Lining Up With Christ – Revelation 2:12-17

Revelation 2:12: “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword...”

By mentioning His sharp two-edged sword in Revelation 2:12, our Lord Jesus links Himself to other passages in the Bible about the Messiah.

For example in Isaiah 49:1-2, Messiah is the One called from the womb whose mouth is like a sharp sword. Isaiah 49:6 speaks of “My Servant” raising up Jacob. He is a light to the Gentiles. He is God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:8 describes Messiah as given as a covenant to the people, to restore the earth, and to say to prisoners, “Go forth.” Isaiah 49:10 describes Messiah having mercy on people and leading them by the springs of water. Isaiah 49:16 speaks of Messiah having His people inscribed on the palms of His hands. Isaiah 49:26 says, “All flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

While Isaiah 49 primarily points to Messiah’s first coming, Revelation 19:11-16 speak of His return. Jesus Messiah returns to earth on a white horse with the armies of heaven following Him. Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword to strike the nations. His Name is called The Word of God. He treads the winepress of the wrath of God. The Name on His robe and on His thigh is King of Kings and Lord of lords. He judges and makes war with righteousness.

In Revelation 19:19-21, Jesus slays the armies of the kings who oppose Him with the sword which proceeds from His mouth.

In John 18:3-6, Judas led a detachment of troops with weapons to arrest Jesus. When they arrived Jesus went forward to meet them and He asked them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Then, Jesus said to them, “I am He.” When He said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus allowed a troop to arrest Him. In Revelation 19:19-21, He speaks with the sword of His mouth, that is the Word of God, and multiple kings and armies perish in an instant.

In Hebrews 4:12, God’s Word is compared to a two-edged sword that is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Jesus helps us to distinguish the difference between a lie and a truth. In Ephesians 6:17, the Word of God is called the sword of the Spirit.

Revelation 2:13: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.”

The Christians of Pergamos dwelt where Satan had his throne. The altar of Zeus was located in Pergamos. Zeus was considered the strongest of the Olympian gods in Greek idol worship. From a Biblical perspective he is the metaphor for Satan, the destroyer, and king of demons.

In 1 Corinthians 10:20, the Apostle Paul warns that sacrifices to idols are sacrifices to demons. He wrote, “they sacrifice to demons and not to God.” In Leviticus 17:7, the Lord commanded Israel, “They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”

In Matthew 4:8–9, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me’” Luke 4:5 says that the devil showed him the kingdoms in a moment of time. In Luke 4:6, he admits that this “authority and glory has been delivered to me.” He gained this authority and glory by tempting and deceiving the human race’s first parents, Adam and Eve, to sin against God. Sin is the portal through which the devil gains access into people’s lives.

In Matthew 4:10, Jesus said to the devil, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then, the devil left Jesus, and angels came and ministered to Him.

“Satan’s sway in this world is terrible and vast.” 1 John 5:19 says, “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Ephesians 2:1–2 speak of those who are “dead in the trespasses and sins,” and “who follow the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that works in the sons of disobedience.” 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers.” [1]

Isaiah 14:12-17 is a prophecy of Lucifer or Satan’s demise. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground! You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart, ‘I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. ...I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?’”

1 John 3:8 says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus destroyed the devil’s power over people when He atoned for our sin on the cross. Jesus crushes the enemy of our souls when He converts us to believe in Him and fills us with the Holy Spirit. 1 John 4:4 says, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” That is, the Spirit of Christ is greater than all demon spirits put together.

Revelation 2:13: “And you hold fast to My Name and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”

The Bible offers several reasons why God allows believers to face persecution and death for their faith. Martyrdom demonstrates that God and His glory are more valuable than physical life or worldly comforts. The original Greek word for martyr means “witness.” A person who willingly dies for his or her faith in Jesus demonstrates how real Jesus is to him or her. Throughout Christian history, “the blood of the martyrs” has been considered “the seed of the Church.” Persecution frequently helps spread and solidify the faith in Christ rather than destroy it. A martyr usually inspires complacent or inactive believers to take God and eternity seriously. In 2 Timothy 3:12, Paul wrote, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” [2]

Thankfully, God does not abandon martyrs. He grants His presence to them. For example, in Acts 7:55-58, Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God when he stood up for Jesus before his executioners. In James 1:12, Jesus promised the crown of life to those who love Him.

Jesus commended the Christians in Pergamos for their steadfast loyalty to Him even after the Lord’s faithful martyr Antipas was executed.

Revelation 2:14: “But I have a few things against you, because you have there, those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.”

In Numbers 31:16 it is written, “Look, these women caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.” Balak paid Balaam to curse the people of Israel, but God turned his curses into blessings. So, he advised King Balak to send food sacrificed to idols for the people to eat, and to send Moabite women into Israel’s camp to seduce the men to sin so that they would fall into disfavor with God. The outcome for many who sinned was an early death.

Revelation 2:15: “Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.”

According to the Theopedia, the Nicolaitans practiced a form of antinomianism, which means they believed God’s grace allowed people to sin without penalty. In his work “Against Heresies” (Book 1, Chapter 26), Irenaeus wrote that the Nicolaitans led lives of “unrestrained indulgence.”

In Romans 6:1-2, Paul asks, “Shall we continue to sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” Jesus delivered us FROM sin not TO sin.

1 John 3:6 says, “Whoever abides in Him does not sin.” In other words, when I abide in Christ, I do not sin, I bear good fruit. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” In my own self, that is in my flesh, I do nothing but sin, but in Christ, I bear fruit that glorifies God.

Revelation 2:16: “Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”

The sword of Jesus’ mouth is the Word of God. In John 12:48, Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him— the Word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” The Word of God is the measuring stick by which each person will be judged on the last day. How many Bibles sit on shelves unopened and unread, yet these Bible contain in them the very words by which we each will be judged. The Bible teaches us that we are hopeless and lost sinners and that without an abiding relationship with Christ we will perish.

In James 4:4, the Bible asks us, “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Jesus is the Word of God personified. We need to align ourselves with His Word to avoid being aligned with the world.

Jesus urged those who aligned themselves with the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, that is, the lawless, self-indulgent ones to repent lest He fight against them with the sword of His mouth.

Revelation 2:17: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”

Jesus promises hidden manna and gifts of white stones with new names on them to the overcomers. White stones were rewarded to winners of public games. They were given white stones with their name inscribed on them. The white stone entitled them to lifelong provisions at public expense. Hidden manna refers to victors of public games who were entitled to provisions of food for the rest of their lives at the public expense. [3]

Praise the Lord! I am just happy to know that the Lord Jesus included me to be identified with Him, but beyond this, He offers to me and to all who believe in Him, eternal rewards.

[1] desiringgod.org/interviews/how-much-authority-does-satan-have-in-the-world
[2] Various articles linked to gotquestions.org/Christian-martyrdom.html
[3] Information from pastor and evangelist Adrian Rogers