Revelation Lesson 13: Smyrna - Part II / Pergamos - Part I

The Lord's letter to the church at Smyrna is the shortest of the seven Revelation letters, but it contains the most comfort, encouragement, and assurance of victory.  It also does not contain a single word of condemnation!  Christ's words to this First Century church have aided persecuted believers not only during the "ten days" of Roman persecution (see Revelation 2:10), but to our modern day, as Christianity is greatly under fire today all over the world, including America.  Christ's promise to those in His body who suffer for righteousness' sake is a crown of life.  We briefly discuss the six crowns promised believers in the Scripture. In the second half of this lesson, we begin to look at the Lord's words to the church at Pergamos, His third Revelation church to address.  Pergamos, which means "thoroughly married" or "elevated," prophetically pictured the third definitive stage in Church history that began in A.D. 313 under Emperor Constatine and ended in A.D. 590.  This church, unfortunately, "married" the world (she was "elevated" by the world), and, subsequently, she compromised her testimony for Christ by tolerating false teachings and paganism and succumbing to the temptation of worldly treasures.   Pergamos, Christ said, was where Satan had his "headquarters" (2:13) at that time!  Find out what that means, and why the Lord identified Himself to this church as the One with "the sharp sword of two edges" (2:12).