ROBERT@kontu.utu.fi (Robert W. Johnson) (03/09/91)
In a series of articles I am going to present the entire Church history as
phrophezied in Revelation 2:1-3:22. These verses phrophezy concerning the
first Church to the last Church before the Lord returns.
If you would like a list of references on Church history please send me a
note.
Note: This posting is very long. It will be divided into seven parts (there
are epistles to seven Churches.) Each part will consist of one or more
subparts.
Part III of VII - Subpart 1 of 3 of Part III
CHAPTER 2
III. "THE THINGS WHICH ARE" --
THE SEVEN LOCAL CHURCHES
2:1-3:22
C. Church in Pergamous --
the Church in Marriage with the World
12 And to the (1)messanger of the church in (2)Pergamos write: These
things says He Who has the (a)sharp two-edged sword:
(1) Gk. angel.
(2) "Pergamos" in Greek means "marriage," implying union, and "fortified
tower." As a sign, the church in Pergamos prefiguresthe church which entered
into marriage union with the world (E. N. the system developed by satan to
keep man away from God, which includes religion, politics, and philosophy).
and became a high fortified tower, equivalent to the great tree phrophised
by the Lord in the parable of the mustard seed (Matt. 13:31-32). When Satan
failed to destroy the church through the persecution of the Roman Empire
in the first three centuries, he changed his strategy. He sought instead to
corrupt her through Constantine's welcoming her as the state religion in the
first part of the fourth century. Through Constatine's encouragement and
political influence, multitudes of unbelieving ones were baptized into the
"church," and the "church" became monstrously great. Since the church is
espoused to Christ as chaste bride, her union with the world is considered
spiritual fornication in the eyes of God.
(a) rev. 2:16; 1:16
13 I know where you dwell, where (1a)Satan's throne is; and you hold fast
My (2b)name, and you have (c)not denied (d)My (2)faith, even in the days
of (3)Antipas, My (e)witness, My (f)faithful one, who was (g)killed among
you, where (b)Satan dwells.
(1) "Satan's throne" is in the world, where he dwells. Since the worldly
church entered into union with the world, she dwells "where Satan dwells."
(2) The Lord's name denotes His person; the person is the reality of the
name. The faith of the Lord denotes all that we must believe in of His person
and work. It is not the subjective faith within us of believing, but the
objective faith oa the the things we believe in. because the church entered
into union with the world, she began to disregard the Lord's name and deny
the proper Christian faith.
(3) "Antipas" in Greek means "against all." This faithful witness of the
Lord stood against all that the worldly church brought in and praticed.
hence, he became a martyr of the Lord. Martyr in Greek is the same as
"witness." Antipass, as an anti-witness, bore an anti-testimony, a testimony
against anything that deviated from the testimony of Jesus. It must have
been through his anti-testimony that in his days the chrch in Pergamos still
held fast the Lord's name and did not deny the proper Christian faith.
(a) Rev. 2:9; (b) Rev. 3:8; (c) Rev. 3:8 (d) rev. 14:12; (e) rev. 1:5, 11:3;
17:6; Acts 1:8; 22:20 (f) Rev. 2:10 (g) Matt. 24:9; John 16:2 (h) Rev. 2:9
14 But I have a few things (a)against you, because you have some there
who hold the (1b)teaching of (2c)Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling
block before the sons of Isreal, to eat (3d)idol sacrifices and to commit
(3e)fornication.
(1) In these epistles, the Lord desires, according to God's economy, that we
should eat Him as the tree of life (Rev. 2:7), the hidden manna (Rev. 2:17),
and the rich produce of the good land (Rev. 3:20); but the worldly church
turned from life to mere teachings, thus distracting the believers from the
enjoyment of Christ as their life supply for the fulfilment of God's
purpose. The enjoyment of Christ builds up the church, whereas the teachings
issue in a religion (E. N. remember that religion is of Satan's world system
to detract the believers from God, whereas Christ came to give us life and
life more abundantly).
(2) "Balaam" was a gentile prophet who brought fornication and idolatry to
God's people (Num. 25:1-3; 31:16). In the worldly church, some began to teach
the same things. Today, in Protestantism as well as in Catholicism, the same
teaching prevails.
(3) Idoltary always brings in fornication (Num. 25:1-3; Acts 15:29). When
the worldly church disregarded the name, the Person of the Lord, she turned
to idolatry, which issued in fornication.
(a) Rev. 2:4; (b) Rev. 2:15, 20 (c) Deut. 23:4; Num. 31:16; 25:1-3; 2 Pet.
2:15; Jude 11 (d) Rev. 2:20; Num. 25:2, Acts 15:29 (e) Rev. 2:20; Num. 25:1;
Rev. 21:8; 22:15; 1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:19 Eph. 5:3; Heb. 13:4
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Robert W. Johnson
Computer center, The University of Turku, Turku Finland
robert@kontu.utu.fi (InterNet)
robert@firien.bitnet (BITNET)
The preceeding is my opinion and may not express the opinion of my employer
and furthermore has nothing to do with my employment.