<p>2:13- see on 1 Cor. 15:10.</p><p><em>I know where you live, where Satan's throne is, yet you remained loyal to my name and did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells</em>- The Lord is fully aware of our situations. And whatever judgment He makes, even of condemnation (see on :12), that judgment is made taking into full account past evidence of spirituality and commitment, as well as with total knowledge of all our surrounding environmental factors.</p><p>Pergamos being &ldquo;where Satan&rsquo;s seat (throne) is&rdquo;, shows that the Satan referred to is not a personal super&ndash;human being. If it is, then his throne was literally at Pergamos, for all to see. It has been shown that the Roman administration of the area was based here, thus the Lord Jesus commends the ecclesia for holding to the Truth, despite being in close proximity to the source of persecution. Thus &ldquo;Satan&rdquo; again refers to the Roman authorities. It is also significant that a huge throne dedicated to the Greek gods has been discovered there.</p><p>Pergamon was the first city in Asia to have a temple devoted to emperor worship (I.T. Beckwith, <em>The Apocalypse of John</em> (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1967) p. 456). However it must also be noted that Pergamon was a centre for snake worship associated with the shrine of Asclepius (J.A.T. Robinson, <em>Redating the New Testament</em> (London: S.C.M., 1976) p. 228). Revelation speaks of &lsquo;Satan&rsquo;, the adversary, as being characterized by the serpent (Rev. 12:9; 20:2). &ldquo;Satan&rsquo;s throne&rdquo; may also be a reference to the altar of Zeus in Pergamon. or the special throne&ndash;seat of Dionysus in the theatre there. &ldquo;The city featured various Pagan sites of worship, including a monumental altar to Zeus, and a temple dedicated to Augustus and Rome, which served as the centre of the cult of the Roman Emperor in Asia Minor. Pergamum was in fact the capital of the Roman Province of Asia&rdquo; (H.A. Kelly, <em>Satan: A Biography</em> (Cambridge: C.U.P., 2006) p. 144).</p><p>However, we must bear in mind that the 'satan' described in the New Testament and Revelation is often Jewish and not pagan. It was Jewish opposition to the Christians which led to the local Roman authorities acting against them, as happened with the Lord and Paul. It may be also that there was in Pergamos some centre of Jewish opposition.</p><p>The faithful group who existed &quot;even where satan's seat is&quot; may point forward to the existence of an ecclesia at the very headquarters of the final satan/beast. For the situation in the seven churches represents how things will be in the last time. Our suggestion elsewhere that some faithful natural Jews would be taken to such a place, e.g. a rebuilt 'Babylon', would make this possible.</p>