1“To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write:
“He who holds the seven stars in his right hand, he who walks among the seven golden lamp stands says these things:
2“I know your works, and your toil and perseverance, and that you can’t tolerate evil men, and have tested those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and found them false. 3You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you left your first love. 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent. 6But this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.
8“To the angel of the assembly in Smyrna write:
“The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says these things:
9“I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10Don’t be afraid of the things which you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested; and you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.
12“To the angel of the assembly in Pergamum write:
“He who has the sharp two-edged sword says these things:
13“I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15So also you likewise have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows but he who receives it.
18“To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write:
“The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things:
19“I know your works, your love, faith, service, patient endurance, and that your last works are more than the first. 20But I have this against you, that you tolerate your woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. She teaches and seduces my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. 21I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. 22Behold, I will throw her and those who commit adultery with her into a bed of great oppression, unless they repent of her works. 23I will kill her children with Death, and all the assemblies will know that I am he who searches the minds and hearts. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24But to you I say, to the rest who are in Thyatira—as many as don’t have this teaching, who don’t know what some call ‘the deep things of Satan’—to you I say, I am not putting any other burden on you. 25Nevertheless, hold that which you have firmly until I come. 26He who overcomes, and he who keeps my works to the end, to him I will give authority over the nations. 27He will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them like clay pots, as I also have received of my Father; 28and I will give him the morning star. 29He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.
The story of Balaam in the Book of Numbers (chs. 22-24) is breathtaking. Who was this individual and what are we to make of his unusual account in Torah?
Here are some particulars:
- Numbers 22-24 describe the only narrative in Torah (excluding Genesis, of course) in which Moses is neither a participant nor even an observer.
- Names are so very important in narratives in Hebrew Scripture, Balaam’s name is one of a handful that does not have a positive meaning; “Balaam” (בִּלְעָם bil‘am) means “devourer of the people.” It is likely that his original name meant “The divine uncle brought forth” (W.F. Albright).
- Balaam is also one of a few Bible characters whose name is found in texts outside of the Bible; An inscription dated 880-770 b.c was discovered in 1967 at Deir ‘Alla, Jordan, that is attributed to “Balaam, son of Beor”—showing that he still had followers many hundreds of years following his death. Balaam was the true counter to Moses; God used this famous pagan to attest to His wonder and to validate Moses.
- One wonders if Balaam is a good prophet who went bad, or a bad prophet who went good. His seven oracles, each beginning with the words, “And he took up his oracle and said, . . .” (Num 23, 24), present some of the most beautiful poetry in praise of Yahweh and Israel in all of Torah; yet actually he did all he could to destroy Israel (Num 25; 31:16); observe his evaluation in the New Testament (2 Pet 2:15; Jude 1:11; Rev 2:14).
- In point of fact, Balaam should not be thought of in these terms. He was not a true prophet nor a false prophet in Israel; Balaam was a pagan mantic, completely outside the concepts of prophets in Israel. He was a baru prophet who used the liver of a newly slaughtered sheep to discover the will of the gods. Liver divination (hepatoscopy) was a practice of some diviners in the ancient Near East.
- Balaam was a pagan mantic whom Yahweh used to present His blessings on Israel. Balak the King of Moab hired this famous person to bring a curse on Israel. In a riveting account, this poser was given God’s words of blessing, to the chagrin of Balak and to his own shame. At one point he even expresses a bit of regret, “Oh that my latter end might be his” (Num 23:10).
- Thus the story of Balaam presents the height of divine inspiration. When one speaks truly for God, we would expect he speaks from deep, personal faith. But God can cause even an enemy to give voice to His praise!
See Ronald B. Allen, “The Theology of the Balaam Oracles,” in John S. and Paul D. Feinberg, Tradition and Testament: Essays in Honor of Charles Lee Feinberg (Chicago: Moody Press, 1981), 79-119.
Dr. Ronald Allen is Senior Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Allen wrote his massive study on Numbers 22-24 on the Balaam Oracles under Dr. Bruce Waltke at Dallas Seminary.