Jesus Christ had introduced himself to this congregation as “him who has the sharp two-edged sword” (Revelation 2:12). Now that the Lord has described the problem in the church of Pergamum, he shows us why he identified himself in this manner. He would use this sharp sword to defend his church and fight her enemies. This sword is dangerous and effective because it is “sharp” and “two-edged.” The latter term means that it is sharp on both sides, meaning that it is deadly both on the forward swing as well as on the back swing. Yet this sword is not physical, for Jesus speaks of “the sword of my mouth” (cf. Revelation 1:16). This sword, then, is to be equated with the Lord’s Word. The Word, whether written in Scripture itself or revealed now in Jesus’ own letter to Pergamum (and indeed the whole Revelation Jesus was showing John) or proclaimed through the local preacher (1 Thessalonians 2:13), would be deadly to those who held the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans. (See also Hebrews 4:12.) It should also be added that the sword of the Lord cut Jesus Christ himself to pieces on the cross as he took our sins on himself. He, though, survived the deadly cuts of the Lord’s sword, atoned for sin, and arose from the dead. That’s incentive to the saints of Pergamum to repent of their sins.
16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth.