Dr Clifford Hill unpacks the message sent to believers in Pergamum, modern-day Bergama (Turkey).

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live – where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city – where Satan lives.

Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: you have people there who hold to the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin by eating food sacrificed to idols and by committing sexual immorality. Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teachings of the Nicolaitans. Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against you with the sword of my mouth.

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. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.

Steep-sided theatre at Pergamum. See Photo Credits.Pergamum was a magnificent city on two sites, an upper and a lower. The Upper Site, the Acropolis, was originally the capital of Asia Minor, the region ruled by the Lydians, forerunners of the Greek Empire. It was the Greeks who built the massive altar to Zeus with its huge stone steps and figures depicting the war of the gods with the giants – monsters with tails of serpents instead of legs. From the town below where the Christians lived it would certainly have looked like the place where Satan sat enthroned – hence the opening salutation in the letter.

Just above the altar of Zeus stood the impressive 10,000-seat theatre with its panoramic view of the countryside that still offers a spectacular experience for visitors. Directly above the theatre are the ruins of the Temple of Athena, the chief goddess of the city. Next to her temple are the ruins of the magnificent library which had more than 200,000 scrolls, most of which were given away by Mark Anthony to Cleopatra when the Alexandrian library was burnt down.

The Lower Site was of great importance as a centre of healing with its famous link to Asclepius who claimed to have been healed by the venom of a snake. The healing centre was the most advanced medical facility in the ancient world and contained a theatre, a library, a temple and 'sacred' springs whose waters were reputed to have healing powers. Visitors today can walk among these ruins and even taste the waters of the spring. The snake symbol over the entrance to the healing centre has become the international symbol for the medical profession.

The Greeks built the massive altar to Zeus to fill the skyline over Pergamum – to Christians it would have certainly looked like Satan's throne.

A Two-Edged Sword

Christians in Pergamum must have felt surrounded by evil forces with the city in the valley where they lived filled with symbols of pagan gods and the mountainside above them dominated by the altar to Zeus, the father of pagan gods, whose presence filled the skyline at the top of the Acropolis.

The letter to the Christians reflects this in its opening words, which come from Revelation 1:16 where Jesus is said to have a sharp, double-edged sword. This implies that he is not only coming against the pagan gods of Pergamum but that there is a cutting edge also directed towards the people of God in the city.

The Altar of Zeus from Pergamum, brought to Berlin in late 19th Century. See Photo Credits.

Clearly there was something radically wrong with the teaching and practices of this fellowship that was being exposed in the message. The Christians were living in a hotbed of satanic practices: "You live where Satan has his throne". The world-renowned place of health and healing with its symbol of the snake and temples to pagan gods filled the very air they breathed. The Christians fought a daily battle to resist the powers of evil that surrounded them.

They had remained faithful even through terrible days of persecution that came upon them when Antipas had refused to acknowledge the divinity of Caesar and had paid the price with a fearful death, and when Christians were assaulted by violent mobs in the city streets.

The believers had survived those testing days - but there were still things about their fellowship that were not pleasing to God. They allowed people to remain within the fellowship who were following the teaching of Nicholas that separated body and soul. This led to the belief that it didn't really matter what they did with their bodies; so they could indulge in physical lusts without it affecting their spiritual life. This was a real danger and unless there was repentance they would feel the two-edged sword brought against the evildoers following this teaching.

Christians in Pergamum survived testing days and lived surrounded by evil forces – but there were still things about their fellowship that were not pleasing to God.

For Those with Ears to Hear...

The final part of the message to Pergamum is addressed to those who had an ear to hear what the Spirit was saying. It is a beautiful promise to the Overcomers, to those who withstood the pressures of idolatry and syncretism (the mixing of pagan practices with Christian beliefs). For them, there would be great rewards.

They would be given some of the manna such as had been put in the Ark of the Covenant during the time the Israelites spent in the wilderness when God miraculously fed his people.

In John's Gospel, following his account of the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus referred to the manna in the desert as being the 'bread of life' which he would give to all who come to him (John 6:30-40). This would give Christians full access to an understanding of the nature and purposes of God which are the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge to which Paul refers in Colossians 2:2-3.

Finally, the Overcomers were promised eternal life with Jesus. They would be given "a white stone with a new message written on it" which was similar to the practice of sending an invitation to a special event such as a wedding. The person invited would receive a white stone on which was written a message of invitation using a pet name of endearment that the believer would readily recognise. This would be an invitation to the 'Banquet of the Lamb'.

For those who withstood the pressures of idolatry and syncretism, the letter promised great rewards.

Relevance for Today

The message to the church in Pergamum is highly relevant for Christians today living in a post-Christian society, where the pressures to conform to the values of secular humanism are both open and subtle. In everyday life, we have to conform to convention that is established by law, some of which is directly contrary to the teaching of Scripture. Christians have to find ways of maintaining and witnessing to their faith while not falling foul of the law - though this is becoming increasingly difficult and ultimately, of course, our loyalty to the Lord must come first.

But we also face subtle attacks upon our spiritual lives through social engineering and brainwashing that takes place through the media. Meanwhile, all kinds of paganism and mysticism are making a comeback – proliferating across many spheres of society, including within the walls of the Church.

Young people are especially vulnerable as a whole generation has been deliberately subjected to social engineering by secular humanists. Many people are not even aware of the dramatic way in which our society's culture and values have been transformed in just a few years. We each of us need to read this message prayerfully, asking the Lord to show us where our own values are falling short of the standards God requires among those to whom he offers eternal life.

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Believers in Smyrna were poor but faithful, hated but loved. Frances Rabbitts unpacks the letter to this persecuted church.

"To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:

These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty – yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death." (Rev 2:8-11)

Revelation was received, written and circulated during a time when Christians across Asia Minor faced increasingly heated persecution – hence its reliance on symbolic language that non-believers would not understand.

Whilst an emphasis on persecution and trial runs right through the whole Book of Revelation, the letter written to the church in Smyrna is particularly devoted to encouraging believers to stand firm in the face of a coming onslaught, during which many would have been imprisoned, tortured and killed.

Great Fire of Smyrna, 1922.The words would have spoken incredibly clearly to believers at the time – and they have lost none of their relevance through the years. The last time believers in Smyrna were attacked en masse was actually in the 20th Century – in 1922, when incoming Turkish soldiers slaughtered tens of thousands of Christians (causing 1.5 million more to flee as refugees) - far more than would ever have died under Rome.¹

Today the words have great poignancy for the millions of Christians worldwide suffering for the faith – and are yet relevant to the whole Body, for "if one part [of the Body] suffers, every part suffers with it" (1 Cor 12:26). As we will also see, its exhortations apply in a spiritual way to all believers, whether they are undergoing trials in this life or not.

The last time believers in Smyrna were attacked en masse was actually in 1922, when Turkish soldiers slaughtered far more Christians than would ever have died under Rome.

Ancient SmyrnaThe agora in modern Izmir, Turkey.

Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, named in 1930 – simply the Turkish rendering of the Greek name) was an ancient Greek seaport on the coast of Asia Minor (about 50 miles north of Ephesus) and a leading city in Greek antiquity. Situated in a sheltered valley between the mountains and the sea, like Ephesus, Smyrna was at the mouth of a great Anatolian trade route. Today it is still an industrial transit city - but known more for its urban sprawl than for its historic glory.

The oldest city on the Aegean coast and founded by the Hittites, Smyrna experienced large-scale migration from the Greek mainland c.1200 BC, completely transforming its cultural fabric. It grew in splendour and was 'talent-spotted' by Alexander the Great in the 4^th Century BC, who deliberately rebuilt the city on the opposite side of the bay to take advantage of the view.

This more 'modern' Smyrna had all the advantages of a purpose-built Greek city – gym, stadium, theatre and broad, well-paved streets.² The city's main street extended from the temple of Zeus in the west to that of Cybele in the east. When governance of Smyrna was transferred peacefully to the Roman Empire in 133 BC, Greek buildings and architecture were not destroyed, but adapted and extended.

The Christians Community in Smyrna

By the time the Gospel arrived, Smyrna was a bustling, prosperous, polytheistic city of many magnificent temples and a fusion of cultures. Smyrna had a Christian population from very early on, the seeds of which were planted and watered by Bishop Polycarp, who was instructed and appointed by the early apostles and later martyred. Smyrna's initial group of Jewish converts grew rapidly into a larger community of both Messianics and Gentile believers.

Believers were not necessarily rich (hence the mention in the letter of their apparent 'poverty'), but they were liberated from the shackles of Greco-Roman religion, into which the Gospel spoke as a breath of fresh air. By the time Revelation was written, there were at least 500 churches in the region; the Gospel was having great success.

By the time the Gospel arrived, Smyrna was a bustling, prosperous, polytheistic city of many magnificent temples and a fusion of cultures.

Spread of Persecution

As the faith flourished, however, so Christianity began to be perceived as a threat, both to the traditional pagan religions of Rome and to orthodox Judaism.

Christians in the Roman Empire were initially tolerated as a Jewish sect, but as the faith spread amongst Gentiles and the differences between Christians and Jews who had not accepted Jesus as Messiah became increasingly observable to outsiders, civic authorities turned against the believing community. Christians were painted as trouble-makers and subversives, refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of Caesar, worshipping in private (rumours abounded) and declining participation in pagan festivals.

Persecution under Nero in the 60s AD (during which Peter and Paul likely were both martyred) was mercifully brief, but took a more serious and widespread turn under Domitian, who enforced the practice of 'Lord's Day' - when all citizens had to declare 'Caesar is Lord' or face terrible persecution – and when John, banished to Patmos by Roman officials, received the Revelation from Jesus.

The Letter to the Church in Smyrna

The letter to the church in Smyrna would have been received during a time of great persecution, likely under Domitian. It is unsurprising, then, that its central aim is to strengthen and encourage believers, whilst being frank about the coming trials. The Lord Jesus does not mince words, deny facts or try to paint a rosier picture to quell the fears of his beloved ones – he clearly states that trouble is coming, and will be tough, but that the crown of life to be won will be worth the fight.

Christians, increasingly isolated and targeted by both Rome and some more militant groups of orthodox Jews (hence Jesus's mention of the 'synagogue of Satan'), lived in daily fear of false accusations and even infiltration of their churches by those who would betray them to officials. The letter gives a prophetic warning of "ten days" of trial, not unlike Daniel and his companions in Babylonian captivity, who publicly put themselves to the test for ten days to prove that God could sustain them on a diet of vegetables and water.³

The ten days mentioned for Smyrna may have been literal, or symbolic, or both – but the principles behind the Lord Jesus's encouragement echo down through the ages to all believers undergoing suffering: this is an opportunity to let the fire of testing prove the capacity of God to sustain his beloved children; for them to learn that though they may have nothing in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of Heaven they have everything (see Gal 4:6-7). Though they should expect to be hated by those who still belong to the evil one, they should also know that they are enduringly loved by the One who is victorious above all.

The Lord Jesus does not paint a rosier picture to quell the fears of his beloved ones – he clearly states that trouble is coming, but that it will be worth the fight.

Do Not Be Afraid - Be Faithful

Unlike the other letters, the one addressed to those in Smyrna has no rebuke or call to repentance. These were beloved children undergoing – and about to undergo further - immense difficulty. There is a sense here of the Lord Jesus coming alongside his brothers and sisters in solidarity, reassuring them that he knew of their circumstances and encouraging them to endure, faithfully (also John 14:18). How often do we cry out to the Lord to relieve us of our trials, instead of humbly recognising that he might require us to walk with him through the valley, rather than around it – even though he knows our suffering and cares deeply about our pain?

As the Father did not relieve the Son of the cup of suffering, so often we too must drink from it, for the eternal joy set before us. In fact, the letter itself puts everything in perspective, beginning as it does by addressing the Lord Jesus as "him who is the first and the last [the Alpha and Omega], who died and came to life again": the same words Jesus also used to reassure John when he was afraid at the beginning of the Revelation vision (Rev 1:17-18).

The perspective here is clear: the Lord Jesus IS LORD OF ALL and had already gone ahead of us, through death, emerging victorious. Like the other letters, this one also refers to those who 'overcome' the trials at hand – those who follow Jesus into his victory - who are "more than conquerors" according to Romans 8:37.⁴

Persecution Today

Today our brothers and sisters around the world need our prayers and aid more than ever, as Sunday's terrible slaughter of worshippers in Cairo demonstrates. The number of Christians killed in the last year almost doubled on 2015 figures, exceeding 7,000 according to Open Doors' conservative figures - and this is without counting atrocities in Syria, Iraq and North Korea, where accurate records are not kept.⁵

The number of churches attacked and destroyed has also more than doubled in the last year, and millions of Christians are on the move around the world as refugees fleeing religious violence. The greatest source of persecution continues to be religious extremism – not just Islamic, but also Hindu and Buddhist.⁶

Meanwhile, the Western Church is just beginning to feel the pinch of an intolerant secular humanist culture, and many discern the Lord at work sifting too-comfortable church-goers by allowing various deceptions to proliferate, including liberalism and new age occult. But for the most part, we in the West in this generation do not know what it is to suffer the fires of persecution. That road may lie ahead for us, as yet untrodden. Furthermore, we are also largely ignorant of the suffering of other parts of the Body around the world.

As the Father did not relieve the Son of the cup of suffering, so often we too must drink from it, for the eternal joy set before us.

Life Through Death

Yet, the message to Smyrna is actually relevant to all believers everywhere – not just those undergoing dreadful persecution. There is a process that God wants every Christian to undergo, regardless of where they are in the world, how materially blessed they are or what difficulties they face: it is that costly process of refining that feels very much like trial on the inside (whether or not it looks like it on the outside), and is with eternal and Divine purpose. For our God disciplines those He loves, desiring that they be purified by holy fire, even though this process might be painful.

In this sense, every believer is called to a life of suffering, as our flesh-life is put to death that the new, eternal life in the spirit might grow and flourish. We are therefore to expect 'trouble' in this life (John 16:33), both within and without. God's desire is to purify us to such an extent that when he has finished, no earthly trial can stand against us or stop our light from shining.

David Wilkerson unpacks another facet of this: he talks about God wanting to share his heart of grief with those who are willing and hungry to walk closely with the Lord Jesus.⁷ This is the road less travelled, which includes sharing in the Lord's own heart for this broken world and allowing ourselves to be brought low by it, counting it all as heavenly privilege that we get to somehow participate in what Jesus himself went (and still goes) through.

This is the honoured road along which I believe God shepherds all believers who diligently and wholeheartedly seek him. As missionary Helen Roseveare, who died last week, said: "God never uses a person greatly until He has wounded him deeply."

Today our brothers and sisters around the world need our prayers and aid more than ever.

'The Privilege is Greater than the Price'

The world is approaching a critical point – so many things are on the verge of complete collapse – even unbelievers sense the severity of the age. The Lord is looking for those who love him enough to give up their worldly desires and aspirations, to the point of laying down their very lives, submitting themselves to his process of refining and saying always "Thy will be done", even when it hurts.

But let us take heart, as those in Smyrna hopefully also did: for those who overcome will not be hurt at all by the second death, but will be given the crown of life by "him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again". Ultimately, to quote Helen Roseveare again, "The privilege He offers you is greater than the price you have to pay. The privilege is greater than the price."

References

1 See Hill, C & Hill, M, 2005. Ephesus to Laodicea. Handsel Press. This is a fantastic biblical guide to the Revelation churches written particularly for those visiting the region. It is highly recommended as accompanying reading for this series.

2 See Wikipedia's page on Smyrna for a brief history.

3 Lehman, R. "And ye shall have tribulation ten days". 17 October 2008.

4 See note 1.

5 Persecution: The Key Facts. Open Doors.

6 Ibid.

7 Wilkerson, D, 1992. Hungry for More of Jesus, chapter 3. One Pound Classics.

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Clifford Hill looks at the letter in Revelation 2 addressed to the Ephesian Church.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favour: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." (Rev 2:1-7)

Ephesus was one of the three great cities of the eastern Mediterranean in the Greco-Roman period – the other two being Antioch of Syria and Alexandria of Egypt. Paul spent three years of his ministry there and John is thought to have settled there sometime after Paul – probably taking with him Mary the Mother of Jesus. John was evidently banished to the island of Patmos during the reign of Domitian (81-96 AD), who was the first Emperor to initiate serious and widespread persecution against Christians.

John was 'in the Spirit' on 1 August (the day named after the Emperor who was the first to be deified) known as 'Lord's day' when many Christians would be refusing to do homage to Caesar at the local shrine by saying "Caesar is Lord!".

As was said in the introductory article last week, the personal messages sent to the Seven Churches were intended to be read aloud in each of them together with the following chapters. The whole message was intended:

...to embolden the timid, to strengthen the weak, to warn the complacent, to give reassurance to the faithful and to give understanding of the purposes of God during this period of hardship and persecution before the second coming of our Lord.¹

Ephesus Then and Now

Ephesus was a busy seaport as well as a centre of commerce and communications. At the time of Paul's ministry its population was somewhere between 300,000 and 400,000. It was also a centre of culture with large numbers of visitors coming to its famous library, much of which Mark Anthony gave to Cleopatra - although many of the scrolls and tablets would probably have been replaced by the time Paul arrived some 20 years later.

Today, Ephesus is the best preserved ancient city in the Mediterranean world because, although it suffered some earthquake damage, it was never conquered and never destroyed by hostile armies. It was simply abandoned when the river silted up making the port unusable and mosquitoes and other insects made it uninhabitable.

Visitors today can walk down the well-preserved main street called Marble Way, with restored buildings on either side. It is usually crowded with visitors which gives the feel of a busy city as it was in Paul's and John's day. A great attraction is the beautiful architecture of the library with its infamous tunnel under the street to the brothel. The library itself was adjacent to the Hall of Tyrannus which Paul rented for his daily teaching.

John was 'in the Spirit' on 1 August, or 'Lord's day', when many Christians would be refusing to do homage to Caesar at the local shrine by saying "Caesar is Lord!".

Rules for VisitorsTheatre in Ephesus.

Visitors to Ephesus would normally enter the main gates at the upper level and would no doubt have been impressed by the efficient organisation of the city with its strict immigration procedures. All caravans and chariots had to be left outside the city gates just as coaches and taxis are today.

The first building inside the gates was the baths and all visitors were required to wash their bodies on entering the city. Next, they had to go into the City Hall where the rules of the city were displayed. Visitors then went into a small theatre where they were addressed by the city elders who elaborated the regulations ensuring that everyone was familiar with the rules and norms of behaviour required.

Christian visitors can see the spiritual significance of this in terms of entering the Kingdom of Heaven. New converts first have to leave behind the baggage of the world. They are then washed of the sins of the world through baptism after which they receive the word of God which is expounded by the elders. Finally, they are free to enjoy living in the city of God.

Success of the Gospel

In addition to the well-preserved Main Street with its numerous buildings, Ephesus also has a magnificent theatre with 24,000 seats. It was this theatre that was filled by the riotous mob led by Demetrius (Acts 19), the leader of the silversmiths' trade union, shouting "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!". They were protesting that Paul's ministry was threatening their trade in making images of the fertility goddess Artemis.

Ephesus was renowned as a city of vice and idolatry attracting sailors and traders from around the world, but Paul had enormous success in converting large numbers with the Gospel, resulting in many of them publicly burning their scrolls and images (Acts 19:19).

Turkish guides are often not aware of the most significant part of Ephesus for Christians. After leaving the great theatre, the guides usually lead their parties to the exit gate where the coaches wait. But Christians should look for a small track on the left-hand side that leads to the ruins of the church of St Mary the Virgin with its well-preserved chancel – a beautiful place to sit and pray.

The building was originally built by the Romans as the Financial Exchange, before becoming a church. At the end of the nave on the right-hand side there is a transept with the oldest remaining baptistery in the world. This church is where the Council of Ephesus took place in 431 AD, which fixed the Canon of the Bible and settled many questions of doctrine.

Like those entering the Kingdom of Heaven, visitors to Ephesus would have had to leave behind their baggage, go through a cleansing process and then receive new instruction on how to live.

Paul's Message

In the personal message to the Christians in Ephesus sent by John there was praise for their "deeds, hard work and perseverance". The message continued "I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary" (Rev 2:3).

This was followed by the rebuke: "But you have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen!" They had been diligent in upholding the true faith of the Gospel. They themselves had discovered the true God of the universe and they wanted everyone to know him and to share their faith. They had overflowed with love for each other in the fellowship of believers and their love was so great that it overflowed to their pagan neighbours – but that was the early days, probably back in the heady days when Paul was around and everything was new and exciting.

Having to sort out false teachers who had come among them made them suspicious. Testing false doctrine had put a strain on personal relationships and even made them critical of each other in the fellowship, resulting in false accusations. They were however perfectly right in opposing the Nicolaitans for their false teaching. It was right to expel false teachers; but there was a cost – the cost was their love.

Believers in Ephesus had diligently upheld the true faith – but in doing so had lost their initial love for God.

The fellowship of believers in Ephesus could be summed up in a few words: they were 'vigilant but loveless'. The message of Jesus to his beloved ones in Ephesus was to return to their first love.

This is such a relevant message for us today. The Church has been assailed by many false teachings in recent decades that have brought division and conflict within fellowships and between one church and another. The struggle to hold fast to the faith has been costly for many believers and has often resulted in the loss of personal relationships of love. We all need to hear this call to return to our first love for the Lord Jesus and for his Gospel.

References

1 Hill, C & M, 2005. Ephesus to Laodicea, Handsel Press, Edinburgh, p106.

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David Forbes gives some historical background to the Book of Revelation, as we start a new series on the messages given to the churches in Asia.

In 81 AD, Domitian became Emperor of Rome and its dominions. During his reign he launched a particularly savage persecution of both Christians and Jews, the main reason for which was Caesar worship. Domitian was the first Roman Emperor, apart from the insane Caligula, to take his 'divinity' seriously, and demand Caesar worship. He insisted on always being addressed as Lord and God and carried out a campaign of bitter persecution against all those who would not worship him - the atheists, as he called them.

This is the historical background to the Book of Revelation. All over the Roman Empire men and women were required to acknowledge that the Emperor was Lord, or die - especially on the Lord's (or Lordy) Day (Rev 1:10), a special day in the year when every citizen was required to cast some incense on the altar fire in a local temple and repeat the words 'Caesar is Lord'.

What were Christians, for whom only Jesus is Lord, to do? They were relatively few in number and they had no influence or power to fight against the might of an Empire which no nation or people had been able to withstand. The choice was simple, Caesar or Christ, and as a result there were many Christian martyrs. Why were they under such tyranny? Why were they being left to suffer and die so cruelly? Where was God? Where was their promised salvation through Jesus the Messiah? How long, Sovereign Lord? they cried.

Emperor Domitian, who insisted upon Caesar worship. See Photo Credits.It was to bring hope and encouragement in these times of great trial and terror that the Book of the Revelation was written to the believers in the churches of the great Roman province of Asia.

Apocalyptic Writing

In order to understand further the message of the letters to the churches we need to appreciate their literary form. The Book of the Revelation is unique in the New Testament, in that it belongs to a type of Jewish literature called the apocalyptic writings. Indeed, the very first word of the letter is the Greek apokalupsis – 'the revelation' in English. Apocalyptic literature was one of the most common types of Jewish writing during the period between the Old and New Testaments.

After the return from exile in Babylon, the Jewish people soon became the subjects of Alexander the Great and his successors, during which time they were put under great pressure from Hellenism. Hellenism was the adopting of all things Greek - language, education, philosophy and culture – by the peoples who came under the rule of Alexander and his generals.

This was especially so when, during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (175-164 BC), every attempt was made to force Greek political and cultural institutions upon them and the observance of the Jewish religion became punishable by death. Many Jews at this time chose death rather than be false to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Mass martyrdom became the order of the day.

It was to bring hope and encouragement in times of great trial and terror that the Book of the Revelation was written to the believers.

At that time, and then again during the period of Roman domination when the various revolts by the Jewish Zealots brought about the death of many, people began to question where God was and why he was not bringing about salvation for them. Had not God chosen them as his people? Had the prophets not promised that one day, God himself would come with a mighty intervention to deliver them from all their enemies and raise up his Messiah, who would inaugurate an everlasting kingdom of righteousness and peace? Where was the Day of the Lord?

It was to deal with these questions and to bring a ray of encouragement and hope into a difficult situation of pressure and confusion that apocalyptic writing came into being. It dealt with the sin of the present time, with the evils of tyranny, oppression and persecution, and with the great intervention of God when he would descend on to the stage of history and put everything right. He would bring to an end the world that they knew and bring in his golden age of blessing. The message of apocalyptic literature was that though things maybe bad and will probably get worse, don't weaken and give up - hang on, because everything will be all right in the end. God will vindicate his people and be victorious!

Differences Between Prophetic and Apocalyptic Literature

There are many examples of apocalyptic literature from the period between the two Testaments. Writings such as Enoch, The Assumption of Moses, The Ascension of Isaiah, The Apocalypse of Baruch and Fourth Ezra are just some. The Book of Daniel is considered by Jewish people to be an apocalyptic book, rather than a prophetic one. It is the only such kind of writing to be included in the canon of the Hebrew Bible, where it appears in the section called ketuvim, 'the writings', rather than in the section called nevi'im, 'the prophets'. There was considerable difference between what the Jewish people understood as prophecy, such as the messages given through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos and Zechariah for example, and what they understood as apocalyptic writing.

Dominated by successive cruel empires, the Jewish people were questioning where God was. Apocalyptic writing came into being to answer their questions.

The Hebrew prophets thought mainly in terms of this present world. Their message was often put in terms of the need for social, economic and political justice. They were concerned that men should hear the word of God and turn back to him in repentance. The prophets were concerned that people should learn to obey and serve him in this present world. It was here and now that God's will needed to be done and his purposes of peace and blessing be fulfilled.

The message of the apocalyptist was that the world was beyond saving and that it was dominated by evil. The only remedy was for God to destroy it and set up a new golden age in a new world. It was a written, rather than a spoken message; whereas the prophet spoke forth the word of God clearly and boldly so that all could understand, the apocalyptist always wrote his message down. It was usually in the language of dream and vision, and the actual words used were usually in coded form. The reason for this was doubtless that if the writings ever fell into the hands of the oppressing power, they would not be able to learn the message of the visions and therefore would be unprepared for what was coming.

Whereas everybody knew the identity of Israel's prophets, Jewish apocalyptic writing is pseudonymous - that is to say that it was written not under the author's name, but under the name of someone else. The Jewish writers opted to attribute their writings to the great and well-known men of the past, such as Moses or Isaiah, Enoch, Ezra or Baruch. It may be that they did this because they believed that they were not worthy to be read and thought that by attributing their writings to the great men of the past they were investing them with an authority that they themselves could never give.

Revelation: Provenance and Authorship

The Book of the Revelation is very much an apocalyptic writing. It has most of the hallmarks of apocalyptic literature. It is different, however, in that it is not pseudonymous and that it has a strong Messianic perspective. The Day of the Lord is none other than the great and glorious appearing of Jesus the Messiah, who has already once appeared as the Paschal lamb to take away the sin of the world and is now appearing for the second time to set up his earthly kingdom.

Revelation is very Hebraic, full of Old Testament allusion, pointing to many Jewish traditions and even quoting ideas from other Jewish apocalyptic writings. It includes around 500 allusions to the text of the Old Testament, particularly the books of Exodus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah and Daniel. So without a thorough knowledge of the Old Testament, and these books in particular, the original readers of John's Apocalypse would have struggled to understand the message.

The Hebrew prophets spoke and wrote mainly in terms of the present world - apocalyptic writers looked forward to the world to come.

Similarly, many of God's people today are confused and puzzled by this letter simply because of their lack of understanding of its Hebraic nature in biblical background and culture, as well as language. Although it was written in the common Greek language of the day, it is a kind of translation – Greek, full of Hebraic language idiom.

lndeed, because of the bad grammar and syntax (which probably makes it the worst Greek in the New Testament), many scholars have had difficulty accepting that it was written by the same man who penned a Gospel and three Epistles.

The author, John, tells us that he was given what he calls a prophecy by the Lord Jesus himself, on the island of Patmos, most probably in exile as a result of the Domitian persecution. Here is a further difference between this book and other Jewish apocalyptic literature, in that it is reflecting the fact that God has restored prophecy to his people, as a result of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus knows what his people are suffering and he wants to tell them what must soon take place.

To the Churches in Asia...

The Revelation is presented overall in the form of a letter to seven churches in the province of Asia, who themselves are each given an individual message in letter form from the Lord. When we speak of Asia we are not, of course, referring to the continent of Asia that we know today, but the Roman province which we now know as Turkey. It comprised the western (Mediterranean) sea-coast of Asia Minor with Phrygia, Mysia, Caria and Lycia. Its administrative capitol and seat of the Roman governor was the great city of Pergamos (also called Pergamon or Pergamum, close to modern-day Bergama, Turkey).

The seven churches that are named; Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, are by no means the only churches that we know of in the Roman province of Asia. The Bible also tells us of churches in Colossae, Hierapolis, Troas and Miletus. From the letters of Bishop Ignatius of Antioch, we learn that there were also churches at Magnesia and Tralles. Why then should only seven be selected and why this particular selection?

Many scholars doubt that Revelation was penned by the same 'John' who penned a Gospel and three Epistles.

One reason may be that the particular churches chosen were situated on a kind of ring-road around the centre of the province. William Barclay says that they could be regarded as the centres of seven postal districts and that letters sent to these cities could easily then be circulated around the whole province. Undoubtedly the purpose of the letter was that it should be read in all the churches so that all believers might know the Lord's message. Even the individual letters to the seven churches were intended to be read by all.

The churches of Asia Minor, and indeed all the churches of the Roman world, were going through great trauma as a result of the Domitian persecution. However, it must have been of comfort to them to know that the Lord himself knew precisely what their problems were as well as the solution to them.

Next week, we will look at the message given to the church in Ephesus.

This article was first published in Prophecy Today, Vol 12 No 6, Nov/Dec 1996. Revised December 2016.

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Edmund Heddle looks at the deep symbolism behind the Spirit's descent on Jesus 'like a dove'...

We cannot answer the question 'What is a prophet?' adequately until we turn our attention to Jesus, the Prophet, and discover the secret of his prophetic ministry. Moses foretold the coming of a prophet like himself and yet greater (Deut 18: 15-19). The early church believed that Jesus was that prophet (Acts 3:22-23, 7:37). Jesus referred to himself as a prophet (Matt 13:57, Luke 3:33) and his contemporaries certainly regarded him such (Matt 21:11, Luke 7:16 and John 4:19).

Jesus and the Spirit

It is highly significant that Jesus' prophetic ministry did not commence until after the Spirit had descended on him, immediately following his baptism by John in the Jordan River. Jesus was the Son of God and the Word from all eternity, yet as man he had to receive and rely upon the Spirit of God to carry out his ministry as a prophet. If this was true of Jesus, how much more must it be true for us!

Jesus' prophetic ministry did not start until after the Spirit had descended on him. If this was true of Jesus, how much more must it be for us!"

Who saw the Dove?

What is the special significance in our being told that the Spirit descended on Jesus 'like a dove'? Some have been content to see this as a reference to the innocence and harmlessness of the Spirit, along the lines of Jesus' words in Matthew 10:16, "Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves". But there is a much deeper meaning in this phrase 'like a dove', if we let the biblical references fill out its meaning.

Who saw the dove? According to Matthew and Mark the dove was seen by Jesus (Matt 3:16-17, Mark 1:10-11). Luke mentions the descent of the dove but does not say who actually saw it. John's gospel however indicates that the dove was also seen by John the Baptist, and that this was the pre-arranged sign by which he would recognise the Messiah (John 1:31-34). It is to be noted that none of the gospels indicate that the dove was seen by the crowds standing by.

A Real Dove?

We need also to note that the gospels do not say that it was a dove, but that it was 'like a dove'. As on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit revealed himself like rushing mighty wind and like tongues of fire, so here it does not say that an actual dove flew down and alighted on the newly baptised Jesus. It was real to Jesus and his forerunner John, and deeply significant to these two, both of whom had minds that were soaked in the stories and teaching of the Old Testament.

The Spirit's descent 'like a dove' would have been deeply significant to both Jesus and John the Baptist."

The Brooding Dove

We have only to turn to the second verse of the Bible to read: "The Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." Some translators prefer 'brooding' to 'hovering', but both words describe the activity of a bird. The Talmudic comment on this verse reads: "The Spirit of God who moved on the face of the waters like a dove." Those who are familiar with Milton's Paradise Lost will recall the lines "...and with mighty wings outspread, dovelike sat'st brooding on the dark abyss".²

The descent of the dove on our Lord marks him out and qualifies him to be the one to bring mankind out of the chaos of a fallen world and into the "new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells" (2 Pet 3:13). The dove is symbolic of the mighty creative power of God, which rested in fulness on Jesus. Yet at the same time it reveals the quietness of such power; expressed beautifully by Dr Alexander McLaren in the words: "The Spirit of God was brooding over chaos and quickening life, as a bird in its nest by the warmth of its own soft breast."¹

Dove with Olive Branch

The second Bible reference to the dove occurs in the story of Noah's flood (Gen 8:6-12). Because of the spread of man's violence and the unheeded preaching of Noah, God's judgement fell on all except those who took the God-provided way of escape (Gen 6:11-13; 2 Pet 2:5). After the floodwaters had receded and the Ark had come to rest on Mt. Ararat, Moses sent out two birds. The raven, a bird of prey, flew off and stayed away, doubtless feeding on what had died. The dove returned to the Ark as the earth was still covered with water.

Seven days later the dove was again sent out and this time returned with a freshly plucked olive leaf. The dove bearing the olive branch was messenger of hope to the prisoners in the ark, telling them that judgement was past. The raven, in contrast, was too intent on gorging itself that it brought no message.

The dove's descent marks Jesus out as the One to bring order out of the world's chaos, hope out of despair, life out of death."

Augustine put it like this: "As the dove did at that time bring tidings of the abating of the water so doth it now of the abating of the wrath of God upon the preaching of the Gospel." The dove that comes to us with a leaf plucked from the tree of life is symbolic of the redemptive power of our Saviour and of the good news that through him we have escaped judgement and have been reborn into his new creation.

Poor Man's Sacrifice

In the Old Testament system of sacrifices, the only bird that was allowed to be offered was the dove. The rich were required to bring a bull or a lamb, but the poor man (as in the case of Jesus' parents) could bring a pair of doves (Lev 1:14-17, Luke 2:24). We know that doves were acceptable offerings from the stories of Jesus cleansing the temple and his overturning the benches of those selling doves (John 2:14-16, Matt 21:12-13).

St. Cyprian sums up his understanding of the doves' acceptability as a sacrifice in the following words: "A dove, a gentle joyous creature, with no bitterness of gall, no fierceness of bite and no violence of rending claws".³ The Spirit who came on Jesus was the Spirit of sacrifice, the Spirit that led him eventually to offer himself without blemish to God (Heb 9:14). The voice from heaven that accompanied the descent of the dove declared that Jesus after living thirty years in Galilee was totally acceptable to God.

Jesus' submission to baptism by John in the Jordan and the descent of the dove upon him are the negative and positive aspects of his Spirit of entire self offering; of his oneness and identification with the sinful race he came to save and of his complete consecration to achieve their eternal salvation cost what it might.

In the Old Testament, the dove was the only bird acceptable as a sacrifice. The Spirit who came on Jesus was the Spirit of self-sacrifice, leading him to offer himself on our behalf- an offering with which God was 'well pleased'."

Spring and Lovers

The Song of Songs tells us that the dove is the herald of spring and is associated with lovers:

Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See! the winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land...My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely (Song of Solomon 2:10-12, 14).

The Hebrew word for dove comes from the word yayin, which contains the ideas of effervescence and intoxication and refers to the warmth of doves' love-making. There is a 'twoness' about doves. The poor man's offering was a pair of doves. Doves live in pairs and lay a clutch of two eggs, "nurturing their young together; when they fly abroad hanging in their flight side by side; leading their life in mutual intercourse; giving in concord the kiss of peace with their bills; in every way fulfilling their unanimity" (to quote from St. Cyprian again⁴).

The coming down of the dove on Jesus symbolises our Lord as the lover of our souls, desiring to become one with his bride- the Church."

Their twoness becomes oneness, or as St Paul says to the Ephesians (5:31-32), "the two shall become one". Paul says he is referring to Christ and his bride, the church. The coming down of the dove on our Lord reveals him to be the lover of our souls who cannot be content until we respond to his eternal love-making.

The Dove Prophet

As well as the direct references to the dove in Scripture we have examined, there is a very instructive one, which is not immediately apparent. The Hebrew word for dove is 'Yonah' or 'Jonah': the name of a prophet who tried to escape from the responsibility of declaring God's message to the city of Nineveh. When Jonah was sent he disobeyed but the One on whom the dove came acted in absolute obedience, when his Father told him to leave heaven and travel to our earth with the message of God's pardoning love.

Jesus is the true and perfect Jonah, the final dove-prophet."

Sinful Jonah, when sent by God, disobeyed and found himself jettisoned into a storm of judgement. Yet in the incredible mercy of God he was saved by being swallowed up and vomited out! Sinless Jesus was completely obedient to God's instructions and yet found himself overwhelmed by the storms of judgement and death. But he rose again! Furthermore, the only sign he would give his generation was the sign of Jonah (Matt 16:4). Jesus is the true Jonah, the final dove-prophet, the missioner of God. It was when John saw the dove descend on him that he recognised his cousin to be nothing less than the Son of God, the Lamb of God and the Baptiser in the Holy Spirit (John 1:29-34).

Dove-Prophets Today

Those who are prophets today must be careful to make sure that the Spirit that is inspiring their speaking is truly the Dove.

A possible reaction to man's rebellion and violence and to its inevitable consequence of divine judgement and punishment, is that we become harsh in our attitudes, judgmental in our speech and separatist in our relationships. But we are not to manifest the spirit of the raven, but the Spirit of the Dove.

Those prophesying today must not manifest the harsh spirit of the raven, but the endlessly loving Spirit of the Dove."

Dove-prophets are to be endlessly loving, always seeking unity and togetherness. They must sacrifice their own plans and preferences for the greater joy of announcing forgiveness to those who would otherwise perish. They are to be ever hopeful; convinced that the last word is with the God who will yet have heaven and earth as he intends.

Commenting on the descent of the dove, Dr. Alexander McLaren said of Jesus: "Since he was a man, he needed the Divine Spirit. Since he was sinless, he was capable of receiving it in perfect and unbroken continuity."⁵ If he needed the Dove, so much more do we- and the thrilling truth is that our need has been met. Every Christian prophet today may by faith receive the Spirit in fullness; the Spirit that is 'like a dove'.

References

1 Commentary on Mark 1:9-10

2 Vol. 1.

3 Treatise 1, section 9.

4 See previous note.

5 See note 1.

First published in Prophecy Today, Vol 1, No 4, 1985.