the church of the servant king mid-week bible study

The Church of the Servant King www.cotsk.org of 21

The Church of the Servant King

Mid-Week Bible Study

(SL1_Revelation_chps 2&3 – Part 2)

Revelation 2 & 3

In our previous session, we examined the three major views or interpretations of chapters 2 and

3 of Revelation. You may recall that we discussed the following views: 1) Prophetic view; 2) Historico-

prophetic view; and 3) Historical view.1 As we discussed in the prior session, the three views of

Revelation 2 & 3 are summarized as follows:

� Historico-prophetic View - The seven churches addressed were in existence in the first century,

and what characterized each of them has marked other local churches in various locations

throughout church history.

� In addition, the seven churches also reveal the history of the church from the time John

wrote the apokalupsis (Gr. αποκαλυψις) to the Rapture in seven successive periods.

� This view associates the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3 with the present Gentile-

centric dispensation – the Church Age Body of Christ.

� This view does not understand these churches to be “assemblies” of believers within the

last days of the Age of Israel, i.e. the Tribulation.

� Historical View - The seven churches existed in the first century, and what characterized each of

them has marked other local churches in various locations throughout church history; however,

they are not prophetic in the sense of being identified with any particular era of church history as

is the case with the historico-prophetic view.

� This view limits the references to the seven churches to assemblies that existed at the

end of the 1st

Century.

� As such, this view also associates the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3 with the

present Gentile-centric dispensation – the Church Age Body of Christ.

� This view does not understand these churches to be “assemblies” of believers within the

last days of the Age of Israel, i.e. the Tribulation.

� This view does not associate the seven churches with trends (prophetic) of the current

Gentile-centric dispensation – the Church Age Body of Christ.

� Prophetic View - The seven churches addressed were not in existence in the first century but will

be in existence in the “day of the Lord,” i.e. the Tribulation period.

� This view understands the seven churches to be assemblies of believers that will exist

exclusively within the “last days of the Age of Israel.”

� Thus, this view understands these churches to be associated with the Jewish-centric

dispensation, the Age of Israel.

� This view does not associate these churches with the present Gentile-centric

dispensation.

1 These views of chapters 2-3 are distinct from, but are interwoven with, the four major interpretive approaches to the

book of Revelation as a whole that we have noted previously. The “Historicist” interpretation of Revelation views the book of

Revelation as a prewritten record of the course of history from the time of the Apostle John to the end of human history. According

to this view, the fulfillment of Revelation has been unfolding for nearly two thousand years. The Protestant Reformers largely held

this position and equated the Papal system with the Anti-Christ. The “Preterist” interpretation of Revelation views fulfillment to

have occurred shortly after the author wrote (i.e. generally interpreted to be the Fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, thus necessitating a

date of writing to have been in the A.D. 60’s). Some Preterists believe the final chapters of Revelation look forward to the 2nd

Coming. Others think that everything was fulfilled in the past. The Preterist position is postmillennial in orientation. Most of those

who adhere to the “Futurist” position interpret everything after chapter 4 to be fulfilled shortly prior to the return of Christ. The

“Spiritualist” or “Idealist” interpretation views the entire book in an allegorical manner and sees the book as merely a great drama –

the battle between good and evil.


VERY IMPORTANT – IS THERE ANOTHER VIABLE INTERPRETIVE OPTION FOR UNDERSTANDING

CHAPTERS 2 & 3? As I mentioned in the prior study, I think it is possible that our Lord Jesus Christ in

resurrected human form could have provided instruction to the “assemblies” of future Tribulation period

Jewish/Gentile groups of believers (i.e. the prophetic view) using allusions and analogies to circumstances

that were true of historical churches at the end of the 1st

Century A.D. (i.e. the historical view). At the

same time, He could have also included allusions to spiritual trends and periods within Israel’s history

consistent with the prophetic view of these chapters. This understanding acknowledges the continuity of

the book from the standpoint of God’s Jewish-centric program with man rather than spanning two

different programs – i.e. a Gentile-centric program and a Jew-centric program.

As you progress through these notes and this study with me, please keep in mind that the

exhortations, praises and rebukes of these seven churches of the Tribulation era are likely the result of

compromises that the members of these assemblies make with the political-economic-religious power

base (i.e. Babylon of Revelation 18) – probably during the 1st

half of the Tribulation period – a period of

relative peace and prosperity for Jews especially as they live under the protective covenant with this

power base – a covenant that will be broken when the Anti-Christ is granted super-human power due to

Satan’s indwelling him. The breaking of this covenant between this Gentile economic-political-religious

power base and the Jews will be coterminous with Satan’s ouster from heaven, his indwelling of the “little

horn” that will emerge from this power base and become the “Anti-Christ,” and the beginning of the last

three and one-half period of the Tribulation period known as the “Great Tribulation.” The details to

support these statements are contained in the notes associated with the remainder of the chapters of the

book of Revelation.

The following is a brief summary of chapters 2 and 3 with that possibility in mind. I will highlight

the prophetic allusions and analogies throughout this set of notes using this font color.

EPHESUS (2:1-7)

New Testament Background Involving Ephesus

Paul paid a visit to Ephesus as he returned from Corinth to Jerusalem at the end of his second

missionary journey around AD 52 and he left Priscilla and Aquila there (Acts 18:19-21, 26). Their stay

coincided with the ministry of Apollos (Acts 18:25). Paul returned to the city on his third missionary

journey and spent three years there (Acts 19:1ff and 20:31). Paul must have had a close relationship to

this church because he spent more time there than anywhere else during his missionary campaigns.

Timothy was apparently left in charge of the church after Paul’s departure (1 Tim. 1:3) and a few years

later (circa AD 66), John the apostle arrived in the city and began a ministry there. 2 The prominence of

this church is reflected in the fact that it may have been the recipient of as many as eight New Testament

books: the gospel of John, Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Revelation. In addition, Paul

was ministering in Ephesus at the time he wrote 1 Corinthians.3

We may look upon Ephesus as the Church above all others that enjoyed the Apostle’s

[Paul’s] highest confidence … we may regard the Ephesians as more highly instructed in

the truths of Christianity than any other Church, as there are revelations of sublime

mysteries communicated to them, which other churches could not have understood,

unless they had undergone a thorough training in the doctrines of the Christian faith.

2 Robert L. Thomas, “The Chronological Interpretation of Revelation 2 – 3,” Bibliotheca Sacra 124:496 (October, 1967), 130.

3

Ibid.


The Epistle, which he wrote during his first imprisonment at Rome, contains no censure,

nor does it allude to any declension of the Ephesians from their first love.4

2:1 ”TO the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in

His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: 2 ‘I

know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil men,

and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you

found them to be false; 3 and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s

sake, and have not grown weary. 4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your

first love. 5 ‘Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the

deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out

of its place—unless you repent. 6 ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the

Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to

the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the

Paradise of God.’ (Rev 2:1-7)

The “angel of the church in Ephesus” is probably a reference to a human messenger (Gr. angelos

– αγγελος - angel or messenger) to that local church – perhaps the pastor. It would seem strange that

Jesus would have instructed John, a human, to give the letter to a spirit being. Therefore, a human

messenger is most likely. The word “angel” usually describes a spirit being in the New Testament, but

there are occasions when it does refer to humans as messengers (e.g. Matt 11:10; Mk 1:2; Lu 7:24, 27;

9:52).

This passage depicts Jesus as very aware of and concerned with the spiritual status of a local

church. He had situational awareness. He was (and will be) watching over them with concern.

Commendation – This church had remained faithful to Jesus Christ. He (Jesus) approved of the

good works of these believers of Ephesus — their toil in His service, patient endurance of circumstances

(Gr. hupomone) under affliction, and discipline of evil men and false teachers. Historically, the false

teachers undoubtedly claimed to be apostles and tried to bolster their authority thereby (cf. 2 Cor. 11:13;

Acts 1:15-26). Prophetically, during the Tribulation, false teachers will be those who attempt to advance

the person and purpose of the Anti-Christ as that of the Messiah.

Rebuke – Jesus rebukes them for allowing their love for Him to cool. How? The passage does not

identify exactly how this had occurred historically. During the Tribulation, some in the Ephesian assembly

will leave their first love – evidently their love for the coming Messiah, possibly in the context of the 1st

half of the Tribulation – a period during which there will be relative peace and prosperity.

Exhortation – Jesus indicates that these believers needed to “repent,” i.e. change their way of

thinking. They were to “do the deeds” they did “at first” before their love for the Messiah had cooled.

The Nicolaitans – We know little of the Nicolaitans historically or prophetically. Historically, they

were possibly followers of someone named Nicolas – perhaps, according to some, the Nicolas mentioned

in Acts 6:5 (“The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man

full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a

proselyte from Antioch“). Irenaeus, who lived in the late 2nd

Century, wrote that they were without

restraint in their indulgence of the flesh and practiced fornication and the eating of foods sacrificed to

4

Andrew Tait, The Messages to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor: An Exposition of the First Three Chapters of the Book of the

Revelation (London, England: Hodder and Stoughton, 1884), 123-124.


idols. Prophetically, during the Tribulation period, Jewish believers who have accepted the gospel of the

kingdom will be tempted to compromise with idolatry (worship of the Anti-Christ).

The word "Nicolaitans" is a transliteration of two Greek words that mean "to conquer" and

"people." The result is that Nicolaitanism came to typify any system that seeks to dominate, rather than

serve, people. Evidently, the teaching of the Nicolaitans was an exaggeration of the doctrine of Christian

liberty – to the point of compromise with heathenism – something very prevalent in the city of Ephesus.

The Nicolaitans proffered similar teachings in disobedience of the decision of the Jerusalem

council regarding idolatrous practices and fornication in Acts 15:20 & 29. Whereas the teaching of Balaam

(see Rev 2:14 and the assembly at Pergamos) may have involved more of a direct encouragement to

believers to involve themselves in pagan activities, the teaching of the Nicolaitans constituted more than

likely a perversion of the liberty that Paul advocated.5 The early Church fathers (Tertullian, Hippolytus,

Dorotheus of Tyre, Jerome, Augustine, Eusebius, and others) believed that the Nicolaitans were

composed of followers of Nicolaus of Antioch who was one of the seven men selected to serve the church

in Acts 6:5, but who later became a heretical teacher.6 There is a widely held belief that has survived

throughout the centuries that the religion of the Nicolaitans involved licentious practices and a possible

relationship to the Gnosticism of the heretic Cerinthus because of the comparison in Revelation 2:15 to

the teaching of Balaam.7 As such, historically, the Nicolaitans possibly represented a syncretistic

compromise between the world (commercial activities), the flesh (sexual perversion), Satan (religion) and

the spiritual life God desires of His own. Prophetically, during the Tribulation, they represent those who

compromise their testimony through becoming absorbed into the economic-political-religious machine

that serves as the springboard for the emergence of the Anti-Christ (see the Babylon of Revelation 17-18).

The Promise - In addition to the implied promise of the assemblies' continuance if obedient (v. 5),

Jesus gave a promise to the individuals in the church. "Him who overcomes" seems to refer to Jewish

believers within the assembly as opposed to those who were (and will be) just a part of the assembly (the

synagogue), thus including unbelievers. John uses the term “overcome” or “overcomer” quite frequently

in 1 John and the terms are set in contrast to the unbeliever who eventually separates from the assembly

(synagogue in context).

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His

name's sake. 13

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from

the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil

one I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 14

I have written to

you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written

to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you

have overcome the evil one. (1 Jn 2:12-14)

18

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now

many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19

They went

out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have

remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of

us. (1 Jn 2:18-19)

4

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who

is in you than he who is in the world. 5

They are from the world; therefore they speak as

5 Thomas, “The Chronological Interpretation of Revelation 2-3,” 195.

6

Steve Gregg, Revelation, Four Views, A Parallel Commentary (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997), 64.

7 Robert L. Thomas, “The Chronological Interpretation of Revelation 2-3,” 64-65.


from the world, and the world listens to them. 6

We are from God; he who knows God

listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of

truth and the spirit of error. (1 Jn 4:4-6)

4

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has

overcome the world--our faith. 5

Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who

believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 Jn 5:4-5)

What is the “tree of life? (“To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is

in the Paradise of God“). There is a connection between the tree of life and man's rule over the earth.

Adam in his unfallen state had access to this tree, but when he fell God kept him from it (Gen. 1:26- 28;

3:22). In the future, believers will have access to it again (cf. 22:14). The tree of life in Eden and the tree

of life in the New Jerusalem (Rev. 22:2, 14, 19) appear to be literal trees. Prophetically, this is a reference

to one of the benefits that believers will enjoy in the eternal state – eating from the tree of life.

SMYRNA (2:8-11)

8

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead,

and has come to life, says this: 9

'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 are a

synagogue of Satan. 10

'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. 11

'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches He who overcomes

will not be hurt by the second death.' (Rev 2:8-11)

The period of testing and tribulation for the Christians of Smyrna was (and is) to be of limited

duration based upon Revelation 2:10. While there is no record in history of any literal period of 10 days of

persecution endured by the believers of the assembly in Smyrna, some scholars believe that this

prediction relates to ten waves of persecution or ten emperors who persecuted the Church in the first

three centuries.8 (This would be consistent with the historico-prophetic view of chapters 2 and 3).

Others believe that this prediction is a figurative way of stating that the persecution will be of a relatively

short and limited duration.9 “At all events, the whole spirit and scope of the passage is to give us the idea

of a brief period of tribulation, and thus to afford comfort and encouragement to the faithful in the

Church at Smyrna.” 10

Apparently up to this time none had died, but this could be expected. Later Polycarp,

having become the bishop of the church in Smyrna, was martyred, and undoubtedly

others were also killed. 11

Historically, the persecution and testing that this early church perhaps endured only served to

strengthen the faith and solidarity of the believers. Prophetically, the same will be true of believers of the

Tribulation. There is no criticism given by the Lord to these believers and in comparison to all the other

8 Gregg, Four Views, 67.

9 E. M. Blaiklock, The Seven Churches, an Exposition of Revelation, Chapters Two and Three (Wheaton, Illinois: Van Kampen

Press), 31.

10

Tait, The Messages to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, 205.

11

John Walvoord, “Revelation,” in John F. Walvoord, and Roy B. Zuck, editors The Bible Knowledge Commentary – New

Testament, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc., 1983, 1985), 935.


churches with the exception of Philadelphia, there is no call to repent. 12

In Smyrna, the “… light of

Christianity has never been extinct from Apostolic times.” 13

“The crown of life” is one of several crowns promised to Christians (cf. 1 Cor. 9:25; 1

Thes. 2:19; 2 Tim. 4:6-8; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 4:4). The crown of life is also mentioned in

James 1:12. Believers are encouraged to be faithful by contemplating what awaits them

after death, namely, eternal life. As in all the letters, an exhortation is given to the

individuals who will listen. The promise is given to overcomers, referring in general to

all believers, assuring them that they will not be hurt at all by the second death (cf. Rev.

20:15).14

Smyrna was the most beautiful of the cities of Asia Minor. Its streets were well paved and in

outlying areas, the streets were lined with groves. The city was surrounded by sturdy walls with public

buildings situated in an orderly manner on the hill above the city which was known as the “crown of

Smyrna.” 15

Symrna was also noted as a center of learning in science and medicine and was reputed to be

the birthplace of Homer.16

Pagan religions had a large influence upon the city’s population. Temples to Cybele, Zeus,

Apollo, Asklepios, and Aphrodite lined the street which led up the hill in such a manner that “… the street

was compared to a necklace of jewels around the neck of a statute.”17

Cybele (the Greek goddess of

retributive justice a.k.a. Nemesis) was considered the protecting deity and Smyrna was the only place she

was worshipped.18

These believers would have found encouragement that even though the prospect of

death threatened them resurrection and eternal life with Christ were certain. Smyrna

had died as a city on several occasions because of invasions and earthquakes, but it had

risen again to new life because the residents had rebuilt it. In Smyrna many residents

worshipped a goddess named Cybele whom they regarded as the personification of the

yearly rejuvenation of nature. Her devotees claimed that she arose from the dead every

spring.19

However, the most important religion for our purposes was the worship of the Roman emperor

which was all the more intense in Smyrna because of its close ties with Rome. Emperor worship was

made compulsory for every Roman citizen by Domitian (AD 81-96). Each year citizens were given a

certificate after burning incense on Caesar’s altar where they would confess Caesar as Lord. Without the

certificate, a person risked the death penalty. Unbelieving Jews frequently informed authorities about

believers who had failed to comply which resulted in many Christians’ deaths.20

“Nowhere was life more


13

Tait, The Messages, 184.

14

Walvoord, “Revelation,” 935.

15

Robert L. Thomas, “The Chronological Interpretation of Revelation 2-3,” Bibliotheca Sacra 124:496 (October, 1967), 159.

16

Ibid.

17

Ibid.

18

Ibid., 160.

19

Thomas Constable, “Notes on Revelation,” www.soniclight.com.

20 Ibid.


dangerous for a Christian …mass executions of Christians happened on numbers of occasions.” 21

This

historical scenario is analogous to what will happen prophetically during the Tribulation.

PERGAMUM (2:12-17)

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-

edged sword says this: 13 ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you

hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness,

My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 ‘But I have a few

things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who

kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things

sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality. 15 ‘Thus you also have some who

in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 ‘Repent therefore; or else I am

coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.

17 ‘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 2:12-17)

Pergamum was located about 55 miles north of Smyrna and about 20 miles from the Aegean

Sea.22

The hill on which the city was built rose one thousand feet above a plain containing the river

Caicus. Its lower slopes were uniformly steep on all sides.23

The name of the city meant “parchment” and

was where parchment was first manufactured to support the development of a library that contained

approximately 200,000 volumes and “… whose collection rivaled that of the renowned library of

Alexandria.” 24

By the time that John wrote, Pergamum had been the seat of a number of rulers. The fact that

Pergamum was a seat of various governments for so many years most likely contributed to its material

wealth and prosperity for it was never primarily a city of commerce due to its position in relation to the

great trade routes.25

In addition, there was less Jewish presence in Pergamum than in other cities.26

The

city evidently used much of its wealth to build temples devoted to the worship of idols because statues,

altars, and sacred groves filled the city.27

The primary deities to whom temples had been erected

included:

� Zeus – the savior-god symbolized by a serpent

� Athena – the victory bearing goddess

� Dionysos (Bull) – the god of the royal family

� Asklepios – the god of healing associated with snakes and in whose shrine the sick were allowed

to congregate to feed nonpoisonous snakes or spend the night in the hopes that a snake would

touch them and they would be healed.28

21 Ibid.

22 Robert L. Thomas, “The Chronological Interpretation of Revelation 2 – 3,” Bibliotheca Sacra 124:496 (October, 1967), 177.

23

Colin J. Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting (Trowbridge, Wiltshire, Great Britain: JSOT

Press, 1986), 78.

24

Thomas, Revelation 1-7, 177 & 180.

25

Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia, 89.

26

Ibid.

27

Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1 - 7, an Exegetical Commentary (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 179.

28

Ibid.


Pergamum was the first city in Asia to have a temple devoted to the worship of the Roman

emperor and goddess, Roma.29

The temple was erected in 29 BC to honor Augustus and a second temple

for emperor worship was added during the reign of Trajan and a third in the name of Severus.30

The city

thus became a leader in this form of emperor cult worship. It was the worship of Asklepios and the

worship of the emperor that was most repulsive to Christians for Satan is depicted as a serpent and only

Christ was to be worshipped as God.31

New Testament Background Involving Pergamum

Pergamum is not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament and we do not know anything of it

in Christian times except what is mentioned in Revelation 2:12-17.

The Relationship Between the Historical Background and Revelation 2:12-17

As we consider the historical circumstances surrounding the assembly in Pergamum at the end of

the 1st

Century AD when John lived and wrote, we should be caused to see how the Holy Spirit and Jesus

Christ were using those historical circumstances to provide an analogy to the circumstances that will

characterize the assembly at Pergamum during the last days of the Age of Israel, i.e. the Tribulation.

Christ describes Himself as possessing a sharp two-edged sword. This description would have

denoted several things to the readers of the 1st

& early 2nd

Centuries AD:

� Christ was more powerful than Rome 32

� Christ is the ultimate victor of all nations33

� Christ’s judgment is dual in nature consisting of censure for the believer who compromises truth

(Heb. 4:12) and more serious treatment for the unbeliever and unrepentant believer (Isa. 11:4)34

� The sword would have denoted the sentence of the judge and is associated with the word of God

(Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 19:13, 15) 35

There is no doubt that any or all of these ideas could have been present in the minds of the

readers. Christ’s description of Himself is all the more poignant in light of the fact that “… in every other

case Christ knows the ‘works’ of the church, here primarily their situation.”36

Most likely Christ refers to Pergamum as the location of Satan’s throne due to the fact that

emperor worship was so prominent there. Not only did the city contain two or possibly three temples

devoted to such practices, but the imperial cult had its headquarters there and a special priesthood was

29

Ibid.

30

Blaiklock, The Seven Churches, 33.

31

Ibid., 34.

32

Gregg, Revelation, Four Views, 69.

33

Thomas, Revelation 1-7, 181.

34


35

Hemer, TheLetters to the Seven Churches of Asia, 85.

36

Ibid.


devoted to this kind of worship. 37

Probably Antipas (Rev. 2:13) is mentioned because he was a Christian

victim of this religion, which by virtue of its connection with Rome, possessed the power of capital

punishment. 38

Tradition suggests that Antipas was burned to death in a bronze bull during the reign of

Domitian, so he must have rejected the compromise of the Nicolaitans.39

Christ uses the negative example of the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans to

illustrate those areas in which the church at Pergamum was failing. Balaam had advised Balak, king of

Moab that Israel would forfeit God’s protection if he could induce them to worship idols in Numbers

31:16. Two other New Testament passages refer to the negative example of Balaam, i.e. 2 Peter 2:15 and

Jude 11.

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous

under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge the

flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble

when they revile angelic majesties, 11 whereas angels who are greater in might and

power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like

unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling

where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be

destroyed, 13 suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to

revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they

carouse with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that never cease from sin, enticing

unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; 15 forsaking the right

way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who

loved the wages of unrighteousness, 16 but he received a rebuke for his own

transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the

madness of the prophet. (2 Pe 2:9-16)

11 Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed

headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. (Jude 11)

Evidently, the “Balaamites” at Pergamum taught others to relax their principles the way Balaam

did, therefore to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication in a manner that resulted in a

“religious syncretism.” 40

In contrast to Paul’s teaching in regard to eating meat which had been offered

to idols and which was later purchased in the open market place, in Pergamum the issue was one of

personal involvement in idolatrous feasts and the practice of fornication that was so closely related to

these feasts. 41

Evidently, the “church” (ekklesia or assembly) at Pergamum had begun to compromise and had

not purged themselves of such promoters of evil as had the church at Ephesus. If they did not judge

among themselves and remove such evil, Christ Himself would conduct the purging which would include

the unrepentant and compromising believers in the church (Rev. 2:16). Most likely this referred to “… a

special coming in the form of some pestilence or physical calamity…” that could have taken place a short

time later.42

37 Thomas, Revelation 1-7, 184.

38

Ibid.

39

Blaiklock, The Seven Churches, An Exposition, 35.

40


41

Ibid., 192.

42

Robert L. Thomas, “The Chronological Interpretation of Revelation 2 – 3,” 148-149 and Gregg, Four Views, 64-65.


Most likely, the reference by Christ to the “hidden manna” and the “white stone” in Revelation

2:17 derives its significance from the fact that white stones containing one’s name were “tickets” for free

doles of bread and free admission to entertainment that the people of the Roman empire received from

time to time. 43

Another view with some support in the New Testament is that the stones represented

affirmative votes for acquittal.44

To those at Pergamum who refused the banquets of the pagan gods, Christ will give the

manna of his great banquet of eternal life in the kingdom (John 6:47-58).45

The "white stone" is a puzzle. It has been thought of in relation to voting pebbles, an

inscribed invitation to a banquet, a victory symbol, an amulet, or a counting pebble. It

seems best to link the stone to the thought of the manna and see it as an allusion to an

invitation that entitled its bearer to attend one of the pagan banquets.46

The "new name ... known only to him who receives it" is either the name of Christ

himself, now hidden from the world but to be revealed in the future as the most

powerful of names (3:12; 14:1), or the believer's new name or changed character

through redemption (Isa 62:2; 65:15). Pritchard cites an Egyptian text concerning the

goddess Isis plotting to learn the secret name of the supreme god Re to gain his hidden

power for herself. The one who knew the hidden name received the power and status

of the god who revealed it (ANET, p. 12). Hence the name was jealously guarded by the

god. This background would fit the context here in Revelation--viz., to Christians

tempted to compromise their loyalty to Christ to gain the favor of the pagan gods, Christ

generously offers himself and the power of his name so that those who have faith in him

may overcome.47

THYATIRA (2:18-29)

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like

burnished bronze, says this:

19 ‘I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that

your deeds of late are greater than at first. 20 ‘But I have this against you, that you

tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads

My bond-servants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things

sacrificed to idols. 21 ‘And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of

her immorality. 22 ‘Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit

adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23 ‘And I will

kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who

searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your

deeds. 24 ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching,

who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other

43

Thomas, “The Chronological Interpretation of Revelation 2-3,” 201.

44

Ibid.

45

Frank E. Gaebelein, gen editor, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan

Publishing House, 1989-1998), electronic edition.

46

Ibid.

47

Ibid.


burden on you. 25 ‘Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26 ‘And he who

overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER

THE NATIONS; 27 AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE

BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him

the morning star. 29 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the

churches.’ (Rev 2:18-29)

Historical Facts

Some recap – A major historical fact to remember that affected the history of all of the cities

mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3 is the role that the successor rulers to Alexander the Great played in the

history of the region in which all of these cities were (and are) located. You may recall that Alexander the

Great lived for only 33 years (356-323 B.C.) and conquered most of the known world from Greece and

Macedonia eastward to the modern-day Pakistan/India region. His conquests extended to the south as

well and encompassed Egypt. To accomplish this feat, he had to defeat many powerful empires and

peoples including the Athenian Greeks, the Thracians (Asia Minor/Turkey), the Egyptians, the Persians and

various groups in the modern-day area of Pakistan and India. After his death and a few years of jockeying

for position, four major regions of his empire with four major rulers emerged just as predicted in Biblical

prophecy (Daniel 2 & 7).

� Cassander – controlled Macedonia to the north of modern-day Greece

� Lysimachus – controlled Thrace (Asia Minor and modern-day Turkey)

� Seleucus – controlled Mesopotamia (the location of the former Persian and Lydian empires)

� Ptolemy – controlled the area corresponding to Egypt

Eventually, the kingdoms of these rulers began to disintegrate. One of the major powers that

emerged in the region of Asia Minor (the location of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3) was the kings

of Pergamum as we noted in our study of the church at Ephesus. You may recall that the kings of

Pergamum had a favorable relationship with Rome and the last of the kings of Pergamum (Attalus III)

willed his empire to Rome at his death in 133 B.C. which included a region that contained some of the

very cities mentioned in Revelation 2 & 3. This was in defiance of the Seleucid empire to the east

(Mesopotamia) which was beginning to contend for geography against the expanding Roman empire. (By

this point in history, the empire of Lysimachus [360-281 B.C.] which embraced Asia Minor had

disintegrated upon his death in battle against the Seleucids at the Battle of Corupedium in 281 B.C.).

All of this history is important to our study of these churches and cities mentioned in Revelation

2 & 3 because it is the heavy influence of Greek culture spread by Alexander the Great, which culture

included the worship of so many different pagan deities, combined with the influence of the successor

Roman empire with the emperor worship that had become prominent by the time of Domitian (ruled A.D.

81-96) that provides a major part of the historical context. At the end of the 1st

Century A.D., Christianity

was still very young and only John remained of the original Apostles.

Pagan influences – The faith of believers was being challenged by the pagan philosophies and

practices of the day, thus the frequent mention of the syncretistic heresies we find in these chapters. For

instance, Jesus mentions the compromising influence of the Nicolaitans in Ephesus (2:6) and Pergamos

(2:15); the “doctrine of Balaam” in Pergamos (2:14) and the false prophet Jezebel in Thyatira (2:20). The

believers in these cities were evidently being lured into a distorted belief system that promoted

compromise between their Christian faith and exploitation of the principle of Christian liberty so as to

embrace pagan practices that included licentiousness, sexual immorality, and drunkenness that

surrounded the worship of idols and pagan deities. This scenario and these compromises will find

amazing parallels during the Tribulation period.

Opposition from unbelieving Jews or Judaizers – All of this behavior was characteristic of that

which the Jerusalem Council in A.D. 50 (Acts 15) explicitly requested the Apostle Paul to discourage in the


new Gentile converts. In the churches that Paul founded among the Gentiles, this behavior was

frequently addressed and must have been a constant threat to the spread of the truth among the Gentiles

as well as a basis of accusation from non-believers such as the Judaizers (e.g. 1 Cor 5:1-5, 9-13; 11:17-22;

Gal 5:19-21; Eph 4:17-19; Phil 3:18-19; Col 3:5-11; 1 Thess 4:1-8; 2 Tim 3:1-4:5).

The Judaizers were a constant threat to the early Church Age Body of Christ as well. It is quite

possible and even likely that their philosophical and even physical attacks against the growing faith

continued until John’s day. We see Jesus referencing Jewish unbelievers as the “synagogue of Satan” in

Smyrna (2:9) and in Philadelphia (3:9). Jewish unbelievers who align with the economic-political-religious

power base during the 1st

half of the Tribulation period that becomes the platform for the emergence of

the Anti-Christ will provide great opposition (and even persecution) to the ekklesias (or churches) during

the Tribulation period.

Thyatira – Thyatira was situated to the southeast of Pergamum and about half-way to Sardis. It

was a Macedonian colony and military garrison founded by Lysimachus between 300 and 282 BC in order

to protect Pergamum and the Caicus Valley from Seleucid conquest. 48

About 190 BC, Rome assumed

control of Thyatira and made it a part of the province of Asia.

The nature of its situation exposed it to necessary destruction by every conqueror, and

required complete restoration after every seige. It was right in the way of an invasion and

had to be captured before the invader could move on. It guarded a rich region and had to

be defended to the last, causing the conqueror to accomplish a complete devastation. Yet

because of natural conditions it could never be a very strong fortress, so successful

resistance was nearly impossible. After conquest, however, the new power had to refortify

the city if he wanted to hold his ground. 49

By the time that John wrote, Thyatira was just becoming a prosperous city and her military

origins were becoming a memory, however vivid they may have continued to be.50

The city’s location

along a commercial trade road which ran from Pergamum to Thyatira to Sardis and then to Philadelphia

and Laodicea gave rise to a number of craftsman’s guilds for which the city became famous. 51

The

industries and occupations represented by these guilds included wool, linen, outer garments, dyers,

leather workers, tanners, potters, bakers, slave dealers, and bronze smiths.52

Therefore, if one wanted to

maintain a job, he/she would need to maintain connections with one of the trade guilds.

Each trade guild had its own guardian god.53

At any trade guild proceeding, formal homage

would be paid to the patron deity by a sacrifice in that deity’s name. 54

At the guild festivals, members

would be expected to eat food that was offered to the idol and that was acknowledged as being on the

table as a gift from the god.55

At the end of the feast, fornication and other sinful activities were

48

Thomas, Robert L., Revelation 1 - 7, an Exegetical Commentary (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Press, 1992), 206.

49

Ibid., 207.

50

Ibid.

51

Ibid., 207.

52

Ibid.

53

Ibid., 208.

54

Blaiklock, E. M., The Seven Churches, an Exposition of Revelation, Chapters Two and Three (Wheaton, Illinois: Van Kampen

Press), 45.

55



common. In addition to the pagan worship associated with the trade guilds, Apollo was the chief deity of

the city with other temples to Artemis and Tyrimnaios. 56

Emperor worship was not a major factor in

Thyatira; however, compromise with the economic-political power base was a major factor. As such, this

compromise of the 1st

Century church in Thyatira provides an analogy to the compromise of the ekklesia

in Thyatira during the Tribulation period. Evidently, the members of this church will be lured into

compromise with the economic-political-religious power base that will be the foundation from which the

Anti-Christ emerges. The compromise will be especially luring during the first half of the Tribulation –

the period of relative peace and prosperity prior to the Great Tribulation, i.e. the last three and one-half

years of the Tribulation.

New Testament Background Involving Thyatira

The New Testament contains no record of how Thyatira was evangelized; however, it does note

that Paul’s first convert in Philippi was from Thyatira (Acts 16:14). The purple cloth she sold was a major

product of the city.57

The Relationship Between the Historical Background and Revelation 2:18-29

The criticisms Christ had for the church at Thyatira were related to those at Pergamum, but the

problems were beyond the embryonic stage. A Christian tradesman would be exposed to many

temptations to compromise to idolatry at any trade guild proceeding. Evidently, many had succumbed to

this temptation for they had accepted the teaching of one named “Jezebel” (Rev. 12:20). This was

probably a symbolic name for a prominent woman in the church who claimed to be a prophetess, a

legitimate spiritual gift in the early church. However, not all who claimed to be a prophet or a prophetess

were true prophets or prophetesses. Her erroneous teaching encouraged others to participate in pagan

idol worship and acts of immorality similar to the Nicolaitans. She could have been part of the same sect;

however, it is probably more likely that the Nicolaitans, Balaam, and Jezebel just had similar

characteristics. Their differences distinquished them as separate parties under the influence of Satanic

logic that was intended to dilute the effectiveness of the message of Christ.

For such a person [the Christian convert] it was a relief to discover on the authority of the

Spirit…that Christians need not separate themselves from such practices, least of all in

matters related to business. They need not fear pagan immorality and sacrificial practices,

because men and women in whom the Spirit dwells know that the flesh cannot defile the

spirit. 58

SARDIS (3:1-5)

Historical Facts

The city Sardis was located about thirty-six miles south of Thyatira which was situated on an

elevated plateau about 1,500 feet above the valley and Hermus plain below. 59

Three sides of the city

were made up of cliffs of smooth rock walls that were almost perpendicular. Actually, Sardis occupied

one of a series of alluvial hills that formed a transition from the lower elevation of the Hermus plain to the

56

Ibid, 408.

57

Gregg, Revelation, Four Views, A Parallel Commentary, 70.


59

Blaiklock, The Seven Churches, an Exposition of Revelation, Chapters Two and Three, 52.


higher elevation of Mount Tmolus.60

This series of hills terminated in the north in a sharp point and on

the south in a neck of land that connected them to Mount Tmolus. The only feasible access to the city

was provided by this small neck of land so that Sardis was virtually impregnable as a fortress. 61

However,

these geographic features limited the size to which the city could grow. This resulted in the development

of a lower city on the western and northern sides of the original city and the old city became an acropolis.

The city served as the capital of the Lydian empire as early as circa 1200 BC. 62

As the capital of

Lydia, Sardis had a history of frequent wars, but its walls were virtually impregnable making victory

practically impossible. However, after Croesus, the king of Lydia, had retreated to Sardis to recoup from a

defeat in the open field at the hands of Cyrus, king of Persia, Cyrus laid siege against Sardis in 549 BC.

Deluded into a false sense of security by the geography surrounding Sardis, Croesus did not even order

one man to stand post near the cliffs. Cyrus’ climbers ascended one by one and overtook the city. 63

Cyrus then made Sardis the seat of the governor of Asia Minor. 64

During the reign of Darius over the

Medo-Persian empire, the city was accidently burned by the Ionians. This so angered the Persians that it

led to the invasion of Greece, first by Darius and then by Xerxes, who made Sardis his headquarters

before his disastrous march on Greece. 65

Sardis regained some of its independence and became aligned

with Greece until about three and a half centuries later (195 BC) when Antiochus the Great conquered the

city in the same manner. 66

In AD 17 the city suffered extensive damage from an earthquake and Tiberius,

the Roman emperor provided much assistance in the rebuilding of the city. 67

The primary source of wealth in the city was derived from trade and agriculture. The main

industry was the production of woolen goods and Sardis is thought to be the first city to perfect the art of

dyeing wool. 68

Archaeological evidence and the writings of Josephus indicate that there was a wealthy

and influential Jewish community in Sardis. 69

The evidence for the acceptance of a Jewish community in a pagan society seems to be

unique, and contrasts sharply with the indications of racial and religious tensions in Rome,

Alexandria or Ephesus. Another feature of the synagogue is the reuse of sculptured Lydian

religious reliefs in the structure. Numerous details tend to confirm and illustrate an

impression that Jews and Christians in this city had long sought a modus vivendi by

accommodation to their pagan surroundings. This is the most natural explanation of the

acceptance and affluence of the synagogue community, and the relationship may have

been established very early. A further relationship, that of the church and synagogue, is an

important question on which it is difficult to pronounce confident judgment. We cannot tell

60 Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 1 - 7, 240.

61

Ibid.

62

Ibid.

63

Ibid., 241.

64


65

Ibid., 297.

66

Tait, The Messages, 297 and Thomas, Revelation 1-7, 241.

67


68

Ibid., 242.

69

Ibid., 243.


how far the earliest Christians of Sardis were converts from Judaism, but we infer from Rev.

3.4 that the majority had ‘soiled their garments’, apparently by some accommodation to

their environment. 70

Such acceptance of Jews (and possibly Christian converts from Judaism) into the citizenry of a

Greek city was very unusual, but not without precedent. Occasionally, a body of Jews would be

incorporated into a city’s citizenry when a constitution was forcibly imposed on the city. Sardis was one

of the handful of cities where this arrangement took place under the Seleucids. 71

Therefore, if many of

the Christian converts came from the Jewish community as was common in the early days of the Church,

it is likely that the pressures of the world to maintain a certain standard of living exerted the greatest

adverse influence upon the church at Sardis.72

The religious life of the community was dominated by pagan forms which involved the forces of

nature that were subject to death and had the power of self-reproduction. 73

Sardians appeared to be

preoccupied with the problems of death and immortality. Special restorative powers were associated

with a hot springs about two miles from the city and were attributed to the god of the underworld. 74

The

patron deity of the city was known as Cybele (a.k.a. Artemis) and a temple was dedicated to her

worship.75

Emperor worship and the imperial cult was prominent in Sardis, especially after the

earthquake of AD 17 when a temple was erected in honor of the emperor. 76

New Testament Background Involving Sardis

The founding of the Christian community is not mentioned in the New Testament, but it is

speculated that representatives of Paul perhaps founded it during his three year stay in Ephesus which

was located only fifty miles to the southwest.77

The Relationship Between the Historical and New Testament Background and Revelation 3:1-6

3:1 ”AND to the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God,

and the seven stars, says this: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are

alive, but you are dead. 2 ‘Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were

about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. 3

‘Remember therefore what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. If

therefore you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what

hour I will come upon you. 4 ‘But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled

their garments; and they will walk with Me in white; for they are worthy. 5 ‘He who

overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from

the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. 6

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.‘ (Rev 3:1-6)

70 Hemer, The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia in Their Local Setting, 137.

71

Ibid., 136.

72

Tait, The Messages, 299.

73


74

Ibid.

75

Ibid.

76

Ibid.

77

Ibid., 244.


The fact that the church in Sardis had a reputation indicates that it had passed its prime and that

its effectiveness was in the past. No mention is made of the pressures faced by this church from

paganism, the Jewish community, the Nicolaitans, or other adverse influences. Their reputation from

their past indicated they were still alive; however, Christ viewed them as dead (Rev. 3:1).

The Sardian believers were in a state of peaceful coexistence with their fellow citizens because of

compromise. They were spiritually ineffective or dead, but Christ could restore them to life (Rev. 3:2).

This statement no doubt drew heavily from the pagan influence in Sardis that was preoccupied with death

and immortality. Jesus states that if the church does not change its mind, he will come as a thief in the

night. The readers of this letter would have most likely recalled the history of Sardis and remembered

how the city’s lack of vigilance on two separate occasions had led to its fall, i.e. the Persians in 549 BC and

Antiochus the Great in 195 BC.

Some believe that Christ’s reference to His Coming to Sardis was not a reference to His Second

Advent as much as it was a reference to the concept of judgment as a result of unfaithfulness. 78

However, I believe that when one understands the references to be directed toward an assembly that will

exist during the Tribulation period (as noted in the Introduction), one is forced to understand the

reference to Christ’s coming to be a reference to His 2nd

Advent. Historically (and prophetically) there

were (and will be) a few Christians who had not compromised their spiritual lives to the pursuit of

material wealth in the world.

I believe that Jesus is using one of the primary occupations and sources of wealth in Sardis in

Revelation 3:4-5 to distinguish between those who had compromised their spiritual lives in the pursuit of

worldly gain and those who had not compromised. The predominance of the garment industry in Sardis

would have made this analogy especially poignant to the church at Sardis. “Because of the earlier

contrast between the soiled garments of sinful church members and unsoiled garments of faithful

Christians, it seems evident that the whiteness of these new garments stands for holiness and purity.” 79

PHILADELPHIA

Historical Facts

Philadelphia was located in Lydia about twenty-five miles southeast of Sardis in the valley of the

Cogamis River. The low hill (about 500 feet) that served as the acropolis of Philadelphia formed the

outermost spur of the long range of hills associated with Mt. Tmolus. 80

The city lay along the best path

for ascending from the Hermus Valley to the main plateau that was about 1,500 feet higher. This path

conducted the majority of the trade and communication from the harbor at Smyrna and Lydia and other

northwest regions to Phrygia, Sardis, Laodicea and other regions to the east. 81

As such, it served as the

imperial postal road during the first century AD and Philadelphia was a main stage on this route. 82

Volcanoes and earthquakes were very prevalent in the region that surrounded Mt. Tmolus. The

earthquake which occurred in AD 17 was of such a magnitude that twelve cities in the Lydian Valley were

78 Tait, The Messages, 308.

79


80


81 Ibid.

82



destroyed, including Sardis and Philadelphia. 83

Aftershocks continued for some time with one severe

enough to destroy Laodicea in AD 60. 84

Philadelphia joined the other cities that accepted help from Rome and Philadelphia responded,

by among other things, erecting a monument in Rome and accepting another name, Neo-caesarea, that

disappeared after twenty-five to thirty years.85

During the reign of Vespasian (AD 70-79), the city took

another name, Flavia, and both Philadelphia and Flavia remained in use throughout the second and third

centuries.86

The city was established sometime in the second century BC by a Pergamenian king with the

purpose of consolidating, regulating, and educating the central regions that were subject to the

Pergamenian kings.87

These rulers wanted Philadelphia to be a hub to spread Greek language and culture

to the east, thus serving as an apostle of Hellenism in an Asiatic land. 88

It was successful in this effort and

fostered a spirit of unity, customs, and loyalty within the area. 89

The city’s name was chosen in recognition of the loyalty of Attalus II to his brother Eumenes II,

who resisted constant Roman efforts to turn him against his brother.90

The shift in the city’s allegiance to

and alliance with Rome probably coincided with Rome’s extensive assistance after the earthquake of AD

17.

The volcanic ash in the soil surrounding the city made the land extremely fertile. Many people

had turned to farming after the earthquake, specifically cultivating vineyards.91

Asia Minor was subject to

shortages of corn that was needed to supply the eastern armies of Rome.92

In AD 92, Domitian issued an

edict that at least half of the vineyards in the province be destroyed and no replacements made in the

hopes of increasing corn production. This edict affected Philadelphia more than other cities of Asia

because Philadelphia depended so heavily upon the vine for its prosperity. This event resulted in no small

amount of disillusionment with Rome. 93

Very little is known about the religious inclinations of Philadelphia, although Dionysius, the god

of wine, was principal deity.94

There must have been a Jewish synagogue there based upon Revelation

3:9; however, archaeology has provided no evidence of one.95

83 Ibid., 271.

84

Ibid.

85

Ibid., 272.

86

Ibid.

87


88


89

Ibid.

90


91

Ibid., 158.

92

Ibid.


94


95



The Relationship Between the Historical Background of Philadelphia and Revelation 3:7-13

7 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who

has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens,

says this: 8 ' I know your deeds Behold, I have put before you an open door which no

one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not

denied My name. 9 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that

they are Jews and are not, but lie--I will make them come and bow down at your feet,

and make them know that I have loved you. 10 'Because you have kept the word of My

perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to

come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11 'I am coming

quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 'He who

overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from

it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My

God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new

name. 13'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'

In Revelation 3:7, Jesus identifies Himself as the keeper of the key of David which was obviously

designed to identify Him as the fulfillment of Hebrew prophecies with which the Jewish population (i.e.

the “synagogue of Satan” – unbelieving Jews) would relate. The key of David was a reference to the

Messianic kingdom and Jesus determined who could enter (Rev. 3:8). The reference draws from Isaiah

22:22 where the same privilege was assigned to Eliakim as steward over the house of King Hezekiah.

The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open , and no one

shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open. (Isa 22:22)96

The claims of the hostile Jewish contingent in Philadelphia were evidently to the contrary and

they claimed that they alone, not followers of Jesus, had access to the kingdom of David. “The strong

Jewish emphasis in Jesus’ self-description makes this the most distinctly eschatological of the seven

epistles.”97

The exhortations to the assembly in Philadelphia have special poignancy and relevance when

one understands them to be directed towards an assembly that will exist during the Tribulation period.

The Jews who have compromised with the economic-political-religious power base (especially during the

1st

half of the Tribulation) that will serve as the platform for the emergence of the Anti-Christ to

prominence will be opposed to and aligned against the true believers in the Messiah Jesus to come.

In Revelation 3:10, Jesus promises to keep the believers safe in a place away from where “the

hour of trial” occurs. If one accepts the historical interpretation of Revelation 2 &3, no sense can be made

out of this passage other than to understand it as a reference to the Rapture and the Tribulation from

which believers will be exempt by virtue of having been relocated to a safe place, i.e. heaven.98

However,

the prophetic view of Revelation 2 & 3 certainly allows for at least some of the believers who remain

faithful and adhere to Jesus’ warnings in Matthew 24:15ff to “endure to the end” of the Tribulation period

and enter the Kingdom to be established at the 2nd

Advent.

96

The passage is set within a context in which Isaiah is pronouncing oracles of judgment associated with the day of the Lord to

all of the nations surrounding Judah and Israel. In chapter 22, Isaiah turns to Jerusalem and specifically highlights the arrogance of

Shebna, a high government official. Verse 22 is a reference to Eliakim – an official who God was to honor in place of the arrogant

Shebna.

97


98

Ibid.


These believers will receive a new name that would identify them as forever belonging to God

and to His city. This would have had special meaning to the Philadelphian believers who had seen their

city’s name change on several occasions. The new name they will receive would be permanent.

LAODICEA

Historical Background

Laodicea was situated about 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia and almost due west of Ephesus.

It was located in the Lycus Valley at a crucial point on a major highway. 99

At Laodicea, the Lycus Valley

opened into the Maeander Valley so that Laodicea served as a guardian over the road. The Lycus Valley

was one of the most frequent routes of travel to the west.100

Even though its geography made it almost impregnable because of the 8,000 foot cliffs on its

southern side, its water supply made it vulnerable.101

By the time that John wrote, the city had outgrown

its water supply from local streams and the city depended upon aqueducts for its water. 102

The city’s

water supply originated at the hot springs six miles away at Hierapolis with temperatures near boiling;

however, in the process of traveling through the aqueduct to Laodicea, the water became tepid.103

Little is known of the early history of the city. It is speculated that the probable founder of the

city was Antiochus II (261-246 BC) who named it after his wife, Laodice. 104

The purpose of the city was

most likely related to a desire to strengthen Seleucid hold on the land, so its original population would

have probably been a mixture of Syrians, Macedonians, and possibly some Jews loyal to the king. 105

Laodicea was an especially prosperous commercial and financial center after Rome took control

of the area and brought peace to the land. Its prosperity was in no small part attributable to its

manufacture of a black wool that had a peculiar soft texture. 106

In addition, the seat of a famous school

of medicine was located in Laodicea and its students followed the teachings of Hierophilos (350 - 250 BC),

who advocated the treatment of disease with compound medicine. 107

Of particular note was the

compound developed to treat eye ailments.108

The wealth of the city is perhaps best illustrated by the

fact that it received no aid from Rome following the earthquake of AD 60; however, its citizens

contributed heavily in helping to rebuild some of the other cities.109


100

Ibid., 297.

101


102



104


105

Ibid.

106

Ibid., 298.

107

Ibid.

108

Gregg, Four Views, 78.

109



Different accounts regarding the size of the Jewish population exist; however, references in the

Talmud and other records reflect that a significant and influential Jewish population lived there. 110

In

Hierapolis, the Jews were organized into trade guilds and the same situation may have existed at

Laodicea. 111

The reference in the Talmud indicates that the Jews were at the apex of “ease and laxity.”112

Pagan religion centered around the Phyrigian god Men Karou who began to take on more qualities

characteristic of the Hellenistic god Zeus as the city became Hellenized.113

The Laodicean god was

sometimes called Aseis, a Syrian word which meant powerful. 114

New Testament Background Involving Laodicea

While Paul ministered in Ephesus, Epaphras evangelized in the Lycus Valley, primarily Laodicea

(Col. 1:6-7). Through Epaphras, Paul had learned that false teachers had been propagating erroneous

doctrines at Laodicea and Colassae, so to counter their efforts, Paul wrote Colossians and desired that it

be sent on to the Laodiceans (Col. 4:15-16).115

The Holy Spirit had prohibited Paul from traveling into Asia

per Acts 16:6. In Colossians 4:16, Paul mentions a letter from Laodicea; however, this is most likely the

circular Ephesians letter since Paul had not traveled into the Lycus Valley to found any churches. It is

possible that Archippus (Col. 4:17), a son of Philemon (Philem. 1:2) may have founded the church in

Laodicea.116

The Relationship Between the Historical and New Testament Background and Revelation 3:14-22

14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true

Witness, the beginning of the creation of God, says this: 15 'I know your deeds, that you

are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 'So because you are

lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17 'Because you

say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not

know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise

you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white

garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will

not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 'Those

whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 'Behold, I

stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come

in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to

him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father

on His throne. 22 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the

churches.'"

Along with Smyrna, Laodicea received no commendation from the Lord. This is most likely the

reason Jesus began his message in Revelation 3:14 to the church at Laodicea with such solemn titles for

Himself. His reference in verses 15 and 16 to the unpleasant nature of lukewarm water were obviously

110 Ibid., 299.

111

Ibid.

112

Ibid.

113

Ibid.

114

Ibid.

115 Tait, The Messages, 391.

116



related to the water supply of Laodicea. The hot water full of calcium carbonate and other minerals had

medicinal value and the cool water of Colossae had refreshing qualities; however, lukewarm water served

no useful purpose.117

The lukewarm status of the church at Laodicea was evidently related in some

fashion to the material wealth that its citizens enjoyed based upon verse 17. Evidently, the church could

not distinguish between material and spiritual prosperity because they lacked spiritual eyesight. This lack

of spiritual perspicacity combined with the city’s reputation for medicinal solutions for eye problems gave

rise to the exhortations in verse 18. At this point in our examination of these assemblies, the parallels to

such a future assembly of believers during the Tribulation period should be fairly clear.

117 Ibid., 305.

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