Metaphysical meaning of Pergamum (mbd)
Pergamum (A.V., Pergamos), per'-ga-mum (Gk.)--strongly united; closely knit; tough texture; elevated; height; citadel; burg; parchment; skin.
A town of Mysia in Asia Minor. It was the seat of one of the seven churches that John mentioned in Revelation (Rev. 2:12).
Meta. The intellectual consciousness in man (strongly united, closely knit, tough texture, elevated, height, citadel); Pergamum is intelligence.
"I know where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is" (Rev. 2:13). Satan is the adverse consciousness and Satan's throne, the place where the dversary locates himself, takes his seat, is in the front brain. Adverse reason and thought begin there, in the sense reasoning of man. The Adversary, or Satan, is the adverse mind, or self mind, that which thinks and acts independently of God mind.
Antipas means against one's native country, against all. He represents faithfulness to Truth ideals, even to the point of standing against all that does not measure up to those ideals.
Idols (Rev. 2:14) are false beliefs about God. To sacrifice to idols is to give our substance to building up false beliefs. To eat food that has been sacrificed to idols is to appropriate the seeming substance of these false ideas. To commit fornication is to mix our thoughts with error.
The "sword of my mouth" (Rev. 2:16) is the word of Truth. The word of Truth sets the law into action, and thus makes war against the Nicolaitans--mixed thoughts.
The "hidden manna" (Rev. 2:17) is the inner substance, that which comes down out of heaven. We eat of it by affirmation. We affirm that we are fed by the one living substance, and so forth. A "white stone" is faith--Peter. Our consciousness is established in faith in God--a rock foundation, a sure, everlasting place.
The "new name" is the individual's concept of himself. His concept of God and of himself is a little different from that of any other person's. No other knows it, for it is peculiar to the individual. It would mean nothing to any one else. It is changing daily, as the individual's concept of God and of himself changes.
________________________
Preceding Entry: Perga
Following Entry: Perida
