In our local congregation we are continuing to explore the Seven Churches of Asia, of Revelation 2-3. John the Apostle received the Revelation on the Island of Patmos.
While we cannot know the exact spot on the island where John was when he was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” and told, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia” (Rev. 1:10-11), visitors to Patmos are shown a “traditional” location, known as the “Cave of the Apocalypse.”
The church at Pergamum lived “where Satan’s throne is . . . where Satan dwells (Rev. 2:13). There have been many suggestions as to the basis of this designation. Pergamum was known for its worship of Asklepios (god of healing), Serapis, Athena, Dionysus, Demeter, as well as being a center for the Imperial Cult (emperor worship).
David A. DeSilva suggests: “[T]he distinctive altar of Zeus on the brow of the acropolis may have been more in John’s view” (The Social and Geographical World of Pergamum (Revelation 1:11; 2:12–17). In B. J. Beitzel, J. Parks, & D. Mangum (Eds.), Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation (p. 638). Lexham Press).
The altar of Zeus, located on the southern crest of the acropolis, was without a doubt the most distinctive and most prominently visible structure overlooking Pergamum. Construction was begun in the early- to mid-second century BC under Eumenes II, possibly in connection with his victory over the invading Galatians. The massive throne-like altar complex resembled an open-air temple, complete with columned porticoes surrounding its staircase and inner courtyards. The whole had a footprint of about 120 by 110 feet (36.5 × 33.5 m), and it rose to a height of 40 feet (12 m). The sacrificial altar proper sat within the inner courtyard, which was approached by a wide, grand staircase. The reconstructed monument now sits in the Pergamum Museum in Berlin. The altar was adorned with nearly four hundred linear feet (122 m) of frieze, its scenes carved about seven feet (2 m) high. The frieze around the structure’s perimeter depicted the mythological battle between the Olympian gods and the giants, with Zeus and Athena prominently featured on the front side. An interior frieze told the story of Telephus, the mythic founder of Pergamum. An L-shaped agora or forum was set just below the precincts of the altar of Zeus. The identification of some of the buildings as warehouses makes it likely that this particular forum served as a commercial center in the old city.
deSilva, D. A. (2019). The Social and Geographical World of Pergamum (Revelation 1:11; 2:12–17). In B. J. Beitzel, J. Parks, & D. Mangum (Eds.), Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation (pp. 645–646). Lexham Press.
Here is a photo of the acropolis of Pergamum, with the Asklepion at our back. Sometimes it gets windy on our tours (as my granddaughter can attest).
Our preaching theme for January in our local congregation is a study of the Seven Churches of Asia (Rev. 2-3). I’m looking forward to this study. Ephesus is the first of the cities addressed (Rev. 2:1-7).
It is helpful to understand somewhat of the local conditions in which these 1st Century Christians lived. Ephesus was the city which featured the temple to the goddess Artemis (Diana), which at that time was one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Here is a model of the temple which is housed in the museum at Ephesus:
The 8th century BC prophet Micah identifies himself as “Micah of Moresheth” (Mic. 1:1). As his message continues in chapter one, he references “Moresheth Gath” (1:14). Moresheth Gath is tentatively identified by many scholars as Tel Goded (Tell ej-Judeideh).
The geography of Israel is defined by four longitudinal zones: The Coastal Plain, the Central Hill Country, the Jordan Valley, and the Transjordan Plateau. As one goes east from the coastal plain, before arriving in the hill country, one passes through the Shephelah (שְׁפֵלָה, usually rendered “lowland” in Scripture), which consists of gently rolling hills (see Deut. 1:7, etc.). See map here:
We are currently studying 1 Peter in our local congregation. Peter’s first letter was written to Christians in five Roman districts in Asia Minor, which today comprise much of modern Turkey. “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Pet. 1:1, ESV). Dr. Mark Wilson has provided Bible students with a great resource in his book, Biblical Turkey.
Peter’s Communities. Map by Dr. Mark Wilson.
Christians in five Roman districts are addressed in Peter’s letter. The starting point was Pontus.
In the midst of this letter which was designed to equip/strengthen Christians who were suffering fiery trials for their faith, Peter spoke to them about enjoying life and seeing good days! (1 Pet. 3:10). It would seem that “loving life and seeing good days” would be something that everyone desires. It is also apparent that this is what God wants for us! It does not follow, however, that “whatever makes you happy” is okay. For example, some have reasoned that “God wants me to be happy, but I am not happy in my present marriage, but I’ve found someone else.” Thus they contract a marriage that God’s word says is adulterous, but have convinced (deceived) themselves that it is okay because God wants them to be happy. You can be sure that God does NOT want you to be happy by doing something He has condemned in His word! First and foremost, God wants you to be holy; God wants you to be saved.
Every passage has a context. “For ‘He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.'” The first word in our verse, “For” (Greek gar)is often “a marker of cause or reason between events.”[i] Here it links the goal of “loving life and seeing good days,” with what has just been said in the previous verses. “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (3:8-9). Additionally, the greater context, which includes God’s directives to wives and husbands (3:1-7) must be considered. That is, if you want to truly love life and see good days, it flows from the behavior just described in the above verses. In this article I want to explore some important lessons.
God wants us to enjoy life and see good days. Peter has previously called this life on earth “the time of your sojourning” (1 Pet. 1:17, KJV; “your temporary residence” NET). We often sing, “This world is not my home.” Christians recognize we are “sojourners and pilgrims” (1 Pet. 2:11). We are in the world, but “not of the world” (John 15:19; 17:14-16). Yet we see that it is right to enjoy life and see good days. Our trust is not in “uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Tim. 6:17). God intends for us to enjoy the good things He gives us, as we give thanks to Him from whom all blessings flow!
God wants us to enjoy our family. “Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun” (Eccl. 9:9), NASB). “. . . And rejoice with the wife of your youth . . . And always be enraptured with her love” (Prov. 5:18-19). “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them” (Psa. 127:3-5). “Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers” (Prov. 17:6, ESV). I mention the family relationship as just one example of blessings from God which He wants us to enjoy, and can contribute so much to “loving life and seeing good days.”
Hindrances to Joy. Satan has many devices (2 Cor. 2:11). He is a great “joy-stealer.” He does not want us to “rejoice in the Lord” because “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh. 8:6). One hindrance can be to fail to seize the present moment; to always be thinking that once I get past this problem, or after I get this done, then I can enjoy life. That tends to always put it out of reach. God wants us right now, right here, in our present circumstances, to enjoy life and see good days, and not be waiting on something else to happen before we can do so.
Another hindrance may be what I call the “Haman complex.” Haman gathered his wife and friends. “Then Haman told them of his great riches, the multitude of his children, everything in which the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the officials and servants of the king. Moreover Haman said, ‘Besides, Queen Esther invited no one but me to come in with the king to the banquet that she prepared; and tomorrow I am again invited by her, along with the king. ‘Yet all this avails me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate’” (Est. 5:11-13). Here was a man who “had it all” so to speak, but he could enjoy none of it because there was ONE thing that displeased him! It’s so easy for us to do the same.
Worry can so distract us and upset us that we fail to enjoy life and see good days. See Matthew 6:25-34.
Sinful behavior. Getting back to 1 Peter 3, a failure to conduct oneself in keeping with the imperatives of the passage will only result in envy, strife, and unhappiness. We can’t be guilty of doing the things that God hates, and expect to enjoy life and see good days (see Prov. 6:16-19).
Nothing should eclipse this joy. The seventy disciples returned from the limited commission” with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name” (Lk. 10:17). Of course this was important, and showed Jesus’ coming victory over Satan, but Jesus said, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Lk. 10:20). The primary cause for our rejoicing, that exceeds all else (even the miraculous gifts of the 1st century), is our salvation in Christ Jesus!
During our recent tour of Sicily and Southern Italy we were able to tour the area of the ancient port of Ostia, at the mouth of the Tiber River, and while in that area visit the American Cemetery. Though I had intended to post this earlier, as today is Independence Day I thought it would be appropriate to share at this time.
The cemetery is located about 38 miles south of Rome.
The World War II Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial site in Italy covers 77 acres, rising in a gentle slope from a broad pool with an island and cenotaph flanked by groups of Italian cypress trees. Beyond the pool is the immense field of headstones of 7,845 of American military war dead, arranged in gentle arcs on broad green lawns beneath rows of Roman pines. The majority of these individuals died in the liberation of Sicily (July 10 to August 17, 1943); in the landings in the Salerno Area (September 9, 1943) and the heavy fighting northward; in the landings at Anzio Beach and expansion of the beachhead (January 22, 1944 to May 1944); and in air and naval support in the regions. Source: https://www.abmc.gov/Sicily-Rome
A wide central mall leads to the memorial, rich in works of art and architecture, expressing America’s remembrance of the dead. It consists of a chapel to the south, a peristyle, and a map room to the north. On the white marble walls of the chapel are engraved the names of 3,095 of the missing. Rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified. Source: https://www.abmc.gov/Sicily-Rome
Today my tour group visited Ostia Antica, and saw some of the excavations there. Over time, the port silted up, but in antiquity it was of vital importance to Rome. The Lexham Bible Dictionary has the following information:
OSTIA An ancient port of Rome located at the mouth of the Tiber River. A vital strategic and commercial site of the Roman Empire.
Location and Biblical Relevance
Ostia was the nearest port that granted access to Rome for seafaring travelers of the New Testament world. Its name is derived from the Latin term ostium, meaning “doorway” or “entryway.” The name encapsulates the importance of the site, for it served as the maritime gateway to the capital of the Roman Empire.
The city and port of Ostia was located 22 miles (35 km) downstream from Rome at the mouth of the Tiber River. It was associated with sea trade, which brought in wares and cultural goods from throughout the Mediterranean.
Ostia was also an early base for Roman naval activities. In its first centuries, the city was hardly more than a Roman army camp populated by citizen colonists (Salmon, Roman Colonization, 26–27). Ostia was not an excellent harbor; its anchorage was exposed, leaving it vulnerable to storms and pirates. These problems would not be solved until the first and second centuries ad, when the rival port of Portus was constructed.
Brand, S. The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.
As one first enters the archaeological area, there is a statue of Minerva-Victory.
The writer of Hebrews closes with several imperatives, including this admonition in 13:5: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (ESV). For comparison: “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU” (NASB). The NET renders, “Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”
Some years ago, while at Samsun (Biblical Pontus) on the Black Sea, Ferrell Jenkins and I visited the Samsun Archaeology and Ethnography Museum there. Here are some photographs which might be helpful visuals in teaching this biblical text (Heb. 13:5):
One should note that it is not the money that is itself sinful, but the LOVE of money (compare 1 Timothy 6:10).
Also note the Hebrews 13:5 states what “He Himself” (God) has said. What follows is to be the Christian’s response: “So that WE may boldly say, ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear, What can man do to me?'” (v.6). This kind of “answering speech” runs throughout scripture: God takes the initiative, He speaks, He reveals Himself, and then there is to be the appropriate repsonse, the answer of faith on the disciple’s part. “Speak, LORD, thy servant heareth” (1 Samuel 3:9).
Pontus is mentioned three times in the New Testament. Jews from Pontus were present in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:9). Aquila, one of Pau’s invaluable helpers, was from Pontus (Acts 18:2). Also the Apostle Peter addressessed Pontus (1 Pet. 1:).
Samsun (Amisus) was a leading city of Pontus. Regarding its biblical significance, Dr. Mark Wilson writes, “Amisus was at the northern terminus of the main road that ran across Asia Minor to Tarsus. Peter’s messenger undoubtedly disembarked at Amisus and initally made his way south along this route” (Biblical Turkey, pp. 334,336). Samsun is located between the deltas of the Kızıl and Yeşil rivers.
In 2 Chronicles in the context of the Divided Kingdom during the reign of Jehoram, king of Judah, the statement is made, “Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever” (21:7). (The NET Bible reads, “But the LORD was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty because of the promise he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty”).
To say that Jehoram was very wicked would be an understatement. His first act when his co-regency with his father Jehoshaphat (good king!) ended was to murder all six of his brothers! (21:4). Jehoram was married to Athaliah, the wicked daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and greatly swayed by them. Though King of Judah, “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done” (21:6).
Lamp, dating to the time of the Divided Kingdom. Author’s personal collection. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Our inspired historian is stating that although Jehoram deserved destruction, as had indeed been meted out to several dynasties in Israel, that Yahweh, the faithful God of the Covenant, would insure that the lineage of David would continue. The use of the word picture of a lamp which continues to burn, and is not extinguished, was a fitting metaphor. The Davidic lineage (here seen in the kings of Judah, both good and bad) would continue until the Messiah came to earth, God Incarnate. This fulfilled the promise made in 2 Samuel 7; cf. 1 Chron. 17, and etc.). Indeed, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).
I have earlier written about Judah’s King Jehoram here.
In our previous post we saw Roman Emperor Constantine’s Arch, commemorating his victory over his rival Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge.
Arch of Constantine. (Colosseum on the right). Photo by Leon Mauldin.
There is a lengthy official inscription at the top center of the arch, explaining its purpose.
Inscription on Arch of Constantine. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Here is the Latin inscription with the English translation, from Rome, an Oxford Archaeological Guide:
IMP(eratori) CAES(ari) FL(avio) CONSTANTINO MAXIMO To the emperor Flavius Constantine, the Great, P(io)F(elici) AUGUSTO S(enatus) P(opulus)Q(ue)R(omanus) pious and fortunate, the Senate and People of Rome, QUOD INSTINCTU DIVINITATIS MENTIS because by divine inspiration and his own greatness of spirit MAGNITUDINE CUM EXERCITU SUO with his army TAM DE TYRANNO QUAM DE OMNI EIUS on both the tyrant and all his FACTIONE UNO TEMPORE IUSTIS faction at once in rightful REM PUBLICAM ULTUS EST ARMIS battle he avenged the State, ARCUM TRIUMPHIS INSIGNEM DICAVIT dedicated this arch as a mark of triumph
It is very popular to have group photos of tours taken with the arch as the background. Perhaps this will help in some small way to understand its historical significance.
Some context: Mareshah in southern Israel was a city which Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam fortified (2 Chronicles 11:8). Later Judah’s King Asa met a military force of Cushites which greatly outnumbered Judah’s forces, but YAHWEH granted deliverance (2 Chronicles 14:9ff). Here is a photo of a Blessed Milkthistle I took while there a few years ago:
Posted by Leon Mauldin 
leonmauldin.blog 