Chapter Three

Revelation Three

3:1-6 Sardis: The letter to the church at Sardis has the spirit of death, of appearance without reality, promise without performance, outward show of strength betrayed by want of watchfulness and careless confidence. Thou hast a name that thou livest and thou art dead.... I have found no works of thine fulfilled.... I will come as a thief comes; and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. And such also was the city and its history.  Sardis had an dominated the valley of the Hermus.  

3:1 "Thou hast a name that thou livest: Ye have the reputation of Christians, and consequently of being alive to God, through the quickening influence of the Divine Spirit; but ye are dead: ye do not have life in your life, ye have not walked consistently and steadily before God, and His Spirit has been grieved, and He has withdrawn much of his light and power.

3:2 Be watchful: Ye have lost ground by carelessness and inattention. Awake, and keep awake!

Strengthen the things which remain: The convictions and all that God has given should be shored up and empowered.   Don't waste anything that the Lord has graciously provided.  God never authors His power without plan and purpose.  

Thy works perfect: Filled up. They performed their duties, but did not finish what they started, never bringing anything to a proper end. Their strength was feeble, and their light was going dim. They probably maintained their reputation before men, but their works were not perfect before God.

3:3 Remember: This is serious business with God.  Take a good hard look and see the eternal purpose for which you were created.  

How thou hast received: With what joy, zeal, and gladness ye heard the Gospel of Christ when first preached to you.

Hold fast: The influence of the Lord still remains. And repent: Be humbled before God, because ye have not been workers together with him, but have received much of his grace in vain.

If therefore thou shalt not watch: If you do not consider your ways.

I will come on thee as a thief: As the thief comes when he is not expected.  Be vigilant and watchful so that you do not lose what has been given.

3:4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis: Have not defiled their garments: Their souls. The Hebrews considered holiness as the garb of the soul, and evil actions as stains or spots on this clothing. "So in Shabbath, fol. 152, 2: Z  "A certain king gave royal garments to his servants: those who were prudent folded them up, and laid them by in a chest; those who were foolish put them on, and performed their daily labor in them. After some time the king asked for those royal robes; the wise brought theirs white and clean, the foolish brought theirs spotted with dirt. With the former the king was well pleased; with the latter he was angry. Concerning the former he said: Let those garments be laid up in my wardrobe, and let the persons go home in peace. Of the latter he said: Let the garments be put into the hands of the fuller, and cast those who wore them into prison. This parable is spoken on these words of Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiastes 12:7: The spirit shall return to God who gave it."

They shall walk with me in white: They shall be raised to a state of eternal glory, and shall be for ever with their Lord.

3:5 I will not blot out his name: This may be an allusion to the custom of registering the names of those who were admitted into the Church in a book. These are properly books of life, as there those who were born unto God were registered; those who were born in that church were enrolled. Or there may be allusions to the white raiment worn by the priests, and the erasing of the name of any priest if he sinned, or was found not of the seed of Aaron. In Middoth, fol. 37, 2: "The great council of Israel sat and judged the priests. If in a priest any vice was found they stripped of his white garments and clothed him in black, in which he wrapped himself, went out, and departed. Him in whom no vice was found they clothed in white, and he went and took his part in the ministry among his brother priests."

I will confess his name: I will acknowledge that this person is my true disciple, and a member of Christ's Body.  Their names were entered into books, according to their condition, tribe, or family; and when they were dead, or forfeited their citizenship, the name was blotted out, or erased from the registers. See the note on Exodus 32:32.

Matthew Henry: Epistles to the church at Sardis; (1-6) Revelation 3:1-6: The Lord Jesus is He that hath the Holy Spirit with all his powers, graces, and operations. Hypocrisy, and lamentable decay in religion, are sins charged upon Sardis, by One who knew that church well, and all her works. Outward things appeared well to men, but there was only the form of godliness, not the power; a name to live, not a principle of life. There was great deadness in their souls, and in their services; numbers were wholly hypocrites, others were in a disordered and lifeless state. Our Lord called upon them to be watchful against their enemies, and to be active and earnest in their duties; and to endeavor, in dependence on the grace of the Holy Spirit, to revive and strengthen the faith and spiritual affections of those yet alive to God, though in a declining state. Whenever we are off our watch, we lose ground. Thy works are hollow and empty; prayers are not filled up with holy desires, alms-deeds not filled up with true charity, Sabbaths not filled up with suitable devotion of soul to God. There are not inward affections suitable to outward acts and expressions; when the spirit is wanting, the form cannot long remain. In seeking a revival in our own souls, or the souls of others, it is needful to compare what we profess with the manner in which we go on, that we may be humbled and quickened to hold fast that which remains. Christ enforces his counsel with a dreadful threatening if it should be despised. Yet our blessed Lord does not leave this sinful people without some encouragement. He makes honorable mention of the faithful remnant in Sardis, he makes a gracious promise to them. He that overcometh shall be clothed in white raiment; the purity of grace shall be rewarded with the perfect purity of glory. Christ has his book of life, a register of all who shall inherit eternal life; the book of remembrance of all who live to God, and keep up the life and power of godliness in evil times. Christ will bring forward this book of life, and show the names of the faithful, before God, and all the angels, at the great day.

Spurgeon: Rev. 3:4 We may understand this to refer to justification. "They shall walk in white"; that is, they shall enjoy a constant sense of their own justification by faith; they shall understand that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to them, that they have all been washed and made whiter than the newly-fallen snow. Again, it refers to joy and gladness: for white robes were holiday dresses among the Jews. They who have not defiled their garments shall have their faces always bright; they shall understand what Solomon meant when he said "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart. Let thy garments be always white, for God hath accepted thy works." He who is accepted of God shall wear white garments of joy and gladness, while he walks in sweet communion with the Lord Jesus. Whence so many doubts, so much misery, and mourning? It is because so many believers defile their garments with sin and error, and hence they lose the joy of their salvation, and the comfortable fellowship of the Lord Jesus, they do not here below walk in white. The promise also refers to walking in white before the throne of God. Those who have not defiled their garments here shall most certainly walk in white up yonder, where the white-robed hosts sing perpetual hallelujahs to the Most High. They shall possess joys inconceivable, happiness beyond a dream, bliss which imagination knoweth not, blessedness which even the stretch of desire hath not reached. The "undefiled in the way" shall have all this "not of merit, nor of works, but of grace. They shall walk with Christ in white, for He has made them worthy." In His sweet company they shall drink of the living fountains of waters.

3:7-13 Philadelphia: 1750-1950 - 30 miles SE of Sardis on the way to Laodicea, founded in 200 B.C. by Attulus Philadelphia- Represents the post-reformation period from 1750-1950: Whitehead, Wesley, Judson, Finney, Moody, Sunday, Torrey

Before the 19^th century the pre-millennial return was seldom stressed, but in the 19^th century Christians were driven with fervency because of this doctrine, to missions and soul-winning. *No rebuke, parallels between this church and Smyrna.

3:7 ...These things saith he that is holy"/ declaration as God - attribute of deity: Isa. 40:25; Lev. 11:44; Heb. 7:26

"he that is true"/ John 17:3; I John 5:20

"he that hath the key of David"/ Isa. 22:20-22 - Rule of the house of David: Isa. 9:6-7; Luke 1:32-33 / Symbol of authority, obtained only by legal right and lineage.

"he that openeth and no man shutteth"/ He is from the beginning and is eternal, nothing may start without his knowledge, His program is open until He chooses.

3:8 "...behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it" / A created opportunity by God, an open door for missions: Acts 14:27; I Cor. 16:8-9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3 / It is a challenge for us today. He opens the doors and we must enter! MacArthur: send 5,000 missionaries to Japan; Isenhower 1 in 1960: could not go because of several thousand communists. We don’t see the doors due to greed, selfishness, time, etc.

"for thou hast little strength"/ small in numbers and finance, none of the rich and influential - the Lord manifests His strength in our weaknesses. I Cor. 1:27

and hast kept my word"/ not merely intellectual or academic, they regarded the integrity of God’s Word by their veracity and life. They had vision, compassion, zeal, and no hell could stop them. James 1:22

"and hast not denied my name"/ loyalty to Christ - His name represents Deity, holiness, righteousness, etc.

3:9 "synagogue of Satan"/ Satan in 4 of the 7 churches / probably prophetic of the modern cults and their doctrines / their end will be according to their works. 2 Cor. 11:13-15

3:11 "I come quickly"/ Rev. 1:7; 2:25

"hold fast..."/ His Word, name and the promise of His coming / Gal. 6:9; 2 John 8

"that no man take thy crown"/ not the crown of salvation - various forms of evil steal our crowns (rewards):

Ephesus: cold heart

Smyrna: discouragement, poverty

Pergamos: opposing doctrine

Thyatira: Jezebell

Sardis: dead orthodoxy

Philadelphia: tares among the wheat

3:12-13 This missionary period will usher in the last opportunity before the judgment of God. It is a great responsibility.

Noah and Enoch: proclaimed before the flood

Moses before the 10th plague

Jesus before 70 A.D.

You and I before the Tribulation

3:14-22 The Church at Laodicea - possibly started by Epaphras: Col. 2:1; 4:12-16 / Church of the last days / commercial and financial center

"Amen"/ the final word, it is true / Deut. 7:9; Isa. 65:16; 2 Cor. 1:20

"beginning of the creation of God"/ Lit. "in whom the creation has its beginning"/ Rev. 1:8; John 1:3; Col. 1:15-18

3:15 "thou art neither cold"/ yucroV / metaphor: cold, sluggish, inert; in mind: of one destitute of warm Christian faith and the desire for holiness. "hot"/ zestoV / boiling hot; metaphor: of fervour of mind an zeal / *Apparently, their were tepid in personality, half-hearted, no enthusiasm or urgency.

3:16 They had denied the Gospel - they were not hot toward God and His Word

3:17 A person can be saved and yet poor spiritually, but rich physically - "What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul" Their estimate of themselves was not the same as the Lord’s appraisal of their true condition. Apparently, Jesus was not being given the place of honor.

3:18 "buy of me"/ Isa. 55:1 \ mayest be rich / I Cor. 1:5; 4:8 \ "white raiment"/ divine righteousness - I Cor. 1:30; Rev. 19:8

"eyesalve"/ liberalism, humanism: blinds the eyes of men spiritually, they don’t seem to see or understand / I Cor. 2:14-16

3:19 Cf. Prov. 3:11-12; Heb. 12:5-6

3:20 Gospel to "whosoever will"/ His patience and long-suffering / Holman Hunt’s picture of Christ standing at the door /the Savior is a waiting guest / Will you leave the Son of God standing at the front door?

3:21 "throne"/ God has never relinquished His throne, His sovereignty, His majesty. The throne is the symbol of His power and authority / Psalm 103:19; Heb. 4:16 /"throne" is used 12X in 11 verses

SUMMARY OF MESSAGES TO THE CHURCHES: The church of Ephesus, having lost its first love for Jesus Christ, is urged to repent (Rev. 2:4 Nzapa.) And since ecumenical promise is on our agenda, what does the Spirit promise? "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Rev. 2:7).

And the church in Smyrna? Faced by suffering, imprisonment and tribulation for their faith, believers are exhorted to be "faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life….He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death"(Rev. 2:10-11).

And the church in Pergamos, which condoned false doctrine and fornication is warned to repent quickly, lest Christ Himself should fight the offending ones "with the sword of my mouth" (Rev. 2:14 Nzapa.). "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written…" (Rev. 2:17).

And the church in Thyatira, whose seductive teaching led Christians to fornication and to eat what was sacrificed to idols? The offenders are threatened with destruction unless they repent (Rev. 2:20 Nzapa.).

And what of the church in Sardis? Its works were tawdry, and the Spirit pleads with trespassers to repent (Rev. 3:1 Nzapa.). "He that overcometh…shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will…confess his name before my Father, and before his angels" (Rev. 3:5).

And the church in Philadelphia? It had kept Christ’s Word, and He in turn promises to keep believers "from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world…" (Rev. 3:10). "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar of the temple of my God…and I will write upon him the name of

The Ecumenical Age: Problems and Promise -- Vol 123 #491 -- Jul 1966 -- 217

my God, and the name of the…new Jerusalem…and my new name" (Rev. 3:12).

And the Laodicean church? Lukewarm in works, its confidence lay in its own resources (Rev. 3:14 Nzapa.). It was urged to repent. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my own throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne" (Rev. 3:21).

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