SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/30/2015
9:29 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The
Commendation
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Rev. 2:13
Message
of the verses: “13 ’I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne
is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of
Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan
dwells.”
The glorified Christ commends them
for standing firm even though they live where Satan’s throne was. This is an interesting statement and one my
wonder what this means “where Satan’s throne is.” There are some who identify this throne being
the splendid altar of Zeus in which the Pergamum people worshiped at. Edwin Yamauchi notes the following as seen in
John MacArthur’s commentary: “The word altar is somewhat misleading. The structure is a monumental colonnaded
court in the form of a horseshoe, 120 by 112 feet. The podium of the altar was nearly 18 feet
high. The great frieze, which ran at the
base of the structure for 446 feet, depicted a gigantomachy, that is, a battle
of the gods and the giants. It was one
of the greatest works of the Hellenistic art. (New Testament Cities in Western Asia Minor [Grand Rapids: baker,
1980], 35-36).” John MacArthur comments “Such
an impressive structure could easily merit the designation ‘Satan’s throne.’”
Needless to say that it is not
perfectly clear as to what the real meaning of “Satan’s throne” is, but we do
know that there were many other god’s worshiped in Pergamum including the one
we mentioned yesterday, Asklepios, the god of healing and also the temple to
worship the Roman Emperor who reigned at the time. MacArthur writes “Satan’s throne could easily
be understood as a reference to the might of Rome under the god of this world’
(2 Cor. 4:4), blaspheming the true God by the emperor worship cult.”
At this time I wish to quote from my
former study on Revelation dated 02/21-2005 “The symbol of the Roman proconsul
was a sword, and Chris identified Himself by the One who had the two-edged
sword in His mouth, and thus these believers knew by this that they should fear
the Lord and not the Romans. These
believers stayed true to the Lord even when facing the death of a brother in
Christ, Antipas, who died for the cause of Christ.”
There is no other reference in
Scripture as to who Antipas was, but perhaps he was one of the leaders of the
church there and tradition says that he was roasted inside a brass bull during
the persecution that was instigated by Emperor Domitian. John MacArthur gives some insight into the
word “witness’ as seen in the text. He
writes “Witness translates martus, a
word that eventually became transliterated into English as the word martyr, because so many witness for
Christ paid with their lives.”
I want to go back to the topic of “Satan’s
throne” and quote a portion of MacArthur’s
sermon on this church: “Now, let's look a little more closely at the letter and
see the commendation. There's some good things to say. He says them in verse
13. "I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is." They existed
at the headquarters of satanic opposition. Now people say, "Well how would
you interpret that?" Well, I would just interpret it the way it's written.
Satan had obviously established the center of his operation there. I don't know
why, but he had. It was the headquarters for his authority. You must note also
that He says here, "Where you dwell where Satan's throne is," a mark
of permanent residence. Satanic power was manifest right out of that city.”
I am not sure where Satan’s throne
is at this present time, but as we go through our study on Revelation we will
see that his throne will be in the place where the antichrist will rule from,
which the Bible calls Babylon. Where
that will be we will look at when we get to chapter seventeen as some have a
difference of opinion as if this will be the literal Babylon located in modern
day Iraq.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I truly
have been blessed by living in a country where I have been free to worship for
all of my life, but there seems to be coming a day when that freedom will be
taken away from all who name the name of Christ and my prayer is that I will
always stand for the cause of Christ no matter what this could mean to me.
My Steps of Faith for Today: To love the Lord with all of my
heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to continue to better understand the love
that He has for me.
Memory verses for
the week: 2 Peter 1:5-9.
5 Nor for this very reason
also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in
your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in
your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in
your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are
increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For
he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification
from former sins.
Answer to yesterday’s
Bible question: “Martha” (Luke 10:40).
Today’s Bible
question: “Who said, ‘I do not know the
man’?”
Answer in our next
SD.
1/30/2015 10:31 AM
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