Today’s lesson is on the letter to the church at Pergamum (Rev 2:12-17). This letter contrasts what Christians take as spiritual food: that which is sacrificed to idols, and hidden manna. Jesus is the manna from heaven (Jn 6:48-51), and told us that His flesh was food to eat (Jn 6:53-58). Jesus told the Pergamums that they had people who “hold to the teaching of Balaam . . . and to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” (Rev 2:14-15)
Eating meat sacrificed to idols was the temptation set before the Israelites as they traveled to the Promised Land. Balaam had encouraged the Midianites to invite God’s people to their worship, and so those who had formerly eaten manna from heaven partook of the food of devils. This led to immorality, and the Israelites’ hearts turned away from the Lord. Jesus is writing to the Christians at Pergamum about not partaking of satan’s bread, the manna of the world. If Jesus’ flesh is the Word of God, and can mold us into His image, then satan also has words by which to entice God’s people with, and those words will cause us to remain in the image of unredeemed Man.
The sword of Jesus’ mouth is that word which divides “soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb 4:12). He told the Pergamums to “Repent therefore! Otherwise I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Rev 2:16) Jesus will war with words of truth, contending with falsehood and drawing the line where purity ends and sin and error begin. He will separate what is holy from what is worldly. This type of prophecy is condemned by our churches because it is not nice, yet it will come forth from Jesus’ mouth by those prophets that remain true to Him.
It is to the overcomer that Jesus promises hidden manna. God does not want to give His words to people who do not value it nor would they follow it, for in the end, those very words sent to guide them will stand as a witness against them for not following. Those who follow after the world will not follow after the Son of God. But those who love God will be given hidden manna and a new name. Though both types of Christians may have appeared the same in the beginning, they will grow each into their own identity, varying vastly in appearance in the end. Those who eat the Word of Life will be the wheat, and those who eat meat sacrificed to idols, or the world, will be tares (see Mt 13:24-30).
We could almost take this letter as a sermon for all believers about remaining sincere to our affections for God, except that Balaam was God’s prophet who knew God’s ways. Though we all should be true to God, the sin of Balaam involved subverting God’s ways in order to cause the fall of the Israelites, and all this to please Balak and for his personal monetary gain. God is directly addressing spiritual leaders of the church who cause His people to stumble around in sin, worldliness, and idolatry, all the while making money from them. These would be the ministers, prophets and other members of the 5-fold ministry that teach people they can “have it all” and still be a Christian. Though this makes the leaders popular, and wealthy, they are leading God’s people astray.
The Balaam-type leaders set the stage for the Nicolaitans, who teach God’s people to put their trust in the leaders. They have created a separation between laymen and clergy, setting themselves above those whom they should serve. The Nicolaitan leaders want the homage of people, but they do not set people in their appointed place to serve the Lord. People in these types of churches are hindered from receiving what God has to give them because their leaders interfere with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Neither of these types of leaders, Balaan, nor Nicolaitans, prepare the bride for the marriage feast with Jesus.
In this time, more than ever, we need to heed the admonishment to love the truth (2 Thess 2:13), realizing that there will be “counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders . . .” (2 Thess 2:9). In this time, more than ever, we need to have discernment about what is being taught to the people of God. And in this time, more than ever, are our affections to be on God, and not on the security men can give us. Let us hold the people of God up and pray for their faithfulness, for these are times full of deceptions. But let us also look forward to the prize of receiving the hidden manna, and the white stone of victory. It is worth the spiritual battle we are all facing. Amen.
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