A temple, a bank, and a library

January 29, 2021 (Friday)

 

In my life time, the church in America has be privileged with relative freedom. However, the corner prophets foretelling doom at every news headline, has us on edge.

 

What would it be like live in a place where Satan had free reign.  Well, there is a situation mentioned in the Bible. Pergamum.

 

Jesus described the city, “I know that you are living right where Satan’s throne is. You are holding on to my name, and you didn’t break faith with me even at the time that Antipas, my faithful witness, was killed among you, where Satan lives.” [Revelation 2:13 CEB] Pergamum was a Roman city that sat on a mountain top.

 

As a Roman city it was required to have an amphitheater. Pergamum’s was carved into the side of the mountain. Above the amphitheater was a large temple to Zeus that looked like a throne. This “Great Altar” temple now sits in a museum in Berlin. Another prominent temple was for emperor worship, required of Roman citizens. The physical appearance and makeup of the city matches the description of “Satan’s throne.”

 

Because of Pergamum’s location, it was a treasury city. Think of it like Fort Knox. This might be the context for the next verse, “But I have a few things against you, because you have some there who follow Balaam’s teaching. Balaam had taught Balak to trip up the Israelites so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.” [Revelation 2:4 CEB] Imagine being cut out off from the ability to make, spend, and save money.

 

Balaam, for a price, taught king Balak how to “trip up” the Israelites. Balaam was forbidden, by God, from cursing the Israelites. However, if they participated in the Moabites worship then God would bring judgement on His people. It didn’t excuse them. They still suffered the consequences. Eventually so did Balaam. Basically, I think the believers in Pergamum sold out to the culture.

 

Pergamum was also a library city. It was the second largest library in the Roman world. They invented the bound book (as opposed to scrolls). I suspect that might be the context for the next verse. “In the same way, you have some who follow the Nicolaitans’ teaching.” [Revelation 2:15 CEB] We don’t know what a Nicolaitan was, they do not show up any other place in the Bible. It makes sense, keeping with the Great Altar, treasury, and library as prominent marks of the city that Nicolaitans had something to do with scholarship. Again, we don’t know this. I’m just proposing this as an idea.

 

If we project this to 2021 America, this could translate into the economic pressure to conform. We have seen colleges float the idea of revoking earned degrees. Banks have shut out certain people from borrowing. What is next? How many of us have fallen for the godless “science” of evolution. I see many disguised versions of evolution in church thought and practice.

 

What is the cure to the dilemma? Jesus said, “So change your hearts and lives.” [Revelation 2:16a CEB] The think about repentance is we are going to have to take it one step at a time. A life time of habits and thinking patterns CAN be change in an instant. Generally, I suspect, repentance puts us on a life time road of learning and change.