Revelation 2:13 - Exposition

I know where thou dwellest . The words, "thy works and," are certainly an insertion here—both external and internal evidence are against them. Even where Satan's throne is. We must translate θρόνος "throne" here, as in Revelation 1:4 ; Revelation 3:21 ; Revelation 4:2 , Revelation 4:3 , Revelation 4:5 , Revelation 4:6 , Revelation 4:9 , Revelation 4:10 , etc. Throughout the Apocalypse heaven and hell are set over against one another; and as God has his throne, so also has Satan. The Authorized Version inconsistently alternates between "seat" ( Revelation 11:16 ; Revelation 13:2 ; Revelation 16:10 ; Luke 1:52 ) and "throne," even in the same verse ( Revelation 4:4 ). "The throne of Satan" has perplexed commentators. It probably refers to the infamous idolatry practised at Pergamum, which had a cluster of temples to Zeus, Apollo, Athene, Dionysus, Aphrodite, and AE sculapius. These all lay together in a beautiful grove called the Nicephorium, the pride of Pergamum, as the temple of Artemis was the pride of Ephesus. Some have thought that the mention of Satan points to the serpent, which is so prominent in the cultus of Aesculapius. But the context leads us rather to understand the abominations connected with the worship of Dionysus and Aphrodite. Others, again, think that "the throne of Satan" indicates the persecuting judgments pronounced against Christians; for Pergamum was a great judicial centre. We must be content to leave the question open. Thou holdest fast my Name . We have the same expression ( κρατεῖν with the accusative) three times in this epistle and again in verse 25 and Revelation 3:11 . Just as in the literal sense κρατεῖν , with the accusative means "to seize" a man, i.e. his whole person ( Matthew 14:3 ; Matthew 18:29 ; Revelation 7:1 ; Revelation 20:2 ), as distinct from laying hold of a part, so in the figurative sense κρατεῖν with the accusative is "to hold fast" the whole of, as distinct from keeping a share in a possession common to many ( Hebrews 4:14 ; Hebrews 6:18 ). On the emphatic repetition obtained by denying the opposite, "holdest fast and didst not deny," see notes on Revelation 3:8 . The Greek text in what follows is a good deal confused, and cannot be determined with certainty; but the general sense is clear. In any case, "my witness, my faithful one" (Revised Version), is more accurate than "my faithful martyr" (Authorized Version). The reduplication of the article is frequent in St. John's writings, but in some cases it produces clumsiness to reproduce it in English: ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστός occurs here of Antipas, and in Revelation 1:5 of Christ; compare ἡ ἀγάπη ἡ πρώτη ( Revelation 2:4 ), ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος ( Revelation 2:11 ; Revelation 20:14 ; Revelation 21:8 ), ἡ ῥομφαία ἡ δίστομος ( Revelation 2:12 ), τὸ μάννα τὸ κεκρυμμένον ( Revelation 2:17 ), ὁ δεσπότης ὁ ἅγιος ( Revelation 6:10 ), with John 4:9 , John 4:11 ; John 5:30 ; John 6:38 , John 6:42 , John 6:44 , John 6:50 , John 6:51 , John 6:58 ; John 6:38 ; John 7:1-53 :68; John 8:16 ; John 12:26 ; John 14:15 , John 14:27 ; John 15:9 , John 15:11 ; John 17:13 , John 17:24 ; John 18:36 ; 1 John 2:7 ; 2 John 1:13 . Of Antipas nothing is known. The name is a shortened form of Antipater, as Nicomas of Nicomedes, Artemas of Artemidorus, Hermes of Hermodorus, Zenas of Zenodorus, Menas of Menodorus, Lucas of Lucanus, Domas of Demetrius; and therefore is not derived from ἀντί and πᾶς . Much mystical trifling has been expended over the name Antipas, which no doubt is the actual name of a once well-known sufferer for the truth. Probably of the Pergamene confessors, Antipas was the only one who was called upon to suffer death. The silence of Church history respecting a martyr thus honoured in Scripture is strange. Attalus, one of the chief martyrs of Lyons, was of Pergamum (Eusebius, 'Hist. Eccl.,' V. 1.17; comp. IV . 15.48). The repetition of "where Satan dwelleth" emphasizes this point, like the repetition of "repent" in 2 John 1:5 . It rather confirms the view that by "Satan's throne" is meant the judgment throne where the martyrs were condemned.