Though they were the benchmark for persecution for saying “Jesus is Lord” instead of “Caesar is Lord,” the ekklesia in Pergamum tolerated bad characters. The Nicolaitans taught that sexual immorality was okay. You could engage in it and would be guilty for seven days and then your guilt before God was removed. Without repentance. Without confession. Sort of like a statute of limitations. Or like the Old Testament laws that declared a person clean after seven days. The Lord references Balaam as their teacher, an evil prophet who put his own desires ahead of the people of God and enticed them to sin. This same libertine sect is mentioned in 2 Peter and Jude as well as the message to Ephesus in this book of Revelation. We see another facet of the symbol of the sword. The sword will be used to fight against the Nicolaitans.
And now, what about the white stone? Well, Pergamum was a place where white stone was mined. Perhaps it was marble. G. Campbell Morgan says there were several reasons for giving a person a white stone with their name on it:
And now, what about the white stone? Well, Pergamum was a place where white stone was mined. Perhaps it was marble. G. Campbell Morgan says there were several reasons for giving a person a white stone with their name on it:
- A person who was tried and found innocent.
- A freedman carried it to prove his citizenship and to prove he was not a slave.
- A winner of a race.
- A victorious warrior returning from battle.
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