The Churches of Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea (Revelation 3)
2013-02-24
Revelation 3:1-6: The Church of Sardis
Attributes of Christ (3:1a)
And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars
This is the first time we see an attribute of Christ repeated; in 2:1, Jesus identifies himself as the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand. However, something else is being empasized here. In 2:1, Jesus was emphasizing the prominent place of the stars, and his care for them. Now these seven stars are being mentioned in conjunction with the seven Spirits of God. The emphasis here is on the number seven, as I will demonstrate shortly from verse 2. Seven is the number of completion or perfection in the Bible. We know this from the Creation narrative:
Genesis 2:1-3: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” When God completed his creative work, he set aside this seventh day by ceasing his work. Only when his work was complete did he declare it very good, for it was perfect (Genesis 1:31).
Rebuke (3:1b-4)
I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.
Jesus does not mention any commendation here; he immediately chides them for having “a name that thou livest, and art dead.” Being dead is the opposite of Christ, for the essence of Christ is life. How the Sardis Christians were considered dead, it does not say beyond what we see here. It could be anything from cold orthodoxy or half-hearted Christian service. But either way, they were not living as if Christ were risen from the dead. That life that comes from walking with Christ was not evident in their lifestyle, and were therefore guilty of false advertizing.
In verse 2, the church is commanded to fix their ways because “I have not found thy works perfect before God.” This ties in with the “seven,” the number of perfection and completion emphasized in the attributes of God section. Christ perfectly upholds the church; the Sardis Christians must have perfect works. In verse 3, Jesus reminds them how they received the word in the beginning. When we get saved, we have a certain zeal to want to hand everything over to Christ for his cause in this world. However, many times, we lose this joie de vivre and sink back into complacency and worldliness. This is what was happening to these people. We need to remember how we once had received and heard the majestic gospel message, and live like we have the eternal life we were given.
Remembrance is a theme in the Bible pertaining to Christian living:
Luke 22:19: “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” The Lord’s supper is done in order to remember what Christ has done.
Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” We are to be transformed by meditating on the things of God, especially our position in Christ.
Verse 4 talks about how some have not given into this complacency by having not “defiled their garments.” Furthermore, they will “walk with me in white.” In the “Overcometh” section to be discussed next, we see that to be clothed in white raiment is a promise to all believers. So, what does this mean here? Did they lose their salvation, or perhaps they were never saved to begin with? Neither is the case. The defiling of their garments was their complacency; in the eyes of the world, they were losing credibility, as John 15:6 states, and were about to suffer a permanent loss of testimony in the world. Those who had not lost their vigor in Christian living were going to walk with Jesus in white, with the emphasis on walking with Jesus and not the white garments.
Overcometh (3:5-6)
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
As we have just seen, white raiment is something that all Christians will receive when they in eternity (likely related to the event in Revelation 6:11). The white could quite possibly represent the purity of Christ that they had donned in the hour of their salvation. Remember, when Adam and Eve sinned, God provided a real covering of clothing to replace the fig leaves they had clumsily woven together to cover their shame (Genesis 3:7, 21). Except now, it was not an animal that had been slain for them, but the Lord Jesus Christ, and his purity we now have if we believe on his name.
Jesus also promises we who believe that he will never blot out our names from the book of life. If you are saved, you are written in the book of life. We know that there is a place for everyone to be potentially written into the book, as alluded to in 22:19, but only if you are actually written there will you be saved (20:15).
We will also be confessed before God and the holy angels. He confesses us because he unilaterally delivered us from eternal perdition. His blood was applied to our sin debt the moment we believed. Because he did it all, we have confidence in our salvation and our position in Jesus Christ, looking forward to the day when we will see the Father in all his glory.
Revelation 3:7-13: The Church of Philadelphia
Attributes of Christ (3:7)
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth
Jesus is first declared to be holy and true. He is “the truth” according to John 14:6; the essence of God is truth, and being distinct from his creation, he is also holy.
Jesus also “hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” This is reminiscent of Isaiah 22:22. Let us read the context:
Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house. And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it. (Isaiah 22:17-25)
Eliakim son of Hilkiah was “over the household” in the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:18). As the king’s right-hand man, he had great authority. But we know that Eliakim was long dead at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and this is talking about someone else. Revelation reveals that this reference to Eliakim is a foreshadowing of Christ. He was the “nail in a sure place” that was the security of Judah, but when he was removed, we know that Jerusalem fell within the same generation. Jesus Christ opens doors for his people, and this is surely the case for the people of Philadelphia.
Commendation (3:8-11)
I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
Because this group of Christians have served God so fervently, God is about to give them an “open door” or opportunity. This synagogue of Satan was discussed in a previous section (commendation of the church in Smyrna), so I will not say much more than what I did before in the Sardis section. These were people that may have been Jewish according to the flesh, but were people that either rejected Christ, or subscribed to a form of Christianity which required works of the law for salvation. In Smyrna’s case, they were likely behind the church’s persecution, so this may have been the case here in Philadelphia. These false Jews were going to worship before their feet! What could this possibly mean?
Since this is a commendation, it would seem odd to think that these Jews worshipping the church members at Philadelphia a good thing. Instead, maybe we should think of this another way. These church members were devoted to God and kept his word. This entails loving one another, loving enemies, denying themselves, and a lot of things that are contrary to the natural man. The Bible says, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). These false Jews were realizing that these men and women of faith were the real deal. God was at work in their lives, and they lived out the self-sacrificing love of Jesus Christ in all that they did. It makes more sense that these false Jews actually turned to Christ and were worshipping God in the presence of the Philadelphia Christians. Now that is amazing!
This was not all what was promised to the church in Philadelphia. They also were promised that they would keep them “from the hour of temptation” that was going to come upon the entire earth (3:10). This may mean a few things. There could have been a historical event of some kind of widespread trial, like a famine, but they would be protected from it. More likely, this is representative of the gathering together of the saints, often called the rapture. Saved people will be gathered by the Lord Jesus and not be subjected to his wrath. This event is discussed in Revelation 7 and 14. His wrath will be global in scope, and will cause great distress to every person on the earth in those days. This will be discussed in detail in future chapters. This verse is the antithesis of verse 3, where judgment comes unexpectantly to those who do not seek Christ.
Jesus continues his encouragement by telling them that he will return quickly, and to keep on doing what they are doing. By their actions, they have been rewarded with a “crown” in verse 11, but they also could have possibly lost it by losing focus and living for themselves and the world. The crown is significant like winning a race, as we see in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25:
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Overcometh (3:12-13)
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
The promises to believers include becoming a pillar in the temple of God. According to Revelation 21:22, there is no temple in the coming new Jerusalem, because God and his Lamb are the temple. So redeemed people are the “pillars.” This may be foreshadowed in original temple, where the original temple had named pillars: “And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar, and called the name thereof Jachin: and he set up the left pillar, and called the name thereof Boaz” (1 Kings 7:21; cf. 2 Chronicles 3:17). As pillars, we will not leave the presence of God, but will always be there with him. What a peaceful thought!
We will also have the name of God the Father, the Son and the city of God on us. This signifies ownership. We belong to God and his Son, and we belong in his city. Our home will always be with God.
Revelation 3:14-22: The Church of Laodicea
Attributes of Christ (3:14)
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God
Jesus calls himself “the Amen.” This is what we often say at the end of prayers, which is a word of Hebrew origin that means to confirm or give support. Consider 1 Corinthians 14:16 which reads, “Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?” If someone if speaking a foreign language we do not understand, we should not say “Amen” to what they say because we could be supporting something that is ungodly without realizing it.
So how could Jesus be the Amen? As the anointed one of God, he is the one God endorses. In Revelation 5, we will see that he was the one worthy to be chosen by God to open the seals that will usher in the seventieth week of Daniel. Every creature will eventually say Amen to Jesus as the Christ (see Revelation 5:13, this is not referring to universalism, but everyone eventually will willingly or unwillingly recognize him as Christ).
Jesus also is the “faithful and true witness.” “Faithful and true” is a recurring theme throughout Revelation, referring to either Jesus or the written word. This is discussed a bit more under Revelation 1:4-6: The Faithful Witness.
Jesus is the beginning of the creation of God. Many will misconstrue this to mean that Jesus was the first creation God had made. But John 1:1 reads, “In the beginning was the Word...” Jesus already was in the beginning; he had no origin, so this phrase means that he was the originator of all things: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:” (Colossians 1:16).
That is important here because Jesus, being the originator of all created things, has authority over those things. As creator, Jesus Christ has the right to rule over us, as we must submit to him. That is exactly what the Laodiceans were not doing. Jesus reserves no commendation for this church; he begins with an immediate rebuke.
Rebuke (3:15-20)
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
This rebuke is among the longest and harshest yet, but also one with great promise if the church turns back to God.
Being “neither cold nor hot” seems to indicate they were just going through the motions spiritually. Like the church in Sardis, they were likely not living like those risen with Christ. James warns us, “he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6). Jesus, however, explains a bit more. These folks really believed they were godly, doing the right things, and trusting God. Even more so, they believed that having riches equated with godliness, saying they were “rich, and increased with goods” (3:17 cf. 1 Timothy 6:5). Jesus shows them here that such contentment in worldly riches is really poverty, and they are oblivious to what real godliness is. They were spiritually “blind, and naked,” because they could not even see their spiritual lack and vulnerability. This is not unlike many of the churches in America today.
Interestingly enough, Jesus says to “buy” these various remedies so they can be whole. This is curious that they need to “buy” them. Isn’t salvation free??? Remember, Jesus calls this group of people a church, and therefore they are a group of saved people. Godliness and spiritually does cost something, and the cost is the sacrifice of their comfort and worldly riches. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
God gives them (and us) an important reminder: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (3:19). He loves us and wants the best for us. There are times he will discipline us or steer us to the correct way. In verse 20, he is always actively knocking on our doors, patiently awaiting for us to respond. We need to be able to hear his call so we can do what our master wants us to do. Restored fellowship is always a step away (1 John 1:9).
Overcometh (3:21-22)
To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
In essence, Jesus reemphasizes that we will be with him. We overcome, because he first overcame. Without him single-handedly procuring our salvation, we would be eternally alienated from God in the lake of fire. With Jesus overcoming the world, we too overcome the world (1 John 5:4) and have eternal life. This is reminiscent of Jesus high priestly prayer in John 17:11: “Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.”