The Book of Revelations
CHAPTER 3
The Message to the Church in Sardis
Sardis: At the time Jesus spoke these words to John, the ancient city of Sardis had seen its best days and had started to decline. Yet it was a wealthy city, situated at the junction of several important roads and trade routes. The first coinage ever to be minted in Asia Minor was minted in Sardis in the days of Croesus. These roughly formed staters were the beginning of money in the modern sense of the term.
This city was also a city well known for its softness and luxury. And had a reputation of apathy and immorality, The chief god of worship was Cybele, the earth mother, she was normally shown as a pregnant women sitting down on a thrown and worshipped with all kinds of sexual immorality and impurity.
Sardis had a reputation of being soft and lazy and this caused its downfall on more than one occasion. As it was situated in a easily defendable situation on top of a high cliff. But the watch was lazy and twice it was invaded as no one was on duty at the wall watch stations.
(1) As Jesus described Himself, He used terms that emphasized His character as the Master of every spiritual and natural power.
As Jesus said to each church, He also said to Sardis. What a church is and what a church does is never hidden from Jesus.
Jesus knew the church at Sardis had a front of life and vitality, if you looked at the church of Sardis, you would see a busy church with meetings every night, promotions, and generally something going on all the time.
Despite their reputation of life, Jesus saw them for what they really were. But you are dead shows that a good reputation is no guarantee of true spiritual character.
Dead: This indicates no struggle, no fight, no persecution. It wasn’t that the church at Sardis was losing the battle but it had already lost the battle, and the fight seemed to be over. In this letter Jesus didn’t encourage the Christians in Sardis to stand strong against persecution or bad teachings, probably because there simply wasn’t any danger of these things in Sardis. Being dead, the church simply presented no threat to Satan, so it wasn’t worth attacking.
(2) This first instruction from Jesus told them they need to examine and protect, strengthening what they have though the spiritual condition of the church of Sardis was bad, it wasn’t hopeless. Spiritually. Jesus had not given up on them, and though it was late, it wasn’t too late. The church had taken on the character of the people who had been conquered twice before not by been beaten in a fight but just that the guard had stopped watching very much like what was happening in the church now.
Just because they put on a good front of works Jesus knew what was in their hearts.
(3) Again like the church inEphesus, they are told to go back to what they first knew, and more importantly to repent from the way they behaved now. Jesus warns them that He will appear without warning and we all must be ready.
(4-5) Jesus referred to soiled their clothes because in the pagan worship of the day, the pagan gods could not be approached with dirty clothes. It also refers to Christians who have not defiled themselves by living as pagans.
This is why Jesus says that they will wear white as white was also the colour of triumph to the Romans, so the white garments spoke of the believer’s ultimate triumph in Jesus, and their gift was to walk with Him in heaven.
And I will not erase his name from the Book of Life: In ancient times cities kept a register of their citizens; and when a man died, his name was removed from the register.
(6) We must all hear what the Spirit says to the church at Sardis. It is easy to drift in apathy towards spiritual backsliding, especially when you have a good reputation. Where we say “I would never do that” is the exact place we must guard against.
The Message to the Church in Philadelphia
Philadelphia: The city gained its name after its founder – Attalus – who was nicknamed Philadelphos. The name means brotherly love, and this city was the youngest of the seven cities, and a very wealthy city with beautiful building sometimes called little Athens. Its main wealth came from the fact that was the gateway to the East as it had the main highway starting from there.
It had been built with the intention that it might become a missionary city. Beyond Philadelphia lay the wilds of Phrygia and the barbarian tribes, and it was intended that the function of Philadelphia should be to spread the Greek language, way of life and Greek civilization, throughout the regions beyond.
(7) There are two ancient Greek words that translate as true. One means true and a lie, and the second is true and not a fake, the Greek word used here for true is the second, with the idea of “real” or “genuine.” Jesus is true in all of who He is or He is the real God.
Jesus showed in His title that He is also the keeper of the keys and doors, with this Jesus expressed His power and authority, especially to admit and exclude.
(8) Jesus said this to each of the seven churches. The church at Philadelphia had served God well in difficult circumstances, and Jesus knew it.
In its history, Philadelphia had a great “evangelistic” calling. The city had the mission of spreading Greek culture and language through the whole region. Now Jesus opened the door for the Christians of Philadelphia to spread the culture of His kingdom through the whole region.
There may be another sense to this door. It seems Christians in Philadelphia were excluded from the synagogue so the open door may also speak of their opportunity to enter God’s kingdom which was the opposite of what the Jews were doing by barring them from the synagogue.
The term a little strength does not imply weakness, but real strength. They were weak enough to ask to be strong in the Lord. We can be “too strong” or “too big” or too sure of ourselves for God to really use us. The church in Philadelphia had the poverty of spirit to know they really needed God’s strength. (First beatitude)
(9) Apparently, the Christians in Philadelphia were persecuted by Jewish people. However, these persecuting Jews were Jews in name only. In fact, they had no spiritual connection to Abraham or to the people of faith. Jesus did not speak against all Jewish people. It would be entirely wrong to speak of the Jewish people as a whole as the synagogue of Satan or those who say they are Jews and are not. Jesus spoke of this specific group of Jewish people in Philadelphia who persecuted the Christians during that period.
NOTE-God promised Israel that Gentiles would honour them and acknowledge their God . Now the tables were somewhat turned, and these Jewish people will play the role of the heathen and acknowledge that the “church” is the Israel or children of God.
(10) Most Bible scholars see this hour of trial as a prophetic reference to the Great Tribulation, which precede Jesus’ earthly kingdom. Jesus promised to keep these Christians from that hour of trial.
(11) First, the church at Philadelphia must remember that Jesus is coming suddenly, and they must prepare for His coming. All through the book we can read that when Jesus comes back it will be a sudden arrival that we have to prepare for at all times, how bad it would be if He came back just when we were deep in sin.
(12) Overcomers were told that they would be as a pillar in the temple of My God. Pillars were pictures of strength, stability, and dignified beauty.
The biblical world suffered from frequent earthquakes. When a building collapsed in an earthquake often all that remained standing were the huge pillars. Jesus offers us this same strength, to remain standing in Him when everything around us crumbles.
The citizens of Philadelphia lived an unsettled life. Whenever the earthquake tremors came, and they came often, the people of Philadelphia fled from the city out into the open country, to escape the falling masonry and stones which came with earthquakes. Then, when it was quiet again, they returned, so they were always running from the city and then returning to it. But as the victorious in Heaven we will have a permanent place of stability with God.
These names are marks of identification because they show who we belong to. They are marks of intimacy, because they show we are privileged to know Him in ways others are not.
NOTE– In the ancient world, having a special inscribed pillar on one of the temples sometimes honoured a faithful servant or distinguished priest. “Philadelphia honoured its famous citizens by putting their names on a pillar on one of its temples, so that all who came to worship might see and remember. Bit like a plaque on a wall today.
(13) We all want to hear the praise and encouragement Jesus gave to the church at Philadelphia. If we will be like this church, we must depend on their source of strength which was Jesus, not themselves.
The Message to the Church in Laodicea
Laodicea: Was an important, wealthy city, with a significant Jewish population. Like other cities in the region, it was a centre for Caesar worship and the worship of the healing god Asklepios. There was a famous medical school connected with the temple. Its wealth came from its wool industry as it used to export famous black wool, and more famous was its medical eye balm that was made from the mud in the hot springs that surrounded the upper hills. This was transported all over the known world.
Laodicea is mentioned by Paul in his letter to the Colossian church and in some early Scriptures it says that Timothy was written whilst in Laodicea.
NOTE- One of their problems was a poor water supply that made Laodicea vulnerable to attack through siege, as their main water supply came on a six-mile aqueduct from the hot springs of Hierapolis. Because the water came from hot springs, it arrived unpleasantly lukewarm.
(14) The word “Amen” means “true,” “certain,” “faithful”; and, as used here, it means that he to whom it is applied is true and faithful. What he says is true; what he promises or threatens is certain.
(15-16) The Christians of Laodicea would easily recognise the image of being lukewarm, because the water they drank every day was lukewarm. Jesus said, “Just as the water you drink is disgustingly lukewarm, you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot. In this spiritual sense, lukewarmness is a picture of indifference and compromise. It tries to play the middle and in trying to be both things, they end up being nothing.
I could wish that you were cold or hot also points to another aspect of lukewarmness, as a picture of uselessness. Hot water heals, cold water refreshes, but lukewarm water is useless for either purpose. It was as if Jesus said, “If you were hot or cold I could do something with you. But because you are neither, I will do nothing.”
The lukewarm Christian has enough of Jesus to satisfy a craving for religion, but not enough for eternal life. This is why Jesus says, I wish that you were cold, as then they might have realised that they had a need to find the warmth of Christ.
NOTE- The thief on the cross was cold towards Jesus and clearly saw his need. John was hot towards Jesus and enjoyed a relationship of love; but Judas was lukewarm, following Jesus enough to be considered a disciple, yet not giving his heart fully over to Jesus.
(17) Almost the exact opposite of the church at Smyrna, this church was lacking in nothing financially, as it had wealth congregation, who like today found that they did not need Jesus in their lives. It wasn’t that the church at Laodicea wasn’t just spiritually poor, they were simply blind to it. This wasn’t just the opinion of Jesus. Spiritually speaking, they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. What Jesus saw in them was more important than how they saw themselves. The church in Smyrna thought they were poor when they were really rich, but the church of the Laodicea’s believe they are rich when they are really poor.
(18) The change in the Laodicea’s had to begin with understanding their spiritual poverty. As long as we believe we can meet the need for wealth, clothing etc by ourselves, we can never receive them from Jesus. We must seek these things from Jesus instead of relying on them ourselves.
(19) He commanded them to make a decision to repent, Don’t look to your own riches and resources, because they are really worthless. I know from my personal testimony that as a loving Father God will discipline you for the greater good, as through my bankruptcy, I came to see that I was a lukewarm Christian heading to hell, but by His loving hand he steered my life back on the proper path, and I thank Him every day for His grace and mercy.
(20) Notice that Jesus gave the call to individuals. He didn’t say, “If any church,” but if anyone. We must not talk about setting the church right, we must pray for grace each one for himself, for the text does not say, ‘If the church will open the door,’ but ‘If anyone hears my voice and open the door.’
This is a specific meal that Jesus is speaking of here is known as the deipnon. This was the main meal of the day and was a leisurely affair, not a hurried snack. This was the meal at which the men sat and talked for a long time, for now there was time, as the day’s work had ended
(21) This is the worst of the seven Churches, and yet the most important of all the promises are made to it, showing that the worst may repent, conquer, and attain even to the highest state of glory
(22) Of all the letters I feel this letter speaks to our churches today, as so many of us in the west now feel no need for God in our lives, and this apathy has led us into a steady downward spiral.
Amen