wicked one introduces his "tares," and among the true worshippers at Ephesus are those

who practice the abominable deeds of the Nicolaitames. It would also appear that an

attempt had been made to impose upon them an order of false apostles; these had been

tried and found to be liars. The deeds of the Nicolaitanes had been also treated with

commendable hatred. It would seem from the words of the Lord to the church in Smyrna,

that Satan, defeated in his first attempt, resorts to more violent methods. Those who said

they were apostles, and were not, are replaced by those who say that they are Jews, and

are not; this seems to indicate an attempt to swamp the faithful by numbers of false

professors. There is also evidence that persecution is to be stirred up against these

faithful ones; the devil is to cast some into prison, and a ten days' tribulation, culminating

apparently in the martyrdom of many, will prevail.

At Pergamos we have Satan's throne; there he will dwell.  The "deeds" of the

Nicolaitanes have now become the "doctrine" of Balaam or of the Nicolaitanes. It

appears that prison and persecution having failed to promote the design of the false

Christ, persuasion is next attempted. Balaam, who failed to curse Israel from the top of

the mountain, taught Balak a most effective way to ensnare that separate people. The

church at Pergamos is to be enticed through the medium of the flesh; they will be enticed

first of all to eat things sacrificed to idols, and then to the most abominable excesses that

have ever been cloaked under the title of religion. By the time we reach the central

church we reach the period when the dread covenant with hell and death will be made,

and the covenant with Israel broken. The harlot nation is exalted by the beast and is fitly

typified by the false prophetess, "that woman Jezebel." Verse 20 compared with verse 14

shows the plague spreading: here we reach the `depths of Satan."

Death and defilement are visible in the church at this time, a name to live, and ready to

die, are the words of the Lord. A few had not defiled their garments, but it seems that

many had fallen into the snare. The church in Philadelphia and the church in Laodicea

seem set in contrast as indicating the end, the one faithful and overcoming is kept out of

the hour of temptation, the other is about to be spued out of the Lord's mouth. No greater

picture of their moral rottenness could be presented than is done by this reference to the

nausea caused by the condition of the church.

Both Peter and Jude refer to the "error of Balaam" as prophetic of the end, and while

there are many things dealt with in these epistles, the gradual leavening of the churches

by the evil doctrine and deeds of the "conquerors of the people" seems to underlie most

of the failure and the opposition.

A composition between the story of these churches with the history of Israel in the

past is very helpful, and readers will find much profit in studying the work of the late

Dr. Bullinger, "The Apocalypse, or the Day of the Lord," on this subject. The progress

also of the promises, starting with the tree of life in the paradise of God, including the

wilderness by the references to the manna, and Balaam, and ending with the kingdom,

throne, city, and temple, is also helpfully treated in the same work.