The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
Revelation 2:13
New King James Version (NKJV) (The version used by this text under review on this website)
Revelation 2: 12...
12 “And to the [f]angel of the church in Pergamos write...forward:
13 “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
In the notes section, Satan's throne is stated to refer to the city as the seat of idol worship. (595). It is written here that Pergamos was the first city in Asia to build a temple dedicated to the worship of a living emperor. (595).
The text presents the view that Satan's throne is where he holds court, and can indicate where Caesar (the emperor. my add) was worshiped as Lord, and/or the place where the Roman governor sat is judgement seat. (595). This governor had the power to execute capital punishment. (595).
θρόνος is throne from New Testament Greek, Bauer, referencing Revelation 2: 13, documents θρόνος as the throne of the dragon. who provides the beast, power. (364). This is figurative literal language for Satan providing this person on the throne with satanic power. There is eschatological debate on the identity of the beast, in preterist (New Testament era) and futurist (Post New Testament era), contexts.
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Strong's Concordance
thronos: a throne
Original Word: θρόνος, ου, ὁ (nominative, genitive, dative, my add)
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: thronos
Phonetic Spelling: (thron'-os)
Definition: a throne
Usage: a (king's) throne, seat; meton: power, dominion; a potentate.
Mounce writes that Pergamum (Pergamos) is the 'official cult center of emperor worship in Asia'. (96). Satan here it is reasoned, established his throne as head of state. (96). This is contrast to Rome, which is where Satan's throne was located in the West. (96). Here many Christians had been executed, refusing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord (97), as biblically, it had been specifically revealed in the New Testament, that Jesus Christ, as God the Son and incarnated man, was truly Lord.
Antipas a noted example of Christian martyrdom. (97).
From my newly purchased commentary, from the Canada Prophecy Conference, Biblical linguist and scholar, Dr. David Hocking reasons that Satan was not only present at Pergamos, he was ruling (throne) (139). Hocking writes that Antipas means 'stand against all' (140). He stood for the Christian faith, in opposition to the false Caesar worship which was satanic. The church in that city stayed loyal to God and Jesus Christ, as well. (140).
Jon Courson explains that the historian Tertullian wrote that Antipas, a physician in Pergamos, would not renounce his Christian faith, there and he was 'fried to death'. (1673).
F.F. Bruce offers possibles for Satan's throne from Pergamum:
1. Throne like alter to the Greek god, Zeus on the citadel. (1602).
2. A temple of the healing god, Asklepios---before which stood an image of the god in association with a massive snake. (1602).
3. The provincial Roman cult established in 29 BC, which became the imperial cult. (1602).
Bruce opines (3) is the likely reference in Revelation 2.
BAUER, WALTER. (1979) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Translated by Eric H. Wahlstrom, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press.
BRUCE, F.F. (1986) 'Revelation' in F.F. Bruce (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.
HOCKING, DAVID (2014) The Book of Revelation, Tustin, California, HFT Publications.
MOUNCE, ROBERT H. (1990) The Book of Revelation, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Burlington, Welch Publishing Company.
The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
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