The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 82

Atting to take the title of this letter from that which our Lord takes as his own, and term it, " The sharp two-eclgecl WJ<Jr<l!' For this letter is largely illustrative of ita work. In eh. i. we saw it in St. John's vision; here we see it in the experience of the Church. But whilst the main reference is t.o that vision, there is furtlier appropriate- ness from the allusions to the wilderness-life of Israel, with which this letter abounds. Balaam'& vile work againBt them-the sin into which they fell, the sword which Balaam saw in the hands of the angel of the Lord seeking to stay him in his evil way, and the sword with which at last he was slain, seem a.11 to be suggested. Then the mention of the manna belongs also to that same wilderness-life. It was well that the ungodly at Pergamos should be reminded of that sword, and the faithful of that manna. But it is from the vision told of in eh. i. that the name our Lord here aseumes is mainly taken. Note- L WHAT D MEANT BY THIS awoBD. With the Bible in our hands; we cannot long be in doubt on this question; for at once there occurs to the memory the familiar text in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which tells how the Word of God is "quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword." .And there is that other which is like unto it in the Epistle to the Ephesians, "The sword o~ the Spirit, which is the Word of God.'' And in Isaiah we have a similar expression, " He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword." And even human and evil words are thus symbolized, as in the Psalms: " Their words are swords and arrows, even bitter words ; " and again, " Their tongue is a sharp sword." And the comparison is a frequent one. The Word of God, therefore, is evidently what is meant by this sword with two edges. II. THE MANNER OIi' rrs OPERATION. In this letter this power of the sword is seen at work. In the vision, St. John had observed that the breath proceeding from the mouth of him who was "like unto the Son of man " took the form and shape of a sharp two-edged sword, such as was in common use in the armies of the day. Hence St. Paul, speaking of this sword, says, "The Lord shall destroy the wicked one with the breath of his mouth" (2 The~. il.. 8). And in the brightness of the glory with which the entire vision was surrounded, the sword-like form seemed to flash and glitter as if it were a veritable sword proceeding out of the mouth of the Son of man. And in this letter we see that sword which thevisiori symbolized exercising its mighty power. We see: 1. Its point, piercing even to the dividing asunder of that which had been so blended together as scarce to be distinguished or separated. For the character of the Church at Pergamos was like that of well-nigh all other Churches, a mixture of evil and good. There was that which could be urged in its favour, and that also which could be charged against it to its shame. And this sword is here seen dividing them. (1) It separates the good, and there were such. (a) They bad been faithful to Christ's Name. They had loyally stood by it even when to do so had involved awful peril-peril in which one Antipas, who had been eminent for bis fidelity, had been slain by the infuriated foe. Yet in those fearful days-days like those of the persecution which arose about Stephen in Jerusalem-the faithful at Pergamos had not flinched. (b) And the Church had been fruitful. It was no small honour to have nurtured in her midst such a soul as that of Antipas. It is a sign of the marked grace of God when a Church becomes the home, chosen and beloved, of holy souls ; when they find in it an atmosphere helpful and stimulating to all that is good within them. (c) And all this under great disadvantages. "I know," the Lord says, "thy works, and where thou dwellest, where Satan's seat is; " and this is told of again lower down in the same verse; thus implying the Lord's recognition of the fact that to serve him there was indeed difficult, and so all the more honourable and meritorious. Now, why Pergamos came to be regarded as the devil's head-quarters, his seat and throne, it is not easy to say. The place was one ot great beauty, ad.omed with magnificent temples, possessed of a superb library c o n ~ hunilreds of thousands of volW¥es. Our word "parchment." is derived from the di.:esaed skins which were so largely used at Pergamos, and on which the books were wntten• .Hence these skins came to be called by the name of Pergamos, or parchment. The place was not, as Ephesus. or Smyrna, famous for t~e, but for.its c!1lture and refine- ' ment. It was a sort of umon of a pagan cathedral mty and umverBity; and a royal residmce, gorgeous in. its magnificence, further adorned it. Jupiter was said to have been bom there, and ~ples t.o him and to innumerable gods were on every band. The whole tone of the place must, therefore, have been utterly oppoeed to the faith of Christ. oa. n. 1-29.J THE REVELATION 011' ST. jQHN THE DIVINE. 89