstantiation, etc...all idolatry thinly veneered by Christian nomenclature.
[Lack of immediate punishment should not be misunderstood for laxity: Ecc 8:11; Isa 26:10.)
[21] “And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not”: Fornication: The term is literal, but it’s also used spiritually (intimacy with a false god instead of the one True God).
[22] “Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation”: First promise of the Great Tribulation (unless...), cf. Rev 2:25. It’s implied that if they repent, they won’t be in the Tribulation. Only the unrepentant church will go... Jezebel is finally destroyed (2Ki 9:10, 22, 30-37); cf. woman devoured, (Rev 17:16).
[23] “Reins & hearts”: Jer 17:10 (YHWH); Rom 8:27. “...your works” vs. My works.
[24] “as many as have not this doctrine...I will put upon you none other burden”: There is the impression that only a remnant survives (cf. Rev 3:4). Within this church was an evil for which no remedial measures are sufficient.
“Bathos” = deep things of Satan vs. Deep things of God (1Cr 2:10). “Baros” = burden.
[25] “But that which ye have already hold fast till I come”: First promise of His Second Coming! This is expressed only in the last four letters.
[26] “And he that overcometh...to him will I give power over the nations”: Was power over nations the goal of Jezebel?
[27] “Rod of Iron”: Psa 2:7-9; Psa 110:2. “Us”: 1Cr 6:2; Dan 7:18, 27. “Rod” = scepter (Heb 1:8).
[28] “Morning star” = before sunrise (Rev 22:16; also 2Pe 1:19; cf. Num 24:17), Star of Jacob (Balaam).
[29] “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches”:
Note: In the first three letters, the promise to the overcomer is after “He that hath...”; in the last four, the promise to overcomer is inside the letter... In the first three epistles the church was viewed as still capable of repenting; in the last four it was apparent that only a remnant—described as the overcomer—would hear and repent. Also, only last four include explicit promises of Jesus Second Coming.