Revelation: The Temptation of Balaam (Part 1)

 Revelation: Justification by Faith

The Temptation of Balaam

[By M.L]

Revelation 2:12-15 (ESV)
"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword.
13. I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.
14. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
15. So also you have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore, repent!’"

In the city of Pergamum, a church existed that felt Satan’s influence very strongly. God addressed those closest to His throne, so to speak—the ones who had seen the most of God. They had remained faithful to His name and the faith of Jesus, with some even facing death for it.
Yet, Satan’s influence crept into the church itself. Unfortunately, they tolerated the emergence of Balaam's teachings. Even those who had not denied His name seemed inclined to tolerate this influence.
Who was Balaam?
Balaam’s story goes much further back than the church in Pergamum, all the way to the Old Testament. Balaam was once a respected prophet of the true God, genuinely receiving visions from God and prophesying His word. But the New Testament sheds light on Balaam’s true character:

Jude 1:10-11 (ESV)
"But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively.
11. Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion."

2 Peter 2:1-20 (ESV)
"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.
2. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.
12. But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,
13. suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you.
14. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!
15. Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,
16. but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
17. These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.
18. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.
19. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
20. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first."

These strong words exemplify the sharp sword Jesus mentioned in His rebuke to Pergamum.
One of Balaam's defining traits was greed and the propagation of false teaching. And the tragedy is that such people were once genuine prophets of God. They carried authority and had a good reputation, which made their fall all the more damaging. Sadly, many rely on human authority instead of God, following fallible “authorities” blindly.
The story of Balaam goes as follows: During his time, Israel was entering the Promised Land. They had already conquered some nations, and Balak, king of Moab, feared Israel greatly. He knew he could not defeat them, as God was with Israel. Thus, he sought Balaam’s help to curse Israel. Initially, God told Balaam not to go. But when the king insisted and offered lavish rewards that flattered Balaam’s greedy heart, Balaam asked God again if he could go. This time, God allowed it, but His anger was kindled against Balaam:

Numbers 22:21-23 (ESV)
"So Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the princes of Moab.
22. But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him.
23. And the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road."

Balaam was so eager to go that he began beating his own donkey. Eventually, Balaam saw the angel himself and briefly recognized his sin. When he reached Balak, he spoke God’s words, blessing Israel instead of cursing them.
This character—greedy and unreasonable, yet still respected as a prophet—is the same influence appearing in Pergamum. How dangerous are such “wolves” among God’s people!
We will examine the effects of this influence in our next study.