One of the British TV programmes I enjoy is called Escape to the Country. It follows the story of people seeking to move from the bustle of the city to the peace and quiet of the country. 

Not all of us can live in such idyllic locations. Pergamum was an idolatrous city, filled with pagan shrines, and with the temple of Zeus dominating the skyline. The believers who lived there experienced great opposition as well as spiritual oppression. It felt like it was the very headquarters of Satan and his demonic forces. One of the church members, Antipas, had even been martyred, yet the believers stood firm in their faith (v 13).

What an encouragement therefore to hear Jesus say, ‘I know where you live…’ (v 13). Jesus is present in even the darkest places and most undesirable neighbourhoods, watching over his people and strengthening their faith. And today you can be certain that he knows where you live – not just the geographical location, but the circumstances in which you live. He is aware of your challenges, the pressures upon you, and the temptations you face. He knows your situation and is there to help you.

Grant us the courage required of a ‘faithful witness’ (v 13) and help us to speak truth when evil appears to be all-powerful. Amen.

The existence of a Christian community at Pergamum suggests the extraordinary spread of the message of the gospel during the first century, as this is the only mention of this church in the New Testament. The crucified Saviour was worshipped here, where the deification of Roman emperors was reflected in the very structures and architecture. Pergamum was politically one of the most important cities in the empire and visually one of the most impressive. At its heart was a huge, conical hill, on the summit of which was a complex of magnificent buildings, including the Great Altar which has been described as a core monument of Western civilisation. That altar pre-dated the Roman period, but the story told by the statues and carvings that covered its walls declared the victory of imperial power and the punishment and death of all who dared to oppose the ruling authority. 

It was interpreted by the Roman Caesars as anticipating their universal conquests and subjugation of all the nations. 

Pergamum is described in verse 13 as a place where ‘Satan has his throne … where Satan lives’! It is difficult to imagine a statement more subversive of the ideological claims of the empire. The Great Altar celebrated Zeus as the supreme deity and the Emperor Domitian as seated on a divine throne, but John exposes this claim as a satanic delusion since ‘the true God shares his throne with Christ’.¹ That being so, we are not surprised to discover that the community that worshipped Jesus in this place had known martyrdom when Antipas ‘was put to death in your city’ (v 13). Note that the accolade given to Antipas – my ‘faithful witness’ – is the same as that by which Jesus himself is described in 1:5.

Are there situations today where the abuse of power justifies the description ‘satanic’? Give thanks for ‘faithful witnesses’ who have sacrificed their lives for the truth. 

¹ Frederick Murphy, Fallen is Babylon: The Revelation to John, Trinity Press International, 1998, p129